Party Phone

When I was vacationing in Istanbul, upon pulling out my ‘international’ mobile phone from 1999 at a club in order to exchange phone numbers, I was literally laughed at by an Icelandic girl who then proceeded to ask if my device was my actual mobile or my ‘party phone.’ As she explained, she has several friends who have iPhones but prefer to take out the SIM card and put it into a less expensive phone when they go out...partying. This way, should anything tragic befall their phones in the course of the evening they will not have incurred damage to their iPhones. Without SIM cards, this easy transition from one phone to another is made obsolete in North America. But I for one would eagerly opt to purchase a party phone (or several) should the technology be developed to allow for an easy transition. Any takers?

Xocolatti

Conventional contemporary cultural wisdom would have you believe that the boxes that women are most excited by are those containing finely crafted and lust incuding shoes, but Xocolatti, a family owned artisanal chocolate shop that comes as a welcome addition to its Greenwich Village neighborhood, is spinning this notion on its head. There’s a new box in town. And it houses chocolates. Sake, peanut butter + jelly, caramel + salt, and basil + olive oil are just a few of the 10s of decadent but simple and inspired varieties offered. The delightful storefront is lined with shelves of boxed chocolate far more affordable (but equally gratifying) than your average Louboutin. A la carte boxes are also available, as is milk, dark and white chocolate shavings as a dessert topping (or to be consumed in the more elegant fashion: by the handful), a variety of gelatos, and hot chocolate is very likely to be featured just in time for the holiday season.

Xocolatti
172 Prince Street
212.256.0332
http://www.xocolatti.com/

Duh.

I'll admit that my prediction was concretized when I turned on my television one week night evening to watch Rachel Maddow on MSNBC but instead came upon Clueless on Lifetime, which clearly stayed on until it finished, but 'duh' is making a come back. You heard it here first. In conversation we abbreviate every word possible, particularly for emphasis, such as obviously. But why would one chose to sound like a 14 your old, actually announcing 'obvi' when instead you can be 16 and say, 'duh.' It's both ironic and not, and for that I applaud it. And will now feel justified in using it heartily.

Nory Giraffe

I’m entirely smitten by these shoes I procured over the weekend despite their being ugly and unnecessary. Allow me to elucidate my reasons. Firstly, only hours before their purchase I became aware of this brand in the elevator of Yotel on Saturday night at 2am when a girl responded to my complement and inquiry about the origin of her shoes by surreptitiously divulging that they’re 80%20, she purchased them from karmaloop. This was gibberish to me at the time and I was also certain she was tipping me off to an indispensible clue in a French espionage thriller. Turns out it’s just the brand name and a website but the intrigue lingers on. Secondly, it took me 24 hours to come up with the realization that while they are an animal print, said animal is in fact a black and white giraffe who does not exist in the natural world. How ironic? The closest I could find is the Masai giraffe found in South Kenya, pictured above. Thirdly, the buckle and chunky-ness are so deliciously referential of the 1990s (which is all the rage right now) and reminds me that fashion—as does life—moves in cycles of repetition, influence and change; it’s a beautiful world. Which brings me to my last point, that these shoes are absolutely hideous. Shoes could not be described as further from sexy. They are wide and have a hidden heel, bold texture and make my calves look larger than average, which they are not. These shoes are so unattractive that I am lured to love them because if I don’t love them, who will? Alas, sometimes it is the faults that we fall for, that make up the essence of the thing itself. But basically, they just look cool.

Fight of the Fluorescent

It’s been a veritable competition the past few weeks in both my office building and around NY of who can most aptly sport the brightest, most show-stopping neon clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories and makeup. I fall instantly prey to this face off (I have sworn my allegiance to Essie Geranium and Pink Parka for the summer months). And though I was nearly blinded the other day by an ASOS skirt that a young woman was wearing—the bright colors are such a delightful pick me up that I don’t mind it in the least if the war wages on all summer long.

Be sure to check out Vogue’s Most Wanted picks!

Retrosuperfuture

Vintage finds are unbeatable. Except when you then spot that stain—precarious source unknown—or when you discover that one of the oh so supremely unique and irreplaceable buttons is missing. Or when you fall head first in love with a cut, print and feel of a dress only to become aware of a foul odor emanating from your prized possession, a heartbreaking twinge bastardizing your nostalgic love affair. But for those of you who don’t have the stamina to love and lose, but still long for an air of yesteryear, fret not. Handmade in Italy since their launch in 2007, and with a celebrity following that includes Kanye and Sienna Miller, RETROSUPERFUTURE sunglasses hark back to years past but are brand spanking new, and guaranteed not to disappoint. Perfect for a summer romance!

Manhattanhenge

As the summer heat rises and you begin to itch impatiently for long holiday weekends and an August escape from the urban hustle and bustle, reasons to love Manhattan in the summer months still abound! Next on the horizon is Manhattanhenge, the twice-yearly phenomenon exclusive to our fair Gotham, in which the setting sun aligns perfectly along the city grid. This year, the event falls on Tues, July 12 (with a half sun on Wed, July 13), at 8:25pm.
To get you in the urban design mood (and give you a head’s up for what to expect in stores by summer’s end), here are some gridline inspired looks for Fall as well!
(from L to R: Marni, Proenza Schouler, Balenciaga, Christopher Kane, Prada)