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….

Quite literally speaking, it was paradise.

Then Rian Flynn came and shit got real:

Photos by Rian Flynn
Styled by Amber Mortensen and Bradley Rhea
Model, Johnelle Anderson
Clothing from Barrio Vintage

Barrio Vintage is open every First Friday at the Chinatown Artists’ Lofts. Add them on Facebook to find out more.

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.

It was the day after the hottest day in the known history of Los Angeles, and the weather was finally behaving. The wetlands’ wind flicking up the model’s wavy wheat hair, the perfect temperature for combining jackets with hot shorts. Nicole Hill is an incredibly talented photographer and we were very excited to work together. The spoils…

Photographed by Nicole Hill
Styled by Amber Mortensen, Painfully Hip
Clothing is vintage. Blue top and shorts by Sapphire Cordial

It is not a well-known fact that venerable vintage retailer, Buffalo Exchange proudly calls Tucson, AZ its headquarters. Considering their 36 year history of recycling vintage clothing in a modern way, before it was considered cool kid status, it was just a matter of time (exactly one year since I moved to this cuddly city) until we tried a true collaboration on for size.

It just seemed so inevitable. On my second day after moving to Tucson, I walked in a Buffalo Exchange Glam Rock fashion show. Then in April, Buffalo Exchange featured me on their homepage for the Clockwork Orange-themed fashion show I participated in. Last month they offered to let me pull for any missing pieces in my Every Dog Has Its Day benefit show. It also turns out that my bestest Tucson bestie, Bradley Rhea (at the tender age of 23), just happens to be a purchasing assistant for all the new trend-savvy merchandise in Buffalo stores across-country (and the too-cute-for-words redheaded model in my aforementioned fashion show).

Recently, Bradley was asked to kick start their blog with a fall/winter trend forecast. Bradley had a master plan of where he wanted to go with the forecast, namely, ’40s polish mixed with a grungy ’90s irreverence. Of course we decided we couldn’t squander the chance to “work” together. So we set up a session to “play” all day at the historical Shane House with our talented (and exceedingly adorable) friends, photographer Krysta Jabczenski and model, Hanah Klein.

Buffalo Exchange’s Speedway location provided such an overwhelming selection of hip vintage and trendy new merch that it was a marvel the two of us somehow managed to whittle it down a cohesive collection in just a few hours. A fresh color story (we mixed brown with black and silver with gold for a tasty dash of devil-may-care), appropriately undulating hemlines, and menswear leanings provided an excellent canvas for a light sprinkling of gypsy bling. What came out of our cerebral melding was a rocking fall lifestyle shoot Kate Moss or Stevie Nix might hopefully feel at home in.

You’re welcome very much: we chose only pieces ranging in price from $7-$35.
New merchandise is available at every location across the country. Check Bradley’s first post on the Buffalo Exchange blog later tonight to find out more.

Click the full page button at the bottom right of the slideshow player to zoom.

Many thanks to Buffalo Exchange, Hanah Klein and Krysta Jabzenski.

So I’m leaving on my big tour in a few minute weeks and I’m starting to realize just how expensive its going to be… which in turn is making me panic. Like an excesssssive consssssonants kind of panic. This is what it’s like to reach desperate measures.
So I’m selling “The Boots.”

Real leather, real stacked heels, real Zodiacs. Legit in every way, even the size. A true 7.5.

This is incredibly difficult, but as you can see from the listing, they’re very photogenic and I’ve used them in plenty of shoots and fashion shows. I must be weaned. I was almost about to start shopping for engagement rings when I decided it was time to cut the cord.

These epic vintage early ’80s knee-high cowboy boots leave a wake of blown minds everywhere they go. No joke. Gaping jaws on the ground. They’re perfectly broken in, with some very small scuffs here and there, but really. Would you want it any other way? These are solid mofo-ing boots that were made for walking, not for pussyfooting around.

Enjoy. I will cry whilst packing them up, but not to worry! They will be tears of freedom.