Monday, March 15, 2010

NYC - New Museum

After my breakfast in Brooklyn, I took the sub, only one stop to 14th street and walked through the East Village.
I was there this Friday also for a birthday party that I was sneaky-invited to. It's a nice area with a lot of restaurants, cafés and shops – a very popular area to live in for the young and hip in other words. So I wanted to check it out.
I was running around with my very broken umbrella that only covered one forth of me, but it at least did something. The rain did it hard to really just stand and take it in, but what I saw I liked.
It is a nice neighborhood.







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I kept on going south, heading for the New Museum that I was tipped off by a Parisian Facebook friend, Elizabeth. I had heard that the exhibitions sometimes are very post modern and hard to grasp, so I read up on the exhibition and saw that Jeff Koones was the curator. He is known for his giant reproductions of banal objects such as balloon animals. So i thought if he is the curator I'll go there and check it out.


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The architecture of the museum is really nice with a lot of wall paintings, a lot of light and space, and not too big. It's designed by the Tokyo partners Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa.
Read more: The New Museum -- New York Magazine Architecture Review http://nymag.com/arts/architecture/reviews/41267/#ixzz0iFvo06E4


No cameras were aloud in the exhibition so I can't show you what I saw except from the ones I found on flickr just now below. But I have to say that it was a little bit too 'magstarkt' for me. Plastic covered bodies, as after a Tsunami or an earthquake. A live performance of a Afro American crucified on the wall... I had to ask the guard how long they kept him up there. One hour at the time he said. Men turned in to Pigs - that one I liked though, (below).
Giant man with glass pieced coming out with a little squirrel on his shoulder. Some exhibitions are easier to digest now after a while. And it's always fun to see people's creativity.
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Brooklyn's Williamsburg

Yesterday I woke up and looked out at the rain, hagle and wind again and thought, ok I'll just do a 'Carrie' and take a taxi where ever I need to go today. So I did. It's very easy to get cabs, at least all the time I tried. It just to step out in the street, wave and off you go. I said to the driver:
"Let's go to Brooklyn!"
"Ok where at?", he asked in a broken English. So far, all the taxi drivers I met is from Bangladesh, as all over the world. Well I also had a Bronx dude that I did not understand at all. And last night to the airport there was a guy from China who had lived in NYC for 12 years and did not understand the word Europe... Anyway, I took up my map but realized that it only covered Manhattan. I knew I wanted to check out Williamsburg, a friend of mine lives there and told me it's nice. So I said, "Take me to Williamsburg, please." "Mam, I drive in Manhattam, I don't know Brooklyn, you have to tell me two streets crossing.""Ehh, ok, well just start driving and I'll tell you when we get there.".
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I had no idea, but started to look at the map in the backseat. The only problem is that the map is not interactive, so you can't drag the map further on the map to find your way ahead, you can just follow the green dotted line as he drives.
He kept on asking and I kept on saying just drive, I will tell you later.










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We entered Brooklyn crossing the Williamburg's bridge where you can see parts of lower Manhattan if you turn around and if the mist and rain doesn't cover your sight...
I tried to look for a spot on the map that could be interesting, using the names of the street to try to figure out the cool street. I laughed at my self...well why not. So I said: "Take me to Bedford street crossing 7th street." "Ok, mam." He dropped me off and i started walking and found my self in THE street of Williamsburg. I thanked my own street-name cred ;)






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Breakfast! The first café I saw was excactly the kind of place I was looking for. Worn out wooden floor, all chairs different, cool industry lamps and a cool atmosphere. It reminded me a lot of the cafées I love i Berlin, it's just a perfect hangout for a sunday.
Two girls came up to me asked me what I wanted to order and started chatting with them about Brooklyn, about vintage stores etc. Telling them this was my first time in Wburg etc And they asked me where I'm from. "Sweden." "Ah, jag med!" Said the blond (of course). The other girl smiled and left with a 'ja ja I let the Swedes chat a long'. She was super nice (the girl with the black/white dress in the picture) and it turned out that her mother was running THE Vintage store just around the corner. She had lived there for 12 years and loved it.


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I went to her mother's store but it was closed. I waited, but then guessed that the Danish girl who were suppose to work there today forgot the time light saving reset. So I moved on and walked the not so long street.











