jeepers creepers, are these keepers?

bleach on jeans is everywhere. right now it feels like the foremost spring staple and just seeing it makes me think of the sun. therefore, i need me some of that.

i tried on a miniskirt at gina tricot earlier this week, but decided that jeans was the way to go knowing finnish summer. obviously, balmain is out of my reach. there is the pair at diesel mv's got that i do like and have considered.

and then there are these from d squared i just received in the mail. the wash is blotchier than in diesel cuddy and they make my thighs look "huge", but i am drawn to the zippers at the ankles and believe these just could be a summer favorite.

what do you think? vote, please, (it takes just a simple click) and let me know... feel free to elaborate in the comments section, as well.

chuck it in the bucket!

in this age of economic insecurity, ecological disasters and unemployment rates, even the optimist must prioritize. since i love lists and sharing them, the fuckitlist wraps up exactly how i among many others feel. instead of making lists of what you still want to achieve and do, why not give a go for all of the stuff you're happily letting go of?

my list of 3 fuckits:

1. finishing anna karenina by tolstoy
2. trying to rejuvenate my palm tree
3. finding spirituality

what are yours?

high street choice.

since most ordinary fashionistas like myself get their regular style fix from large high street stores, we tend to form preferences as to which establishments we frequent. in addition to visiting mid-price brand stores, vintage boutiques, flea markets and designer havens in my spare time, my leisurely wandering around shopping strips is limited and i've noted that i skip many a high street fashion store during my strolls.

finding whatever rides the fashion wave highest at a given moment is not as difficult as it used to be, and you really cannot claim one store outweighs another in production speed and keeping up with trends. nevertheless, there are differences between stores when it comes to reputation and pricing.

although only a few of the most famous global chains have landed in finland, i've had a chance to visit the cream of the cheapo crop during my trips, and i must confess never understanding the hype around topshop: the clothes are rather pricey for the awful quality and the only worthwhile store is their oxford circus flagship because they sell so many other brands in addition to the normal topshop duds. it must be kate moss and her infamous admission that she gets her gear at topshop...

another site of constant wonderment is gina tricot i've visited a few times and always left empty handed; somehow the clothes are too obviously cheap although i've seen items which look great on other people. moreover, i have frequented h&m, but tend to go in less and less although the swedes probably have the best grasp on what is hotter than hot.

my biggest turnoff is the feel of clothes in which every single high street store scores high on the yuck scale: fake studs (they're stickers for goodness sakes. stickers! on your clothes!), frumpy sequins, twisted seams, printed stripes on wovens, and fake leathers (plastic!) make me nauseous. i'm really touchy-feely when it comes to my clothing, probably because i constantly fidget and rely on clothing to keep my hands occupied.

because i also sometimes want a quick picker-upper, i absolutely and obviously do shop at high street chains, and when i do, my preferred place is zara. the spanish chain is an oddball amongst the large high street vendors, because they refuse to give their clothing to fashion shoots (that's the reason you never see zara in any glossies...) and do not advertise.

unfortunately, most of the stuff on offer is boring, classic and way too feminine for my liking, but there are imaginative jewels amongst the dull, frilled blouses and the oscitancy promoting cotton pants. zara enjoys the same lousy reputation for respecting human rights as every other global chain and i, consequently, try to keep my self-perk instances to a minimum. when it comes to quality, as long as one remembers to steer clear of the knits and polyester-garb, the clothing is usually pretty well constructed. i recently bought my first bag from them (above right), and feel like it just might be a great fit...

what zara excels at is footwear and i probably have about three dozen pairs -- my most recent acquisition left. what distinguishes them from the rest is the use leather on both upper and inner linings (essential, i think), and that they fit my feet like a glove. most importantly, zara's shoes have an edge most high street stores lack; i've stopped visiting din sko, bianco and such because i'm quite particular with compromises in style, heel height and materials. also, a finnish fashion blogger favorite, vagabond, has failed to impress me to such an extent repeatedly that i haven't seen a pair i wanted from them... um... ever. better yet, at around €100 a pair zara shoes are a bargain, and as much as i love my prada, marc jabobs, miu miu and versace shoes and their beautiful finishes, these cheaper alternatives work just as well.

what's your high street store of choice?

temporary dwelling.

i used to live in the city that never sleeps and like any junkie needing a fix i try to revisit nyc as often as i can, i.e. not nearly as often as i’d like. much comes down to finances: my travel budget is never humongous and a large cut of it goes towards hotels which aren’t exactly cheap in manhattan.

