Saturday, September 28, 2013

Species by the Thousands: Little Magical Treasures of Williamsburg

For as long as I can remember I have always had such a soft spot for earthy, psychedelia inspired jewelry items, although I am not sure where this love for these magical pieces came from. You see, I grew up in NYC and never had a proper backyard or that many encounters with raw nature yet I still find myself so entranced and intrigued by pieces that draw inspiration directly from the natural world. Maybe I am subconsciously making up for the lack of Mother Nature I had growing up.

That said, I found a charming little shop in Williamsburg, not too far from my job, that I stumbled upon while window shopping for a friend's birthday present. I had seen passersby holding "Species by the Thousands" paper shopping bags around town and am almost certain I follow them on Instagram  but had never before bothered to visit their brick and mortar store. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint.


Although I was quite in a rush to catch the bus so I didn't have the time to properly browse and eventually purchase something, there were quite a few items that caught my eye:

Moon Phase Earrings $60.00

Inca Palo Santo Resin Incense $20.00

Soap Rocks $15.00

Sun Necklace $120.00 



Species by the Thousands
171 S. 4th St.
Williamsburg, Brooklyn 11211




Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Fashion Week for the Imaginative


 
Oh bother, looks like I have been MIA once again. Apologies, apologies. Anyways, as you may have noticed, Fashion Week(s) has been happening all over the world which means it is time for us to ogle clothing that we perhaps cannot afford.

As one who has attended fashion school but currently really does not have any strong connections to high fashion any more (my closet is comprised of thrift store finds and great-aunt handmedowns) Fashion Week, for me at least, is more of a time to daydream. Yes, daydream. You know what I mean - when you see a piece of clothing and do not just necessarily see the actual item but instead a whole storyline of how and when and where you could wear it (no matter how farfetched) comes to mind. Clothing for me is a storytelling medium, an extension of oneself that can be used to inspire or elicit.

I have only seen a few photos from the runway shows, but these are the ones that stirred my imagination the most: *all photos belong to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Exhibit A: Ralph Lauren Spring 2014 Collection

I would wear this while marrying my rocker boyfriend, a la Bianca Jagger, at the Justice of the Peace before dashing off to JFK Airport to catch a flight to India or Bali or some exotic destination. There we would walk barefoot and build schools and help orphans. (See? Fashion dreaming is fun).

Exhibit B: Ralph Lauren Spring 2014 Collection

There Ralph goes again making my imagination tingle. What I like about this outfit is how futuristic it is - I imagine myself wearing this when I emerge from the Starship Enterprise onto Mars to be a part of the Mars One Project (look it up, it is a real). And I am not saying this like it is a bad thing.

Exhibit C: Anna Sui Spring 2014 Collection

I would wear this while going on a cross-country road trip in a weathered Westfalia. We'd sing the Rolling Stones, the Doors and Joan Baez the whole way while stopping at quirky roadside attractions. Flower crowns would be made in abundance and we would spend nights camping alongside streams full of wild horses.

Exhibit D: Nicole Miller Spring 2014 Collection

And lastly, I would wear this while meeting Gatsby for a bite to eat or for some afternoon tea. We would walk around his estate as he would explain to me his dysfunctional but ever so charming life while I am daydream about him driving me around in his convertible. 

So there you have it. Clothes can be expensive but dreaming is forever free.