What I Want for the Holidays #14

I’ve heard that tis’ the season for decking the halls, candy canes, and Christmas cheer, but for me the holiday season is about one very important thing: asking for and then hopefully receiving all the things I cannot afford on my own. It’s seriously THAT simple. This is about the only time of year, besides my birthday, that I can get away with asking for the ridiculously overpriced items that I absolutely NEED, and the ones I just don’t need at all. Since I’m older than 10, the illusion of Santa Claus has been shattered by the reality that my parents, siblings, and friends with REAL jobs have the ability to make my Christmas magical, and that my broke college student/pseudo freelancer salary can only go so far. So with that I present you the ridiculous items I asked for this Christmas. Let’s guess which one’s I actually get!

1) Apple 17-inch MacBook Pro: A couple months ago my computer crashed. And it took 3 years worth of pictures, music, term papers, and inspiration right along with it. When my computer crashed, my world went with it, so for the last 3 months I’ve been lobbying my parents, siblings, friends, companions, and even strangers for pesos towards a new laptop. Yea I could go out today and buy a PC right now if I really wanted to, but I’m don’t. Why? Because as anyone whose ever owned a Apple computer knows: Once you go Mac, you don’t go back. Too bad I don’t have $2,499 t0 shell out at my slightest whim. Damn you Steve Jobs!

2) MadeMe Leather Motorcycle Jacket: My list of lusts and obsessions expand and decrease on a daily basis, but of the few key items that have withstood the test of time, and my ADD, this MadeMe jacket has been numero uno on my list for a REALLY long time. Erin Magee subconsciously knows how to push my buttons, this jacket haunts my dreams and would look so perfect in my overflowing closet. Forget the fact that I probably wouldn’t be able to wear it until Mother Earth decides to stop kicking my ass with this 2o degree weather, I’d still probably find ways to wear it under my North Face with every outfit my imagination could conceive. Including the sweat pant get ups I rock when I’m feeling lazy. Yes. It’s that serious…

3) AlectoNyx Skull Cutout Tee: My good blogging buddy Cee makes these shredded tees by hand, and their beautiful! I’ve always been a fan, but since I’m cheap, I’ve never had the chance to be a customer. Her Etsy store is filled to the brim with her wonderfully manipulated garments, and this holiday season I’m itching to get my hands on this cutout skull tee.

4) George Esquivel Oxfords: I’m inspired mostly by menswear. Nothing gets my gears in motion like a nicely tailored look or smart shoes. This request is purely a label obsession. I’m sure I could get a great pair of oxfords somewhere for a reasonable price, but since my parental units, aunts, uncles, and grandparents encourage me to ask for what I want, I’m going for top of the line. George Esquivel please…

5) Silence and Noise Wool Band Jacket: I try to stay away from Urban Outfitters as much as humanly possible. There is WAY too many tempting items to spend my cash on, this wool band jacket being one of them. As soon as I saw it, I HAD TO HAVE IT. This is another one of those items I won’t be able to wear until Lord knows when, but like the MadeMe jacket, I’ll find a way.

As 2009 comes to a close and the excitement of what’s to come in 2010 fills us, we find ourselves reflecting on this past year…corny, I know but read on! I promise it gets better

It’s great to make lists of the ‘bests and worsts’ of the year. It helps us reflect on who we were and who we’ve become since. From big changes (new homes, relationships, habits, etc.) to the small ones (new clothes we’ve welcomed into our lives) we should see all of our ‘bests and worsts’ of ‘09 as experiences that will eventually polish and refine us into the person we strive to be.

For the second year in a row, we’ve been featuring amazing and inspiring ladies in our Women Making History series. Every person we’ve highlighted has brought amazing energy to the site that has allowed us to create an archive filled with women that are creative, mentally strong, each beautiful and confident in their own way. These women are capable of owning any room they walk in. They’ve worked hard…and they are just like you!

Our archive of 2008 WMH honoree includes Lanie of Hellz Bellz. She's in good company with Claw Money and Toofly and the ladies of DimePiece, just to name a few!

