#marine life is so fricken cool!

[twistedroseytoesy]

Hey I love your work so much you brought back my love for sea creatures and stumbled across this beautiful creature.

The phantom jellyfish the most rarest jellyfish

Look at this beautiful jellyfish.

I ever found this beautiful fanart of a human phantom jellyfish I could not find the artist but its beautiful.

woa!!! I’ve never heard of this jelly before but it looks so pretty!!! Has a gothic-like or somewhat deadly kind of vibe. Oooooo! I'm going to do the ocatrio with malleus for this one since you didn't specify. Hope that's alright! These jellys are so cool cause they dont have stingers! their arms are used to just scoop up plankton and carry that to the mouth.

Description

A beautiful creature of the deep, rare, and rather secluded but you always found comfort in the pressure and darkness around you as you drifted through the void. Scavenging what you could from the waters with your long ribbon-like arms. You don't have the ability to sting, but your ribbons can be used to strangle and disorient predators. Especially since your dark skin matches the darkness of home. You have dark skin with a dark brown/orange undertone. Your body and arms make you up to 30 ft long! Your arms are 25 of those feet.

When you were called to the surface and NRC you struggled greatly with the harsh light. Your human form is only 6 ft tall with long, dark, ribbon-like hair and longer-than-average arms. you are able to manipulate your hair but you keep that more of a secret. you are fairly secluded and try to avoid crowds as much as physically possible. You have dark skin and your eyes are a startling orange color. You usually wear dark sunglasses so no one can really see your eyes unless the sun has set or it's fairly dark in the room.

Octavinelle

Azul: Knows your a mer, he likes keeping tabs on all the merfolk on campus. Your strange ribbon-like hair was what really caught his attention and he asked blackmailed you about it. Found out the hard way what it can do. He underestimated you since you seemed rather... soft-mannered. The twins wouldn't let him live it down for like a week. You do visit the lounge since it reminded you of the few times you floated closer to the twilight zone from your midnight home. the lower lighting was also the only lighting you could handle ok without your glasses so you visited and studied there quite often. He appreciates your patronage and somehow your calm demeanor and strength draw him to you. He liked being around you since your calm aura helps calm him. After long enough you are invited to sit in his VIP room where he turns all the lights off other than the aquarium or a controlled light over his desk and only his desk. You greatly appreciate it. He does try many times to have you work for him, your hair acts like his many arms back in the sea! imagine how efficient you would be! but he does understand how you wouldn't be able to work in the light.

When he first saw you merform in the magic pressure pool he was amazed at how LONG you were! He thought you were like the twin's size not double their length and then some! loves how silky your arms are and how you don't sting but he can feel the strength in those arms and remembers to not underestimate you. If you invite him to swim with you he will try to stammer out a smooth response. Maybe someday. Does with to have you do some sort of sink dancing thing, you would do amazing with it! the way your arms are already like silk makes him dream. if you ever are close and you wrap your soft arms around him he will immediately melt and even have some tears build up in his eyes. Your hugs are understanding and kind and calm.

Jade: Your hair is what really caught his attention. The way it seemed to squirm along with you when he asked many uncomfortable questions. Knew you were a mer from Azul and was trying to figure out what exactly you were, you didn't cover up like other jellyfish mers yet you had that calmness they are known for. Probably figured it out when he overheard you tell someone else what you were. Such a rare specimen had Jade all the more intrigued. Asked even more questions and even subtly hinted he knew what you were, he got hair slapped when he gave you a dark jello treat he created and mentioned wanting to test if its taste was accurate. Super surprised that your hair actually had that kind of force, he knew it could move but you made him take a full step back to catch himself. Impressive~ also likes to try and see your eyes but is more respectful than Floyd, usually lowers the lights in your area of the lounge with some magic, just to see those beautiful glowing orange orbs.

When he first saw your mer form he was very curious about your long arms. Asking politely to hold one since he knew he couldn't reach you in the pressure pool without risking bodily harm. He compliments the texture and strength of the silky ribbons. Happily offering a job at the mostro louge for a once-a-week show from the depths. You kindly turned him down, saying you like to be more in the shadows than the star. He nods at this. you both connect by watching things from a distance. Asks many questions still but won't hint at trying to eat you after he saw Floyd get strangled for biting you.

Floyd: Squishy!! He likes squeezing you, You're so soft and easy to squeeze, but you don't wiggle as much! He calls you black jellyfish. He likes to mess with your hair. it looks so cool! one time it slapped him when he tried to bite it and he loved it even more! Pokes and prods at it to annoy you. Thought you were boring but another time stole your sunglasses and really liked your eyes! He's never seen glowing orange eyes before! so now this man pokes at your hair and tries to blind you a lot. You try to stay away from him but that's fairly difficult to do. Over time he clams a bit around you, especially when he really pissed you off and you strangled him to near passing out. Likes to see you try new foods, and your faces of delight are so cute! he also pesters you with a lot of questions. he changes his nickname for you when you correct him. "phantom jelly!" he would usually call out before you are lifted off of your feet. sometimes he will break turn off the lights to get you to show off your glowing eyes.

When he first saw your merform in the pressure pool he wanted to hop right in but just before he jumped in you cocooned him in your silky arms, telling him he's an idiot for trying to swim in the most dangerous pool, he would be crushed like a tin can even in his merform! he said you were no fun but did have to agree that a broken tail would suck more. You keep an arm and eye on him to make sure he doesn't try anything particularly stupid. He really likes your cool silky arms! keeps asking when you would want to swim with him in the dorm underwater sanctuary. He's very lucky you are very patient with his very excitable self.

