Let’s face it: the chances your brilliant idea for this year’s Halloween costume is even the slightest bit original, are slim to none. Whether your rags are as obvious as an #occupywhatever protester, or as obscure as a sad reenactment of Edgar Allan Poe (Edgar Allan, who?), chances are, someone, somewhere, is…
Potential costume contest participants be warned: local creatives Steve Weiss and Abbey Messmer are back in the studio and working on their get-ups for Halloween. The duo, known for their annual mutant pinata creations and individual projects (Weiss is the indie film programming guru at No Festival Required; Messmer’s a local painter),…
Chris Birkett is used to people driving slowly past his North Scottsdale home around this time of year. Not only do folks lay off on the gas pedal, they also have a tendency to make hasty U-turns to get another look. Such driving maneuvers shouldn’t come as a surprise, since…
Phoenix fashionistas (and their mostly bored boyfriends) turned up to the Phoenix Art Museum to hear Neiman Marcus’ fashion director, Ken Downing, talk trends. The effervescent string bean of a man walked the hundreds in attendance through slides of runway shots illustrating overarching themes and ideas shared by different designers,…
The Vogue shoe closet — Carrie Bradshaw thought it was an urban shoe myth, but the maker’s of the documentary God Save My Shoes are going to let you peruse the rows upon rows of designer shoes hidden in the depths of Vogue’s New York offices. It’s not a shoe myth anymore…
Zinnias at Melrose is one of the Valley’s largest antique shops at Indian School Road and Seventh Avenue, the unofficial starting line of the antique-lined Melrose District. The a two-floor, 15,000-square-foot warehouse is less boutique and more enormous closet, where garage- and estate-sale finds are given a second chance by more than 30 vendors,…
Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. This week we hunted down three gems that could be styled as Halloween costumes. Whether you’re looking to add fun touches to your already-planned getup, or you’re in desperate…
Welcome to the latest, greatest example of “how to waste your money in a corporate coffee giant” — the coffee spill tee.To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Starbucks brain trust wrangled 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner and fashion designer Alexander Wang into “reimagining” the logo for a special edition of women’s soft knits. It then successfully…
The caffeinated, sugar-induced craft bonanza that is Coffee, Cookies & Crafts will usher in a marathon of holiday-themed gifts, craft supplies, and interactive activities in Downtown’s Bragg’s Pie Factory. And while the event’s November 19 date isn’t quite past the threshold of “accepted beginning of post-Thanksgiving holiday pandemonium,” we’ll be the first to…
Halloween house parties can be very memorable affairs. It’s safe to say, however, that you’d probably like to be remembered for having a killer costume instead of being the dolt who spoiled the affair after puking in the closet or wearing an offensive outfit. Since it’s likely you’ll be heading…
Local blogger Katie Leavitt says she believes style is a language that she enjoys expressing on her blog, Running on Happiness. “The great thing about personal style is that it is ever-evolving,” Leavitt says. “As I have gotten older, and dare I say, wiser, I’ve learned that style doesn’t have to…
Art walks are more often about people watching and shenanigans and less about the actual art. Third Fridays in downtown Phoenix are a little different.You’ve seen our First Friday Field Guides, which cover the arts and shenanigans around major neighborhoods in downtown Phoenix. And now we bring you a more art…
As kids, making a jack-o-lantern was simple: Scoop out the guts, carve a couple eyes and a jagged-looking mouth, pop in a candle, and voila. It was the perfect Halloween decoration for your front porch that would usually last until the neighborhood hooligans would smash it to bits. Nowadays, however,…
Yes, they’re serious, and yes, they’ve even provided a How To on knitting turtle necks and booties for what may eventually be a terrible move for the penguin race. (After all, we’re talking style and survival here, folks, as no penguin is going to take another seriously if he’s wearing…
The Easley clan has been through a lot of Halloweens in their day. More than half-century’s worth of ’em, to be exact. Four generations of the Easley’s family have been selling and renting costumes to Valley residents out of their namesake yellow building on McDowell Road and 7th Avenue for the past…
Domestic Bliss, and a boutique in downtown Mesa has just the solution. As its name implies, Domestic Bliss carries whimsical clothing and rustic decor for well-to-do women and children. Its neighboring by-appointment showroom, FOUND, carries slightly more eccentric decor and furniture (think Anthropologie’s home section, in neutral-vision). It’s all quite expensive, with…
Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: This Missoni for Target open cardigan has alternating navy and teal zigzags. It’s a great find from this limited collection because the knit showcases the design house’s signature…
Seattle native Katherine Thornhill believes the old saying that if you feel good in what you are wearing, your attitude will show it. “Personal style is important to me because when I feel good in what I’m wearing, I feel confident in who I am,” Thornhill says. “There’s nothing better…
Lisa Jacobs, aka Sticker Club Girl, has always been attracted to functional art, so she says the transition from fashion design and crafting to her latest collection of custom jewelry was a no brainer. “You can put a painting on your wall and admire it,” she says. “But with jewelry, which is…
What are you wearing? Vintage silk top, Anthropologie skirt, Seychelles shoes, jewelry from local designer Ayofemi, bag by Pilcro & the Letterpress (from Anthropologie – which I maybe bought because I’m also a letterpress printer and loved the brand name)…
Valley resident Melissa Kaylor has a major yen for video games. If you didn’t get a chance to speak with her this past weekend at Devastation 2011 (or purchase her old school plastic pixel art), the 24-year-old devotes most of her free time to game-related projects under her online persona…
Each week Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: This handmade skull brooch is perfect for fall — particularly with Halloween and Dia de los Muertos a couple weeks away. With a wink toward Mexican folk art,…
