Honestly.

[elsewhere-mag]

Wicked snakes have taken over my mind.

Since last July when Our Father Ezra promised an album by the end of the year at a surprise LA show, we’ve been anxiously awaiting the triumphant return of our ironically preppy princes, but instead we got a new, grown up Arze.

Although Vampire Weekend has always had a heavy focus on being lyrically driven, the absence of Rostam (despite his producer credits on some of the new songs) is only one of the many elements we’ve seen shift within VW’s sound. The first six songs released, painfully slowly over several months, feel referential in a different way than previous VW albums. The influence of childhood feels apparent, from the sounds of the Grateful Dead in “Sunflower” to the distinct influence of The Smiths’ “This Charming Man” in “This Life” (which is an article in itself) and some mild Dirty Projectors vibes, the album feels less urgent than its predecessors.

One of the biggest differences is Ezra’s voice, looser and more relaxed than before, and with a melodic desperation that we’ve only really heard in Hannah Hunt, the drive is more “vibey” than before. This evolution feels appropriate: this album comes from a different world that the others, one where Kacey Musgraves and Maggie Rogers are on top of the world (even though it was mostly written a few years ago). There is an almost country twang to the album, especially on the songs that feature Danielle Haim, which have a very June and Johnny sensibility to them.

The sound is more “singer-songwriter” than “alt boy band” and that feels okay. A lot of the world seems to have shifted back to that (Maggie Rogers, Kacey Musgraves, Billie Eilish) and it truly does feel like “Ezra and the boys” more than “Vampire Weekend”. Should this have been a solo album? Don’t ask me that, I hate change and I love Vampire Weekend. It does make sense when we consider the vibe of the more recent shows, like that LA show last summer. There were more people on stage, but without Rostam it was really just Ezra.

I waited until after going to the Kingston show tonight (we didn’t get Webster Hall tickets) to finalize my thoughts, and fully expected to walk out thinking “my favorite band should break up,” but halfway through “Sunflower,” when Brian (are we calling him Jones yet?) tore my soul apart with a power move unlike any VW had pulled before, I felt it. Vampire Weekend is a different band, but we need to allow them that. In Ezra we trust.

- Tina Serrano

Photos by Tina Serrano, featuring Christopher Barfuss

[crazyexgalpal]

It was so great adding a little bit of whimsy to my all-black OOTD with this leopard tail sapphire ring from Rive Gauche Jewelry!

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFW Day 3 OOTD Dress- COS Jacket- Jeans by Buffalo Bag- Sunday Best Ring- Mark Shoes- Mark Glasses- Flea Market

[crazyexgalpal]

We Need to Talk About Vivienne Hu.

I was 100% convinced that this show was performance art.

The show opened with the whining wails of 2 women who may or may not have been tone deaf, singing live set to the ethereal fairy like tone of a violin. There was a collective confusion in the audience, simultaneously wondering if the torture of our eardrums was intentional or if someone had actually listened to this piece of "music" and thought that it was good. This karaoke-like audible torture went on for what felt like an eternity, transitioning finally into pre-recorded music. 

As soon as the models started walking it became a bit easier to block out the screeching of the fairy woman and focus on the gorgeous flowing pastels and delicate straps and florals that passed before us, but I think my optimism got the best of me. As soon as I relaxed into the show and started making mental notes on the pieces, the woman in front of me for some reason decided that she had had enough. This woman, probably 60 or 70, had arrived with a group of women of varying ages and had spent about 10 minutes before the show began arguing amongst themselves about seating, finally squeezing themselves in much too tight a space and making it difficult for the second row to see anything (yes, I am still bitter about being second row).

She turned around, grabbed both of my shoulders to support herself, and crawled over me to get out. This was only the beginning of the madness.

We've all witnessed the collective sigh from photographers in the media pit when a model doesn't quite make it to the end of a runway (costing them a good photo) but this was just ridiculous.

After the first (unusually loud) collective sigh, there came grunts and comments in unison from the photogs. So loud and in sync that I thought that it had to be a part of the show. The combination of these disturbances seemed so well timed out, and contrasted the delicate pieces flowing down the runway (one on a model leaning so far back that she was almost horizontal) that I thought it had to be art.

Then I realized, it wasn't performance art, I'm just pretentious. But that's Fashion I guess. I'd still do anything to wear the strappy floral gown that was presented, although it will most definitely never be made in a size to accommodate my ass, but I guess that's  a whole different  issue.

