Five Faves of NYFW

I know I'm a little bit after the fact here but I had to do a whopper of a project for my Fashion Industry Profile class and I thought I would share just a snippet (I'm talking less then 10% of the project) with you all. After looking through hundreds of photos from dozens and dozens of runway shows during NYFW, I have selected my top five shows. For the most part, I was drawn to designers who shared my aesthetic - simple, chic, sophisticated - but there are two in here that were just so drop dead glamorous that it would have been a crime not to include them. I'm talking to you Marchesa and Badgley Mischka!

Arguably my all time favorite. Probably because I literally want to own every. single. look. Elie Tahari's ready to wear collection was effortlessly chic with a vibrant sophistication. I love love love the bottom middle look. I mean, come on, a fuschia leather blazer paired with red skinnies. What's not to love? Whoever said pink and red don't go together should be taken out back and shot (a touch extreme perhaps, but I feel that strongly about this look...).

Aztec, eat your little heart out! Christian Cota's collection is fit for a bohemian love story. Gloriously graphic and perfectly colorful, this collection was made for my bestie, Sasha Rae. Just the right amount of hip, in all senses of the word. A wee bit hippy chic. The perfect balance of urban hipster.

Meant to give a nod to ladies of the fifties who dressed up to go to the movies, Lyn Devon's collection was chic, sophisticated but, most importantly, quirky. I loved the color palette and especially the bold prints - those are love bird print pants on the top middle model. Huge bonus points for incorporating a four-legged friend into the presentation. Enough said.

Badgley and Mischka's collection was a display of pure elegance, sophistication and glamour. The silhouettes of each and every piece - from the form fitting gowns to the metallic denim and blazers - hit all the right notes, or should I say curves. Don't even get me started on the styling of the models. So much drama. So much love.

All images via style.com

Simply put, this collection blew my mind. Overtly feminine. Intricately and beyond gorgeously detailed. Marchesa's collection looks fit for royalty with it's supreme elegance and grace. Lost for adequate words to describe the majesty that is Marchesa.

There you have it. My favorite five for Fall 2012. I hope you enjoyed looking at some truly beautiful pieces of art up there. I truly enjoyed selecting them!

j.

Oxford Army

So I may have done just a wee bit of shopping this weekend. I may be wearing an entirely new outfit, with the exception of my jeans. Okay, fine! There is no doubt about it, I did go shopping this weekend and I am most definitely wearing my newly purchased items. I just can't help myself sometimes. We'll blame it on my professor who let us out of class early on Thursday, Forever 21 for being located across from the subway stop and Century 21 for being located too close to my building. Yep, I feel better about things now.

army jacket, sweater & necklace {Forever 21} - blue scarf {Palm Desert street market} -

dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - burgundy oxfords {Dolce Vita via Century 21}

What with the plethora of sixteen year olds who will be wearing the same items as me and the quality of said items (or lack thereof), I really try not to buy things from Forever 21, not going to lie. But they really do have cute things most of the time. And don't even get me started on their price tags. Or jewlery section. I mean, come on, less than $5 for the necklace I'm wearing. Really, Forever 21? You are killing me....in a really good way.

I am going to try (try being the key word in this sentence) to refrain myself from shopping for the next 10 days. Because in 10 days I get a visit from one of my besties, Sand. I am beyond excited. She's been working on the East Coast of Canada for the past 9 months, either on a boat or in the lab. This means she's been wearing long johns, birkenstocks and wool socks...most likely all at the same time (you know it's true, Sand!). I know she'll want to do a little shopping with me, so obviously I will oblige (twist my rubber arm). I think some thrifting and definitely the Brooklyn Flea are in order. I can go 10 days without buying something, right? My track record tends to say otherwise...

j.

