This spring/summer season we are expecting to see more pattern play on the streets. It’s been shown on the runways for several seasons but now it’s time for us fashionistas to take a bit of a fashion risk. We absolutely love how this stylish blogger of “Man Repeller” mixes her stylish prints. Mixing prints can be fun but daunting so here are a few helpful hints:

Hey Brooklyn Artists, Creators and Visionaries— 3rd Ward is offering you a chance to win some serious cash and a major opportunity, from $500 cash money to a 3-month 3rd Ward work residency and inclusion in a Group Show in the 3rd Ward Gallery.

I just took a Photoshop workshop there; The class was a little too much for two days but otherwise, loved the facilities and space. They have so many great offerings that I’m sure I’ll be back.  You, on the other hand, could maybe take up an artist residency there… Check it out here.

Snow Day Sale!

Rest in peace, Etta James.

*I wrote this last MLK day but my blog was new and, well, not widely read! So here it is again; as applicable as ever with political rhetoric now as divisive as racial rhetoric has been historically.

A few, ahem, years back, when I was in fifth grade, we watched a Martin Luther King, Jr. documentary in school. This was pre-MLK day, in an otherwise blue collar conservative upstate New York sub-suburb. Admittedly much of elementary school, shy of memorizing the U.S. presidents (a party skill I still can pull out on demand), is a blur of playground games,  forgetting my homework, and band practice.  However, the Martin Luther King Jr. documentary and our reactions to it, made vivid and lasting impressions upon me.

As the child of immigrants, being of mixed ethnicity, in a pretty white enclave (and passing for white myself) I remember feeling a strange sort of pride and kinship.  The idea that people of all colors, all religions, all races and genders would someday stand together as equals, while not new to me at that point (being half Indian, the teachings of Gandhi had long been my legacy), moved me deeply and personally. The most resounding memory was from the clip above, in which Dr. King refrains, How long? Not long. 

For some reason, maybe our inability as ten year olds to truly embrace and digest the enormity of the movement and ideas, or more likely simply because of the catchiness of the refrain,  it became our “saying”, the greeting we used on playgrounds, signed in yearbooks and joked about at least for a couple years. Never teasingly. Never mean spirited. Just simple. Someone would say, “How long?” Another would reply, “Not Long.” Sometimes you add brother, or Martin or Doctor.  But the sentiment was the same. Did we understand truly what we were saying or why?  Maybe not but it stuck with me and hopefully with a few others at Sullivan Avenue Elementary School.  How long Doctor? Well, we’re certainly not there yet, but I’d venture to say that 40 years later we are a whole lot closer to that mountain top. How long? Not long brother.

I didn’t even know there was a new Wes Anderson film on the horizon, though that might explain why the Royal Tenenbaums was on IFC all weekend. I re-watched it and rekindled my love of the film with its surreal and extraordinary yet completely mundane styling and dialogue. Made me wistful for a new film, so you can imagine I was completely chuffed at seeing the trailer for his new movie Moonrise Kingdom. Bringing back his usual cast of players, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, Anderson adds star power and chops with Edward Norton, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and Tilda Swinton. Definitely marking the calendar. Set to arrive in theaters May 25th.

Okay, you got me, I didn’t watch the Critic’s Choice Awards. I mean really, besides the Oscars and a Ricky Gervais hosted Golden Globe, I’m just not tuning in to award shows. But I do so love me a recap of the fashions as they are usually a great barometer of what upcoming seasons will bear.  This year there were many glimpses of color, more saturated and primary than in the past, gorgeous rich greens, blues and yellows! (We have tons at POP new dresses this week that fill the bill!). Spring, we’re coming for ya!

Via Jezebel.

Have a love of the antiquarian look taking over Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but have no idea where to start? Well, if you have the money, you can now hire the trend setting and uber creative bloggers, the Hovey sisters. But if that’s not in your budget, you can still find tons of inspiration in their blogs, including this tumblr blog, filled with all things they love! 

I first read about the Hovey sisters when they were featured in the NY Times Style section nearly three years ago. In addition to being fellow Williamsburg residents, they are sisters, bloggers, and collectors who share a love of the decadent antiquarian aesthetic of taxidermy, anatomical charts, entomology, fencing masks, natural history prints, pith helmets, and apothecary jars. Hollister’s blog is a personal favorite for reading about her adventures, style musings, and travels.  Just take a gander at their beautifully decorated pad, updated from the black walls featured in the Times to a cool blue. Cool being the operative word.

Images via The New York Times and DesignSponge

Cool. You finally signed up for Spotify, which all your friends have been raving about. You’ve followed others playlists but sometimes you want to be the leader, right? No worries, soon you’ll be recommending new bands and releases to all your pals. Enter Pitchify. This cool little link between our faithful reviewers Pitchfork and Drowned in Sound and Spotify aggregates every new release that receives a score of 8 or more (out of 10) and automatically queues them up to stream in Spotify.

*In Store Only!

I just discovered the gorgeous designs of Russian socialite and favorite subject of street fashion photographers, Ulyana Sergeenko. Her recently debuted collection perfectly mirrors her own personal style: Retro inspired, full skirts, rounded necks, accentuated busts, all perfectly accented with headscarves, wicker hats, and heavy eyeliner, perfectly captured in these backstage photographs.

It’s fffffreezing in Brooklyn today. My iphone promises the 50s for the weekend but for now, Oscar is about the only one I know who’s happy, who’d only be happier still if there was snow. Actually, I’d agree right now. That at least makes the cold feel worthwhile. Who doesn’t enjoy a little snow frolicking?  I mean a fun and fashionable snowball fight? Though I think there’s a saying you don’t bring a shovel to a snowball fight…okay not really but there should be! Employees of the 1939 World’s Fair Via NYPL.

Former Alexander McQueen muse and fashionista heiress Daphne Guinness impersonates David Bowie in German Vogue this month, with a David Bowie made up Kate Moss on its cover. The kicker? It was shot by musician Bryan Adams. Ah the Germans and their music icons!

Via Jezebel

New Year. New Blog Look. 

A little toast that’s my new favorite way to see the new year: May your best day of 2011 be your worst day of 2012!

Model Crystal Renn in the January 2010 issue of Elle Canada.