Breakfast at Barneys: my heart will always belong to...

new york city.

And while I realize that this sentiment might very well change when I disembark and move to Paris for a year...New York is where all of the magical moments in my life have taken place (like the time I met Mlle. Carine). It is a place where the ambitious ones in the world go to make their dreams come true.

It is in this gorgeous city that I too one day will make all of my fashiony fantasies come true.

Only in New York can you hear the Rodarte sisters reflect on knitting sweaters for pet lizards, watch André Leon Talley disclose a personal secret, visit the WWD and W Magazine offices, and procure a vintage red Prada bikini (for the astronomically low price of $20) in the course of 4 days.

As this particular escapade was my final romp in the city for at least a year, I wanted to soak up as much of the effervescence and excitement that is NYC as I could. Mother Nature was shining down on me as I had 4 straight days of sunshine and thus my wardrobe choices were limitless :)

All the fun started on Tuesday. As if by fate the bus from boston dropped me off right in front of the Fashion Institute of Technology...which is coincidentally where I would here the incredibly talented Rodarte sisters speak 2 hours later. FIT has a host of discussions with the best talents in the industry. I was lucky enough to hear FIT director Valerie Steele interview both the sisters and ALT in the same week.

Now these two girls, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, are the most cohesive duo imaginable. Every single snip, stitch and strut is a collaborative decision.

Unlike many designers, these two girls did not go to fashion school...in fact they still have no formal training in the craft they clearly master. They went to Berkley, graduated with little idea about the future and spent a year watching films on their couch in Pasadena. From there they took a costume design class and all the sketches/fantasies/dreams they'd been scheming since they were little girls came together. A friend convinced them to show their capsule collection to the WWD editor in LA...who happened to be meeting with Wintour that same week and BAM!!!

They showed in NYFW just a few months later.

Their inspiration arises from everything; from anime to cadavers to roadside insulation to candlewax. But it is their symbiosis as a pair is what truly enhances their masterpieces.

my preferred piece from S/S 2010

In my opinion, their lack of conventional schooling is what exalts the extraordinary freshness of their designs. Essentially the duo is just playing a professional game of dress-up. Shredding this, burning that, dyeing here and razoring there. Every piece is handcrafted...and necessitates an immense amount of diligence and visionary expertise.

Their creations are hauntingly beautiful. And that base in film allows for their attention to detail and emphasis on the aesthetic. Always contrasting between romance and terror, living or dead, black or white...they are consistently dreamy and awe-inspiring.

Great girls and even greater designs.

I am loyally in love with Rodarte and everything it stands for.

AND even better...as I walked out of FIT I turned the corner and their was this odd little man (still living in the 70s) whereing a nude nylon leotard, leather pants and disco sunglasses. He had a table full of fashion mags and I was instantly drawn to the POP cover with little Tavi Gevinson on the cover...and Dasha Zhukova's inaugural issue as editor-in-chief.

I figure it will be one of those collector's items...and although her appointment as editor caused much controversy within the industry. Based on this issue I think she's doing a marvelous job.

And much to my surprise...I found this inside:

"A Proud History"

from the new POP Magazine (with Dasha Zhukova at the helm with their choice Tavi on the cover)

Paying homage to the Obama approval for stem cell research, POP had the sisters dress and interview 3 scientists in the field celebrating intellect and beauty.

...so all of that was Tuesday.

Wednesday was my walk around Brooklyn & Manhattan and soak it all up day.

Thursday was Andre:

For the Rodarte discussion I just waltzed right in and got a seat rather close to the stage.

For ALT...it was a whole different story.

1. There was a line around the university

2. There was a significant police presence and metal detectors.

3. There was PETA:

And then there was Andre

...in all his Lagerfeld couture caped glory.

It came as no surprise that he commanded the room. His stature, vocal projection, and boisterous nature are dynamic enough but there is this regal quality about him and well much like the "elephant in the room" one cannot not sense his presence.

I have read a bit of his biography...but he is so much more inspiring than I ever imagined. A complete antithesis to his diminutive bob-haired counterpart.

He spent the majority of his discussion talking about how much influence his grandmother had on his life. He paid much sincere credit to several upcoming designers in the audience, as well as introduced and discussed his assistant, the creator of his bedazzled obama t-shirt and answered 20+ public questions.

I want to follow exactly in the very large footprints of this man.

He went to Brown and majored in French (comme moi) with the intention of becoming an elementary school french teacher.

But when he was 12 years old in response to his uncle's question "Re, what do you want to be when you grow up", little Andre declared "I'm going to be a fashion editor."

So under the insistence of several friends and his own innate talent...he dropped out of a doctorate program moved to Manhattan.

He lived in the YMCA with no money and hustled until he met Diana Vreeland who then introduced him to Warhol at a Halston party. After being a Factory brat for sometime...he moved on to WWD in Paris and spent his time working with THE Yves Saint Laurent and THE Karl Lagerfeld.

You can not get more fabulous than that.

All that glamour and fabulosity accumulated and well...here he is.

An absolute wealth of knowledge. He can tell you anything about anyone in all of industry from Worth in the 1890's to Derek Lam in the now. And it is that dedication, passion, and ambition that I insist on harboring as I pave my own path in this challenging world of prettiness.

which brings me to

Friday.

some final shopping in soho.

I co-crafted this ring with a marvelously talented jewelry designer on Broadway.

He had all these stunning stone and wire pieces but none of them were exactly what I wanted. SO i asked him to curl a pierced pewter leaf earring and swaddle it in silver et voilà:

I am quite pleased.

AND then I had breakfast with the loveliest photo editor from Women's Wear Daily. We went to Café Gitane-a darling french/moroccan eatery downtown that gave me a little fast-forward to what life will be like à Paris. Guess what..i like it :)

And then she took me to work.

The W and WWD offices are on the same floor...despite being owned by separate publication houses. I saw all the closets-fashion, accessories, and beauty-, the photo editing rooms, and met several writers who have side design/freelance projects of their own. Its such a wonder to see so many creative minds all under one roof. I want to be one of those tinseled think tanks soon enough.

and then to celebrate these introductions...more shopping.

first time in the prada concept store.

the store is set up like a maze. All lit white walls with shininess and technological suppliments everywhere. Their archives are on display too (yes those bejeweled Resort 2009 dresses can still be yours). And each mini-room is separated by color.

And so to culminate my New York to Paris experience...

i got the Paris/Biarritz postcard sunglasses that ive been pining for/written about...in manhattan.