With special guest

Malleus: You both connected by being out at night, when the world is still and you feel closer to home. The darkness is a welcome relief to you. You and he crossed paths on a late-night walk. No words were needed as you both continued to walk through the night, pointing out some stars or other small things of interest. You even let your hair down and he happily allowed his magic fireflies to show themselves. You were the best of mute friends understanding each other's lonely life with no words needed. He and you took a few weeks before words were spoken and it was comfortable. he enjoys the smooth texture of your hair and is always pleasantly surprised at its strength when you do use it. you admire his dark power and how his horns are so tough and strong on his head.

When he first sees your merform in a lake one night he couldn't help but be mesmerized by your long silky arms. The way they floated and swayed in the water, the gentle glow from just under your skin, and the softness of your body in the water. He complimented you and your form, promising to show you his true form someday when you were both ready for it. He treasures your trust and tries to help you with his magic, even creating a spell to make a bubble of darkness around you so light doesn't hurt your eyes as much. He also really likes your eyes, unnatural yet powerful, like his.

[amphtaminedreams]

S/S 2020 Fashion Month: A Basic, Uneducated Fashion Heaux’s A-Z of Everything Noteworthy (Part 2/3)

Hi to anyone reading,

Back at it again with the giving my unsolicited opinion on 2020′s spring/summer offering, I’m gonna hop straight into part 2 of my fashion month review!

Sorry to start with an underwhelming few but my compulsive tendencies are making it really hard to break out of this alphabetical structure (cry laughs whilst thinking about how long it took me to face up at my retail job last night because it would give me vaguely homicidal urges and make my fingers tingle every time a customer moved something slightly out of line), so I’m gonna whizz through a handful of collections. First up, Halpern:

Not much to say but I’m envious of the heavy liner (my hooded eyes could never) and I like the colour scheme. As for the 80s style metallic pink dress?

Helmut Lang:

And Hermes:

Of these 3 collections, Hermes is definitely the most interesting. I like the colour scheme and the utilitarian shapes and the tan coloured jackets are an absolute shoot. This is how you make safari look fresh, D&G take note.

Isabel Marant was okay. It’s cute, sure, reminds me of something Mary-Kate and Ashley would’ve come out with/worn in the 2000s, and there’s definitely some things I would wear, but I wouldn’t say it looks all that luxury. Pricey, sure, but like, Free People pricey, not designer pricey. As a collection, it’s not all that conceptual, unless the concept is L.A girl does a Starbucks run after her bikram yoga class. What I will say though is that some of the S/S 2020 commercial trends are becoming clear: white cheesecloth pieces, peasant blouses, cowboy boots, scrappy sandals, neutral tones, and bandana print. 

Now onto the darling of high fashion Twitter: Jacquemus.

As far as presentation goes, this has to be one of my favourite set-ups of the season; a hot pink runway running through a lavender meadow is as canny and serene as those who sing the praises of Simon Porte Jacquemus would have you expect, and the clothes were easy, breezy and beautiful, even if there is an element of getting dressed in the dark going on with the styling which put me off including a few otherwise gorgeous pieces. It might not be 100% my style but you can tell this is a brand of the future which is only going to go from strength to strength.

And everything was beautifully and purposefully crafted on the runway with J.W Anderson this year. The pieces are graceful and timeless whilst still easy to envision as something a modern woman would throw on to (very fashionably) run some errands in the city. This was also one of the handful of shows (IIRC! This might be a case of extreme deja-vu!) where we saw the sandal straps tied over the trousers, I’m guessing to accentuate the ankles, and...I’m surprisingly here for it? Though in a sense it kinda resembles when I accidentally get my work trousers tucked into my slipper socks, it’s an interesting touch and adds a bit of a shape to otherwise billowing bottom halves.

Following Jacquemus’ lead (or vice versa, I’m way too deep into this fashion month haze to work out who went first at this point), Lacoste also put on a co-ed show. Otherwise crisp and preppy as per, the neckerchiefs (even if seeing them all next to one another does give off a bit of a Disneyland Main Street barbershop quartet vibe) and vinyl/wet-look/PVC/I’m still not sure what differentiates the 3 coats were an out of the box touch for them and I really liked it. It’s athleisure, but more like something Hayley Bieber would’ve worn as part of her Princess Diana inspired shoot than anything I’d wear to the gym.

LMAO, as if I go the gym. But you get my point. Next, Loewe:

Delicate, feminine and all around delightful, the S/S 2020 Loewe collection is up there with Chloe and Brock when it comes to most spring appropriate. More chiffon, lace and doily-like detailing, please, the old woman in me lives for this kinda thing made fashionable. Like with J.W Anderson, you can tell the design team wanted to do something different without just throwing shit onto their pieces for the sake of being wacky, and so we end up with these dramatic, slightly geometric waistlines and almost angelic Victorian nightgown inspired dresses that kinda make me wished that 1). ghosts existed and that 2). I lived back in that era so I could die some tragic death wearing any one of the dresses on the left in the top 3 rows and then haunt the shit out of everyone. That would really be an iconic fashion moment. Also wonderful, imo, was Louis Vuitton:

The mix between 60s and Edwardian I never knew I needed, as opposed to Gucci’s forward thinking take on the former decade, Louis Vuitton takes it back even further and throws in late 19th/early 20th century structures and references. I adore the what seems to be a mix between brocade and paisley print and the exaggerated collars are a very cute touch. The jacket on the top left is a highlight, a more neutral version of the similar catsuit seen at the Longchamp show (I couldn’t personally pick enough highlights from that to include it), and I now more than ever really want to try and pull off a sweater vest. The shoes might not be the most exciting thing ever but they’re also a personal favourite, from the knee high boots to the loafers with the LV moniker.