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFW OOTD Day 2 Dress: Armani Boots: Docs Coa: Kasper Briefcase: Vintage Scarf: Diane von Furstenberg

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFW Day 2

I’m pretty sure at least 60 people saw my vagina today, including Kelly Osborn.  (Maybe just my underwear...)

When a NYFW show invite says 5:00 pm, it usually starts at around 5:30, so if you have an assigned seat, it’s fine to be a little bit late (because you don’t have to fight the standing crowd, although you may have to fight whoever decided to steal your seat if it gets close enough to look like you’re not showing up...). So, when I ran up to Skylight with S at 5:35 for Francesca Liberatore, I knew we would be in trouble. Luckily for us, the guard at the door had recognized me and stepped aside when he saw us running, not stopping us to check our tickets. Not so luckily, he also didn’t stop me to tell me that in my haste my satin Armani slip dress had ridden so far up my thighs that the pink ruffles of my panties were starting to peek out.  We were literally late for being late, somehow we got into the show, standing room, and I was only mildly annoyed, until I looked over at the section we were supposed to be in (F-1-16, so, front row section F), right next to our seats, Kelly Osborn. Naturally, this took most of my attention for the rest of the show (although I saw 2 fantastic velvet slip dresses that need to make their way into my closet). I was so focused on the tragedy of losing our seats that I didn’t even notice the breeze on my upper legs. As soon as lights went back up, I noticed a few people in the section across from us staring, and although I only took a moment to notice, I was on display for longer than I would have liked, and as soon as I looked up from adjusting myself, I made eye contact with her just as she dashed away to the next show. I love New York.  P.S. Demoo Parkchoonmoo was fantastic, we were front row, and S fell in love with one of the models. 

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFW OOTD Day 1

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFW Day 1

Usually when a stranger leads me to a dark basement that still smells of paint and industrial strength glue, behind the almost-grimy kitchen of an alphabet city bar, I get worried. But last night, I just had another drink and sat in a bathtub full of champagne bottles, because it’s New York Fashion Week and that’s just what you do.

I didn’t really realize how odd any of this was until I woke up this morning, a teensy bit hungover and surrounded by designer nailpolishes and scented candles from the gift bags of the previous night. It’s been like this in my life for a while, for a week we all stop doing our jobs while actually working 24/7.

It’s an odd balance going to shows from 9 am to 9 pm, posting about it, writing about them, and then bouncing between events until you eventually crawl into bed, likely more than a little tipsy, at around 4 am. Rinse and repeat. Wake up, look fab, run around until your feet bleed from pointed toe stilettos that don’t quite fit (they were probably pulled anyway).

I love this endlessly exhausting world of vanity and art, and as tired as I am writing this, I hope it never ends.

[crazyexgalpal]

📷 : Brenda Echeverry

Instagram

Dress: COS

Lips: Stila Como

Glasses: NYC

Hat: Vintage 

[ultraviolentgurl]

#hair (at New York, New York)

[crazyexgalpal]

I am a summer flower.

Dress: Tucker NYC

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 

Lips: Stila in Como

Nails: Essie in Passport to Happiness

📷 : Brenda Echeverry

[crazyexgalpal]

I am a summer flower.

Dress: Tucker NYC

Shoes: Manolo Blahnik 

Lips: Stila in Como

Nails: Essie in Passport to Happiness

📷 : Brenda Echeverry

[crazyexgalpal]

NYFWM: General Idea

Brighter is not always better. 

I apologize in advance for the cynicism that is to follow, but let’s be real, did anyone expect me to be happy with men’s week?

This season General Idea designer Bumsuk Choi definitely shocked with a warmer and lighter palette, at first I was pleasantly surprised, almost enough to ignore the not-so-subtle bleeding of the athleisure wear that I so vehemently hate into the collection.

ALMOST.

I don’t even need to talk about the looks I’m referring to here, I’ll just sit back and hope for a swift end to this trend of overtly branded sweats and tee’s. Remember kids, I don’t hate comfort, I hate the blatant intent of capitalist owners grabbing the easiest trend available and stamping their name on it in lieu of actually creating something unique enough to be recognizable as being a part of the brand. Let’s move onto the good: model choice. Not only was there a good amount of perceived racial diversity (full breakdown of all NYFWM shows to come), but the presence of femme-presenting women on the runway during men’s week, while not at all shocking, provided some perspective on the cut of some of the larger pieces, drowning the models in the most pleasant way possible.

I will not pretend that this is some grandiose gesture on the gender binary (although, coming soon, NYFWM: Is Andro Over?), however, I always appreciate a middle part and an oversized coat on the female form.

