Thankful

This time of year is really hard for me and more importantly for us, that being my boyfriend Chaz and I. This time two years ago we were sitting in hospital rooms, driving too fast on highways between home and Kent, and figuring out how to have a Thanksgiving dinner around a recliner in the living room.

When I first met Chaz we were in high school. There are so many times that we should have met but didn't. We've lived behind each other for practically our whole lives but never peaked over the fence to meet each other. We had the same friends but never seemed to line up enough to be introduced. We went to the same concerts, stood in the same crowds, watched the same shows. We were always there somehow. Probably one the craziest instances of how often our lives intersected is this photo I took when I was eight years old.

Every year Chaz's dad organized a car show in our hometown. One year for my eighth birthday I asked for a camera. I got a little disposable one that I carried around everywhere and I happened to bring it to the car show. Well, I snapped this picture and later put into a scrapbook I made. I pulled it out one day and showed this picture to Chaz who then told me that his dad put on the car show every year. But what is more crazy about this photo is that this is a picture of Chaz's grandpa's car. And in the background, you can see his mom's car. And that boy on the right, well that's Chaz. 

I like to think that there's a reason we didn't meet all those years. Maybe we met at the right time for the right reasons. Chaz is literally the sweetest person I've ever met. And I know everyone says that about their boyfriend because they have to. But I mean it more than anything. When we first started dating we went to prom. He told me I looked beautiful in front of my mom when he first saw me in my prom dress and she still talks about it today. He even bought me the tiny polaroid camera I had been wanting so we could take fun pictures at prom. The first thing Chaz taught me was how to love myself. 

Two years into our relationship we both ended up going to Kent. We drove from school to home together. We helped each other with homework. We push each other to be the best that we can be. 

That year we found out that Chaz's dad had pancreatic cancer. Which is one of the most aggressive types of cancer, and currently has no cure. The survival rate is less than 1%. I remember sitting in the shitty pick up truck we used to drive around and hearing it for the first time. It was this time of year. We drove home faster. We focused on homework less. We went to the hospital instead of home. We were just hoping it would get better. I genuinely did think it would get better, because hey sometimes positive affirmations make all the difference. I believed it would get better until the day he died. 

Every day I would hope the fence to get to Chaz's house, since the beginning. I slipped the first time I did it and I scrapped the back of my leg pretty bad. But I got better at it. I jumped the fence carrying flowers, or cake for his 19th birthday, or with records for the new turntable. But I also jumped that fence carrying blankets I made for his dad, and hot cooked meals I made for his family, or groceries, or anything. And I jumped that fence the morning he called me to tell me that his dad was gone and I did it without shoes on a frozen December day. 

Watching Chaz take care of his dad and his family makes me so happy that I have someone who will be there for me when something like that happens. Over the next few weeks, we did all the things that you do when someones dies. We went to the wake, we gathered up the photos for those corkboards they have at funeral homes, we dressed up and we stood in line to shake hands. 

At the wake, his dad's car was parked outside. It was his prized possession and even before I knew Chaz I remember hearing his dad start the engine in the summer. So I brought these flowers to lay on the hood. 

I know that I talk about Chaz's dad a lot, but it's important. It was such a heartbreaking time for both of us and I don't think you really realize how much you love someone until you go through something like this together. There were so many times when Chaz could have just walked away from me or told me that I needed to step back so he could be with his family. But instead, he made me a part of his family and let me be there for everything. Chaz taught me how to be compassionate, he taught me how to vulnerable, he taught me how to care so much about other people.

When I decided to move to New York, I don't even think I really wanted to go. To be really honest I thought I wasn't going to do well here. I've never been on my own. I would never make enough money in time. I'm not great at making friends. I came up with every excuse I could think of. The main one being that I couldn't leave home and leave Chaz and leave my family and everything that was familiar to me. But we push each other to be better so he drove me to New York with a car packed full of crap. He even carried it all up to my apartment while I sat in disbelief of how incredibly small it was. I don't even believe in myself as much as Chaz believes in me. Which I know I know I should be more confident, and I'm trying to be, but what so wrong with having someone who raises you up? 

