Something about this dress...

The Aurora Dress

…reminds me of a rooftop party on a warm night. After an afternoon in the sun, I’ve donned this garment and suddenly all the promises of the night are held in my hands. Climbing up the last flight of stairs, I let go of my skirt, letting it billow behind me as I approach the gathering. A tall handsome man appears in front of me, a glass of champagne in hand. He offers it to me; his lilting accent I find charming. I have become very aware of the triangle-shaped cutout of my bodice. He leans closer in, and – Oh, my! Are you still reading this?! I better, uh… get back to the dress.

Australian cult-favorite label Bless’ed are the Meek have nailed it with this dress. The more I look at it, the more I like it. Everything about it. It’s flowing, yet commanding. Its tough, dominatrix bodice is tempered with a peach so vulnerable and feminine that the juxtaposition has a very emotional quality to it. That’s what impresses me most about this up-and-coming group of designers—they are infusing fashion with a psychological twist. Using pattern to play with the eye, their collection is full of double meanings and innuendo, like their playful interpretation of the Rorschach ink blot test, below.

Dali Skirt

For Bless'ed are the Meek, what isn't there is as important as what is-- like this daring number:

The Entity Dress - Winter 2011

Bless'ed's mission is to “push the boundaries of meekdom”. One of their goals was to keep prices modest so that they could clothe the average twenty-something woman-- while maintaining a status at Australian Fashion Week. Do you think they succeed in achieving their goal?

Florence + The Machine = Soul-Moving Magic

My ears are still abuzz after hearing Florence Welch's trance-inducing performance on Saturday at the Santa Barbara Bowl. What a show! Her music is so full of emotion. Florence has said that she wants her music to make the listener feel as if they have just thrown themselves off a tall building.  Well, while her songs didn't leave me feeling suicidal, I can relate to the falling feeling she describes as, maybe, a leaf floating slowly from a tree, or a feather in the wind, like, you know, that one in Forrest Gump. Anyway, it was a foot-tapping time and I'm glad I get to show you what fun I had with my camera while there.

Dinner at Sakana Sushi Bar was nothing short of perfect! They've got a great fusion thing going on and a very trendy vibe-- we would highly recommend it!

 Chevron nails, yellow cocktail ring, and Forever21 collared dress-- 

fancy for Florence!

The coconut curry shrimp press box - this was certainly the most memorable bite!

Her voice was so haunting.

 Loved the backdrop behind her - the lighting made the hanging pieces look sinister, or translucent as stained glass windows in a gothic cathedral, depending. 

 Experimenting with my camera in the cool lighting...

Florence says that she writes her best music when she's either drunk or hungover. “You’re lucid,” she explains, “but you’re not really there. You’re floating through your own thoughts, and you can pick out what you need. I like those weird connections in the universe. I feel that life’s like a consistent acid trip, those times when things keep coming back.” Yeah-- er, me too! 

What about you-- do your best ideas come to the surface when you're three sheets to the wind? And the next morning, do you find yourself scribbling down a stream of genius thoughts? Are you capable of doing anything besides making a giant sandwich and crawling back to bed?

Anthropologie collab! Swoon...

Once upon a time, a younger me would get excited to the point of lightheadedness while browsing the latest American Girl doll catalog. Now, it's the Anthropologie catalog that seems to have that effect on me. And they've done it again, with their new designer collaboration called Made in Kind. Rad new designers! Cool Textiles! Sustainable, organic fabrics! And prices that aren't even exorbitant! Although the whole collection strikes gold, Samantha Pleet's designs take the cake for me. Her dresses manage to make me swoon just like a brand new outfit for my Felicity doll used to back in the day. Now if I just sip on wine until I can rationalize this purchase....Click, click...oops! Did I just buy that? Hello, new spring dress, we shall become great friends. (Ah, well, what's done is done).