I know that this is a pretty different sort of pretend trip post than the ones I’ve been doing lately and that the destinations may seem funny to people who didn’t grow up in the middle of the US. Ever since I moved to Georgia three years ago I’ve seen things I hadn’t seen in years and years, like mountains and ocean beaches and things that are lots more impressive than anything I saw in the Midwest. But at the same time I can’t help but miss the place I grew up in. Maybe I just miss it now because it’s so hot here in the South and I don’t remember it ever getting so hot in Illinois. So when I plan my imaginary Midwestern getaways I pack my pretend, gigantic suitcase with the sweaters and long sleeves there’s no way I could get away with wearing right now on any Southern trip . . . .
The Grand Hotel . . . . Swedish Hasbeens Small Saddle Bag . . . . . Topshop Cut Out Wedges . . . . Cameo Chiffon Dress
Mackinac Island: The other day TCM aired this funny old 1940s (I’m guessing?) travel short about Mackinac Island, and it brought me back to the time I went there as a kid. I must have been around 8 or 9, but I still can remember seeing the great big Victorian hotel and being amazed that there wasn’t a single car on the island. You could pretty much just get around on bikes or horse and carriages, and I remember that riding on both of those scared me, and then there was a gigantic thunderstorm when we were there that scared me even more. But I think I was just a nervous kid.
Dear Creatures Navy Romper . . . . Topshop Cable Cardigan . . . . Rachel Comey Cousins Twist Flat . . . . Cana Island Lighthouse
Door County, Wisconsin: Last summer one of my cousins got married in Door County. I didn’t go, but when my mom went and told me stories about fish boils and sweater weather in the middle of summer I wished I had. We used to go to Door County a lot when I was a kid and I loved it. We’d rent a cabin by a lake deep in the woods and my sisters and I would go on long trail walks out towards the rocks on Lake Michigan. We went to a few light houses, ate lots of ice cream even though most of the summers we went it wasn’t even all that warm. Which of course sounds amazing right now.
Washburne House . . . . Topshop Leather Buckle Satchel . . . . Madewell Westway Clog . . . . Lover pintuck dress
Galena, IL: Galena’s a tiny little historic town out in northwestern Illinois where people from Chicago would go to get away from the city. We always went there because my grandparents live there. I always felt lucky that they lived in such a pretty place; Galena has the hills and streams and cliffs that most of Illinois doesn’t have. Plus it has tons of history. Plus I really miss my grandparents. My grandpa tells the best stories of growing up in Galena during the Depression.
Ruby Sampson Overalls . . . . See by Chloe Star Henley Blouse . . . . . . Topshop Karl Tassle Loafers . . . . stream outside of Monroe, Wisconsin (photo found here)
The Wisconsin countryside: I don’t think this really counts as a travel hotspot, but I miss it! Drew has never been to Wisconsin and I keep telling him about all the wonderful small town antique shops and the dairy farms in the country and this one place called Baumgartner’s where you can eat cheese sandwiches, and the town of New Glarus, which is sort of like Helen, Georgia, if Helen had less hills and motorcycles and offensive t-shirts and a lot better food.
For some reason I get my New Zealand designers mixed up with ones from Australia, and so for the longest time I figured that MyPetsQuare was a Kiwi label. When I saw their new collection was out I thought it’d make a perfect addition to what has kind of become New Zealand designer Tuesday on this blog.
Well, I guess New Zealand designer Tuesday has to come to an end (for now), because it turns out that MyPetsQuare is an Australian label. And their new S/S 2010 collection is way too much up my alley not to post. It is 1960s Jean-Luc Godard film-inspired, and so it has jaunty menswear stripes a la Jean Seberg and little black dresses just meant for Anna Karina. All simple and slightly ’90s edgy. And isn’t that little lace dress in the top photo one of the prettiest little white dresses you’ve seen?
Photos by Drew
Blouse: thrift store
Shorts: thrift store
Ring: garage sale in IL
Bow (in hair): belt from an old ’30s dress
Loafers: thrift store
Bag: thrift store
Lately we’ve had a lot of rain here in Atlanta, but the storms we get are the kinds that come out of nowhere, sometimes when the sun’s shining or sometimes right about when you want to go running or blog photo-taking. And usually they go away about as quickly as they got here, and then you’re left with this wonderful tropical haziness. And for a little while the air is cool enough for going on a run or for wearing long sleeves (if you’re crazy like I am).
