Summer Fashion 2012, The Monokini

If I didn't cover these leading into this summer, I'm pretty sure I'd have to be under a rock. Without fail,they are constantly some of the most active products on the shopping site day after day after day... And I have to say they're pretty interesting, provocative, and striking in form. So if you're the type who can't make a decision about anything(including one-piece vs. bikini); you're in luck with the monokini. The seemingly magical combination of both(somehow it works). First invented in 1964 by Austrian-American fashion designer Rudi Gernreich, it has a story all it's own, an interesting political history, and seems to be making a seriously major comeback this year. And while I'd love to post a snap-shop of the original design; it doesn't cover quite enough 'real-estate' for this American blog. The below were chosen for their variation. You can see there are lots of subtle differences with these, and you can also see how different patterns/textures/etc. all seem to work quite well with the form. It's actually quite versatile from a design standpoint I think. So...if you're in the market for a swimsuit(and attention), don't forget to check out the monokini this summer.

A White Fringe Monokini From L-Space Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, A White Fringe Monokini From L-Space

Polka Dots And Stripes Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, Polka Dots And Stripes

A Floral Monokini From Malai Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, A Floral Monokini From Malai

A Colorful Monokini From Maaji Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, A Colorful Monokini From Maaji

Agatha Ruiz De La Prada Pink Monokini Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, Agatha Ruiz De La Prada Pink Monokini

An Elegant Chic White Monokini Variation From L-Space Via FashAndFurn.com

Fashion 2012, Swimwear, The Monokini, An Elegant Chic White Monokini Variation From L-Space

Clover Green Knitwear From InhabitNY

...just a quickie because I loved the color and thought others wouldn't mind having one in their wardrobe. Reminds me of the edge of glass, really love it.

Via FashAndFurn.com

Spring Clover Colored Knitwear From Inhabit NY

Via FashAndFurn.com

Spring Clover Colored Knitwear From Inhabit NY

Via FashAndFurn.com

Spring Clover Colored Knitwear From Inhabit NY

Via FashAndFurn.com

Spring Clover Colored Knitwear From Inhabit NY

Decor And Fashion 2012: Seeing Red

...not always a bad thing.

...forget about holiday associations(even Valentine's Day for that matter/hope everyone had a great one though). Red is entirely it's own thing. Ask a matador. I'd look twice if I saw red in the summer time, and I'm sure you would too. There's always one woman in a red dress, isn't there. It's a color so powerful; I'm seriously considering classifying it rather as a shape. And that's simply because everything around it always seems to bounce off of it(must be physical)... So below we have a nice little sample of ways you can 'get-red' in your wardrobe and at home. And if you're anything like me, everything red in your current environment will suddenly pop out to your eyes a little more after seeing this post(it's startling). Enjoy!

Thomas-Michael

Red Valentino Hobo Bag On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Valentino

I'm starting with this Valentino bag because it's shiny on top of being red. If you're looking for attention, this is surely the route to take. Very gorgeous(and red).

Red Missoni Dress On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Missoni

A short red dress can go a long way, but this one is somewhat softer in texture than what you usually see(less hard lined). It's a lovely mixture of bold and soft I think.

Red Sam Edelman Pump On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Sam Edelman

A couple of smaller things now, if you're not inclined to go all in just yet. Spikes and red seem naturally in love, need I say more.

Red Zanotti Stiletto Bootie On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Zanotti

Another great red shoe, this time from Zanotti.

Red BEBE Skinny Belt On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, BEBE

Or you could just sport a skinny red belt like this one from BEBE. It's amazing how powerful just one thin line of red can be.

Red Alexander McQueen Scarf On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Alexander McQueen

More subdued, but still powerful, this red scarf from Alexander McQueen(for the darker/mysterious types).

Red Lanvin Swimwear On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Lanvin

Summer is around the corner(in New York at least) and I love the lines of the old-fashioned inspired bathing suits. So elegant. This one in red by Lanvin is shocking and refined.

Red Urban Outfitters Readers On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Fashion, Urban Outfitters

Maybe it would be too much to put with the above, but who cares. Red sunglasses from Urban Outfitters. I'm slightly obsessed with the old librarian shapes lately.

Red Urban Outfitters Clock On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Decor, Urban Outfitters

And when you get home, hard to see how you could be late for something with this red rimmed clock.

Red Chandra Rug On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Decor, Chandra

I love(LOVE) red in big patched geometrical shapes; particularly on the floor. This would work well with any of your existing pieces.

Red Alphaville Chair On FashAndFurn.com

Seeing Red, Decor, Alphaville

And lastly, a little modern red chair to float around the apartment/office. Has a lot of character for such a simple shape.

