kiki in fine form, front row at rodarte

all images via the fashion spot

frankie mag's photo album

image via flickr

There's going to be a frankie photo book! But it won't be available until Oct 14, so we'll just have to be patient. In the meantime, here's a sneak peak at the cover featuring the photography of Jasmine Rubio.

chloe sevigny for opening ceremony, fall 2009

all images via opening ceremony

what i like most about chloe sevigny's new fall collection for opening ceremony is the way it seems to hover somewhere between downtown cool and conservatively preppy. some of these pieces could almost have been worn by your mother circa 1975... except that they are infinitely cooler. it's an effect that's underscored by the cutely cheesy his 'n' hers retro knitting pattern effect of posing the female and male models together in their matching ensembles... yet somehow the result is clean, understated and sophisticated. interestingly, the pieces are made in a single gender neutral size run, ranging from xxs to large. it seems to work for these models, but I wonder how those androgynous cuts cope with curves? it doesn't make much difference to me. seeing as a cotton button down is the cheapest piece at US $335, i won't be purchasing! nevertheless, i'm a fan.

the cult of obento

all images via the new york times

bento boxes are an increasingly widespread craze for lunch, according to the new york times. apparently mums, students and dieters are taking advantage of the health and cost-saving benefits of this japanese style of presenting colourful, varied and fun food in portion-conscious bento boxes. whilst i can't say i picture myself carving flowers out of cheese or moulding sticky rice into baby pandas each morning, it's hard not to be impressed by the creativity and commitment of some of these budding bento-chefs! ideas for lunch beyond takeaway and salad sandwiches are always welcome.

springtime reverie

all images by olive cotton (1911-2003)

pear and polenta cake with lemon syrup

most of my kitchen adventures involve chocolate, so using pears and polenta in this recipe was a new experience for me! i was quite pleased with it- for a relatively minimal effort, this recipe produces a rather impressive result. the caramelised brown sugar glaze on the pears is delicious, and the cake itself is really rich and moist. served warm, it's dense texture makes it a decadent desert- just top with double cream. or serve it chilled with coffee for afternoon tea.

cake
3 pears
4 eggs
380g brown sugar
2tsp vanilla essence
250mls white wine
250mls sunflower oil
310g plain flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
120g fine polenta

syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
120mls lemon juice

method
prepare the tin by buttering it generously and dusting with brown sugar

peel, core and slice pears. arrange in a circular pattern on the base of the tin.

beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. add the wine and oil and mix in gently. sift together the flour and baking powder, then fold in gently. then add the polenta and mix gently again.

pour the cake mix carefully over the pears and bake in a 160C oven for about 80 minutes or until the cake is firm in the middle.

while the cake is baking bring syrup ingredients to boil then allow to cool.

when the cake comes out of the oven tip it upside down onto a serving plate, lightly prick the cake and pour over the warm syrup.