Light at Dusk

chambray dress $10 - Marshall's; orange cardigan $8 - Gap

I'm sorry for neglecting the blog, but in all honesty I've collected hardly any content since I've started school. I'm still adjusting to my new schedule, which really is not bad at all. My classes either start at 11 in the morning or 1 in the afternoon, and with the exception of trying to squeeze a meal in between three back-back classes and a three-hour night class, it's been smooth sailing. I'm also saddled with two roommates this year, due to the fact my school accepted much too many students. Even though our suite feels a bit crowded at times, everyone's generally friendly and totally considerate. Last Friday we embarked on a trip to Buddakan during Restaurant Week here in Philly and engaged in some good ol' suitemate bonding.

Like I said, I have two roommates this year, and so I regard any and all alone-time as precious. I'm not sure where the inspiration came from for these photos, but the sun was just starting to set and was casting some beautiful light and shadow in the room. I actually had to sit on my roommate's bed but I'm sure she didn't notice.

As for what's to come, I've discovered that my Art History class grants me free admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I love me some modernists, so expect at least one post from the museum. I'm also still working on editing some more concert photos so hopefully they'll be up soon. I hope everyone's autumn is off to a pleasant start. 

Jonathan Saunders Spring 2012

This past Wednesday in my Retail Principles class our instructor asked us to list a few of our favorite designers, brands, or stores. She collected our little pieces of paper and read off the rather obvious pattern of Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, and more Marc Jacobs...until she stopped at mine: Proenza Schouler, Anna Sui, and Jonathan Saunders. She admitted that she wasn't positive she even recognized Saunders' name, and wasn't he British? What's his signature, she asked. Had it not been 7:30 PM, one hour into my latest class of the week, I would have given her a more informative answer than "patterns and ombre," and a recap of his capsule collection for Target.

Jonathan Saunders is a traditionalist, at least in the design sense of the word. The young Scottish designer studied with a major in prints and textiles, so it was no surprise to learn each and every one of his prints for which he is known are created by hand. Even more incredibly, he builds each garment around its print which ensures that both the silhouette and design are each garment exist in perfect harmony.

His Spring 2012 collection took the concept of traditionalism one step further. Full patterned skirts that fell just below the knee and the most prim of frocks referenced the Mad Men era. Elegant baroque swirls in sweet sherbet ombre felt eponymous of spring. My personal favorite, while some considered them boring in comparison, was the small collection of flowing white dresses; I'd wear each one in a heartbeat. Another favorite look was an over-sized cardigan (layered over a powder blue brocade) in a bright fuchsia that, for the record, my grandpa would never wear. Elements of the most reserved sophistication were grounded by some scandalously sheer pieces. Each look was finished off with dramatically winged eyeliner (another personal favorite) and wrapped espadrilles in either stark white, solid black, or saturated primary hues. 

Skyline

I'm officially moved into my dorm and ready to start my sophomore year of school! There's a tiny bit of cleaning, re-organizing, grocery shopping, and decorating still to be done. Tomorrow starts our first week of classes as well. But most importantly, check out the wicked view of Center City from my living room window!