caroline so

boy.

2011-02-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

character series.

2011-02-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

man.

final thoughts..

2010-10-28T23:01:00.000-07:00

mental notes for style, color, prints, fabrics i loved out of all spring 11 shows.

absolutely bananas over..

2010-09-24T22:19:00.000-07:00

cleansing the palette in black and white.

2010-09-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

in the mood for fall.

something definitely fishy.

2010-06-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

i love and hate market researching... hate only because i want to buy everything but also don't want a huge hole in my cred card statement. anyway, i was giddy to see piazza sempione's fall 2010 collection out at saks because they interpreted an anchovy print in the most beautiful way! on a silk surface, a fish print looked as if it was stroked with paint gently on the smooth canvas. to also give it that final artistic touch, the fabric was embossed/hammered so that it looked rustic and washed. a rusty can of anchovies! i've seen a lot of these textures at balenciaga, prada and ter et bantine. i love the crinkled newspaper/raw effect that it gives and it reminds me of van gogh's paint daub effect techniques. no doubt that abstract florals are in trend, but to express art in fashion through new textures/techniques/embroideries is forever inventive.

quiet havoc.

2010-06-20T21:46:00.002-07:00

i found .. during a lovely stroll in chelsea galleries..

and they had life...

2010-06-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

there are countless faces on the runway that come and go and are forgotten, but there are those handful of strikingly chic work of arts that make me so glad i'm in fashion. to me, the perfect face is not an oblong one but a pentagon shape. this is an expensive, an exotic and feminine face that i can only describe in my drawings. my whole life, i drew these imaginary beauties but girls like feifei sun and magdalena frackowiak embodies the scientific formula of beauty from my imagination to real life.. not only do they have this hard to find cut face, but stylishly refreshing body proportions. cheers to them.

volcanic explosion.

2010-05-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

speaking of volcanic eruptions in iceland...
when i saw this spread of dree hemingway in may's numero, i immediately thought of martin klimas' photography of exploding floral vases and porcelains. the movement of explosion, the random disruption inspires me for rugged summer dressing. raw edges, slashed shirts, rugged jackets, kinky lace lingerie...
loves it..

delicassen.

2010-04-25T21:41:00.000-07:00

i was quite obsessed with siri tollerod for the past 2 seasons with her awesome platinum fluff of hair. there is something so light and almost-dessert like about blondes. in the past, powdering one's hair was considered to be a luxury- of elite class. brunettes and dark hair are.. sexy, but blondes are so angelic. :)
designers that express this so well are chloe and vanessa bruno. their colors express youth and the softness that i love and am so familiar with.

a quick story.. to tickle your ears..

2010-04-25T20:17:00.000-07:00

mmm... i lovve it when i come across a collection that is poured with secrets and most of all, a damn good story. thimister's spring 2010 couture collection was inspired by a photograph taken of Emperor Nicolas II and the slanderous murder of his 13 year old son. his son had "routinely dressed in uniform as a boy, and it played out in a collection of men's and womenswear merging poignant romanticism with a raw-edged minimalism last practiced in the nineties." (style.com) military has never looked so good. with three main colors- olive, creme, and bursts of scarlet to resemble bloodshed, thimister's brilliant collection expressed this sorrow-filled story with the utmost delicate details.

succulent little things.

2010-04-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

fruit- nature's dessert is symbolized in art history as a delicacy, a treat, and in some cases- eroticism (ex. caravaggio's little boy paintings). i came upon giuseppe arcimboldo's fruit face paintings recently and he is the contemporary artist of the renaissance era. it's amazing how he blends the assortment of fish, flowers, fruits and vegetables to express a portrait of someone. the round, smooth curves of peaches to enhance the cheeks, the furrowed bottom of a squash to show the serious expression of the forehead all is so very thoughtful and delicately placed. i thought of this painter and the prada collection this season- and i thought it blended together very well. what more dessert like and succulent than a curvy, full bodied woman (that this season prada celebrated). while the 50's inspired full skirts on legendary supermodels (adriana lima, doutzen kroes), i thought that it brought back the classy, chic and proud woman. i realize this while getting a little older, wiser- that being classic and timeless is the ultimate chic. i mean, who doesn't want to be classy- read derek blasberg's new book- classy to get some tips. ;)

in unison.

