Jean Paul Gaultier's Incomparable Visual Wit at Vnyc

Before securing his status as the rebel bad-boy of French Ready-to-Wear in the early 80's, Jean Paul Gaultier cut his teeth at the iconic houses of Pierre Cardin & Jean Patou. There he mastered the art & craft of haute couture- exceptional technical skills that lend his insouciant fusions of pop-culture, tomboy glamour & street style the kind of luxe punk cache that fans and collectors find irresistible.

80's Jean Paul Gaultier Purple Zoot Suit-$418

Jean Paul Gaultier Layered Pinstripe Jacket-$268

Jean Paul Gaultier Plaid Jacket with Split Hem-$254

Inspiration: Artist Kimiko Yoshida

Artist Kimiko Yoshida's self-portraits from her series of works "Marry Me!" & "Intangible Brides" have been in our inspiration files for some time now & we figured we'd share them with you since the notion of head pieces have been abused so terribly in the pop-music arena recently. Whether Yoshida's outfitted in tribal headgear & black face or topped off with tiara's on loan from Cartier, it's each image's restraint that we tend to be drawn to. Visit Kimiko.fr for more.

Stop Action: Our latest Vintage Editorial

Here's a few images from Vagabondnyc.com's latest shoppable vintage editorial, Stop Action, where you can click on the items that are highlighted in red to purchase.



Click here to take a look at our latest Shoppable Editorial now!

Photography: Toto Cullen
Art Direction: Mogollon-Ny

Happy Earth Day: Do Your Part, Buy Vintage!

After another year of crazy weather worldwide, Earth Day is back again on a rainy NYC day full of confusing weather. Do your part, buy smart!

Above: Aurel Schmidt's Man Eater 4

Completely Gratuitous: Group Home's 'Livin' Proof'

Being the hip-hop fans that V are, finding this mid 90's gem from the sadly overlooked m.c's of Group Home once again had us addicted, enjoy!

Smart Buy: 80's Katherine Hamnett Blouse

Our latest Smart Buy, this Katherine Hamnett gray tuxedo tail blouse, comes from our collection of New Wave Icon Aimee Mann's personal vintage favorites and it happens to make a smart layering essential year-round thanks to it's quiet play on proportion.


80's Katherine Hamnett Gray Tuxedo Tail Blouse-$252

Accessory of the week: Guillaume Hinfray Booties

Add a rugged ease to any look year-round with our latest Accessory of the Week, these chic dark brown Guillaume Hinfray short-booties that feature an equestrian inspired buckle detail on the back.

Guillaume Hinfray Short Booties, Size 39.5-$188

Stop Action: Vagabondnyc's Latest Shoppable Editorial

Our latest editorial was inspired by the dramatic stillness & timelessness of Robert Longo's Falling Man drawings. And though it features multiple decades worth of fashion history - Rudi, Issey, Margiela - we hope it feels modern & inspires the way you incorporate vintage into your day to day life.

Visit Vnyc to check it out...

Back on Track: Maison Martin Margiela

After a few seasons of overthought misses, Maison Martin Margiela seems to be on a roll with a forward-thinking yet practical Fall 2010 collection and a new fragrance:



This commercial for "Untitled" the maison's first and highly anticipated fragrance, beautifully captures the house's mystique and cleverly hits on all of it's identifiable trademarks. We think it may be one of the best fashion related commercials in history!

Fall 2010

Vagabondnyc.com Featured on FashionAir

One of our favorite fashion sites to come about of late, Fashionair.com, has featured Vagabondnyc.com Vintage in their Fashion-Bites section of "What we love this Week." Take a look!

Medal-Worthy Military Pieces at Vnyc

Military influences cycle thru the fashion system practically every other season and are often the victim of uninspired designs at the hands of fast-fashion chains. Avoid taking the literal approach & look for pieces subtly inflected with military references.

