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Rookie Magazine, David Bowie, Vegan 70s Platforms, DIY Vegan Glitter Shoes

I have been obsessed with Rookie Magazine ever since it came out. For those not in the know, Rookie is a web magazine created by fashion blogger and 15 year old Tavi Gevinson, whose blog I read ever since I saw her Rei Kawakubo rap make the viral video rounds.

Tavi is one of my biggest inspirations. She is a really funny writer, and Rookie magazine makes me maniacally laugh inwardly at the thought of how all teen magazines (fashion magazines, cosmo, etc) must be hitting themselves on the head with their magazines and saying “why didn’t we think of writing about this!”.

Rookie posts important stuff, like stuff about sexual abuse, cool things on the internet, advice for teens from really awesome people, list of cult classic books and music to read–all written by teens or by super cool people. There is nothing in it like your typical….pun laden, womens mag jargon filled, weight obsessed, pamper yourself fare from any magazine on the stands. It is inspiring. I don’t even know if I’d have been cool enough for it as a teen–on second thought, I would have loved it probably even more than I do now.

This is all to say that lately I have been sensing some David Bowie obsession on Rookie. I think because Tavi, the editor in chief, must be really into him right now (she just recommended Hunky Dory in their article of the best dance party album recommendations). A taste of her writing while I am at it:

When David Bowie isn’t busy being totally normal, I like to imagine him as the little old woman who lives in a shoe, only the shoe is a gold platform and the children aren’t children but, like, little bits of his brain (which is bright purple) everywhere. And instead of making them broth and sending them to bed, he sprinkles them with glitter and puts them in jumpsuits and sends them out to us, the mortals.

Haha. Anyway, for whatever reason, David Bowie has been on the mind recently. Maybe it is also my obsession lately with Black Milk, this amazing clothing company from Australia that makes tight crazy leggings–look them up on facebook and fall down the rabbit hole. They make leggings Ziggy Stardust would have worn.

Searching for David Bowie on Rookie, I find some amazing inspiration, here, here, and …wow my subconscious was correct. In Tavi’s editor’s letter, which she writes every month on the first of ever month she states “David Bowie is a real hero of ours this month.” and there’s a big picture of him, so I’m on to something here.

Anyway, all of this is to say, I found some vegan seventies esque platforms:

Can be bought here on zappos or if you want the black ones on mooshoes, to support a vegan business.

And you know what’s amazing I recently saw on a blog a DIY glitter tutorial. Basically you cover your shoe in glue and then cover it in glitter. To be even more Studio 54 you could do that to these shoes.

I found this on the delightful blog Elsa Billgren, a blog tip if there ever was one, but the post is in Swedish…however you get the idea with these pics

DIY.DIY.DIY.I also found these leopard print ones for $26.80 on Forever 21.

If you want these buy them because Forever 21  runs out of sizes quickly.

How is everyone’s week going? In the market for any shoes? Will any of you DIY Glitterify your shoes? Do any of you read Rookie by chance? 

 

A Vegan Cambridge Satchel, Vegan Shoes, and Finnish Bloggers

Hello everyone,

Have you ever seen those cool cambridge satchels from the Cambridge Satchel Company and wished for a vegan version?

I found one at this interesting UK website called Freerangers through this nice vegan blog veganshoeaddict.  The satchels are totally vegan and come in red with blue trim, blue with red trim, and classic brown.

Most Popular Product.. Our Satchel!

I also really liked this knapsack, available in their “bag” section, delightfully called the “conker rucksack“. Conkers are what English people call Horse Chestnuts and they dry them out and kids play a game with them. I read about this first in Roald Dahl’s book My Year, and references to this charming game can often be found in British children’s literature.

conkers

Conker Rucksack

This website also has a very unique and cool selection of colorful, handmade looking boots and shoes. This is a British company but for around $20 shipping, they will ship to the US.

Check it out:

Brogue Boot

brogue boot

Ruthie Boot

ruthie boot

Brook Sandal

brook sandal

Pippa Sandal

pippa sandal 

This last sandal reminds me of a shoe that if you are gorgeous and styling, will look super cool on you, but if slightly less than stylish will look quite frumpy.

all these shoes come in a variety of unique colors, which sadly, the website does not picture.

All these shoes remind me of something I find fascinating– the personal style of Finnish bloggers.

Somehow I began following many Finnish blogs online. These blogs are amazing. They contain some of the most beautiful photography I’ve ever seen.

Now to lump all of them together and generalize — the women who write these blogs live simple lives as photographers or artists (from what I can tell, since their blogs are usually all in Finnish) in quiet cities and villages in Finland. They have small blond children who they take out into nature daily, to forage for mushrooms, swim in ponds, run through tall grasses with their dogs, bathe in steel tubs by the fire, etc…

They eat dark brown bread and sew all their kids clothes. They take a lot of photos of nature –the sun setting on the magical finnish forests, the moon in the evening, the cats sleeping in the sunlight.

They seem to wear simple, handmade colorful clothes that they make look incredibly stylish, and I could really see them wearing some of these shoes!

The best way to get to know them is to look through the pictures on their blog…I wish i could repost all their photos, but here is a taste.

Liviia, one of the coolest bloggers ever.

Chocolate circus: 

puhti

manteli: 

Have fun exploring these blogs if you so choose and I’d love to know what you think!