On this day of thanks, it's important to take a break from stuffing our faces to appreciate what we have. First of all, we're all lucky enough to be stuffing our faces (at least I assume that is the case with the people reading this blog) so that's one blessing I'm going to count. I'm also grateful to have supportive friends and family, I'm grateful for my health (which I must remember not to keep taking for granted) and I'm grateful that I have something in my life that drives me... something I'm passionate about.
wearing an outfit from my new collection
The other evening, I was invited by my good friend, Wendy Brandes and her husband, MrB. to the Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Awards at the Waldorf Astoria. Wendy, now a beloved blogger and award-winning jewelry designer, was a journalist in her previous career and is still involved in the community.
At the dinner, four journalists from Brazil, China, Kyrgyzstan and Liberia were recognized for their investigative work and each one of these incredible pioneers had put their lives on the line to expose truths and report on taboo topics. In fact, two of the four awardees were arrested by the governments of the countries where they did their investigative reports and, therefore, were unable to attend the event and receive their well-deserved accolades. The willingness to go to jail for what one believes in -- now THAT is passion.
posing with awardee Mae Azango to my right, Wendy Brandes to my left and MrB. in the back row
I cannot imagine being controlled and the idea of being incarcerated for fighting for something I believe in is unfathomable. So, on this day of thanks, I am grateful for my freedom of speech and freedom of expression. After all, what would I do without creative expression? I'd probably live a very empty life as a "closeted designer."
The city of Chicago is moving up on my list of favorite places to visit. The people are polite and gracious in a very genuine way which I'm not quite used to, but find quite refreshing. In September, I headed to the windy city take part in the prestigious and charitable Gold Coast Fashion Award Show, which I've already written about. I connected with some wonderful people and had a great time at the show.
Cut to -- After a typical crazy NYC day, I was climbing the stairs to my apartment (no elevator!) while glancing at my mail. Bill, bill, bill, junk, junk, junk... wait, what... who? I came across a letter with an unfamiliar return address and cautiously opened it. To my surprise, this is what I found...
what a nice note!
Are all Chicagoans (I heard this term used on the TV while I was there, so I guess it's legit!) this nice? Who takes the time to send handwritten notes these days? And, of course, she had to research me to find my mailing address. I was so impressed, I called the next afternoon to say thank you and we had a lovely conversation.
my faux ostrich jacket with black & white stripe silk charmeuse lining
available exclusively at chalk (but I also do custom orders!)
I am also very happy to announce that two pieces from my Fall 2012 "Modern World" collection can be found at a chic boutique called chalk in Evanstan IL, just outside of Chicago. Yay! So, if you're in the area, stop in and take a look at my faux ostrich jacket and Union Jack dress as well as the other beautiful merchandise and high-end labels they carry.
Stacy Lomman Union Jack cocktail dress
available exclusively at chalk (but I also do custom orders!)
Fashion is my passion, but I have always been moved and inspired by music. In fact, music influences fashion a great deal -- Elvis, The Beatles, Jim Morrison, David Bowie, Blondie, Sex Pistols, Duran Duran, Nirvana, Gaga, Beyonce... shall I go on? I've gone to a lot of concerts in my lifetime, but throughout the years I have never made it to one Madonna show. I was, in a sense, a virgin. The other night, my favorite neighbor/friend/jewelry designer/blogger Wendy Brandes emailed me at 6pm for an 8pm show! (Initially she thought her tix were for the Tuesday performance!). Ooops. Crisis averted! Wendy just saw Madonna in September at Yankee Stadium, but she would have slapped herself if she'd missed her this time. So, I hopped to it and got ready to get my Vogue on!
Wendy and I have been hitting a lot of concerts this year from Rodriguez to Adam Ant, and the GoGo's to our most recent adventure in Brooklyn, but Madge's show at the Garden was by far the grandest. Actually, the timing was quite relevant because lately, I've witnessed a flurry of stories, comments and opinions concerning age-appropriate clothing. Is a mini skirt okay for a woman over forty? Are "mom jeans" a requirement after a certain age? And how low is too low when it comes to cleavage-revealing tops? I'm sick of it. Why do people insist on creating rules? You know Wendy's motto, "Wear What You Want!"
posing with some random dude who wouldn't leave until Wendy snapped a photo!
