// More structure

Posted on | January 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

I’ve been absent recently — there’s plenty of going on in my life right now. Add the midwinter lighting conditions, winter weather and my aversion for outdoors outfit photography — not too much going on on this blog. Uh, to be honest, I think that winter in this country is season for ugly and practical clothes — my mitts and down jacket don’t really inspire me much, but they sure keep me warm.

However, I’ve found the interest to fashion slowly emerging again, midseasons (yes, spring is definitely soon…) are most interesting time to dress myself up IMO, I like the prospects for next summer (more neon hues, more brights) — and oh, I’ve even flicked through the pre-fall stuff already.

What I currently love and want to add to my wardrobe in one way or another is boxy structure — tailoring that does not follow the curves of female form, stiff materials that arrange themselves to surprising 3D formations around the body. On Phillip Lim the boxy tailoring is subtle: rectanglular shapes of tops, stiff skirts, stiffness paired to fluid elements, very inspiring considering everyday styling. On Givenchy, more extreme, familiar shapes forced to austere forms, single pieces “to die for”. And I would love to have a coat with stiff volume, like that Lanvin one. All Images from Vogue.com, pre-fall 2012 collections.

Okay, again a parade of clothes I can’t really afford — but I need some daydreaming to get over this depressing down jacket season (not really seen on catwalks too often).

Posted on | January 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

// Snow can wait

Posted on | August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

Gosh, aren’t the Rodarte for Opening Ceremony pieces great? Delicious textural contrasts, romantic styles with a dark edge, primness without 100% properness… …images via Tobacco & Leather, more.

Posted on | August 24, 2011 | 1 Comment

// Forced daydreams…

Posted on | August 18, 2011 | No Comments

Our bathroom will be going through an extensive renovation in the very near future. The main floor drain has leaked maybe some few years — the way to fix that is a total demolition of the existing surfaces and structures. That is truly a shame, the room is tiled with beautiful soapstone, one of the walls curves gently and is entirely built of glass tiles. Well, the glass tiles might get a permission to stay in place, but in addition to the destruction conviction we need to rearrange the space… …the shower must be moved away from the glass tile wall.

So… …we have a very preliminary idea of what to do — there’s plenty of room and part of the plan is to move our washing machine from the kitchen (!) to the bathroom. That again leaves us with one additional cupboard in the kitchen, that extra space is truly welcome!

But practical things aside, this is the time for bathroom inspiration. One major idea we just bumped into is that the bathroom does not necessarily need tiles. Waterproof plaster exists — and it creates serene, seam free surfaces, resembling concrete — or stucco walls when dyed. That definitely suits to this old stone building.

I’m thinking plain concrete look, definitely. Clean lines, the light green tint of glass tiles mixed with tiny spots of white — chrome on the appliances, maybe we will paint the ceiling with silver? Or gold? Maybe an odd item thrown in the mix… …old mirror, a weird chair?

Posted on | August 18, 2011 | No Comments

// Photoblog

Posted on | May 28, 2011 | No Comments

I recently started a little photoblog in Tumblr. I think it serves the purpose for quickie posts.

Posted on | May 28, 2011 | No Comments

// Summer inspiration

Posted on | February 27, 2011 | 4 Comments

I’ve been browsing through the spring collections — and I have to say that I’m quite inspired. The practical ideas I’g going to steal this year are…

…the unadorned road dust aesthetics from Diesel Black and Gold. The weird western minimalism really inspires me, the dusty colors and that awesome blue and brown print. Very summery in quite unexpected way.

…the brights and neons, especially at Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Kane. Saunders looks so fresh and very wearable, a wardrobe fairy could bring me the whole Saunders collection and one of those Kane tattoo print skirts with neon adornments any time. Plus I was so amused with that queen Elizabeth on acid –theme… …I bet that one of those bright perforated leather pieces would be very workable as well. I see plenty of common between these two shows, classic silhouettes, referring to 30’s and 40’s, rebellious ways of using color. Kane excels with his innovative ways of using materials, I’m pretty blown by all that detailed seaming, piping, pleating and beading…

…subtle textures and layering at Phillip Lim. A beaded apron for layering… …how easy would that be to DIY? The textured gray dress looks awesome.

