Learning About the Fashion World from Daniel Vosovic

Designer and Project Runway Season 2 alum Daniel Vosovic is currently on a tour to promote his new book Fashion Inside Out: Daniel V's Guide to How Style Happens from Inspiration to Runway and Beyond and he recently made a stop at my local independent bookseller.

I loved him. He came across as darling, down-to-earth, and driven and told stories of being on Runway, living in Florence and London, his days in as a young gymnast, his time in design school, and more, and fielded questions from the young and well-styled audience. I had popped into Antrhopologie before the signing and saw four college age boys browsing, which is not something I see ever in Anthro. When I got to the bookstore the four were already planted in the seats for the book signing. They were obviously fashion design students. I wish I would have taken their picture.

I wore a black tee and skinny black pants topped with my I-just-laid-people -off-now-I'm-emotionally-shopping Anthropologie army green sweater, which, to use a Tim Gunn-ism, is the most soul-stirring item in my closet. And by the way, Daniel said Tim Gunn is truly as nice as he seems on TV--he wrote the foreword for Fashion Inside Out.

I've read through a bit an Daniel's book which is filled with gorgeous pictures and a lot of Q&As with fashion industry insiders--designers, photogs, stylists and the like. The book offers a beautiful package (the cover has a velvety texture and online cover images don't do it justice) and great content. I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

One great moment from the signing--Daniel noticed a couple in the crowd who were from his hometown. When it was their turn to have a book signed, they handed him a cell phone and he happily talked to their daughter who had had taught in gymnastics. The whole exchange was quite adorable, including his observation that the parents had moved away from the hometown, but their kids all stayed.

Here's Daniel Vosovic signing his book.
His inscription: "Design Your Own Destiny."

I Need to Clean Out My Closet: A Photo Essay

I've been reading a number of style books lately (some of which I've reviewed in this space, some of which I haven't gotten around to reviewing in this space) and everyone from Kim France to Tim Gunn seem to offer the same advice: Edit your closet.

I've been trying to do this, but it's quite the long-term project. (I think I'd need a week and half of PTO.) I've just finally unloaded the last of my fat clothes and I've recently taken 30 plus items to a local consignment shop, but I still fear that the addition of another half dozen items will cause some sort of garment explosion. I offer a tour of my dressing room--our spare bedroom which is home to my dresses, skirts, pants, jeans, jackets, sweaters, tops, shoes, boots and accessories of all kinds. (Coats live in Cheapy's extra closet. He's got two, both sparsely populated with varying shades of khaki.)


Full view of both closets. I know all of this stuff is not "soul-stirring," as Tim Gunn would put it.


In between is my earring collection, hung on two letter-size desk accessories I got from Organized Living. (I swiped them from Cheapy's computer desk. It's sort of a hopeless mess anyway. I think another trip to Organized Living is in my future.)


The dresses/pants/skirt/sweater closet. There are often sweater avalanches.


The tops/t-shits/jackets/workout wear closet. There are often t-shirt avalanches.


Three jewelry boxes. (All came from eBay. All are packed with pretty shiny things.)


Bangles and bracelets in baskets and on an old rubber stamp holder.


My vintage flower pins (a few were my mom's), buttons, and part of my necklace collection.


Bags (there is also a full dresser drawer of bags), drawers of summer shoes, drawers of belts and scarves, a stack of shoe boxes, and my rain boots. (Can't wait until it warms up so I can wear that red skirt again. I love that skirt.)


My boots live here. They are longing for more boot friends. Those flat brown Diba ankle boots are my latest edition. They make me feel all '80s happy. The Ugg boots are for yoga class only. The pink Rockports barely leave my feet on weekends--I wish I had a brand new pair stashed under the bed for when these finally bite the dust.

Material Girl, Coach Potato

Material Girl loves TV almost as much boots. I work all day, I wrangler a toddler; I need to recline on the chaise and ingest brain candy before I sleep. Here are my current TV crushes, some long-term, some new, all fashion-y. I think you should watch them all so we can talk about them.

• Gossip Girl. The CW and Material Girl are good good friends despite the fact that Material Girl is, ehem, just slightly older than their target demographic. They've sucked me in again with this new show based on series of YA novels. If you don't watch it for the ultra bitchiness or the we're-oh-so-rich-and-oh-so-screwed-up beautiful people, watch it for the clothes. It's so fabulous to see teenagers donning dresses that cost more than (both my) wedding dress(es combined) for, say, a birthday party or brunch. And I'm all about Blair bringing back the slip. The slip needs a comeback. And let's not forgot about Chuck Bass. If James Spader in the 80s and Logan Huntsberger had a baby, he would be Chuck Bass. He rocks bow-ties and wears a signature scarf. He's awesome.

• Project Runway's new season and Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. I love me some Tim Gunn. He's divine--the catch phrases, the perfect grooming, the honest assessments, the occasional tearing up, the 10 Items Essential to Every Woman's Wardrobe. Watch and learn.

• Sex & the City reruns. Oh Patricia Field. Where did you come up with some of those outfits for Ms. Bradshaw? While they range from wack-a-doo to fabulous, I feel I always learn some good fashion lessons from viewing the clothing on Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte. At least once a week I have a eureka moment watching the show. (Eureka moments generally send me right to eBay.) Favorite Carrie quote: "I like my investments where I can see them--in my closet."