Victoria Beckham ready-to-wear was a smash-hit success. With its figure-flattering emphasis on clean, tight lines, & impeccable tailoring, it quickly became a favourite of celebrities everywhere. Say what you will about Victoria, she knows how to make a gal look her best… & we love her for it.

Her ready-to-wear line is gorgeous, but it’s very grown-up, leaving some of us to wonder if sexy cyborg is the limit of her abilities. Thankfully, Victoria has been busy, working to prove us wrong. She recently debuted her new line, Victoria, Victoria Beckham — an excellent choice for those of us who refuse to grow up!

Victoria, Victoria Beckham is designed with a younger girl in mind. It “represents the free spirited side to Victoria Beckham”, & its poppy colours & fabrics, with a modern but relaxed fit, certainly show another side of Victoria’s aesthetic.

She recently partnered up with Quentin Jones to make a video for her first collection, & it’s brilliant. It debuted in Harvey Nichols’ window, & has been flying around the internet ever since. It’s bold, graphic, playful & fabulous.

Victoria said, “This collaboration is really exciting for me. For the Victoria line I wanted to appeal to a slightly younger audience – super chic but with a sense of humour & an edge & that’s exactly what Quentin brought to the creative process. I really wanted to capture the essence of the playful feminine character at the heart of the collection & Quentin has realized that for me in her unique, innovative style.”

Words by Gala Darling (@galadarling). Photos courtesy of Elle.

Somehow, this downtown treasure managed to escape my attention. At least, until last weekend! As I headed uptown from Canal Street, taking side-streets in an effort to avoid Broadway, I walked right by it. Something was gleaming in my peripheral vision, so I turned, & came face-to-face with an enormous painting of Saturday Night Fever-era John Travolta in the window! I stopped & gawped for a minute, then realized that the painting was surrounded by incredible vintage clothing. As if pulled in by a tractor beam, I walked into the store… & gasped.

Allan & Suzi is a genius mix of truly unusual vintage pieces & new designers. The shop contains a fantastic menagerie of fashion history, & is merchandised in a relaxed, unpretentious manner. It’s sort of like stumbling into your mother’s closet, if your mother had been a regular at Studio 54. Allan & Suzi have dressed Madonna, Naomi Campbell & RuPaul; they have primped & preened the likes of Betsey Johnson, the cast of Sex & The City, & Boy George.

From wicked platform boots to golden Mickey Mouse ear hats, this shop has everything you could possibly want, & then some. I spotted seriously bizarre hats, severely bedazzled sunglasses, & a dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex & The City. You can only imagine the kind of woman they dress… or buy from!

Allan & Suzi — both the shop itself & the proprietors — are truly infamous among the vintage crowd in New York City. They’ve been in the business for 24 years, which is long for fashion, but even longer for New York! Their original store was on the Upper West Side, & they moved downtown about a year ago.

I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Suzi, but Allan is certainly an unusual character. Aged 70, sporting his large, trademark sunglasses, & with his blonde hair sticking up & out, he’s hard to miss. Allan is also a straight-shooter. If he likes you, he’ll chat to you for hours, frequently patting you on the arm & leading you all over his magnificent store. If he doesn’t like you, well, the Yelp reviews speak for themselves. In fact, the title of this post is taken from one of them!

Allan’s grumpiness verges on legendary. A regular customer of his even created a children’s book detailing the A-Z of things that annoy Allan!

He admitted to me, somewhat sheepishly, that their old location, on the Upper West Side, brought out the worst in him. “This is like a breath of fresh air,” he said of the new premises. “The people down here are so different — it’s just what I needed.”

Hopefully, he will continue collecting, consigning, & castigating careless customers for a long time to come!

Words by Gala Darling (@galadarling). Photos by Lydia Hudgens (@lydiahudgens).