I am so thankful to have Chaz in my life. Just the other day I was talking with my friends about how bizarre it is to be in a four-year relationship when I'm only 20 years old. But sometimes people find themselves by meeting a ton of new people or traveling, or self-reflection, or being alone, or whatever but it's just as beautiful to find yourself by growing with someone else. I'm thankful for you Chaz, thanks for also being the only other person who reads my blog. 

Fashion's digital age

It's obvious that with every new iPhone release we find our worlds being consumed just a little more with whats going on in our phones. From tweets to texts, to the age of selfies, everything is becoming more digital. For fashion, it means more Instagram updates, more blogs in the blogosphere, and more to keep up with. So how do you keep up with all the fashion out there when it feels like there's already a thousand things going on at once. It's pretty exciting that there is a whole world of fashion apps out there to explore. Which sounds intimidating but I put together my top three favorites so you aren't floundering around in a sea of app store reviews. So here are my top three must-have fashion apps for you to download now.  

1. Texture

Because no one in New York has the strength or the money to cart around fifty September issues and because we all have more interests than can be contained in a subway newsstand. Texture takes all of our favorite print magazines and turns them into digital copies for you to view and enjoy while riding the subway, waiting in the Starbucks line, or waiting for your laundry. Not to mention that you can choose from hundreds of magazines which means you can read about anything and everything you enjoy. I selected a few of my favorites and I have to say I have been enjoying reading them on my phone. It's a nice break from Instagram stalking influencers and watching mindless Facebook videos. Heres a look at my top magazines at the moment.

I've been dying to read a copy of Airbnb mag since I heard it was a thing. One of my favorite pass times is looking at Airbnb in exotic lands and reading through their new experiences page. So this magazine is a dream come true. I love to travel and this magazine makes it so interesting and accessible. So happy about it. Allure, Glamour, and Bazaar are three magazines I never get around to reading because my first stop is always a dictionary-sized VOGUE so being able to sit down and flip through these is also pretty awesome. 

2. Bloglovin'

This app is super similar to Texture but it keeps all your blogs in place instead of your magazines. It gives you a feed of all your favorite blogs and their posts in real time. Its also a great way to help you find and follow new blogs surrounding similar topics and ideas. I love Instagram because I feel like its a super easy way to stay up to date on whats happening with my favorite bloggers. I see their posts I can read their little caption to see what they have to say, and I'm not checking thier profile every ten minutes to see if they added a new photo bracuse it shows up on my feed. Thats what I wanted but with realy content blogs. I wanted a way to be able to scroll through all the posts I wanted to read but without having to check someones blogs everyday for updates. That's why I love Bloglovin'. It gives me a feed and I can scroll to my hearts desire. 

3. LIKEtoKNOWit

I've never felt an app I relate to more. So here's how it works. Have you ever been scrolling through your feed and think to yourself wow I wonder where she bought that amazing coat? But then you reply to the influencer you love but realize with 400 comments before yours there is no way she's getting back to you about where she purchased said coat? Well, that's what LIKEtoKNOWit does for you. Basically, influencers, bloggers, fashion companies, use LIKEtoKNOWit on pictures they post on Instagram. They tag the prices of the items and where they bought them through the app. That way when you go to screenshot it you can pull it up in the app and you'll be able to see exactly where they found that amazing coat. Sounds so basic and simple but its a life saver. And it works out well for bloggers who are doing paid partnerships and promotions because it gives their followers shoppable links. 

There are so many ways to use apps like these to enhance your business and make shopping, liking, reading, so much easier. After interning for a large company like Kleinfeld bridal its obvious to me how important communications through apps like these are. We just reccently launched a brand new Kleinfeld website which gives brides so many ways to interact with what happens here at Kleinfeld. There are hair tutorials, make look ideas, real bride stories, and a dress search engine unlike any other bridal website. We are doing alot to keep ourselves at the top of the bridal industry. While I think we are doing alot of things right I think it would be amazing if we started using the LIKEtoKNOWit app for our Instagram photos. It would be great if we can direct brides to the exact dress so they know the price point its within and see if we have it in the salon for them to try on. I think it would really round out the experience that we give to the bride. 

