fabulous, at any age

from the Advanced Style: Age and Beauty video on Nowness.com

I adore the older set - particularly those who embrace colour, pattern, flamboyant accessories, and fun-loving attitude in their 'golden years'. The best place online for a daily fix of the sensational style of fearless older ladies is, hands down, Advanced Style. Thank you ChrisHabana for getting me hooked. The photo above is from this short documentary by Lina Plioplyte and Ari Seth Cohen... which is preceding a 'grand documentary' in the works!

in heels + (vintage) print

A beautiful vintage poster from France c. 1946. Can't help but love the depiction of a woman in heels with her Peugeot!

hello PUBLIC bikes

Capturing the hearts of those who love simple smart design + urban cycling.... Rob Forbes, founder of Design Within Reach, has officially launched PUBLIC offering sweet city cycles and well designed accoutrement! You can purchase (affordable) well curated goods via their online shop or head to their San Fran location. Attention New Yorkers: in conjunction with Design Week they have a slew of events/displays around town which I'll be posting more about.

In the meantime, some of my favorites (and, yes, I am obviously partial to red and white accessories)...

Airbone Supernova Pocket Pump

just less than 4 inches long

Two-Strip Bungee Strap

Clarijs Single Color Double Pannier

made of waterproof bisonyl fabric

Basil d'Azur Messenger Bag & Pannier

made of coated cotton canvas

PUBLIC 700x35c Tire with Reflective Stripe

Vittoria 1976 Men's Cycling Shoe

+ they have a line of bicycles inspired by classic European city versions with nice paint detailing

lycra clad on the runway

While the cycle chic movement renounces it, the runway embraces it... Comme des Garçons' Spring 2010 collection - accompanying Louis Vuitton's bike-short-centric campaign post last month. Ohh, Rei ♥

LV goes Cycle Chic

The cycle chic blog Riding Pretty did a great post yesterday on the trendy-ness of spandex cycling apparel (the bike short being key) this coming season... from the pages of TeenVogue to Louis Vuitton's Spring/Summer 2010 campaign (above).

Amazing to think that LV was formed in 1854 making custom trunks for traveling (before luggage was even something people owned - really before travel was something most people could imagine/consider doing) and grew into one of the most counterfeited brands in fashion.

Liberty love

My love for Liberty prints runs deep.

Needless to say the collaboration between the street wear label Trainspotter + Liberty of London is a dream come true. The Spring/Summer 2010 collection will include Trainerspotter x Liberty Jammers...

In 2003 Trainerspotter reinvented the iconic 1980’s Windjammer jacket with a literal interpretation of sport meets fashion. By taking the silhouette of a staple piece of sportswear and then (de) constructing it by juxtaposing the lightweight waterproof nylon against... Made in England from floral Liberty prints with British Millerain wax cotton, Nickel Swiss RiRi zippers, Worsted Wool rib cuffs and cotton cambric lining, each style of limited numbered editions and can be found exclusively at Liberty of London.

via Highsnobiety

Fortunately they also teamed with Nike a couple years back so you can go completely overboard with their beautiful floral prints...

love makes the world go round

The global cycle chic movement gets mapped out! The Santa Barbara bicycle style blog, Bike by the Sea, has created the (growing!!!) Bicycle Style Network map. Some new additions for your viewing pleasure:

Aix-en-Provence Cycle Chic
Bandung Cycle Chic [Indonesia]
Sheffield Cycle Chic
Buenos Aires Cycle Chic
Toruń Cycle Chic [Poland]

Swiss wool

Came across this photo of a cyclist in Antwerp posted on Cycle Chic Belgium... and was immediately drawn to the reappropriation of a classic - the (beloved) Swiss Army wool blanket.

Designed by Jan-Marc Stührmann, this bag is part of a line using recycled Swiss Army blankets and canvas sails. While lovely, what's even more interesting is that the bags are assembled by female prison inmates in Vechta, Germany!

a hint of vintage

Crafted out of vintage upholstery & vinyl material, Denver-based Beatrice Holiday - Wheel Cute Couture makes these handlebar bags, basket liners and seat covers! Available through their Esty Shop. via Design*Sponge

Reminded me of this bike I photographed in Maine last summer... 

ice queen

Let's Go Ride a Bike, a blog by 2 women in 2 cities (Chicago & Nashville), posted these exquisite photos taken on Chicago's icy lake shore in 10 degrees F (-12 C). I adore the sight of a white dress in the white snow... and the kelly green mittens make for a perfect accent.

graphic legs

Even if we are months away from shedding our winter woolens and layers - something to look forward to once spring comes around... 
The French company Les Queues de Sardines hand screen-prints these darling tights and stockings in limited quantities.

preemptively graphic

via NotCot + nicely accompanies this recent post by BikeHugger

hello CHANEL

A fun coincidence... a fashion-minded friend of mine made a visual match up: a gown from CHANEL's recent Shanghai ready to wear collection + for the love of bike's cycling glove

Imagine hopping on this Fendi bicycle in a Chanel evening gown (with matching gloves)! Dreamy...

Thanks, Scully

Yarn + Yokoo

8 foot long SoopaScarf

The weather has been steadily bone-chilling these days... just want to drown in one of Yokoo Gibran's knits while riding around. Her super successful Etsy store recently landed her a feature in the NYTimes. All of Yokoo scarves and accessories are made by hand and can be ordered in one of 20 different coloured yarns.

one cool kooky craft queen!

for the love of bikes: cycling gloves

A project from my industrial design graduate thesis...

Hand signaling is a form of communicating with motorists and pedestrians. Communication is key in being respectful to fellow cyclists and motorists as well as staying safe - by combining highly reflective material with fluorescent calfskin leather, these gloves greatly increase a cyclist’s visibility.

The gloves greatly increase a cyclists visibility from a good distance, day or night, when signaling. Each incorporate reflective piping increasing reflectivity from every direction and has a single metal snap fastener. The palm of the gloves provides a good opportunity to have a fluorescent surface - and increase visibility from the front and back!

Thanks to cyclist Ivey Lian + outdoor photos by Steph Mantis

www.vanessamarierobinson.com