2010-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

one of the most inspiring things that i've experienced recently was in mea shearim, israel- a town of just hacidic jews. the air was very heavy and serious. to even be in the town, as a woman, you had to cover yourself from head to foot- not to be stoned or spit at. but amidst the restricted, almost hostile air, there was something incredibly chic i felt. it felt to me that i was in a live ann demeulemeester fashion show. the men were dressed so- chic. one young boy i still remember, had his trousers a little above the ankle, showing his lightly wrinkled black socks and topped with an impeccable black coat that swung swiftly as he walked down the cobble street road. the idea of conservative chic is so classic. from classic, you can play with accessorizing. for instance, the men, under their coats, wore almost like a poncho like garment with long fringes showing subtly as they walked... isn't that the trend we are seeing now? absolutely! the classic, perfect silhouettes with unfinished, raw details to hush the perfection to easy ready to wear garments. the impact is stronger when a group wears the same uniform. gliding along the streets as if it's a movie..
truly inspiring.

take me to wonderland.

2010-03-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

sorry for not updating for a while. i've been exhausted after my travel to israel and working on concepts for our new collection. while roughing it in the deserts of the dead sea, meeting new people, and emerging in a totally different culture, i was reminded how beautiful and vast this world is. there is so much more beautiful things than there are bad...and i guess it's a turning point for me- that i want to keep my mind always beautiful, always curious - to stay young and to always be positive. what i am most interested in nowadays is how to explain my heart and thoughts through colors and illustrations. i love the softness of today's fashion and yet the crisp, clean silhouettes that even out the feminine details.

no. 21

2010-03-01T20:42:00.000-08:00

i love that one woman can turn the trend of fashion upside down. it reminds me how impactful pheobe is and now, it's our time...
when grunge chic/80s exploded, i feel that the male designers shined because they designed with harsh angles and sculptured shapes.. and yes, they look cool- but to me, i feel that being a female, i want to look like a female too- somewhat delicate, pretty, and relaxed. pheobe philo, frida giannini, and hannah mcgibbon symbolizes not just a feminine, girlish aesthetic, but a free-spirited maturing woman...
the collections that i liked so far from fall 2010 were missoni, gucci, albino, and no.21 (alessandro dell'aqua's new line)...the colors are so lovely~

growth

2010-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

i apologize for not updating for quite a while...preparing for fashion week was grueling-- but so worth it! Now that it's almost finished, i have time to relax and update.. mainly for myself. one thing that i've been learning to appreciate is just the beautiful curves of a maturing female form. in the past, my illustrations focused on the exaggerated model figure, scrawny, premature, awkward. perhaps i'm at the stage of being exhausted of thinking that these figures are beautiful. as i observed my own maturing flesh, my figure- i realized what an art and beauty the curves that a woman have. there is such softness and comfort to the rounded edges- as if you took a chalk and smeared the angles of a shape.

a quickie..

2010-01-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

prada.

why, howdy boys..

2010-01-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

the menswear collection this season were so inspiring for color, jacket details, and interesting ways to make a basic, special. i thought it would be an interesting blend to mix color blocking and the strong military accents the menswear trend showed with the rich feeling of dries van noten's fall 08 collection. the gust of dizzy prints like pollocks splattered paints and banding it into a clean, wearable collection by adding mens' hardware to give off the cool, tomboy-'tude..

bow and arrow.

2010-01-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

maybe i was inspired by the kilim that i bought in turkey- but i saw a lot of interesting patchwork and color/fabric-block details while shopping. though the idea of sporty chic is such a statement this season- i definitely see a hint of ethnic charm as well. mixing the handmade quilt effect with sporty zigzags is a new way to make something that can look tacky- new...

erotique.

2010-01-14T21:53:00.000-08:00

nudes. neutrals. the most erotic, sensual, yet basic colors. the flesh is such a beautiful thing. it lies as a foundation canvas against our bodies and we decorate on top of these basic colors we are born with. whether we have a darker complexion or a light complexion, the basic mixture of flesh is earthy, natural, sensual. it's skin that we are turned on by and skin that is most essential we need to take care of.

cut it out!

