Charles Anastase is a designer and illustrator based in London, whose collections seem to be tailored for a remake of a modern day Alice in Wonderland. His latest show was labeled after a 1970 quote from Yoko Ono, “John’s something more abstract.” Although his latest collection is ground breaking avant-garde, the Spring 09 RTW is still what I believe to be the zeitgeist of the brand. In collaboration with Linda Farrow the brand created the “Tennessee” glasses after the drummer of the band The Like, Tennessee Thomas. Tennessee’s style reflects the brand concept of a Muse that is “Naïve, spontaneous, abstract, gothic” so well, that it might just be that her closet is an actual Charles Anastase store. How do you know I’m mad?

charlesanastase1979.com

Born and raised in the picturesque Illinois but now based in Los Angeles, Wren designer and founder Melissa Coker makes fashion for library-card-carrying hipsters. In a literary vein, the name Wren was borrowed from a Dickens character that made dresses for dolls named Jenny Wren. Quirky Brit cool meets Cali-girl on Wren’s Holiday 09 look-book featuring darling  it-girls Alexa Chung and Tennessee Thomas. Slinky velvet skirts, light silk tops, shimmery frocks and dotted tights that are just so fitting in an underground dance party as in a lavish Jay Gatsby one. Can’t you just connect the dots on my legs?

www.wren-clothing.com

The Stolen Girlfriends Club plans to steal your heart with weapons of mass seduction. This New Zealand brand has me obsessing with getting a membership card after I fell for their “Welcome to Nowhere” collection. On top of that, the brand is always involved in an array of artistic projects. The latest being the collaboration with Oyster Magazine to create a photographic tribute to the legendary fashion photographer Helmut Newton, which was ironically named “No Safety Helmut”. Hold your loved ones close and check this out.

www.stolengirlfriendsclub.com

Panda Kunst’s concept is to create original t-shirts that can make you sound witty even with your mouth closed. Louis-Marie Castelbajac strives to create t-shirts that are not only 100% cotton and sweatshop free but most importantly are a conversation piece. The originality and absurdity of the brand brings freshness to the over saturated market of t-shirt lines. Panda Kunst will make you thank god you’re an atheist.

www.pandakunst.com

If your clothes could make Brandon Flowers confused, I’d say you got it right. Whether you stole your boyfriend’s jacket or bought brogues in the kids section, this trend is a lot more about having a unisex closet than trying to be a less original female version of a dandy bloke. All time favorite and creative adrenaline web shop Pixie Market has the outmost fashion forward fresh blood and original recipes for fashion that never feels dated. Somebody told me…

www.pixiemarket.com

Carin Wester graduated from Beckman’s School of Design, and started her own brand Carin Wester in 2003. A brand that undeniably has a tad of outrageous Camden Town style, similar to London’s own style icon Alice Dellal. Her collection consists of Carin Wester, Wester and the limited line W. All of her designs are bold, audacious and almost can speak for themselves. What does your tag say?

100% ELECTRIC BALLROOM
LOW TACKY RESISTANCE
DO NOT USE AT THE BEACH
DO NOT MIX DRINKS
THIS GARMENT HIDES IN IT’S SEAMS
WHISPERS FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE

www.carinwester.com

Cool
adjective
1 of the latest collection from Australian brand Stylestalker: Runaway
2 fashion forward or impressive: Studded Leggings are pants!
excellent: fashion forward clothes that don’t cost an arm and a  leg, cool!
3 (esp. of clothing) keeping one from becoming too hot: wear your cool, body-con dresses.

www.stylestalker.com

Rebels alike in different times, Brother-sister design-duo Jing and Kay Wong lend their name from 80’s rebel yell Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation. The Daydream line reflects their concept of a teenage riot rendered into art, in their case translated into fashion. “It takes a teenage riot to get me out of bed right now”, so good morning!

www.daydream-nation.co.uk

Broke is the new black, so I’ve heard. So what is left for a penniless contemporary Holly Golightly to do? Shop, of course! Worry not, Fredflare is here to save the day. Mr. Yunioshi says to prioritize, how many coffee runs do you really need to do a day? Cat wouldn’t approve.

fredflare.com

Some take Zoloft, I’ll take Gold Saturn any day. David Acosta’s line is just as bold as Georgia Jagger’s red lipstick and just as witty as Alexa Chung. Witty tees and darling headpieces that go from Starbucks runs to downtown outings with deftness. PYT might be under the influence, of coolness that is.

www.goldsaturn.com

I plead guilty to my addiction to Malababa. Although I don’t necessarily need an excuse to buy unneeded accessories, this brand made it easier by just making me feel like I needed them. Malababa is a Madrid based accessories label founded in 2003 by Ana Carrasco, which earned my affection with the outmost original and quirky fashion accessories. Is there such thing as a fashion rehab?

www.malababa.com

Misshapes habitué turned infamous designer, Feng-Feng Yeh makes sure not to go unnoticed. Founder and head designer of Savant, Yeh became the darling designer of Downtown New York hipsters with her infamous costumes for the Six Six Sick parties. Cheeky and upbeat, Savant is set out to be the staple choice for Downtown it-kids. Who knew Leigh Lezark was a wallflower?

www.fengfengyeh.com

All clichés and duplicate style was what I thought of Brazilian fashion. Alexandre Herchcovitch proved me wrong. Avant-garde and controversial, Herchcovitch brings fantasy with a utilitarian streak. The Brazilian designer who is also known for his innovative store concepts has recently collaborated with Melissa in a line of eccentric shoes made with the company’s trademark plastic. Normality is so overrated.

