Designer of Alison Lou. New York
Think back, (we mean way back) before the time of the iPhone and Androids, when we'd rush home after school to sit on ICQ (or MSN Messenger or AIM) for hours upon hours? To paraphrase ourselves, "Our first introduction to the 'emoticon' started around then. It felt like our lives were documented through those tiny symbols that perfectly described our inner mood and feelings. By the time we moved into the BBM era, everyone knew the golden rule that a :) at the end of a sentence meant Just kidding. But, no, in all seriousness, I mean it. Eventually the :) and :( turned into :D and :p and ;) and a :*( and :o and anything else you could possibly make with a slew of symbolic code. And then came Emoji, which basically replaced the entire human language." Our obsession with emotions and Emojis doesn't even compete with jewelry designer Alison Chemla, though. If it smiles, cries or even wears a party hat, Chemla has turned it into a piece of gold to wear around your neck or adorn your fingers. Oh, and she even nabbed longtime friend, Jemima Kirke (yes, Jessa from GIRLS) to star in her lookbook. Chemla's love for all things happy faced far exceeds the jewelry department; the girl wears her branding on a daily basis. From T-shirts with smiley faces, Charlotte Olympias with lips and even a Christian Louboutin sample sale score pair of googley-eyed heels, the girl means business when it comes to wearing, rather than saying her emotions. We spent the morning chatting with Chemla about everything from the inspiration behind her line (it all started with a plastic, toy ring with googly eyes) to her secret Etsy addiction. Among all the emoticon-monogrammed goods were a few unexpected surprises, too: a tartan-printed Céline, polaroid shoe boxes, and a little needlepoint note for all her guests ("Please don't coke in the bathroom"). You gotta love a girl with not only a unique sense of a style, but a good sense of humor, right?
I started photographing my shoes when I bought my first pair of shoes that were worthy of being photographed, and I never stopped since! I take pictures with the small Fuji camera and either put them on the shoe box or on The Container Store transparent boxes; it makes picking out shoes so much easier.
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All, Various Designers
My original inspiration was of course emoticons! I have always had a love affair with jewelry, and ever since the introduction of emoticons I have used them constantly. I always found that text messaging seemed extremely one dimensional, and the use of emotions was the perfect way to truly express feelings in text. It seemed only natural to put two of my favorite things together to create my jewelry line!
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Jewelry, Alison Lou; Bag, Proenza Schouler
Shoes, Nike; Sunglasses, Dita
Jemima [Kirke] and I grew up together, and she is one of my favorite people in the world for a variety of reasons. She is unbelievably expressive, obviously gorgeous, and doesn’t take herself too seriously—three key tenants of my line. So I thought she would be the perfect model for my first lookbook. I am a huge fan of Girls! It is hysterical, while still being real.
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Jewelry, Alison Lou; Shoes, Charlotte Olympia; Sunglasses, Agent Provocateur
Top, THEM; Shoes, Charlotte Olympia
Jewelry, Alison Lou; Tee, Vintage
Shoes, Charlotte Olympia; Bag, Marc Jacobs
Shoes, Christian Louboutin
To me, the perfect outfit is jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers (or Timbs), incorporating as many accessories as possible. You can never have enough bags, shoes or jewelry, obviously! My favorite designers have to be Alaïa, Moschino, Charlotte Olympia, Céline, Stella McCartney, The Row, rag & bone, and of course, Alison Lou.
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Dress, Céline; Shoes, Nike
Jewelry, Alison Lou; Top, St. James; Jacket, Moschino
My older sister, Alexandra, invited me to the Louboutin sample sale, and at first I was hesitant. I have never really been a huge fan of sample sales because my OCD side fears being pushed and shoved by crazed shoppers. In this case, my love of shoes won over…needless to say, these shoes stood no chance. Anything with Googly eyes, smiley faces or lips are really hard for me to turn down. I like to have fun with my clothing, and the icing on the cake is when an outfit tells a story. Wearing shoes or clothing that relates to my collection makes getting dressed that much more enjoyable.
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Shoes, Christian Louboutin
My favorite app is Art Binder, which was created by my older sister, Alexandra. I think it is by far the most brilliant app out there, especially if you are in the art world. Even though I’m not, Alexandra installed Art Binder on my iPad with my collection, so I can easily show, share, and track my collection from my iPad or iPhone! I also dabble in Temple Run and Subway Surfer now and then.
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Bag, Céline; Boots, Opening Ceremony
Based on my jewelry line and my collection of clothing, it is no surprise that I love nail art (and it is also a good deterrent from biting my nails)! I have been getting my nails done at Valley for years. It’s without a doubt the best in New York. I was leaving for Anguilla with my boyfriend when I had these nails, so each one has a different vacation emoji, topped off with his initials on my thumbs. I am leaving for Paris tomorrow, so right now, if you put my ring finger and thumb together it creates an Eiffel Tower.
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Shirt, Vintage
I love these medium faced pendants! They’re so much fun, and can really be worn on any occasion or with any other necklace. These came along while I was almost finished designing my first collection, and now I can’t stop making them! I have ten more currently in the works, and I really enjoy making them, because I have a lot more freedom. They are at a more accessible price point compared to some of my other larger or more intricate pieces (spoiler alert: I have an all ruby angry facecoming). I think it is pretty clear I love jewelry that says something about who you are, and has a little humor in it—but at the same time is fine and beautiful. While my pieces all tell a story, they are also classic and timeless. I am often approached by strangers who tell me they love my ring or earrings, for example, and it is quite satisfying to be able and explain that it actually says “Screw U!” My next season will continue to send messages through jewelry, but will be a lot more organic. I am currently deep in the design process, and having the best time. I am constantly influenced and always trying to up the ante. I will always have my signature emoticon collection and will continue adding to it, but I am extremely excited to show people a different side of my designs!
