My contribution to the Oscars this year…

…was the circle on the “red” carpet that the pretty people stood on to get their pictures taken at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party.

January Jones // By Billy Farrell/BFANYC.com.

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Isn’t it pretty? The funny thing is. When I was first designing this, they originally wanted 3 rings. Like so:

But. There was a fundamental problem (and a reason why there’s only 2 rings in the final design). Yea sure it looks great on screen, but I was doing some math… The rings were to be the same width as the stripes, which were 1 foot 4 inches. If you have 3 rings… the diameter of the cirlcle becomes 80 inches wide - which is 6′ 8″ — pause. Yea that’s not right. Just imagine a really tall super model with 6 inch heels, or say an NBA player who when you’re standing next to them you feel like you’re short regardless that you’re tall for an asian girl at 5′6″, laying down sideways, and you standing in the middle. The circle would be GINORMous.  (As to those still doing the math. it’s not 16 x3 rings - don’t forget the other 3 side of the rings. And yes this was the most math I’ve done in some time.)

Anyways. The issue was addressed, and the circle became just 2 rings, and less of that of a Target ad. There was such a old hollywood glamour feel to the whole look with the green and cream striped carpet. I quite liked it (though I cannot take credit for that design choice). It makes the dresses look so much better too, since red’s (of the red carpet) not the easiest color to compliment.

I was going to add a cheesy picture of my head photoshopped at the party. But I decided it was too cheesy. Click here to see the rest of the shots from the Vanity Fair Party!

So with that.. I bid you adieu!

I'm pictured on one of Adobe's Subpages!

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For more read up on my most recent blog post!

The funny thing about this cut.. is there’s a scene here where I’m looking at a fashion line up from style.com (love their app btw.) in my chair, but I was taking a NAP.. HAHA……….. It was fashion week! So I was out late the night before, walked in with my glasses because I wasn’t planning on getting “dolled up” till after work; saw all the cameras and video recording devices and was like… FINE I’ll put on my face now. But I was exhauuusted.

Anways. There’s a shorter cut of the video linked below!

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I much delayed recap of What’s Up with Kate.

I hit my two year anniversary in New York this past Labor Day weekend in September. Spent it out in the sun lounging in Montauk with friends. Not a bad way to end the summer and begin my 3rd year here. So much has changed this year from the last. My first year was constant change. First I hopped from job to job. Kate Spade to Vanity Fair, with a few short stints in between including one at GAP. And then I was homeless for 4 months.

(I rambled in this paragraph.. it’s skipable. Haha)
I was a nomad of sorts as my friend Alex Kim would say. In September alone I was in LA for a week, and then jumped from one couch for the remainder of the month (first chelsea, then midtown east, then upper west side). October I lived in a cute little studio in the West Village that had a sloping floor and then I moved a block down for 3 weeks in a 3 bedroom right next to a gay bar (there was always someone karaoke-ing. Didn’t matter the day of the week). There, there lived a dog named B-boy and some awesome people that I’m still friends with today. I lived in a studio apartment in Greenwich Village for the remainder of the year with my dear friend Christophe Wu who had just made the big move to NY (He’s now happily settled back in the bay with Google now though :])!

/end kate’s days of when she was homeless

However much of a hectic time this was for me in having to worry about where I was living next just about every week… to having suitcases and my stuff split in 4 different apartments… I want to say… that period of my life is when I best got to know New York. You really don’t get to know the neighborhoods of New York till you live there.

The year of 2011 started with a home (finally!) and two awesome roommates both from UC Davis, but… we didn’t know each other from there (LoL). I had my contract with VF for a year as well. For once life in New York had a bit of the word stable in it. The following is a snipet of what life is like at Vanity Fair, taken from the Adobe Max 2011 Conference (a shorter cut of the video on the Adobe website).

And here’s a candid shot of me laughing because they asked me to walk back and forth infront of our entrance while they filmed and snapped picture of us while we worked..

I almost went through a whole year without any drastic change. But BAM of course New York had to throw me another curve ball. There’s a new creative director (aka I have a new boss) at Vanity Fair. He’s just started and is a super nice guy. I see change coming in the future! But hopefully it’s good change :].

So that’s it in What’s Up with Kate Today. Hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the MIA-ness. Haven’t been sure what to blog about as of late.

xo

k a t e

Each one of these:

Hook with Leather Lashing // Farmer's Market Purse

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And a lot of this:

That’s all.

But my friends do love food :]. If you’ve talked to me about NY, my number one peeve is how hard it is to make good friends here.

