Is There Anyone Out There?

Lets us listen to this while we read...

Just a quick note to let you know that I opened a store about 6 months ago and don't have time to blog here anymore. I thought I could juggle both projects, but there is just not enough time in the day and really at the end of the day, the aesthetic and vision of Pygmy Hippo is where I'm at.

Together with the help of my right hand man, we built every inch of the shop from the ground up in just over 3 months. We wanted it to have the look and feel of a store you'd find in Disneyland, and we based the stores color scheme around our favorite wallpaper from Grow House Grow.

The idea behind Pygmy Hippo is simple: offer unique vintage and handmade goods, mostly from local artists and designers, at affordable prices, in the tiniest space EVER. If you're not in the neighborhood, you can take a look at our on-line shop here. We rotate the small selection of goods out on-line every month or so, but ideally, we'd love for you to come see the space in person.

I still work on Cloven Hoof when I have the time, and I sell the piece exclusively at the shop, so if there is anything you're looking for, drop us a line.

Pygmy Hippo Site

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Pygmy Hippo Facebook

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Pygmy Hippo Twitter

Set & Drift

Cloven Hoof will be selling a handful of limited edition pieces, as well as pieces from the current collection, from September 3rd to 5th at MERCANTILE, a design pop-up shop showcasing a collection of limited edition hand-crafted objects by 8 American designers and artists.

MERCANTILE is being curated by Set & Drift to accompany "CURRENT", an exhibition featuring the West Coast debut of internationally acclaimed designer Kwangho Lee.

Opening Reception: Saturday September 4th, 2010
7-10pm and free to the public

Location: The Bakery
1701 National Ave.
Barrio Logan San Diego, California 92113

For more information about the exhibition and pop-up shop, click here & here.

Desert Adventure

The New Collection Is Complete!

Take a peek at the rest here.

Brilliant

I've always loved Anna Sui. When her La Brea store closed down I was devastated, only to be elated yet again when she re-opened on Sunset...my excitement was short lived and quickly followed by shock and deep depression when that store too closed down with no notice. She never re-opened and I still don't know what happened, but in the end it's okay since the stores demise has inadvertently saved me a lot of money and it's now one more place for me to visit when I'm in New York and Tokyo.

I'd read about her on going lawsuit with Forever21 a while back, but I had no idea that three years ago, guests at her Spring 2008 runway show were gifted this hysterical shirt she had made.


The t-shirts were printed with an old western-style "Wanted" poster on them that featured a portrait of Don Wong and Jin Sook Chang, the deeply religious founders of Forever21, depicted as "Don Cassidy and the Sundance Jin." Since the founders are well known for printing John 3:16 on their shopping bags, Sui included an appropriate verse for them at the very bottom of the shirt: Exodus 20:15 "THOU SHALT NOT STEAL".

Brilliant.

I found out about the shirt a few days ago via the "ForeverUnfair" blog, who have just recently posted a great Sweat-Free Shopping Guide. The blog also offers an informative list of links (minus Peta, sorry I just can't) to sites that cover topics ranging from drug offenders in our jail system to whaling commisions. I don't know who runs the blog, but I have a lot of respect for what they're doing.

More! More! More!

I usually like to do a recap at the end of fashion week with all my favorites at once, but I just HAVE TO post these pictures NOW!

Gaultier's collection SCREAMS Auntie Mame to me and I'm IN LOVE!

Also equally blown away by Givenchy. Riccardo Tisci's extraordinarily elaborate ornamentation is awe inspiring.

Viva Vivienne!

Dame Westwood's Anglomania collection was the first to show for S/S Fall 2011 yesterday.

I love the straw hats, the mini-berets, the mini-crinis, the foliage prints, the red-and-white gingham, the corset-belts, the emerald lamé jacket, the trademark sac shoes and bold leopard, the blue eye shadow, the chunky jewelry and those gold brocade waistcoats! I LOVE IT ALL!

view entire collection here

Nature Is The Most Inspiring Teacher

Dior Fall 2010 Couture

John Galliano ♥ Stephen Jones
all photos via style

Daphne Guinness, My Hero

It's been three years since Isabella Blow’s death, and it was recently decided that her entire wardrobe would be auctioned off by Christies in order to raise funds to pay off all her debts. Her fashion archive includes some of John Galliano’s early work, pieces by Hussein Chalayan and Giles Deacon and over fifty hats by Philip Treacy. Alexander McQueen makes up for the largest portion of her collection, consisting of well over ninety of his outfits.

While it's understandable that Isabella's debt's have put her family in a financially strenuous situation, the notion of this auction was still completely horrifying to me. The idea that her life's collection (her life's work in essence) would be picked through and spread thin amongst who know how many people was unsettling. To clarify, I never knew her, but was a huge admirer of everything she did and stood for. In my teens I'd scour news stands looking for photos of what ensembles she'd put together and articles on people and designers she thought were note worthy. Those who didn't follow Isabella's life and career wouldn't understand the issue with this type of auction.

So in mid June when I read that Daphne Guinness had put a stop to the sale and purchased Isabella's entire collection her self, a sense of relief came over me. Daphne being a very close, old friend of Isabella's understood the urgency of the situation better then any living person could. “The auction would not be merely a sale of clothes; it would be a sale of what was left of Issie, and the carrion crows would gather and take away her essence forever. It needs to be kept whole, it is like a diary, a journey of a life, and a living embodiment of the dearest, most extraordinary friend.”

On July 3rd, Daphne wrote an article for the Financial Times explaining in depth why she had to call the auction off. It is a must read in my opinion.

Fourth of July Festivites