herchcovitch.uol.com.br

Born in a warehouse loft in New York City, I Don’t Like Mondays is an online fashion boutique that instantly became a favorite. Founded by Colin Talbot and Dean Rodgers who were later joined by Rila Fukushima, the company has evolved into a platform to showcase contemporary fashion designers that push the boundaries and bend the rules in fashion. IDLM is not only about selling the usual fashion merchandise, it is focused on blurring the lines between art and apparel. I still don’t like Mondays but I sure like this.

www.idontlikemondays.us

 Christopher Lee Sauvé’s creations are inspired by irrelevant absurdities of the modern society or however you want to call it. Christopher’s T-shirt collection is inspired by random things such as a stylist trade-marking the words “bananas” and “I die”, and by the rumors of famous fashion editors being replaced or the indifference of people concerning the economy. Whether these things are just plain irrelevant or at least not worthy of your time at least such things inspired a line that is. 

www.chrissauve.com

Influenced by psychedelic imagery, record covers art, and the ethereal beauty of nature and animals, Melbourne designer Natalie Wood’s style is at once though and pretty. Something Else’s style is a reflection of edgy experimental fashion in its most advanced form. Something else is the result of the fuse of Wood’s prior lines resulting in the most eclectic and visionary line. Think of it as dressing in the dark meets stole my brother’s vintage tees coolness.

www.something.net.au

Ostwald Helgason is a brand founded in 2006 by Susanne Ostwald and Ingvar Helgason, who met while working in a London design studio.The brand’s collections are a complex composition of drapery, tailoring and prints all to produce clothing that could easily be considered pieces of art. Ostwald helgason’s surreal twist reflects their fondness with the modern era art movement, and appreciation of oddities. The brand eccentricity  is reflected in their prints which often seem like impressionist art. Is this foil paper or am I blind?

www.ostwaldhelgason.com

Full of clever slogans Henry’s range of T-shirts scream trendy! House of Holland coolness isn’t anything new, but his latest collections “Sex Lies & Volleyball” and “Flower Power” are so daring and out there that I felt were worthy of appraisal. The “Flower Power” collection proves that the brand wittyness isn’t only in their slogans. The new collection has comic drawn fashion icons in the nude only covered by flowers which I though was genius, almost like a Botticelli painting…Yeah right!

www.houseofholland.co.uk

This wash has a pH less than 7.0 and can only be toned down with a basic.  This trend has all the potential to be just as bad as those 80’s outfits, but combining these acid washed pieces with modern ones and giving it a more contemporary twist it is bound to be the coolest thing in town. At least in Downtown it will.

www.urbanoutfitters.com

Should I disclose this little secret of mine? Does everyone already know about this? Well…in case you don’t, Nasty Gal is the coolest go-to site for anything fashion. Nasty Gal’s merchandise ranges from a selection of cool vintage finds to new clothing from contemporary designers. Whether you are looking to shop a little or just to get creatively stimulated, Nasty Gal provides both with the most fashion savvy merchandise and original look books.

www.shopnastygal.com

Surface to Air began with a group of friends who wanted to pursue their passions each in their field, in the late 90’s. The team has grown into a multidisciplinary company born in Paris in 2000. The company covers all creative domains such as fashion, photography, music and film. Surface to Air’s collections always have a contemporary interpretation of classic pieces that never fails to create an edge to things otherwise plain.

surface2airparis.com

Lower east side style meets downtown coolness and it all adds up to create Sophomore.  A line of timeless basics reflecting the simplicity of downtown New York. Sophomore was created by Chrissie Miller, who later joined forces with Madeleine von Froomer and expanded from only making t-shirts to a full line of trendy basics.
If you also need a break from American Apparel this clothing line has all the potential to become a wardrobe staple. New York locals and wannabes be alert!

www.sophomorenyc.com

Endless thrift shopping and  young designer shops hunting are some of those things that I just love to do. But sometimes isn’t it nice when someone does that for you? Whether you are passionate about finding your own little particular places to shop, “Bona Drag” just makes it more efficient. All I know is the studded ballet slippers caught my attention and made me want to have a Carrie moment, that will do it for me.

shopmain.html

The uniform of 80’s kids, “My Pet Square” is the perfect morning-after line.  When your feeling a bit crook after too much partying and not enough hours to sleep, their clothes just make you look cool without trying. Quirky, sexy and hip, if the line was an actual person it had to be Agyness Deyn. Vicki Lee and May-Bennett’s Sydney based fashion label is undoubtedly my favorite line of the moment.

www.mypetsquare.com

Created in a dingy garage in the summer of 2003, Erik Hart’s Morphine Generation line is very much like what you would find in Daisy Lowe’s closet. Morphine Generation is said to look, feel and fit better than the last thing you bought. This line undeniable coolness is a “Poser” magnet. “Posers” beware fashion in excess may cause ridiculousness and this line for sure needs to be used in moderation.

Denim is usually though as everyone’s staple everyday jeans, but not this spring. Denim was featured in numerous collections for spring/09 . This time in unexpected,witty ways. Karen Walker known for her smart unique look had variations on this trend on her runway. Practical and cool, it allows for styling in an innovative way with everyone’s old favorite.

P.Y.T   is a unique jewelry line for witty people with a sense of humor. Designer Arlene Guerra Started designing accessories for her shoots when working as a stylist. Ever changing collections season after season keeps the brand originality, but her unique reinvention of vintage pieces is a constant. Arlene’s look can be described as “cartoon-chic”. I can’t help but imagine it to be what Marie Antoinette would wear to a concert at the bowery if she was still alive.

http://www.pytjewelry.com/main.html

Reminiscent of  1970’s style, round framed sunglasses are my obsession du jour. The Annie Hall look is not defining of these weirdly shaped specs, Sonia Rykiel featured a similar more updated style on her fall 08 RTW collection. Whether you feel like Harry Potter or just weird wearing them, at least you are not still wearing wayfarers .