Tag Archives: saturday site love

Saturday Site Love: K Is For Kani

29 Jan

Kani

A few weeks back, I came across a website run by a very well-dress 18 year-old Australian girl named Kani. Her blog is a bit like Le Blog de Betty, though imagine instead of modeling outfits accompanied by music clips, she shows outfits and baked goods (i.e. cupcakes, etc). Clothes, however, are her main focus, with each entry serving as a virtual invitation into her closet, with Kani citing the newest trends and wares (some of which she has made herself!). She is super creative, and beyond simply being talent, hyper-motivated. She’s may still be young, but she’s got big dreams.

I’m showing her site some love not only because it obviously falls well in-line with our mission here at Retail DJ, but also because her execution is fabulous. Another thing I really love about K Is For Kani is that she is big on vintage clothing and sustainability. She notes on her “about” page:

In a world where fast fashion is at it’s peak, and clothes are flooding landfills, thrifting clothes fills me with joy. It’s sort of like saving orphaned animals on the street, but saving clothes from going to the landfill when there is so much more potential in them left! For some reason, I really hate things going to waste so I suppose my love for vintage was also triggered by this.

So for today, I’m sending hugs and kisses to a blogger across the world who brings tons of fashionistas a little closer each day. Check out this sampling of K Is For Kani, and be sure to visit her site directly via www.kisforkani.blogspot.com:

VINTAGE WITH KANI

So i’ve pondered about this for a while now. Many bloggers have their own blog stores where they sell their clothing and other finds. I have even received emails before asking if i had a store selling my vintage finds or even encouraging me to set one up! The time has come and i have realised that i have just too many vintage clothes squeezed into my 3x4metre room. If i want to continue finding more precious little gems, i have to part with some first.
So welcome to ‘shop k is for kani’, @ vintagewithkani.blogspot.com. This little website, open officially open in half an hour at 10AM EST, will be filled to the brim with nifty little items from both my closet and vintage collection. There is also a huge clearance on lots of cute (non-vintage) jewellery for cheap as chips prices (i don’t think there’s any jewellery over $5..).
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Plus aside from that, i have tonnes of vintage clothing and bags (well i say tonnes for an eighteen year old) up for sale, all accumulated from a year of scouting/collecting. My sister helped me sort and photograph everything with me over the span of two days and it was much too hard to send my clothing to the ‘for sale’ pile. We even took a spontaneous trip to ikea in 34 degree heat to buy a clothing rack so we could physically separate ourselves from the items that will be going to new homes!
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Vintage with Kani will bring you many vintage blouses, cardigans, etc which will all be very reasonably priced compared to other online vintage stores :) . There currently aren’t any dresses in store at the moment since i just haven’t had time to alter anything, but maybe in the future! if i can ever make myself part from them haha.

Saturday Site Love: Compai

7 Aug

Recently, Kristal sent me a link, asking if I had seen the site it was connected to before. It seemed super familiar, especially a post abut pasta- so much so that it gave me a bit of deja vu. Though I never figured out how I knew about it or where I had heard about it, I was absolutely sure of one thing: I loved it.

The site I am talking about is Compai, a multi-purpose site run by a design studio of the same name. They do a lot of beautiful, sustainable work. Here’s a little more info about them:

COMPAI is a design studio/consultancy owned and operated by sisters Faith and Justina Blakeney.

Compai specializes in style & sustainability, incorporating recycled materials & environmentally friendly practices into the design process whenever possible. We create books, prints, digital graphics, fashion and environments around the world.

The COMPAI lifestyle blog covers just about anything design related, with a focus on upcycled, eco, and multi-cultural designs and the work that comes out of the Compai Design Studio.

In other words, they’re awesome. Check out their blog, but then play around some more on the site. Be sure to visit their studio and store pages. They’re beautiful!

Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

Just the week’s favorites!

1. Eley Kishimoto

2. Anthropologie

3. Shop Standing Up

4. Lizzie Fortnato

5. Threads.srithreads.com

6. Imkeklee

Happy Friday!

