the curtis

The great people over at sunglasses mecca Warby Parker asked me to promote their new collection of shades entitled The Curtis. Warby Parker is partnering with Ghostly International (a creative hybrid of a record label, an art gallery and a design boutique) which currently hosts a myriad of artists including bands like Com Truise and Gold Panda and visual artists such as Michael Cina and Will Calcutt. I was a little apprehensive about promoting a product on my tiny blog but when I realized that the item was named after Ian Curtis of Joy Division (one of my favorite front men from one of my favorite bands), I couldn't say no.

Ghostly Grey Matte

Revolver Black

The collection consists of one style of sunglasses. It comes in two colors, as seen above, and an amazing sunglasses cloth designed by Ghostly International artist Michael Cina that definitely gives me some Joy Division and New Order vibes. The shades are cool, dark, minimal and sleek; words that can often be used to describe the tormented genius that was Ian Curtis. The cut and style of the specs have a vintage flair that will appeal to many bands and gig-goers alike. The sunglasses compliment the already stylish and innovative eye accessories that Warby Parker has to offer. The Curtis is unique because it's a twist on classic sunglasses. Instead of just an aviator or wayfarer, there's the Curtis. They have the mystique of a wayfarer and the eye catching beauty of an aviator.

And what's even better is that Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for every pair sold. They also have free shipping and free returns. For anyone looking for a new pair of classic and stylish sunglasses, Warby Parker and Ghostly International's the Curtis is it. They're understated, futuristic but also nostalgic and they sure to be a staple.

the promise of summer

"The Promise of Summer" by Kathleen Baird-Murray from Vogue UK June 2013

"It's the looking forward - to the sunny day ahead, to the moment where any pub with an outside terrace is full to the brim from 5pm on a weekday, bursting with the sound of flirtatious laughter ricocheting around the neighbourhood; to feeling sea salt drying on your skin in the sun; to wearing a wide-brimmed hat and not having to grip on to it all day long in case it blows away; to wearing your favourite summer clothes season after season and realising their fading in the sun has only improved their character; to not having to wear foundation or tights; to admiring girls who lie in parks in bikinis and just don't care; to to seeing the dust float as if through laser beams in a sun-filled room; to finding that the best bit of Glyndebourne is the picnic, checking out everyone's outfits; to that hit of jasmine bushes as you walk past suburban gardens; to making fresh lemonade and pouring it into Pimm's; to hearing the plip-plop of balls pining backwards and forwards on a court and wondering it it's not too late to take up tennis again - it's these things that make the promise of summer so resonant. On those rare days when it's not raining, that is."

cinematic style: christine in "passion"

I haven't done a Cinematic Style in a long time and that's because no character in a movie has caught my eye since Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke in my last feature post. Until recently when I watched Passion, a movie that I accidentally stumbled upon by reading up on Noomi Rapace. The movie, by the way, wasn't what I expected it to be; which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I think that in this case it was a bad thing. For a quick movie review, the film dragged on. There were multiple scenes in which the movie could have ended and I would have been fine with said ending but it didn't. It kept going and then when it did end, it was a crap ending. The soundtrack was shrill and a tad bit annoying and I am big on soundtracks so this slightly pissed me off. With the contemporary Berlin advertising building, the music should have been stylish; some sort of minimalist Euro-house thing. I don't know, maybe I just crave that sort of stylish, thriller, jet-setter living in high end clothes with a bassy Paul Kalkbrenner kind of soundtrack in the background. Anyway, the two good things about this movie was one, the female leads: Rachel McAdams, Noomi Rapace and Karoline Herfurth, and two: Rachel's character's style.

Damn can Rachel McAdams play a manipulative bitch. Her performance as Regina George in Mean Girls certainly stole my generation's heart (I'm probably going to have to tell my children about it since it's just one of those cultural things I grew up with) and her performance as Christine is reminiscent of that character. I like to think of Christine as the grown up Regina George. She went to college and then moved to Berlin and started pushing around another frail, effortlessly beautiful and timid girl who is unwillingly ready for Regina/Christine to mold them. Her outfit is the typical power woman in the 21st century. The colors are strong: deep Valentino reds and magentas. The silhouettes are masculine: high waisted, wide leg trousers, turtle necks and shift dresses. She wears the same pair of earrings that are probably from some expensive jeweler but could be easily picked up at Forever 21 (they look like something Forever 21 would supply). It's all very New York City, actually. Christine is from New York and her clothes definitely tell that story. They're chic, a bit 1970s, put together and pretty. She looks so luxe next to Noomi Rapace's character who totally pulls off that European minimalist thing by wearing all black and a heavy bang (she just can't get away from Lisbeth Salander, can she?).

My favorite look is probably the tan turtle neck with no sleeves and tweed-ish trousers. It's so business casual but very put together. She obviously knows what she's doing. And I mean, look at that lingerie. Yes, that's a mustard green velvet robe that goes to the floor. I also drooled over the cobalt blue evening dress; again with a turtle neck and no sleeves, that she paired with, wait for it, a cropped fur coat with a hood. A hood. I love functionality in clothes (my prom dress had pockets and I showed them off so proud and ecstatically to all of my friends that night) and that fur shrug is just what I need to complete my 1970s inspired wardrobe.