Blazers & Loafers Beautiful

Hi friends. It feels like I haven't done a bona fide outfit post in a while. You recall my phobia of tripod swiping thiefs, don't you? Well, there's that. And the fact that I am in school. What?! I didn't just move to NYC to shop everyday and roam the streets taking photos. Oh well. The past few days have been beautiful here. I'm talking blazers and loafers beautiful. No coat needed. Spring, is that you? {Quick sidebar to brag tell you all that my blazer was thrifted a while back in Victoria and is real deal vintage. 100% wool. Made in Canada. Fits me like a glove. Cost less than my starbucks.}

I was assigned a group project for Marketing and as it turns out my friend, Sesame, is in that class and we were able to pick our own groups. We, along with one other girl, have to write a marketing plan for Abercrombie & Fitch either advising them or not to break into the plus-sized juniors market. Sort of a delicate subject. Sort of controversial. Sort of love it. For our first group meeting we decided to go visit the A&F flagship store on 5th Avenue. Have you ever been into one of their stores!? It was like entering another universe. Or "trendy" downtown club. Complete with half-naked men boys standing at the door waiting to be photographed with barely definitely not legal girls as they enter the store. And we mustn't forget the dancing sales girls on every level. All five of them. Yes, there were five levels. I have never actually shopped at an A&F store before, probably because it would be too big a blow to my self-esteem when their largest size stops halfway up my...what are those things called again...oh right, thighs! All jokes aside, yes they have very small sizing standards but, do they ever know how to merchandise (fancy word for display...yes I'm showing off my school smarts here) their clothing. Never have skinny jeans, cut-off shorts and primary colored polo tees looked so appealing. Each wall was like a rainbow of collared cotton. Unfortunately, the pretty colors were not enough to distract me from the pounding music they had playing. While I am the first to admit that I am an old lady at heart, I really think everyone would agree with me that they need to turn that bass down a few notches. This is a clothing store people, not a nightclub. I really think someone ought to tell those poor dancing sales girls...

cranberry & grey houndstooth blazer {thrifted via VV Boutique} - floral tank {Old Navy} - fringe necklace {Aerie} -

rock ring {Urban Outfitters} - dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - tan leather loafers {thrifted Zara via Housing Works}

After we were done checking out all five levels and had definitely filled our quota of dancing sales girls, we booked it out of there. We took advantage of the warm weather, stopping to take photos as we found our way to a cute little swedish cafe. It was an entertaining afternoon, to say the least. Thanks to Sesame for being my photographer so that my paranoia could remain safely in check, for at least a little bit longer.

One more thing! In case you can't get enough of me (haha...) my roomie interviewed me about my style for one of her classes and you can read it here. She thought she was imposing when she asked me to answer a few questions one night...little did she know I live for questionnaires, surveys, forms etc. Ya, I'm a weirdo, I know.

j.

J. Loves {Her} Style: Color Outside the Lines

Meet Kanika. She's from India and I love her style. Read on to find out why!

Kanika wore this colorful ensemble to one of our Color Theory classes. Perfect, no? I think so. She arrived just a minute late so all heads turned as she made her entrance into class. They probably would have turned anyways. I loved her look right away. Especially the fuschia scarf with the mustard blazer. Obviously a statement. Obviously not something just anyone could pull off. I think Kanika pulled it off really well. She had fun with color and prints and wasn't afraid of making a mistake. She then rocked this look with such confidence, I would've dared someone to tell her it didn't work.

When you're wearing an outfit like this, you can't really be surprised when some crazy asks to take your picture. She agreed to indulge me after class and this girl's got some serious poses up her sleeve. She was working that camera iPhone so hard it was making me jealous.

Kanika joked with me that her outfit resembled a clown's. I think that's the main reason this look worked for her. She has such a fun spirit about her and isn't afraid to poke fun at herself. It's daring, bold, a little bit eccentric yet still youthful but most of all, it's fun! I'm pretty sure you can't help but smile when looking at this outfit.

Notice those two amazing bags she's rocking? I love the brown one on the left. I'd die for that buckle (okay, so that's a teensy bit dramatic...). And the one on the right says, "The Doors", in Hindi. How cool is that? Wanna know what's even cooler? Kanika, along with two of her friends, designed these bags. They legit have a handbag company. It's called Yelo Bags and you should check them out. I just read an interview with them that they posted on their blog and I'm kinda in love with all of them.

Thanks to Kanika for posing up a storm for me and for introducing me to the coolest handbag company ever. I'm pretty sure I need a Yelo bag now!

j.

Senses of the City: Runway Show

When I first arrived in NYC, I was a wee bit overwhelmed. Mostly in a good way. There are so many sights, sounds, smells, feelings and tastes involved in living here. One of my very first posts after arriving was, "Senses of the City" because that was the best way for me to describe what the first few days felt like. About a week ago, I had the opportunity to volunteer for an actual runway show. A real. live. fashion show. During New York Fashion Week. Needless to say, I was excited. It was an overwhelming, exciting, exhilarating and so many more adjectives that I will spare you, experience. Instead, I will share the senses of the show with you, with the focus being: seeing and hearing.