…the colored leather and sporty layers at Marni.

…the exquisite underwear looks at Meadham Kirchoff. The ultra layered styling is so over the top — but very inspiring at the same time. I have huge appreciation for their work, the shows are always ultimate eye candy — and there is always so many covetable pieces. Those sheer underwear dresses… …huge eyelet embroidered tunics… …printed jackets… I’m so very happy that I saved one of their Topshop pieces from last summer sales — I hope that one day I will have a piece of real deal…

…sheer layers, material mixes and utilitarian details from Rag & Bone. The show had such an amount of cleavage and nipple exposure that when I first scanned it through I did not get that exited. It’s not that I mind, but it is not the way I can see myself dressing up, so too much of it definitely alienates me (I tend to skip very bust-exposure-centered designers like Cavalli alltogether). But actually the material combinations and the way to show plenty of undergarment detail with sheerest of top layer grew on me. Red is not my favorite color but this is totally a way I can see myself wearing it, a sheer layer thrown over a printed dress or mixed with neutral layers and chunky knits.

…at Dries van Noten the sparingly used color and sparkle with plenty of white looks so cool and fresh. The easiest layering piece ever — almost rectangular tunic dress in various lengths might appear to my wardrobe as a DIY version…

…so the take home point of this — the must things for me next summer are definitely sheer layering pieces. I should wipe the dust off from my sewing machine.

Posted on | February 27, 2011 | 4 Comments

// Things I would like to do

Posted on | July 10, 2010 | 2 Comments

My curling, baby fine hair does not really encourage any hair experiments in this humid weather — but there are couple of things I would like to do with it — nicely illustrated in two consecutive posts in Tobacco & Leather (one of my favorite blogs for editorials, love the illustrations, too).

First — I would like to crimp my hair — in big messy eighties style.

Second — I would like to stain the ends with temporary color, preferably this exact shade.

Not necessarily at the same time.

Posted on | July 10, 2010 | 2 Comments

// Be sure to see it

Posted on | June 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

Early 1900’s in color. Funny how the introduction of color makes all look familiar and occasionally surprisingly contemporary.

Posted on | June 8, 2010 | 1 Comment

// Silver screen inspiration

Posted on | May 26, 2010 | No Comments

Vanessa Paradis in La fille sur le pont in 1999.

This movie gives me strong flashbacks occasionally. And I have seen it only once.

Posted on | May 26, 2010 | No Comments

// Wonderful wardrobe of imaginarium

Posted on | April 5, 2010 | 4 Comments

I clearly don’t have any clue or coherency today — and I’m the latest of the late on seeing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus — but I’m in awe of it’s visual style. For me this was as much — and maybe even more — I was ever thought a Terry Gilliam film to be… …plus afterwards I felt my wardorbe really lacking brocade, massive costume jewelry, embellishments, glorious eastern influenced robes in various state of decay. Gypsy romantics, ah, more into that than I admit…

All images from Aceshowbiz.

Posted on | April 5, 2010 | 4 Comments

// Inspiration overload

Posted on | March 21, 2010 | 5 Comments

Lately I have been browsing Japanese (street) style galleries, probably more than it’s legal to do so. I find them extremely inspiring! They are so much less trend dictated than so many western ones. Take a look to Chictopia and you can probably put over 80% of looks to some few basic silhouettes (just start counting for example short full skirts with cinched waist… …or then, don’t). Take a look to DROP SNAP — and you will have absolutely no idea what is coming next.

Ouch, my brain hurts! I probably should have born in Japan. I would have mauve hair and a happy mishmash of wardrobe. I would have converted my loved teddybear to backpack early on the eighties. My legging collection would demand an extra cabin. And nobody would suggest me wearing a belt when I’m hiding under my beloved pile of oversized garments.

All images from DROP SNAP. Excuse the amount of them, I just could not hold my horses.

Posted on | March 21, 2010 | 5 Comments

keep looking »

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.