why, you may ask, don’t i stay at friends? the answer is simple: cats and small spaces. my local friends either have cats that combined with my allergy for our feline friends amounts to lethal respiratory problems or live in closet-sized apartments where i wouldn’t fit for more than a couple of days without causing some serious strain on our friendship. moving my stuff around every other day does not meet my holiday ideal and, therefore, i try to find pleasant semi-permanent lodging somewhere.

as much as i’d love to stay at the mercer, i will not blow my budget on a room i hardly stay at, and despite the fear of sounding snobby, i just don’t do average, boring hotels because they’re never aesthetically pleasing or interesting. regardless of my lack of funds and clannish attitude, i have a few rules when it comes to lodging in nyc. first, my shed of choice needs to be below 14th street because that’s where i hang out at, that is, i don’t care for the empire state building or staying at close proximity to macy’s. secondly, it needs to be affordable or, preferably, cheap, and third, i am ready to compromise many luxuries and amenities i’d demand in any other city.

my favorite so far has been east village bed and coffee located on avenue c in alphabet city. for someone familiar with the peculiarities of manhattan, the location is perfect, but i wouldn’t recommend it for a new visitor because the easternmost avenues can appear a little dodgy especially at night. evbc is a small residential house with communal bathrooms and kitchens on each floor. definitely not for everybody, it’s like sharing a home with the other visitors. my foremost complaint is that the decor is a little too hippy(ish) and homemade for my liking; the ambiance is not far from staying at your artsy 'n' crafty auntie's.

hence, i welcome the jane. renovated in 2008 from an old seaman’s relief center and located in the west village, right on 14th street, it is the indie rock credible shack-up place with old cabin inspired rooms. the history of the building itself makes it a worthy place for a visit: the survivors of rms titanic stayed there in 1912 until the end of the investigation on the disaster, and in the 80’s and 90’s it hosted hedwig and the angry inch among others. there’s been some controversy over the gritty longtime residents that still reside amongst the hotel guests – and use the communal bathrooms – but the slightly weird newyorker in me greets them as an interesting part of the deal. at the jane, a night of true new york feeling costs less than $100.

my eagerness towards slumming it is definitely reserved for nyc only. i believe it comes down to being extremely comfortable with the pace of the city and its idiosyncrasies.

in other cities i try to find affordable but chic hotels: in amsterdam hotel v works out fine and in paris mama shelter offers a sleek experience. in case experimenting with squalid locales isn't your thing or you're new to nyc, try the standard for a less intimidating atmosphere without compromising the location.

recording time.

at core, photography is about capturing time, and at its most obvious, it attempts to record a glimpse of reality by freezing a moment. regardless of the simplicity of the basic concept, still-images of our reality can appear quite magical because fleeting time and inevitable movement in our surroundings are the phenomenological minimums we experience.

the introduction of different technologies allow photographs to be manipulated and widens the possibilities of pictoral presentation of time. michael wesely’s compelling images are a result of his decades long work on inventing and refining long exposure techniques. his negatives are subjected to such a diminished amount of light through filters and a tiny aperture, that the exposeure time can extend to years instead of fractions of seconds.

wesely’s most famous works include a collection of photos of the rebuilding of potsdamer platz in berlin completed in 1999 and the construction of moma’s renovation in 2003.

my favorites are his tulips (click to enlarge image), the perfect spring adornment. although flower arrangements are a recurring theme in art, wesely's handle on the subject, creating an image from freshness to decay, brings about a pleasing originality.



tulips are also one of my favorite types of flowers and with these photos in my mind, i'll head to the florist for my own bouquet.

213 rue saint-honoré.

every concept store aspires to be colette. the french boutique is the original sanctuary of everything cool and fresh, and despite existing for over a decade and being constantly challenged by new street smart boutiques globally, it remains unrivaled.

colette is the creation of sarah lerfel and named after her mother, colette roussaux. everything we've learned to believe cool stores should have, be it a selection of music sold in addition to clothes, little gadgets together with gawky shoes or a bar in the middle of a boutique, it was pretty much her who came up with it. thus, it is as much a fashion mecca as prada's flagship in nyc's soho.

lerfel steers her business with an incomparable fashion intuition because, as she claims, she never has time to think or reflect. her staple is to create a collection of merchandise that is simultaneously eclectic and selective and has been able to avoid becoming a pastiche of her own concoction -- a fate many concept stores fall prey to after being hailed ice cold. colette sells famous fashion houses, like ysl and lanvin, but for young designers, making it to the racks of this three-storey boutique has for over a decade meant making it big.

because of its unique standing, colette carries exclusive collaborations and sells lines normally never seen out of original brand flagships. simply put: if lerfel wants it, she sells it, and because colette has an online store, it's great for us located here in the outskirts of civilization, as well.