Picture Me: The Faces of Fashion

Picture Me is a documentary about Sara Ziff a model from the early 2000's who made this documentary with her then-boyfriend to reveal the inside of the fashion industry. When this documentary was released it was kind of the worlds first look into the lives of fashion models. Prior to this, no one knew what it was like to be a model in the fashion industry. Nowadays people are pretty aware of the hardships of being the face of fashion. And we are going beyond that to reverse the standards of beauty that we've set. We now see models of all races, body types, and ages on the runway. There are untouched ad campaigns, more documentaries uncovering the realities of photoshop, and "real-life" models are being used more and more. Having a diverse group of models representing brands is the new standard in fashion and its because of revealing documentaries like Picture Me. Following her documentary, Sara Ziff started college and went on to create the Model Alliance which helps models have a voice when it comes to issues like harassment, labor laws, and health care. It's because of people like Sara that the modeling world is becoming a safer place but there is still a ways to go.

Me in 2015 modeling for a local designer's runway show. After doing this show for three years I realized it wasn't worth it anymore. This show was unpaid and involved being there for a full 12 hours. We weren't provided food or even chairs to sit in while we waited around for hair and makeup. You can't see it in this photo but I was also asked to wear four-inch heels that were two and a half sizes too small. But to my agency, it was a good chance for me to be seen. 

I've always been really interested in fashion, and because of that, I wanted to do anything I could to become a part of it. Lucky for me I somehow grew to be 5'11" and have this unusual biracial face that makes me kind of racially ambiguous. In high school, I was a part of an organization that had a yearly gala and one year I received an award which lead me to be backstage before the show, which lead me to get my makeup done, which lead to the makeup artist referring me to a modeling agency. And before I knew it my high school head grew ten times bigger than it already was and I was sitting in a modeling agency in Cleveland waiting to see what they had to say. They ended up signing me on and giving me a modeling contract. Before then I thought modeling was basically an episode of Americans Next Top Model, and it would be private cars to photo shoots, free clothes, running around cities I've never been, and impressing designers I admired. But modeling in Cleveland is a lot less glamorous and modeling anywhere is strict and annoying. Basically that day I signed a contract with my mom's help that basically said I was not allowed to gain or lose any weight, I had to consult my agent before making any changes in my physical appearance including cutting or dying my hair, any tattoos or piercings, etc. and that I had to send in my measurements every few months to make sure I wasn't changing shape. My agency sent me to a hairdresser and had her do whatever she thought would look best. And they took 20% of whatever I earned from any jobs. Which is all pretty standard for modeling but sounds like a lot of rules when you're 15 and want to dye your hair purple. But I wanted the status of telling my friends I was leaving school early for a modeling gig and hanging out with the photographers of Cleveland. So I did it.

me in 2013.This was my headshot on my agency's website and the first picture in my book. Fake laughing with a full face of makeup. Both very forced.

I got my headshots done just after my 16th birthday. My mom and I talked a lot about how if I wanted to model I would have to use the money I earned to pay off the headshots and then the rest I could have for myself. I remember my mom being really concerned that my view of money would be skewed if my first job involved me making $100 an hour and doing very little work. But, I ended up only making enough money to pay her back and had less than $100 for myself when I decided to quit. There's a lot of reasons why I stopped modeling in particular with my agency. They were strict and unhappy that I didn't measure myself as often as they'd like and that I didn't have the beach body they were looking for. My headshots made me look old but I also had a really young face so companies didn't choose me because they couldn't identify my age. I went to do runways around Cleveland and I often didn't fit into the sample sized garments. I've been called out because I have too big of a butt or that my feet are too big to fit into shoes or that my boobs don't fit the cup size. I even got comments on the fact that I don't wear makeup on a regular basis. Well, all in all, the experience wasn't that great and it left me feeling terrible about myself every time. I would beat myself up over all these little comments. And as I started getting less and less jobs I was questioning myself and why I was doing this at all.

me in 2013 modeling for a friend's photography thesis. This was one of the first times I felt like I was modeling for fun and felt really good about myself while doing it. 

So I stopped when I got into fashion school at Kent State. I learned a lot about myself through modeling. I learned that I honestly love my body the way it is and that other person see your beauty when you see it yourself. I still model but in a very different less serious capacity. I try to do it for fun with photographers I know and like. It's hard to remember that modeling is supposed to be a fun thing instead of work and stress and anxiety all the time. I don't want modeling to make me feel good about myself I want to feel good and let modeling be something I do for fun which I think a lot of girls confuse. And it has opened me up to so many new careers that I really am interested in. I found a new love for photography and styling, and now I'm in fashion school. Modeling pushed me in a direction I'm excited about but its hard and tiring and way more than being a pretty face.

