Musing: The Philo Effect

Phoebe Philo remains a constant source of inspiration for us. We love her not only for her impressive accomplishments since taking over Céline, but also for her own personal style and aesthetics. She single-handedly revived Céline with her modern and minimalistic philosophy towards fashion. Her attention to shapes, textures, colors, and materials brought a new subtleness often overlooked by many other luxury brands. Moving away from the maximalist approach, Phoebe’s designs stripped away the unnecessary and captured the essence of each article of clothing. This way of designing was reminiscent of the Bauhaus movement and mid-century aesthetics. The world got a glimpse of her personal style when she was seen during the runway show for Céline 2011 wearing her Stan Smith adidas rather than the fashion uniform of high heels. Since then, the sneaker trend has taken the world by storm, and it was all started with Phoebe Philo.

Because of Phoebe's influence, we no longer have to choose between form and function. It is acceptable to wear sneakers with a suit or a dress. The oversized silhouette is no longer sloppy but is rather a purposeful choice. Phoebe’s passion and her infection style have become a way of life--having us saying “WWPPD,” What would Phoebe Philo do?

Bad Habit

In an attempt to escape from our usual urban environment, we explored the Artists Village in Santa Ana. In such a condensed pretty place, we were quickly bored with the main area of the village and reverted to our bad habit of looking for the grimey, hidden corners of a city. During our urban exploration, we were pleasantly surprised to find back alleys in Orange County that were reminiscent of LA and that made us feel more comfortable. Even though we both grew up near the beach, we just can't deny our love for urban spaces. After chasing the sunset to the top of an empty parking structure, we began the holiday festivities with two friendsgivings and a birthday party.

Less Traveled

The city of LA has been glorified to no end. It's a place where dreams are made of; a corner of the world where the sun shines all year long; a melting pot of diverse cultures; and a blank canvas to graffiti artists. It is also our home. With so many tourist attractions, it's easy to get sidetracked by the glamorous sights this great city has to offer. While we do frequent Melrose Ave and Sunset Blvd, we also find ourselves (literally) taking the roads less traveled, combing alleys and empty streets for hidden treasures. The LA River is a gem that reflects a more accurate view of the city that we know and love. With its many layers, it is the perfect balance of the grunginess of LA and the softness of CA. After walking through the alleyway speckled with graffiti, the first sight of the water took our breath away. Because of its covert entrance, the river is a tranquil place to escape from the infamous traffic jams and the constant stress of finding parking. It is a spot that we know we will visit time and time again. Because of its vastness, we may never finish exploring LA, but we relish in the idea that our adventures will never be over.

Go Outside

After getting our recurring fix of a good chicken sandwich and fries at The Kroft, we explored the Anaheim Packing District. Sitting on top of a railroad track, the packing house is a mecca of good food and drinks with a variety of vendors and restaurants. We had fun spending the afternoon in this cool space relaxing in a swinging bench, enjoying live music, and being surrounded by pretty plants. We paralleled the diversity of the food with our outfits--channeling Japanese and British vibes. After soaking up the last of the sun rays of the Fall afternoon, we continued the relaxed feel of the day with coffee, dinner, and a walk in the park.

Olive Juice

j: zara jacket, rag & bone sweater, zara joggers, toms, nordstrom scarf, raybans

b: forever 21 jacket, blk dnm t-shirt, zara pants, toms, nordstrom scarf, raybans

On a recent Fall afternoon, we gave matchy matchy fashion another try. This time, however, we wanted to be more selective about our outfits to avoid being too obvious or cheesy. Inspired more so by Crystal Castles than the matching couples found in Korea, we wanted to imitate their style cohesion rather than mirror each other's wardrobe pieces. This was made easy by the unisex pieces in our closets, and so we settled on joggers, TOMS, scarves, and our parkas. With subtle differentiations in the details, we avoided being too gimmicky and instead created two cohesive looks that either of us would wear with or without each other. These outfits were perfect for grabbing coffee and sharing our favorite books at a bookstore.

October Outtakes

October was simultaneously the best and worst month--rapidly shifting and taking unexpected turns. We experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows. To say it was a roller coaster would be an understatement. With our high pressure jobs, we often are working long hours and working off of fumes to meet strict deadlines. We sought refuge during the weekends, which seem to be the only time we can relax and make plans. Due to our natural instinct to document our moments together, we are fortunate to have these photos as a reminder that no matter how bad things got at work, a weekend of fun was always just around the corner.

Revolving

Well into our Fall season, we were growing tired of finding new ways to revolve our summer clothes, and so when a rainy day arrived in LA, we were ready to bring on the layers. With Taylor Swift's new album to accompany us through our rainy drive, we ventured to The Grove to shop and to grab lunch at Mendocino Farms. Our excitement for the cold weather was gradually overshadowed by its fickleness that wavered from warm sun rays to piercing cold winds. California just can't seem to make up its mind about Fall. In between shopping and shedding our layers, we dropped by the Revolve pop up shop. The bright pink exterior welcomed us in and we were greeted with curated pieces that could be options for the upcoming holiday season. The mini Sprinkles cupcakes and the DJ mixing fun tunes made our visit even sweeter.