MISS MOOX: Fashion

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE a wrap dress! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the iconic dress and MAJOR THANKS to Diane Von Furstenberg for creating one of my wardrobe staples. Did you know that originally her line had a skirt and wrap shirt combo but in 1974, a TV news reporter combined the two on air and when Diane saw this, the genius idea was born! Within two years, she had sold over a million of these classic dresses and Newsweek Magazine called her "the most marketable woman since Coco Chanel."

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And since I'm a major movie buff, let's talk about the dress on the big screen...
The wrap dresses first big screen appearance was in 1976, on Cybil Shepherd in Taxi Driver.

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How fitting that the hottest movie out right now, American Hustle, (boasting one of the most enviable wardrobes in years-at least in my own personal opinion!) happens to include several vintage DVF dresses. I mean, Amy Adams was smokin'!

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Her "Journey of a Dress" Exhibit kicks off tonight in Los Angeles with a party hosted by von Furstenberg. The exhibit, on display January 11-March at the Wilshire May Company building next to the LA County Museum of Art, will include vintage and contemporary wrap-dress designs as well as portraits of the designer from legendary artists and photographers like Andy Warhol, Chuck Close, Helmut Newton and Annie Leibovitz, among others.

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Sooooo wish I could go to that!

And now to "bring it home" get it?...

Diane (I call her that because we are on a first name basis) launched a home line inspired by her iconic wrap dresses back in 2011, unfortunately it had mediocre success as was soon discontinued. However, I'm sure you can still get some of these collections on eBay and such. But my suggestion is to instead spend your time searching for her vintage wrap dresses online like I do. On second thought, don't! That will leave more for me!

Eclectic is a Charleston, South Carolina based full-service boutique interior design firm in specializing in the design of residential projects including entire homes and the styling of individual rooms. We also offer virtual e-design services. Please email sidney@eclecticcharleston.com for additional information.

Eclectic is a retail shop/design studio located in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (just over the bridge from downtown Charleston) selling an array of vintage mid-century pieces, repurposed items, new products and locally made creations with a fresh Modern meets Coastal aesthetic.

Last night I attended the second night of Charleston Fashion Week with my press pass for the national blog I write for, Ask Miss A. I was lucky enough to be a part of the interviews with last year's winner, Marysia Dobranska Reeves and Social Primer creator, K. Cooper Ray (both Charleston residents). They were adorable! It was an honor to hear their take on this year's Fashion Week as well as the emerging designers they were there to judge. And I really enjoyed learning more about their new collections and the various projects they are working on. If you want to learn more about K. Cooper Ray, stay tuned as I am going to write a lil' feature on him!

Marysia Dobranska Reeves

There was a pre-party in the Style Lounge where vendors could showcase and sell their merchandise while attendees got their drink on! I really liked the jewelry by Anne Belen. Go check out this Southern gal's creations! I love that this show not only features local merchants and emerging designers from all over the Southeast BUT it also serves as a competition for models and it is an amazing resume builder for hair and make-up staff. There are some seriously creative folks involved in this whole process! Love it!

The emerging designers in last night's show were...

Stephanie Mejia

Mary Labberton

Anjelika Krishna

There was a total Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" with one of her models and I fear that this will be all that is remembered of her work :( I give written props to the model that rocked it and came back out for the finale unphased! She gets my vote as the Model Talent winner!

Cody Sai Adler-McAllister

And here is a list of the Fashion Panel that will crown the title for Best Emerging Designer East out of the 16 Finalists.

The Featured Designer I was lucky enough to see was Lindsey Carter and her collection Troubadour. She is crazy talented! Her collection combines masculine and feminine in an completely effortless way. She claims her garments read "Made in New York with love from the South." I can totally see that!

And this was my favorite piece of the night!

I am by no means a fashion expert so I am not going to discuss or critique any of these designer's work. However, the one thing that I will mention (because it seriously erks me!) is that you have to view a fashion show as a work of art. Each model is a canvas or a sculpture, essentially a walking artform. Are you going to go out a buy one of these outfits, as is, and wear it exactly like the model did. Probably not. But you might see a color combination that inspires you or learn a new way to tie a scarf! So please don't scoff and laugh at the avante guard aspects of the show. Instead view it as art, learn something and you will get much more from it! [If you are reading, this is directed at you, the lady sitting next to me in the sequins jacket.]

Today kicks off Charleston Fashion Week.
Not sure if these are boutiques, stylists offices or closets. Regardless, they give me mad inspiration. And as I try to figure out what the ___ to wear to the show, I am painfully reminded that I desperately need a new wardrobe.

[Pause with me while I pout.]

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[Still pouting.]

