What made you want to start designing?
I never thought I would pursue a career in fashion. I originally did not have formal and technical training, I didn’t go to FIT. I went to school for fine arts, so I always assumed I’d do something in that realm but didn’t know what that would be. But then I started making my own clothing and got some really great feedback. My pieces developed quick notoriety because of their eccentricity and experimental appeal. It led me to start branding the label and making custom dresses. I realized my passion and that creating clothing was my art. It is what I wanted to do, but I did not want to work traditionally and looked at clothing as wearable art. Although I taught myself about the fashion industry as a business, as far as being a designer, I am first and foremost an artist before anything else – an artist with a fashion business.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Models, Mollie Stein & Vincent Fanwick. Mollie in House wife dress

You started out reworking vintage clothing? Do you still take a lot of inspiration from vintage fashion for your line? Is the line still costumesque?

From what was once an ‘inspiration collection’ of crazy altered vintage clothing, a handful of these pieces were later reworked to create a RTW collection which is consistent with my conceptual ideas yet is more universally wearable. It creates an attainable outlet for girls to dress up in their everyday lives that I thought the fashion world was lacking. I am inspired by vintage but now use new fabrics that are re-orderable.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Flor wearing the Doll Dress

In your bio, it says you pay a lot of attention to the “magic of childhood dress up.” Were you a super girly girl as a child or did you have some tomboy in you? Did you play with Barbies?

I did have Barbies, I loved them, but I wasn’t super girly. I always went against the grain. All of my girlfriends loved pink but I loved purple. But I like pink now and feel it can be extra cute and feminine, but in my collection, there are dark details too. I think it’s more about dress-up and reconnecting to the characters which inspire the dresses and the idea of adding fun to the wardrobe in everyday life. You can explore dress-up in a more grown-up and sophisticated way by wearing Lolli Popitt.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing the Eggplant Flora Fairy Dress

I love your housewife dresses! When you design your collections, do you keep specific people, like the housewife, in mind or are they imaginary, inspirational characters?

The housewife dress is just a satirical piece created for runway.  These dresses are kind of poking at society’s idealistic housewife since they are really short & sexy.

What are some of your other styles?

The Lolli Cupcake dresses are the brand’s trademark. They’re girlie, fun and cute, which all describe the line. We call the feathered dresses “Fairy Dresses.” The psychedelic pieces are 60s mod styles and the “Doll” pieces often have a lot of lace and embellishments.

Cupcake Dress and Doll Dress

Lolli Popitt is for “daring who like to stand out in a crowd.” Could you walk me through the ideal day-in-the-life of a Lolli girl? What does she do? Who does she meet?

If wearing one of our couture pieces, a Lolli girl should probably by prepared to meet and talk to anyone because she is bound to get attention. These dresses are conversation pieces, so she must be daring to wear them. But when wearing our RTW pieces, a perfect Lolli candidate is confident and just wants to have fun with her wardrobe.

When I wear the crazier stuff, I think I kind of become a performance artist. I think the clothes can bring out a personality that you may not have known you had.

So, you don’t always have to be a fashion risk-taker to wear Lolli Popitt? Does the Lolli Girl ever dress down?

Although the line is risky and avant-garde, that is not our entire collection. The line IS wearable. The really crazy stuff is just an over-the-top and accentuated take on our conceptual ideas. But the garments are wearable. They can also be worn every day without the commitment to that non-stop attention that our couture yields.

Black chantilly lace Doll Dress

I noticed a lot of your designs feature inner-wear as outer-wear – corsets, bras, bustiers. What inspired you to focus on this trend for Lolli Popitt?

The feathered bras are technically lingerie, but you can wear them out. You can wear them alone with jeans or a skirt, but I think they look best accompanying something. They are fancy and functional. They can be worn underneath a button down (revealing the feathers) as well as over a slip with a skirt to make them fancier. Musicians have worn them to red carpet events and in their music videos.