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Jewelry, Alison Lou; Pouch, Comme des Garçons
Jewelry, Alison Lou; Top, St. James; Jacket, Moschino; Jeans, Cheap Monday; Shoes, Converse
I love luxurious humor (a phrase I take full credit for inventing), something that anyone who has seen my collection or knows me at all can attest to. I think it is important not to take yourself too seriously and to have fun with what you’re wearing. I started collecting these over the summer when I found my prized vintage CHANEL shirt. I found myself wanting to wear it every day, all day, so I started Googling different designer’s T-shirts, and came upon all of these fakes, which is what I like most about them. As soon as Brian Lichtenberg came up with the Homies collection, I knew I needed it all right away. I went a little overboard—a friend of mine asked me if I was working for the brand. Nine times out of ten I evoke at least one laugh or smile, which to me means I am doing something right!
Read More
All, Various Designers
Jewelry, Alison Lou
Bag, Céline
I started photographing my shoes when I bought my first pair of shoes that were worthy of being photographed, and I never stopped since! I take pictures with the small Fuji camera and either put them on the shoe box or on The Container Store transparent boxes; it makes picking out shoes so much easier. All, Various Designers
My original inspiration was of course emoticons! I have always had a love affair with jewelry, and ever since the introduction of emoticons I have used them constantly. I always found that text messaging seemed extremely one dimensional, and the use of emotions was the perfect way to truly express feelings in text. It seemed only natural to put two of my favorite things together to create my jewelry line! Jewelry, Alison Lou; Bag, Proenza Schouler
Jemima [Kirke] and I grew up together, and she is one of my favorite people in the world for a variety of reasons. She is unbelievably expressive, obviously gorgeous, and doesn’t take herself too seriously—three key tenants of my line. So I thought she would be the perfect model for my first lookbook. I am a huge fan of Girls! It is hysterical, while still being real. Jewelry, Alison Lou; Shoes, Charlotte Olympia; Sunglasses, Agent Provocateur
To me, the perfect outfit is jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers (or Timbs), incorporating as many accessories as possible. You can never have enough bags, shoes or jewelry, obviously! My favorite designers have to be Alaïa, Moschino, Charlotte Olympia, Céline, Stella McCartney, The Row, rag & bone, and of course, Alison Lou. Dress, Céline; Shoes, Nike
My older sister, Alexandra, invited me to the Louboutin sample sale, and at first I was hesitant. I have never really been a huge fan of sample sales because my OCD side fears being pushed and shoved by crazed shoppers. In this case, my love of shoes won over…needless to say, these shoes stood no chance. Anything with Googly eyes, smiley faces or lips are really hard for me to turn down. I like to have fun with my clothing, and the icing on the cake is when an outfit tells a story. Wearing shoes or clothing that relates to my collection makes getting dressed that much more enjoyable. Shoes, Christian Louboutin
My favorite app is Art Binder, which was created by my older sister, Alexandra. I think it is by far the most brilliant app out there, especially if you are in the art world. Even though I’m not, Alexandra installed Art Binder on my iPad with my collection, so I can easily show, share, and track my collection from my iPad or iPhone! I also dabble in Temple Run and Subway Surfer now and then.
Based on my jewelry line and my collection of clothing, it is no surprise that I love nail art (and it is also a good deterrent from biting my nails)! I have been getting my nails done at Valley for years. It’s without a doubt the best in New York. I was leaving for Anguilla with my boyfriend when I had these nails, so each one has a different vacation emoji, topped off with his initials on my thumbs. I am leaving for Paris tomorrow, so right now, if you put my ring finger and thumb together it creates an Eiffel Tower. Shirt, Vintage
I love these medium faced pendants! They’re so much fun, and can really be worn on any occasion or with any other necklace. These came along while I was almost finished designing my first collection, and now I can’t stop making them! I have ten more currently in the works, and I really enjoy making them, because I have a lot more freedom. They are at a more accessible price point compared to some of my other larger or more intricate pieces (spoiler alert: I have an all ruby angry facecoming). I think it is pretty clear I love jewelry that says something about who you are, and has a little humor in it—but at the same time is fine and beautiful. While my pieces all tell a story, they are also classic and timeless. I am often approached by strangers who tell me they love my ring or earrings, for example, and it is quite satisfying to be able and explain that it actually says “Screw U!” My next season will continue to send messages through jewelry, but will be a lot more organic. I am currently deep in the design process, and having the best time. I am constantly influenced and always trying to up the ante. I will always have my signature emoticon collection and will continue adding to it, but I am extremely excited to show people a different side of my designs! Jewelry, Alison Lou; Pouch, Comme des Garçons
I love luxurious humor (a phrase I take full credit for inventing), something that anyone who has seen my collection or knows me at all can attest to. I think it is important not to take yourself too seriously and to have fun with what you’re wearing. I started collecting these over the summer when I found my prized vintage CHANEL shirt. I found myself wanting to wear it every day, all day, so I started Googling different designer’s T-shirts, and came upon all of these fakes, which is what I like most about them. As soon as Brian Lichtenberg came up with the Homies collection, I knew I needed it all right away. I went a little overboard—a friend of mine asked me if I was working for the brand. Nine times out of ten I evoke at least one laugh or smile, which to me means I am doing something right! All, Various Designers