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle

Haven't posted in w-a-y too long. Part of the reason is below though, so let's get into it. About a month ago, I realized a few of the following things. Shopping on the internet can be a pain(so many sites/brands/etc.). To go from one individual site to another(one at a time) is relatively time consuming effort. And let's face it, it gets frustrating. Particularly for those of you trying to hide it from your co-workers. Then, there's the auxiliary problem of all that, ummm, we'll call it 'less-than-interesting' merchandise that gets in the way. A LOT of sifting to do. Now while everyone could simply cut through all that by hiring a personal lifestyle consultant or a designer like me, that takes time as well(meetings = ugh), and can also be expensive. What do you do when you just want some quick advice on a chair, and nothing else? Hmmm...

So now for all of my blog readers, and hopefully others, we have the below. It's a shopping/starting point on the internet and I'm calling it FashAndFurn. And anyone who can add 2 and 2 together should be able to guess why. We've got fashion(girls AND boys), and home furnishings in one spot. Better than that, it only takes about 1/10th of a second to switch from one to the other(Note: Big 'W'(omens) 'M'(ens) 'I'(nteriors)) on the site... To additionally ease the burden of having to engage multiple sites; we've also got tons of brands to choose from; so navigate by brand at will...
Now, in terms of quality; because I said part of the issue was weeding out the 'less-than-interesting'. I personally sifted everything ahead of time; so you're always looking at a pre-curated selection of what out there. It's a bit like having a personal shopper, but it's just online. If I didn't think it looked great, I didn't put it in front of you(on the site)...

Lastly, the concept is super easy. Jump on, find something you like, and click it. The site will transport you as directly as possible to that product on the internet while keeping itself open in the background; so you can come back and look some more. Super easy. The interface is 'stuff'-free/clean and modern with NO pop-ups, blinking things, or whatever else... Just white and to the point, the way I like everything design...

Some images and sample merchandise below, hope you enjoy!

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Splash!

F2 Home Page. Click the image to check it out, and easily navigate into the shopping portal...

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

A Clean Easy-To-Use User Interface Design

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, Play By Givenchy

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, A Modern/Elegant Lighting Fixture From Nuevo Lighting

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

FashAndFurn Merchandise, A Great Relaxed Gucci Watch For The Boys

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Shop Fashion And Furniture, Shop Lifestyle At FashAndFurn.com

Men's Fashion, Cashmere Sweaters From InhabitNY

Came across these the other day and thought I'd share. I know personally I get a little nervous when someone tries to find a sweater for me. Probably most guys do. There's always that reasonably high chance that it will look 'dorky'(for lack of a better term); or be yes, Charlie Brown like. But I love the below, and would be happy to open a box and see any of them this holiday season. They're all from InhabitNY(smaller brand, like the smaller brands lately), and they're all cashmere(equals cozy/comfortable). So check them out if you're shopping for him(who's hard to shop for)...

INHABIT

Men's Fashion, Cashmere Sweaters From InhabitNY

INHABIT

Men's Fashion, Cashmere Sweaters From InhabitNY

INHABIT

Men's Fashion, Cashmere Sweaters From InhabitNY

INHABIT

Men's Fashion, Cashmere Sweaters From InhabitNY

Mondrian Inspired

Bit of a hiatus last week from the blogosphere. But as those of you who know me best are well aware, I like to go MIA from time to time. Just for a little bit. So anyway, back down to business. Busy weeks last couple, and LOTS of new ideas inspired by recent projects. Like today's theme, which is Mondrian. Now, I can't exactly tell you how I got to Piet, as I can't disclose who I was designing for; but when I got there I completely fell in love. Let me disclose, it's been a LONG time since I've looked at Mondrian, or tried to use it in design. But I think that time has come again. I like the big bold geometry going on here. The tension of shifting things just slightly off of symmetry. And then of course, what I'm loving the most is the idea of lineweight. Those black lines at varying thicknesses. The way they are outlining shapes and spaces(nice abstract idea on it's own across all of the design disciplines). In terms of what's out there relative to Mondrian, there isn't exactly as much decor and fashion as you'd think. Particularly on the runway, which I was really shocked by. Turns out you have to go ALL the way back to the 1960's to see Mondrian in Yves Saint Laurent. So I gathered up what I could find, and am generally working on the assumption that we're early to the party on this trend... Hope you enjoy!

Thomas-Michael

...

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Mondrian, Number 2.

So here we go. This is the painting I always think of when I think Mondrian. It's easily my favorite. Relative to the others, I love this one for it's refinement, and extreme size variation in the color fields.

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Mondrian Inspired Pattern.

Here's the sketch that I was working with for a recent project that inspired the whole post. You can see that just this variation in lineweight and balancing of spatial field sizes does amazing things in terms of creating spatial/graphic texture as well as 'depth'.

cappellini.it

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Cappellini Cabinet.

