Primary Colors – The COOL CATS are a trio of hip and influential French guys behind Ed Banger Records who collaborated with Lacoste L!ve to inject their edge into a capsule collection that debuted late fall of last year. I’ve been fixated on their collection since the top of the year, each time I pass the shop’s Soho storefront. I’d grown up wearing so much Lacoste (in the era they were licensed to another brand and called Izod) and they were never this bold.
The funny thing is, I was in the store obsessing over their cool cardigans and letter jackets on this day, wishing I could catch someone in this brand. An hour later in Soho, Shawn was passing me and I snapped him for his hair and great look. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized he was wearing LACOSTE COOL CATS.
[Note: It's not cheap, but the limited edition pieces are currently on sale at the Lacoste L!ve Soho store.] [Click for the Soho store info]
Double Dipping – I spotted Jacqueline in Soho and she’s an Aussie on holiday. First, I think her winter wear is simply genius, especially with the femme fatale thigh-highs. Her coat is from Zara, the beanie from American Apparel and she found the shoes online. (Note the dainty lace collar popping out from underneath the coat). I also loved the dip dyed locks, which I had mentioned were trending here and LA. Jacqueline created Animal Kingdom Jewellery (the Aussie spelling, natch) combining animal figurines and crystals on chunky chains. So clever, so cute.
Hip to be Square – I spotted Brandon Lee, all buttoned up in Soho and just had to get the scoop. The bag is his own line, The Park After Dark, that he’s working on as we speak. He says he started making laptop bags for himself last year and people would stop him on the street, so he decided to do something about his passion for fashion. His background is in music, but I’ll get to that after I tell you what he’s wearing.
Ben’s sporting a Topshop blazer, an old argyle sweater (that he thinks is probably Fink), and a G-Star Raw shirt, sealed with a vintage tie. His corduroys are from Soho’s Scotch & Soda and the shoes are Cole Haan oxfords.
If you follow indie music, you might recognize Brandon from Phoenix-based band Chronic Future (currently on hiatus), but in fun news – he recently joined Miniature Tigers. Look for their album, Mia Pharoah, dropping on March 6 on Modern Art Records (a label Brandon co-founded).
The sign is on the corner of Prince & Mulberry and this man was painstakingly filling in each letter. As it states, the collection drops in just two weeks and prices will fall between $19.99 and $59.99. New York Mag had first dibs on the official Look Book and you can catch their slideshow here, thirty deliciously detailed slides with prices. Which are my faves, you ask? This flirty trench, this striped Jersey dress and these collegiate stripes. Let’s just hope [cough, cough] that Target’s server can handle the traffic this time.
Lily asked, “You’re not going to try to make me smile, are you?”
This author was lovely in the Meatpacking district as she seemed to glide past me, well-lit by a backdrop of fresh snow. She had a curious voice (bemused, yet authoritative) as she confided that, under her outfit, she was sporting long underwear by Patagonia. She picked up her hat in a vintage shop as well as the smart leather, bow-embellished gloves. She’s also wearing Vince leather pants, a bag from Canada and a North Face coat, rumored to have been designed by someone with a Prada pedigree. I loved her lipstick and should’ve asked the color. It inspires me to commit to a tube of pigment (as I’m a gloss and pencil girl).
Now, back to the book. I’ll let the curious types dig for themselves, but Lily came across a diary written from 1929 to 1934. The first entry was etched on the 14-year-old owner’s birthday, an insightful girl who would eventually yearn for a literary life. It was found in a discarded steamer trunk outside Lily’s Upper West Side apartment and, after a long journey of tracking down the owner, she wrote The Red Leather Diaryin 2008, available on kindle.
I spotted model Madisyn Ritland in the West Village on a really cold NYC day. She says the secret to being stylish in this weather is to find something warm, but thin, and she’s wearing an insulated Columbia jacket. I loved the contrast of the Chanel bag and she’s also wearing Rag & Bone jeans and a Scoop scarf, one of her favorite NYC stores. You can catch her full outfit on RackedNY with her Prada gloves hidden here and the Chloéscalloped black ballet flats that she laughed weren’t quite right for the weather that day.
On Holiday from Holland – I spotted Lauren Zweegers in Nolita, just sitting there looking stylish in front of McNally Jackson, my favorite magazine shop, er, indie bookstore. She’s visiting from Holland and describes her style as classic meets street. She’s wearing a coat she got on London’s Portobello Road, Cheap Monday jeans, a Belgian shirt, Prada bag, James Dean eyewear and a Borsolino hat. (Clearly, she scored some good haul in those little brown bags). Lauren’s a singer/songwriter and you can give a listen to her catchy tune “Game” below [warning: volume down at work for language].
Fun News – My streetstyle shot of Josh landed on the New York Times Fashion & Style homepage! The actual slideshow shot can be seen here. I submitted the image on spec for a tailored coat post and didn’t think it’d be accepted, let alone fronting for the slideshow itself. Look, there’s even a tiny byline. (I originally posted his shot on Racked NY here). A fun surprise, now back to the streets…