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I found other small fun store in the side streets. Wooden shoes from Sweden is the shit this year. both here and in Berlin. these were called SVEN :)











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Brooklyn is known for its brow stone buildings. And if you can get one that's is not too expensive you're lucky.

It was good to see this area. This is where people chill. A lot of baby strollers and people just hanging out chatting on the street. Nice atmosphere. Could see my self come here for Sunday brunches and just read and go for a walk.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The Black Dress

I have decided that I need a dress so I went to the store with all the dresses, it's a very nice store and the brand name just got lost in my very information full brain raight now. Sorry. will update later.
The dress I'm looking for should be female, cool and accessible, meaning I can use to work with boots and a cardigan but also to a party with the right shoes and accessories.

So here are my first 3 try ons.
This is a super tight, super stretchy dress with very short sleeves and a bit more silky fabric on the front.

From the front it looks good bu the super tight line over the butt shows a little bit too much, even if the fabric is thick, so it's a no. But it is pretty.
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This I liked because it had the v-collar and gave some
shapes for the breasts and the sleeves made it soft and
little bit more cute.
It was also a good fit.
But, maybe it is a little bit too cute for me with the sleeves...









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I think this was my favourite. It is pretty but still cool.
The folded piece running over the shoulders could be a little bit clownish, but I didn't feel like one. A clown that is.
And I could walk in it. That's a good thing!

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Dean & Deluca

On Broadway there is one of the really nice and fancy Dean & Deluca stores. Here you can get quality food. Organic. Without preservatives. And, very pretty food.
I just enjoy cruising around the alleys and check out all the cans, beautiful arrangements of fruit, bread, cheese, cupcakes, nuts and dried fruits.

A wurst man giving you German wurst to try.
It's nice. But all I bought was dried papaya, without sugar and preservatives - much better taste.
So you can buy and eat healthy here in New York.
And enjoy the shopping experience.
Lovely. I like!

























































Friday, March 12, 2010

Things I might buy

Unfortunately I don't have this huge shopping budget that I would have loved to have had now while being here in NY...so I need to carefully plan my purchases. Look, look and look. Try, try and try. Take a picture. Look at it. And then see if I long for it... If I don't I should not buy it. Actually if things you try on doesn't speak to you directly "Buy me! I look soo good on you." Don't buy it.

This coat is a DKNY coat and I like it because it curves, so not straight as the other coats á la Mulberry right now, more 'skirty' lines.



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Funny enough, the first store I really try on clothes is H&M...I know, so weird. But I always check out the H&M stores in the cities I visit. And due to the low dollar, prices here are more than ok. Ok, I wont buy H&M from New York. Promise. But this jacket for only $34, (250 kr) is not that bad.

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These shoes I found in a store on Broadway. They are grey leather with small studs. Classic design with the band on the center of the shoe. Pretty/Cool design. But I need 38,5 and they only have 38 or 39...so I would need extra cushions that they sales guy with a mohawk tried to sell in.
















This is a ring from Crystalyzed with Swarowski stones.
I like. I want. I just bought :)











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Colourful bracelets! We need to add colour our selves until the nature will help us. These bracelets I will go back to and check again.











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The store Theory www.theory.com have a couple of really cool designs. This jacket is in jersey with studs.
I also found a new brand for me: haute hippie, a lot of cool designs.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

New York - Capital of Fashion

I’m having a fantastic time here in New York. I should be totally down and in chaos and very jetlaged but I’m still having a blast. To be here in New York, by my self, is just fantastic. Surreal. Yes. It feels like I’m in a movie or in one of the TV series. I just said that to my sister that we grew up with Amercia in our backyards. Well we started out with the McCayans and the cowboys, the Little house on the Praire and that’s partially how we learned english. Then came the 90210 Beverly Hills where we got a lot of inspiration on how to look, escpecially Kerry’s hair, and Melrose Place. I remember I went there being 24 years old and went to the Melrose Avenue and was in a happy place. They are so good at that, the American Film industry. To create a world we just want to be in, or at least take part in. Like Friends. I watched it so much so half of my jokes comes from Chandler and Joey. And I had a lot of identification with Monica, being over controlled, (I don’t cleaned that well though and don’t get off on it, but the organizing and planning is very spot on.) So seeing the buildings here with all the fire escape stairs on the facades makes me feel comfortable. I know it from the movies. I have ‘been’ here before. Our 'Friends’ live in a house like that...
Then came Sex and the City. With our big love for the city of New York and all the fabulous fashion. And that’s where I’m now. In the capital of fashion. Yesterday, it felt as if I was walking around in a fashion magazine. All the brands, designers, clothes, stores are REAL and they are HERE! And I’m cruising around them. So just close your eyes and imaging that you’re walking through Soho, as a start. The streets are still under development and it’s all very lively, the yellow cabs passing by, people - very fashionable - walking, talking loud. They all talk very load here and in all languages. I’m now having breakfast at a bagel place, with my almond smoothie and almond coffee latte, two very pretty girls are sitting next to me, speaking lovely French, I love French it makes the girls even prettier. You pass by the huge Broadway street with al the big brands as Starbucks, TopShop, Gant and walk on the smaller street as Green and Spring street and you pass by a very nicely renovated store front, one level up. The Prada store. You have to stop and take a deep breath. A Prada store.
















