Things That Make Me Squee - Candy Stripper AW14

I mean, seriously. Come on. For real.

TOO DAMN CUTE.

I want everything.

Candy Stripper is a Japanese clothing brand akin to high-end highstreet with prices along the lines of Reiss, Karen Millen or Monsoon but an aesthetic closer to Wildfox, House of Holland, or home-grown Irish brand, Pretty Owls Drink Tea. Except with the cuteness amped up. And said adorable look doesn't come across as overly twee or ungenuine as it screams organic Harajuku style. 

Designed by Yoshie Itabashi with a concept of "No Rule, No Genre, No Age", the AW14 collection clearly mirrors the brand's mission statement exactly. It does lots of different things and adheres to no single genre but, instead, coherently mixes several together. The "No Age" part might jar with some upon looking at the styling lookbook but I think that might be a matter of said styling and a cultural issue on our part. I like that they want anyone to wear the clothes - and if they appeal, you should definitely go for it! 

To consider the mixing of genres for their AW showing, I think I've cracked the recipe:

1 part punky tartan

1 part Clueless/House of Holland colours

1 part unicorn

1 part sportswear

1 part manga

1 part schoolgirl

1 part urban styling

1,000,000 parts cuteness

So, I'll go back to squeeing in a corner and wishing they had a store in Dublin now. Bye.

(Images via candystripper.jp)

You guys feeling it too? THE NEED.

Rodarte, I love you.

I think Rodarte is one of those labels that I love personally but talk about infrequently on here. Perhaps it is because I love it so much that I don't saturate my blog with talk of it. I keep it as something to enjoy on my own, something for myself and not to be shared. However, I can no longer stay silent on the matter. Every day my tumblr dash throws more and more Rodarte goodness and I become more entranced, fall more thoroughly in love. And today, I got this (though I realise I'm almost a year late to the game):

Rodarte + unicorns + a score by Beach House + fantasy elements... = utter adoration.

I mean, how could I contain my feelings after this? Every twist and turn the brand takes, takes me along with it. One knows what the label is and means but never quite what form it will take. There's a wonderful balance of honouring the customer while exploring and taking chances. The choice in models and faces is always on point. The accessories, the details, the nuances, are just so perfect.

And this video (shot by three-time Rodarte collaborator, Todd Cole)? Perfection! Sidney Williams is exactly the kind of face that immediately entrances me and makes me want to wear the clothes. She's a wonderful mix of warrior-princess and boyish, awkward teenager (except also flawlessly beautiful) in the video. Everything I wanted to be as an adolescent. 

And the clothes! Oh, the clothes! Sigh. I'm kind of in love with ear cuffs again and I was so over them up until now. Gimme some floaty dresses, on point leather and perfectly tousled hair, 'kay?

(PS Vote for them in the Webby Awards http://pv.webbyawards.com/2014/online-film-video/general-film-categories/branded-entertainment-scripted/this-must-be-the-only-fantasy)

Very BtVS, non?

Other reasons to love them.

1. Using art prints - I mean, who else would Van Gogh there?

2. Making tie-dye fresh again. No, really.

3. Using images from Star Wars and making it look like this.

4. Dat hairband - making barbed wire beautiful.

5. The makeup and hair pieces from the A/W 2012 collection. Sure the clothes were gorgeous but the makeup was perf.

6. This image of Kirsten Dunst for their A/W 2011 campaign.

7. The styling of the S/S 2014 collection.

8. ...I mean, so wrong, yet so right.

9. Elle Fanning in a Pearl Jam tee for the Rodarte curation of A Magazine.

10.  The other videos.

Wide-Eyed and Wishlist/Lovelist.

Things I'm loving, digging more of and craving.

1. Hello Kitty.

I have a serious problem. This is the only jewellery I've been wearing. I also now own a Hello Kitty purse, pen, jewellery making kit and mug. HELP. I just love her so. Must have more.

2. A decent toner.

I've been trying to find a good, organic toner. It's the only step missing in my skincare. This one from Hairtrade looks good. CRAVE.

3. The Only Lovers Left Alive soundtrack. 

It's just perfection. Growing up on Buffy made me think nightclubs were these hazy, mysterious places where music like this played and you may or may not meet sexy vampires...oh, real life, why do you let me down so thoroughly? I direly want this soundtrack on vinyl.

4. Only Lovers Left Alive, Her and the Veronica Mars movie.

Major love for all three of these. I do appreciate not being let down by movies.

5. Topshop Nails.

Want. Every. Colour. So frickin' good this season.

6. TanOrganic's Bronzing Powder.

I'll probably be posting a full review soon but I LOVE this product. Organic, Irish, packaged adorably - it's all I want from a bronzer. It's also a great multi-tasker; a bronzer, contour, highlight and I also use the matte shade to fill in my eyebrows for a more natural look.

7. Austen.

I've been binging...

8. Pastels.

Makes everything cuter. Immediately.

9. Pink Lemonade.

Is gone. Need more. NOM.

10. This Unicorn Clutch from Dolls Kill.

Holy God. I want. AMAZING.

Wide-Eyed and Brilliant: 10 Things I'm Loving Right Now.

1. Wildfox's Mrs Darcy Tee - The collection was adorable but this was IWANTSOMUCHMUSTHAVE.

2. Korean Beauty Products - SO CUTE. So cute, in fact, they made Sarah unable to look at them anymore the other day. It was an adorbs overload. Check out KollectionK to have a gander.

Korean Beauty Products by fitzpac featuring a pastel nail polish

3. Unicorns - No explanation necessary. I just want them on everything.

UNICORNS! by fitzpac featuring Topshop

4. The new Warpaint Album - It's as hauntingly beautiful as you might demand.

5. The new Dum Dum Girls album - Can I be in the band?

6. Brendon Urie - I've rediscovered 14 year-old me's crush...and the band, obvs.

7. Swatching - It's gotten out of hand...geddit? GEDDIT???

8. Green - Never a colour I've been fond of before and suddenly...

Green by fitzpac featuring a nail polish

9. VOYA products - Smells good, makes me glow and is so green (heh)! What more could a gal ask for?

10. The Enclave by Richard Mosse at the RHA - Reeaaallllly needs to be seen. Amazing.

(All rights belong to the artist, obvs)