Tune In: Lost In The Dream

Photos by Adam Granduciel via T Magazine

I recently came across T Magazine's article on a year's worth of photos taken by The War On Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel. As the year begins to draw to a close, reflection on its best albums will begin, and for me, Lost In The Dream will almost certainly occupy the number one spot. The photos span a year the band spent traveling the world in support of the third album and show Granduciel's eye is on the level of his ear.



This session for KEXP in Seattle has some fantastic live versions of songs from the album, along with a bit of background on its making. They've certainly earned their comparisons to Tom Petty and Dylan, but I was most delighted by the strains of Roxy Music that run through several tracks like Under The Pressure  and Disappearing. If he and sometime bandmate Kurt Vile can each put out a record on alternating years, we'll be in good shape. Also, as I learned from an interview with Vogue, Granduciel is a writer characterized by anxiousness and perfectionism, always on the quest for "beautiful moments of 'hey,'" and with a penchant for eBay alerts and vintage denim — a man after my own heart.

Destination Desert Highways (& The Pool)

Debaucherous rock and roll autobiography: check. Latest Gentlewoman: check. New bikini: check. Favorite Karen Walker Anytime Sunglasses: check. Sunhat: check. Olio E Osso No. 2 Lip Balm: check.

I couldn't be more ready to spend some days relaxing in the Joshua Tree high dez and poolscapes of Palm Springs.

Test Fest: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan & Byredo Mojave Ghost

Lately I've been indulging my penchant for fragrances by buying testers. It's the perfect way to try out scents without the commitment or trip to a department store or boutique. I've found it interesting to try a few scents over the same period of time to play them against each other, tease out their different qualities or similarities, and to pick a favorite or even my next full-bottle purchase. 

This round, I sought out scents from two perfumers that are always popping up on cool girls' wishlists and beauty shelves: Byredo's newly released Mojave Ghost and Serge Lutens' Ambre Sultan. Byredo's Ben Gorham takes an approach to developing scents that's exactingly aesthetic and up-to-the-minute but also rooted in nostalgia and dreams. Serge Lutens is a French photography, beauty and perfume creative known for styling for the likes of Vogue and Richard Avedon (also a hero of Riccardo Tisci), and I was inspired to pick Ambre Sultan after my Q&A with The Cut's Editorial Director, Stella Bugbee, who's also scent obsessed.

I expected Mojave Ghost to be a musky, desert-y unisex scent based on the name and description, so I was surprised when I was met with the smell of sweet pear with my first spritz. I have to admit it was more feminine than I thought it would be, and it was so different from what I expected that I was put off. But of course with scents, you have to wait and see. When the tropico-floral top notes settled down, what enveloped me was a lighter, more subtle muskiness that said: refined; pulled-together; womanly; expensive; esoteric; bohemian; intoxicating.

Ambre Sultan I also expected to be musky, mysterious and unisex, and in this case it turned out to be closer to true. Without the floral aspect of Mojave Ghost, it was a straight-ahead but deep and moody  take on sandalwood. At first I thought it settled into whiffs of grandpa-cologne territory, but more and more it ended up feeling: feminine; powdery; rich; spicy; far-flung; powerful; soft.  

I'm not sure I could choose a favorite between these two as they offer very different and compelling moods. But I have a feeling I'll still be thinking about them both when the testers run out, and then time will tell.

Into The Fray With Marques'Almeida

London designers Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida have been creating runway-worthy distressed denim as Marques'Almeida since they met at Central Saint Martins. Discovered by Opening Ceremony, their fresh take on denim has gained major traction in just a few seasons. The duo's bio states they "subscribe to the Helmut Lang school of thought, where 'fashion is about attitude, not about hemlines,'" but their frayed, devil-may-care hemlines are precisely what I like.

They elevate the idea of distressed denim with inventive shapes like draped denim bandeau tops and simple yet striking raw-edged tees and shift dresses, some with innovative touches like metallic finishes. And they're also getting in on the recent resurgence of fun fur.

Their designs walk the line between classic and on-trend, and achieve a balance of minimal and statement-making — something with a lot of appeal to those who love basics with a twist (and, of course, denim). They're a little bit 90s, a little bit heritage Western. So, attitude, yes, but understatement too.

They're set to release a Topshop collection (preview it here) featuring their signature rips and frays, as well as knits and faux furs that will be perfect for fall (if it ever comes - it's 84˚ as of this writing). So mark your calendars for October 9th!

Street style photo via Garance Doré