The lace lingerie shorts were originally created to go under the dresses that we put down the runway, but we then realized that they compliment the clothing really well.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing Feather Fairy bra &Crystal Knuckles jewelry

Where do you find inspiration? Who are your style icons? What other designers and artists do you look up to?

I was inspired by performance artists like Leigh Bowery, who literally was his art. He dressed-up eccentrically every day for all to see. Joanna Frueh, an artist/writer who studied the correlation between femininity, sexuality and  beauty in everyday life. Twiggy’s signature dresses have inspired my psychedelic pieces.

Recently, I have been dressing musician, Neon Hitch, an incredibly unique performer whose daring and organic style embodies the ideals of both of my lines, especially the Crystal Knuckles jewelry.

My aunt, Carole Feuerman, a well-known photo-realist sculptor, is one of my biggest idols. Learning from her has helped me see how I could create a foundation to turn art into a business.

Psychedelic Mod shorts & cut out bra set

Your Crystal Knuckles jewelry line looks amazing. How did you get started designing jewelry and what is the inspiration behind the pieces?

I’ve always collected crystals. My aunt would give me a crystal whenever I saw her while growing up. My initial collection was started using those stones, the ones that I had from my aunt. I owned several over-sized rings which I loved and thought that using natural crystals to create jewelry would be a really unique idea. In fact, in gemology you’re supposed to have a crystal on you at all times because they are said to bring healing and protective powers. The rings will be featured on Ideeli.com and we are currently in contact with Henri Bendel, Barney’s & Scoop NYC. I will keep you posted on what’s to come!

Amethyst - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Azurite/Malachite - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Artist Neon Hitch wearing Crystal Knuckles

Uma Thurman wearing Crystal Knuckles

You can learn more about Lolli Popitt here.

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Flor wearing the Doll Dress

Cupcake Dress and Doll Dress

Black chantilly lace Doll Dress

Photographer, Robin Souma. Model, Erin Lucas wearing Feather Fairy bra &Crystal Knuckles jewelry

Psychedelic Mod shorts & cut out bra set

Amethyst - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Azurite/Malachite - Photographer, Andrew Werner

Artist Neon Hitch wears Crystal Knuckles rings & Lolli Popitt clothes religiously

Uma Thurman wearing Crystal Knuckles

I’m a sucker for beautiful, reusable packaging. The Steam Cream tins just get better and better:

Porky Rabbit, this is my favourite design and is only available on the UK, Japanese and Russian, Steam Cream sites.

A limited edition Swarovksi encrusted tin, appears to be sold out on all but the Japanese Steam Cream site.

Another sweet design form tokyo.

PPQ’s Emmanuel the cat, also available in gift boxed sets of three and still available on the UK and Russian Steam Cream sites.

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Photo by Richard Phibbs

VN: How do you feel when you think about your 10 year anniversary?
JV: I can’t believe an entire decade has passed! Looking back, I am filled with nostalgia over those beginning years, with a small staff and nothing but our sheer will and dedication pushing us forward. Today, I am so proud of how our brand has evolved and found its unique voice in this industry. I enter the next 10 years with a continued passion and enthusiasm for the experiences that lie ahead.

VN: Has the brand exceeded your expectations?
JV: There are so many things. When I started this brand, I was coming from years of experience at two major American fashion houses, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. I had learned a tremendous amount there and was ready to say something new, in my own voice. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t believe in the success that was to come; I just don’t think things are ever how you imagine them. I have met so many amazing people along the way and built relationships with musicians, artists, photographers, and other designers. I’ve traveled the world. I have a team of designers who share my creative vision and enthusiasm. I am doing what I love, which most people can’t say. So for that I am pleasantly surprised and extremely grateful.

VN: Why do you think you’ve had such success not only commercially, but with the CFDA and fashion editors?
JV: Success is a funny thing. It means different things to different people. For me, I am always pleased when people connect to our brand. It means we are executing in a manner that speaks to a wide variety of businesses.

