For a rainy day

You cannot have missed the major trend going on in fashion blogs right now, native american crafts and style combined with 60´s hippie chic. It shows up in prints and especially in the use and styling of jewelry and in the use of feathers and beads. Feathers have been big anyways in the last couple of seasons, even with out the native american references. And if you´re into something more modern-looking, google up "feather necklace" in pictures. Loads of ideas there how to translate this trend into something more today.

I spotted this DIY feather necklace over at Don't Say I Didn't. It looks gorgeous and I´d love to do this from black feathers.



Top photo via Etsy, by Pandamonium.

Over all

My shopping tip of the week is to invest in secondhand denim overalls. So 90´s, so in right now.

Leticia Zuloaga: Stradivarius S/S 2011
Via Fashion:::Victims.

Dree Hemingway

Loving this shirt refashioned to a dress.

Title: Dree Hemingway
Magazine: Zoo #30 Spring 2011
Model: Dree Hemingway
Photographer: Bryan Adams
Via Noir Facade.

Mini upgrade

The new way to wear a mini skirt. Sew a longer top skirt from a sheer fabric. Nice..

Via Wayne Tippetts photography.

Shirley

I was told yesterday that girls with leopard print coats get always rides in cool cars. So no matter what trendy people tell you, invest in good old gold and black. Photos: Shirley Manson of Garbage in leopard print coat. And I think those thingies she has on her sheer shiffon top (which IS trendy) are or they could be buttons. Aaand I just happen to have that exact same SEX-necklace. Yup, all set for next weekend.

Badass to the bone.

Made by Niki fringe lingerie Fall 2011

Dear Lord.. I never knew fringe ribbon could be used for lingerie like this. My gosh. Just look at the shape it is bringing to the clothes while the other end is attached and not left hanging loose. This is giving me so many ideas, for both underwear and evening wear refashioning. And it does not look burlesque or victoran, but very modern. And just think about how it looks when you move! Propably works better than fly-paper I tell ya. Most sewing supply shops sell white fringe ribbon, and it can be dyed in the washer to any color as it is usually made from viscose.

These smoking hot images are from Made by Niki lingerie Fall 2011 collection.

Biker

Studded biker jackets will never go out of style.. Cause biker chicks are hot. This one is by Burberry. But I´d spraypaint and sand(paper) them for an even more expencive treated worn down look.

Photos via Fashionising.

OutsaPop favorite - Varusteleka

You´ve propably noticed the new banner on top of my blog page. Varusteleka is one of OutsaPop´s new sponsors. They are helping me with my upcoming book and we will be doing a trashion refashion workshop together in Helsinki later this spring at Recycle Factory (Kierrätystehdas). I wish I could show you some of the cool projects I´ve done for the book but you´re just going to have to wait for it to come out.

Varusteleka is an army and outdoor products store located in Helsinki and they one of my personal shopping favorites as I´m a huge fan of army surplus, both in my wardrobe and using it in my trashion creatios. I have even got many of my fashionista friends addicted to going there.. As I have hoped to show you in many of my posts army surplus is not just manly camo shirts, combat boots and back packs, but an inexpencive source of made-to-last clothes and accessories (and even home decor) that you can buy in bulk that can be used as base for refashioning projects. Varusteleka are now the biggest army surplus and outdoors retailers in Europe. They are notorious for their unconventional web shop product descriptions, famous for their huge selection items and superb customer service. You will have hard time finding a better military surplus store anywhere. And yes, they accept international orders in their webshop!

Corporate punk

When punk goes corporate... Vertical zips, genious. For DIYing this I´d open the pants inside leg seam so the zippers are easier to sew on. The white pants look fresh for summer, but I´d still do this in gray or black just to keep things practical. If anyone knows what this pant is called or what season is this from, let me know. I´m dying to find more close-up photos of it.

Donatella made a tutorial about these, so check it out!

Zipper pants, Acne.
Photographer: Frank De Graaf
New Wave Womens editorial
Via Twisted Lamb.

Slit

DIY slit leather skirt by Ursa Minor Studios. A rotary cutter is the best tool for this project.