Overall, I will say that the collection seemed almost entirely wearable (if only in NYC), and had some lovely textures. It almost would have been better shown in presentation form, although the over-saturation of those presentation spaces does make it difficult to breathe, let alone see the actual clothes.

[crazyexgalpal]

Classically New York

If you haven’t heard of GetClassical yet, the time is now. A few weeks ago I found myself at Zinc Bar in the West Village, just another tiny haven for the tired New Yorker. There was however, one surprising thing going on behind the red velvet curtain of this perfectly accepted bar, a world of adventure and culture all rolled into one. 

The setup was simple, a piano and a few music stands, instruments and chairs scattered about the stage, soft lighting with a warm glow. 

Classic, almost expected, but what followed was absolutely not.

Up until this point I had never even heard of “Shuffle”, in fact none of us had. I sat at a back table with my usual group of models and socialites only to be completely thrown by what was to come. I fully expected an event hosted by something called “GetClassical” to be just another stuffy photo op, but it was anything but that. 

The musicians of shuffle make it more than a concert, they make it an experience. And unlike with most "interactive" shows, there is no discomfort or awkward moments, everyone in the room wants to be a part of what’s going on. The excitement and whimsy in the air is nearly tangible as the band transitions from baroque to pop at the drop of a hat. What surprised me most about this event in the back of a West Village bar that I had never even looked into before was that it wasn't a one time deal. GetClassical is a pop up show that features a full array of classically trained musicians, to expose our modern world to music that seems to sometimes get lost amongst the hustle of every day life. The concept is a refreshing twist on the open mics and stuffy events that I had become accustomed to. It's the perfect setting for the young and social, a fantastic mix of culture and opportunity to meet new and exciting people. Definitely part of the new scene.  

“Getclassical always loves to present musicians that are connecting with the audience. SHUFFLE concerts are a fun concept to involve the audience, by letting them pick from their wide range of musical offerings. They are first class musicians, original and fun.” -Ilona Oltuski, GetClassical

[rivegauchejewelry-blog1]

Our Harlequin Pendant is the perfect companion to Kendall Jenner’s December 2015 Vogue shoot. The fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland is Portrayed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot in this gorgeous 9 Photo Layout for Vogue, and our mischievous little friend makes his presence known! 

[crazyexgalpal]

This obsession with sunglasses is getting out of hand.

[kimbeyerjohnson]

Twig and ink series #42.

[crazyexgalpal]

It’s been a while since I wrote a review on pretty much anything, in fact I don’t think Ive done one in the months since I created this blog. That is about to change. I’ve decided to review this piece not because I was asked to or because someone wants it promoted, but because I saw it and I wanted to talk about it. 

Kim Beyer-Johnson’s Twig and ink series has been captivating on a lot of levels, but this particular piece has been clouding up my mind for a few days now, because I see something a little bit different here. While the rest of the series seems to focus on the physical movement used to create it, this piece seems to focus on the central subject of the work. The casually strong stance, dark shadowing in place of eyes, and singular brightly colored focal point all contribute to the more sarcastic tone of this piece. The ease with which this piece presents itself is incredibly refreshing to me, because most feminist art i’ve seen lately seems overthought and constructed to the point of being almost a parody of itself. This is not a statement against feminism in any way, it’s just an observation of the current state of feminist art. The (seemingly) female figure has an immediate connotation with Eve, but there are a few things that make this even more interesting. The first is the headpiece, which seems to allude to the crown of thorns worn by Christ at the crucifixion, which originally symbolized a mockery of power. Here it gives a similar message, this figure stands with such ease of authority, and what I can only describe as sass, that it becomes almost painful to think about the fact that she is inherently treated as something lesser. 

The struggle of women has its place here, and maybe once you think about that crown that powerful pose begins to look tired. The slouch is no longer sassy, but frustrated and exhausted from her never ending fight. Then there is the apple. Of course it is symbolic of original sin and femininity, but the color takes it a step further. Replacing the typical red with a bright pink, which brings the symbol of femininity to an entirely new level, almost striking the viewer with an unapologetic declaration of resilience. Finally there is the eyes, or lack thereof. She is blinded by the darkness the consumes her vision, but it also prevents us from seeing her expression. Maybe this is a way of taking away an element of humanity, emotional expression. It would make sense with the rest of the piece, making her seem less than human just as she is viewed by the world. There are always more elements to look at, but this is just what struck me immediately about this piece. I appreciate it immensely and am excited to see more from the artist.