Women Making History: Michelle Kwan, Annie of Cubannie Links, The Ladies of Club Zonder Filter, Kerri O’Connell of Good Wood NYC, Kelly B. of Princess of the Posse, and Joan Baez (singer/activist)

This past March—aka Women’s History Month and the original idea for the column—we featured a whopping 37 ladies in that month alone. We caught up with everyone’s favorite around-the-way girl, Annie Basulto of Cubannie Links and also jumped across the pond to highlight the ladies of Club Zonder Filter, who gave us a look into the young Amsterdam based marketing company that brought L.A. Gear back in full effect!

Accessories were big in '09 and we got some of the best in the game (Kerin Rose, Linda Smyth) to talk about the trade! And what would Women's History Month be without a look at some historical ladies (Judy Blume, Peggy Guggenheim)?

Kerin Rose or A-Morir and Leah McSweeny of Married To The Mob both had great years and we were very lucky to catch them before they got too busy. We even caught Erin Magee of MadeMe and NYC DJ Roxy by the tails and those bunnies are always hopping around doing something awesome!

Women Making History: Betsey Johnson

We were a ridiculous-level of excited in August when we finally revealed to our readers—what’s now, one of our most popular features to date—Betsey Johnson! I remember receiving the scan of her handwritten survey in my inbox and thinking, BJ wrote on a piece of paper that was scanned (probably by one of her interns but it’s still her writing!) and sent to my inbox!

Randi hit us with a very proper write-up—ala Guy Smiley’s “This Is Your Life!” but better—that is still getting praises! And to make it even more amazing, our very own M.I.S.S. Liz Baca (our co-founder and soon-to-be birthday girl) shared shots of some vintage BJ pieces along with a story of how Alice Adams (Rock It Retro) sold Betsey a dress off of Ebay that eventually landing them both in the tents at Bryant Park for her F/W ‘08 J show!

We’ve even recently felt the need to put the spotlight our very own M.I.S.S. Kim aka The Hottstepper, who happens to be celebrating her birthday today (12/16)! Happy Birthday to our Editor! [Insert Invisible Prezint Here]

In September, Sarah Morrison told us that she'd drop everything to be an intern for Wendy Williams and how she think Twitter might be her calling.

You can't see them in this pic but Nubby Twiglet has a confident taste in shoes!

Photographer Brooke Nipar and writer Sarah Morrison both taught us that it’s okay to Missbehave. While friends, Nubby Twiglet (who I vote Best Dressed Graphic Designer on the planet) and the ever-so-awesome Gala Darling, taught us that surrounding ourselves with individuals that are as equally driven as we are, will keep the creative juices flowing…and it doesn’t hurt that these two both have a passion for fashion!

Make sure to visit Sophy's blog where she posts some of the illest nails in the industry.

To scratch that ‘nails did’ itch we featured ladies at the top of the game, of nail boutique Valley NYC, Julia & Nina Werman and  Queen of the Rainbow Tip, Sophy Robson.

Melody Ehsani gave us a look at the Final Frontier—her HOT AS FI-YUR accessories lookbook for Fall 2009! A 2009 must see!

Although a new year is always scary (will this be the year camo comes back in style?! *cue the horror music!*), it’s alway nice to have trendsetters like Melody Ehsani and Samantha Jo Alonso of Fruition there to forecast and shed some light on the future.

Women Making History is a great column to visit when feeling uninspired. Many of these woman have shared with us the things they find most challenging in their careers and it somehow eases us to read how hard they’ve worked because it reminds us that we are not alone in this struggle of ‘making it.’ Again, this was just a quick rundown to highlight some of ladies we feature in 2009.  Visit our ‘Interviews’ page to check out a whole more.

Also, please feel free to give these ladies a virtual high-five by dropping a comment or visiting their site. We always welcome thoughts and feedback, too. What are you digging? What do you want to see more/less of? Definitely let us know!

Now, bring on 2010 cause we’re ready for it!

