No Longer a Virgin Atlantic Virgin

So above we have what is a very rare photo of me. I am only posting it because it's one of those rare occasions where the story behind the image is just so damn good, you can't simply throw onto Flickr and make it "private." Here I am in the restrooms of the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Clubhouse at JFK Airport, where there is a full wall of mirrors. It's about one hour before my departure on Flight 046 to London-Heathrow, and I am in heaven already.

You see, I enjoy midcentury modern design and the style of the jet age. I have been known to pick up Atomic Ranch magazine and even Airways magazine. Virgin Atlantic happens to have a similar aesthetic and thanks to the crack PR folk, I was able to punctuate my trip with visits to three of the slickest airport lounges, ever: New York-JFK, London-Gatwick and--the flagship--London-Heathrow.

I'll spare you the details, since I've already expounded at great length on them over at Jaunted, but let it suffice to say that now, I don't see how I can fly economy on Virgin Atlantic, knowing what there is on the flip side in Upper Class. I've been in first class lounges before and flown business in the past, but damn. I really can't find the words. So let's have the pictures! *Remember, you can click any of the pictures on this blog to see the larger size, hopefully.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - JFK (full gallery of pics here)

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - LGW (full gallery of pics here)

VIRGIN ATLANTIC CLUBHOUSE - LHR (full gallery of pics here)

And, in case you're curious about the flight experience, here's the account (and yes, more pics) of VS Flight 046 from JFK to LHR. Thanks for putting up with my sporadic blogging, but you know--a girl about town has got girl about town stuff to do these days.

In Which I Prove Materialistic

Is this not the most awesome watch you have ever seen? Well, that's how I feel about it at least, and when I first spotted it a couple years ago on some website or another, it was wrist lust at first site.

I printed out its picture and specs, and taped it within easy view in my office at the time. At $500, I wasn't about to run out, buy it and slap it on my wrist; no, it was a dream of ultimate multi-timezone design perfection. More an inspirational image than anything else.

And then I got this boyfriend. And this guy (I'm thinking) understands or at least flatters my infatuation with international travel, and for Christmas this landed on my wrist. Granted it's been a few years, so the price has come down as the deadstock hit online auctions and such, but I doubt I still would have made the jump to buying it on my own; that's how elevated this product had become in my psyche.

The good news is that it's everything I ever dreamed it would be; it blends so well with my style and is shockingly more understated than my other watches, a Turin Olympics-edition Swatch and a concrete grey Alessi piece with a dead battery. And the even better news is that now I have a little connection to New York City, London, Dubai, Hong Kong and Los Angeles--the cities I chose to occupy the five faces--on my wrist, instead of declaring allegiance to just one. It's the best aspirational product ever.

My Fashion Aesthetic, In Summary

So it all began in Hong Kong. While my friend J and I perused the eccentric and awesome wares at Joyce, I came across a pair of Rick Owens S/S 2009 Foldover boots and was immediately struck dumb. They. were. everything. I've. ever. dreamed. of. and. more. If it weren't for the price (about $1,250), I'd be clodding all over town right now in these babies. 

This kind of shopping experience, where I fall so hard for a single item, happens so rarely that it required some reflection. J and I tried to peg our individual styles down to a few designers, and I had some definite favorites named right off the bat. So for my pleasure just as much as yours (not like you really care), behold my five favorite designers whose designs I would actually wear:

Yohji Yamamoto and Y-3: I already own quite a few Y-3 pieces, but I hunger for YY
Rick Owens: Damn. Just damn. I covet it all.
Diane von Furstenberg: Already own some, but have to admit the "Foreign Affairs" Collection to be most me.
Donna Karan: Gorgeous, fantastic, sexy, chic...blah blah blah
Comme des Garcons/Rei Kawakubo: This is for when I let my freak flag fly. 

[Rick Owens boots image via Browns Fashion; All other images via Style.com]

Comics to Redefine Comics

Among the things that get me through every day are, surprisingly, comics. Aside from a brief 7-issue collection of the physical comic book Catwoman: When in Rome (see picture top right) my daily departures have been of the web variety. On the top left there we have my highest recommendation: Eliza Frye's "The Lady's Murder," a mystery of beguiling images which are drawn and painted and instantly scanned to reveal the story one page per day.

And then there are the hilarious quips also doled out daily by Married to the Sea (bottom left) and Wondermark (bottom right). Is the turn to web comics a piece of the dilapidation of print media? Sure, why not. But then everyone wants to turn a hard profit, thus Wondermark found its way into The Onion and Eliza Frye is searching for a printer. When/if these series end, what will I read over dinner? Oh, books - yea those.

SWINGIN PAD: Ceramica Flaminia Bath

Wow. Can I get this in reverse? My only desire out of life is to have it in orange, with a black & white stripe rug. This is the bathroom envisioned by Ceramica Flaminia. Let us not say that it "redefines the bathing experience" or utter some crap about "visual orchestration." Rather I find the idea of soaking in a sake cup and washing my hands in a pipe from Mario Bros to be SLICK as all get out. Via Trendir