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!

Angela and Vanessa cover Honey Magazine

Angela and Vanessa Simmons may have grown up beneath a cloud of famous relatives, but that hasn’t stopped the pair from blooming into level headed adults. It also hasn’t stopped them from creating an empire of their own with sneaker line Pastry and hilarious reality show “Daddy’s Girls”. The sisters are covering Honey Magazine in a special double cover looking exceptionally fabulous draped in GStar, MadeMe, Lia Sophia jewelry, and Betsey Johnson, the girls sat down with HoneyMag.com to discuss everything from the evolution of their brand Pastry, Vanessa’s view on her private relationship, why Angela is saving herself for marriage, and their WEAVE! There’s a preview below, but if you’re itching for more check out Honey Magazine online.

I don't want anyone to ever judge my relationship or be like "Aha, they broke up" next week. I don’t need those words put into the universe, so I just keep all that stuff private.

On Relationships V:I don’t want anyone to ever judge my relationship or be like “Aha, they broke up” next week.  I don’t need those words put into the universe, so I just keep all that stuff private. And it keeps our relationship sane… even though he was on Daddy’s Girls this season.  We’ve known each other for like four years. I met him in NY, two weeks before I moved to LA. It started out as just friends because I was actually on a date. (Laughs) And then I was just like, Hey, he gets me. We’re both kids of… we understand each other. The weird points when I just want to be by myself, he understands and he wants to be by himself because we both know what it’s like being in families in the public eye.

On Virginity A: Ok, the whole virginity thing came out because of the breakup I had previously. And on the show, of course, it came up that I was saving myself for marriage. Is it weird that people know that now? Yeah, kind of. Do I care that much? Not really, because it’s not like it’s a bad thing. No, it’s not for everybody. Everybody doesn’t have to wait because that’s not what they feel their destiny is. But this is what I have to do in order to get a relationship where it’s all good. I just think that when the sex factor is taken out of the relationship, you really get to know a person.

On Pastry V:  When we first came out I remember they said the meanest things: “Oh, what do they know about sneakers?”  We kept working, getting better and learning more.  Two years later, the list of things that Pastry is about to foray into is freakin’ mind-blowing.  We’re reinventing it. A: We’re re-launching.  We had a little clothing out there and now we’re in the middle of remixing and changing it all up.  And we have some really cool shoes coming out.

On Hair V: I just took out all my extensions and Media Takeout’s like, “Oh, we don’t believe it” but it’s all my hair. A: At the end of the day, we got hair under these weaves.

Karmaswap: The Ebay Alternative?

In a little world called the internet, the go to destination for online retail has been dominated by one name: Ebay. We’ve all heard of the website; it’s probably the one place I can think of where you can find practically anything your little heart desires…well almost everything. In the past I’ve purchased a ridiculous amount of cosmetics, shoes, apparel, and even electronics on the site, and have spent countless hours bidding, rebidding, and searching for cost efficient alternatives to my favorite brands. Although Ebay has dominated the internet retail world, and has made it possible for the everyday person to become their own boss, like every Goliath it has a David. Ebay’s “David”, so to speak, is Karmaloop’s very own Karmaswap.

Being that I’m a avid online shopper and also super cheap, I came to the conclusion awhile ago that although Ebay is perfect for picking up a new or used iPod or two, and if your lucky some designer duds, it’s not street wear friendly. I’ve searched the website high and low for Hellz Bellz (my favorite!), Married to the Mob, MadeMe, and even some 10 Deep, only to come up with a few items to select from, or none at all. In my small part of the world, that is a EPIC FAIL. Where Ebay drops the ball in terms of carrying the alternative contemporary brands I know and love, Karmaswap picks up big time. Built in the same framework as it’s rival, Karmaswap gives individuals and brands the power to sell their new and used clothing, original artwork, accessories, and toys, to a wide range of street wear lovers, thus creating a Ebay-esq world where it’s easier to find a Crooks & Castle tee than a Zara dress.

Karmaswap is great for a few reasons...

After heavy research of the site – and by heavy research I mean purchasing things I probably don’t need – I’ve come to the conclusion that Karmaswap is great for a few reasons.

1) New Brand Exposure – For artists and new designers looking for some exposure, Karmaswap seems to be a great investment. I’ve got a couple of friends who have tried to sell their street wear duds on Ebay, but can’t simply because the website doesn’t have big enough demographic of people who are purchasing those things. Because Karmaswap is connected at the spine with the Godfather of street wear boutiques Karmaloop, small independent brands are exposed to a large group of people who may not only be shopping for those well known brands, but may also be searching for something new and exciting.

