I first discovered Natalia Kills when she opened for Robyn's Body Talk tour in early 2011. I thought she was dark but oh-so-fun to listen and dance to. Since then she's released a full length album, Perfectionist, opened for a bit on Katy Perry's California Dreams tour (when Robyn was unavailable), and put out an incredible video for "Kill My Boyfriend" (watch it here - seriously, watch it. It is stunning to watch, if not a bit disturbing, what with the whole "she's plotting to murder her boyfriend" thing. And the looks are to die for.).
This song is so absurdly catchy, I sort of forget that I'm chanting "kill, kill, kill" as I sing along. It reminds me a bit of Kate Nash's "Kiss That Grrrl", in that the melody and message of the song totally differ from each other. I love when that happens. And at its core, this song is really all about being with the one you truly love, by any means necessary. How sweet!
Hence the adorable, very spring-forward Mulberry peplum top with the super-strong Balmain leather pants. The look is clearly based on these two opposing pieces, but the accessories all have a pretty/edgy balance as well. The Missoni jacket boasts some shoulder hardware, the ASOS platforms provide a wide heel (perfect for chasing after that boyfriend*), and that ring is likely actually considered to be a viable weapon.
Again, listen to the song and watch the video here.
*Note: I am not endorsing actual violence with this post, I promise. I just have a weakness for pop songs with an edge.
Have you guys heard this song by Gotye? Have you seen the incredible video? This has quickly become my new favorite song, and Gotye's album, Making Mirrors, has been played on repeat while I'm at work. My only complaint is that I'm just now discovering this fantastic artist. But now that I have, it's only fitting that I pay him tribute with a new outfit!
This is a breakup song, but one of those awesome "good riddance" breakup songs that you sing along to once you've realized you're much better off without him. With that in mind, I thought it best to style this look based on a sexy, look-what-you're-missing dress. I didn't want it to be that simple, however. It's too easy to just do a sexy red dress and some killer stillettos. I want to add a bit more character, so I chose a more twee version of a sexy red dress (put a bird on it!), some cutesy Alex and Chloe heart earrings, and an adorably chic Marc Jacobs clutch. Then, to toughen it up and make the sex appeal undeniable, I included the DSquared stilettos and Alexander Wang leather jacket.
I would kill to accidentally run into an ex in this outfit, and I would have this song playing in my head as I did.
I will be forever indebted to my parents for a
number of things. The obvious things: raising me well, giving me a
really great childhood and adolescence, molding me into the person I am
today. Another notable influence? Music. My music tastes have very much
been influenced by those of my parents. My father is the one who taught
me to appreciate an album in its entirety, without shuffling songs and
without skipping songs. And he always stressed the importance of
purchasing the actual CD, not the digital version, so you can appreciate
the artwork the artist painstaking selected.
My
father is also the one who introduced me to Rocky Votolato. He was in a
record store one day and hear a song from "Makers" being played. He
immediately loved the song and asked the staff where he could find that
album (another trait I got from my parents - having and indulging in
immediate reactions). Since then I've seen Rocky twice live, once with
my dad. I've really come to appreciate his music as each new album has
been released since then. He seems to cross genres, moving from a
rougher tonality and harsh melody to a lighter, folksy sound and then on
to an almost country feel.
This outfit is inspired by "Suicide Medicine" from Rocky's album of the same name. This was the one of those harsher feeling albums. This song has such a great hook but you can't ignore the sound of erratic desperation and hopeless nostalgia. Those are the feelings I tried to evoke with this look. The look is pretty straightforward - rough around the edges, alluding that it was hastily thrown together, but I really enjoyed putting the details together. I added some uber-girly pearls and feminie shades to evoke the sense of vulnerability in this song. I especially like this YSL clutch that looks like an addressed
letter; I included it here to reference the life that was lost.
