It’s nice to finally be back in LA. After spending the first half of the year travelling for work, and having just recently returned from three weeks in Europe, I’ve been feeling like the littlest hobo! Spring time in LA is my favourite time of the year. It’s pleasantly warm and clear before the heat of high summer and the June gloom sets in. Plus all the blossoms and jacarandas are out, adding a pretty edge to the lush vegetation of the city. This weekend I’m looking forward to hanging out with my best mates who are in town and showing them the best this city has to offer. Happy weekend y’all!
Images: My instagram: @londonsusie
I absolutely love these images, from new London label Aries spring/summer 13 look book, which I first discovered via District MTV. Launched this season by Sofia Prantera, creator of seminal 90s streetwear label Silas, and graphic designer Fergus Purcell, the label produces ethical clothes (all the fabrics are hand dyed in Prantera’s kitchen) with a relaxed tomboy edge. The look book features another favourite of mine, stylist (and total girl crush) Alice Goddard, who is the perfect fit for the label’s laid back aesthetic. I’m seriously coveting this collection, from its boxy crop tops and denim pencil skirts to beautiful tie dyed pieces, available exclusively in the UK from the ever awesome Goodhood. Right up my street!
Images: Aries
I was hugely excited last week to discover that Acne, one of my all time favourite brands, are set to open a store in LA, which, at 5000 square feet and featuring an in store cafe, will be the biggest Acne store in the world. Not only that, but they have taken the un-precedented decision by a luxury fashion brand to eschew the tried and tested locations of Melrose and Beverly Hills, opting instead to set up shop in Downtown LA. Not only that, but they are making their home in one of LA’s most beautiful and historic buildings, and a personal favourite of mine, the Eastern Columbia.
I know that corner of downtown LA very well and used to walk past the striking turquoise and gold Deco Moderne building every day on my way to the office. Located at the corner of Broadway and East 9th street, it’s a stunning building and a bold move from Acne. The regeneration of downtown LA is still a work in progress, which will no doubt be helped along by such a high profile brand moving into the area. In recent years the focus by the city has been on the “Bringing back Broadway” project, which aims to revive the streets 1930s theatre going glory days. Joining Acne and the Ace Hotel’s LA outpost, opening later this year, will be Urban Outfitters, who after much rumour mongering announced last week that they would be taking over the historic Rialto theatre on Broadway.
All this is massively exciting news for downtown LA, which has changed dramatically over the past decade from a no go area, to an urban centre with a growing arts, food and entertainment scene. High end or high street shopping, on the other hand, has been rather lacking until now. The arrival of Acne will help make the area into a shopping destination. According to an Acne spokesperson speaking to WWD last week “Los Angeles is not really a city where people walk; people drive. So we were saying to ourselves, if we are going to do something, we have to do something that feels special and gives people a reason to drive there.” Acne and the Eastern Columbia building? That’s more than enough reason for me!
Images: Acne/The Examiner
Shameless self promotion part two! As someone who’s spent most of her career taking other people’s photos, it’s very rare that the camera is ever turned on me, so I was psyched to be shot at SXSW by the lovely Emma Arnold from Tres Awesome for Elle US and Teen Vogue. As you can see, I was repping the 70s denim hard!
Shameless self promotion warning! I was over the moon to be quoted recently by the lovely Disney Roller Girl in her feature on LA cool in H&M’s spring/summer magazine, especially since I was quoted in the same feature as my friend, the talented and wonderful footwear designer, Jerome C Rousseau. Read me wax lyrical about why LA is so awesome, and how it’s been increasing it’s serious fashion credentials in recent years, above.
Totally stoked about heading to SXSW in four days time for #WGSN, last year’s trip was an absolute blast. Sharing a room with my two favourite Aussie girls for a week, watching bands in sweaty venues at 10 in the morning, catching up with London mates and shooting some of the coolest festival style I’ve seen in a long time. Austin watch out, we’re coming for you!
Images: My instagram @Londonsusie
I absolutely love these images, taken from Japanese photographer Yoshihiro Tatsuki’s 1973 book California I love you. I came across it via my friend Paul’s incredible vintage book website, November Books, which buys and sells rare and out of print fashion and photography books, as well as rare magazines and art books. It is a fashion and media lovers dream, especially for someone with a massive vintage magazine collection like me who enjoys nothing more than geeking out about old The Face editorials and Kate Moss covers! Sadly I found this little gem too late and it was already sold, otherwise it would be a welcome addition to my collection. Soft focus 70s’s photography, dream girls and a Big Sur back drop… California, I love you too.
Images: November Books / Yoshihiro Tatsuki
Chic, contemporary and cool, these are the best Chanel ads Karl has done in ages. They even make me want to actually wear the clothes, which is a surprise because, lets be honest, Karl gets it wrong more than he gets it right. Mini pannier skirts, leg of mutton sleeves and rococo styling from resort 13 anyone?! I especially love the canary yellow knitted sweater at the end there, total relaxed spring styling perfection. High fives all round to Karl and the Chanel team for getting it right on the money.
I’ve sat on posting these pictures for a while (oooh, since February!) waiting for it to turn autumnal enough to inspire me. Thankfully this last week we’ve had more fall like temperatures in LA and even - gasp - rain! It smells like home and I love it. Anyhoo, Topshop Unique’s collection for this autumn/winter was one of my favourite collections from the last round of shows, and my favourite Unique show ever. Man, did Kate Phelan (formally Fashion Director at British Vogue, now Creative Director at Topshop) make a difference! It was the most coherent, well edited and sophisticated collection the teams ever done and I love the new grown up direction for the line. Especially the look on the left. From top to toe, right up my street. Now all I need is for it to get a few degrees colder and I’ll be all over it!
Images: style.com
Totally obsessed with this song at the moment. Well done Dev Hynes (co-writer on the track) for helping Sky Ferreira realise her full potential, finally! Soundtrack to the end of my summer.
Sky Ferreira, Everything Is Embarrassing.
Best thing about New York Fashion Week so far? My ultimate Dream Girl Ursina Gysi and her boyfriend showing all the pantomime fashion dressers on the street style blogs how it’s done. Also, I need some Pat Butcher-esque Christmas bauble sized earrings ASAP!
Images: Tommy Ton for Style.com
This Monday was Labor Day here in the US, and with it, the official end of summer. Someone needs to tell that to Southern California however, as it is still 30+ degrees every day (that’s 88 to the locals) and doesn’t seem to be cooling down any time soon. Which is a shame as I’ve been getting really excited about all the Autumn/Winter pieces in editorials lately, with no hope of wearing anything remotely fall like for another couple of months yet. (This is the point where my British friends say they hate me). In the meantime I’m trying to figure out how to do ‘winter’ dressing in California when there isn’t really a winter as such, just different degrees of warm, warmer and warmest. I’m loving the looks above however, for being fall like, transitional and most importantly, bare legged!
Images: New Era for Kenzo via the WGSN tumblr/Emerson Fry fall preview via Design Love Fest/ Scandi cool via Anywho
LA is so hot right now, all I can think about (that’s when I can actually formulate thoughts, it’s so damn hot) is going to Malibu this weekend to have some sweet, sweet beach times. I hope it looks a bit like this. Happy weekend!
Images: Joel Sternfeld via Russh/me