Maison Margiela was very cool and again, I’m in love with the shoes and just the accessories in general, ESPECIALLY those hats. I don’t know if I’m way off base here but this show is almost a modernised, fashionable version of a 1940s period drama about WW2 pilots and evacuees. Yes, maybe I am just getting that solely from the trench coats and the naval influences and the exaggerated collars but I think with that list I made quite a case for that perspective, right? Right.

And completing this holy trinity (appropriating the term I usually reserve for Emma Watson, Emma Stone and Emma Roberts is not without careful consideration) is Marc Jacobs. One of my ultimate favourites of this season, this collection is absolutely EVERYTHING: kitschy, dream-like, whimsical, over-the-top, and totally appropriate for your slightly eccentric aunt who always drinks too much wine and talks a lot of shit every time she comes over for dinner. I really feel like I walked into wonderland looking at this collection, and in the best way possible, it gives me a female Russell Brand in the 2000s’ wardrobe on crack. On the one hand we have these insanely beautiful and ethereal chiffon floral dresses but then we also have fricken top hats. Basically, it’s everything I love about fashion and I don’t know if anything can top it. Periodt (and I type that with a totally straight face). 

Next, onto another personal fave, Marchesa:

Which is as always, beautiful. I was going to write that if Disney princesses came to life and lived in the modern world (so, in other words, Elle Fanning), they would be wearing Marchesa and then I remembered that the film Enchanted exists and had a lightbulb moment and thought OH MY GOD IF THEY REMADE THAT IN 2019, THE DRESS ON THE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE ROW WOULD BE A PERFECT LEVELLING UP OF THE CURTAIN DRESS.

Anyways, favourites of the favourites are the bottom row; I would die for that feather trim. 

BUT where Marchesa is everything opulent, overly ornate and err-ing on “fussy”, Margaret Howell’s S/S 2020 collection is completely stripped back and just as effective, if not as to my taste. Very cool, very current, and altogether effortless (in a good way!), with this show Margaret Howell made mid-20th century utilitarianism relevant. I never thought I’d be praising the combination of bermuda shorts, crew socks and a beanie and yet here I am. Character development.

Next is Marine Serre:

Which I really like! The bottom row isn’t really to my personal taste but I can acknowledge that if I saw somebody wearing any one of those outfits I’d think they looked sick, and as for the first two rows, those mesh tops and the slightly chintzy florals are right up my alley.

Marques Almeida put out a really strong collection, imo. The blending of luxurious silhouettes and fabrics with street wear inspired prints and styling is a really interesting and unique contrast and if Billie Eilish ever decided to stop wearing those tweenie clothes and wanted to actually seduce somebody’s dad (I LOVE BILLIE EILISH AND I KNOW WHY SHE DRESSES THE WAY SHE DOES, IT’S A JOKE, PLS DON’T HATE ME), I’d love to see her wearing something like this. It’s a blend of punk, urban, and 2019 e-girl and has the kind of edge that Topshop has lost over the past couple of years that used to make it so aspirational to my 13 year old self. Of all the shows, it also probably has the most personally wearable accessories, and a shit tonne of cool make up looks I’d love to try if it weren’t for my lack of visible eyelid, lol.

Make up looks were a highlight of the Max Mara show too, for me anyway.

I otherwise wasn’t hugely keen on the collection, it being a little too matronly/Miss.Trunchbull-esque for my liking (wild card fashion inspiration of 2019, apparently?). The light paisley print dresses are very dreamy, though, and I can never resist a good suit. 

As for Michael Kors, dare I say it, but the basic bitch in me loved it. I know as a designer he’s not held in very high regard by the fashion community and I'm not saying it’s at all original but it did what it set out to do well; I mean, it’s quite fitting that he cameo-d in an episode of Gossip Girl because every outfit would be perfect for the Constance attending incarnation of Blair Waldorf, which is probably why I like the collection. Like yeah, it’s a bit of a Polo Ralph Lauren/Lacoste rip off but it’s daintier and more feminine and so I’m not gonna lie, I’m on board with it. 

Next, Miu Miu.

One of the collections I was most excited for, I was a little disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the collection, but I have never once disliked anything Miu Miu and I usually love it. There are things I love about this line too: the cream, floral lace-up boots, the off-the-shoulder cardigans, the houndstooth oversized coats and of course the fur-lined gilets. My mum used to buy me similar ones when I was a little girl and so they give me childhood nostalgia in the best way possible. I mean, the collection is as girly and eccentric as ever. I think it’s just a little too on the primary school librarian side for me, this time round. Sorry Miu Miu xoxo

Now I’m just gonna speed through a couple, starting with MM6 Maison Margiela, the younger sister to the more expensive regular Maison Margiela line:

And Monique Lhuillier:

So that I can get to one of my other ultimate favourite collections for S/S 2020: Moschino.

Oh my god, where to even start. Firstly, I might be reaching, but if this show is even remotely to thank for art nouveau mesh tops showing up in the Urban Outfitters new in section, then a very sarcastic thank you to Jeremy Scott. You just made ethical shopping a lot harder. HOW am I supposed to not buy an Alphonse Mucha top? HOW!? I mean, I’m sure I’ll manage (I’m on month 3 without a shopping spree I can’t actually afford now and yes, I am very much patting myself on the back), but HOW!?