Dear Grace, - A letter to Grace Coddington

It's hard to separate when my life started from when my obsession with fashion started. But I'm guessing both started around the time I learned your name.
When I was in eighth grade I started following Tavi Gevinson of her then titled blog, The Style Rookie. I admired her knowledge of pop culture, art, music, and all things fashion so much. She was crazy and eccentric and I wished to have such daring and unique style. As an inspired 12 year old I decided to start my own blog also. It's a little Blogspot URL that still exists today. While I'm too embarrassed to reveal the internet address I will tell you one thing, it was an ongoing list of your photo shoots mixed with a few of my own. I shot photos of thrifted outfits in my bedroom on my mom's old digital camera. I even got my cousin into dressing up and having photo shoots with me. My bedroom walls were plastered with your Vogue editorials. My whole little eighth-grade heart loved your whimsical worlds. You inspired me to start dreaming up worlds to photograph. Narratives that could live in photos.

me in my childhood room in front of my magazine mural - 2011

a photo from my eighth grade blog - 2010

Its probably because of your wild imagination and ingenious creativity that I chose to be a Creative Director. I love writing a story for clothes and creating a scene for them to live in. Mixing outfits and scenery and picking location and props. It really is directing a little moving image. I love pairing the photos to make spreads, and seeing how they look in a magazine layout or within a blog.

I've always wondered how you gather your inspiration for these shoots. Where do you start? After reading your memoir its clear to me that your upbringing probably influences your perspective. Growing up in the lush landscape of Wales was probably a magical experience in itself. I also love imagining what your life as a young model in the UK must have entailed. You describe in your memoir your encounters with photographers and industry professionals. But what is even more inspiring to me is how you overcame so many obstacles in your life. Through death, divorces, and tragedy you still allowed yourself to find beauty and creativity.

This shot is from a photoshoot my cousin and I created - 2011

When I first watched the September Issue I was enamored by your personality and wit. My favorite shoot of yours is the 1920s inspired story that we get to see you create in the movie. But the best part of The September Issue is seeing you encouraging a model to eat a little tart. I think about that scene so often. Especially as I was growing up as a teen while dipping my toe in the modeling world. It was such a small scene but it had an everlasting impact on me. You've taught me to be a creative person but you've also taught me to be a strong person. 

My brother studied photography for a short period and snapped this photo of me while on vacation - 2009

I just want to thank you for being more than a name on a masthead and continuing to be an inspiration to me and other young girls who are pasting up your pictures in their bedrooms. I can only hope I create something half as beautiful as you one day. 

Thank you, Grace

Fashion Publications - A Venn Diagram

Let's be honest, the US has an obsession with Europe. Our friends across the pond have such chic and effortless style and we've been borrowing their trends for years. Whether it was our love for all things mod in the 60s, or our admiration for eastern European embroidery in the 70s. We've been using Europe as a source of inspiration in all things fashion.
However, there's one area of fashion that we seem to be standing alone - magazines.
I decided to look into the differences between international and American fashion publications, and of course created a Venn diagram

I wanted to keep this a fair fight so I chose two magazines that appeal to the same audience. Nylon is an American publication that started in 1999. It is a more progressive and young publication that usually has edgy editorials and content. The issue I reviewed was actually the last print publication that Nylon put out and will be transitioning to all online media. This issue's cover star is St. Vincent, my ultimate role model. I've been following her music since I was in eighth grade and I love her as much today as the day I discovered her in 2010. Her new album MASSEDUCTION is coming out on October 13th, and the single 'New York' couldn't be more fitting to my life at the moment. Her style and personality embody the essence of Nylon so its only fitting she is their last cover star. 

However, Nylon does a lot of things that are "typical" for an American publication. They include editorial stories that feature trends for the season and offer several ways for you to pull the trend off yourself and the pricing for the pieces. They also have quite a bit of event coverage, featuring a spread on the Dior runway show, and the opening of a retro nail salon in Brooklyn. 

i-d magazine is a great representation of a young British fashion publication. It was started in 1980 by the ex-art director of Vogue, Terry Jones. This magazine is way more art focused. The editorials are about creating unique and inspiring images rather than focusing on capturing the trend. The main story "No Rivals" features over 10 creative actors, artists, and musicians and their stories. We need more of this raw, unfiltered content in American publications. Its stories like these that get me excited about fashion. 

