outside Fame/Envision, Minneapolis

After this, I went home happy.

outside Fame/Envision, Minneapolis

I didn't have to wait long before spotting Amanda who's cut out for this sort of thing. Ha. Cutout dressette, seamed stockings from American Apparel and sharp boots. Her layered rocker grrrl hair = edgy and cool.

outside Couture Noir

I'll answer your question right now -- those are their street clothes. That's amazingly beautiful Anthony Eliason in the middle. He's 18, a student at Bloomington Kennedy High School, and already designing some sexy, feminine items. I didn't attend Couture Noir because A) I couldn't stay up that late (show started at 10) and B) not sure I want to be around a lot of people embracing their dark side. I've been to the DMV. No thanks. But I happened to be passing the Varsity Theater at about 7:30 on the evening of the show and figured some of the stressed-out designers and producers and models would be outside for a cig break. And I was right.
I'm going to

outside the Envision show, Minneapolis

Lookit, off-duty models looking street smart but better because they have fake eyelashes on. A makeup artist applied the lashes. Talk about skillz.





A long cool drink in a snack-sized BCBG frock. Digging the red clutch and bow pumps. Her man-ccessory makes a nice understatement.




The glam ruching and satin finish and flattering wide neckline say Grace Kelly. She added matching ribbons to the pearl necklace and bracelet. Charmed I'm sure.



This guy is working it like the fat man on Christmas Eve. Spine-tingling vintage jacket that he got in Chicago is the doppelganger of a D&G iteration and the Balmain-ia that has seized Paris. Leopard tie, very very sharp boots and a heaping helping o' whoop ass.



How much am I luving this? Let me count the ways -- simple black mini, floral bustier, strip of gold belt, liquid leggings and classy, sparkly flat sandals. The whole is even greater than the sum of the individually wonderful parts.

Washington Ave. bridge

Sigh. I believed I was saving a big zoomed-in photo so I could show you Minnesota's version of Aggy Deyn and her great big grandfather clock of a watch, lacy knit skirt (kids' department at Gap or some such), hunter green socks and some behaving brogues. But no. Instead I saved two of the same tiny shot so you can squint and use your imagination. Aggy looks awesome despite unforgiving mid-day sun.
Must. Get. Skillz.

in which I behead an innocent Trader Joe's shopper

Maybe she blinked because there's so darn much color going on in her immediate environment, but regardless, I'm so taken with her look, I cropped out the blink and kept the rest. What I love is the man's tie loosely knotted under a polo shirt collar and then tucked into the button placket. Really cheeky. She says she's got about six ties and they get used in all sorts of irreverent ways. Fuschia futuristic zipped mini, plaid leggings and some strobing white-laced kicks. Visual stimulus package.

So here it is. Sort of like a point and shoot image of the Grand Canyon -- doesn't quite capture it. The watery color and the weight -- it must be 7 or 8 pounds from the beading. The whole thing is handmade and it's in perfect shape. I picked it up and made the decision to buy it in under 5 seconds so it was yet another pleasant surprise to discover that it fits! I feel very happy just looking at the swirly bead patterns and the heavenly color, and picking it up and feeling the heft... That may be the only action this frock sees, as events of beaded silk magnitude don't come along frequently in my life. I'm very anti-warehouse (wearhouse, ha) when it comes to clothes. My closet is like a swift moving stream, but there are a few outrages that I find life-affirming just by owning -- no need to subject them to the slings and arrows, and salad dressing, of my daily skirmish.

in which i write something

Normally I take pictures, and that may still happen as I bought (and ran out of the store lest they discover their pricing error) THE most amazing beaded silk dress that lately adorned a great great grandma in her salad days. Savers, bless them, had filed it in their Halloween section, for $9.99. At least they were astute enough to discern that it represented the flapper era, so necessarily a costume. Albeit, an incredibly authentic and exquisitely made costume. It must be appreciated on the body, so I'll wait until someone with thumbs is here to take my picture.

The subject of my dancing came up, as it so often does, with some cringing. As in, to cringe. Molly has shielded me and the viewing public from photos of me dancing at her wedding, though she verbally rendered the worst of it. I believe "lasso," "seizure" and "three sheets to the wind" were some of the descriptive terms. Now I hotly denied this last, as, almost like a conspiracy, likker and I did not meet the entire evening. But not so fast, was Molly's reply. Think about it -- which is worse? To have people think I was drunk, or to assert that I dance like that stone sober? Hmmmmm...

And it brings to mind a similar incident in which some vindictive battle axe was spreading rumors that I was drunk at a charity event for deaf children. I, in turn, loudly asserted she was not drunk at same. Touche.

Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis

I wish to high heaven I could figure out how to make the photos larger. If someone has an idea, I'd be completely in your debt if you'd share. That said, I tried to zoom in on some salient features, and there were many. The newspapery glasses (are those Moscot?), the Halston-esque pendant necklace, the ostrich-textured bag with little luggage-y feet, the tucked dirndl and plaid tights from Urban Outfitters. I also felt strongly about color combo of the mustard colored top and turquoise bag. Does this look say September or what?

University of Minnesota

So put together, with red belt, shoes and bag and pretty white dress her mom got in Turkey.






Loved her scarf, her dreds, the feather, the earring she made from an old burnt up nail (does historic hometown talisman sound better?). She is a writer and hopes to study plant-based medicine.

St. Kates and University of Minnesota

Why bright green around the eyes? Because she can. A salon in Wisconsin kept a lock of her hair to try to match the color.



The shoes are because it's Thursday. She only has one class on Thursdays.

Marshall Ave, St. Paul and uptown, Minneapolis

What a good sport! She was on her way to yoga and played along with me anyway. Urban Outfitters top and American Apparel skirt.



True, she was having a hard day but you wouldn't know it from her happy, color-confident look. Striding along in red sunglasses, a vintage shirt knotted up all Daisy Mae, boho skirt and, the clincher for me, matching green moc-loafers, she made her own good karma. It comes back to you, always.

University of Minnesota

She's had short hair for about six years. It's really working for her, n'est ce pas?