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: United Nude

22 May

United Nude in Neon Pink

Yesterday, I went to a Melissa Shoes sample sale in Chelsea* where I felt like a kid in a candy store. All those bright colors, all that yummy-smelling plastic and rubber, and the designs…so many designs! I was also thrilled to see many a pair from seasons past, versions that had been discontinued, and shoes in colors that were no longer manufactured. Overjoyed is not the word. Special thanks to the Melissa distributors who were incredibly helpful, patient, and generous (I got two free pairs of shoes!).

While Melissa is my staple of shoes these days, I thought I’d pay a little homage today to United Nude, who also utilizes a form os plastic for some of their shoes, and always thrill the buying public with their architectural masterpieces made just for your feet. With shoes that resemble modern art more than something you’d walk in, United Nude is surely a brand that cannot be overlooked. Now that they have their own, brand-new flagship store in NYC (!!!), United Nude is even more accesible, but for those of you who live out of town or who just don’t have the time to stop by their 268 Elizabeth Street location, give their site a looksie. Their prices, particularly considering the work that goes into these shoes, are not so bad, and you can often find their wares on sale. So enjoy the view as you check out United Nude:

from their collaboration with K-Swiss:

Eamz X Elastic:

Loop Hi (back angled view):

Coral:

Frame:

Block Pump Hi:

for more, check out UnitedNude.com

*Thanks to Lilibeth and Kristal for the tip on the sample sale!

- Retail DJ

(Belated) Saturday Site Love: High Snobiety

28 Mar

So last night I got a little carried away with putting up shelving and completely forgot that it was Saturday, meaning I needed to show someone a little site love! My apologies. Let’s get to praising some of the fellow bloggers, writers, and music + fashion experts in the game, shall we?

This week’s Saturday Site Love goes out to the folks over at High Snobiety, the ridiculously well-integrated site that covers music, fashion, toys, and a whole lot of other things all in a nicely laid-out package. Take a look at their homepage first:

High Snobiety: Daily Online Magazine for Sneakers, Streetwear, Fashion, Art, and Toys

The online mag is broken into several parts: High Snobiety, High Snobette (the ladymag equivalent), and connected sites Selectism, Curated, and Rad Collector. If you have a little free time today, give the site a long, hard look. It’s not the type of site you just want to glance at. You need a little bit a time to get your feet wet, but after that, you’ll want to stay. . .

a sample from High Snobiety:

AERIAL7 Royale Headphones

27 March 2010, 20.53 | Posted in Gadgets | 1 comment »

AERIAL7 Royale Headphones
AERIAL7 drops looks into their premium ‘AList’ Royale Headphones. “Crafted from the finest materials, the Royale features full grain leather ear cushions and headband with premium quality speakers. Engineered by designers to uniquely match top of the line components to create optimum sound that satisfies the most finicky connoisseur.” Now available at a MRSP of $400 USD.

Take a leap for tech specs and some looks at DJ Neil Armstrong in a pair.

(more…)

Saturday Site Love: Paying Our Dues

13 Mar

Today’s Saturday Site Love is actually a reminder for you to check out the websites, blogs, podcasts, and mixes of some of the artists we have featured here, lest you somehow forget to check out what they’re up to these days.

Here’s a little roundup:

DJ Lady Lane: DJ, actress, model, and personality powerhouse

can be found on facebook, pod-o-matic, twitter, her blog, her site, and spinning throughout Vancover (her most recent stomping ground)

her interview (parts 1 and 2), photoshoot, and exclusive mix for Retail DJ (+ special goodie remix)

NSR: Noah Souder-Russo, MC/rapper, DJ, charismatic musical overachiever

can be found on myspace, facebook, twitter,  and oftentimes playing at Gallery Bar and Arrow Bar

his interviews (parts 1 and 2), photoshoot, and exclusive mix for Retail DJ

EZRAKH: producer, DJ, pensive source of inspiration

can be found on facebook, twitter, his site, his soundcloud, and spinning throughout NYC and NJ

his interview (parts 1 and 2), photoshoot, and exclusive mix for Retail DJ (+ special goodie remix)

Felix Flores: singer/songwriter, fashion-forward citizen of the world

can be found on facebook, myspace, his site, and this month, doing projects and performing throughout Mexico

his interview (parts 1 and 2), photoshoot, and tracklist for Retail DJ

Enjoy the work from these amazing artists, and keep checking outretaildj.com for more where these came from!

