Fashionably Fierce Street Divas - The Art of Bradley Theodore

As I was driving to work earlier this week, I heard the shocking news that Karl Lagerfeld, the creative genius behind Chanel, had suddenly passed away. I always thought of Karl as an immortal, vampire type; someone who just might live forever.

I immediately recalled the work of street artist, Bradley Theodore. A doppelganger in many ways for Basquiat,  and walking the same NYC streets; only the subjects have changed from jazz legends to fashion insiders and royalty. Over the years, I had seen and documented many of Bradley's neon, patchy, skeletal renderings of familiar "faces" such as columnist Diana Vreeland and Karl Lagerfeld. The image of Grace Coddington with blazing red hair and outstretched arms (below), is my favorite. His use of the existing basement door is quite clever.

Tom Ford - style icon for Gucci and YSL

Grace Coddington, Chinatown, NYC - April 2015

With his own iconic style (that distinctive white ponytail, the oversize sunglasses, and the perfectly-pressed Edwardian shirt/ suit jacket/ black denim combo), Karl had been lovingly given homage throughout the walls of New York City numerous times. Not meant to read as morbid renderings, these paintings represent the interior of all human beings. The skeleton, colorfully painted in these wall murals has become the great equalizer- an ever-familiar reminder or iconic base that applies to us all. How ironic. In the end, it would appear that we actually do all put our pants on one leg at a time. They just may not come with an extravagant price tag! Looking forward, I anticipate that the House of Chanel will continue to endure through spectacular runway shows as the brand transitions to a new creative heiress. For now, as we recall over-the-top never being quite enough, and through designs coveted and cherished by devotees, Karl is indeed eternal.

Mr. and Mrs. Pineapple, Union Square; Queen Elizabeth I, Lower East Side

Fashion photographer Terry Richardson (2014); a life-sized Karl Lagerfeld lingers in a doorway

Cara Delevingne and Kate Moss (originally mistaken for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)

Karl Lagerfeld in profile; Diana Vreeland (2013); and a Christie's emblem

God Save McQueen

....or at least his legacy. The late Alexander McQueen's risk-taking creations will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through July 31st. In conjunction with the Met's Savage Beauty exhibit, Bergdorf's also has a collection by the troubled genius featured in its windows.

Goth-looking mannequins peek out from behind the birch trees of a dark forest. A billowy red dress updates Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts under the protective wings of a stunning giant, red eagle. And the horned trio frolicks in the moiré patterns and reflections of the funhouse mirrors.

Adornment With An Edge - Jewelry by Joomi Lim

Joomi and I  became fast friends at one of her sample sales a couple of years ago where she featured hair pieces and jewelry. I was immediately taken with her fresh take on all things sparkly. Her creations featured unique shape and color combinations that are guaranteed to reveal every woman's inner good girl/bad girl simultaneously. I always walk away with a new piece of glitter and twinkle, along with a list of must-haves from her upcoming line.

Joomi's collection has been featured in various boutiques throughout the city, in magazines, on Gossip Girl, and even on Rhianna during her New Year's Eve performance in Rockefeller Center. This week, to my surprise, she tucked this gorgeous little nugget (pictured) in with one of my recent orders. Despite the tough-girl appearance of this gold-toned spiked necklace, it looks great with anything from the jeans/t-shirt combo or to offset that frilly dress hanging in your closet. It almost redefines that timeless string of pearls, and is destined to become a new classic. Best of all, it will be available at the one and only Bergdorf's starting this week!

Is It Fashion Week Already?

No, not quite. But yesterday, I had the pleasure of hosting a fashion photo shoot for Mimi (stylist) and Jmzs (photographer/dj) of Plaztik Mag in my art studio. They arrived with a mammoth suitcase of clothes and another giant duffle bag for lighting equipment. Then, the model, Apryl, and her mom arrived in a taxi. After a quick coffee run, the hair and makeup artist arrived too. Yes, my little Brooklyn apartment was a beehive of activity, and I could barely contain my excitement. For the shoot, Mimi pulled some incredible one-of-a-kind clothes from The Blonds. Everyone got right to work. The kitchen and bathroom was the styling and wardrobe area, and my art studio was the staging area for looks #1 and #2 (out of four).

Apryl is a rising star in the fashion industry who moves gracefully and almost without direction. In a couple of weeks, she'll be off to Tokyo. She was a quiet teenager (only 16!) from the Midwest who likes to paint and draw too, so the concept of today's photo shoot was an authentic one. Her mom showed us some of her work consisting of anime' characters, various portraits, and a twist on the usual painting of a still life- a bowl of rotting fruit. They were all quite good!

I met Mimi a few years ago when we were both standing in line hoping to crash a fashion show at Bryant Park. I'm accustomed to people of the art and gallery world who put on airs here in the big city, so I barely noticed it when I started meeting people and experiencing it in the fashion world. When I met Mimi several years ago, she wasn't like the others and was refreshingly down-to-earth. We've been friends ever since, and she even sends me on Fashion Week assignments to contribute photos to her blog.

The issues (or videos) that she and Jmzs have been doing lately are really incredible. Their artistic perspective and aesthetic brings back a grittines back to New York that has been missing since the Giuliani era. With chain stores now on every corner, I only mean that as the highest of compliments. These episodes evoke the feelings of the early 80's, and of being a teenager in my room looking at Interview Magazine. In those days, I really wanted to be in the New York of Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. Well, I'm here now, but all of that is gone.

Here's a sneak peek of their next "issue" which will be out in mid-February. Stay tuned! As for me, I can hardly wait to see the end result.