2010-01-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

omg.. i died when i saw the new balenciaga ad for s/s 10. meisel (the photographer for this campaign) throws us off-guard with a gigantic horizontal lass in the background- emphasizing color blocking- in this case, human blocking.. i love the concept and other designers like prada, proenza schouler, thakoon, gucci, derek lam, etc etc.. are all using the concept of sporty chic.. color blocking is always a way to cleanse the palette and come back to logic and sense- especially from the attack of the 80s.

creds:
photo: Steven Meisel
models: Patricia, Iselin and Mirte Mass.

my version..

she has accent..

2010-01-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

recently, i've been so inspired by just colors of nature, of buildings, and of these two particular collections: missoni pre fall 2010 and wunderkind spring/summer 2009. it's tear jerking how beautifully the colors are blended into each other and the mixtures of cool and warm colors brings a sense of liveliness to what can possible be old. and of course, i love the burst of accent colors.. so necessary..

twist and turn..

2010-01-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

out of all the pre-fall collections that came out, my favorite was thakoon. it was so sophisticated but still young. i think thakoon gets more refined each season by delivering a wearable, fashion-forward, chic collection. on the note of blending, there are a lot of very interesting draping concepts, mainly inspired from the paris vionnet exhibit months back. from easy t-shirts that are tweaked a certain way (as you see in complex geometries, t by alexander..), to beautifully draped dresses..it's interesting to not make the garment overpower the wearer.

in mind of the draping, twisting, blending concept, i couldn't help but to draw my own rendition of this twisted concept..

karma chameleon.

2010-01-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

the o'keefe exhibit has been going on at the whitney and i can't emphasize how absolutely beautifully she blends colors together. i think that colors are such a tricky thing because mixing a pinch more of black can make a world of a difference.. yet she expresses colors so delicately. i personally love the softly hidden phallic notes she hit the viewers with..
aside from that, being much inspired by her work, i saw a lot of correlation between what's going on today in fashion and her exhibit. points to cover: lots of color mixtures, fabric combinations, interesting sporty piping details, and beautiful draping mixture with color blocking.

lovin' the psychedelia blend of azul and limes. but take a look at how beautiful nicolas ghesquire draped the cremes and goldenrod yellow! and to add delicacy put on a light lace bandeau bra top...sheer genius.

these are great ideas of what i can do to translate into my own designs..stay tuned..

spring cleaning..

2010-01-02T13:54:00.000-08:00

the 80s are over! the fierce comeback of the trend with the oversized shoulders, leather leggings, stud galore and grunge chic is whispering to becoming yesterday's news.. and for spring 2010, we see a breath of fresh air with lots of neutral colors (as seen in chloe, celine, fendi), an array of psychedelic, dizzy prints (in thakoon, proenza schouler, givenchy), lots of draping (donna karan) and clean, polished, easy to wear yet sophisticated shapes.. lots of new things to add in my personal wardrobe :)

i love when women are effortlessly provocative. this kind of sexy chic to me is the 70s and who else better to exemplify the mood but jane birkin.. she is so feminine, but naively sexy at the same time.. love it! am also looking forward to the film, Gainsbourg, Vie Héroïque come jan 20, in paris..

silhouettes i love.. classic silhouettes with the perfect length are timeless and will forever be a go-to item in my wardrobe..
1. the perfect length -- above ankle skinny trousers
2. lovely little tunic/dress as a statement under a classic blazer

ifeden.

2009-12-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

a little about..ifeden..
ifeden. is for stylish/feminine/sexy girls. i want to re-introduce this site as a domain for inspiration, my style, and view on fashion as a fantasy.. my strongest way of expressing is through illustration- but day by day, i would like to post how my illustrations became the way it is now and how it is evolving through the people that inspire me, the colors that make my heart beat, and artists that open my eyes to a different realm. it took me a while to think of the perfect alias like ifeden- but as it's name- ifeden were on earth, it is a utopia where i can spill my creativity.. enjoy..this work in progress...

the simple things.

