Fashion | ChinaShop

Fashion Gallery “Whatever You Do, Don’t Go To Allan & Suzi…”

February 7, 2012 - 10:54 am

Vintage stores are a dime a dozen in New York City, but very few of them are special. Allan & Suzi has special on lock.

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.

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Fashion Video Wheels & Doll Baby Versus Ellen Von Unwerth = Pin-Up Perfection!

by Gala Darling

February 2, 2012 - 10:28 am

It’s a rare occasion that two of your favourites come together so wonderfully — & when it happens, it’s worth celebrating.

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!

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Fashion Gallery Shop Talk: Mother of London

by Zoetica Ebb

February 1, 2012 - 10:13 am

Mother of London is the coveted, gorgeous, hard-to-obtain-but-so-very-worth-it label, whose flawless cuts and dramatic silhouettes we’ve been drooling over for years. Born in the London underground club scene and most recently seen on the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Juliette Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Marilyn Manson and Panic At The Disco, the creations of designer Mildred Von Hildegard will soon be available to you, yes you. In a few weeks the Mother of London website will launch with a limited pre-sale which will include knitwear, t-shirts, a few newer items and some classic items. Read on for a tour of MoL’s downtown atelier and a chat with Hildegard about her upcoming, much-anticipated ready-to-wear line and working in Los Angeles. For a multi-dimensional experience queue up this brvtal Gojira track – they were playing on the MoL stereo during my visit.

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Fashion Featured Travel Get Dolled Up For A Dime In Salt Lake City

by Gala Darling

January 31, 2012 - 10:32 am

Utah: land of Mormons, fresh powder &… great vintage?! Yes, it’s true! Next time you’re in Salt Lake City, be sure to get a good lunch, & then hit up the vintage clothing & furniture stores in the area. It’s worth it. Here are a few of my favourite places (& happiest scores!).

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Fashion Get inspired at The Warehouse LA

by Zoetica Ebb

January 25, 2012 - 12:33 pm

The aptly-named Warehouse LA is a vast, 4500-square-foot expanse of vintage-hunting heaven, set apart by its distinct lack of clutter and its stylish furnishing. This isn’t a place you come to dig and hope, but a place you come with the option to get styled by in-store experts selecting from vintage, reconstructed and locally-designed pieces.

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Fashion Gallery Say Hello to Mister Bear: Mishka NYC’s Street Empire

by Zoetica Ebb

January 24, 2012 - 1:07 pm

Mishka is a diminutive of “Mikhail”, can be translated to “Little Bear” in Russian and happens to be the name of a streetwear company you should know about, especially if you like graphic art and cartoon eyeballs. Launched in 2003 by Ukranian expat Mikhail Bortnik and self-proclaimed toy nerd Greg Rivera, what began as a T-shirt line has grown into a lifestyle brand with shops in NYC, Tokyo and now in LA’s Echo Park neighborhood.

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Fashion Featured Gallery Lose Yourself at Flounce Vintage

by Zoetica Ebb

January 23, 2012 - 11:54 am

Stepping into Flounce, a quaint vintage shop situated on a dog-and-pedestrian-heavy stretch of Echo Park Boulevard, is like ducking into an wondrous attic.

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Fashion Shop Talk: Miyu Decay

by Zoetica Ebb

January 17, 2012 - 3:43 pm

Miyu Decay purveys accessories for the dramatically-inclined romantic. Billowing feathers, gathered lace and vintage silk contrast with silver animal skulls, tribal coins, buttons and heavy pendants. Cascading necklaces, towering headdresses, sparkling bracelets and more are hand-crafted by Stephanie Inagaki, the artist behind Miyu Decay, who launched the brand two years ago. I sat down with Inagaki in her Los Angeles studio to talk about the past, the future, and the art of dark bling.

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Fashion Gallery Forbidden Fashion: A Collection of Criminal Couture

by Nicole Pajer and Dustin Downing

January 5, 2012 - 2:29 pm

When Ann Closs-Farley put together Forbidden Fashion: A Collection of Criminal Couture, she issued a challenged to her fellow Los Angeles designers. Instead of assembling the typical pricey and extremely designer pieces common to any runway show, she demanded a different set of criteria be met: Everything had to be created from “found, recycled or stolen materials.”

When the lights dimmed for the series of shows, models bearing everything from comic book accessorized suits to dresses made of playing cards and Dixie cups took to the catwalk with ease. The shows were a success, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats and occasionally bringing them to laughter. Following the production, ChinaShop sat down with Closs-Farley to discuss her vision for the show, unusual ensembles, and what goes through her head while models walk the runway.

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