Celebration of the Chinese New Year is a big deal in New York City. Thousands of people gather in downtown Manhattan, crammed along the skinny streets, clutching miniature fireworks. After the parade, families crowd into restaurants, to scoff dumplings & drink tea. It’s no surprise, though: Chinatown in Manhattan is the biggest enclave of Chinese people in the entire Western hemisphere!

On Sunday morning, I wriggled my way into the front of a crowd lining Mott Street to catch a glimpse of the dragon. The gathering was terrifically diverse, with teeny-tiny Chinese girls sitting on their fathers’ shoulders, solemn-looking senior citizens, & slightly confused tourists! As we waited for the festivities to begin, the quiet murmur of the crowd would be punctuated by a wicked snap-crackle-pop, & an explosion of glitter & confetti from a popper would fly up into the sky. A man carrying rainbow-hued cotton candy walked up & down the crowded pathways. Mickey Mouse, Cookie Monster, & a man in drag with a bright green beard walked the parade route, presumably to entertain us while we waited…

Suddenly, the drums started to play, & the dragons followed. Lurching towards us & soaring over the crowd, they fluttered their big eyes at us & darted from side to side. Everyone reached out to touch the dragons, tried to call them over & get closer. In Chinese culture, they believe that loud drums combined with dragons dancing can defeat evil spirits. It’s a way of cleansing before the new year!

Flocks of girls in traditional costume walked past, followed by a gathering of families with adopted Chinese children. There were balloons, Chinese & American flags, & Snoopy made an appearance, too.  Every new float or gaggle of people elicited excited cheers from the crowd, even when Chuck Schumer — New York Senator — came past. A Chinese woman walked beside him, talking into his ear, & he would repeat whatever she said into a bullhorn!

It was surreal & delightful. A lot of us in the crowd had no idea who most of the people were, or even what their signs said, but we cheered anyway. It just felt right, & so good to be there!  We all went home with happy hearts & confetti in our hair.

From New York City to wherever you are: 吉慶有餘 ! Or, may your happiness be without limit!

Words by Gala Darling (@galadarling). Photos by Lydia Hudgens (@lydiahudgens).

Wheels & Doll Baby was founded in Perth, Australia, in 1987. The label, with its quirky yet upscale retro vibe, quickly became a celebrity favourite, being seen on the backs (& fronts!) of the likes of Dita Von Teese, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue & Elle Macpherson. It’s utterly unlike anything else in Australia — or, for that matter, the rest of the world. Wheels & Doll Baby do sex-kitten vintage like no other.

So it makes perfect sense, then, that the illustrious label teamed up with famed fashion photographer, Ellen Von Unwerth, on their latest campaign. Von Unwerth started as a model, working the other side of the lens for 10 years before making the switch. Her provocative photographs celebrate the power & mystery of femininity, as well as the potential of the perfect pout!

Cast your eyeballs over the video & pictures below if you don’t believe me! I absolutely love this collaboration: it makes me want to wear red lipstick every day for the rest of my life!

Words by Gala Darling (@GalaDarling)

Decades
627 S State St
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 537-1357

This is the kind of place where, upon walking in, you get that “good vintage vibe”. Actually, we knew it even before we walked in. The first thing we spotted was a leopard-print coat hanging in the window, so perfect that it elicited an excited yell! In case there was any doubt, it’s now in my possession. It kills. It slays. It’s practically Buffy. Who could resist?

That leopard-print coat was only the very tip of the iceberg, because this store is huge. Decades has major square footage. The front of the store is all menswear — cowboy boots & Western shirts galore, I tell you — & the enormous back room is a menagerie of womenswear. There are hats hanging on every available wall, huge racks of tulle petticoats & enormous cabinets full of costume jewellery. The cherry on top is that the shop doesn’t have that funky vintage smell one might expect. Instead, the very friendly & happy guys at the front counter were burning a delicious vanilla-scented candle.

Other scores included a black & gold embroidered 1950s circle skirt; a turquoise kimono (I love wearing these in summer over slip dresses); a purple A-line snap-front suede skirt; a white shirt with bugs embroidered on it & an old Boy Scouts of America shirt, which has quickly become a new favourite in my wardrobe.