To me, it's simple -- does the outfit look good, does it flatter your body type and is it tasteful? If a woman can answer "yes" to these three questions, then I don't think age is a factor. I don't know about you, but I've seen plenty of twenty-five-year-olds look trashy or inappropriate in a micro mini or a pair of uber low hip hugger jeans. Thank you very little for creating the muffin top girls! But seriously, as I watched Madonna dance her ass off (and show it up close and personal to an audience of 20,000 on the giant screen in the stadium), changing from body-conscious skintight leather to pretty much a bra and panties, I marveled at her fifty-four year old physique.
Photo: Wendy Brandes (to read Wendy's post on the concert, click HERE)
Obviously, MDNA is a superstar and a performer and it's her job to look perfect and to wear daring and controversial costumes, but the point is -- If you've got it flaunt it. Be proud of what you have and what you've accomplished. Be confident and if it looks good, WEAR IT!
Let's admit that we all have a skeleton or thirty in our closets, but what else is in there? Is your closet a cluttered mess? Or maybe an organized chamber housing items that have barely, if ever, been worn? Well, whether you're tidy or messy, you can still find new ways to wear your clothes through some smart mixing and matching.
When I'm not working on my collection, I've been squeezing in some "closet consulting" for some very fun and very eager clients. I assume that all of you reading this blog/post are familiar with beautiful jewelry designer/blogger Wendy Brandes, since you probably found me through her blog. Wendy has been a great supporter of my collections (she's practically my muse!) and she's evolved into a "wardrobe therapy" client as well. In fact, she has been so happy with what we have accomplished with her closet that she has been blogging about it, as she does with all of the fun events in her life!
Wendy heading off to a meeting wearing a top she nearly threw out
and a pencil skirt from her corporate days
It's true that Wendy has an amazing wardrobe and really great taste, but it's been a struggle for her to figure out how to pair certain things together so they work as outfits. Because of this, so many cool pieces remain tucked away in a drawer or collecting dust on a hanger. What I've been able to do for Wendy and other people, is work with what they already have and show them how to revive their wardrobe by pairing pieces together they wouldn't have thought to mix. I explain how proportion is important, what works together in terms of fabrics and textures, and I show my clients how to incorporate more color. Wendy learned, much to her chagrin, that not everything works with a black top! LOL. But, she is excited to rotate some fresh pieces into the mix and she's not only embracing her "new" outfits, she's owning them!
The title of this post should really be, "No Sleep Till WendyB & I Finally Made It Back To Manhattan From Brooklyn In One Piece After Going To A Concert During A Nor'easter" but that didn't fit in the space provided! Anyway, the shorter title works and it fits right into the theme of this post since we went to a rap concert and the artist actually did a mini medley/tribute to the Beastie Boys. However, one song he did not cover was, ironically, the Boys' No Sleep Till Brooklyn! But, I digress...
since this was overlooked, here's my own tribute to the Beasties
Okay, most of you who know me are still stuck on the "I went to a rap concert" concept and haven't yet begun to grasp that I went to a rap concert IN BROOKLYN DURING A WILD WINTER STORM! I must be crazy! Well, I blame Wendy Brandes! Wendy, who is a huge Eminem fan, had tickets to see his protege Yelawolf back in March, but apparently the concert was canceled and rescheduled for November 7th. So, when I got a sweet email from my good friend that simply said, "Will you please go to a rap concert with me tomorrow night?" I had no choice but to reply, "Okay. Only for you."
Yelawolf -- this is what I said yes to people!
Wendy is a super supportive friend and a loyal client -- the least I can do is go to a concert with her. With that in mind, I dressed for the occasion. How does one dress for a rap concert? I wasn't sure! I decided to dress for the weather instead. Anyway, I finally had an excuse to pull out my reversible "puffer" jacket that I made for my Fall 2012 "Modern World" Collection! Yay! And damn, that thing is warm. On one side, I used a woolly cream and black "popcorn" knit from my favorite Italian mill and on the reverse side I quilted lofty polyfill to a black Italian cire' nylon and created a fully reversible, stylish, functional little cozy jacket. A stylish puffer - perfect for a rap concert.
