This might come as a shock to some of you no one, but I like to break the rules.
Ruler
That’s because a lot of rules are not hard-and-fast rules at all, but misinterpreted suggestions or theories. One of those is the need for eight glasses of water a day. Not true. Feel free to go back to drinking when you are thirsty. (By the way, if you’re one of those people who claims water makes you “full,” I think you’re full of something, but it ain’t water.)
Young Woman With a Water Pitcher by Vermeer
I wasn’t always such rebel. I used to believe the closet-cleaning rules. You know the ones: “If you haven’t worn it in a year, you must donate it to charity!” “Clean out your closet every six months!”
Those are reasonable suggestions for a lot of people, including those who have:
- run out of closet space;
- changed sizes drastically;
- moved from the city to a farm or vice versa;
- bought quantity over quality;
- suffered from bad taste;
- grown to hate something;
- displayed an alarming hoarding habit;
- been unable to wash someone else’s blood out of a favorite t-shirt and need to get rid of it before CSI comes back with a warrant.
Not on that list? People who bought beautifully made and still-flattering (key qualifier!) clothes that have the misfortune of being “last season” — that no-woman’s land between “new” and “vintage.” I never think “last season.” I think “future vintage.” My home-grown vintage collection includes these crazy boots. Thankfully, it also includes the ruffled Byron Lars baseball vest that I got at a sample sale in the early 1990s.
My baseball vest by Byron Lars
Byron was one of those talented New York designers of the’90s whose namesake businesses didn’t survive the decade. As I cleaned out my closet over time (goodbye, Ann Taylor suits! I loved you but it’s over between us), I couldn’t part with the vest. I didn’t wear it for a year. In fact, I didn’t wear it for 12 years! I felt guilty for breaking the closet-cleaning rules but I was sure the vest would be very important to me some day. And, sure enough, a few months ago, I realized I needed to wear this vest a lot.
Jewelry designer Tina Tang and I (and the vest) visited Zang Toi's studio this January.
Every time I wear it, I rejoice that I kept this signature designer piece from one of my favorite fashion eras. That fact consoles me while I stalk eBay for the silver Todd Oldham t-shirt I foolishly gave away in a rule-abiding moment.
If you weren’t lucky enough to get your own Lars piece back in the day, take a look at this Byron Lars baseball vest in leather on Etsy.
Click to buy on Etsy.
I think it’s a steal at $225. Zipper-trimmed leather ruffles from a designer’s most famous collection? Come on! The only reason I haven’t gotten it is because I’m holding out for the long-sleeved baseball jacket. I might change my mind so act fast if you like it.
While I was writing this post, I wondered what Byron was doing now. I realized I could do better than Google, and I did. Coming soon: my interview with Byron Lars.
I’ve got an offer for you single peeps who want to say F@#! Valentine’s Day! From now through February 14, you can get free shipping on your purchase of Wendy Brandes swear rings. Just enter VALENTINE at checkout. Click the photo to shop!
Click to buy!
Don’t forget my Valentine’s Day sale. The virtual pre-sale is February 9. And on February 10, I’ll be at the Fair Folks & a Goat gallery in New York City. Click here for more information.
I met fellow jewelry designer Gloria at a dinner party. When she came in, everyone stopped chatting to admire her exquisite Alaia coat.
Gloria in Alaia
I asked her to hold out the coat's skirt so I could get a better look.
I was hoping our coats would get mixed up in the closet so that she would get mine and I would get hers, but no such luck.
Former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson used to do a bit about a psychic named Carnac the Magnificent.
Get me a giant turban, people, because I am having a Carnac moment after reading today’s New York Times story on Zac Posen, The Trials of a Former Boy Wonder. It quotes Posen, a pre-crash success story known for his “brashness” as saying he’s in “survival mode” due to declining sales, layoffs, “a revolving door of executives and an investor pulling back the reins.” The Times says:
“… his extravagant success came so quickly, perhaps faster than his limited experience should have allowed, that his setbacks echo all the more loudly.”
It also quotes Posen on his formerly lavish, celebrity-attended fashion shows:
“I love a spectacle, but I saw it as social commentary. I think my level of sophistication was a little higher than most people’s. I saw an abstraction to the whole media frenzy of it. But at the end of the day, that’s all that people felt, I think, and they didn’t really look at the clothing.”
The article says that Posen’s business, founded in 2001, has had sales in the millions but has never turned a profit.
Now read my September 2007 post inspired by Todd Oldham, on designers who go out of business despite outward signs of success. Note my aside about Posen in this context. Also note that I wrote:
“When you’re making a ton of money, you can get up on your high horse and make people wait for hours or whatever you want to do. But if you don’t have that kind of financial security, you better make an effort to encourage people to BUY things.”
