From the Fashion Library - Overdressed The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

I was recently having lunch with a couple of friends when the discussion turned to my latest read, OVERDRESSED THE SHOCKINGLY HIGH COST OF CHEAP FASHION by Elizabeth L. Cline. Having studied Fashion design in college, I pride myself on knowing about garment construction as well as the business of the industry. Needless to say while reading this book I genuinely found myself, for lack of a better word, shocked. 

OVERDRESSED explores a darker side of Fashion, the impact that cheap clothing has on our society and on our environment. The author traveled abroad to visit factories, conducted interviews, and with choice diction, tried to find the reasons behind our obsessions. 

The book focuses on the phenomena of Fast Fashion and the retailers who push it. The last 10 years have ushered in an era where we have become accustomed to and content with buying large, disposable amounts of poorly made clothing. Cline isn't arguing to never buy fast Fashion, but to be more mindful of what we buy, how much, and its place of origin. That the price of an item is more than what is printed on the tag. 

I always strive to invest in the best quality of clothing so that with proper care, the items will enjoy a long lifetime. Unfortunately, without an unlimited shopping budget, I am forced to fill in the gaps of my wardrobe with fast Fashion. I do not, however, purchase fast Fashion in abundance. Cline is an advocate for slow Fashion. 

We should be willing to own less and pay more. We need to buy smarter and take care of the pieces we own. An ideal that was widely practiced by most prior to the invention of mass retailing. If you have any interest in where your clothes come from and who's making them, BUY THIS BOOK. And if you don't, you should. This book helps to create an awareness. I believe, along with Cline, that we must challenge ourselves to become educated consumers. To realize that there is no bright future in fast fashion and that we must take a more adept approach to our purchases. 

PHOTOS BY RACHEL

Skin Deep

It's officially summer in New York City and with the warmer weather comes v neck t shirts and strapless tops. This type of wardrobe leads to exposure of my dermal anchors, two surgical steel studs implanted underneath the skin in my chest. Exposure of my dermal anchors tends to prompt inquiry. I was even once asked if I had a heart condition. For the record, the only current heart condition I have is my adoration of fashion. You can have them implanted just about anywhere, but I chose to place them parallel to my collar bone. A place I felt they would be aesthetically pleasing. They are my version of permanent accessories; akin to a necklace that I never take off. I enjoy collecting jewelry of all kinds.

I'm often asked how these came about. A few years ago, I'd met a woman who had a stud incorporated into a tattoo on the back of her neck. It was a tattoo of a gun where the studs served as a rivets in the handle. I was intrigued. A little bit of research soon lead me to a reclining chair in a tattoo parlor in the East Village. This is where I met Tom. He was heavily tattooed with a pony tail and goatee.

The anchors in my chest are actually two pieces, a top and a base. First they cut a hole with a small knife, dig a pocket underneath your skin with a long needle, then wedge the base underneath. The bottom of the base has holes that your skin grows into, essentially anchoring them in your body. Initially, I planned to add a stud every mile stone or significant event in my life. I imagined I'd create some sort of circular constellation like pattern ascending my shoulder and neck. Unfortunately, with the pain from installation and a healing time of roughly 8 months, additional piercings are highly unlikely. I am, however, contemplating a tattoo.

PHOTO BY AAP 

All You Need Is Love

"We are asleep until we fall in love!" 

I was recently in the Meatpacking neighborhood of NYC to have dinner with friends when along the way, we passed by a wall advertisement featuring a quote from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace.  I felt it was so appropriate as all I need is Love... 

I was so excited to wear my black high waisted DOLCE & GABBANA PENCIL SKIRT with embroidered lace panels. This particular skirt was featured in look 23 from the 2012 Fall/Winter collection. It was originally shown on the runway with an extremely lace-y white top and initially I thought I would pair it with something similar. After trying it with a couple of silk blouses that just didn't feel right, I decided on my RODARTE RADARTE T SHIRT . I liked the juxtaposition of wearing the skirt with something a little more casual. 

This ensemble included my Giuseppe Zanotti BLACK SUEDE CUT OUT SANDAL from Spring/Summer 2013. I wasn't looking for another black shoe, but these found me and once I put them on my feet I knew they were coming home with me. I instantly fell in love with the look of the cutouts against the skin and the slightly recessed heel. I carried my black patent leather YSL Belle du Jour. This clutch goes with everything and without a doubt, is one of my best investments to date. 

A VERY SPECIAL THANK YOU TO PHOTOS BY LAUREN GEER 

MAKE UP BY OH SO RACHEL