The prices are beyond reasonable & the selection is vast. Decades is my favourite vintage store in SLC for sure!

Now & Again
501 E 300 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
(801) 364-0664

The owner of Now & Again sits at his desk in an oversized cowboy hat. Originally from New York City, he upped sticks to Salt Lake City a few years ago, calling it the “vintage furniture mecca” — & he’d be right. This store is overflowing with choice objects, from old copies of Vogue to an amazing pink wingback chair. There’s plenty of mid-century modern furniture in SLC & all the shop-owners are more than happy to FedEx that perfect piece to your domicile!

I’m still thinking about a couch I saw at Now & Again — the ideal size for Manhattan living & featuring a delightful dalmatian print. I took a photo & keep sneaking secret glances at it. I’ve promised myself that once I’m ready to re-do my living room, I’m going to call them & have them ship it to New York City!

Misc
272 S 200 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 364-6472

Misc. is built into the back of The Grey Ant, another brilliant place to deck out your pad. Though small — I counted maybe ten miniature racks — what Misc lacks in size it makes up for in quality of merchandise. The owner knows what she likes & buys an extremely refined & edited selection of clothes to stock her store. My shopping companion, Jess, did very well at Misc, picking up a red plaid Woolworths jacket, a navy blue & cream striped dress, & a well-worn miniature leather backpack.

Misc should be your first stop if you’re looking for cowboy boots — their selection is small but excellent — & it’s also a fabulous pit-stop for anyone who happens to be homesick & missing their puppy. The shop is overseen by a chilled out English Bulldog, who lounges around like she owns the place! Misc should definitely go on your Salt Lake City to do list!

Words by Gala Darling (@GalaDarling). Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/empracht/

Designer leggings.  Is that an oxymoron?!

James Lillis of Black Milk would say no.  Based in Australia, this designer — who had no formal training –  was first inspired by the fashion atrocities he saw committed on the street!  Australia is awash with leggings: every girl owns several pairs, & many of them prefer leggings over pants.  Now, there’s nothing wrong with that — we are all entitled to our preferred aesthetic.  But what really upset James was the poor quality of the leggings he saw girls wearing.  If you use cheap cotton to make leggings, the sad outcome will eventually include saggy knees & bottoms, which don’t flatter anyone.

He decided that he couldn’t take it any more!  Why couldn’t anyone make good quality leggings?!  Maybe he was the right man for the job.  After many, many hours at a sewing machine, breaking needles & making messes, he created his Black Wetlook leggings & hasn’t looked back since.

He may have started out with leggings, but Black Milk has since expanded & grown into a simple but sexy line.  Using easy fabrics, Black Milk is an ideal place to stock up on glamorous, interesting basics.  From ruched, zippered miniskirts to hooded capes & screen printed bodysuits, Black Milk’s pieces are perfect for fans of that luxe, minimalist look.  If you love Rick Owens & Helmut Lang, & would prefer to wear black more than anything else, Black Milk is like the holy grail.

These bodysuits are Black Milk’s newest addition, & they’re wonderful.  Tucked into a high-waisted skirt, worn with skinny jeans or used as the foundation of a multi-layered outfit, they’re just perfect.  Another fantastic thing?  His designs won’t break the bank.  With most of his pieces sitting around the $70 mark, you can easily stock your wardrobe with a veritable treasure trove of Black Milk goodies.

As if that’s not enough, a fantastic community has sprung up around his designs, too.  The Black Milk blog is a great source of inspiration for those of us who would rather cover our gams, featuring pictures of his customers & lots of his ideas, seemingly unfiltered.  So if you’re new to Black Milk & not quite sure how to wear your new Alice in Wonderland leggings or sleeveless hooded cape, the answer could be just a click away.