But on a serious level, if renaissance was the print of 2019, which I’m still very much into BTW, bring on modern art as its 2020 replacement. The Pablo Picasso inspired show not only livened up a generally pretty predictable fashion month but it’s also got me searching up other times art has met fashion on the runway and thrown me down a particularly aesthetically pleasing wormhole I’m not sure I ever want to escape from (https://frontrowmagazine.ca/art-inspired-looks-were-all-over-the-runways-of-fashion-week-a74e8bc7ff0d and https://www.vogue.com/article/spring-2017-ready-to-wear-fine-arts-trends are good starting points!).

Mugler was also up there with the best of them, imo:

See, if the Moschino collection was all about dabbling in art class, Mugler’s S/S 2020 collection is its more mathematically inclined sister, all about sharp lines and deconstructed silhouettes and symmetry all whilst looking hot as fuck. So very Mugler, basically. 

Now, this reference might be slightly off because I haven’t actually SEEN Ex-Machina yet but I imagine if Kim Kardashian were to channel that movie for a costume party she’d end up wearing something from this collection. That sounds like a roast because Kim has worn some questionable outfits but I blame Kanye for most of that and I’m referring to her on a good fashion day, alright!?

As for Off-White, it’s obviously a lot more commercial than most of the lines I’ve reviewed so far. Like, I can see a lot of these outfits on a mannequin in Urban Outfitters (no, I am not being paid to namedrop them, about 3 people in total read this Tumblr so any kind of sponsorship money would be severely wasted on me). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I love all of these looks; it just seems unfair to compare them to the the Mugler or Moschino collections, for example. 

The stand outs for me are all on the bottom row: I would buy the utility vest, leather blazer and the all mesh turtleneck under washed-out tie-dye on the spot if I saw them in a high street store. Unfortunately, I feel like that’s kinda where they belong. You just expect collections to be a bit more conceptual, and this one is a little watered down, as much as it’s my style.

Oscar de la Renta was beautiful, of course. Not like I’m shook by how beautiful it is but kinda just what you’d expect from a brand with a name as poetic and fun to say as Oscar de la Renta. The silhouettes are dreamy and the details are as fit for a fairy princess (lmao) as ever. Plus can I just say how happy I am to see butterflies on dresses for adult women again!? And dresses worn by Blanca Padilla nonetheless!? Very here for it.

Next up is another on one of my fashion month highlights: Paco Rabanne.

LOOK AT THIS SHIT!

I mean, don’t get me wrong, something about this collection (I’m pretty sure it’s the knee high coloured socks) is giving me primary school teacher vibes, but I'm not mad about it. It’d be the kind of teacher who’s actually really good at their job and has loads of cool hobbies and a really hot boyfriend or girlfriend or wife or husband who you secretly want to be then you grow up/and or have a huge crush on. 

Like with Marc Jacobs, there’s obvious flower child elements here, and whilst on the whole the former took my breath away slightly more, this is a lot more wearable. My favourites are the paisley print dress and cape on the left in the very bottom row and all the chainmail pieces (which remind me of the dress Naomi Smalls wore in that whole club ninety-sixxxxx skit on drag race), plus that floral cut out dress with the trailing flute sleeves, which is absolute PERFECTION. 

The 70s influence was clear in Peter Pilotto’s S/S 2020 collection too from the abundance of tie-dye to the knit v-neck dress, zany colour and print being the very on-brand focus. That being said, this is definitely more of a street-style inspired collection than usual and whilst the floral suits and dresses on the 3rd row down are very typical Peter Pilotto, the tie-dye corset and combat trousers on the far right, second row from the bottom, are very Jaded London. As for the reoccurrence of the bucket hat, I’ve remained steadfastly against them for several years now (even when our Lord and Saviour Miss Robyn Rihanna Fenty started wearing them) but the way they’re done in this collection even I could definitely get behind; all in all, the show surpassed my expectations.

The same goes for Ports 1961, which was a lot more eccentric than I gathered is the norm from a few google searches. Honestly, I hadn’t really heard of the brand which, upon reading up on it, I feel very dumb for considering it has been around since (in the shock twist of the century) 1961.

Yes, I know how that sounds! But forgive me, I’m still learning:)

Anyway, the fishnet detailing alone pretty much sold the looks I picked out. Seriously, I got a pair of those bloody tights, like, 2 years ago when they became a thing again and now any outfit where I have my legs out feels incomplete without them. 

Next is Prabal Gurung, which, as far as presentation goes, was fucking STUNNING:

I mean, you could say that I’m easily impressed and that the presence of the bouquets won me over (and you’d definitely have a point there), but it’s also this year’s Givenchy haute couture-esque feathers, the trailing pearl necklaces, the exaggerated shoulders, the dreamy colouring, the everything looking like it could’ve grown off a very fashionably-inclined tree. Like, there’s a lot to love here, from the naturalistic elements, to the context behind the show, an ode to American fashion history and those cast out of it (and the notion of “being American” in general) for so long. 

Going from a high to a (personal) low, however, next we have Prada:

I don’t know, I get that it’s supposed to be simple and stripped back and dignified and whatever and I like the looks I picked but it’s just a bit blah for me. The bonnets that kept cropping up just didn’t do it for me and almost ruined what is an otherwise nice skirt suit (top right). Nonetheless, I like the silhouette of the sheer black dress and the the brocade print suit is really luxurious looking, even if the pattern is a *little* Wetherspoons carpet. 