2) It’s Cheap - I’ve been lucky enough to be able to snatch deals from out of thin air during the height of my Ebay obsession, but the times I paid $45 for a Hellz shirt only to find it somewhere $10 cheaper, I wish I’d known about Karmaswap. I think it goes without saying that shopping for contemporary brands can be a bit on the expensive side, and in the past Ebay hasn’t made it any better on my poor bank account, but with the Karmaloop alternative you can rest a bit easy knowing you won’t have to pay $150 for that MOB track jacket you didn’t get to snag from last season.

3) It’s Hassle Free - You know how on Ebay there’s that whole bidding war thing you have to endure? You wait by your computer (or if you have shoppers OCD like me, by your phone) refreshing the page 10 million times a minute just WAITING for someone to outbid you so you can in turn outbid them, participating in this back and forth exchange for what seems like eons only to find some jackass nicknamed “CandyGirl348″ has swooped down in the last 20 seconds to steal your beloved Jeremy Scott for Adidas winged high tops right from under you. Ebay’s bidding process makes you do things you wouldn’t do in normal circumstances. Like plot on people and make death threats. I’ve been through this several times, and yes, every single time I have spewed obscenities at my poor macbook and thrown a bonified temper tantrum. Karmaswap is so easy to use and navigate, when I tried it on for size I thought its usefulness was a joke. Gone are my days of sitting by my computer afraid to even pee because of my fear of being outbidded. With Karmaswap, if you want something its as easy as “add to bag”, and of you don’t like the price you can offer the seller a different one. Needless to say, since using Karmaswap my computer has been saved from those inevitable tongue lashings, and I’ve also saved a couple dollars on headache medicine.

Ebay is good for something, but it ain’t street wear. If I needed a new lense for my DSLR camera, cosmetics , or even those Burberry shoes I’ve been dreaming about, I know exactly where to look. But if you’re anything like me and are looking for new talent, or those old faithful street wear labels, don’t be a dummy – Karmaswap is where it’s at!

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve teamed up with Karmaloop to offer our readers a one $200 Karmaloop Gift Certificate every week through the month of December.  All you have to do to be eligible to win is fill out the M.I.S.S. x Karmaloop Gift Certificate entry form.  Everyone who enters receives a $10 Gift Code to Karmaloop!  Easy money!

Also, check out some of our favorite Karmaloop items from A-Morir, LeSportsac, MadeMe, Rojas, Brian Lichtenberg, Costume Dept., Melissa Shoes, Joyrich, Melody Ehsani and Armor Jewelry.

Good luck!

El Tigeraso's In the Air!

Mad Decent sweetheart MalucaMala’s video for the banger “El Tigeraso” has just hit the web and as we promised when we brought you the release leak not too long ago, it’s KIND of the most loco thing we’ve seen lately. Lots of curlers, chancletas, tigerasos, and plenty of MadeMe… Worth the hype? Um… TU SABES!

Check out the video, directed by Lazlo, below. Enjoy!

El Tigeraso

MALUCA | MySpace Music Videos

DJPremium features selections from:
55DSL, a.v.max, Anlo, Antik Denim, Betsey Johnson, BLANK, CNC Costume National, Charlotte Ronson, Cheap Monday, Christian Audigier, Converse by John Varvatos, Creative Recreation, Crystal Rock, Custo Barcelona, Diesel, DimePiece, DITTOS, DJP Annex, Dolce Vita, Domino, Evisu, Fornarina, Frankie B., French Connection, GF Ferre, GSUS, Habitual, Harajuku Lovers, Hellz Bellz, Iodice, James Cured by Seun, Jean’s Paul Gaultier, Jill Stuart, Just Cavalli, L.A.M.B, LaROK, LNA, Love Moschino, MadeMe, MEK, Melissa For Vivienne Westwood, Members Only, Miss Sixty, nOir, NOOKA, Nudie Jeans, oh…Deer!, Paige Premium Denim, People’s Liberation, Pour La Victoire, Puma by Yasuhiro Mihara, Rachel Leigh, Radcliffe, Report Signature, sass & bide, Super, Taverniti So, Trash & Luxury, Trovata, True Religion, Umbro by Kim Jones, Unstoppable, Vintage1, Vivienne Tam, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and William Rast.