MADEME x NINA SKY X NASTY ONES PRESENT:
TUESDAY, Oct. 27
OUR HOUSE
DR. Jeckyl x Mrs. Hyde
Halloween Edition

@ ELLA
9 ave A (btwn 1st and 2nd st)
10pm-4am
SPECIAL GUEST DJ’S:
Kim Ann Foxman (Hercules and Love Affair)
Mr. Mauricio
DJ. Lindsey
+
Ni**Sky
DJ Stealth Bomber

HOSTED BY:
Anthony+Cedric (Third Floor New York)
Rotten Apple Chics (Alistradio.net)

$5 all night w/ RSVP
WEAR A COSTUME!!
RSVP: info@mademeclothing.com
Invite Design: James Blagden www.jamesblagden.com

The "Tough Love" Fall 09 Drop from MadeMe

When I think of what is iconically sexy, sure, images such as a poised and perfect Jackie O, or a prim and proper Audrey Hepburn, are in the back of my mind. But, more in the forefront is the image of an icon who, as cliche as may be, was really one of the first to challenge the society’s concept of a “lady”– Madonna. From her virginal debut on the 80s scene complete with lacy leggings and Suddenly Susan motorcycle jacket, to her bondage-tinged 90s  Erotica phase, and her current roller-derby inspired look, Madonna has always pushed the envelope, and garnered a lot of respect along the way.

No one knows this better than designer Erin Magee-Albino, the creative brainchild behind NYC label Made Me. A longtime fan of the singer (Erin even has Madonna’s likeness tattood on her!), Made Me’s new Fall 09 collection, appropirately dubbed “Tough Love”, embodies the same spirit of challenging the convention of what sexy really is.

The Leather Rose-Print jacket is already a favorite with stylists like Radio Rose Garcia and performers like Nina Sky!

Inspired by androgyny and NYC street sensibility, the collection features traditionally masculine silhouettes in feminine fits, such as the stand-out piece, a butta soft leather motorcycle jacket covered with a beautiful rose print. A studded denim vest is just as tough girl in feel, perfect for layering over the brand’s statement tees and cozy-looking flannels. Erin’s personal favorite piece of the collection–which conveniently enough happens to be mine as well– is a rich grey T, embellished with a ton of intricate cut outs, giving it a hole-effect that is nothing short of simply bad ass! It’s rare that a line so perfectly matches attitude with aesthetic, but this fall Made Me’s delived a sublime collection I am LOVIN’ already!

Channel your inner Madge this fall, get sexy and get tough! Made Me’s Tough Love drops today, so go out and cop these pieces on their website before they sell out!

Pride San Francisco 2009

Rainbows, love, some debauchery…and more rainbows! Yep, it’s PRIDE month all right! In light of the recent Prop 8 ruling, this promises to be an especially amazing and emotionally charged PRIDE. Though the actual PRIDE parade is this Sunday, June 28th at 10:30 AM there’s plenty of fabulous PRIDE related activities to keep you busy this weekend.  Click here for the PRIDE official website.

For the movie-goers out there, check out the Frameline Film Festival. Filmmakers locally and from around the world converge on the Castro, Victoria and Roxie theaters to bring you some of the best LGBT independent film. Films run through Sunday, June 28th, so persuse the program guide and get your movie on.

Frameline: The Power of Film - Pride 2009

The SF Trans March kicks off today, June 26 at 7 pm in Dolores Park. Revelry begins at 3 PM with all sorts of performances and music until the march. Where my girls at? On Saturday, June 27th get your lady crew out for the SF Dyke March: the rally and performances begin at 3 PM in Dolores Park, and the march begins at 7 PM.

Ni** Sky x Oh Em Gee: Short N Sweet Mix

And last but certainly not least…Made Me’s Erin Magee has a musical treat she cooked up just for PRIDE; click here to get down to her PRIDE mix! Wanna show PRIDE love on your iPhone? (I mean, really who doesn’t love rainbows?)  START Mobile’s director and artist Samala has created a gallery that includes 16 PRIDE-themed wallpaper images – all for 99 cents! And the best part? 100% of all proceeds from the sale of the app will go to the Courage Campaign, a non-profit that supports progressive, grassroots politics here in California.