80's Thierry Mugler Cropped Peplum Jacket-$218

Marni Tiered Waist Camo Skirt-$114

90's Yves Saint Laurent Re-Issued Safari Dress-$242

Most Wanted: Celine's Bi-Color Shopping Bag

At this moment in time it's safe to assume that everyone with an eye on fashion has fallen for all things Celine and this exceptional bi-color leather shopping bag is top on our shopping lists.

Celine Leather & Canvas Shopping Bag-$1,216

Investigative Report #2 : You Copy-Cat, You!

Our latest Investigative Report had us floored! Usually Chanel accessories are dead-on and most often incredibly inventive, however this mixed bag patchwork tote(above) from Chanel's Fall 2010 collection is a dead-ringer for Louis Vuitton's more colorful and audacious number from several seasons back(below). We moved on from the cult of Kaiser Karl quite a while ago as we think Chanel needs some fine retuning & this obvious "borrowing" of an idea puts the house to further shame. Ah, what can we say besides long live Alber Elbaz at Lanvin!

Menswear: Mjolk Fall/Winter 2010

Living & working in New York city, we are often blessed with inspiration as New York ladies know how turn heads with their inventive sense of high & low dressing, however the city's men, mainly the hipsters who tend to pay attention to their attire, seem to be stuck in a perpetual rut. A typical uniform consists of facial hair, thick black glasses or Wayferers, a trilby, a buffalo plaid button-down, skinny jeans and high-tops or military boots, and we've had enough to say the least... Get your man to say au revoir to the typical, bye to the sporty/preppy 80's redux, bye to the severity brought on by Dior Homme and hello to the wonderful hybrid of norms that makes Mjolk's Fall 2010 collection so quietly strong. It's a bit preppy, a bit nostalgic of the 40's, a bit dandy, and a bit sporty with just the right amount of playfulness brought on by variations in proportion. There's nothing awkward, or too forward thinking, everything is simply dead-on in it's simplicity & ease.

Ultimate Collaborators: Alexander McQueen & Bjork

The fashion world may have lost one of it's greatest talents when Alexander McQueen passed this past February, but singer Bjork also lost one of her greatest collaborators as well. Together the two art directed Bjork's iconic 1997 Homogenic album cover along with Nick Knight and McQueen also happened to direct her 1999 video for the single Alarm Call. Beyond those considerable early collaborations, Bjork continued a life-long friendship with McQueen and wore his clothes exclusively while performing and in several videos to come later on. On her site Bjork has made a special dedication page in which she graciously expresses her appreciation for his genius insights during the early stages of her solo career. We're all missing him too...

Sheer Drama: Spirng's Frothy Propositions

It would seem as though finally fashions obsession with hard edged, Newton-esque sexuality has been eclipsed by the demurring sensuality and femininity of the boudoir. Sharp shoulders and studs galore feel dated while soft silks and sheer fabrics appeal to Spring 2010's new pared-down mood. Here we offer a selection from our range that reflect fashions current flirtation with all things pretty.

Krizia Lace Apron-Style Layering Piece-$138

90's Sheer Blue Lace Warp Front Grunge Era Dress-$98

Mid 90's Helmut Lang Sheer Sculptural Skirt-$378

Fall 2010: London Show Rooms in New York

A few weeks ago New York fashion editors, stylists & buyers were treated to a special viewing of London's latest crop of forward-thinking labels at the Soho Grand Hotel in a series of cheery showroom style vignettes, with each designer on hand. And what a treat it was as each designer graciously walked visitors through their collections touching on their inspirations, fabrications & construction. And for fashion junkies like ourselves that haven't been able to cross the Atlantic to view the inspiring energy these designers display on the catwalk, it was an exciting event to take in. One was left amazed at how strong and individual each of these young designer's visions are. Here's a quick break-down of some of our favorite labels in participation:

Louise Gray(also shown above)
In just a few seasons Louise Gray has built quite a name for herself with her bold eye for mixing quirky prints, textures & colors like one has never seen. Gray has a knack for combing her explosive textiles with a certain street style attitude that makes her adventurous ideas grounded in an upbeat user friendly reality.