one of the exciting novelties comes in the form of the second collaboration between adidas originals and jeremy scott which was launched 1 february 2009. i'm not huge on sportswear, but have liked adidas originals and often think designer collaborations are at their most exciting in streetwear and sports.

for adidas' 60th anniversary, scott takes a leopard inspired theme, but the real gems of the collection are in my opinion these black tops; i especially like the fringed tank which combines street with the sassy flapper girl.

the corset top and cardigan with side strings are subtle enough echos of the 80's and early 90's, and remind me of times when dance music videos were group choreographed with skilled dancers who wore clothing that actually more rather than less covered their muscular bodies -- think janet jackson rhythm nation era.

colette's collection of sneakers has always been incomparable. the jeremy scott-adidas collab does not fail to impress here either.

my sneaker freak sighs at the sight of these icarus high tops which come either gilt or in pure white perfection. they're a masculine version on minna parikka's winged beauties but just as likely to make you airborne.

while i hanker after the fringe top and golden high tops, i must settle for these colette beauties that arrived in the mail yesterday: nike high tops in smoothly transitioning monochrome patent leather. simply wearable, but with an additional vigor factor, they will guide me towards spring quite effortlessly.

made in finland.

i was challenged by anna to tell you about my domestically made clothing. she started her own post from the realization that the quite prolific production side of finnish clothing industry has almost vanished entirely -- a familiar phenomenon in all of western europe -- implying that what little still is tagged "made in finland" comes from young designers or is vintage.

i instantly knew there were a couple of items i could post but, nevertheless, went through my closet and the two boxes of dresses i brought in from the storage because of last week's parties. i hesitated whether i should actually dig into my storage a little further, but the number already overwhelmed me (and will probably bore you...). so the rest must be saved for later, okay?

i'll start with some favorites: a white balloon dress from antti asplund and a forest green marimekko wool dress i inherited from my mom.

the asplund dress is from his s/s08 and i purchased last winter from his showroom sample collection. needless to say, i was thrilled to fit into the sample size... it features an exquisite print, is made of somewhat rough cotton and is definitely a pretty bold statement piece of clothing to wear. i cherish it, but wear it rather rarely.

the green marimekko dress is from the late 60's, and beautifully detailed around the bustline (click photo to enlarge). the sleeves are slightly short and reveal wrists delicately. the dark color works with my wardrobe and the cool shade compliments my skintone. i've worn it for years and will keep on wearing it until it turns into shreads -- which is unlikely to ever happen with the incredible material.

luckily i share my mother's frail figure pretty much to the inch because, as it turns out, there's more from where the above dress originated.

from the depths of my mother's old wardrobe surfaced this beautiful off-white summer dress by merry finn. it's a cotton-linen mix and, again, intricately detailed around the bustline (which unfortunately is a little tight because of the generation gap -- or should i say leap -- in chest size).

the kind of detailing that is found on both my mom's old dresses is something i truly miss in modern clothing, and one of the reasons i am willing to pay for finishing touches. it is also undoubtedly true that materials used to be better because the only reason some of my vintage numbers couldn't be worn today is due to unremovable stains, not wear and tear.

avoiding stains is easy with black, and below is a threesome i was unable to shoot properly in this winter "light".

the first top is a hanna sarén for iittala tee i bought in some state of temporary insanity and which i don't like (never worn; anybody like & want it?) although there are sequins and my internal magpie lurrves glittery sequins. i am actually unsure if it is made in finland, but could not find anything stating otherwise.



the other two are again from mom: a wool wrap skirt from marimekko and a wool blouse with a back zip from arola. i wear both because of the impeccable quality and great fit.

i normally steer clear of clothing that screams vintage and like timeless pieces i think the ones posted above are. some may look retro, but none are such that they couldn't possibly be produced today.

however, the collector and greedy hamster in me demand attention and activity, and i have several dresses in my collection that are rather wearable but definitely and obviously vintage. i wore them more when i had long, curly hair but nowadays they stay in the storage.

these two were made in finland: a smokey blue dress with hummingbirds and thin golden stripes from finn karelia and a silky, transparent pastel dress from stina. neither made my collection because of quality or craftmanship, but because sometimes i feel an urge to dress more maturely... perhaps it is the mrs in me?




nevertheless, the crown jewel of my finnish collection is this simple and feminine dress by kaunotar which was made in my old hometown, turku. the copper color is absolutely stunning and the combination of (quite common, but still high-quality) lace and satin uplifts the dress to a party favorite.

and this concludes the tour of finland in my wardrobe. i hope you enjoyed it and will visit again!

