glam.spoon: fashion blog

Remnants of the Past Vintage Show + UrbanFarm Naturals

A few weeks ago my friend Tamila, owner of UrbanFarm Naturals and soap-stress extraordinaire, told me she was invited to the Remnants of the Past Vintage Show in San Luis Obispo, California. I am absolutely thrilled for her! These specialty vintage shows are a feast for the senses with amazingly creative vintage, antique, folk, farm and cottage themes. Each booth is a thing of beauty. Then Tamila asked me to make her a Saturday Market Dress, branded with her company's colors. Challenge accepted! 

UrbanFarm Naturals' branding combines rich hues of orange and yellow with chocolate brown, and to add some bohemian flair I incorporated this floral print. She added the orange leggings, and of course, just happened to have a vintage bicycle with potted plants in the basket available for the photo shoot.

I also created a tunic length version of the Saturday Market Dress, again branded in UrbanFarm Naturals colors, this time focusing on the play on orange and chocolate. This top is feminine yet functional with the shorter sleeves, and Tamila can wear it over a pair of skinny jeans while she's running around setting up her booth.

If you happen to live in the San Louis Obispo area, or if you're up for a road trip, consider stopping by the Alex Madonna Expo Center this weekend. The Remnants of the Past show runs Saturday, June 2nd from 9-5 and Sunday, June 3rd from 9-3.

You can also expect some special guests including Jo Packham, Creator and Editor in Chief of Where Women Create and Matthew Mead, a celebrity lifestyle and entertaining expert.

 

style icon: nicole richie

Since the very first episode of Fashion Star I've been obsessed with Nicole Richie. From the egyptian head pieces she wears to her bohemian princess styling, to the outlandish comments she makes when critiquing the contestants, she seems to have turned her whole image around from the Paris Hilton days. She launched her own clothing and jewelry lines, got married and had a couple of kids (with very hollywood names: Harlow and Sparrow) and generally seems more down to earth and like someone I could hang with.

Yup, I said it. Despite her tendency to make up her own words (or maybe because of it?), I like Nicole Richie. She's featured in the June issue of Glamour in a very bohemian, very beachy, very big-haired photo spread. Love it.

Winter Kate dress, House of Harlow 1960 choker and bangles, Pamela Love rings

Rag & Bone top, Agnès B bikini, House of Harlow 1960 earrings, Yestadt Millinery hat

Martin Grant top, Agnès B bikini and Mosley Tribes sunglasses
All photographs by Patric Shaw, courtesy of Glamour

She is the self-professed best hair stylist in the world and while that's probably debatable, I believe her in the Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion commercials when she admits she sometimes has to style her own hair for an event due to lack of time. I'm really good at styling my own hair, having spent over a decade in the theater, so there's another reason we could hang out.

Click here to see the full slideshow.

vintage finds

Maybe one of the best thrift finds of the last year. This phone is fully functional, heavy ornate metal design from Japan, and it makes that sound - the dial phone sound. Awesome.

style inspiration: twiggy

Something about Twiggy's style is still relevant today. Mod is cool. Sleek is cool. She's so relevant today that she has a new website and is building a brand on her vintage fame. Check it out.

Seattle's newest Fashion Star, Lisa Vian Hunter

Tonight is the premiere of the new reality show, NBC's Fashion Star! If you're not familiar with it, check out my post from a couple months ago.

One of the local contestants, Lisa Vian Hunter, makes classic, vintage-inspired little black dresses at her Madison Valley shop, and she put together this video to entice you into the store. 

Lisa has thrown together an exclusive viewing party tonight, and I was lucky enough to get on the guest list. I'll be live tweeting during the show, so be sure to watch NBC at 9:30 pm PST... and follow me on Twitter!

street style post: robert

Robert, architect; Harbor Steps - downtown Seattle. Wardrobe: vintage. Suit: wool/rayon sharkskin by The Golden Imperial; Tie: 100% silk by Herman's Store for Men, Elgin, Illinois; Shoes: brown leather wing tips by Cat's Paw. 

