As much of a fashion history buff as I purport myself to be, I am ashamed to say I didn't know anything about Diana Vreeland (other than her name) before I watched the documentary about her life, The Eye Has to Travel. I happened upon it while scanning Netflix. And yeah, it IS on Netflix, so you have no excuse not to watch it! I know your old roommate or your mom will let you log into their account if you don't have one yourself...

Diana was a French ex-pat plucked out of New York society by Carmel Snow to write a fashion column in Harper's Bazaar, and before long she became the fashion editor. She did some of her best work there, I mean absolutely incredible stuff. (Follow the link for evidence!) Eventually she made the move to American Vogue in 1962, and she discovered Edie Sedgwick while there. So top that, Anna!

Diana represents everything I love about the fashion industry; the pure magic of it. The way you can create images that make your heart beat fast, because it just jumpstarted a new idea. Whether it's an idea about a painting you'd like to do, a color of lipstick you'd like to own, or a specific shape of skirt you now have to search every thrift store for until you find it. She understood that fashion was a subtext of culture and art, not just a commercial system of fabric. 

Above all, Diana is my kind of woman because she was never afraid to assert herself. She believed in her vision, and she didn't care if other people agreed or disagreed with her. No matter what facet of the fashion industry you find yourself involved in, that sense of confidence and direction is so imperative. It's what separates an assistant designer from someone who helms a heritage brand. It separates Taylor Tomasi Hill from the all of the accessory editors you've never heard of.

Your homework for the week is to watch the documentary, and then tell me what your favorite quote from it is, because there are loads of perfect ones. 

STAY UGLY//
xoJamee

Amidst the raw and elegant croons of Sharon van Etten, Katie and I walked around Pioneer Park looking for people whose style drew us in and left us wanting more of the same. 

The Twilight Concert Series as a whole is often labeled as an exercise in social peacocking; too busy with people looking to be seen, instead of looking to see. While it may be true that you have to fight masses of bodies to get close to the bands that play, no one can argue that seeing a group as incredible as The National for a minuscule $5 is an opportunity worth taking -- no matter how far back in the crowd you are or how feisty you have to get!

At worst, the street style scene at Twilight is like a Forever 21 catalog from last year. At best, it's an overwhelming concentration of pure and true personal style. It's easy to look trendy, but it's the people who exude that intangible quality of assuredness in their outfit. It's just who they are, and what they like, and it's obvious by the way they walk, interact and even breathe. Below are some of those people who caught our eye last Thursday! Click on photos to enlarge them.

One of my favorite trends from the show was the abundance of hats. Wide-brimmed, to both keep the sun out and look stylish as hell. I also appreciated the overarching theme of the 90s. There were countless numbers of shirts tied at the waist, tough-looking boots, high-waisted used denim shorts, and girly floral prints. Unique cross-body bags were also a staple. It was amazing to see people's commitment to fashion by how many long pants and boots there were in 90 degree weather. Not that we're complaining, we benefited after all!

See you next week, Salt Lake. Stay Ugly. xx

Writing and reporting by Jamee Dyches, photography by Katie Tingey