Hannah Marshall

Touching upon London's recent re-finessing of early 90's hallmarks from body-con, to velvet & cut-outs to the now ubiquitous shoulder pad, Hannah Marshall continues to deliver brazenly sexy collections perfect for party-girls on the go. What sets her apart is her calculated restraint as her aesthetic also picks up on the era's crisp minimalism, ultimately creating pieces that may also be sci-fi and a tad other-worldly, yet simple enough to just throw on and run out the door in. And to create such strong, powerful looks that one can wear with such ease, now there's a genius go-to label in the making.

Meadham Kirchoff

The boys of Meadham Kirchoff have been on our radar's since their first collection several seasons back as we are fans of their plays on Edwardiana, romanticized grunge and effortless layering. And while every other Fall 2010 collection hit on the strict over-hyped "need for clean," their brooding lace veiled maidens sent out in a hyper-mix of prints and ethnic references felt refreshingly optimistic. Broken down, the collection is full of easy-to-wear, beautifully made, quirky pieces that have a recognizable disheveled beauty to them.

Todd Lynn

Todd Lynn was also on hand to wow us with his inventive, beautifully constructed takes on what's come to be known as "futuro-goth," the kind of distinctly urbane, moody and sculptural pieces men & women the world over have been living by ever since Helmut Lang & Rick Owens came on the scene. Lynn's take for Fall 2010 came in a refreshingly light palette of woodsy neutrals & matte leathers that lent the collection a softer vibe.

Mary Katrantzou

The latest master of prints to come on to the London scene, Mary Katrantzou, had a bevy of light-as-a-feather dresses & separates on hand that were covered in beautifully mastered digital prints that combined the designer's Art Deco signatures with genius trompe l'oeil prints that came in the form of deceptively printed ruffles, jewel prints & lace panels.

Marjan Pejoski

Marjon Pejoski's collection has made a complete turn around ever since his infamous swan dress for Bjork. Once a playful street-oriented and highly elusive label, we were taken aback by his new found luxurious restraint. Ornately sequined cob-web adornments, a vaguely 20's vibe, and uses of sheer chiffon and intricately detailed chain panels were only further proof of Pejoski's decidedly ultra-luxe new beat.

Holly Fulton

A look at Holly Fulton's range brought forth so many references to mind from Deco & digital prints, to 50's kitsch, and on through the 60's Mod era, and that's quite a broad range to patch together so beautifully. Along with being a master with prints she's also managed to garner quite a reputation for her vaguely Art Deco inspired bib necklaces and jewelery that somehow manage to blend into each look effortlessly. And that's part of why Fulton's collections are always so intriguing, they have a giddy yet polished look, it's not too dainty, not too heavy, but just right and at the same time refreshing. Most impressing however was how light everything was, an ornately embroidered mod-inspired shift dress per say, was as light-as-a-feather. Proposing such a delightful lightness to cocktail hour dressing should continue to keep Fulton top ranks on everyone's radar.

KTZ


Uber hip super high-street mega emporium Kokon To Zai's private label KTZ has quietly gained a cult status among the cool kids and ballsier party-minded fashion folk in the know with their wildly inventive takes on streetwear. Their portion of the event was filled with outrageous takes on the haute-bourjeois era of the early 90's complete with lame ruffled pants, gilt crests and jeweled appliques. In the mix were more grounded layering essentials from smart knitwear to the now essential modified sweatpant.

Accessory of the week: Krizia's Lace Apron Tunic

From Krizia comes our latest Accessory of the Week and one genius proposition, this tunic-length black lace apron that can be worn a myriad of ways year-round in & outside of the kitchen that is.

Krizia Lace Apron Tunic Layering Piece-$138