// The blizzard

Posted on | January 29, 2010 | 8 Comments

Very few magazine editorials are so strong that they really haunt in my mind and influence the way I put stuff together. But I happen to remember one Vogue shoot with extremely severe black and white images, very austere clothing and heavy layering. I think that the editorial was titled “Storm” but I’m bit unsure about that. Tried to some sloppy image searching with no success… …bad thing that “storm” happens to be model agency, too.

Anyway, since I aquired some long hems while ago, I have been trying to recreate those silhouettes by memory… …here I’m wearing Acne dress, H&M silk chiffon tunic (would love it to be slightly less opaque for the stripes really show through), A.F. Vandevorst shrug, old rubber band boots, Filippa-K coat and Zara mongolian lamb vest. This one I found from charity shop this fall and it looks totally unworn. Probably someone had overestimated her tolerance for super fluffy animal hair. The Vandevorst shrug transforms easily to giant scarf when outside — and because I can actually put my head through hand hole it really stays on place… …just come on storm, try to get me!

Posted on | January 29, 2010 | 8 Comments

// Second hand plan

Posted on | January 28, 2010 | 2 Comments

One thing I promised to do is to plan my second hand purchases. I prefer all sorts of full crammed murky charity shops to actual vintage shops… …and without a decent plan there is always a danger to end up getting out with piles of crap. Cheap, but still crap.

And then there is Etsy, my favorite online resource for second hand clothing.

These garments I could use right now.

Neatly faded, oversized denim shirt. Men’s maybe. Perhaps with subtle cowboy-esque details to separate it from all those generic ones. Would not mind few real tears & stains. Awesome jean pocket shirt from Vintagepimp.

Prints. In skirts, shirts, scarves or dresses. Natural fibers. Vintage fifties silk dress from Catseye Vintage, unfortunately too small for me.

Soft loose leather pants, black or brown. High waisted leather pants in Mad Max style from MadGirlVintage.

Metallic leather. Bronze leather skirt from Erstwhilevintage.

Eighties silk blouses and boxy tops. Bright colors would be rad! And pastels. Orange silk blouse from Vonlenska Vintage (love her shop).

Posted on | January 28, 2010 | 2 Comments

// Way sub zero

Posted on | January 27, 2010 | 7 Comments

Sorry about the sloppy posting lately, but I’m having some extra work going on — and that means automatically less time for blogging. My photoshoots are always quite light, I’m taking usually only 10 – 20 shoots per post, but then there is always the picking and editing process. Although I try to keep the editing quite minimum, there is always at least some resizing, cropping and color effects going on.

Ok, now i have material for two posts… …winterwear, pretty familiar items, layers, loose shapes, black & white, sloppiness, sensible shoes and mismatching nails. This time I included outerwear images as well, they are so integral to all outfits right now that I feel pretty stupid posting just what’s underneath them. It’s freezing here…

I’m wearing All Saints unfit pants (don’t know if I can exactly call these harem pants, they are like men’s trousers that have gone all wrong from the crotch area), Maison Martin Margiela knit, AA circle Scarf, Necklush, my old rubber band boots. And then I added my old Filippa-K coat, old long suede gloves from H&M, chunky knit beanie. The mint green polish is Essie Mint Candy Apple. Although I feel good in shapes and colors like these there is such an amount of seriousness going on that I need to disturb the whole thing even just a bit — this time by wearing tacky nail color.

Posted on | January 27, 2010 | 7 Comments

// Spring by Vagabond

Posted on | January 27, 2010 | No Comments

Finland is not actually a shoe collectors Mecca — but fortunately the Swedes are here to save us. Vagabond is a decent and modestly priced brand, and although it fails to make me completely enthusiastic they produce every season a shoe or two that I’m tempted to add to my collection. Plus they have some great basics, the MC boot from the winter season had a really good shape.

This spring my new pair would definitely be this. Or the same pair in black, I’m not all sure about the contrast of black sole and white upper without seeing the shoe IRL. But the description says that the material is textile. I will definitely go and see them in the shop, will certainly not buy plastic shoes… …ok, maybe I’m not buying any shoes…

Posted on | January 27, 2010 | No Comments

// Magpie me

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 1 Comment

Speaking of bling…

Ok, I thougt that I was not into glitter polishes — but give me one tacky, over the top, holographic, blindinly sparkling one — and I’m sold. The image does not a justice for the actual look of this. The sparkling of it is actually insane and the slightly uneven surface the polish leaves does not bother at all.

The polish is China Glaze Medallion glitter over the 2030 sheeny gold. And the tiny coral-pink one is my Mavala find from sale… …I like my pinks bright, please!

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 1 Comment

// Shiny disco balls

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 1 Comment

Sorry, guys, I have been surfing the net too much lately.

Is there something wrong with me — I would love to walk around with these giant golden disco balls attached to my feet. Gangsta Grill wedges from Irregular Choice — and they are on sale.