People get stuck in “bubbles” very easily. Even though you are CONSTANTLY meeting new people in this city. It’s pretty hard to make new good friends. You might have a group that you see consistently.. but when it comes to that new cool person you met the other day, you might not see them again for another 3 months when you randomly decide to catch up. Ironically I think I meet the most interesting people online randomly via craigslist (no, not in the “looking for platonic relationships section”) but the exchanges made when I’m shopping around for unique pieces for my room (YESTERDAY I ACQUIRED MY LADDER. Bo Concept for 20 dollars buahaha. Refer to this blog post. 2nd image numero 4). Or for example, my first really good friend in New York was someone I was supposed to room with but things didn’t end up working out. He ended up being my best friend - two strangers on craigslist looking for a bloody place to live in this gosh darn city. haha.

I know some awesome people who do awesome things. So why not share?

Work’s been slow the past 2 weeks due to everyone being down in Hollywood for Oscars. So I thought I’d squeeze in another quick post. Friends inspired this quick one…

Sam Sellers

March 1st Submission // i LOVE his illustrations
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Today I found out my old friend Sam Sellers is partaking in 12-by-30: “a massive community art project that will require 12 artists to create 30 pieces of artwork over 30 days, resulting in 360 original pieces in 30 days.”

LOVE the idea. And having always admired Sam’s illustrative and creative mind, I’m glad they’re active in this project! Take a look at his first two for the first two days of March :]. They speak miles within themselves and we’re ONLY ON DAY TWO. Ecstatic :].

March 2nd // my gawd so many pretty textures and colors but oh-so-balanced goodness

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Liz Choo

Liz is my new roommate. Made the big move from California this recent January and she decided to start up a blog to document her new adventure on this side of the coast. Now let me tell you, this girl is HILARIOUS. She’s a Sagittarius like me which already makes her awesome, but I’m not that funny, and she’s hilarious. ANYWAYS. She dubbed her blog: “CHOO ONTHIS” Haha. My favorite are her “Noob Chronicles” section with posts like.. What you gotta do when getting groceries in NY, “Wintry Mix” on weather.com (Oh NY weather..).. anyways, swing by her blog and check it out.

Sample: From her “Noob Chronicle: Going to Ikea”

Going anywhere outside of your apartment (especially in the winter) takes a lot of careful planning. The right clothes, the right transportation, not too much in your purse, enough to carry coming home if going shopping…the list goes on. Of course I didn’t know this, so when my roomie brought up the idea of going to Ikea for some kitchenware, I quickly obliged, because well, hello? Swedish Meatballs.

The other day when we were out for dinner for my friend’s birthday, I mentioned to her that I thought the waiter was cute. She turned around, waved him down, and went on and got his number for me - face palm - well, he was cute, but he’ll be another one of those, will we ever actually meet up? Time will tell…

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So that’s that. I’m starting to get a little sporadic in this blog…. will ponder on order again… And there’s still a lot of loving i have to share with all the great people I know in.

Le Loves:

Catherine Malandrino + James Nares

Still love long drappy everythings. And I need me one of those paintings for my room. Blue brush stroke on white canvas please!

Diane Von Furstenberg bag + Italic Poster

Black and white please. Good design + good pattern + good type + good thinking…

Annnd suurprise!

I’m in Marie Claire in their March Issue :D go look for me! I’ll try to post a picture of me in it in my next post.. Which hopefully will be soon cuz I have things to share :]!

Oh!

And go check out Vanity Fair’s Oscar’s App. I’m actually excited for Oscars this year! I watched majority of the movies nominated! (- pats self on back-) In the app you’re able to vote for who you think will win, and once the Oscar’s air, our app will have behind the scene footage and live updates that’ll sync up with who you voted for! Check it :] You can get it for free here or just search for Oscars in your apps!

xo k a t e

Bed frame + detailing inspiration:

Let’s start with frames… Since I think that’s the first piece of furniture I should decide on…

Doesn't this look so divine and comfortable?? I can't figure out how it works!
It's like two huge cushions, with a cut out whole for the mattress in between!

1. LOVE the upholstered frame or however it was done. 2. Love white + textures
+ airiness 3. NEED ladder by bed for same purpose of hanging a book or a dried
bouquet of flowers. 4. Love the blanket drapping onto the floor

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I have white walls, exposed brick on two walls, sliding mirror closet doors, and cherry brown wood. Usually my room is brightly colored.. though usually I have carpet and white walls. The cherry brown wood brings in a whole new element. And being in NY - where weather right now is dreary to say the least, but the view outside my window are grays.  I’ll have leaves in the spring, so I’ll probably rethink my palette come spring. But right now I’m envisioning my white walls and cherry brown wood paired with a rich deep midnight blue duvet, with a white throw over that. I want to keep things really minimal in terms of how many pieces of furniture I actually have in the room. A bed low to the ground, that later to one side of my bed, a clothing rack with my gray through blue winter toned key pieces, and other small highlights.