Posen’s story tracks the story of a number of designers I mentioned in that post, from Oldham to Olivier Theyskens. Posen is trying to turn it around. I’m not sure I buy his newly chastened persona; actions speak louder than words, so I’m watching and waiting. I hope he makes it. He’s talented and it’s sad when a talented person goes out of business. Also, depressing industry news doesn’t encourage people to shop and I have jewelry to sell! Speaking of depressing news, while everyone mourned Christian Lacroix and Luella Bartley’s closures, I was more rattled by that of lesser-known Phi, which the Times also mentions in the Posen piece. Phi was started by Susan Dell, the wife of billionaire Dell Computer founder Michael Dell. That was a vivid reminder of a lesson I learned vicariously years ago: Just because you have the money to spend doesn’t mean you should keep spending it. A business is like a child. It needs to grow up and become self-sufficient. If your business can’t do that, you might decide to spend your billions more prudently.
Phi looks, courtesy of The Fashion Beat
All of the failure stories are scary because starting any business means a significant investment and, frequently, years of losses. After that, some businesses become big, some last for years or decades and some fail quickly. A lot of it has to do with luck and timing. There’s no way of predicting it. As a great poet might have said, “The best laid business plans o’ mice an’ men/Gang aft agley.” (That temblor you just felt was Robert Burns turning over in his grave.) The unfolding story that I’m most intrigued by these days: Rodarte. Intense media and industry interest in newcomers making very high-end clothing? Bad sign. Deal with Target? Good sign. It will all become clear in hindsight.
Something Posen may yet re-evaluate in hindsight is his public confrontation last April with Glenda Bailey, editor of Harper’s Bazaar, after the magazine asked him to appear in a feature … posing with a Muppet. Specifically, the Count from Sesame Street.
So far Posen has no regrets. As he told the Times:
“‘I didn’t want to model with the Count,’ Mr. Posen said. ‘She said that was the only way my clothes could be in the magazine as a non-advertiser. I think she was surprised I wouldn’t take the part, but I stood my ground and I still do.’”
Personally, I was surprised the Times didn’t have a confirmation or denial from Bailey on the “non-advertiser” part of Posen’s quote. (Later in the story, regarding Bailey’s non-attendance of Posen’s show last September, the Times wrote that “a spokeswoman for Harper’s Bazaar said the magazine had always supported him.”) I love Bazaar. I can’t afford ads, but I am true to what I wrote in 2007 and I’m not going to get up on my high horse. If Bazaar wants me to pose with a Muppet, I’ll be delighted to do it. It doesn’t even have to be something as upscale as a Muppet. I’ll pose with cereal character Frankenberry if they want me to. Glenda, call me!
I do appreciate any press my jewelry gets so, while I’m talking about magazines anyway, I’ll thank Women’s Health for featuring one of my rings in its January/February 2010 issue. Admittedly, the ring is completely invisible in this shot but I got a credit on the page anyway, so what’s not to love? Looking forward to working with you again, Women’s Health!
Courtesy of Women's Health. Click to enlarge. My credit is on the upper left.
Run out and get the issue of Women’s Health with Pink on the cover. I’m on page 130. Also, if you passed up a chance to see Pink in concert, you should give yourself a good swift kick. I already gave myself one. I knew I should have gone to her Madison Square Garden concert last year and her stellar performance at the Grammys on Sunday made me even sorrier for missing it. According to the Grammys site, the clip is now available on iTunes. I’m definitely going to get it.
Join me on February 10, have a glass of Prosecco and buy someone a beautiful Valentine’s gift from my fine jewelry line. Though, to be honest, 99% of my customers are women buying for themselves, even for Valentine’s Day. I love that my customers are badass and don’t wait for anyone to buy them anything! Empress Matilda would be proud.
PRE-SALE INFORMATION: Out-of-towners, people who can’t make it on February 10, and people who like to jump the gun can shop the virtual pre-sale on February 9. On that day, you can email me at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com and tell me what piece(s) you’re interested in, and I’ll tell you the sale price. I’m not listing sale prices online. Discounts will range up to 50% but not every piece will be discounted, so don’t be shy about asking. The biggest discounts will be on pieces normally retailing for $1,000 and higher. The Teeny Genie necklaces will NOT be marked down and proceeds will continue to go to Janet until my current inventory is sold out.
Hope to see you at the sale! RSVP via Libby at lschmitz@rmtprmanagement.com or through Facebook.
UPDATED TO ADD: I’m hoping to debut a new Diana heart design at the sale. Stay tuned!