I just found this blouse in a thrift store this week and had to wear it because it kind of (kind of) reminds me of Julie Christie in Far From the Madding Crowd. I thought I’d be wearing it with the sleeves rolled up, but it was actually pretty perfect for today. Especially since we went to the Farmer’s Market, which is housed in what could be the coldest building in all of Atlanta. We picked up lots of things for a margherita pizza we’re making tonight. I made my first batch of pizza dough from scratch and I’ve got my fingers crossed it will turn out ok.
This weekend was extra lazy. I really don’t have anything to report, except that I ate lots of oatmeal, bought a bathing suit online (this one–it’s my third try this year, and I’m hoping that third time will be a charm?), and finally finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, which I’d been reading extra slowly on purpose. And now I kind of want to go to Columbus, GA and give the place another chance.
One of my goals for the new blog was to start doing interviews with people who inspire me or who have dream jobs in the fashion world, so I’m excited to be starting off this series with a stylist! For a while now I’ve been an admirer of the Swedish stylist Linda Portman’s work without really realizing who she was or anything about her. I think I first fell in love with her dreamy styling when I saw her collaborations with the photographer Ellen Rogers. Then I saw her contributions to the t.b.a. fall 2010 lookbook. But I never knew about the rest of her styling ’till some of her work started popping up on Tumblr, leading me to her styling blog and her own whimsical personal blog. And then I knew I had to interview her.
1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a Swedish girl who works as a fashion stylist and whom currently lives in London.
2. How did you get into doing what you do?
I studied Fashion Marketing Merchandising in New York. I interned at various places during that time, and found out what I did not want to do. Then I came to The New York Times Magazine and its Style dept. and I was hooked! I loved being there.
3. When you style for a shoot do you have a certain girl or character in mind? Or a story?
I usually get inspired by certain collections and start from there. When I then work with a photographer we collaborate in regards to the “story” (with the inspiration of the season’s clothes in mind)! We usually have a specific girl/ character in mind. All photographers that I work with are different though so the process vary.
4. What have been some of your biggest influences when it comes to your work?
My former supervisors David Farber and Mimi Lombardo, because they taught me Everything I know in regards to styling and all surrounding it. Amy Spindler who was my first Editor in Chief, she was such an inspiration and force of life. Then there are too many editors, stylists and photographers to start mentioning but the one Editor who made me want to become a stylist was Grace Coddington.
5. Any favorite fashion films or books or magazines?
Books: Grace Coddington’s Thirty Years of Fashion at Vogue, Tim Walker’s Pictures, Juergen Teller’s Marc Jacobs 1998-2008… too a book called Victorian Painting by Lionel Lambourne.
Magazines: The Vogues (Italian, American, British, French, Japanese, and Russian), Self Service, Pop, Lula, Another Magazine, ID, Purple…the list goes on since I Love Magazines.
Films: “Who Are You, Polly Magoo?”,” The Leopard”, “Funny Face”, “Marie Antoinette”, “Bilitis”, “Virgin Suicides”, “Lolita”, “Pretty Baby”, Jodie Foster in “Taxi Driver” and so many others.
6. What decade(s) in fashion history influence you most?
The 60′s and 70′s together with the 1800′s.
7. What things are you most excited about wearing in the next season?
If I could afford I’d wear complete collections as created by Marc Jacobs for his own line and Louis Vuitton. Too anything created by Miuccia Prada……I will source vintage stores for similar items. Glasses by Prism and/or from Linda Farrow.Shoes from London Soles, Swedish Hasbeens and Top Shop.
8. What’s your dream styling job?
Maybe to collaborate with someone like Paolo Roversi or Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue…..Mario Testino or Tim Walker for British Vouge…to work with Anyone at American Vogue. My real dream is to have my own fashion magazine creating wonderful things together with my lovely talented friends.
Photos: 1: Linda Portman; 2. styled by Linda Portman; 3. styled by Linda Portman, photographed by Saga Sig; 4. scene from “Bilitis”; 5. and 7. styled by Linda Portman, photographed by Martina Olsson; 6. image from t.b.a. fall 2010 lookbook, styled by Linda Portman, photographed by Saga Sig.
Photos by Drew
’90s silk dress: thrift store
Socks: Target
’80s lace-up boots: Etsy
Necklace: Corvus Noir
Bag: from the Score! swap in NYC (I didn’t go, but my friend designed the bag for it and gave me one)
Just a little Saturday outfit . . . This is what I wore over the weekend when we did normal weekend things. Like usual these days it was really really hot outside, so it helped to wear a light little silk dress. The socks were kind of . . unnecessary, but I think I was so inspired by the styling in that Ingrid Starnes collection that I had to wear socks with my new (old) ankle boots. I’m obsessed with them. They have a little heel that’s still easy to walk in but gives just enough height for strange people like me who feel under-dressed in flat shoes.