START Mobile Wallpaper for iPhone - Pride Edition

So, celebrate the people you love in your life this weekend – gay, lesbian, straight, trans, bi – however you identify, PRIDE is about community and supporting everyone’s right to thrive, love and be happy!

Dust La Rock Exhibit

We tipped you off to the Dust La Rock event last week and we hope you didn’t decide to Netflix instead….because this event was off the meat rack!

Dust La Rock Exhibit - outside of the Christopher Henry Gallery

After a fast-moving line at the Christopher Henry Gallery on Elizabeth Street, we checked out the first floor of Dust La Rock’s “Best of the Beast” (BOTB) exhibit and were greeted with some cold Red Stripes. Good way to butter us up. The night got exponentially better from there, because by the second floor the art got pretty boss.

Continue the read to see more of Dust La Rock’s work and some of the par-tay people!
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Women Making History

Week 4

Week 4—Sunday, March 22nd-Saturday, March 28th—of our Women Making History series for 2009 has come to an end (um, ok…it ended a few days ago…but you feel where I’m going with this ) and although we’re staring the last day of March, aka Women’s History Month, in the face, we’ve decided to take this daily feature on till the end of the week. Yep. We’re running the series into the first week of April.

As GDK mentioned in her lateset Letter from the Editor, we have a lot in store for you lovely readers, including some big changes in the coming weeks and due to an amazing response on the series, we will be bringing you many more Women Making History features on inspiring ladies throughout the year!

For now, stay tuned throughout this week for more features!

Below is the Week 4 round-up:

The Ladies of Week 4:

• Sunday, March 22nd: Gloria Steinem

• Monday, March 23rd: Joanna Douglas

• Tuesday, March 24th: Samia Grand Pierre of HighSnobette

• Wednesday, March 25th: Esther Kim

• Thursday, March 26th: Jenny of Yours Truly Brand

• Friday, March 27th: Erin Magee of MadeMe

• Saturday, March 28th: Madeleine Vionnet—”Queen of the Bias Cut”

…aaaand in case you missed any week one, two, or three features, we’ve rounded those up after the jump!

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Women Making History

Erin Magee

Prolific females fill a void when deemed necessary and a revolutionary movement is born. Enter breakout clothing designer Erin Magee, a New York City transplant who left Toronto, Canada at 18 to do just that with the creation of her feminine streetwear label, MadeMe.

Combining an array of edgy garments with the iconic sass of Madonna, Erin serves the glam and gritty feminine set with a collection that is not limited to graphic tees, acid wash denims, hooded leather jackets and geometric leggings. The streetwear aficionado earned her designing credentials while at Umbro, heading up special collaborations with Kim Jones and Supreme.

Her eye for quality and innovation led to the current position she holds as Production Manager for Supreme, a brand focused on epitomizing the skate culture of downtown NYC. In 2007, Erin broke the mold to satisfy women looking for street-inspired garments with a feminine touch by forming the MadeMe label.

Metro Pop

In 2009, the MadeMe label is stocked in over 35 stores throughout the world including cities like New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Sydney and Los Angeles. Erin has shown her collections at Las Vegas’ Magic Tradeshow, Barcelona’s  Bread & Butter Tradeshow and “Ladies First”, an independent tradeshow in Tokyo, Japan.

With four collections in tow, features in magazines such as Complex, Missbehave, GIANT, New York Post and NYLON, and attention garnered from female recording artists like Alicia Keys, there’s no need to scour the Internet and fashion stores for a reputable brand that embraces sexiness and edge; Erin Magee has the answer.

If you’re not already familiar with Erin, you’re sleeping! But don’t worry we got you! More after the jump!

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Back in November we posted some sneaky peak pics of Made Me’s spring line, the second collection by Erin Magee. To recognize the launch of the new line the Made Me site underwent a makeover and is ready for spring in white with turquoise & grass green accents. While you’re getting your groove on the site you can also purchase the new spring line! Yay! Acid wash suspender shorts here I come!! You better go soon ’cause I’m sure it’ll sell out quick!