Waiting so patiently for snow to come has been depressing enough, but when it hit the city of Syracuse today the usually ugly and cold became a little less ugly and a-lot more cold. It’s interesting to see what little snowflakes can add to a picture. All taken with iPhone 4S, DSLR was not on hand.
While Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj are colorfully present in the pop music industry, there are a new fleet of women edging into the culture with their own sounds. I would like to say it started with Lana Del Rey, but I would be lying. I do think that she set the stage; literally, for the new line of women who are trading auto tune for raspy chords, and sequins for distressed denim. We can see the ever changing Rihanna moving into this vintage landscape too, focusing more on the hipster sex appeal v.s. the cat woman leather kind. I don’t think these girls should be considered second hand, I think this spring when the techno party music has kind of died down and the flowers start to come through the soil, the popular sound will change with the atmosphere. These girls, not only talented, have an obvious outer beauty. It’s like the everyday women’s worst nightmare. The fashion models on the catwalk are suddenly walking onto a different stage. Florrie, Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding even and Sky Ferreira are the new trendsetters. Here are some of my top song choices.
Photo Cred: Getty Images
Rihanna’s 7th studio album “Unapologetic,” is honestly a huge disappointment to one of her most adoring fans and to the music industry itself. Although the Chicago Tribune put it down a bit gently, I feel more as the L.A. Times referring to it as a fast food hamburger is the most accurate. Because before I get so excited to eat one, but after ingesting and digesting one of those burgers, I always get a stomach ache. And as soon as I listened to the first track, “Phresh Out the Runway,” I got a stomach ache. And just like after that gross burger, comes the potential of food poisoning. This album is poison in my opinion to Rihanna’s career and especially any happy feelings I had towards her. Not a single track was written by her, and honestly in her case I think that’s for the best. Do I even know where to begin? I go to music for clarity, to make light of situations and to feel as if an artist represents me with every changing chord and lyric. But this album would make the little always smiling sun baby from the Teletubbies cry it’s eyes out. I was a little hesitant about “Diamonds,” hoping that something good would come out of that song and video, but being a girl and liking shiny things is not going to help win me over with the rest of this album. It makes me miserable, have a headache, and then I just get straight annoyed with the whole “Nobody’s Business.” At least Chris Brown almost forms the word business when he is singing his side to the duet. But come on Rihanna, what message are you sending? I am all about power to women, but moaning and groaning about how messed up you are over a douchebag that beat you up in “Love Without Tragedy/Mother Mary,” and then basically pulling a publicity stunt as large as Miley Cyrus getting engaged for what, support? You were so strong and now you’re so blatantly weak, which would be fine if you actually worked on making that work for you, making me want to support you like in Rated R. In “What Now” which is one of the only tracks besides “Jump”, and “Lost in Paradise,” that I can listen too, I seriously am wondering “What Now”? Have you given up on the support of your fans to follow your heart? Because that would be fine.. if you hadn’t rubbed it in our faces that you just don’t give a “phuck?” Are you happy, miserable, or lost? And if you can win me back on this, can the next album be more like a filet?
I am SO SO excited to announce to you that this holiday season, Dec. 1, 2012, to be exact, in over 700 Target stores and 200 Neiman Marcus’s the Neiman Marcus for Target collections will be available in store and online. I find this to be more exciting than the rest of the pair ups that Target does with designers. THIS IS HUGE. Expect designers including Marchesa, Tory Burch, Prabal Gurung, Proenza Schoeler, Diane Von Furtsenburg, Alice and Olivia, Rodarte, Skaist-Taylor, Robert Rodriguez, rag and bone, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Derek Lam, Judith Leiber, and Jason Wu.. just to name only a few! The prices range from under $10 to over $400 and the selection will be dazzling. I cannot wait, so be by your computers ready to snatch the pieces and deals of a century! Neiman Marcus is close to my heart, and every year I get that beautiful shining Christmas Book and treat it like the September Issue. I can’t wait to expose myself to this kind of luxury, this cheap!
This holiday season I have been finding a ton of dresses that I would love to wear to that one major holiday party and then all the rest that are just drop ins, as well as when that ball drops. I am picturing what kind of look I want, rather it be the sexy kind of ball dropping or sweet, and mistletoe inclined. Lately, with Ri Ri’s upcoming album about to unfold, I have been revisiting her past. Listening to her old music has made me really want to watch the old videos. Obviously this new diamond theme is really taking it’s tole on the fashion world today, but with all that aside, the old Rihanna and the new clothes are perfect directions to take for this holiday season. Infinitely sexy and sophisticated. I have picked a couple of videos and dresses from three of the top fashion sites to give you exclusive holiday options.