 

3rd Annual Seattle Goodwill Designer Accessory Sale

Goodwill’s Designer Accessory Sale is back for its 3rd year and will again be held at the University District Goodwill location, 4552 University Way NE in Seattle.

If you shop this sale you're helping to support a great cause. Every penny spent at the sale goes toward Goodwill's free job training and education programs, so every purchase will help low-income people with barriers to employment get the skills and support they need to find work and support themselves. Goodwill's education programs include in English for Speakers of Other Languages, Basic Computers, GED Preparation, and Retail and Customer Service.

Rumor has it they will have items by Coach, Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, Dooney & Bourke, Coach, Betsy Johnson, Fossil, B Makowski, Cole Haan, BCBG, Juicy Couture, Marc Jacobs, Steve Madden, Nine West, and more, just waiting in the wings for this sale in th eform of shoes, handbags and accessories, of course at really affordable prices. I'm very excited about the announcement of a selection of vintage clothing having been added to the sale day. 

The sale happens on two full days: Friday, March 9th and Saturday, March 10th from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Goodwill staff will restock the shelves with more designer accessories throughout both days of the sale! I love a good designer bargain and I like to get there first, so I'll be there at 9:45 on Friday. 

And if you're a fashionable man thinking of shopping the designer accessory sale, you will find a wide selection of items, including ties, shoes, hats, belts and vintage clothing.

So buy yourself a new-to-you handbag and help low-income and disadvantaged people in the community find jobs and become economically self-sufficient. It's really that simple. 

Seattle Goodwill Industries is a private, nonprofit organization that has served the central and northern Puget Sound since 1923. It provides free job-training and education programs and services that help low-income and underserved people obtain the skills they need to secure employment so they may achieve economic self-sufficiency. For more information about Goodwill programs, please call toll-free 1-877-GIVE4GOOD or visit the website at seattlegoodwill.org. 

Vintage-Inspired Modern Style Design Challenge

I have an exciting challenge to share with you... Amy Barickman has partnered with Singer, Coats & Clark and Burda Style to sponsor the Vintage-Inspired, Modern Style Design Challenge. The challenge was created to celebrate the history of sewing! This year Singer will celebrate its 160th anniversary, and Coats & Clark its 200th! Amazing milestones.

Another focus of the challenge is to educate and inspire through the life and work of Mary Brooks Picken. PIcken was the authority on fashion and dressmaking in the early and mid-1900s and she's also the focus of Amy's book, Vintage Notions. If you haven't already picked it up - well, you should. But first - read a little about it in my original blog post book review.

If you want the scoop on the contest, take a look at this short video in which Amy shares a little about Mary’s history and legacy, as well as some helpful information on how to enter the contest... This challenge is a great opportunity for fashion enthusiasts to use their sewing skills and creativity to make a wearable fashion project. 

As an incentive to encourage entries in the contest, Amy has authorized me to give away two free patterns to be used in the contest! Just leave a comment below telling me which pattern is your favorite. Since the deadline to enter the contest is March 12th, I'll pick a winner quickly... You have one more week to leave a comment below and I will choose two names on Friday, February 17th.

Of course if you want to get started on the contest right away, there are lots of free patterns to choose from ready for download. Good luck!

 

clementine + sustalux

The lovely ladies of West Seattle’s Clementine Shoes are hosting an exclusive pop-up shop for one weekend only. Teaming up with one of Seattle’s best kept secrets, they're preparing for a super special trunk show welcoming Sustalux to the West Seattle 'hood. Clear your calendar for this Saturday January 28th and Sunday, January 29th.

This pop-up shop is a match made in heaven. You're probably familiar with Clementine Shoes. Linda Walsh has been sharing her passion for beautiful footwear since 2006. She quickly became a local fave for brands like Chie Mihara, Miz Mooz and John Fluevog.

