LA Rock Chic

 

I love LA style. I have never been but I have always been inspired by the music & movies which paint LA as an exciting of glamour, rock & roll and sunshine! I did live in Sydney for 7 years and a friend told me: "Sydney is more LA than LA!" Ha! My sister Banana-meetcute (check her out here) is venturing there soon so I am very excited to hear about her travels and see the trip chronicled on her Blog, her and Mr Meetcute being avid and clever photographers. 

As a child of the 80's, I grew up listening to Motely Crue, Poison & Guns n Roses, trying to get my hair as BIG & high as possible (Kelly Bundy style). I dreamed of running away to the Sunset Strip, partying with Tommy Lee and living at the Chateau Marmont. This phase indelibly left it's mark on me - thankfully, it is more pared down now (and am no longer a size 8 or able to rock Daisy Dukes - although I saw these today and fell in love. Oh to to be 21 again eh? Or Fergie!). These days I can barely pry myself away from boots, jeans, leather jacket & & a washed out Tee. Laid back ease. But on the flip-side, I also love a bit of that glitzy trashy glam look that harks back to those hedonistic Hollywood Wives/Dynasty days (yep - I read it/watched it. No surprises there really - I loved Alexis and Sammy-Jo). Here are a few of my latest fave 'LA rock chick' looks.

 

  Stylestalker campaign shot @ Chateau Marmont by Kimberly Gordon 

of Wildfox (Not Sonic Youth!)

 

 Abbey Lee Kershaw by Terry Richardson

 

 

Rock  progeny Atlanta DeCadanet by Mark Cobrasnake 

One of my fave brands, Wildfox, embodies that laid back Summer Rock Chick LA style - they are based in LA and their talented designer Kimberley Gordon also shoots most of their campaigns.

 

 

 

 

Wildfox  Sweet Valley Fox 2011

OK,  Jess Hart lives in NYC, but I love her laid back rock-chick style and  amazing collection of rock tees!

 

 Pics  from here and here

 

 

Jess  in range from her Neon Hart line 

 

 

 

Pic from here

Another consummate rock chick who works a great look is the fabulous Erin Wasson. see more on her Low Luv line here.

 

 Erin Wasson for Zadig & Voltaire 

 

 

Kalifornia - Pics from here

Scarlet Johansson at the Chateau Marmont bu Anne Leibovitz

Low Luv

Low Luv by Erin Wasson is now available at Superette! I love Erin Wasson - check out her gorgeous editorial featured in my last Blog. This Texan model's style of cowboy boots, tees and cut-offs with cool jewelery inspired Alexander Wang -they met in the elevator of the East Village and she became a stylist for him. This surfer-chick grew up a tomboy and calls her laid back look "frumpy sexiness."
She launched her jewellery collection Low Luv in 2008 and it has some great pieces, street-style with a dash of rock-chick and native America thrown in for good measure. Past collections have been inspired (among other things) by the Southwest desert, Mexico, Egypt, the Middle East and the Aztecs.

American Road Trip

I love Americana/Western-style fashion. Cowboy boots, denim mini skirt, cowboy hat. As a kid growing up in a big rural-type town, I used to watch movies about road trips across Route 66 and dream of going to the States. The cactus-strewn landscapes, desert roads, greasy gas stations & truck stops, convertible Cadillacs, roadside diners with shiny red vinyl seats & Cherry Colas, and cheap motels right by the highway, with their blinking neon lights, dilapidated swimming pools & 70's decor. It all seemed so exotic and exciting! This fantastic editorial by David Mushegain for Vogue Italia last year totally encapsulates that vibe, starring the ever-cool Texan model and & designer Erin Wasson.

Erin Wasson in Texas Story for ELLE Italia

In the early 90's a glut of movies came which featured adventures in the American heartland and sassy heroines who wore rock chick, eclectic outfits that inspired me. True Romance, Wild at Heart, Natural Born Killers, Thelma and Louise, Leaving Las Vegas and Gas, Food, Lodging. My style inspiration came from and was forever molded by these characters.

Alabama Worley from True Romance (1993)

Key quote: "I had to come all the way from the highway and byways of Tallahassee, Florida to MotorCity, Detroit to find my true love."

Key looks: Red lipstick, mini skirts, turquoise ensembles with matching bra, Chuck Taylors, pony-skin, aviators and leopard print.

Lula Fortune from Wild at Heart (1990)

Key quote: "This whole world's wild at heart and weird on top"

Key looks: Red lipstick, blonde perm, leather jacket, lingerie as outer-wear, lace stocking, red stilettos, spandex tube dresses & black sunglasses.

Mallory Knox from Natural Born Killers (1994)

Key Quote: "I see angels, Mickey. They're comin' down for us from heaven...and I see the future and there's no death 'cause you and I, we're angels."

Key looks: Tight crop tops, skin tight pants, studded belts & collars, bandanas, scorpion, assortment of wigs & perpetual pout.

Shade & Trudi, Gas, Food Lodging (1992)

Key looks: Brunette perms & red tints, Western-style shirts, Levis 501s, leather jackets, floral 90's style mini dresses with Doc Martens

Thelma and Louise (1091)

Key quote: "Well, we're not in the middle of nowhere, but we can see it from here."

Key looks: Rock tee, Ray Bans, bandanas, cowboy hats, tight jeans and cowboy boots.



I ove with that Americana style cross between cowgirl & rock chick, with a dash of trailer trash - Pink lace bras, battered leather jackets, plaid shirts, stars & stripes print, vintage rock tees, leopard print, Ray Ban wayfarers. The Americana Truck-stop/Road-trip/Road-side diner/Service station/Cheap motel vibe has inspired 100s of glossy editorials and photographers over the years. Interestingly, I stumbled across the cool editorial below from Fashion Gone Rogue by a vintage store called...Wild at Heart. Checked out their Facebook Page and their interests include Gas,Food, Lodging and... True Romance - kindred spirits!

Kalifornia for Fashion Gone Rogue by Graham Dunn

Fab clothes from 'Wild at Heart Vintage'

Below is a collection of more recent editorials inspired by this look.

Coco Rocha fro ELLE Italia, January 2011

Nice girls finish first for Foam Magazine Thomas Whiteside



McQueen Spring/Summer Campaign 11/12



Vogue Russia, February 2011





Wildfox Campaign 2010



Bambi Northwood-Blyth for 10 Magazine, Spring/Summer by Tierney Gearon



You aint got nothin to lose by Jason Lee Parry