Anyways, here’s a quick overview of Rag and Bone:

So that I can stop moaning and get onto a collection I REALLY liked: 

I am of course talking about Ralph and Russo. See, this is kinda what I expected from, like, Chanel and yet it’s Ralph and Russo that delivered. Also, it gives me Alessandra Rich vibes which is very much a compliment considering how much I love her designs. I mean, if Valley of the Dolls were to get another film remake in 2019, this is exactly what I’d like to see the female leads wearing, from the pastel suits to the satin kaftan style dresses. The yellow feather trimmed dress is practically a copy of something Marchesa has already done but it’s cute all the same. In my top 10 collections of the season, for sure.

Rick Owens was another strong collection; it goes without saying that it’s not the most wearable but that’s not really what Rick Owens is known for, so I wouldn’t expect anything else. If you want fashion on an alien planet, or something Lady Gaga would’ve worn in 2010, he's your man.

Next, Rodarte:

Obviously the dresses are beautiful and the set is magnificent, BUT...I’m really not a fan of the whole celebrities filling in for high fashion models thing. I like Lili Reinhart and I adore Kirsten Dunst, she’s been in a load of my favourite films, but in a similar vein to Dolce and Gabbana’s influencer show, it’s just distracting from the actual garments, if even worse because I don’t WANT to be distracted here (the same can’t be said for the D&G show, lol).  If anybody has read this far, let me know your thoughts! 

Roland Mouret was nice, and I always like a coed show, especially when a designer isn’t afraid to blur the lines of masculine and feminine. It’s fresh, lightweight and luxurious looking, Cannes film festival street style eat your heart out, and I love the colour palette.

Similarly, colour was my favourite thing about Sally LaPointe’s S/S 2020 collection. 

I would never think that teal and burnt orange would work together, let alone in some kind of faux leather, and yet here we are. Orange is in itself always an interesting colour choice, perfect for the summer with a tan, and I really love monochrome outfits, even though they’re something that ends up being quite pricey to put together; slight differences in tone are okay but if you just randomly throw together a few things and they’re too off, it really doesn’t work and you’d have been better off wearing contrasting colours. For that reason, I’m just gonna admire that all-pink outfit from a distance. 

As for Schiaparelli, it’s one I always look forwards to for the sheer weirdness. RTW isn’t quite as kooky as haute couture but still, the interesting choices are still there; what at first glance appears to be flame print is actually coils of hair, and paired with a water print suit is a sequinned jacket emblazoned with a paradisiacal mirage. Ornament-like facial decorations as seen in the over-exaggerated glasses worn with the pony hair suit are also one of my favourite new things to happen in the high fashion scene in the past couple of months and I can’t wait to see how they get watered down to become more approachable for us...regular, non-structurally blessed folks who can’t pull off anything and everything.

Simone Rocha was STUNNING. Romantic and ethereal, it’s druid goddess crossed with upper class Victorian woman of leisure, equal parts delicate and grungy, like a modern, fashion version of Lady Gaga’s Scathach in the Roanoke season of American Horror Story. You know, in the flashbacks, not in present day when she was all gross and like...scalping people and shit. Each dress is so ornate and has such an interesting structure, and the fabric choices give off an organic kinda vibe that create a handmade feel; the collection is, imo, really worthy of being shown under a haute couture heading. When it comes to my favourite element of the show, I’m torn between the petticoats and the hair accessories. I’m just gonna give a cop-out answer and say both. 

Stella McCartney on the other hand, is very much a clear ready-to-wear collection. 

It’s pretty, for sure. The pastel blazers paired with delicate white mesh tops underneath are a gorgeous combination for spring and I like the reoccurrence of the chain glasses (Gucci, right?). But I mean, when you go from Simone Rocha to this, it’s a bit anticlimactic. Plus, if I’m honest, kaftans are always going to remind me of Honey Mahogany from season 5 of Drag Race. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure she’s a lovely person but her runway looks aren’t really ones I look back fondly on, and you’re lying if you say you enjoyed them for anything other than meme purposes.

Temperley is equally meh, though the return of the Erdem-style boating hats is getting me excited that high street retailers might actually pick up on the trend and bring out some cheap ones for me to embarrass myself by wearing. 

I also love a good 70s suit, the neckerchiefs are cute and there are some really delightful prints here that are a more unique approach to florals for spring.

Coming towards the end now, next is Thom Browne:

I LOVE this. Like, don’t get me wrong Rick Owens was cool but I adore how on the nose the concept is here; time to bring back all the Marie Antoinette puns I didn’t get to use in my Versailles Instagram post. I don’t know if it’s the history buff in me or the Sofia Coppola Stan but I will always be willing to sign any kind of treaty for anything related to the excesses of the 18th century French monarchy, and this is that turned up to 1000 infused with a dash of the Teletubbies, which sounds like a nightmarish concept, I know, but as high fashion it WORKS.

Tory Burch was very commercial, seemingly half inspired by Monterey yoga moms and the other half by Hamptons socialites. 

And then there was Valentino, which was fucking exquisite, imo. LIKE, CALLING DOCLE & GABBANA: THIS IS HOW YOU MAKE TROPICAL PRINT INTERESTING. YOU MAKE THE VELVET MONKEY’S ARM THE FRICKEN WAISTBAND. 

Seriously, though, I am enamoured with this colour palette; all the whites and golds are angelic and fr, I didn’t know until now that you could make neons this elegant. I’m also getting an almost clerical feel from a lot of these looks, with the plaited waistband on the black dress that’s 7th row down in the middle, the stunning red cape and the multitude of exaggerated neck ruffs. I think I’ve mentioned before but I always love religious references in clothing-I don’t think I’ll ever get over the 2018 Met Gala-and so whether I’m reading too much into it or not, this collection really did it for me.

