Betsy & Iya: a NW Jewelry Shop

You know those days when your laundry piles up like Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out? (Please tell me you get the Shel Silverstein ref). That means a trip to ye old laundromat and mine of choice is The Missing Sock on NW Thurman because I figure my chances of getting contact scabies are less than average in Nob Hill.
While waiting for the rinse cycle to finish spinning, I wandered down to this twee little jewelry shop located at 2403 NW Thurman St.
Rope-cuff bracelets, hand-hammered rings, necklaces and earrings made of tarnished brass or painted bronze, etched and oxidized, create gorgeous one-of-a-kind pieces. I practically had kittens. It's one of those places where you just keep pointing to trinkets, saying to no one in particular, "I want thaaat. And thaaat. Oh! And thaat." 

The sh*t show that was: Isabel Marant for H&M

My sister Lee asked me to go to the Portland downtown H&M for the much-anticipated Isabel Marant collection which came out Thursday, November 14th. She has her own big time fashion production company in NYC and knew everything was sold out in Manhattan and already up on ebay at skyrocketing prices. I said, sure!






I sped on down early Friday afternoon avoiding Tween-Hour, confidently believing I'd find all two of her requested pieces and the much coveted fringe boots she said she'd buy me for my birthday.


Where the f*ck was it all? I asked the salesperson where was the Isabel Marant section? Stifling a chortle, she walked me over to a lone dress there on a hanger all by itself, the last runt of the litter, a size 12 metallic dress with a cutout back. Then she said, which I could've kissed her full on the mouth for, "You're kind of petite, maybe try the kids section??"
My face showed a case of the sads, which prompted her to add, "There was a line Wednesday night at midnight. People camped. We sold $40K and all but the one piece in the first two hours of the store opening." I texted my sister the bad news and she had this to say:

I love the part, "Jesus. Who knew pp in portland know about isabel marant?"
We know, dear sister, we know.  
And we have excellent camping equipment.

Teeny Tiny Knuckle Rings!! Squeee!

As an Etsy addict -- I literally have to say out loud to myself in times of having a bad case of "the wants" to Not. Go. On. Etsy. I love to fall down it's well-edited shopping rabbit hole. I came across these wee rings while stalking my favorite fashion muse Daphne Guiness and her love of "kuckle rings" which she wears like this:
Which funneled me down to dainty little wire-like rings. I love the chevron pattern they create when you stack them. They're what my friend Autumn of Dulce Design would call, "Presh!"

Where do Hippies hide their credit card?

Under their bar of soap! Bad-ump-ba... I never thought I'd say it, but Birkenstocks have made a comeback. Below are versions from Celine, Miu Miu and Marni. And no matter how much patchouli wafts through the air if there is in fact a true hippie-couture movement, I am never. Ever. Going to a Phish concert.

Indian Feathers: Edgy or Offensive?

I heart Michelle Williams. I buy into her sympathetic appeal, her blonde pixie hair do and her adorable little lisp. I imagine we would be friends if I met her at a bar when she was here in Portland filming Meek’s Cutoff. Recently, she had this controversial cover on anOther magazine where folks have purported she dressed up in Native American Indian garb and in "redface."
I love the photo and it's costume-like imagery appeal. I don't see her in redface but more embodying an inspired look from the pioneer era. Unlike Johnny Depp and his Tonto Misstep in The Lone Ranger.
Refinery29 had this to say: "(She) appears to mimic the stark relief of facial features often seen in early portraits of Native American women." And Jezebel writes: "Just as Blackface is never okay, Redface is never okay…stop supporting cliché images of American Indians. Racism is racism no matter what era of our history you attempt to portray, or what lens or filter you use."
Since when does a feather in a braid become racially and culturally offensive? Does the American Indian have a trademark on that look?
I mean, I never TM'd my bangs, DID I?!?! (Although I often wish I had—Zooey Dechanel would be paying my mortgage.) I think Michelle looks edgy and interesting and it's not like she's Karlie Kloss horse-stomping down the runway in a giant Village People Indian headdress atop her lingeried self. I guess my rule is, if it looks editorial and artfully fashionable and you're not Al Jolson singing "Swanee" on a stoop eating watermelon, you're okay.

Oh...And a how do YOU do?

This is my official introduction wherein I doff my hat and say "HELLO AUDIENCE OF ZERO!!" Welcome to my blog. In starting this bad boy, my street cred lies in years spent in the fashion trenches as a Collection Coordinator for New York Fashion Week. I've worked in a multitude of other production and style consulting positions for designers such as Diane von Furstenberg, Cynthia Rowley, All-Star Project Runway Winner Daniel Vosovic, Rad Hourani, Risto and Nordic: NY. I have lived in Portland for six years now and have worked as the Designer Specialist for Dolce & Gabbana and am presently freelancing as a Stylist. My intention here is to simply highlight my favorite things, post controversial fashiony news, explore upcoming trends and to upchuck general pop-culture tidbits. Enjoy and keep stopping by!