Umbrella: One of my favorite songs ever, gives more of a silver and black leather theme. Who doesn’t love a silver Stila eye for the holidays?
Rehab: The video and song that I had forgotten and wanted to remember. I really feel like Rihanna captivates all the holiday season collections, and perfect party wear.. in a video from 2009. Hey, what’s old is new.
Man Down: Maybe you’ll be cruising around Barbados this Christmas? Fringe is def. a look to go with.
You Da One: Emody-ing the black, white, and stripe this season. Be the jester at your own party, and throw on some red lipstick. Well, apply with care please.
Diamonds: Most importantly, remember to sparkle and shine!
Chanel.. I expect a little more from you. Especially around the Holidays. He is past his prime of just looking at a camera and making me swoon. It was “inevitable” twenty years ago. This is just scary.
During this whole braving the weather/freaking myself out Hurricane Sandy shit, I came across an article in British Vogue highlighting the Spring/Summer 2012-13 collections in London. Besides the usual pastels, prints, bombers, checkerboards, and statement sneaks, one piece of information def. stood out more to me than the obvious interest in knowing what to buy for my May London trip. (Fingers crossed!) The new creative director of Yve’s Saint Laurent, or ‘YSL’, Paris, is planning on having the company undergo a major name/game changer from YSL to SLP… Saint Laurent Paris. There are so many things I feel about this I am not sure where to start. I was never around for Coco Chanel to make Chanel, Chanel. Or for Martino and Mario Prada to make Prada, Prada. So why this iconic brand? The reasoning behind changing the name, is because of two things. The company is undergoing a fashion makeover, by the new leader Heidi Slimane. And, ‘Yves’, is too hard to pronounce for the common customer. Let me just say, that there is no such thing as a “common customer” who can purchase YSL merchandise. Bag prices are way above the triple digits in pricing, and shoes also. And I’m assuming that people who go as far as purchasing makeup and clothing, have a knowledge of the brand and know the quality the name Yves Saint Laurent represents. It’s French, people. Get over it. Customers I know also mispronounce the Saint and the Laurent.. if they can’t say “Yves,” then how can they get the accent right on the “Saint” and the “Laurent” so it doesn’t sound like the name of a river in the United States? Coach went through a huge creative redecorating and remodeling of the brand to become new and fresh, while still maintaining the classic namesake. Why can’t you, Heidi Slimane, do the same for Yves Saint Laurent?
I literally cannot watch this without crying. So far, this is the best proposal I have ever seen. You know, besides the one in Sweet Home Alabama where he gives her all of Tiffany and Co. But in all seriousness, that is one lucky lucky girl.
“I never envisioned a character, pop project, band or solo artist. I saw a simple group made up of many people who had the same hearts. A space for people with similar ideals who could not fit in to life’s pre-made mold. I was terribly awkward for a long time! I really craved to be part of one thing because I never felt too connected to anybody and now I feel I have that all around me.”
She’s smokin’, talented, and unique. What else do you need?
I’ve come to realize that people either love you or hate you. There are times when I feel that even the one person in this world that loves you unconditionally, still can seriously treat you like shit. And that is definitely not “out of love,” as everyone says. When writing this blog, I often wonder how many people think this is shit. And then I think.. well, do I really care? And then I think.. well maybe only 3 people actually read Bootsie regularly so I really have nothing to worry about. I have noticed, that after buying two diaries at Francesca’s in order to regain that childhood feeling of diary expression, and then never wrote in them; is because this is a form of me journaling. I use my blog mostly to feed my hunger for expression and fashion and love, not just for other people to view and read. I wonder if there really were so many people reading, if I change my views and ways of thought? At the same time, I don’t really ever want to change. I hate that the internet is taking over the world, and that sweet, soft spoken letters became emails, and that texts mean more now than actual vocal words. But at the same time, where would I turn in moments of creative ideas popping in and out of my head at lighting speed? Because I know that I love you, is not the same as I ❤ u. Reading my diaries from when I was a kid, gives me that gung ho feeling I need to push forward in the literary/web world. Basically, I hope I don’t change too much.
Bootsie 