I was half-asleep next to a coffee-table book about the Hours of Catherine of Cleves when I realized the Grammy red carpet must be underway. I dashed to the TV and turned it on just in time to hear, “And that was Lady Gaga.” Luckily, gorgeous blogger Karen of Where Did U Get That tweeted a Gaga photo at that very moment so my curiosity was immediately satisfied, but I wasn’t able to turn away from Twitter quickly enough to avoid seeing a thousand people ask some version of, “Why doesn’t Lady Gaga dress normally?”
Lady Gaga doing the red carpet at the Grammys. Courtesy gagadaily.com
I answered that damn question last year. Read the post again if you’re still mystified by concepts such as “performer,” “costume,” and “public image.” The people who asked “How is she going to sit down in that?” annoyed me even more. Seriously, you don’t know? SERIOUSLY? She’s going to change her outfit about 10 times!
If you need further explanation, read this L.A. Times blog post that patiently explains the difference between actress style and musician style:
“For actresses, there is a distinct red carpet ‘look’ — a strapless or one-shouldered gown in a body-hugging, mermaid silhouette, with minimal surface details — that renders them almost interchangeable. But for music artists, from Freddie Mercury to Madonna, fashion is key to creating an identity and rising to the top in a field that is now, in the Internet Age, even more crowded.”
The post also quotes Elle creative director Joe Zee as saying “The worst thing to happen to red carpet fashion is the best- and worst-dressed lists.” Agreed. Wear What You Want™, bitches!
Read all my Lady Gaga posts here.
Get to know my Wear What You Want™ policy here.
Good Gaga article from Wall Street Journal here.
One of my jewelers has developed a passion for taking videos with his iPhone. Here I am looking dubious about it.
I’m wearing the hat gorgeous blogger Jennine got for me at Tar-Jay. I think it’s a lot better than this chicken hat that I tried on while out on the town with another gorgeous blogger, ENC of Observationmode.
I didn't buy this.
My jeweler also shot a little video of a project I’m working on for a third gorgeous blogger, Deja Pseu (also known as Susan). Susan asked for her engagement ring to be redesigned in a style inspired by my Siobhan perma-stacked stacking rings. This is the wax model of the five bands we’re creating for Susan. The original design has 10 bands, but those are very skinny. This time I needed a wide center band for Susan’s diamonds.
Those are Susan’s actual stones in the middle of the model.
I love to redesign old jewelry. I created these three stacking rings for ENC from one old-fashioned cocktail ring that she never wore. If you have jewelry that’s not your style, but to which you have an emotional attachment because of the giver, let me create a new design for you! Holla at me at wbjewelry at hotmail dot com.
I want to wear this dress the next time I see stripe-loving blogger Deja Pseu.
Acne dress, $199. Click to shop.
The Wall Street Journal says stripes are in, and I believe everything I read in the Wall Street Journal … except for the editorial page, of course.
If your child asks, “If drugs are so bad for me, why did you do them when you were a teenager?” I suggest you answer, “Because I wasn’t sure they led to stupid children till now.”
WendyB: Answering idiotic questions with brutal honesty since forever.
UPDATED: I didn’t include the Rachel Leigh Cook anti-drug ad originally because it’s about heroin. I didn’t want drug-using teenage asshats to see it and think, “Hey, I don’t use heroin. Therefore I’m not an asshat.” I assure you that you don’t have to be a junkie to be an asshat. ANY QUESTIONS?
If I really want to scare people straight, I should put up a video of my almost-husband Paul McCartney doing any interview in the past decade. After you cringe through one of those, you’ll want to step away from the bong forever. Also … Heather Mills. Would a non-drug user have married her? I think not!
Thanks to your generous donations, over $5,000* has been raised to help Janet, a fellow blogger in need after the death of her husband. Of that money, $4,200 has come from direction donation via Paypal. (You can donate that way by clicking the Paypal button on the upper right corner of this blog.) The rest came from the sale of my Teeny Genie necklaces. Please keep it going! There are 45 Teeny Genies still available.
Click to buy a Teeny Genie for a good cause.
Even if you can’t afford to purchase a necklace or donate directly yourself, you can help out by directing people to this post so that they can donate. Use Twitter, your blog, Facebook, Digg, Delicious, StumbleUpon — any method is acceptable. Need a shorter URL? Copy and paste this: http://tinyurl.com/yb6azlr.
All Genies purchased in the U.S. as of Thursday, January 28, are going out on Friday, January 29. Overseas Genies will probably be sent on Saturday. I will email you with tracking information when yours is sent out. If you haven’t bought a Genie but would like to win one, there is a giveaway here.
I will leave the Paypal button in the upper right corner of my blog until February 7. After that, if you want to donate to Janet directly, you can go to her family’s website here. Proceeds from my Teeny Genie necklaces will continue to go to Janet until I’m sold out of my current inventory.
You can click here to read a note from Janet.
*UPDATED ON Jan. 28, 2010.