Whilst it’s probably as far removed a collection from Valentino’s S/S 2020 contribution you can get, I also loved Vera Wang this season. It might purely (I PROMISE THIS IS MY LAST GOSSIP GIRL REFERENCE) be because it gives me Jenny Humphrey vibes and *controversial* she did have my favourite style of any of the main characters, but sue me, this is just the right amount of late 90s/early 2000s grunge. Deconstructed trashy goth it girl is an interesting concept to see on the runway and I completely support it. 

Versace on the other hand was very hit or miss. The looks I picked out I really loved but ultimately, for one of the household name brands, a lot of the actual garments were a bit pedestrian. I will say though that for me, it’s a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. The slicked back mermaid hair and the pops of colour in the makeup and the interesting necklines meant that when it was good, it was GOOD. However, overall, still a bit too 80s Miami businesswoman, and please GOD, can we leave that hideous J-Lo dress in the past, it should really not be the climax of the show in 20-fucking-19!

As for Victoria Beckham, I liked it, but it’s a bit of a Gucci copy, no? And no way near as interesting?

And on that note, I’m gonna have to cut this off. Super annoying but with only 5 collections left that I want to talk about, Tumblr is being a little bitch and will not let me add anything more to this post. So, see you in 5 for the final post!

Lauren x

[makeamericasfate-blog]

EDITION NO. 3 : NATE

Interviewed Monday, April 11th, 2017

Well, election day started and I probably woke up about two in the afternoon.

I did not vote. I don't care, cause in this election there was really no winner in my opinion. It didn't really matter to me.

They're both pretty horrible candidates.

I went to work that day, worked till about 2am. I came home and turned on the news and started watching the results totaling. I thought it was pretty funny that Trump beat Hillary. Just because everyone thought it was in the bag for Hillary, but I don't know... it didn't really affect me too much.

I wasn't mad, I wasn't sad. It was a joke to me. This whole election has been.

I still can't believe we technically have a celebrity as our president! It's funny. Hillary was a seasoned politician facing a celebrity. She should have known better and did a lackluster job; that she not only did once, but this would be her second time failing horribly.

My boss and coworkers were for Trump. Every night, my boss would ramble on, saying "Trump...Trump man!! WikiLeaks! Trump's gonna destroy Hillary!" Talks like that, but they were actually three hour conversions. He was extremely passionate about Trump. It was ridiculous. He'd just sit in the back and watch CNN or Fox or whatever and just like go on his tablet for the whole night, pointing out every development. Telling me about the latest news story.

"Look, this new story shows how finished Hillary is! Look at this now, Trump hired a new female campaign manager, it's gonna be awesome, it's gonna be great. Hillary's done. She doesn't know what's coming!"

My mom and stepdad were for Trump too, but they weren't diehards. They were kinda split down the middle at the time. They liked certain things, disliked others. That's it though. I don't really care.

There are a couple things about [Trump] I don't like. Like his views on global warming for one, and on education. Betsy Devos....that evil creature!

I don't think he's doing horrible. I wish he thought differently about environmental problems that we have and everything like that. He’s a typical Republican, embrace fossil fuels, make money...let the next generation worry about what happens.

I don't think he's doing too bad. I think people are too harsh to judge him. We won't know how he's doing for at least a year, then we'll know if he's shit or not. We have to give him a chance.

After all, he is the God Emperor Trump!

Hah, honestly though when I look at him, I think of a baby. I really do! I think of a baby.

He's just a hotheaded, very self-centered man. Besides the fact that he's had seven failed businesses, he does know business. Mostly construction. I'm hopeful that our economy could get better from him. I don't see evil intent in home to destroy America, nor did I in Hillary for that matter. I don't see like, complete destruction of America that most people see now that he's in office.

People will say "We're fucking done for, let's just pack up and move to Canada." He's just an immature person who cries out on social media when he doesn't get what he wants, or when things don't go his way.

I think the current political climate is honestly stupid. Cause this country is pretty cool, it's pretty awesome. This idea that people attach to political parties, like when they say I'm red and you're blue, right now the meta is to hate you.  Because you don't see what I see or don't view what I view. And I think that's wrong. I'm entitled to my own opinions and so are you. It is what it is. There's no reason to be at each other’s throats about it.

It doesn't help America. It doesn't help us. It doesn't help the generations that will come after it. It just makes it worse for the overall well-being of our country. It digs us into a hole instead of putting us on a pedestal. And I do think we're in a hole.

People are being stupid about the political parties they're associated with. It really doesn't matter what you're associated with. If you view what you view as a liberal or a conservative, that's fine, but it doesn't matter. Like, I'm still me, you're still you. We can still be friends. Who cares?

People are wanting to be defined by their political party association. Outside of political stuff, you're still a person.

I've always been told that life is never fair. And I believe that. I've witnessed that and experienced that. Not everything's fair.

A lot of these minorities want life to be fair, and it's not. I have no problem with LGBT...Muslims, any of that stuff, I'm not racist or whatever. The current climate sucks for them and I feel sorry for them, but at the same time, you gotta roll with the punches...you gotta embrace the suck, cause it's not always gonna be rainbow, sugar-coated glory time for you. Everyone's got their own problems, you're not special. So you're Muslim or LGBT. Ok, that's fine, but you gotta deal with it. I don't like to favor one side of things.