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How many prada stores have I really been in to. One I think. In Monaco. But none like this. This store is gorgeous and have more accessible designs, their Ready to Wear collection. So I can actually buy one piece if I want. But I don’t. Today is just a day to scan. The shopping I will do on Saturday. That’s my plan. Then I have seen all the must buys and can make my pick.

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You keep on walking and find a crossing that there must have been a Swedish agent selling store space here. In one corner you have the J Lindeberg store, further down on your left hand is the Hästen bed store and opposite you have the Bo Concept store. So I call it the Swede-street.
You turn to the next street and you have the D&G stores, three of them in a row. Women, Men and Apparels, meaning bags and shoes.


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Next store is Chanel, next DKNY, and Marc Jacobs and it goes on.
But their stores here in SoHo is not the haute couture collections so you do fit in here and can walk around without feeling like a farmer, which I do when I visit the upmarket stores. I will do that later today. Have a meeting with an agency on the 3rd Avenue, meaning Midtown and will report about that experience tomorrow.

The fun part about New York is that you have a lot of small worlds and cultures in one city. Some other cities have that too like London, Berlin, Madrid. but here it feels and is stronger. In China town you meet Chinese people, all signs are in Chinese. In Little Italy all restaurants have red/white table cloths and Soho is Soho and upwotn is...uptown.
If you walk the Bleecker Street uptownish-west, you will first pass through a not so interesting neighborhood a lot of I love NY t-shirt and cups stores, but keep walking and you will enter the Greenwhich Village and I actually like the Hudson Street better even though everybody recommends the Bleecker. Here the houses are lower and more like London. You feel that this is very people live. There are a lot of café´s and restaurants around the corners and the stores here are somewhat in the middle of the spectra.
I walk in to a store I believe sell cool baby clothes. I look at the very over designed clothes and the owner ask me “You have a dog right?” And I look at her, look at the clothes again and realize it’s clothes for dogs...! Oh my god, I have to laugh out loud. There a down jackets, dresses, jeans, everything you can think of that you would put on a woman or man and you can dress your dog in the same style...
In the Village hood you can also find very nice stores as the Marc by Marc Jabobs' store for example (Bleecker Street). Very pretty gay guys working there, very thin. I walk in proud of my bag from the same brand. I belong here too.







You keep on walking knowing the Meat Packing Districts waits for you further up. I have been there once in lounge bar, remember the special atmosphere here. Pretty, fabulous dressed up people watching wanted to be watched. Walk around the area and you will find the Alexander Mc Queen store, the Stella McCartney store and other stores like the Theory store with for me new brands that I like a lot. Designer is from Kansas I learned from one of the employees, but she had no idea and had to look it up. You don’t meet that many bright people store hopping...but they are all very nice. And the strong charcters of the American people, they are very compassionate.



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Many stores are selling the Help Haiti-t shirt, and of course I have to buy one. I think the Amercian celebraties have raised more money then many contries to help Haiti.

But it is a little bit dark here and not really my kind of place. I don’t know why. Even though the sun is shining it does feels dark and there are no colours. I think that’s the downside of New York. There are no green spots anywhere. You have to go to Central Park to get it. So I understand why people live close to it, to breath, to know there’s more than fashion, cars and people to this city. I will go there later today.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Accessories your tights











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Nowadays you can accessories pretty much everything.
Wolford picked up the trend and added fringes on their
tights so when you go shaking they go swirling.

Important, only for you with very (!) skinny calves...
or it might look like you are hairy...