This was the second time in my life a best friend had announced to me that they were sorry to tell me but they were suddenly moving to Hawaii. Oh hell, no. Bradley and I had developed a friendship which was way too pure for this goddamn world and its …weather. So I invited myself to visit him and his exceedingly blue-eyed boyfriend, Jonathan in their heavenly studio loft in Chinatown, Honolulu.
For 2 months.
They didn’t say no.
Friendship! We swam with sea turtles, rope-swung, hiked towering watertrickles, drank mai tais on premature afternoons, crashed infinity hot tubs at sunset, buoyed ourselves in the warm and silvering dusklit Pacific, and turned a bottle of wine and a dirty concrete slab overlooking moonlit freighters into our own personal loveseat… And we were so good-looking!
But mostly, we opened a vintage boutique (rather, Bradley and Jonathan opened it while I pretended to be right about everything), Barrio Vintage, a concept pop-up. What a dream! Leather, cashmere, Gucci, Dior, preposterous prices….
Boys of Summer The Cool Factor in Menswear Detailing
Published by Zocalo Magazine, July 2011
By Amber Mortensen, PainfullyHip.com
Tucson isn’t a town that typically embraces streotypical gender rolls. We have a heavily attended Pride Weekend, burlesque drag troupes (Boys R Us, Wingspan) and last month hosted the Gender Identity Project. While I’m not suggesting you take up cross-dressing at the office, I do highly endorse a smattering of menswear detailing this season.
Trousers of all orientations, wide-brimmed grandpa hats, wingtip shoes, suspenders, and bow ties are the necessary means to rock this trend. Celebrate diversity by cinching a summery frock with a thick leather men’s belt and a pair of oxfords. Feminize those wide leg tweed trousers with a lacey lingerie top. Try tailored men’s shorts as a bikini cover up. Tuck an androgynous silk shirt into a pair of hot shorts. Like most things in life, it’s all about balance.
Photos by Krysta Jabzenski (Don’t miss her exhibit at the newly renovated Café Passe on 4th Ave)
Style and Art Direction by Amber Mortensen
Hair by Stefani Annaliese at Toni & Guy
Makeup by Tony Tulve
Model – Rachel Yampolsky (FORD RBA)
Special Thanks to Abraham Cooper
Clothing from Pour Moi Boutique (1865 E River Rd #141, and Preen Vintage (210 S 4th Ave)
Swimsuit from Rockin’ Queen
If you know me, you know how exciting it was for me to put thrift store clothes and seconds-from-the-grave candy apple platforms on a recent Harper’s BAZAAR cover model. Have you ever felt preemptively intimidated by a 16 year old before?
Yeeeah, I mean …me neither…
I could also mention that this editorial was thrown together in less than 24 hours, but I won’t. The inspirations ranged from “punk” and “tomboy” to “feminine 1940s-60s silhouettes,” with sources from American Apparel to St. Vincent de Paul… all with a decidedly juicy color pallette. Our team was perfection and we had a blast.
Photos by Matthew Priestley
Written and styled by Amber Mortensen, Painfully Hip
Model- Jeanne Johnston, FORD
MUA – Lizzy Marsh
Hair – Amy Freudenberg
Special Thanks to Abraham Cooper, Jasmine Jarrett and Matt Wade at American Apparel, Tucson.
I love working on these sweet little trend direction shoots for Buffalo Exchange Fashion for several reasons. A) I get to raid Tucson’s Buffalo Exchange locations and try on 18,000 incredible outfits without getting flack for not buying anything. B) Buffalo locations here are some of my favorite EVER because of an overabundance of vintage which many a non-desert dwelling vintage fiend might consider poisoning their grandma for. C) My friend Bradley at Buffalo Exchange is the equivalent of a handsome and sophisticated golden retriever puppy. D) Because Bradley unkowingly reads my mind and assists with buying all the new merchandise Buffalo carries on a daily basis, it could remain unsaid that their selection for me personally, is to-kill-maim-or-die-for.
So we just decided to do two shoots this season.
Presented in an easy-to-view, thoughtfully embedded slideshow – just click the full screen button in the bottom right corner of the screen to zoom. See if you can spot the intensely rubbery jello jigglers we made just for the shoot.
From Buffalo Exchange Fashion:
“Think about the fifties, girlish pan collared blouses and flirty a-line minis. Think vibrant splashes of orange and yellow, blues and citrusy greens amidst a palate of soft neutrals. Or lightweight boxy cut knits in dusty pinks and desert-like tones with high-rise cutoffs and a sunhat so big that you could shade your entire crew. Think about headscarves and ikat, turquoise and stacked wooden bangles, studio frames, wedges and tooled leather saddlebags.”
Photos by the incredible Krysta Jabczenski
Styling by Bradley Rhea and Amber Mortensen
Model is the lovely Ann Thayer
From Buffalo Exchange Fashion:
“Full minis and mid-calf length skirts, chambray boyfriend blouses and satin shorts. Striking pops of classic red, brushed metals and PRINTS! Big 40’s-like floral, geometric shapes, tribal interpretations and a whole slew of different sized stripes. This spring definitely promises to be a stylish one! If it ever arrives, that is…”
Photos by Abraham Cooper
Styling by Bradley Rhea and Amber Mortensen
Model is Amber Mortensen of Painfully Hip
Disclaimer: Yes, I realize that there are terrific snowstorms happening on the East Coast right now and yes I realize that a lot of you will hate that I’m not wearing six layers of sheepskin right now, but what can I say? I’m pretty sure I’ve invited you all to move into the adobe wonderland I call Tucson, but you were not convinced. It’s ok! All the madmen in this town have either been caught, or are quietly enjoying the psychedelic sunsets. I swear.
So yeah. Perhaps a strapless American Apparel bodysuit, a high-waisted A-line vintage skirt and a pair of platforms isn’t the most creative combination one can imagine, but it is a flattering silhouette that gives any body shape the illusion of an hourglass. How to take it up a notch or 3? Make each piece an unrelated Pantone reject and BOOM. Your flattering outfit goes from safe to sensational.
Some people (carpet owners named The Dude, boy scouts, etc), however, often feel the need to “tie the madness together” somehow. Something in the outfit should match, right? What better way to do that than a little bit of gold jewelry to match my gold braided belt? I added one gilt fern leaf and turquoise earring from Wingflash, but I’m badly coveting an oversized turquoise with 14K gold overlay cocktail ring I found on ShopNBC, it would have been like Lebowski’s rug to this outfit.
Bodysuit by American Apparel – thrifted for $1
Periwinkle skirt – thrifted for $1
Gold braided belt – thrifted for $1
Earring by Wingflash Designs on Etsy – Gift
Red Patent Vintage Platforms – Swapped with Emilie of Preen Vintage, Tucson
So, yeah. I guess this outfit cost me $3 and a pair of shoes. Not bad.
All images were either created by the Painfully Hip Design Collective, used with permission, or found on the web and believed to be in the public domain. If any images that appear are in violation of copyright law, please let me know and i will remove them immediately.
Thanks for reading,
Amber
painfullyhip at gmail.com