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Mishka

6 Mar

Mishka, a well-known Brooklyn-based urban clothing line, has been keeping the world well-informed on the hottest music artists, fashion trends, and shows (by show I mean live ones and the ones on tv – they do Lost recaps!) by way of its blog for some time now, but I thought I’d still give them a little credit when it is due. As of late, their set of bloggers has grown to include several guests,some of which happen to be the music artists they have features in previous blog entries. So if you’re staying in tonight or need something to read as a pick-me-up on a hungover tomorrow, check out the Mishka blog. It will keep you thoroughly enterained.

Here’s a recent entry from their site:

You Should be Listening to… Wetdog

February 27th, 2010

l_9be0f9fc9756d52dee1e454e66f96f57

The other night I was listening to Wetdog’s latest LP “Frauhaus!” (which came out hipster hit machine Captured Tracks last year) and was thinking about just how much I liked it and how much it reminded me of something that should have come out on Kill Rock Stars circa 1993. I wasn’t the only one either I broke out my Ouija board and got in touch with my old friend Kurt Cobain who said that Wetdog is his favorite new band…pretty damn impressive if you ask me!

These London ladies play a killer mix of everything from post-punk to Twee. There’s a lot of Raincoats, Delta 5, Liliput/Kleenex to even Huggy Bear and Bratmobile going on here. It’s like I said earlier…you could take this album and pretty convincingly slip it into the 1990s Kill Rock Stars (or even K Records) catalog as either a new release or an archival reissue from the 80s and I doubt anyone would even bat an eye. But now that I think of it, Captured tracks is really reviving the feel of 90s KRS in the here and now so this is hardly surprising. But now I digress, so why don’t you just check out this lil vid above for their song “Lower Leg”.

The ladies just DJed at Topshop in London as part of their Fashion Week celebration and were the subject of a recent Nylon Band Crush which has I’m sure gone a long way in winning them the love of stylish lads worldwide. The ladies are currently gearing up to jump on a plane and make the trip over to the new world to play 4 shows during this year’s SXSW festival. The band also made some time on their schedule stateside to play a show or two in NY.  There’s currently a TBA for March 28 and a show booked at Glasslands for April 2nd. See you there!

- Banana Wintour

—–

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Generation Bass

27 Feb

Kuduro, Cumbia, Dubstep, and plenty of other super-danceable genres are the focus of this awesome blog. With mixes galore and background info to boot, Generation Bass does a great job in filling in where some other blogs leave off. They also have a great set of links to other music blogs that’s worth checking out. Here’s a little sample of what they’re working with over at GB:

ZORT

February 25th, 2010

phpQsjjll

We got this in from Rafa from the Frikstailers a few days back about something new coming out on their label and here’s what he says:

It´s an EP of a great band from our city called Zort. They are kind of our godfathers, they represent our main human and musical influence, in fact we live with the leader of the band and he´s the director of the club we run every saturday (Switch Club).

Grab a free track here and read the rest of the official stuff below:

Mambo Poa Martino (Ben Mono remix) by RevoltIntoStyle

We’re delighted to announce the release of Zort’s Mambo Poa Martino EP on Revolt Into Style Records.

Formed in Cordoba, Argentina in 1998, Zort have recorded and released a series of albums joining the dots between hip hop, jazz, broken beat, electronica and contemporary classical music.