STACY LOMMAN : Fall 2012
reversible puffer coat
I knew that it was not going to be an evening for cute shoes, so I opted for boots. I almost broke out my snow boots, but I think I was in denial. Instead, I wore my trusty old black work boots because I thought they suited the occasion better. Jeans (goes without saying) and a tee shirt completed the outfit. The question was, "Which tee shirt?" I felt compelled to wear a concert tee and almost selected my DEVO shirt just to annoy people, but I decided that might not be a good idea. Hmmm... Chris Isaak? Nah, that would be even worse with a rap crowd. My new Adam Ant tee from his recent concert was burning a hole in my drawer waiting to come out, but I felt that was not the way to go either. Joy Division? Blondie? Nope. Finally, I grabbed one of my (many) Sex Pistols tees and was almost ready. I topped everything off with a couple of key accessories -- my black rib knit arm warmers (which I've been selling quite a lot!) and a pair of quirky knee socks. Oh, and I can't forget the hat, scarf and umbrella -- though the umbrella met its demise quite quickly when it turned inside out and actually bent from the wind on my way to the subway station! Yes, in one block the wind was strong enough to bend metal and my umbrella surrendered. This should give you an idea of the journey that Wendy and I were about to embark on.
close up of my argyle/skull knee sock purchased from a street vendor in London
And speaking of Wendy, she couldn't have looked cuter (per usual). As I descended the subway stairs making my way down to the platform, I saw a pair of bright yellow rubber booties with a heel and knew in an instant that was Wendy waiting for me! So, we swiped our metro cards and we were on our way! Now, the two of us are serious Manhattanites and very rarely leave our island (if even our neighborhood! LOL), so this was uncharted territory.
Things started off pretty well, but when we hit our first transfer point we were informed that the #7 train wasn't functioning. Bummer. We had to figure out an alternate route. We headed down the escalators to catch a different connection and I made a big mistake. Wendy took off running for the train already waiting on the platform and I grabbed her like a mother does a child -- from the back of a collar or hood. "No! That's going to Jamaica. And not the good Jamaica," I said. Wendy was glad I caught her before we went off in the wrong direction. "We don't wanna go to Queens," I said. But, apparently we did! Ooops. Normally I would take a downtown train if I want to get to Brooklyn, but in this case we needed to go through Queens first. Who knew? So, after getting on the wrong train and going several stops downtown, we had to backtrack and start over!
Underground somewhere in Brooklyn. I don't know what's up with my "jazz hands!"
rap concert outfit
Coat - STACY LOMMAN : Fall 2012
Jeans - AG Adriano Goldschmied
Boots - Frye
Messenger Bag - Perlina
Rib Knit Beret - Sin Sin showroom in Hong Kong
Tee shirt - Sex Pistols (shown in photo below)
Rib Knit Arm Warmers - STACY LOMMAN : NEW YORK (shown in photo below)
Knee Socks - street vendor in London (shown in photo above)
We spent an hour and a half navigating subways and stations that we, as long time New Yorkers, had never set foot in before. Finally, we arrived at our stop. When we made it to ground level outside, the snow had picked up and there was several inches of powder and slush on the streets and sidewalks. And wind. Lots of wind. We stopped in a cozy bar/restaurant, situated ourselves by a fire and pulled up a map app to see where the hell we were. Somewhere in the middle of Williamsburg -- that's the only thing we could say for sure.
wearing my arm warmers and Johnny Rotten
Once we got our bearings, we bundled up again and headed out slipping and sloshing through the mess. "Eeew, I got water in my boot. My heel is all wet and cold," I griped. We laughed as we walked along pressing onward into the wind. "I swear, I wouldn't even do this for a band I LOVED, let alone one I kind of dislike," I said cracking up at our absurdness. "Me either!" Wendy agreed. Wendy was convinced that we had to go on this wild goose chase so that we could laugh about it later and, besides, it's always good to get out of our neighborhood once in a while. So, the moral of this long and drawn-out story is: Don't be stagnant. Be adventurous, step outside of your comfort zone and try new things -- and do them with great friends!
PS - I survived the concert. Perhaps my most favorite moment was when Yelawolf very sincerely thanked the crowd for being there and supporting his journey throughout the years. "You guys are the ones who really count," he said. "Each one of you." I resisted the urge to raise my hand like a high schooler to say, "Excuse me, uh, Mr. Wolf? Or is it Mr. Yela? Well, either way I don't feel like I can take any credit here..." LOL. Okay, all kidding aside, his style and type of music may not exactly be "my bag baby," but the guy is freaking great at what he does. I give him serious props for his chops. No joke.
I like long walks on the beach, Mediterranean food and foreign films. But seriously, I've been a designer for 18 years and I started this blog to discuss art, fashion and pop culture. When I'm not writing or designing, you can find me in downward dog (on a yoga mat :-) or running in Central Park listening to some super fast, pop punk tunes from the late 70's/early 80's.