Words by Gala Darling with photos courtesy of Black Milk

Exploring an outdoor market on a Sunday is a time-honored New York tradition.  From single girls searching for the perfect vintage dress to old couples bickering lovingly over a pair of lampshades, they attract all types.  On a good day at a market, you can find almost anything.  Old photographs, back issues of your once-favorite magazine, almost unworn vintage boots & a pink rotary telephone?  It’s yours for the taking!

But if you’re sick of the same-old same-old, there’s a new stomping ground.  It’s a small stomping ground, to be sure, but it exists.  The Hester Street Fair, on the corner of Hester & Essex Streets in the Lower East Side, should definitely be added to that bulging “to do” list of yours.

Its modest size only adds to the appeal.  Instead of hundreds of stalls straining under the weight of mountains of junk, there are only a handful of vendors.  Every store is completely different & has been curated with care.  From hand-drawn coloring books to vintage jewelery & an unbelievably superb range of vintage eyeglasses, Hester Street Fair is a great market for the hard-to-impress crowd.  The ratio of vintage to handmade is probably 50/50, but there are no ugly tchotchkes here.  The range of two- & three-finger rings alone will have you reaching for your purse!

Once you’re done browsing, I strongly suggest noshing on a Hester Street Fair-sourced lunch.  The food is excellent.  Take advantage of the picnic tables in the middle of the space, & load up on cucumber & mint lemonade, insanely good pretzels, Cuban corn & empanadas, pulled pork sandwiches & exotic-flavored macaroons.  Finish up with a Guinness ice-cream sandwich or a hibiscus Mexican-style Popsicle.  Delicious!

Don’t fear the heat, either.  Despite the blistering 93° heat, the shade from the neighboring park helps keep the temperatures down — & so does the misting tent!

Hester Street Fair is open every Saturday & Sunday, from 10am-6pm, between April & December.  Keep up to date with the latest goings on at the Hester Street Fair.com.

Words by Gala Darling

Miss Schnabel of Bloodmilk is not your average jeweler.  You won’t see diamond engagement rings, mass-produced pendants or hoop earrings in her collection.  Instead, she believes that jewelry provides “psychic armour.”  Her work is thoughtful, & exquisitely strange.

If the love of your life is more a fan of the Brothers Grimm than Jon & Kate Plus 8, maybe a Bloodmilk bear tooth engagement ring is what she’s always dreamed of.  Perhaps a sterling silver ouija planchette necklace is more her cup of tea.  This is jewelery worn by unusual girls, the type who read tarot cards & prefer absinthe & wouldn’t be caught dead in Urban Outfitters.  From two-finger owl skull rings to sparrow claw lariat necklaces, Bloodmilk pieces are dark but delicate, beautiful & obscene.

I discovered Bloodmilk entirely by happenstance, & as soon as I saw Our Darling funerary ring, I was smitten.  A few days later, the ring — cast from an antique image that was typically laid over the grave of a child — was on my finger, & I haven’t taken it off since.

Miss Schnabel’s work is so beautiful, but it doesn’t betray much.  I wanted a peek at the girl behind the curtain.  Thankfully, she was willing to oblige me.

Describe Bloodmilk for us.
Miss Schnabel: Bloodmilk is a line of “supernatural jewelry for surrealist darlings.”  It is a wearable exploration of a hybrid of philosophies, spiritual traditions and surrealist thought seen through my lens and created with my hands.

What is inspiring you right now?
Miss Schnabel: Conjoined twins & doppelgängers. They seem to have a visual connection but are very different entities.  The ‘otherness’ of conjoined twins has always allured me. As an image it is both repelling and fascinating. What makes this image more appealing is that it is a real phenomenon that occurs rarely. The doppelgänger is rooted in the supernatural and focuses on the ‘otherness’ of a duplicate ‘you.’  Seeing your doppelgänger within your periphery is considered a sign of death, but I see it as a symbol of self- knowledge, a sign of facing yourself.