Pros and Cons - International Fashion Week

Milan, Paris, and London are the international fashion capitals of the world. They are home to the world's oldest fashion houses, and newest bright designers. Their collections are show-stopping and trendsetting. Between these three fashion weeks, there are major trends, good and bad. To make international trends simple, I've narrowed down my favorite and least favorite fashion trend and even picked my favorite show for you. So, here's the pro and con of international fashion week.

Pro: low heels are here to stay

Top row: Dior, Chloé, Chanel

Bottom row: Simone Rocha, Dior, Dolce & Gabanna

As a girl who is almost six feet tall, low heels are my best friend. They're comfortable, they're chic, and now, they're in. I am in love with these Chloé boots and will probably obsess over them for the rest of my life. It is my ultimate dream to one day have a Chloé bag, and maybe now to have a pair of chic french boots to match. Chanel and Dior both showed similar low heeled knee high boots. Both were sheer and paired with a variety of bottoms including long pants and skirts. I love that tall boots with long skirts is coming back into style. It gives the looks a touch of 70s flare which we all know I can't get enough of. Simone Rocha showed a few different looks with low heels, including these embellished sandals. And Dolce & Gabanna stepped into the trend with these low heeled sling-backs with a cute clock charm so you're always stepping in time. 

I can only hope that retailers start selling more low heeled shoes. While I've seen a few pairs at Zara, and Aldo recently, I could always use more. I mean what girl doesn't need a few dozen kitten heels in her closet?

Cons: oversized and exaggerated

Gucci, Chanel, Marni

Sometimes I hope fashion doesn't make its way off the runway and into our real lives. This is one of those times. The bag lady shapes of these looks accentuate all the wrong places on these women. I thought we had our fill of broad shoulders in the 80s. And since when is it okay to dress a slender chic women in an outfit that makes her look ten sizes larger? There is a way to do oversized shilouettes that's interesting and flatter and there's a way to do it that is all wrong. I'm sure we won't be seeing these exaggerated shapes off the runway anytime soon. 

My Favorite: Valentino

There is nothing more inspiring than seeing a fashion house as old as Valentino put out amazingly fresh and new shows like this. It still has the unique characteristics that make it "So Valentino" like the classic Valentino red, and the stunning embroidery. It is modern but still has a touch of old-world Italy. Its young but could still be worn by chic older women. Its feminine and soft and pretty and glamorous and edgy. And it has an amazingly creative and cohesive color palette. I love this collection and I think it displays a lot of the trends we are going to be seeing in the upcoming season. Some more utilitarian styles, touches of holographic and shine, and turning blush pink into a neutral. I love every look and detail in this collection, right down to the fanny packs and embellished sneakers. 

A Week in the Life

There's always something happening in New York. Living here for the past month or so has been such an adventure. But every time my mom calls me to check in she asks, "whats new?" and I forget everything I've been up to. So I documented my life for a week in hopes I'll have talking points ready the next time she calls.

Life in New York is crazy. Let's get into it.

Monday

Everyone and their mother hate Mondays. But honestly, they're one of my favorite days of the week. Probably because they're one of the only days I get to wake up a little late and get my life together. I do my laundry, run errands for school, clean my apartment, and tie up all the loose ends of the week before. I also have classes on Monday. This week we watched a documentary about the one and only Bill Cunningham. If you don't know Bill, you might know his work from the style section of the New York Times. He was one of the greatest photographers in the world and the most renown street style photographer. Bill, unfortunately, passed away a few years ago but his love for street style photography lives on. After watching this beautiful film about Bill and street style photography I left the Kent State studio to walk home. And no joke, as I turned the corner a street style photographer snapped my photo. I was flattered and humbled by the most amazingly ironic situation to ever happen to me. I didn't get to catch the name of the photographer or the blog he was shooting for, so I'm still searching the web for a photo of me in an off the shoulder blue top. If you see it let me know. 