2009-12-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

i was so inspired by tommy's (of jakandjil.com) interview with tara vasev of how beautifully articulate she was about her favorite dries jumper. it was much of a coincidence that she connected dries fall 09 collection with edinburgh, for it has been on my mind of a place i was wanting to go to. as i was reading her explanation of why she loved this piece so much, i could easily close my eyes and imagine the stillness of the autumn leaves, the scent of freshly moistened soil and the liveliness of the stony brooks in a place like edinburgh. the nostalgic mood, the textures and the wholesome colors of dries van noten's fall 09 collection captures the essence of how rich and beautiful nature is. it brings back such a sweet memory of when i was in britany, france- in the countryside, how amazed and yet fearful i was at nature because it was so grand. the fields of grass swept on forever to the horizon, the sky was so ice blue, and the air so crisp...reminds me of simple things- and how happy it makes me. .. edinburgh, here i come..

jakandjil:

fashiontoast's translation of how to style:

a pixie's carnival.. marc jacobs s/s 10

2009-12-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

salute christopher bailey..

2009-12-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

a perfect way to present military chic...bailey (of burberry prorsum) masters the idea of casual, ultra cool career-wear.. i love how he elongates and exaggerates legs to be mile high for any woman to feel confident, sexy but oh so down to earth.. a great starter for pre fall collections..

a night in shanghai...chanel pre fall

2009-12-05T20:14:00.000-08:00

heart skipped a beat..

2009-12-03T21:14:00.001-08:00

...how pretty is she

2009-12-01T20:31:00.000-08:00

now rarely..i stare at a picture so long and admire such fresh, fair face.. but i will have to say frida gustavsson is on my top fav. list.

team cool

2009-11-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

mmm... sweet weekend begins...

2009-11-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

our modern day couturiers...

2009-11-19T17:38:00.000-08:00

wrap me lovely in lanvin.

2009-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

blown away... by phoebe.

2009-11-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

s/s 2009 collections i love series 1

2009-11-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

the many faces of...

2009-11-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

under construction.

2009-09-10T21:58:00.000-07:00

coming soon.... stay tuned, my pretties...for more pretties...

perspective.

2009-08-23T16:21:00.001-07:00

bottle gossip

2009-08-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

inspired.

2009-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

the perfect color combinations of francis bacon.

pink.

2009-08-11T04:56:00.000-07:00

tender.

2009-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

sunny day~! chasin' those ... clouds away!!!

2009-08-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

idol.

2009-07-29T21:33:00.000-07:00

character series.

2009-07-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

b+w

2009-07-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

black and white series "two"

2009-07-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

black and white series "one"

2009-07-26T11:58:00.000-07:00

silk road.

2009-07-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

current inspiration- orient inspired/western-eastern trade/rich jewelry/safari old ysl/print mixtures/mixing metals/mystery/spiritual/flavorful/deep hues.

delussional...

2009-07-20T20:17:00.001-07:00

ass-fault.

2009-07-18T11:32:00.000-07:00

a present.

2009-07-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

still trying to get used to it.

threes company

2009-06-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

moss and friends

about a boy.

2009-06-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

currently listening to: the gossip. heavy cross (black lights remix)- can be heard courtesy of www.hintmag.com under the current deck-brained.

i, candy.

2009-06-23T20:44:00.003-07:00

1st photo. from contributingeditors.blogspot.com
fashion stylist: james worthington demolet
2nd photo. from hedislimane.com
1 word: liberating.

SHOE fly--don't bother me.

2009-06-17T17:51:00.000-07:00

wazzzzap babies~
thanks so much for all the great feedback! it encourages me to continue this delightful little journal of creating my girls and expressing, well- me. tonight, i want to introduce to you three of my friends all sporting shoe candy that i want for myself.

tilda (on your very left) is sporting the lovely Nicholas Kirkwood gold and black space heels, while Abigail wears the Gareth Pugh-esque Fendi platforms. On your very right, Tif is caged in her steely Yves Saint Laurents. --

this...is just a test.

2009-06-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

finally i feel alive again.
i'm back, babies~