What is your favorite fairytale?
Miss Schnabel: I’ve been an avid reader since childhood of fairy tales and mythology and I feel their influence has unconsciously influenced all aspects of my work. However, if I had to choose one that I’m particularly drawn to it would be the myth of Persephone. As a young woman she was stolen by Hades, God of the Underworld, to become his bride. Her mother, Demeter, Goddess of the Earth, mourned for her so deeply that the weather began to change and thus Autumn and Fall were born. A bargain was struck between her and Hades and Persephone was allowed to return to the surface every Spring and Summer, marking the warmer, brighter seasons. I’ve always been interested in tales that explain tangible phenomena and I always wonder what she does down there half the year in the land of shadows and death. I like the complexity of her being a character that is capable of living in both light and darkness.

Do you design collections or individual pieces, & why?
Miss Schnabel: I design collections within specific themes or philosophies. These are ongoing and aren’t marked by seasons. I like to be able to explore my obsessions without time constraints, although I feel my work is ever evolving along these threads. A few of the threads I work around are Ritual, Surrealism and Victorian mourning, which are imbued with the supernatural and convulsive beauty. I like to think that all of the pieces serve as spiritual / psychic armor, meant to bring the wearer luck and protection.

Who is your favorite artist?
Miss Schnabel: I have so many! Favorites since childhood: painters Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali and poet Anne Sexton. Newer favorites: painter Jennybird Alcantara and writers Danielle Vogel, Brian Evenson, and Stacey Levine. Books and visual art equally inspire me. I’ve always had an obsession for poetic language and strange worlds only encountered by way of books.

What is the piece you’re most proud of?
Miss Schnabel: It’s hard to say, I wear all of my work! Some of the pieces I’m most excited about haven’t even come to full fruition yet!  But, the Ouija planchette is the only piece that was carved by hand. I’m learning the skills of wax carving and will have more hand carved work available in the future.

What jewelery do you wear every day?
Miss Schnabel: I always wear a mix of Bloodmilk with pieces from my talented friends lines: Rabid Fox & Adelina Mictlan. I like to mix it up depending on my mood or aesthetic reference point, which these days have centered on Lydia Deetz from Bettlejuice. However, I’m never without my diamond horse show wedding ring, which is an homage to the movie ‘True Romance.’

What is something about you most people don’t know?
Miss Schnabel: Despite the bold jewelry I wear or my ever- present white cowboy boots, I’m incredibly shy in person. I’m a wallflower. It’s such a strange contradiction!  Also, I’m a compulsive collector. Every nook  of my home and studio is filled with art, stacks of books and strange curiosities…….

Tell us about the process of making your pieces.
Miss Schnabel: I start with drawings & notes and lists.  I always have a notebook handy, I even sleep with one on my night stand because it seems like the best, most fantastical ideas come right at the moment before sleep. I never remember these flickers of the muse unless I write them down!

I think of my work as being assemblage, I’m taking antique or natural objects that already exist and reassign them new identities by molding/casting them and reassembling them in unexpected ways. This process feels like a ritual to me and oddly it sometimes becomes more of a battle with myself that with the chosen mediums. It’s important to remember to push through all the external white noise that we all face daily. It’s incredible when I conquer the more doubtful me. The fruits of these wars being jewelry that luckily other people like to wear!

What is your ultimate goal with Bloodmilk?
Miss Schnabel: My current goal is to have my work be as accessible as possible.  I’d like for it to be available in everyone’s favorite boutiques in their respective cities.  My big dream is to have my work featured in editorial spreads.  I love quirky fashion magazines and eccentric personal style.

What keeps you going?
Miss Schnabel: The support from my incredible husband, family and friends!  Without them I’d be a phantom among phantoms. I’m also a big fan of traveling and having adventures.  These days I’ve been dreaming of Hyères, which is a tiny town on the edge of the sea in the south of France.  I left an eyelash thin part of my heart there and I like to check in on its growth when I can.