neighborhood recommendation #7: coffee.

i drink my coffee pitch black, straight up, and without any additives. the quality of the coffee becomes stripped when there isn't a residue of sweetening or whitening in sight, and i'm quite selective with my java.

at home my preferred choice is either from harvey nichols or dean and deluca courtesy of friends and family abroad. because my consumption surpasses reasonable amounts, i often must try locally available varieties and if necessary, even supermarket brands of which i prefer meira's fair trade version.

my favorite place in my neighborhood to sit down and enjoy a cup of my daily drug is bali-hai. (i apologize for the link; curiously, they lack a proper website...) their coffee is of italian origin, a medium and rather fruity roast, but i've never asked the brand. served from proper porcelain cups with saucers the experience is rather charming without feeling cheesy. as a huge plus, there are endless refills my friends and i exploit fearing we'll be banned forever from the place.

and the food is worth trying, too.

let me have my fairytale!

i have not really posted pics of things i desire although it seems almost an indispensable feature for any blog dealing with fashion, trends and style. i assure you of having no intention of changing my content, nor is my collection of random rants heading towards becoming a fashion blog per se, but this time i'll make an impromptu exception since i'd be thrilled to hear where i could get my hands on this bag...

it's diesel's black gold line which i've learned to love and called "fairytale". by the looks of it the leather is super soft and, moreover, i love the rough chain and the playful, futuristic padded handles.

their online store only has it in brown, but i need (read: want) black. (black! black!)

can anyone help me have my fairytale ending?

haunting hedonism.

another disco newbie that's been around the blogosphere since last summer the golden filter have finally released a 7" for their song "solid gold" on dummy records (the song is also downloadable at their site). this will surely become a spring favorite dancefloor filler...

i couldn't find an official video, yet, but there were these two magical teasers...

#1.


#2.


and the original song with some badly shot live footage used as material for the video.

so me.

yet another great video directed by so me, ed banger's creative director responsible for such fun videos as justice's d.a.n.c.e. and pretty much everything else his record label puts out from sleeve design to t-shirts.

here's kid cudi's "day 'n' nite". the use of graphics reminds me of diesel's xxx ads.

download the crookers remix here.

tell me lies, tell me sweet white lies.

white lies is an ealing, london originating band whose album debuted #1 in the uk, and boy-oh-boy, do they deserve that standing. yet another indie pop band that somehow manages to resemble all its predecessors big and small, i still welcome them wholeheartedly. if you like the killers, interpol, editors and arcade fire, you may find something of interest here.

here's the video for their third single "to lose my life":


and the latest single release "farewell to the fairground" comes with a video shot in russia in the middle of winter. hrrr.

let's make a deal, ok?

i am officially enraged every time i see the commercial requesting funding for renny harlin's movie on mannerheim. seriously? by appealing to people's nationalistic sentiments, they want donations for ego-boosting a director whose rendition will most likely be crappy. the worst thing is that the people their plea will above all seduce are those already worse off: veterans and pensioners. for f***s sake, people!

may this be my official petition: if you by any chance have a spare 50€ lying around, donate it to a children's charity of your choice, such as save the children. pretty please.

a week in the life of a party girl...

i took monday easy after a hectic day of work on sunday. when tired i -- like most people -- prefer comfort foods: warm, sumptuous and filling and, above all, easy to prepare. in a household of a pescetarian (i.e. a pseudo-vegetarian fish eater) and omnivore low-carb enthusiast creating meals requires ingenuity if we desire sharing something other than salads with either fish or cheese, and simple meals are very few. therefore, i prepared a favorite of ours: chili with three kinds of beans, shallots, sweetcorn, soy protein and cherry tomatoes. quick, easy and satisfying.

tuesday i went to see siiri nordin sing jazz at the american bar at hotel torni. the monthly jazz night is organized by jazz singer ira kaspi. she invites pop singers for sing-alongs and also performs solo with her guitarist. the repertoire for the night consisted of easy listening and jazzy arrangements and some of siiri's songs. very easy-going and grown-uppy -- perhaps slightly too adult-like for my taste...

wednesday i dj'd for the opening at kiasma as i told you before.



thursday i saw bloc party for the fourth time, and hate to admit the show was an utter disappointment. their playing was sloppy and fumbled. i much prefer the older songs to the new ones, and realized that i was too old for the mosh pit. i expected more, but feel like an old bore complaining. nag nag nag.





friday i flopped in the style of minttu vesala at loop. the ferocious dj's were all dressed as minttu complete with red wigs, and the lady of honor looked as amazing as ever. the small bar kept bustling until the wee hours to the beat of the threesome's outlandish music selection.




