Fighting Fashionista

Last night, I learned about Linda Loudermilk. Why was I not informed of this designer sooner? Now I know how that kid felt when he learned about Bruce Lee. Love this jacket and wish to know what it’s made of. All of her designs are nice to the Earth. But she’s no tree-hugging hippie, check her out:

She channels nature’s punk energy into clothes of grace and volatility. But nature is less Loudermilk’s muse than her major mind-freak. When she patterns a jacket after a waterfall, it’s not about making something pretty to wear; it’s about holy fearsome awe.

Whoa. I like her.

So I have a confession. When I started Fighting Fashionista a couple years ago, (this is why the archives don’t go back that far, but here’s proof!) I wanted to fight for, by way of blogging, clothing (and maybe furniture and other stuff) that was not only awesome looking, but that also did not come into existence by way of human suffering, formaldahyde, or pointless animal killing. I was inspired by the now-defunct magazine Organic Style. But then I discovered it was actually really fricking hard to find hot fashion tht was also eco-friendly. Google searches didn’t turn up much, and I had, like, a full time job! So basically I got lazy and blogged about whatever the hell I felt like.

Fast forward to last night when I met Amy, who happens to have just completed a business plan for an eco-friendly clothing and furniture retail store. Now, the Fighting Fashionista is back on target, and ready fighting the good fight for real this time.

No, not Mandie Erickson, although she was exceedingly unpleasant as usual. The award must go to Social Life “editor-in-chief” Devorah Rose for insisting obnoxiously to the not-emaciated Laurie that when living in New York you do not eat, no really you do not eat, at all, ever , then asking her if she had lost any weight since she moved to Manhattan. Just. Mean.

The Jane magazine shut down was a bit disappointing. We didn’t get anything from Brandon Holley or Stephanie Trong but smiles, as if they were hoping for a severance so they could hang out on that ashram in India.

To some it’s extremely comfortable and chic. To others it’s bizarre and unflattering. Whichever camp you’re in, the tent dress is officially out, according to New York Magazine. The writer, Amanda Fortini, takes her cue from the fall runway shows, which displayed narrower, more structured, body-flattering designs (although if you click the link, the Galliano getup isn’t what you’d call form-fitting). She characterizes the poufy designs of the past couple years as a purposeful obliteration of the female form, making them look, in a creepy way, simultaneously child-like and pregnant.

For the last few seasons, women’s clothing has been in flight from women’s bodies. The tent, the trapeze, the bubble, the baby doll—call these dresses what you will, the dominant shape (if that word is justified) has been one that renders a woman shapeless. Such styles deliberately obscure traditionally eroticized parts of the body…

I’m quite sure I’ve caused my co-workers to wonder more than once whether I’m pregnant while wearing a billowy dress. But I also have to say that I’ve found these dresses to be liberating, rather than somehow threatening to my femininity. In a voluminous dress, no one can see my gut so I don’t have to suck it in. I certainly don’t have to worry about pantylines. And my beefy arms are happily adorned by poofy sleeves — my favorite aspect of the trend.

The turn away from fabric-laden pieces depresses me for another reason: when and if I finally become pregnant, I’ve missed the window of opportunity where I can walk into any H&M and pick up a dress that would work as a maternity frock. I’ll likely be stuck with Mimi Maternity. Curses!

UPDATE: Um, scratch that? Or maybe just throw on a belt!

Pretty cute, right? I have mixed feelings on the Jovovich Hawk items on ShopBop, but the stuff at Net-a-Porter reassures me that the Target line might be exciting. I’m all about a maxi dress for my trip to Hawaii on October! But I’ll have to search elsewhere; the Target line won’t be available until early next year. Either that or purchase this $610 beauty. Soon as I start to turn a profit on this here blog.

The Fug Girls are blogging for New York Magazine during fashion week once again. I’ll be refreshing Heather and Jessica’s page regularly to get the real story from Bryant Park — the aesthetic atrocities, the pretension, and the booze to ease the painful feet.

These are a weird color but I love it. Brown/gray? Is that possible? as the Flight of the Conchords would say. I’m seeing a lot of gray for the fall and winter seasons, and since I’m a slave to fashion I will obediently purchase these boots.