Next Level: Pointy Flats

We’re either getting old or tired (or both!), but it’s getting harder and harder to step into heels these days. And there’s just something about an angular flat that just feels serious and grown-up in a making-things-happen way. Here, four pairs worth trying on. —erica

LEVEL I: Ridiculously easy, super classic, and supremely French-y—all Marais USA’s scene.

LEVEL II: If you’ve seen these Jenni Kayne guys before, that’s because the whole internet is obsessed with them.

LEVEL III: Opening Ceremony is never too serious. Here, a coppery heart lightens up the means-business shape.

LEVEL IV: Tomato-red snakeskin? Loeffler Randall says, “Why the hell not?!”

For more combo platters, click here.

Next Level: Polka-Dot Shoes

We’ve been feeling a polka-dot for some time now, but lately our affections are headed south…to our toes. Here, four pairs that hit the spot. —erica

LEVEL I: The dark burgundy backdrop (one of our fave colors for fall, BTdubs) makes these Loeffler Randall flats pretty low-key.

LEVEL II: Opening Ceremony took a classic boot and made it look like something straight out of a Lichtenstein.

LEVEL III: These Brian Atwood pumps are fit for some cartoon character. I just can’t put my finger on which one.

LEVEL IV: Oh, hail, why not combine polka-dots and metallics? That’s what Stine Goya’s asking with these platform oxfords.

Get your “Next Level” fix right here.

Wave Hello: Sophie Monet Okulick Needs These Two If By Sea

When you live in Venice Beach, you know a thing or seven about making time in the sand the best it can be. And the so-talented jewelry designer behind Sophie Monet doesn’t hit the ocean without these two musts—one sentimental, one practical. Trust.

“A couple friends and a great pair of sunglasses are my ultimate beach essentials. My friends and I grew up by the beach, so it’s naturally where we go to escape and dream up new ideas. I have a pair of sunglasses from Rodarte x Opening Ceremony that I have practically lived in for two years and another fun pair of Lennon-like shades that I wear when I feel like spicing things up.” —sophie

Get more tips from our water-lovin’ designers here.

In Character: Thelma Yvonne Dickinson

Remember the moment in Thelma & Louise (the ultimate road trip movie!) when Thelma says, “I know it’s crazy, but I just feel like I got a knack for this shit?” Well, though girlfriend was alluding to her law-breaking, gun-wielding ways, she could have been talking fashion, which she had a certain aptitude for, too. These are just a few of her hallmark pieces. —erica

A virginal Chloë Sevigny for Opening Ceremony top that attracts the wrong kind of attention from line-dancing, shot-buying skeezes.

Big ol’ House of Harlow sunglasses can handle the dust kicked up by Louise’s ‘66 Thunderbird. 

Tied at the waist, this hyper-functional Maison Scotch cut-off shirt has both sexpot and fugitive appeal.

There is SO MUCH MORE “In Character” right over here!

Next Level: Highlighter Yellow

It’s not that we’re over neons, exactly, it’s just that if you’re going to go florescent at this point, you have to go LOUD. And to me, that means the kind of yellow that flags eigenvector definitions in Linear Algebra textbooks. —erica

LEVEL I: Classic T-straps get a little something-something, courtesy of K. Jacques pour Opening Ceremony.

LEVEL II: The color of this Black Crane dress doesn’t whisper but the so-simple cut and thin cotton fabric does.

LEVEL III: Somehow, the pared-down shape of this Draft No. 17 by Jasmin Shokrian bag just makes the hue look brighter. Duh, in a good way.

LEVEL IV: So much sunny goodness happening here, Hound! Ok, now picture thang with patterned Keds. Mmm.

More “Next Level!” Yes, it’s true!

Next Level: Raffia

Raffia—like terrycloth and linen—is a beacon of summer, and that means that it has the potential to look overpoweringly beachy. Here are four ways to rock some woven palm when you’re nowhere near sand. —erica

LEVEL I: The sheen of the patent on these Mark & James by Badgley Mischka sandals does well against the matte black-and-beige patches.

LEVEL II: Oh, raffia with a croc print? In the bag, Reece Hudson, in the bag.

LEVEL III: The trim adds some serious texture to this Opening Ceremony skirt.

LEVEL IV: Somehow, the material adds a tough-doily motif to these dangly Wendy Mink earrings.

You want more “Next Level?” You got it.

Next Level: Western-ish Boots

I once bought bright white cowboy boots, inspired by a pair that the über-cool the drummer in Ben Lee’s band was wearing. Though they’re hardly a purchase I regret, they aren’t exactly as versatile as these guys, which just allude to Western wear—think more Shania than Reba. —erica

LEVEL I: The pull-tabs and the angled heels of this Madison Harding style are the only tip-offs.

LEVEL II: Isabel Marant somehow makes it possible to look like a Parisian and a Texan at the same time.

LEVEL III: The detailing on these blue suede Opening Ceremony boots is screaming for a little denim skirt and a music festival.

LEVEL IV: Yes, I know: Why didn’t you have this Cobra Society pair (black leather and hand-woven wool) for Sundance?!

Get more “Next Level” right over here.

Of a Kind

I would like the be the sort of person who looks at these platform sneaks that Chloë Sevigny made for Opening Ceremony and says, “Ew, give me something classic—something Italian.” But I’m just not that kind of girl. —erica

Annie Larson Makes Sweater Art

The knitwear whiz gets all luxe.

You wouldn’t think it would be a sweater designer’s dream to work in steamy Miami, but Annie Larson, the color-happy talent behind the line ALL Knitwear, could not have been more thrilled to head south from Minneapolis (where she was then living) to work with one of her artistic idols, Jim Drain, and put some grant money and cashmere yarn to good use. Here, she shares her experience.

“About four years ago, a friend introduced me to Jim Drain’s work. But Jim was actually the one who reached out to me, soon after I started knitting, when he was working on a sweater series for Opening Ceremony. He sent me a really friendly email that just said something like, ‘You’re doing a really great job. Keep it up.’ And I just felt great. It was really exciting. We started emailing a little. When this grant proposal for the Textile Center in Minneapolis came around, I knew that I was going to apply for it, but I didn’t know exactly what my proposal was going to be. The day before the application was due, I asked Jim if he would be open to the idea of me writing a proposal to come to Miami to work with him.”



“I worked with Jim in his studio every day for a week and made a sweater that was shown at an exhibition. I was inspired by a series of benches that Jim was working on while I was there—professionally powder-coated, custom-colored benches made out of handicap rails that you would find in places like bathrooms. He sells them as functioning sculptures.”



“I feel like there are definitely parallels between that sort of transaction and the sort of sweaters I make—the wearable art idea. My Miami sweater was also a very literal translation of Jim’s color scheme—I really connected with the lime green, hot pink, and black. I used cashmere, which plays on the high-end feeling of Miami and the fact that I wanted to do something different than anything I would do on a daily basis.”



“The cashmere yarn is very, very delicate. It was a lot more stressful to work with than cotton, and obviously the stakes are a lot higher when your material is five times your regular material cost. I’m using the remainder of the yarn from the Miami sweater to make ten scarves, and there aren’t any plans for cashmere after that!”

Bench photo courtesy of Jim Drain.

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