And speaking of Charleston Fashion Week, I wanted to give a shout out to my friend, Dee Ruel, who's jewelry will be featured in the show! Dee is crazy talented and unlike many of us who make jewelry as a hobby, she actually studied it at the Hui No' Eau art school on the island of Maui no less! I can see it now...Yeah, dad I want to go study in Hawaii. What, yes, I am serious! In addition to making jewelry, she is also a paper artist! She made me the cutest little calling cards. I wanted something to put in the package when folks make a purchase through Objects and she totally nailed it. Nailed it!

I mean really.

If you need cards, invitations or the like...Dee's your girl. And if you need to bedazzle your arms, ears or neck...Dee's your girl. Local? Check out her shop on Coleman Blvd. in Mt. P (she just celebrated her 3rd anniversary!) and if you are not local, no fear she has a website too!

I know a lot of bloggers do posts turning outfits into a room. Cheers to you! I love it but can't seem to find the time. However, in honor of New York Fashion Week I wanted to do a little somethin' somethin'. Here are some celebrities photographed at Fashion Week and I have likened their outfits to a room. I cannot imagine the pressure of dressing to go to a Fashion Week show! It must be like the first day of high school x 100. And do you wear something by the designer of who's show you are attending or is that like wearing a concert shirt of the band who's show you are going to see?

Rachel McAdams
(I love you but stop making romantic movies that are totally unrealistic. It is just cruel.)

Rachel Zoe and Milla Jovovich
(Bananas!)

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Lauren Conrad
(I wish I was you.)

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Olivia Palerma
(You are a royal bitch. Be nice, it gets your farther.)

Designer Suzanne Kasler

Lindsey Lohan
(There are no words.)

And while I am at it, I might as well give yet another shout out to my friend, Lisa Johnson, who created Aspen Fashion Week. She is brilliant! If you are able to go...go. And if you are going, buy me a ticket. In the meantime, I will work on some better outfit to room segments in time for Charleston Fashion Week!

A friend of mine once said, (Lisa if you happen to be reading I am talking about you! And while I am giving her a shout out I should mention that she is the founder of the hugely popular Aspen Fashion Week. Check it out! So proud of her success!) but I digress...so she once said to me "I am in awe of the creative process." And I couldn't agree more!

As a creative person, it is so interesting to me how other creative types get their inspiration. For example, aspiring Project Runway designer, Carol Hannah (from Charleston-woo hoo!) explained that her collection on the finale was inspired by the architecture from a visit to the Duke campus. Not surprising as fashion and interior design often go hand-in-hand. Eventually, runway trends trickle down into the design world this perhaps is most apparent in the use of color. Domino magazine use to have a section where they would take an outfit and directly translate it into a room. Some of my fellow bloggers have continued this task like Two Ellie did here or as shown here with Anthropologie.

Creative inspiration behind a design can come from anything-a recent trip, watching an old movie, listening to a song, or a crab. Yes, I said a crab. While going through my sister-in-law's photos on Facebook, I came across this photo from our summer vacation on Fripp. I was staring at this photo for an unusually long time I finally realized why...it has all of my favorite colors in it. I could literally design a house based on this silly little crab!

(Paint color doesn't translate very well via Internet but you get the idea!)

Now go get inspired!

~Images: 1-3) via Flikr 4) Personal 5) SherwinWilliams.com

Have you ever seen the show "Hoarders" on A&E? It is appauling. I mean, I cannot understand how people live amongst so much stuff! I do realize that is an actual mental condition and I truly feel sorry for those that are afflicted with this terrible illness. I, on the other hand, am the complete opposite in that I love, love, love to purge. With all that being said, I must admit to my one deep, dark hoarding secret...I collect J. Crew catalogs.

It might seem rather odd since I can no longer order their product but I just love them! I love the clothes, I love the photographs and I love looking at all the pretty, preppy people having fun! In a move a few years back, I realized that I had a serious problem when I found issues dating back to 1991 (anyone remember when Ty Pennington was on the cover? Way before he was famous. Yeah, well I had that one.). Tired of lugging them from house to house I got bold and threw them all out! Oh how I have regretted this decision. So much so that in 2005 I started collecting again.

As I was cleaning out my closet over the weekend, (and had just spent the week prior lecturing on the advantages of purging) I decided it was time once again to say farewell to my J. Crew catalogs-or at least weed some of them out. That is a fair compromise, right? But before doing so, I decided to scan in some of my favorites from the last few years before I bid them adieu. Hope you enjoy them as much as I have! Sniff, sniff.

This was my one attempt at making this post design related.


~Images: J. Crew 1) Oct 2008 2) Aug 2006 3) Holiday 2005 4) April 2007 5) Jan 2008 6) March 2008 7) April 2006