I personally don't think Trump will infringe on the LGBT. I know Pence would, and if he got into the Oval Office, it'd be hell cause he's a hardcore Christian. But I don't think Trump will do anything disastrous to LGBT. I know he hates Muslims, so there's a target on their back now, which sucks. I have a lot of Muslim friends who are pretty fricken sweet, you know. So, it's a struggle and it will be. Just like with black people still being scrutinized in America, it sucks, but you gotta embrace the suck.

The Democrats would act like they supported black people and then would go hang out with KKK leaders. Or like where the Black Lives Matter protesters came into Hillary's speeches and she told them to shut up and go away. It's all a trick.

That's what these politicians are, just two-faced liars.

I liked part of Bernie's vision at least. I liked what he stood for on certain things. I didn't follow it too deep. I think it was a good part of history in that it started something. It really opened a lot of people's eyes, which was needed with how politics had been going.

I think that Bernie could've beat Trump if his Party hadn't screwed him over. He would've won, but the Democrats wanted Hillary… so, they got Hillary, and....we seen how that went! Now we got a celebrity for a president.

So about me...after high school I joined The Marines, served in The Marine Core for four years. I'm NOT a combat veteran or anything like that unfortunately. I went to Quantico for two years, and then Japan for another two, and then I got out. I worked for an arms contractor in Virginia. Then I moved back to Michigan, where I'm currently a college student and also work at the local Home Depot. I'm living the 'orange life' in Michigan. That's me!

Nothing too crazy. I'm not a super political person. My life doesn't revolve around it. To me it doesn't really matter, because what little control people have over politics will never change anything very much. Politics itself is capable of changing a lot of people's lives, but the biggest problem is getting the correct people in office to change other people's life or to change my life.

Like someone in Michigan for example, something who could have prevented or fixed the Flint Water Crisis. It shouldn't have happened. Should never have happened.

But you have people who are concerned with lining their own pockets with money and saying, "Fuck the other guy, it's all about me." It's not why they're in office. They're in office because of us, but they do this kind of thing on a day to day basis, not only the local government, but the Federal Government as well.

And the worst part is, people re-elect or don't vote for congress, because they don't know or because it's not broadcast like the presidential election. So many bills going through congress, you've never heard of them. There are senators who have been there for 30 years, it shouldn't be like that. You know, serve the people, but instead they're serving themselves by lining their pockets with pension. It's not what that was made for.

Politicians are supposed to represent the people but all government really fails to do that now.

The state of America is horrible right now. Government isn't--hasn't been trusted for a while. Big Brother is watching. They know what you're doing, when you're doing, how you're doing it. Then you know it’s bad when things come out from WikiLeaks about the CIA doing stuff and the FBI doing stuff.

The hacking tools. They're just...before, at some point, people had faith in their government. They believed they'd do the right thing. Seems that has become a slippery slope, where they're "actively doing the right thing" but then when politicians get in office they often do the opposite of what they said they were gonna do.  

Most of the reason is because companies pay them and decide what they do. Money is the biggest mover in politics. Ever.

How do companies like Comcast get away with all they do? Why doesn't the FCC intervene? Why isn't Net Neutrality being defended? None of what they're getting away with should ever transpire. It should just be common sense and prevented, but since Comcast has the money to lobby, they can get away with anything.

The world revolves around money.

No politician is ever a candidate of the people. It doesn't matter how they make it look, they are paid off by one of the four companies that truly run American. It is what it is, there's no way to stop that.

Facing them is like playing against the casino, the odds will always be in the house's favor. You may walk out of the casino with a thousand bucks, but at the end of the day they made millions and then some.

The thing about being American is a weird question for me. To me, everyone in America is an immigrant.

No matter what, everyone here is an immigrant. Unless you're an Indian, then all of us came over here on a boat at some point. So to me, being an American is about being respectful.

I'm not gonna say it has anything to do with freedom because tons of countries have freedom, we're not the only nation that has freedom. We do have a lot of freedom type things I guess.

I've had the experience of living in Japan for two years, and I can tell you, Americans don't respect their country. In Japan, they respect their country, they respect one another. Americans just kinda stomp all over it. They demand everything, and that's hard to swallow sometimes after having lived in Japan and being treated like a super important person even though I wasn’t.

You go to a business and ask for help...except you're asking where to find a competing business and they'll walk you over to it. When my sister came to visit, we were trying to find a certain restaurant and walked into the wrong one. The employee walked us over to the correct one and graciously wished us a good night and then walked back expecting nothing from us.

That would never happen in America. They'd pressure you to eat at their restaurant or they'd tell you to fuck off.

It's just the little things. Americans demand, they don't ask. And it's just because we're strong, militarily.

We're such a big nation but we can't do universal health care. We got tons of fucking homeless people. We don't take care of each other. Everyone's too concerned with taking care of themselves. At least in civilian life.

The military was much better at that. It doesn't seem like it though, because it's tough love.

The military is a lot more comradery based. Yeah we yell at each other, we get in each other’s faces, but when someone is in a time of need, everyone bands together and makes things happen so that either A. They go home or B. They get the help they need.

In bad situations, everyone comes together. That's probably one of the biggest things people miss after they leave the military. Besides those who have seen combat and miss the adrenaline.

If you talk to any combat vet, nine times out ten, they'll say they want to go back. I never got to experience combat, so I can't really comment on that.

In civilian life you're just kinda left to fend. You're out there. In the military though, they feed you. They house you. There's a designated place to go to if you need problems or need help.