VN: How does music continue to influence your collections?
JV: Music has always been a dominant force in my life. As a young kid, it was a way for me to escape everyday life. Today, it’s a source of expression. I enjoy looking at old photos of some of my favorite rock icons, but also get inspired from the younger bands that are coming up and really creating their own style, their own image.

VN: Your ads have featured the likes of ZZ Top, Franz Ferdinand, and Chris Cornell. How do you go about selecting who is featured?
JV: It depends on the campaign. We always look for artists who are ground breaking in their genre and have a bit of bad boy in them. At times, we have approached an artist I’m interested in and other times we have been approached. Sometimes there is already a relationship between us, and so it just makes sense to work together.

VN: How do you continue to find new inspiration year after year?
JV: The great thing about living in New York is the constant change of things. It inspires me to keep moving, push forward, question ideas. I have a heavy travel schedule so being in a new environment always gives me another perspective to see things from.

VN: Who are your style icons and why?
JV: It’s always been Steve McQueen. He somehow mastered the effortless of being cool.

VN: Where do you want to go in the next 10 years?
JV: The opportunities are endless and I am interested in exploring as many avenues as I can. Other than that, I want to continue to grow the brand authentically.

VN: Who are your favorite singers/bands at the moment?
JV: Alejandro Escovedo, Robert Plant, Jim Jones Revue, Miles Davis, Iggy & The Stooges.

VN: What can we expect for fall/winter?
JV: Light pieces that have a soft, worn-in touch to them; clothing that is subtly luxurious as it is easy to layer and adapt to one’s own personality. Shades of gray: slate, concrete, pearl wine reds, purples, steel blues and black.

LINK LOVE:Victoria Namkung: 10 Questions for Top American Menswear Designer John Varvatos

With September right around the corner, it’s time to kiss the bright lip shades of summer goodbye. But what colors could possibly replace those neon reds and hot pinks that make summer beauty so fun? Don’t slip into a beauty depression – check out three new amazing lipstick shades that will get you through the season in style:

Fall 2010 shows, like Peter Som’s (above, at left) saw some deep purple, almost black, lips. While that doesn’t exactly translate to everyday life (unless you work at a voodoo shop), you can go goth-lite with the trend using Fresh Sugar Plum Lip Treatment SPF 15 ($22.50). The shade looks deep purple in the tube, but glides on to a sheer berry, so it’s totally office appropriate.

We’ve been loving Maybelline’s ColorSensational ($7.49) line of lipsticks since it hit stores a few months ago, and the Red Revival shade is the ideal crimson for the cooler months, just like the one seen in Donna Karan’s runway show. This moisturizing lipstick is easy to apply and the rich color, though not for the shy, will make you want to grab a camel coat and some leather riding boots. It’s autumn in a tube.

Yet, for every bold red or purple lip that marched down the fall runways, there was a nude, almost matte, pout to counter it, like the ones at Alexander Wang.  Go Ali MacGraw circa ”Love Story” with Revlon’s Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze in Timeless Nude ($6.74), a natural color with a hint of pink that looks good on all skin tones and won’t wash you out.

Looking to fill the rest of your makeup bag? Check out our guides for the best mascaras, lip balms, and eyeshadows.

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Hot urban brand Triple Fat Goose (www.triplefatgoose.com) recently sent over a few images from their Fall/Winter 2010 Lookbook:

For the upcoming season they’re expanding to more preppy wares with crested jackets in deep purple and bubble vests, along with button downs and velour track suits.


They’re also offering down jackets in vinyl, canvas and leather with fox fur trimmed around the hood, a look which has been signature to the brand for well over 15 years.

Guys, what do you think?
See more and purchase at www.triplefatgoose.com.

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I think it’s time for a change of hair color. . . Stay Tuned.