Their first release for Revolt Into Style kicks off with the energetic electro stylings of rising Berlin star Ben Mono’s remix. A superb blend of vintage house and electro synths, his re-working builds to a stunning climax guaranteed to slay the dance floor.

Next up is Cordoba local Cristobal Paz, who shows a real lightness of touch with his remix. Snatches of vocals weave in and out of slowly shifting percussion on this minimal house treatment. On the flip side we have the original mix, a blend of hip hop beats, synths, live brass and acoustic bass.

The voices are provided by talented residents of the Nairobi Children’s Remand Home, recorded by a film-maker friend of Zort named Martin Granata. He spent time in Nairobi filming a documentary about street football called ‘The Street and the Ball’, and his field recordings at the orphanage were the inspiration for the track, and form the basis of Mambo poa Martino.

To finish we have the Frikstailers brilliant reconstruction, the vocals layered over simple synth lines and beats, with a crescendo of chopped snares, cymbals and FX before the track winds down into silence.

Click here to buy the vinyl or digital from Juno.
Click here to buy from iTunes.
Click here to buy direct from our digital store.

—

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Too Many Sebastians

13 Feb

The site Too Many Sebastians probably doesn’t need any love at this point because they are already pretty famous. But sometimes, positive reinforcement is necessary even when you’re already on top. There’s that, and the fact that not all the readers here may have heard about it before, so I figured, “Why the heck not?”

Too Many Sebastians is a great music blog that features tracks by today’s smoothest operators in nuevo disco, funk, house, and downtempo music. They feature other types as well of course, but this seems to be their strong suit. I should also add that they have a great monthly chart that’s worth checking out. So go have  a look and enjoy the view!

http://toomanysebastians.blogspot.com/

Too Many Sebastians’ January Chart

Too Many Sebastians January Chart.
1. Fare Soldi – Tutto Tutti Sempre Subito (Justin Faust Remix)
2. Matt Van Schie – Saturday Night (G.L.O.V.E.S Remix)
3. Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed (Russ Chimes Remix)
4. Cécile & Venice – Rimmel
5. Richie Beretta – Zombie Prom Night
6. Breakbot – Make You Mine
7. Phinz – Atari Disco
8. Get Stellar – The Moment (G.L.O.V.E.S Remix)
9. Barretso – Bright City Lights
10. Cassian – Friday Night

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Dulce Candy

6 Feb

It’s freeeeezing cold outside right now in NYC, so much that even I, someone who is almost always hot, felt the need to get under the down comforter and turn the heat on high in order to cope. I thought it might be time to bring in a little warmth from an outside source. This time, that source is Los Angeles, California, home of the 22 year old fashion student and site owner of Dulce Candy, a great fashion blog (particularly if you are into keeping up with fashion trends and not hyper indie).

Here on RetailDJ, it’s hard to classify the style we cover. I try to profile a variety of styles, straying a bit from trends and focusing more on things that make people look their best and feel confident. The cool thing about Dulce Candy is that its focus is on what’s hot and what’s presently flying off the shelves of more mainstream shops like Forever 21. Urban Outfitters, and Wetseal. Makeup and jewelry trends are also convered on the site, and the author photographs herself in each outfit she features. She also includes video clips of herself dissplaying and trying on her new finds. Though I am not crazy about all the outfits (hey, taste differs), I admire her energy and dedication in profiling fashion in such a fun, interactive, and entertaining way. With that said, check out Dulce Candy to see what’s sweet on the West Coast.

 

 Dulce Candy

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Oldschool Is the Only School

23 Jan

The other day, while compiling some of the videos for this week’s Oldies But Goodies post, I stumbled across an amazing blog called Oldschool Is the Only School. There, the author posts a more recent track (usually via video) and the original track from which it sampled heavily. Thoug the concept is simple, the site is a lot of fun because at times, you can run across real shockers or songs you have never heard in your life! Two that left my mouth open were:

Tony Lee – Reach Up. . . Phats & Small – Turn Around

While the beat used in the Phats & Small clearly sounds like a disco track, I never realized it had come from another song, especially one I had never heard before . . . ever.

