I live in Chocolate City, Work for NPR, am currently working on an MA in Interior Design, Love my roommate, friends and Kitteh, "Bits." Day to day I find more and more beauty lurking in the oddest spots. Rouge My Knees is an accumulation of notes on what I find whets my curiosity for all things toxic and pretty.
I love sharing my view of the world through the photos and links posted here. 
Jake. Jake Ryan.
I have slipped once again into John Hugh’s fantasy world. Watching Easy-A provoked the sleeping giant desire in me to end up in a god-awful lavender poof ball of a dress and into a ’84 cherry red Porche.
Aside from the obvious, Jake’s appeal has to do with his rugged and slightly preppie attire. His jeans/sweater vest combo is my fave.
Well, who am I kidding…they’re all my fave.
I foresee a John Hughes marathon…
Still in the midst of final projects, a few things I’m obsessing over lately. This may be the world’s longest post but I just love all the images too much to cut any out or shrink them down.
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1) the Pendleton blanket. an old constant on my parents’ sofa…I’m not plotting to make two of these babies my own. Two? yes…because after deciding on the vintage J. Capps And Sons Tribute Blanket, The new National Parks Editions made their way into my view plane. I think I’m sold on Rainier. The juxtaposition of the pinks/greens in J.Capps will go well with the bright red/stripes.
Acadia:
Crater Lake:
Glacier:
Grand Canyon:
Rainier:
Yellowstone:
Yosemite:
2) Philippe Cousteau Jr. Thank Goddess the latest generation of Cousteau is around today to help our oil drenched oceans get some exposure.
Filed under: Masculin
I love etymology and words in my art. E. E. Cummings had a gift for mashing up words and playing up their arrangement. One of my faves of his is part 3 of the Cubist Breakup.
Fitting on this, the third day of summer!
3
the sky
was can dy
lu mi
nous ed
i
ble
spry pinks
shy lem
ons
greens
cool
choco lates
un der
a lo
co
mo tive s pout
ing
vi
o lets
…………………………………………summery scenes to draw inspiration…….
(I admit this one not very summery but her Hermes bag is too great!)
Filed under: Masculin
I can’t remember the first time I saw Stefano Pilati — it was either in the documentary about YSL or in the Anna Wintour doc The September Issue. I just know he was wearing all black and talking about how he was in a black mood. Right, it was The September Issue…Anna was telling him he had too much black. Loves him.
His style is gloriously disheveled. Like Tom Ford, a distinguished master of his craft, but unlike the perfectly coiffed Ford, Stefano is a little more on the edge.
The messy locks, overgrown beard and sleeve tattoos place him in a category entirely his own. The juxtaposition of the tats and his dapper suits has me swooning. He also manages to up the amp with some sparkly glittery rock star touch, like a coat of sequins or lovely embroidered shirt peeking out from under what would otherwise be a pretty casual outfit.
I found this Q&A with Stefano from Wallpaper Mag.
Stefano Pilati has been at the helm of Yves Saint Laurent as creative director since 2004. In a relatively short space of time (even in the fashion world), he has steered the direction of the classic brand back to its French roots, though his latest menswear collection for Autumn/Winter ’08 has a distinctly British feel, not to mention a ground-breaking presentation. We caught up with the creative director to find out a little more…
Why did you decide to show the collection in a multimedia format as opposed to staging a traditional catwalk?
I used video as a medium because it seemed fitting considering today’s social and cultural climate. I wanted the message to have a broader, more democratic reach than a catwalk show can achieve.
We found it refreshing that you chose to work with directors who are relatively young, what was it about their work that particularly attracted you to them?
Their curiosity and innate creativity. It was as new and exciting for them to work with fashion as it was for me to work with video.
Do you think this multi-media type presentation may be the future of showing collections?
What I know is that it works for me, for Yves Saint Laurent, now.
How significant is it that both the directors and Simon Woods are British? Do you feel there’s a new vibrancy afoot in British culture?
I have always admired British culture and traditions.
How does this fit in with the direction of the YSL brand?
We are constantly pushing safe boundaries, experimenting. It keeps fashion vital.
How do you feel experimental methods of showing collections will affect the way people view, think about and ultimately purchase fashion?
They introduce the possibility of an intimacy and a connection between viewers/consumers and the collection that may not have been there before. A video experience can elicit a visceral, emotional reaction from its audience that is unmatched.
We feel the crossover of creative disciplines of late is leading to an amalgamation of culture as whole, where each discipline is no longer viewed as a separate entity in itself, operating in a creative vacuum – what are your thoughts on these developments?
There are certainly overlaps amongst disciplines and it’s true that they occur these days with greater frequency. Where such crossovers produce synergistic possibilities they are useful. Still, maintaining the integrity of a single discipline – its unique identity – is essential.
Where do you see the YSL brand fitting into this?
Yves Saint Laurent has always been about a world, a set of ideas and aesthetics. It has never been only about fashion.
“Most of the women I consider chic
are the ones
who show me they are
very aware of their personality.”
I’ve recently discovered the most amazing products… geared towards men…which makes me want them all even more.
The Portland General Store (sold already?) makes the yummiest smelling toiletries ever. In the past when I’ve tried non-perfumy products I’m left with something to be desired. This time, JACKPOT! All nicely priced too.
Only catch is that they sell out quickly. You can find them on Etsy or at Hickoree’s Hard Goods.
My cute package (arrived wrapped in brown general store paper and twine, of course) included the following:
“Turkish Fig” Bar Soap with Rhassoul Clay
This is a hand-poured, rough-cut bar of soap. It has a subtly sweet but masculine scent.
The key functional ingredient, Rhassoul clay, is rich in magnesium, silica, potassium and calcium and claims many beneficial properties. It originates from the Atlas mountains of Morocco, and has been used by local people for over 12 centuries. Rhassoul clay helps to reduce dryness and flakiness, and improves skin clarity and elasticity.
“Tweed” Shea Butter Solid Lotion Stick
Lisa from Portland General Store says: “if a young Marlon Brando were to wear a Portland General Store scent, it would be TWEED. Elegance, strength, and charisma describe the fragrance of this lotion bar.”
“Wood” Old-Fashioned Body Creme
This is a very thick body/hand creme, especially well-suited for soothing overworked hands. Essential oils of cedar, hiba, patchouli, vetiver and vanilla give a distinctly masculine scent, but this creme can be worn by both men and women.
I love all the products so much that I just placed another order for the Eau de toilette Sampler and the Tabacco bath scrub.
My cute friend from across the pond, Paul, shared this video with me. it’s so rad and retro.
I didn’t know about Italian singer Adriano Celentano or his hot wife (the blond in the video doin her thang) Claudia Mori.
The lyrics are pure gibberish, often described as sounding like American English as heard by a non–English-speaker.
Adriano and his wife perform together here. musical magic. choreographic magic. and those outfits TDF.
