Where Have All the Musings Gone?

Hello lovely readers-

I started this page so I could write longer articles on Style Defined and not mess with my photo-a-day format on the front page. However, Blogger has since made it possible to hide part of the post until the reader clicks "read more" which is essentially the same as having you continue reading in Musings. So now all my musings will be incorporated into the blog which will simplify it for me and for you as well if you read this through email or an RSS feed. xoxo katya

FW Favorite: Katie Gallagher

While her collection title might reference the woods the actual garments make me think of post-apocalyptic urban warrior princesses. Her color palette is made up of blacks and neutrals and leggings and leather dominate. But what is striking is her mix of textures and how the fabric wraps the body.

The leggings are by far the most complex I've ever seen; she mixes in sheer fabric and zipper hardware and the fabric wraps around instead of just going straight up in one piece. While many of her leggings require a model thinness or height to wear well, they are paired with jackets that anyone can wear with confidence. Many had asymmetrical elements and they all had great detailing. I especially love the jacket above right with the banding down the sleeves and the cinched waist.


I also love the cuts of both of these jackets.

I have been intrigued with Katie Gallagher since I first met her through her friend Alex who interviewed her for Style Defined. I remember her telling the story about how she had an internship with a prestigious designer in Paris. She didn’t like it so just booked a plane to New York and left. Without warning or notice. It just wasn’t working for Katie in Paris and she didn’t feel the need to “stick it out” for the experience or to please anyone. This attitude is refreshing to find in someone starting out in an industry that has often been described as cruel and cliquish as your worst high school nightmare. She has a clarity of vision and belief in herself that allows her to stay true to her own conviction and not try to follow trends or please the fashion tribes…and in doing so she is quickly gaining a following of her own.

Q + A with Tr3y Stylez

How did you get into styling?
I was working in a high-end retail store on the Upper East Side, and overheard a woman talking about a photoshoot she had coming up. At first I was hesitant, but thought “Hey what do I have to lose? I decided to intervene by asking her if she needed any assistance. Right after I took a deep breath, (hesitant that this women would simply react as one would pestered by a salesperson), she came over and asked me for help in returning an item. We went from talking about returning an item to her introducing herself as Debbie Dickinson. Actress, Supermodel, and sister to the famed International Supermodel Janice Dickinson. She told me she was looking for a makeup artist who needed to be at NBC studios the following morning at the crack of dawn. I knew that this was more then a task. This was a test to see if I could make it in styling -beyond assisting customers. And I did it.

Do you do editorial, fashion or personal styling?
I do both editorial and fashion styling.

What is the most challenging aspect of what you do?
I can't think of anything specific. There are challenges with everything you strive for. It’s doing something that you love doing every single day. Being challenged to achieve while doing what you truly love and are passionate about.

What is most rewarding about what you do?
The most rewarding thing about styling is seeing the clients face when they truly love what they are wearing. When I see how they pose and react to their clothes it gives me the seal of approval that I did a job well done!

What are 3 places to find great pieces in NYC?
I would name exact stores but I notice that people love to really take in every single aspect of the city. So I broke it down into three neighborhoods: Greenwich Village(Abington Square) L.E.S.(Stanton Street) & The Garment District.(23rd Street)

What are some emerging trends?
Some trends that will be taking light soon include women wearing little to no jewelry and focusing on the actual garments which we're seeing from designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. Another trend we will begin to see is the sophisticated man being more aware of fashion; you can see designers such as Comme des Garçons, Viktor & Rolf and Givency executing this in their collections. Say goodbye to those sneakers and hello to Military boots and Doc Martens.


What inspires you the most about NYC?
People. Everyone from the stylish woman on the Upper West Side holding her Hermes Birkin bag to the baby in his Valco stroller in Williamsburg.

Best advice you've ever given or received?
Style as if you are getting paid millions.

Be sure to look for Tr3y Stylez around town next week. He will be everywhere at the tents.