At the show, I saw:

• People running madly in all directions trying to get everything ready for show time
• Stacks and stacks of paper that had to be placed in the program folders - exactly parallel to the edges (we had the fear of god put into us that we took forever stuffing those programs!)
• Racks upon racks of garment bags
• Suitcase upon suitcase of beauty and hair products
• A fair amount of confusion as to why there was a group of six lost looking souls loitering in hair and makeup (apparently we were NOT supposed to get inside the elevator...)
• Numerous cans of red bull being consumed by the show's organizers (you gotta do what you gotta do!)
• Annoyed guests when their name (and their friend's name, then friend of a friend's name) did not appear on my check-in list
• An explosion of camera flashes as the first model emerged on the runway
•  An actual runway show! (totally unexpected, totally awesome.)

At the show, I heard:

• The stress in peoples' voices as the minutes crept closer to show time
• Hundreds of people talking at the same time
• The shuffling of papers as we stuffed, restuffed (when the missing pages arrived from the printer), then restuffed once more (to staple the papers together...true story!) hundreds of program folders
• Hairspray being spritzed out of aerosol cans
• The barking orders of an organizer as she yelled out seat changes very, very quickly (it was like playing bingo for the very first time....in a foreign language)
• The lightning fast snaps of camera shutters as an army of photographers fired their weapons at the same time
• The deep rythmic bass of the music as the models marched down the runway
• The steady stomp of stilletos as the models expertly strutted their stuff
• Two hundred people stand up at the same time and barrel toward the exit as soon as the 8 minute show concluded

It was incredible to be a part of a fashion show. Especially during NYFW. Sort of a dream come true, if I take the time to think about it. The biggest thing I took away was how much work and planning goes into a show that probably costs upwards of a million dollars and literally lasts no longer than ten minutes. That is one. zero. And that would be considered long!! Now that is cray-zy!

j.

NYFW is the Perfect Valentine

Happy V-Day friends! What's left of it anyways. I spent mine hanging out in Lincoln Center with my uber-fashionable roomie, Maria. We may have fibbed our way into the lobby of fashion week. No. Big. Deal. We also may have snuck walked purposefully into "The Box", which turned out to be a showing of a designer's collection. Very cool, despite the miserable looking models (Hey! They had been standing there for an hour and a half - who could blame them?). It was really neat to be a part of the fashion week buzz, even if we didn't actually get to see a show. There was lots of people watching to keep us busy. And styles and clothes that even the craziest imaginations could not have believed.

 

beige & black cropped jacket {thrifted via AuH2O} - rose shirt {Jacob} - red skinnies {Forever 21} - beige suede booties {Dolce Vita via Century 21}

It was the perfect way to spend a "single" Valentines Day. The first in five years. Gulp. It also helped that I have the best girlfriends in the world. I woke up to a phone call from one Ky Mariah, who I haven't spoken to in ages (she's a social media phobe but we still love her). And I got some Facebook loving from the other two, Sand and Sasha Rae! Those girls are really the best besties a girl could ask for. Love you ladies!

As mentioned last week, I did actually get the amazing opportunity to volunteer at a runway show on the weekend. So check back in the next couple days for some stories and photos from that adventure.

j.

J. Loves {Her} Style: Wildly Chic

Meet Lara. She's Lebanese and I love her style. Read on to find out why!

Her shoes caught my eye first seeing as how we were sitting facing one another in our Fashion Marketing class. Is that a royal blue heeled loafer with tassels I see poking out? Why yes, I think it is. Obviously while paying close attention to my professor, I began to check out the rest of her look. Perfectly tailored bootcut jeans? Check. Sleek black turtle neck? Check. Knee-length leopard print jacket? Big check. Amazingly chic black accessories? Check and check.

Having never actually spoken to Lara before this moment (besides a smile and hello) and never having asked someone to take a photo of their outfit, I really wasn't sure what to expect. But I just knew by her smile that she was going to be the sweetest thing and I was right. I approached her and asked if I could snap a photo and she graciously agreed. The real kicker was, when I told her I loved her outfit, do you know what she said to me? She told me she thought her outfit today was no good and she had wanted to go home and change! Girl, if this is what you look like on an off day, I would love to see you on, what you consider, a good day.