–

The other shocker was this one:

Bernard Wright – Spinnin’ . . . Skee Lo – I Wish (which a castmember on MTV’s  Real World: DC cited in an episode the other day, shocking me considering they seem like fetuses at this point, most of them having been born in the late 80s to early 90s!)

You have to listen a little closer for this one (wait for the break in the original to hear what was sampled). It’s funny because I remember thinking when Skee Lo’s song came out that the music in the background was always way better than the cute and catchy lyrics. I guess my instincts were right!

To check out which one of your favorite tunes sampled old school styles, check out the site:

http://oldschooljunkie.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

(note: photo is not from the site)

- RetailDJ

Saturday Site Love: Melissa!

16 Jan

Yes, those are shoes!

Sao Paulo Fashion Week begins tomorrow (!!!!) and seeing information about the upcoming shows reminded me of the love affair that I led while living in Brazil…

not with a person, mind you, but with a shoe company by the name of Melissa! Their shoes are beautiful, creative and, get this, recyclable. The shoes are often made almost entirely of plastic!Nuts, right? They are easy to dance in and can be worn with a variety of clothing styles. 

Right now, their I <3 Pirates Collection is out:

Previous lined include Secret Gardens (spring/summer 2009):

and

Afromania (fall/winter 2009):

These shoes are pretty coveted in Brazil. While living there, my roommate actually STOLE a pair of mine (not even kidding). They are up there price wise for plastic shoes, but I’d say the fashion plus their ecologically friendly philosophy and respect for their workers make it all worth it. In the States, they can be found on eBay, Karamaloop, and even Saks Fifth Avenue, and with unfortunate price tags. Here, the prices are practically doubled due to shipping, taxation, etc, so if you ever happen to be in Brazil (you never know!), pick them up…or make friends with people who live there and frequent the States. In what almost feels like a drug run, I have a Brazilian friend whose family lives in Sao Paulo bringing back a pair for me that look like woodgrain:

Totally addicted!

Check out the Melissa website (blog too!) here: http://www.melissa.com.br

If you don’t understand Portuguese, you should still be fine. Just follow the pictures. Even if you STILL are lost, click everything. It’s worth checking out!

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love: Knuckle Up with VERAMEAT

9 Jan

I recall a brief time in the early 2000s when knuckle rings in their most explicit form (yes, the real bars people wore to fight) were becoming a fashion statement. I could find them on indie websites and even local jewelers, but always found them to be a little TOO edgy and hard for me taste. In comes Vera Balyura, a designer whose love for metal translated into something super stylish and a little less likely to bust jaws and break teeth. I was introduced to Verameat via Bust Magazine’s NYC Craftacular and have been into the company ever since.

 

Her most recent line features knuckle rings that contain words, zany shapes, and my personal fave: vampire teeth!

Amazing. These rings are fun, but also really pretty and well-crafted. Verameat also makes very nice necklaces (including a key necklace line that I love considering my own key necklace…though mine was a found object piece I made myself) and quirky stud earrings that will charm even the most conservative dressers into a purchase or two.

Check out the video for the latest line and try your best not to bankrupt yourself:

http://www.verameat.com

- Retail DJ

Saturday Site Love

2 Jan

Ever wonder what would happen if your favorite character from a childhood series came to life? What would he/she be into? Read? Wear?

Kim Hutt over at What Claudia Wore does that for us, taking the details straight from the pages of Baby-Sitters Club books, throwing in fashion commentary, and envisioning exactly what the modern equivalent would be for BSC character Claudia Kishi and her friends. If you were into BSC as a child/teen/nostalgic adult, you’ll love this site. Kudos for originality!

Here’s a sampling:

Friday, June 27, 2008

A Moment with Kim: If the Babysitters Were Modern-Day Hipsters.
This was accomplished with a single issue of Nylon


via (a comment on) Jezebel

 
- Retail DJ

 

.
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.