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End of the printing of the next Purple Fashion #14, Liège. Photo Gianni Oprandi

LINK LOVE:End of the printing of the next Purple Fashion #14, Liège. Photo…

Natacha Ramsay photographed and styled by Camille Bidault-Waddington in the next Purple Fashion #14, still at the printer, Liège. Photo Gianni Oprandi

LINK LOVE:Natacha Ramsay photographed and styled by Camille…

My planned post for today was supposed to be about Nars fall collection, especially the new blush. But I’m getting so many urgent emails requesting swatches of the new Rouge d’Armani lipsticks, because as usual, there are no testers at the Armani counters, even though the products are already available for sale. I have no idea what’s up with that. You’d think this is some obscure brand that is having a hard time keeping up and not a major line owned by L’Oreal. Then again, YSL is also notorious for not having testers for weeks.

So here we are. I’ve barely tested these lipsticks, but they all seem to be just like the rest of the Rouge d’Armani range- pigmented, easy to apply even without a brush thanks to amazing gel-like texture and very long lasting. I’ve cleaned up after swatching using a makeup remover, but I can still see a bit of color on my arm, so as soon as I post this I’m going to do some serious washing up.

The names don’t make much sense. Soft Pink (602) is a rich reddish pink, Black Purple (603) is a red berry and Deep Ruby (604) is very very purple. Everyone wanted to know how dark 604 is. The answer is: very. It’s a dramatic evening color, but still wearable as long as you stick to the usual rules: well-groomed lips, pale and flawless skin without a hint of bronzer, well defined but understated eyes.

For comparison, I also added a swatch of Rouge d’Armani 601, the original plum color. As you can see, the new fall colors are different enough from it. Did you already buy any of them? Are you going to?

Fall 2010 Rouge d’Armani Lipsticks ($30 each) are available at top department stores and from the company’s website.

All photos are mine. Let’s keep it this way.

Copyright ©2006-2010 Gaia Fishler, The Non-Blonde. Content poaching is both illegal and ugly.

LINK LOVE:Giorgio Armani Fall 2010 Rouge d'Armani Lipsticks (Soft Pink, Black Purple, Deep Ruby)

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LINK LOVE:David Yurman Waverly Aviator Sunglasses

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Here’s a quick look at some of the items from Night Viper collection, Giorgio Armani 2010 fall collection. What you see here is the Maestro eye Shadow Quad which includes a deep navy blue (I’ll have to do a comparison to the blue from Guerlain’s 2 Place Vendome) and three neutrals- taupe, silver and dark chocolate brown. There are three lipsticks from the Rouge d’Armani series: 602 (Soft Pink), 603 (Black Purple) and 604 (Deep Ruby). I haven’t swatched or tested yet, so I can’t tell you how dark they show when applied. We’ll see. All three of them are in the “plum” range, according to their boxes and Armani’s numbering system (100s are beige/nude, 200s are brown, 400s are red, 500s are pink and 600s are plum. And now, there’s no 300s. I wonder why).

I couldn’t skip one of my holy grail mascaras, Eyes To Kill, in a gorgeous blue gray (it looks similar to the blue Givenchy Phenome’Eyes). I passed on the blush duo because I’m all blushed out at the moment and the other eye palette, the purple Eyes To Kill. It’s gorgeous, but way too purple for me.

Details, swatches and reviews coming soon.

All photos are mine.

Copyright ©2006-2010 Gaia Fishler, The Non-Blonde. Content poaching is both illegal and ugly.

LINK LOVE:Sneak Peek: Giorgio Armani Fall Color 2010 Night Viper

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Sretsis Spring/Summer 2011.

Definitely, not a fan of cats…but I love the ethereal feel of the clothing.

Courtesy of: Purpledeervintage.

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LINK LOVE:Sretsis.

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Christian Louboutin Purple Mesh Pumps

hotchickswithwheels:

parkavenueprincess:

(via glamorouslounge)

LINK LOVE:Christian Louboutin Purple Mesh…

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Always one for shock value, singer Fantasia made… Read more..

LINK LOVE:Celebrity Style: Fantasia Shoots Pool…In a Purple Dress?

