Halston

I do not have a Netflix account (yet), but find myself glued to documentaries whenever I am able to take advantage of a friends. Most recently, glued (or should I say draped?) onto Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston.

It's the story of American Fashion Designer Roy Halston Frowick and how he revolutionized the industry during his quick rise to fame in the nineteen seventies and eighties. It seems to be that every film centered around the disco era shines with decadent excess and ends in dark despair - consequences from the excess in fashion, drugs and sex. Halston's life was no exception.

Revel In: Brass Shades

 
I'm crazy about Brass these days. I love the warmth that this metal finish holds in comparison to cold steel and glaring polished gold (which can often give off a green tint). A lot of my older friends or clients hear the word brass and gasp. It's commonly associated with a dated look for some reason. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for any finish. But the truth is, brass is very popular in the design world today as it is commonly offered as a finish option.

Education: Chateau Marmont

 
It's been a while since I've had a source of inspiration for a side project. A side project for me is always an ambition, a wild dream and a rebellious idea. This particular daydream is sort of a new interpretation for an existing fashion label.
 
My history in retail actually began with this brand and I find it sort of ironic that it has, in one way or another, stumbled back into my life. It's as if everything comes full circle in life. Well, my idealist nature fantasizes that it could come full circle and be a break my career could prosper from.

Seeing Spots

I was looking through a magazine featuring accessories from the SS14 runway shows, and someone asked me how fashion inspires me. I looked down at the page at a featured pump. It was pieced of patent leather and suede with spikes attached to the back. I looked to the shoe as an example and said, "Take this shoe as a dining room chair. You could upholster the seat and seat back in the patent leather, so that it's easy to clean. Cover the back of the chair in the suede and apply the spikes as a decorative touch to give it an edge."

Music: Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra! Or, according to their US audience in the nineteen seventies, "the English guys with big fiddles". ELO were a British rock group from Birmingham, England from 1971-1986 with a brief reunion in 2001.

Sweet SixteenX2

Another birthday has come and gone, and another theme has gone down in the history book of Dallas Amante. You may remember previous birthday themes - La Grande Revue 31 and XXX: Dirty Thirty. This time, the theme was Sweet SixteenX2 to celebrate turning 32 (you get the math, right?).

Simon Hassan Pair of Nightstands

Wow! A random search for "Leather Nightstand" on 1st Dibs provided me with about a dozen options and my jaw dropped when these beauty's showed up.

Simon Hassan designed these nightstands (more like sculptures) in 2010. They are constructed of polished brass drawers enveloped in boiled leather. How amazing would these be for a contemporary ranch house? Think Ralph Lauren meets Alexander Wang.