roses in her eyes

as an art fanatic, vintage fanatic, and lover of kitsch, it is only natural that i ended up here - in san francisco: adopted home of john waters, carol doda, and the proudest weirdos in the west. through my job as a shop-girl in a lingerie boutique (Agent Provocateur, for the curious), i am exposed to the seedy, glittering underbelly of the city - and it never ceases to amaze me. so it delighted me, but didn't surprise me, to find lola here amongst the lost & found- a girl with the same glint in her eyes, the same books on her shelf, the same heels in her closet.

we spent a recent afternoon with glasses of wine, making plans of vaudeville acts, sequins and top hats. Watched the semi-biographical movie The Dolly Sisters (see above photo, the one with the k-i-l-l-e-r maribou dressing gowns), with a DREAM WARDROBE that reminded me of - but i don't believe actually was - Edith Head's designs. We made an attempt at finger waves - a fail, by the way, with us learning to dilute the setting lotion much more next time. Rest assured a tutorial will be posted as soon as we have conquered the elusive finger wave! (ps, if you have any secrets, please pass them on!)

i've been thinking a lot about a new wardrobe, with spring poking it's nose out to tease san francisco this past week. this season will require: gloves, floaty gauzy tulle, neon pastels, punk band t-shirts, manic panic hair dye and - duh- lots of lipstick. inspirations include: debbie harry, the Fabulous Stains, vintage playboy, 1950's Las Vegas, burlesque. also, maybe growing out the hair?

my color palette for spring is derived straight from Tom Wolfe's description of the unique colorscape of mid-century Las Vegas, the strip at it's most plastic and most truly amazing:

" tangerine, broiling magenta, livid pink, incarnadine, fuchsia demure, congo ruby, methyl green, viridine, aquamarine, phenosafranine, incandescent orange, scarlet-fever purple, cyanic blue, tessellated bronze, hospital-fruit-basket orange."

(from The kandy-kolored tangering flake streamline baby)

can't you just see it! taste it!

literature is fashion is art is us, my friends.

- Suzy Creamcheese