So noughties!

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 1 Comment

// New heights

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 4 Comments

I’m not all okay with Jeffrey Campbell and Steve Madden shoe brands. I mean both of them tend to have several coveted designs in a season and the prices are not bad, materials and construction look good… …but that design ripping mentality bugs me, kind of.

Anyway, lately Jeffrey Campbell has sent out several fabulous designs with no evident source of inspiration. The coveted Clinic boot with metal insets on the wedge and it’s big sister in boot form. The sculptural shape of the wedge in these is so great that it certainly deserves more exploration.

Alley sandals have a great cage structure and pewter covered giant wedge. I love them — but stylewise they are probably too close relatives to my Topshop alien shoes, can’t really justify the purchase. But the all black Xenon would be the ultimate everyday walkable clumpy wedge. I think I could shave some space for these from my shoe closet.

Posted on | January 24, 2010 | 4 Comments

// Good news are bad news

Posted on | January 23, 2010 | 2 Comments

I have kept my promises to not to shop at high street so far. I haven’t even used the excuse of “needing some new basics” to go and dig the hosiery sale remnants a bit. But I know that this spring will be an enormous challenge, it’s no news in Finnish blogosphere that two great Swedish high street store chains open their first shops on Aleksanterinkatu: we will get our first Weekday and Monki here!

I try to actively put thought of that aside, but when my attention slips I just find myself browsing through their sites. How can those T:s be so perfectly cut with just right amount slouchiness? How can there be a neat little detail or twist here and there just to make a basic garment look just a tad more interesting?

All previous images are from Weekday — and I have developed a need for gray sweater with a zipper on back and some slouchy T:s. I could also use oversized shirt as a dress and an overlayer (but for this need I probably turn for second hand).

I really like Monki site, it is one of the least annoying Flash sites around, but unfortunately the downloading option rejected my Mac / Chrome combo. Back to the Monki stuff later, with another browser — and maybe even with my old PC… …but anyway, thanks for both sites for great, large, downloadable images — you really get what this interwebs thing is all about.

BTW I’m getting serious eighties flashbacks from that crincled material on the light gray sweater. I remember that it was so hot stuff… …I even sew a bat wing sweater out of almost similar fabric (ok, the color had slight bluish cast). How hot would that be now .

Posted on | January 23, 2010 | 2 Comments

// Dear mr Kane

Posted on | January 22, 2010 | No Comments

I know that your exploitation of my obsession for pyrocumulae had to be just a co-incidence, but I have to thank you (and yes, you got my attention but I was able to exercise my self control, thank you). After your nuclear blast prints, cloud prints and some photographic prints of not-necessarily-too-cute representatives from Earth fauna I’m looking at all photographic imagery from a new angle.

And that would be: how awesome would this look on a T-shirt?

Duststorm in Mars from Nasa archives, love the printer raster and those random digital additions.

A jellyfish smack from National Geographic.

Microscopic images — cyanobacteria from Nat’s aquarium.

Ice crystals from Rarara’s photoblog.

Nudibranch deep sea creature. These are practically snails without shells — and they come in more shapes and colors than regular Alexander McQueen collection. Photographer: Mark Poulton.

My attention started to wander with the crystals, so the perfect t-shirt shoots are still there…

Posted on | January 22, 2010 | No Comments

// The thing that should not be

Posted on | January 20, 2010 | 9 Comments

I have to say that although I’m able to do various things, I have serious challenges with some *erm* practical issues. Like all the paperwork involved to freelance work… …especially communication with tax office is daunting. I have gotten better with it with time, rather than procrastinating until it is too late I just bite my teeth together and go fill some forms. But I rather clothe myself with some comfort stuff to do so. Like full skirts, softest of leggings and my favorite jackets. It’s not that bad, then.

This is incredibly easy — and super warm when completed with fur coat and chunky beanie. Black sequined full skirt from Day Birger & Mikkelsen (several years old and I would love it if it weren’t awful hair and dust magnet), Dior vintage pleated skirt, Marjan Pejoski lace print leggings (like how long these are, like the sneaky injection of some pattern), Rützou wedges, Comme des Garçons for H&M jacket, Marimekko for H&M necklace underneath. I’m overusing these jackets, they are incredibly warm — and although I seldom wear the exactly same outfit again the same items tend to float around a while and then disappear back in to my wardrobe.

Posted on | January 20, 2010 | 9 Comments

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About

Location: Helsinki, Finland

Contact: kamicha (a) gmail dot com

I'm especially interested in young designers creations, non-established labels and indie fashion. So if you have something interesting to show, feel free to contact!

You can find Finnish design from both specific and some outfit posts - but both are tagged.

You might be also interested in DIY posts, How-to posts, DIY ideas - or my adventures in Etsy =).

More about me and this blog.