I love to use Monday as a way to look for motivation and inspiration. All my inspiration this week stemmed from street style photography and the documentary we watched about Bill. Another really unique thing Bill did was that he only shot in the film. So to honor Bill and do things the Bill Cunningham way I decided to only take pictures on film this week. I wanted to do a little bit of street style photography but I also wanted to snap pictures of anything that inspired me. 

Asking strangers if you can take their picture is a lot harder than it looks. So I tried to be more discreet and just camp out on a street corner and snap pictures while people weren't looking. I was hesitant to only shoot in film this week because I was nervous the pictures wouldn't turn out the way I wanted them to. But I think they turned out great! I love how the film adds more of a vintage feel to all of these 70s inspired outfits. Ponchos, prints, and warm tones are on the street in New York, and they're giving me all these 70s vibes. After shooting these looks on film it's more obvious to me why Bill chose to shoot this way. It makes you so much more aware. If I was shooting on a digital camera I would have had my head down after every shot trying to make sure it was focused or that I got the shot I wanted to. But shooting on film you don't have the luxury of knowing what the photo looks like right away. It's also very high pressure because you have a limited number of shots. You have to be more selective and you have to look up more. 

Tuesday

I pass by these stacked chairs on my way to work every Tuesday morning. They remind me of Europe and have a really nice texture and color palette. 

Wednesday

I found this vintage motorcycle parked on 39th and I thought it had a 70s flair with the orange pinstriping. It looks even more amazing on film. 

Thursday

Whats more New York than eating take out on your stoop with a friend? We also had our picture taken by a photographer who was walking by. He was in from Seattle and wanted to capture the people of New York on his vintage film camera. Little did he know he was actually photographing two Ohio girls giggling too much over Shake Shack. 

The Weekend

This weekend my beautiful friend Hayden came to NYC for a couple of different events! She invited me to hang out with her at the first ever Vegan Food and Drink festival on Randall Island. It was amazing. The people, the style, the food, the whole thing. 

Over 13,000 people made it out to try all of New Yorks best vegan restaurants and enjoy a perfect Sunday in the sun. Randall's Island was the best little escape from the city. It was the most beautiful backdrop for this festival. 

The highlight of my entire week (and probably my entire life) was the kid's dance competition. There's something innately cute about kids that are first of all raise vegan, and second of all growing up in New York City. I don't know how these kids could get any cooler. They had the best moves ever and the crowd was cheering them on the whole time. I think they dragged this dance competition out for almost 45 minutes but I loved every second of it.

And the food was amazing. amazing amazing amazing. We only made it to half of the vendors because the lines were so long but we got to try a great assortment of things. Vegan mac and cheese with tofu fried chicken nuggets was a big hit, pictured to the left. We also waited in line for an hour to try this vegan egg waffle and ice cream, pictured in the middle. And gave sushi tacos a try because why not. 

The street style at this festival was also amazing. There are so many intersections between veganism and other cultures. There was a very large African American community in attendance, and also a large Latino community. So it was really cool to see how those cultures were meshing and the kind of style people brought to this event. New Yorkers show up when it comes to style and a festival is a perfect place to show off. 

It was the perfect weekend for this event. I had such a great time with my friend and I'm sure we will be back next year. It was one of those weekends where you just feel rejuvenated afterward. It was just what I needed to feel more inspired and motivated to take on another Monday.

Well that's one week and one disposable camera later. Onto the next.

That 70s Fashion Week

There's been a lot of gaps in my knowledge of TV and movies over the years. For example, I just watched Friends in its entirety for the very first time last year. Think about a give who has never seen Sex and the City until her senior year of college, yeah that's me. Well, I recently discovered another missing piece of iconic TV that I needed to watch - That 70s Show. Let's just say I'm completely obsessed. Every outfit I try on now is "So Jackie" or "So Donna". I even went out of my way to find the perfect pair of orange tinted aviators so I can feel more like Hyde. Naturally, the 70s inspired fashion really caught my eye at New York Fashion Week. 

Zimmermann S/S 18 Ready to Wear

Zimmermann is an Australian fashion brand that is known for its effortless style. They also sell a lot of swimwear because we all know those Australians live in their swimsuits. But they're ready to wear has been worn by so many fashion bloggers here in the states that I recognized their name right away. Most of their designs have a little bit of a vintage feeling but they play around a lot with sophistication and current trends.  