Simple, sleek, interesting. I can not get enough of this look. With skinny jeans ruling the denim world these days, it was so refreshing to see someone rocking a pair of denim trousers so effortlessly without looking frumpy. This look is all chic, no frump.

So, this concludes my very first "J. Loves {Her} Style" feature. I hope you liked it as much as I did because I do plan on doing it again. Next week. Thanks to Lara for being my very first style muse!

j.

Nautically Color Blocked

What an experience the Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference (IFBcon) was on Wednesday. It was a day full of learning, networking and making new friends. After stressing for a few days on what one should wear to a fashion blogging conference I settled on this outfit because I think it spoke to my aesthetic (this girl loves her stripes) by having elements of old and new. It also had some whimsical, or should I say quirky, elements - and for those that know me well, know that this speaks pretty well to my personality. I'm not going to lie, I was a bit intimidated going into this by myself. One may think that a room full of such fashionable ladies (and gents...but mostly ladies) has the potential for some judge judies (new term but you get where I'm going), but I was delighted to find out that everyone there was very friendly, welcoming and, more than anything, inspiring.

 

The set-up of the conference was four sets of panels. The panels were made up of a mix of established bloggers and industry professionals and each spoke to a specific topic. My favorite panel of the day was the last one - Making your Blog Irresistable. All of the experts had insightful, helpful and encouraging things to say. I think the two main things I took away from the conference were that, although many bloggers have the goal of turning blogging into their career, I don't think I do. Obviously I'm still the new kid on the blogging block so anything can happen, but I think I see this little guy as a hobby and perhaps more of a stepping stone to my career - whatever that may be! It was mentioned a few times throughout the day that a blog is the new resume. Next, I learned that I really need to buckle down and learn how to be a proficient tweeter because Twitter is basically the bloggers way to network in the 21st century.

So I just have to take a brief moment to brag gush about the awesome swag bag attendees received. It was chocked full of ah-may-zing goodies from the sponsors. Zoya nail polish, Glamour magazine, Lifebooker gift card and a Bauble Bar gem, to name just a few. One of the highlights for this bauble hoarder was obviously the piece of jewlery from Bauble Bar. Seeing several different items being opened, it was like Christmas morning opening that shiny black box to see what lay inside for me. I could not be happier with my jewel-toned bracelet. And as if that wasn't enough, they're asking us to tweet them a photo of how we style the piece for a chance to win a gift certificate for even more baubles!

 

I lucked out and sat beside a real sweetheart. She is also a newbie to the blogging world and I think she has just the neatest blog. It's called The Little Things (Check her out! You won't regret it.) and is about how you can transform an outfit (or apartment) with the right accessories (ie. the little things). Cute, right? Anyways, she was of course wearing one of the cooler pieces of jewlery I have ever seen. Something I have never seen before and now want for myself. Her nails weren't half bad either!

blue & white striped blazer {vintage Liz Claiborne via Brooklyn Flea} - birdcage necklace & scrabble ring {Brooklyn Flea} -

gold cuff {thrifted from VV Boutique} - tan ruffle tank {The Gap} - navy blue skirt {Loft} - purple tights {Hue} -

 beige suede wedge booties {Dolce Vita via Century 21} - navy purse {Matt & Nat}

Well, I think that about does it for now. I went away with a few new ideas for this wee little blog here and I'm happy to say that one of them is already in the works. All I'll say is I'm thinking of adding a weekly feature so check back this weekend because I'll have the first edition up. And I'm so excited for it so I hope you will be too!

Thanks IFB, it really was a day to remember!

j.

Mad Hatter

Good evening lovelies. I'm writing this post at 1:00am because I have a very busy week ahead of me and I have the time at this moment. A quick preview into my next couple days to keep you all coming back. On Wednesday, I am going to the IFB Conference. This is a fashion blogging conference that's being held at Milk Studios in NYC. I am so excited to meet other bloggers, learn  a lot and, I'll be honest here, I'm also pretty freaking excited for the swag bags! I'm already plotting my outfit because I will be in a room full of uber-stylish fashionistas so the pressure is on. As if that's not enough, on Friday I'm volunteering for the Jen Kao runway show during NY Fashion Week. No. Big. Deal. Definitely more to come on those two events! In the meantime, as if fleaing (here I go, making up words again) wasn't enough for one weekend, my friend Sesame and I went thrifting on Sunday in hunt for a 40's dress for her to wear to a themed wedding. Obviously there was some photo-taking and stops for food along the way.

