F/W 2012 Shoe Report

Styleset: Winter Green

L.A. Love

Style Report: Long Skirts

Beach Salsa

Not only do I regard swimwear and resort shopping a yearround activity, I love mostly the pin-up girl style of the 1930s and 1940s. NICOLITA is a swimwear line a started and led a by a Cali girl who set out on a quest to discover her Cuban Roots. An Emmy winning documentary about her search and the line is touching. And shows that fashion can be so much more that simply what meets the eye, it is deeply embedded element of culture. The pieces are irresistably cute and made with curvy girls in mind. The Cuban-style bottoms are a signature part of the line with a no-pinch fit, an elastic band that doesn't dig into the hips, wider coverage around the hips, and shirring on the back that contours the behind and creates a flattering heart-shop backside. The Senorita Solids Off the Shoulder Crop Top is a great option for the top heavy girl who wants a sexy yet conservative option as an alternative to the default full coverage one piece.

Re: Winter Style

Zip Lining

SHIVAN & NARRESH is regarded as India’s first luxury beachwear brand, with a bold, confident & sophisticated style. The brand was originally launched in Cannes by Shivan Bhatiya and Narresh Kukreja who returned to India and became the first mainstream beachwear designers doing 100% handcrafted stitch-free beachwear along with ready to wear swimwear made all in 100% Italian fabrics and complementing resortwear.

Dressed In A Gold Mine

It was a gold megawatt embellished skirt (see above) that caught my eye which led me to a treasure trove of accessories from Anaikka. If you love body jewelry like me then you know how hard the hunt is. Anaikka is a Ready to Wear and accessories line by Kanika Saluka, a designer and fashion stylist from New Delhi. The line was launched following the success of her stateside line, Nikka New York upon her return to her native country India where the fashion scene is buzzing loudly these days. The RTW collection is golden, but her accessories line is a gold mine by itself.  
                                                                                                                                           images via Anaikka

Jeweled Robots

Runway Report: Love This Look

Runway Inspiration: Playing It Safe

The New York Times called the collection "Safe Stripes", in other words-- Nothing New. Zzzzz... But there is no denying that Michael Kors is a commercial genius and always spot on the trends. I admire him because he is 100% true to his American aesthetic. While working at Michael Kors I came to appreciate the fact that everything was always easy & efortless. Now that we are on the cusp of fall and already looking at Spring 2013 shows its easy to get lost in translation. I always love it because the best end of the season sales are now and I not only use spring shows to see what's next, but to get inspired for the Right Now. I believe in carrying pieces into seasons and mixing it all up. So as I came across a cute skirt on Gilt.com today, I immediately thought of the MK show from earlier and how I'd I'd style the skirt. So there you have it: Safe collections can inspire you to stay on trend without being too trendy.

Voguing in Harlem

Azealia Banks x T by Alexander Wang

Playoff Season: Bombers vs. Sequins

Emma Mulholland takes her aquatic visions to the basketball court...

“We could be doing something different, and instead we’re just copying trends.”

-Emma Mulholland, fashion designer

"I was pretty obsessed with the Spice Girls. Spice is definitely the first album I can remember getting. Mum made me save for it and everything ... I got pretty obsessed, maybe because I thought I looked a bit like Baby Spice — I had really white-blonde hair.

At school, four of my friends and I would be the Spice Girls. I was Baby Spice — this was in Ulladulla, which is a beachy town with one CD store — and I was trying to convince my mum that I needed those platform Skechers to use as joggers. My mum's a PE teacher and she was like, 'They’re not joggers!'

I went through a few different stages growing up. When I was trying to remember my first album I wanted to say The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (I was obsessed with Sister Act 2), but then when I checked with mum she said it was definitely Spice Girls. After them it was the Fugees, TLC; that kind of thing. I always loved hip hop and girl bands.

I tried to go against pretty much anything my sister did. I think she was into R. Kelly at one point and so I was trying to be really indie, listening to The Strokes, trying to be cooler than her, and now I totally listen to R. Kelly. I think she used to like Nelly, which I thought was really lame, but now I think it’s good. So, my tastes have changed!" via Oyster

La Biblioteca of Fashion

There is American Vogue Anna and then there is the other Anna. You know the fly as f*ck Italian stylist old enough to be our mother with killer legs and the closet dreams are made of? I realize now that I've never heard her speak before was only in images, of course because fashion is her first language. Who knew??

 image via W Magazine November 2010

 "Fashion is my real language. I can tell much more interesting things through clothes than words."

image via jakandjil.com

Collab|Nation

Anna Dello Russo for H&M

October 4, 2012

And Then The Liberator Was Set Free

“America isn’t just New York or Los Angeles or Chicago or Boston,”

TOO MANY DAMN BLOGS!

I've never really been the consistent blogger of sorts (obviously, eh?) but once upon a time I was something like a loyal blog reader. I followed the same few blogs regularly, and somehow there were too many that ended up in my favorites folder and now I hardly visit any more than once every few months.Today while scrolling down my Tumblr feed I came across a picture of a familiar face from a 'favorite' when I realize I just don't read traditional blogs. I don't know if Lookbook, Tumblr, work, the less time spent online for leisure these days or fact that there are TOO MANY DAMN FASHION BLOGS! is to blame. But then again I don't buy fashion magazines anymore either, Shhhhh.... So where did the love go??

image via ninistyle.net

Ninistyle.net is of those first personal style blogs I fell in love with. I love Nini because of her quality over quanity philosophy, she does not follow trends, and makes everything her own. Nini is one of the few bloggers who has been put TEXAS on the map with her fierceness and living the blogger's fairytale; a stylist with the professional photographer hubby turned creative director and designer. She's also a true inspiration to any fashionista looking to make it with a dash of the "It" factor, a true love of fashion, and alot of dedication.

A Dreamer's Formula

IMPOSSIBILITY+IMAGINATION=POSSIBILITY.

"... for only out of dreams can we create another reality."

-Shala Monroque

Creative Crash Course

Independent designer Shavonne Deann made a big splash at fashion week crashing NYFW 2010 with her colorful designs. I look forward to seeing what more independent designers who are forgoing the ever so political tents to get exposure and build their brands. Runways have always been a traditional avenue to sell concepts, but today we are blessed with other means that WORK! Lets face it, good designs and great designs will speak for themselves wherever the are. The point is to get them out there. Share your vision.

Your dreams are waiting patiently. Go grab what's yours.

The Only Direction

"I move forward the only direction. Can't be scared to fail, search and perfection."

-Jay Z

Keep Em' Laced

Versace Haute Couture Spring 2012