Q + A with Krystyna Printup

What inspired you to start The Printup list?
It seemed like in college I was the go to person to ask about "whats going on tonight?" Maybe it was because I worked in the club scene since I was 16, or that I was a Native New Yorker, Im not sure, but it was something that drew people to me. I was getting tired of people calling, texting and email me all the time at all hours asking that same old question. I remember I woke up 2 years ago in the middle of the night and was like "I'm going to start a blog and just post that info up there..." and BAM! the next morning I got up and got right into developing The Printup.

How often do you go out?
During what I call Peak seasons ( Sept/ Feb- Fashion Week, Sept-Gallery Season Openings, Dec- Holiday Parties, March- Art/ Armory Week) I go out every day to events for about a couple of weeks straight. The rest of the year I tend to go out at random depending on the night and event. Usually I like the random gallery openings on Thursdays, or a dance party at a weekly event.

Top 3 places to go out in NYC?
To go out..hmmm well depends on what OUT you are talking of. Dancing is always hard to find a good gem and I tend to want to go dancing over drinking. I'm really addicted to dancing at OPEN which is a weekly at Santos Party House on Fridays. Its a reggae / hip hop party where you really get the "I'm in NYC" feel minus the bridge and tunnel. As for drinking I love going to Norwood, where I am a member, and lounging and sipping some well mastered cocktails. For that hip and local feel I've been visiting The Woods in Williamsburg: a bit of dancing, taco eating and cheap beer, you just can't go wrong. But seriously nothing beats a good ol' fashion house party (yet those are the rarest of gems.)


NYC is always shifting in terms of where people go and what’s popular. From hip hop to raves to balls there is always something that seems to grab the popular imagination. What do you think are the scenes and sounds that people are gravitating towards now?
If I was interviewed 2 years back I would of said that whole NueRave or GhettoCrunk fad that hit quick. Sadly I want to say that the hard club sound is coming back, but NYC is in a sound vortex. We have now recycled everything and there's nothing to go back to so we are in this bit of a transition. What ever comes next will be something new and never done before for sure.

Is there a certain trend in music or fashion or art that you wish would go away or think is over-hyped?
LOL! Oh boy I could really write a whole post on this. Trend-wise I am tired of just about anything flannel, the "sneaker head" look for guys... for girls the aviator glasses/ leather jacket/ black knit hat/ studded bike boots"rock-goth" Taylor Momsen look, -and please please please the girls who wear spandex that really are tights and you can see all the bit and pieces of them hanging out..eww not a good look.

Amen sister on that last one!
How would you define your personal style?
My style depends on my mood. Do I feel like a Japanese Gallery owner? or an early 90s black man? Am I a whimsical storyteller? Maybe a club kid from London? Or into Norwegian Death Metal? I have many faces to fit every mood and every event.

How has it evolved over the years?
I use to be a raver in High School and a lot of my flare for big baggy color from those days. In college after the death of a family member I entered what I call "my black period" and erased all color and went from bright and loud to dark and modern. As I grew back into colors I was engulfed into a bike subculture in Brooklyn and began introducing clothing that was designed for a purpose into my style. Currently I am torn between all worlds and really enjoy clothing that is simple and functional and mixed with some highlights of shock and color.

Top 3 favorite places to get cool clothes in NYC?
Seven NY, OAK, Opening Ceremony

What inspires you about NY?
I love the fact that you can walk into almost any country possible and never leave the island of Manhattan.

Best advice ever given or received?
Just buy it......the worlds going to end soon anyway!

Q + A with Christopher Lee Sauve

How did you come up with the concept for the Save Anna t-shirt?
The Save Anna shirt was a response to the blog rumours that Anna Wintour was to be replaced by French Vogue Editor, Carine Roitfeld. I first drew a little Anna character with the words SAVE ANNA (like how the political t-shirts say SAVE THE WHALES). It seemed like a funny thing to be saving while the amidst all the serious news on the TV at the time.

And what about your upcoming t-shirt collection?
The upcoming collection is inspired by religion, politics, pop culture and fashion. I took these subjects threw them in a bag and shook it up.

What do you like most about what you do?
I am happy to be creating art that people can wear. I am not a fashion designer, but a graphic designer. I was tired of creating posters and graphics and just having them on a poster, so for me having the images on t-shirts is sort of like walking canvases.