Now into some products that we can all use. This and the below are some gorgeous Mondrian inspired cabinets from Cappellini.

cappellini.it

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Cappellini Cabinet.

Another great Mondrian piece from Cappellini. I could see using this in a room that has zero other reference to Mondrian. Where it could just kind of be bold on it's own, and contrast.

polyvore.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Ruthie Davis Pumps.

From fashion, you can find these Mondrian inspired Ruthie Davis pumps which are really cute. I love the color variation in these in how she's deviating slightly from the default primary color scheme. I did something slightly different with the color fields, but we'll have to wait a little to see those...

polyvore.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, Kara Ross Clutch Handbag.

A clutch handbag from Kara Ross. As everything Mondrian, excessively clean, refined, and elegant in design.

ysl.com

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, The Original 1960's Yves Saint Laurent Mondrian Dress.

I was sure I had seen a Mondrian dress before but couldn't come up with it until I found the original. A YSL dress from the 60's. Thinking we're not too far off from seeing this on the runway again...

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, An Interior Sketch For A Mondrian Rug.

And lastly as I usually do when I have a new theme in mind, a couple of super quick sketches in 3D in a default interior setting. Thinking I'd like to design a Mondrian rug...

Thomas-Michael DelSordo

Mondrian Inspired Decor And Fashion, An Interior Sketch For A Mondrian Rug.

Really loving it, what do you think...? Hope you enjoyed...!

Fashion Accessories, Gucci Watches

Ladies first. I'll get to some men's watches in the not too distant future, if not next post.

So, as we all know, there are a LOT of predictable looking watches out there. I'll leave certain notable watch brands nameless, and say rather, I decided to scope out Gucci instead.

Turned out to be a great decision. As rather than a canonical batch of tradition, I found more than a few gorgeous shapes, material combinations, and interesting details. The Gucci watches are classic. But not in a boring way. A little different, and fashionable. There are a lot of distinct styles to choose from for being just one brand. And within each style, a matrix of variations. I like multiplicative distinction. And I love variation. In terms of design, I think they rise above the convention of simply needing a watch, or of having a nice/expensive one purely for the sake of it. These each have a stylistic impulse that signals accessory or jewelry more than function or repetitious nostalgia. They each have an aesthetic life onto themselves. And they're all highly noticable, fun, and playful. While still remaining elegant and sophisticated at once. In short, I think it's a best of both worlds situation...

Now, in terms of where to find them. I grabbed all of these from the same place for everyone's shopping convenience. So all you have to do is click on one of the below images and it will take you straight to that particular watch with all of it's relevant information, in a new window, on the Blue Nile website. Clearly as evidenced below, they have a great selection to choose from.

Thomas-Michael

Left To Right:
Gucci Ladies' Twirl Collection Watch
Gucci Women's Steel Watch
Gucci Women's Chiodo Watch

Fashion Accessories, Women's Gucci Watches.
I'm starting off with the three most distinct watches. All a little mod in terms of shape and materials. Maybe even 'Art Deco'. All extremely clean stylistically. I love the stripes on the first one and how it's all one width, like a bracelet. Super refined. The middle watch in gold has very beautifully subtle mod details like those oblong rounded corners. And on the right, I love how minimal that face is, and how it allows that big bold circular shape to come through. All really clean and gorgeous design here...

Left To Right:
Gucci Women's Petite 6800 Series Watch
Gucci Women's Bangle Watch
Gucci Women's 6800 Series Watch

Fashion Accessories, Women's Gucci Watches.
I absolutely love the shape on these. And the materials, particularly on the first two. The shapes remind me of the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi. Biomorphic and 'Art Nouveau' I think. Really clean faces here again. The shapes bordering between lavish and refined in such a careful balance. Really beautiful.

Left To Right:
Gucci Women's Signoria Watch
Gucci Signoria Diamond Square Mother-Of-Pearl Dial Women's Watch
Gucci Women's Signoria Watch

Fashion Accessories, Women's Gucci Watches.
Definitely 'Art Nouveau' here. Really classic. The shapes are completely amazing. And I love the way that square face is at once floating and locked within them. I particularly like the one with the leather strap. The mixing of materials between the hardware and the strap is nice I think. Gives it a certain texture relative to the other two. But honestly can't take my eye off of that interesting geometry. It's skeletal in a really soft beautiful way.

Mixed:
Gucci Women's Synthetic, Leather, Steel, And 3900 Series Watches

Fashion Accessories, Women's Gucci Watches.
And lastly, these are the simplest of the batch. But still very playful in terms of materials, colors, face texture, and the extremity of that narrow proportion. Super slim, thin, and sexy. Think they would all work equally as well in dressy and casual situations.

Now remember, you can scope any of these watches out on the Blue Nile website simply by clicking on the respective image above...Best, Thomas-Michael