Contrast that to civilian life. I can't get anything better than a part time job. If you need health insurance, it's gonna cost you $900 a month and your copay's gonna be $850 bucks. That's great! In the military you just go to the doctor. Obviously we pay for it in taxes, but the military does a much better job with that kind of shit.

That said, I've never felt like leaving this country. As shitty as America can get, and I shouldn't even say that; America isn't shitty, it's a great place, but it's going through a shitty time right now.

Eventually once it's over, hopefully we'll all be better from it, but we'll have to embrace the suck in the meantime. It's going to get worse before it gets better.

For it to get better, people will need to stop being babies. They'll have to grow up and act like adults. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. You don't like someone's opinion? Too bad, they're still entitled to it.

Being offended is such a popular thing right now. People get offended by something and they run away from the conversation. Meanwhile, I think that it's great if you're offended by something. It means you have an opinion about it. It's good. Let's discuss it! Let's go over it, and if you don't want to, that's fine. Ok. That's not gonna change MY view.

People take that like it's the end of the world. They think their opinion is the only one that matters and if you don't agree, then fuck you! Get out of life. We're all humans, we're gonna think differently. We do everything different. It's fine. You learn to accept that. If we don't accept that, we can't coexist. And that's what we need to do. It's what needs to happen, but no one will let that happen. They refuse to let it happen, because the idea of that coexistence actually scares them!

They can't be a team. They have no clue what being a team is. If they did, they'd realize that when working together to accomplish one goal...things get done a lot faster than individually working on something. If you put your differences aside and work together, you get a lot of shit done.

I guess that thinking is what gets people in trouble. It scares them. It scares them because it would mean that you couldn't get offended and stonewall someone when they say something you don't like. That would mean you'd have to work next to a Muslim, or a black guy, or a redneck!

Who cares? We all got a heart. Two legs, arms, ears, eyes, head. We're all the fucking same. Why does any of that shit matter? It doesn't. We're all people. Everyone generally has the same needs in their life. A house, a family, food in their belly...

Everyone's the same in that aspect. At least, that's how my brain views it.

Why is it that European nations can do this kind of thing, but we can't?

I'm pretty sure we can, but again it comes back to our government. They're all bought and paid for.

And if a politician was coming out attacking my skin color, I'm sure I'd feel offended too. Anyone would feel offended, but I wouldn't be scared because hopefully I would have faith in the American people to note vote for that person. It'd be a shock. It's stupid we still have to deal with racism still.

And I've grown up around racist people before. I've seen them. And I have coexisted with them. I just try not to associate with them. That's the biggest thing. Those people are always going to exist. I have nothing against religion, but it's always the bible thumpers that harbor those kinds of thoughts. Their parents were racist, so they end up racist. And yet again, they chose to be that. You gotta hope one day they'll dissipate, maybe not in our lifetime, but it'll happen.

You can't stop these people. They're entitled to their opinion as long as they're not being violent, as long as they're not being racist in the streets. That's what the authorities are for, if a person is making others feel unsafe, then throw them in jail.

I know police are a touchy subject in America right now. A lot of these police stations in general need to be reworked.

The people who run them need to be looked it. The police are there to serve the people but they only do that 10% of the time. I try to think about if there's any good in our political system.

Like what's GOOD about the Democratic Party? Hmmm, what's good…?

Well, they portray that they want to take care of people. Whether they actually do it is one thing, but they portray that that's what they care about. Democrats are more accepting than the Republicans are, they have that going for them. Whereas the Republicans are more Christian, more rigid with these ideas like "marriage is between a man and a woman."

Meanwhile, I'm in the middle, I don't care what people do behind closed doors. Are you a dude who wants to fuck some dude? Great! You know what you want. Most of this country doesn't know what they want, so good on you for knowing what you want!

With that in mind though, the Democrats suck just as equally as the Republican Party, but they just suck at different things.

So then what's good about The Republican Party? Obviously, they support the military more than the Democrats. They're less strict on weapons. I feel like owning a gun is an American right, a Second Amendment right. But they're too closed off to environmental protection, too bible thumpy. They shouldn't tell people what to do with their bodies.

When I think of my ideal president...well...Trump for example, he is far right. Like he swings the boundary for how far right he is.

My ideal president is pro-choice in all things, he supports the people, he doesn't care about skin color, he has the same end goal in mind. Basically that'd be an Independent, someone who swung both ways in a political sense, but of course they could never win with our system.

Abraham Lincoln is my favorite President, and I think it's funny that Trump compares himself to him. Trump is nowhere near Lincoln. Trump is just trying to make himself feel better. If he were comparable to Lincoln, he wouldn't be so bigoted.

Compared to the modern presidents, a lot of the presidents of the past seemed to be more Independent. You can't compare Lincoln's presidency to any other one, it's ridiculous to try.

America was its most great in the 50s, if you take out certain aspects. Back then political integrity actually meant something. The downfall of American politics was Nixon. But something about the 50s just calls to me. The economy was better; the workforce was better. There was a kind of a pureness to it. America took a super turn for the worse in the 60s and it hasn't really stopped that downward spiral since.

I think most of us just want our universal health care. We don't want to be working three jobs just to survive. The ideal America or ideal president wants to cull the environmental torture we've done, doesn't care about your orientation. They want the country to be better, not for their legacy, but for the next generations’.

Someone who can coexist with other parties and not let progress stop because they get offended. I just want people to get along and to keep the planet from imploding. Right now we're too divided. We're all stuck on this planet together, might as well make it better while we're here.