But it’s been BLOODY hard finding a white frame that I like. Oh and I’m thinking possibly a low frame bed with drawers below it, since I don’t want to clutter my room with a dresser. Oh I don’t know! I don’t know where to begin and nothing’s been really catching me eye. Le sigh.

More detailing inspiration:

As to me and my life.. for those of you who don’t know, I was brought on as a contributing designer at Vanity Fair! I’ll here for the next year :]. Pick up the current issue/any upcoming one, my name’s under Contributers :D. I’ll hopefully find some time to share the work I’ve done over the last year here in NY. Can you believe I’ve been here a year and 4 months now! Goodness…

xo k a t e

Dress: Sass & Bide SS10 // Shoes: Vanessa Bruno SS10 //
Purse: Topshop Leather Pouch Cross Body Bag // Necklace: The Vamoose

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I know I haven’t posted in AGES. But I promise I recently started writing a blog post. Which is written in my moleskin. Which isn’t with me at the moment in time. So you’ll have to wait for an update post. But since I had a little bit of spare time on my hands at work. I fell on these pieces that I’ve fallen in love with and would wear tomorrow.

(…A week later.. It’s no longer February, and I have to change my blog title from: “Inspire me February” to what it is now.)

I want to feature two artists before I say good bye to February.. though I guess it already left without me. The above inspirational collage are two artists that left me awestruck when I fell upon them. It was only after that I realized the similiarities between the two. The organic lines and illustrative curves are the next step from the lacey delicateness that I love so much.

The fashion designer is Bora Aksu. He is a London-based Turkish designer. The image I used features his SS 2010 collection. Definitely my favorite.

What does it take to be a good designer?

You definitely need to have your own language. When you design, you need to have your own certain style and you need to have confidence. Also, you have to do constant research. You always need to have that thing in your mind saying you’re never beeing good. You always need to find new steps in your own design.

For the rest of the interview: Fly Away, but come back :]

I pulled out this quote because it really does apply to all forms in the art world. You have to find your own voice/soul/character to stand out from the rest. And I firmly believe in viewing the world around you and being inspired by the many beauties of the world - whether in nature itself, or in the work of others.

The next artist I want to feature is Yellena. I first went hunting for this artist when I stumbled upon this piece:

(Nother couples hours later..) I decided to go purchase the piece. It reminds me of water (my second habit), and a feeling of carefree-ness and beauty. Everything about it echoes me; it’s something I’d have to have in my room. It’s rare that I love an art piece so much AND it fits who I am. A lot of the times I just love things, but I probably wouldn’t own it. I’m excited! It’s the first art piece I’ve ever bought. I think.. Can’t wait to get it in the mail :].

ANYWAYS. Going back to the artist. She uses mostly pens, markers and other inks on paper. On inspiration:

I’m inspired by so many things that it’s hard for me to pin point one main source of inspiration. I’m definitely intrigued by microscopic worlds. I love discovering strange new life forms, plants, fungi, undersea aliens, etc. They spark my imagination and often inspire me to invent my own flora and fauna. I try to create new shapes based on what I imagine to exist within the unseen world around us, and attempt to suggest movements in my designs that we’re not accustom to seeing in our everyday lives, to sort-of pass that spark of inspiration on to others as they complete the movements within their own minds.

For the rest of the interview: Dive in, but swim back here after!

Her work is so exquisite! Before this gets too long. I’m going to close this up. Stay tuned for my Fashion Week wrap up :].

Much love,

k a t e

LOOK. right on my street corner :]

(Annnd back to my post)

One of those moments I just have to post right away. There’s something I reaaally love about this ad campaign. It’s so clean and so spot on to his line. Featuring Hannah Holman photographed by Daniel Jackson — it won’t be found in magazines — instead it’ll be all over New York! They are said to be up at Third Avenue and 12th Street and Grand and Crosby, as well as random hot spots throughout the East Village and Lower East Side. I can’t wait to see them up and about.

T by Alexander Wang S/S '10 // Image from wwd.com

“The [images] were originally only supposed to be posters we were going to send to editors and stores,” said Wang. “But I felt the energy was much more appropriate for something like guerrilla marketing than anything too proper or formal. Because T is really the core foundation of what Alexander Wang stands for, I thought it should be something that could be much more democratic.”

So why am I so attracted to this campaign? It’s just so clean! I mean most ads you see today are bombarded with colors/patterns/textures etc, and don’t get me wrong I still enjoy them, but everything seems to have been done as of late. This was a nice change of pace - and so New York and fitting for Alexander Wang. I’m not a huuuge fan of the typography caption. But I just love the simple black and white photography and l-o-v-e that it’s so suiting for this brand. Epitome of simplicity all around.