Man Repeller

all photos courtesy of The Man Repeller

If you have yet to discover the witty, & quirky super-blogger that is The Man Repeller, then click here and step into Leandra Medine's platform of layering, arm-parties—sometimes even arm soirees, "gracelettes"— & more fashion perks that excludes attracting the Male Gaze.

So what is Man-Repelling? Well, it's simple, really: "outfitting oneself in a sartorially offensive way that will result in repelling members of the opposite sex. Such garments include but are not limited to harem pants, boyfriend jeans, overalls, shoulder pads, full length jumpsuits, jewelry that resembles violent weaponry and clogs," Leandra explains (business insider).  
Leandra has coined "arm-party," as decorating one's wrists with an array of statement bracelets, stacked on top of each other.  Personalizing these accessories with a "more is more" philosophy—along with her innovative approach to style—is essentially about unleashing the inner-you, rather than repelling (straight) men, as she often notes. While she has a slew of  press, a reference she made in Harper's Bazaar captures the assortment of ensembles, that well, aren't exactly alpha male-appealing: "I am the definition of my blog's name: the Man Repeller. To a fashion fan, I look stylish. To the average straight man, however, I'm not a bird, so why the feathers? I'm not a schoolboy, so why the ill-fitting trousers? And I am certainly not a Sikh ... so why the turban? Essentially, I'm wearing the sartorial equivalent of birth control"

Oh, and here's another good one:

"Being a man repeller becomes a process of elimination. If a guy is only really into your outfit and won't date you because of what you're wearing, they are too driven by the female exterior and don't care about your intellect."

I say, we cheer on the Leandra's, Alexa Chung's & Olsen's of fashion (vs. the Kim Kardashian's) and partake in our own 'arm party' this Halloween, yes? Yes.

xo Maria

Bloggers as Shoe Designers

London based shoe company Six, makers of shoes for Opening Ceremony bSTORE and Ksubi, recently teamed up with 6 of their favorite bloggers for a project called SIXby6bloggers. They asked said bloggers to design their dream shoe that would go into very limited production (20 pair each). Here's who they picked and what they dreamed up...

StyleBubble

FaceHunter

 Caroline's Mode

The Cherry Blossom Girl

Style Salvage

The Man Repeller

And the launch party in Paris...

What do you think? Although I would never wear them, I have to give Susie Bubble credit for her design. They are totally her and totally unique!
  The Cherry Blossom Girl's shoe is also very her. Pretty and feminine and something I could see on a commercial level.
  Caroline's shoe is obviously her nod to the uber coveted Chloe studded ankle boot from 2008. They still go for thousands on ebay! Her original sketch had the buckles on them, so I'm glad she decided against a direct knockoff for a project like this.
  I like the Man Repeller's booties. Simple, clean with some fun studs to make them edgier.
If you're interested in purchasing any of these shoes you can find them exclusively on SixLondon and Farfetch.com

It's so interesting to see non shoe designers designing shoes. I admit that I like hearing them say things like "It's not as easy as it looks." And that's just one shoe! Imagine a whole collection or two. ;)

I am currently stressing over the design process myself. I have a fast approaching deadline for both my Bebe and Cece L'amour collections and living at my parents house is less than inspiring, let me tell you.
Luckily I'm moving NEXT WEEK (!!!!) and am so excited! I can't wait to get back to outfit posts and to be in my own space again. Hope you're all having a nice weekend.



XOX,

Tumblr Time*

Once in a while I run into some ecclectic, & creatively put together Tumblr blogs (mine is here). A year ago -if not more- I ran into Lili Peper's blog, those damn city kids (here), probably at the worst time when I was in the midst of finishing my final year of college. It displays photos from fashion editorials which also portray her own style and personality.We both started following eachother and commented on each other's blogs. I later thought it would be fun if I asked a few "interview" questions, which we would post on our blogs. This would be a way to encounter new readers on Tumblr for me, and a great way for her readers to learn more about her:

1. where are some of your favorite places to hang out or eat?

LP: I definitely have found little magical places around the city where I love to hang out. On Franklin there is a cafe called the Bourgeois Pig where I spend a ton of time. It's tiny and personal with a fantastic environment that I would definitely consider inspirational. I also hang out on Larchmont Blvd in Hancock Park quite a bit, probably a little too much, haha. I practically live there as I am there almost every single day. There is another place in called Franklin Canyon Park which is a reservoir/park hidden in Beverly Hills, that I adore. It is honestly so beautiful and so inspirational and personally I have a lot of really valuable memories that take place there. As for restaurants I frequently eat at, there is Swingers, Gyu Kaku, Il Trem, Coral Tree Cafe, Urth Cafe, Katsuya, ect.

2. where do you like to shop?

LP: I love love love LF so I shop there quite a bit. Urban and American Apparel when I have something in mind that I sole need from those stores. Personally I am a big flea market/vintage store person so in that respect Melrose is my shopping paradise. I also do a lot of online shopping. Nasty Gal, Free People and Top Shop online.

3. any cool celebrity spottings? (you knew this was coming)

LP: Ah, the common "you live in Hollywood" question. I know this answer probably won't be as exciting as you'd hope but I honestly think of celebrities as normal people. So when I see them I don't even really notice. My father has a job that requires us to meet a lot of famous people, so I'm just kind of used to it. Also a lot of the events/restaurants/venues I go to celebrities show up. They are just going on with there regular lives just like everyone else, so I don't really think twice about it. Although once I was grabbing a quick lunch at the Chateau Marmont and Nicolas Cage almost hit me with his car, so there's that haha.

4. do you think there are any misconceptions about L.A. culture as a whole?

LP: Oh of course. There are a ton. L.A. is really like it's own bubble, it's own little world. Unless you live there or visit often, I feel like you completely miss what it is actually about. People only see the things you read about. Celebrities, Hollywood Blvd, stars, drugs, parties, ect. When I meet people in other parts of the world and I tell them where I'm from, they talk to me as if I'm an alien from another planet. It is kind of fascinating actually.

5. name 3 things your readers might not know about you

LP: Okay, I'm trying to think of little fun facts not many of my readers would know about me from my blog. I played soccer competitively for 10 years. I have an extremely large and unconventional family. And I really love acting. The first play I was in was Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, which turned me on to Oscar Wilde and acting.

6. do you have a style icon you look up to?

LP: I definitely have people that influence my personal style, but I always try to put my own twist on things. Off the top of my head, I really admire and derive styles from Edie Sedgwick, Kate Moss, Agyness Deyn, The Olsen twins, Ruby Aldridge, Chloë Sevigny, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Freja Beha, Rachel Zoe, and Alexa Chung.

7. what are your aspirations for the future?

LP: Right now I'm looking for internships with fashion photographers, PR firms, and stylists. So I'm hoping to be working by this summer in those subjects. I'm also working on building up my portfolio and getting my name out there. Other than that, I'm just traveling and finishing classes. Figuring my life out.

Thanks Lili, & all the readers. xo