Krystal Bick, Jenny Cipoletti, and Amiee Song in Zimmermann

Their S/S 2018 collection that was shown at NYFW definitely had that 70s vibe. Plunging V-necklines, textured embroidery, wide legged pants, and a little peasant sleeve. It channels the bohemian style of the 70s while still being modern and fresh for spring. The floral print has soft yellow and orange tones that give it a nostalgic feeling but its paired with the more modern silhouettes throughout the collection. The other main textile is a crisp white material, its made interesting by adding textured appliqués and embroidery which nods to the maximalism that was going on in the 70s as well. Overall I'd say this collection is Jackie approved and will be seen on all our favorite bloggers come spring. 

Alice + Olivia S/S 18 Ready to Wear

Alice + Olivia is a contemporary women's brand started by Stacey Bendet in 2002. She has done an amazing job of growing her brand over the past 15 years, expanding into shoes, handbags, and accessories. I remember finding her designs in magazines when I was in middle school and falling in love with the whimsical and playful quality she brings to clothing. Well, its years later and she is still staying true to that. This collection is bright, young and has a very retro vibe. The long embroidered dresses and matching pantsuits are combining the Woodstock girl with a Saturday Night Fever lady and I love it all. Its the textiles that really make this collection feel the 70s. Her combination of prints, texture, and color is always bold but somehow still modern. I think the girls of That 70s Show would love this collection, which means I love this collection.

A Salute to Septemeber

 I remember seeing The September Issue when I was in middle school. It was the first time I had heard of Anna Wintour or my now idol, Grace Coddington, and most importantly it was when I fell in love with a realistic depiction of the fashion world. Shortly after seeing The September Issue I dragged my older sister down to our public library’s book sale and begged her to buy me old Vogues for ten cents a piece. I remember seeing the Vogue that was featured in The September issue and being so fascinated by the magical images that Grace Coddington created. 

Fast forward to now, lets just say 2017 is very different than those blissful young summers in 2009. As a young woman in this country its hard to not be involved in our political climate when it comes to fashion. This fashion world today is evolving, its progressive, its new, and its expanding our view of beauty. For years, discussions of race, gender, sexuality, and age, have been at the forefront of the fashion world. It feels like very recently politics have been a part of every aspect of our lives, and if you aren’t making a statement you aren’t keeping up with the times. Which is why I was very surprised to see so many September issues this season that featured caucasian cover stars. Vogue, chose Jennifer Lawerence as their cover star because as Anna Wintour says “who embodies this countries optimism and openness more than Jennifer?” While I beg to differ on this subject I felt the cover was classic and elegant especially for Vogue’s 125^th anniversary. 

Vogue also kept things interesting by creating not one but four covers for this years September issue. Three by photographers who have a history of working with Vogue and a stunning renaissance inspired painted portrait of Lawerence by John Currin a New York based painter. While this Vogue lacked diversity in it’s cover they made up for it in their content. Stories on LeBron James and his wife (representing my hometown of Cleveland), Oprah, Serena Williams, and Iman all on touching issues including the death of David Bowie, and raising the graduation rate in Cleveland area schools. A nice finishing touch on this anniversary Vogue was the pages upon pages of personalized ads all reading “Congratulations on 125 years!” flooding the center of the magazine. It’s clear that Vogue is a seasoned player when it comes to September issues and the obvious winner here. Even thought Vogue has some minor flaws, it combines fashion with editorials and captivating stories. While its hard to even begin to compare other magazines to the pages of Vogue, I guess we can try. Other magazines have become more focused spotting trends and digesting them for their readers. There is very little written content which makes these magazines feel more like fast fashion and less of an experience. The pages of InStyle, Marie Claire, Bazzar, Glamour, and Elle, identified the newest ways to have “It girl” style. Western themes, velvet, animal prints, and metallic shine are all on the forefront of the fashion world this season.

While the fashion trends may have changed since that summer in 2009 when I bought four dollars worth of ten cent Vogues, my love and infatuation for fashion has stayed the same. Its amazing to me the continuous amount of creativity and imagination that teems from the pages of magazines. It brings me back to the Nigel monologue from the ever iconic movie The Devil Wears Prada, “Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it. Well, not you, obviously, but some people.” I think about this quote so often, especially while I’ve been here in New York. It’s so special to be living in the pages of magazines everyday here.