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GHD straighteners&GHD Pink Limited Edition

GHD IV RARE Styler&GHD hair

GHD hair straighteners&GHD IV Gold Styler

GHD IV Purple Styler &straighteners GHD

straighteners GHD&GHD IV Kiss Styler

Cheap GHD&GHD IV Dark Styler

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Mario Sorrenti choosing his pictures for the next issue of Purple Fashion magazine at his studio, New York. Photo Olivier Zahm

LINK LOVE:Mario Sorrenti choosing his pictures for the next issue of…

WARNING: Multiple mega unhealthy “OHMAHGOD”s in this post! Atheists, Agnostics, Pious (people),
Hypertensive (people), Stressed out (people), Fat (in case you get too
hyped up and die. Wait I’m fat… so… …) (people) and other groups
of people watch out! Bobo is not responsible for cardiac arrests,
suffocations, hallucinations, compulsive eating, etc caused in the
course of this blog post.

I mean sure, there are some annoying people such as the usual high society BotoxBag poseurs who act
all chichi and think they’re ALL THAT just because they sashay around
with a Hermes birkin or something. When they have money… but no style!
Not that I’m one to say though, especially since I was there in my Marc
by Marc Jacobs top and my McQueen scarf! HOWEVER! McQueen trumps all.
*Actually I saw this woman all decked out in McQueen Spring/Summer 2010
pieces! INSANE! I died.* Including the bitch-eh gay guys who gave me
that “you’re so fat and so young… Go away F-BOMB!”-look. And I’m
like… EH EH EH EH EH EH! I’M BU-SEH! So you can EAT MAH MCQUEEN SCARF
BETCH-A-ZOID!

But I actually met some really REALLY cool people at the event… such as Chelsey of PurpleWhales.tumblr.com…
Really cool girl who looves vintage clothing! Which means I HAVE TO GO
SHOPPING WITH HER SOON! (I hope you’re reading this Chelsey!) Along with
a few other fi-erce mommas!

Anyways!

LINK LOVE:Tropican-a Nostalgi-a + Gothic-a?

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LINK LOVE:Fall 10

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LINK: Terry Richardson and me on Mott Street, New York. Photo Olivier…

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Photo Olivier Zahm

Lilac has been seen popping up in many designers ready-to-wear lines for spring 2010. Designers like Isaac Mizrahi, Zac Posen, Cynthia Rowley, and Marchesa have all incorporated various shades of this purple color into their latest collections. We saw this hue start to emerge last spring, even appearing in the form of lipstick, but I definitely think you’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of it next year.

Sorry to those of you who dislike any and all things purple, but it seems as if it’s here to stay a little longer.

Remember this spread from the first issue of Love Mag? Well, I’ve been seeing a lot of purple hair on the streets of NYC, whether streaks or full on purple (like the above), and I love it. Would never do it myself, but kudos to anyone willing to try a new do…

LINKAGE: Gnarlitude

The Purple Hounds were out in full force on Tuesday as la creme de la fashion creme hit Colette in Paris to celebrate the launch of Purple magazine’s first “Purple Anthology”.

Collette’s Sarah Lerfel revealed her fondest memory of Purple,  “I actually once did an internship at Purple, but it was more about art then,”

The night was filled with the usually edgies, including Victoire de Castellane, APC’s Jean Touitou, a tattooed Omahyra Mota, and Irina Lazareanu, who turned up in a pair of stapled Viktor & Rolf slacks.

Irina has an album due to hit our shores in Septemeber, she collaborated with Pete Doherty (remember she was in Pete’s video for I’ll Kill Him in which she kills him. Classic. It’s down below.) on a few songs and the record was produced by Patti Smith.

“All we need to do is get Sean [Lennon] and Patti in the same town and make sure Pete’s not in prison and we can get rolling.”

The big news of the night was an announcement by Purple editor Olivier Zahn who told WWD that his next major project is the Chanel Mobile Art magazine, when it hits NYC. He’s also expanding the Purple empire with an office in our Empire city. That’s right folks, Purple’s coming to NY. Expect wild parties with the likes of folks you openly hate, but secretly love.