What are your other passions?
Miss Schnabel: Writing and painting, which are also two things I work at seriously. I received all of my “formal” training in fiction writing and hold an M.F.A from The New School. I also have a couple of exhibitions of paintings this year. However, all of my work bears the same fantastical, surreal and slightly morbid tones. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to sleep or that I had a conjoined twin!

Words by Gala Darling with images courtesy of Bloodmilk.  Addition photos by Gala Darling

No other hotel has as much rock ‘n’ roll history.  So, it’s not perfect — or particularly opulent.  There is no room service, some of the rooms are more “grunge” than chic, & there is a bullet hole in the door in the 5th floor corridor.  But it’s absolutely worth a visit to soak up some atmosphere.

You’ll understand why after just one night in the Chelsea’s eclectic digs.  Sometimes it seems more like a home for the bewildered than a hotel, but it all adds to the charm.  Be warned, however: this is not a place to stay if you’re feeling particularly Type A.  It’s more suited to smoking cigarettes on the balcony, last night’s eyeliner & a trench coat worn with nothing but a pair of heels.

Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road in one of the rooms.  Charles Bukowski, Edie Sedgwick, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen & Tom Waits have all spent time here.  The central staircase winds around an ornate balustrade, artists paint in the hallways & every room is unique.

For the same price as a normal-sized room in most New York hotels, you can obtain a one-bedroom suite at the Chelsea — with a lot of ambiance.  If you need a couple of days to yourself to work on some kind of masterpiece, this is surely the perfect place to do it.

Hotel Chelsea
222 West 23rd St, New York NY
http://www.hotelchelsea.com

Words by Gala Darling with photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/hal990/

Here’s how it works.  After a certain period of time, if you haven’t paid your rent on the storage locker, the rooms are opened up to the public & auctioned off.  You are not permitted to pick & choose various items: you actually bid on ENTIRE rooms full of stuff.  You’re also not allowed to rummage through the room — it has to be taken at face value.  The auctioneer’s assistant stands at the open door with his arm barricading the entrance to prevent overzealous bidders from fossicking around.  You bid according to what you estimate the value of the contents might be.  Given that most of the lockers are full of sealed suitcases & boxes, it really is about the luck of the draw.  You could end up with a box of precious antiques… or a stash of “pre-loved” girly magazines.  It’s a fun outing if you have the right kind of constitution.

The most amazing thing was the cast of characters it attracted.  They all seemed to know one another.  I imagined them as a herd of auction obsessives, moving from location to location & bidding on unknown treasures.  The most interesting of them all was the tall, lanky man whose mouth twitched involuntarily.  He had stashed a cigarette behind his ear & was trailed by his wife, a slightly confused-looking woman in a pink metallic puffer jacket. There were about ten of us in attendance, moving in a pack.  We followed the auctioneer around the warehouse.  He didn’t suffer fools gladly.  He was wearing a hearing aid & whizzed ahead of us in his motorized wheelchair.

Inside Someone's Locker

What did I see within the lockers of people’s once precious possessions?  Karate trophies.  Enormous suitcases.  Old headboards.  Stacks of pornography.  Canned spinach.  A knife collection.  The locker which contained the pornography & spinach had also been “decorated” with pictures of various porn stars as well as Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen stuck to the wall.

The man with the twitchy mouth snapped up all but two of the rooms.  I had to wonder what it all meant.  When the auctions were over, he ambled outside to smoke the emergency cigarette that had been wedged between his ear & his hair-line.  He puffed angrily.  Was he mad because he had bought too much?  Too little?  It was beyond my ken.  What did he do with it once it was over?  Would I see him in a Hoarders special later in the year?  Did he pawn it all on eBay?  Did he rent a stall in a flea market?

You would think that this experience put me off locker auctions entirely.  In fact, the opposite is true.  It simply whetted my appetite.  It made me more curious.  I will definitely be back next month.  Maybe the twitchy man & I will become friends.

Words and pictures by Gala Darling