 

But you may not have heard of Sustalux - yet. The word Sustalux combines sustainable + luxury, which is the best phrase I've heard in years. Sustalux is the brainchild of Dana Guyton, and offers a curated collection of gently used vintage, designer and one-of-a-kind pieces to women (and men) who appreciate quality, stylish, wearable clothing that reflects individual style. Just take a peek at her philosophy...

 

"Sustalux is the result of a life-long reverence for fashion & it's makers, a shopping addiction, and the joy that floods a room when someone finds their new favorite piece. I focus on vintage because there is a quality and authenticity to each piece that you can't often find these days. Many of my garments come from an era when each piece was envisioned and constructed by the designers themselves along with a team of pattern-makers and seamstresses - not like the machine-made designer apparel of today. I have a tremendous respect for their work and I take great pleasure in sharing their visions of the past with the fashionably conscious of today."

 

She had me at shopping addiction.

Dana refers to her goods-on-hand as Closet Candy, and caters to a select clientele out of her studio in Sodo with private styling sessions. But you don't have to be rolling in dough to get in the door. Her website clearly states that she's not in the business of overcharging - her prices are reasonable and fair. I've been looking for an excuse to connect with this maven of style and this weekend is my shopportunity.

In addition to scouring the universe for the best of the best, Dana's business is also focused on product development and editorial photographic styling.

This weekend you can expect a carefully edited array of clothing and accessories, with a focus on chic resort style, as well as affordable options to weather the rest of our Pacific Northwest winter in bright, dazzling and fashion-forward style. After last week's snowstorm, all I can think about is a resort vacation.

Items available will include vintage bags and purses $16-24, kid leather gloves $16, and vintage Trifari statement necklaces $26-36. 

If you can't work the sale into your weekend plans, consider hosting a Luxe Shopping Party for you and your best girlfriends. Dana will set up an exclusive sale just for you. Now doesn't that just sound fabulous? 

 

The Glitter Gala delivers!

On Wednesday night, November 9th, the fourth annual Seattle Goodwill Glitter Gala took place in the Sheraton Seattle Hotel's Grand Ballroom. This is my second year attending the Goodwill Glitter Gala - you can read about last year's event here. I look forward to the Glitter events every year, but the Gala is such a fun and fashionable evening, the volunteers and guests play along by dressing to the nines.

This year's fashion show was a visual delight representing all the colors of the rainbow. The theme was Fire and Ice, and the show started off with a red hot group of glitter gowns. My favorite dress of the evening was on the first model... she really sold the dress! 

Each group of colorful gowns melted into the next and really showcased the variety of gorgeous clothing Goodwill receives in donations throughout the year. I have my eye on a few items and will be in line for the sale bright an early  tomorrow morning!

 

 

 

For the second year in a row, Goodwill invited students from the Art Institute of Seattle to create garments from Goodwill clothing items in a contest for a spot on the runway. Also for the second year in a row, I was invited to be one of the judges of the AIS contest. It's a great opportunity for the students, and a great learning experience for them to be challenged to use unconventional materials.

 

The beaded gown in the purple segment was quite the showstopper. The dress fit the model like a glove and she was stunning.

The styling of the blue segment was very high fashion with grand hair pieces, and I loved that they paired those cobalt blue dresses with a pop of red in the shoes.

What is the Goodwill Glitter Sale?

Held every year since 1983, this famous two-day sale features racks, rows and cases of glitzy and glamorous formalwear, gowns, jewelry, handbags, shoes and more, at fantastic prices! It has become Goodwill's most popular and well-attended sale—people from across the region and even other states make it a point to attend. 

What makes the sale truly remarkable is that all proceeds—every penny our customers spend—go to support Goodwill's free job training programs. Every day, we help low-income people with barriers to employment get the skills and support they need to find work and support themselves. Because jobs change lives.

Saturday & Sunday
November 12 & 13, 2011
9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Seattle Goodwill's Dearborn Street store
1400 S. Lane St., Seattle