Finger-less gloves are my new best friend. Each of us was rocking a pair so obviously a photo had to be taken. Yes, those are zippers are on ear lobes. A flea purchase from the day before.

Shopping takes stamina so sustenance was sought. Twelve blocks away. But so totally worth it at Ess-A-Bagel. We got a sweet and a savory one and went halfers. Cinnamon raison bagel with apple cinnamon cream cheese. And an everything bagel with lox cream cheese. Pretty sure I died and went to heaven right there in the shop. A quick stop for a london fog (earl grey tea latte) and giant cookie was also in order.

The first stop was the "thriftique", AuH2O, where no 40's dresses were found. The 80's did call while we were there and Madonna wants her jacket back. As amazing as this jacket was, it did not come home with me. Don't worry, two other items did.

Our next stop was Village Style (where I bought this coat). They have the best selection of vintage hats. Sesame modelled a few for me and ended up finding a gorgeous baby blue and lavender beaded floral headpiece that we decided is definitely reminiscent of the 40's. Now, to find a dress to match the headpiece.

striped scarf {gift} - green wool coat {Aritzia} - green finger-less gloves {Angelrox} - white leather purse {Coach} -

beige top {Winners} - gold bird cage necklace {Brooklyn Flea} - bright blue skinnies {The Gap} - tan riding-inspired boots {The Bay}

It really was a great weekend. I can't wait for all of the exciting events I have coming up this week, so check back soon as I'll be sure to fill you all in.

Now, it's really past my bedtime. It is a school night after all.

j.

Brooklyn Flea

I had the best Saturday. Once again I travelled over the bridge to the glorious streets of Brooklyn. This time the destination was Ft. Greene. And the task at hand was the Brooklyn Flea. I went with one of my roomies and a friend who also lives in our building. Before we get started here, I would like to take a moment to introduce you all to my new friend. She is the photographer extraordinaire for all of the below photos (except the small ones...yes, those are my instagrams - slightly obsessessed). Now, I asked her what she wanted her blog alter-ego to be and we have tentatively decided upon what I think is the best alter-ego yet, but she's still pondering (so stay tuned!). Since I like to give my friends some anonymity but still have their nicknames be somewhat relevant, I think hers is just perfect because it basically rhymes with her name. So, without further ado, please enjoy the photography of Sesame Shoe (who will be referred to as Sesame from here on out)!

The flea market is held in an old bank building. Spread out over three floors. The main floor, pictured above, was the most expensive and where we started so once we hit the basement the goodies just started falling into my hands. Below are a couple goodies that came home with me.

Of course, all that fleaing (making up words now) makes a girl hungry. So we consulted Yelp (saves my life on the daily) and found a sub place nearby with four and a half stars. City Subs, I do think you make the best subs on the planet. Obviously after a monster sandwich we still weren't satisfied, so over to Blue Sky Bakery for a chai tea latte and chocolate chip oatmeal cookie. That did it!

Next, who doesn't love posing in photos after stuffing their belly?

striped scarf {gift} - black & white striped tank {Karen by Karen Kane via Palm Desert Outlets} - scissors necklace {thrifted from AuH2O} -

beige striped cardigan & fuschia belt {Loft} - dark denim skinnies {Flying Monkey via Century 21} - tan riding-inspired boots {The Bay}

It was so great to have a real person snapping my goofy mug instead of the trusty ol' tripod. We did encounter a rather curious bystander who probably thought I was famous crazy. She asked what we were taking photos of. I said my outfit. She accepted that, was quiet for a moment and then said, "but what are you going to do with the photos?". Explaining a fashion blog to middle-aged women never gets old. She wasn't mean, just genuinely curious...unlike the boat lady.

So, this fleaster (Real word. Saw it on their website. Self-defined as: person who excels at flea market shopping; flea market shopping extraordinaire) has a penchant for new baubles, so I may have walked away with two new necklaces, two rings, a pair of earrings and a vintage key. Oh yeah....and a pretty awesome blue and white striped blazer, a leather purse that matches my hair, a wallet that matches the purse and don't even get me started on $1.00 books. Best. Day. Ever.

I may have a slight problem....

j.