saturday i went all monaco at loisto thanks to fellow blogger and hair stylist extraordinaire, mv. the salon was filled with golden balloons, fragrant flower arrangements and beautiful people. there were friends, finger food and the most amazing dj. many were dressed up accordingly and 'yacht club' seemed like the most popular theme. as with most finnish parties, many outfits were on the safe side but needless to say, style was plentiful and some seriously ravishing ensembles were seen.

i went with "the rich bi*** at the casino" look with my early 90's demi moore -inspired hair (big curls pulled back from the face) and lotsa gold. i wore a red satin vintage dress and crocodile handbag, louboutin shoes (which crumpled my stockings, yikes!) and a vintage belt which kept coming loose. (pics courtesy of silver's cellphone. sorry and thnx!))

sunday i woke up with the flavor residue of some 15 chili cheese tops from mcdonald's i munched away after hours. a full week of drinks and salty snacks resulted in invisible eyes... in the end, i finished my week with beautiful italian food and chatter with friends at toscanini. and a glass soave classico...

what a perfect, extraordinary week; thank you all!

notes on personal style.

many of my fellow bloggers have written on their personal style evolution. idhren’s developing sense of style comes with photographic evidence throughout the years and i wish i had a similar stream to share. without a scanner, i’m left with words.

i want to start with some grounding assumptions. first, i cannot describe style evolvement as a quest for an original personal style. that is, my genuinely pomo heart resists descriptions of finding ”true style from within” because i honestly believe that we exist as performative surface without a core being. the style of clothing we select to adorn our body is as much a performative act of identity building as are our choices of company, speech acts and movements. this implies that i consider stories of finally finding personal style narratives of illusion because we never stop – and cannot stop by definition – the performative.

therefore, if someone has a consistent style it means that it is the result of a performative imitating consistency, not that they’ve found their true, self-identical style. i claim all high and mightily that style never is an expression of who we are within, but part of creating that sense of inner self.

from this academic blabberblah it’s easy to move towards haphazard psych-talk. my style has always changed tremendously and often quite abruptly. my long-time friends call me the chameleon for being able to imitate subcultures and immerse myself into them. i’ve done it intentionally at times, but predominantly my blending in has been motivated with a need to belong.

i’ve always felt socially awkward and shy, and for abject-feeling people like myself, there really are only two psychological survival options to choose from: either learn to blend in or create a surface of nonchalance. despite of times of defiance during my late teenage years, my curiosity and need to feel accepted by people favor the former strategy. my desire to fit in has not always succeeded, though, despite my urgent efforts. tough.

stylewise my admiration is lopsided as i tend to be drawn towards strong definitive looks. it translates into loving subcultures and flamboyant designers. my knowledge of fashion is paradoxical since i hardly ever know what is in fashion, but still seem to be able to create looks that are read as fashion-forward. naturally, i fail just as often and i have come to believe it is game of hit-and-miss with me...

my obsessiveness with details has often taken my style from one extreme to the other: i went from banana republic preppy to white afro, huge karl kani sweater and phat farm pants quite fluently. i wore plastic pony one week and dark new wave gear the next. the only style i haven’t experimented with (until lately, that is) is mainstream fashion since i seem to lack the capability to read it properly; style blogs have helped me with creating the leggings-and-dress look i spend many of my days in.

sugar kane’s analysis of her relationship to her style is a great example of the archeology of knowledge into personal fashion. her personal style – if i understand it correctly – is a combination of lasting and loving relationships with certain subcultures and their general aesthetic together with new inspirations provided by fashion designers who echo these subcultures in their design. she can, at least herself, find a unifying visual thread throughout her style life whereas i see the only continuum with the constancy of change.

if one wants to be mean about it, you could say i am extremely prone to external influence. you could perhaps suggest i have no style of my own. you could always go for the claim that i’m wishy-washy and superficial. i would rather think i experiment, test my limits and my abilities and that i am extremely aesthetically inclined.

nevertheless, my chameleon days have apparently come to an end. it may be because of my hair which restricts experimenting with different looks – then again i have altered my hairstyle as often as my other look and, therefore, the explanation must be begging the question.

on the other hand, it may mean that i’m more comfortable in my own skin; i’ve validated my existence otherwise so that i don’t need to reinvent my look in order to relate to people – that is, i trust people to accept me whether or not i look appropriate. it may be a myriad of other reasons, but it somewhat scares me: i don’t find consistency particularly appealing as part of myself, but rather boring, although i admire other people with consistent looks.

it helps to know this journey is by no means over and will go on until i kick the bucket – hopefully dressed fiercely.