What is the most challenging aspect?
The most challenging aspect would be production, having the colors set correctly, image size, also coming up with ideas sometimes, I have to be inspired.

Do you see any trends that will really emerge in 2010 in fashion/art/culture?
For 2010, I see the theme of love and community coming into play, not in the way it did during the 1960s but in a futuristic, survival way. The way we live, interact and shop has changed drastically the past couple of years and our view on money as well. This has brought us to create new appreciation for things that really matter.

Top 3 favorite places to go out in NYC
Top 3 places that I enjoy are the Maritime Hotel balcony (La Bottega), Sugarland in Williamsburg and Vandam at Greenhouse on Sunday evenings.

What inspires you most about NYC?
I would say the crazy people and the energy, the feeling you can do whatever you want and on your own terms without being judged. NYC is a very freeing city I think.

Best advice ever given or received
Best advice would be
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought" - Buddha

See more t-shirts and other stuff by CLS
here and here.

Thoughts and things by Megg

I went to Megg's apartment thinking I was going to interview her - but instead spent an afternoon talking about art, Berlin and the importance of knowing what you want in life. A few things that impressed me: she's self-trained as an artist and is passionate about making things. She recently lost internet access and not only doesn't care but said her creative output has soared since then. (note to self: get offline more!) She works as a model but has been able to find a balance between working and her art and sees the value of both. She also has great style and would rather wear something from a thrift store so that it's uniquely her own than buy a pretty dress when there's 100s of identical ones on the rack. She is cool, quirky and unique and her art is the same...of which only a few pieces are shown here.

A drawing from a series she's doing inspired by a fashion photoshoot.

It’s important to be yourself and express that. Not worry about how good or bad it is while you’re making it. Just make it and get it out there…and then you can always improve upon it. But don’t stop yourself. You can’t go wrong. Just stay in the moment.

Another from the same series

I know this sounds intense but I honestly feel that if I ever –for some reason- couldn’t create I would fucking kill myself…but I can’t imagine..

Creating work on the fly

The art has to reveal itself to you. I can have an idea of what I want to do but I can’t overthink it. I just layer things and see what happens….take things off and see what’s revealed underneath.

Megg next to her work-in-progress collage

I would love to put my work into a photoshoot…to make it more than being about making money.

How to care for your diamond

As it's New Year's Day, I'm taking the day off of writing but since one of my personal New Year's Resolutions is to take care of what I have better I thought I'd post this information on how to take care of diamonds. (because another resolution is to buy quality over quantity and I'd rather have one great piece of jewelry than alot of cheaper pieces.)

A diamond is the hardest substance most people will ever own. Even though they are very tough, strong and sturdy, however, a diamond can still fracture, break and chip. When someone owns diamond jewelry they will need to take special steps to keep it looking its very best.
Diamonds are cut and polished by highly-trained professionals who work to enhance the natural beauty of each stone. A diamond is graded according to its cut, clarity, color and carat size, but these issues end up having very little to do with how the diamond appears after it has been worn many times.
Naturally occurring body oils, skin care lotions, everyday dirt and grime and materials encountered when gardening, doing housework or participating in sports or other activities can all take a toll on a diamond.
There are several ways that a diamond owner can clean their stones, but the primary concern should always be the stability of the stone within its setting, and the safety of the other gems or stones during the cleansing process.
Most jewelry experts would recommend that all diamonds are cleaned at least once each year. This is best done in a mild detergent bath or in a cold water soak. The mild detergent bath contains a 50/50 mix of warm water and liquid detergent. The jewelry is placed in the solution and allowed to soak for several minutes, and then it is gently scrubbed with an extremely soft toothbrush before being rinsed and dried with a soft, lint-free cloth.
The cold water soak uses a 50/50 solution of ammonia and water. The diamond jewelry is soaked for thirty minutes, gently brushed with a super-soft toothbrush and then rinsed and dried in the same manner used for the detergent bath.
While there are many “dip” varieties of jewelry cleaners available, some of them can be very caustic and harmful to softer stones and even certain jewelry glues. For this reason it is best to avoid them if a piece appears particularly vulnerable.