Superhuman Powers | Agnete Hegelund by Mariano Vivanco for Dazed & Confused July 2008

"Superhuman Powers"
Agnete Hegelund by Mariano Vivanco
Dazed & Confused July 2008
Via Noir Facade

DIY lace bustle / apron / cape

Corinne Leigh started her own DIY culture blog called CRAFTOVISION after she left Threadbanger. Check out her tutorial on how to make this victorian styled lace bustle, that can also be used as an apron or cape.

Sustainable fashion is oxymoronic?

Quote of the day comes via Ethical Style:

Supermodel and budding eco-designer Lily Cole was interviewed in The Guardian yesterday to discuss her views on sustainable fashion. And as reporter Rebecca Aitkenhead brought up, Ms. Cole has some problems with how the industry operates:

I never know quite what to make of sustainable or ethical fashion. There’s no doubting the sincerity of its pioneers – and Cole is every inch the passionate proselytiser – but there is something odd about representatives of an industry whose existence depends upon getting us to replace clothes that haven’t worn out, with new ones we don’t need, suddenly going on about sustainability. Isn’t sustainable fashion inherently oxymoronic?

“It is!” she agrees, laughing. “It is oxymoronic, just in terms of the name ‘fashion’ meaning trends. And so it’s risky, biting the hand that feeds me, obviously. But I don’t think it’s particular to the clothing industry. It’s a problem with the manufacture of everything. I mean, the fact that there’s already a second iPad out now is ‘fashion’, in a similar way. I don’t think this is fashion’s fault. It’s a broader issue to do with the capitalism, and an economy which needs us to keep buying, and creating this superfluous kind of waste. It’s not that I don’t believe in creativity and innovation and new ideas, and the creativity that comes with fashion, which I really respect. But one of my biggest concerns is just how cheap we expect everything to be.”

I agree with Ms. Cole in that the whole way of our western consumerism is fucked up in sence of capitalism based on endless supply and use of new, but labelling sustainable fashion oxymoronic..? That I don´t agree on. The interviewers wordplay sounds fun for 2 sec, but it´s just a name calling it fashion. We might as well call it wear or something else that deoes not refer to trends. Fashion is not just about new. It´s also about change, design that lasts decades and innovation, for example finding a new way of wearing an old favorite in your wardrobe, swapping an old piece for a "new" one with a friend of yours and refashioning old garments from materials that already exist. Let´s broaden our perspective, shall we?

Top photo via Jason Lear Illustration.

Faded

Balmain Summer 2011 collection, bleached denim jacket with faded looking print (fabric crayons), snap-on buttons and safety pins.

Guinevere Van Seenus by Josh Olins
Vogue China April 2011
Via Tobacco And Leather.

Ashish Fall 2011

Agreed. This sequinned zipper backed dress in Ashish Fall 2011 collection is DIYable. The new thing to maxi dresses. I´d still make mine from t-shirts (turned prints inside) or drapey curtains. The back will not move or drape right unless the material is heavy and fluent enough. It sounds too simple to me to make this to a ready-made dress. Yes, of course you´re able to add a zipper to the back, but it will not look like this. My eyes say that the back bodice pieces in this Ashish dress are not the same shape.

Givency ruffles and zips

I just adore this ruffled zipper detailed top from Givenhy Summer 2011 collection. This so can be DIYd with a shirt, some zips and underwear slips cut up to gathered strips.

Photo by Paolo Roversi
Vogue China April 2011
Via Tobacco And Leather

Plates

Leather jackets don´t always have to be studded. I say metal plates will do the trick as well.

Via Twisted Lamb
Photographer: Henrik Bulow
Dansk Magazine

DIY Dolce & Gabbana metallic shimmer oxfords

Dolce & Gabbana had a wonderful shoes and bags collection in their Fall 2011 runway show. Inspired by them, here´s a tutorial for DIY metallic shimmer oxfords at I Spy DIY. But have a look at the full collection. Many of the other shoe designs can also be painted with leather paints, like those animal prints and stars. Loving also the boyish suits..

GEORGIA HARDINGE FALL 2011

If you know origami, try it with fabric the next time. Maybe use an iron and some fabric glue for help.. These pleated details by Georgia Hardinge are quite amazing. Simply chic made from a plain white fabric and so artistic and intresting at the same time. Via Riot Mode.