Statement Necklace

I am so obsessed with the statement necklace. I have definitely been going for minimal jewelry with great necklace that finishes off a look. Its especially amazing to wear with a simple gray, white, or black tee with hair pulled back in a sleek bun and a boyfriend blazer. Check out these looks!

www.nastygal.com

www.nastygal.com

www.nastygal.com

www.nastygal.com

My Love for Johnny Vincent

So, I recently received an email regarding a Johnny Vincent Sale! I then rushed to the website and fell in love all over again. This woman makes the most exquisite bathing suits and dresses. Her one pieces her so sexy that they will make the faint at heart blush. As I scroll through each picture, I sigh at the beauty and splendor.  Her styles are full of color and life. It definitely was a pick me up this morning. Its paradise everytime. Please check her out: http://www.johnnyvincent.com/. I am so proud of this fellow Caribbean women for making it happen in the fashion world.

http://www.johnnyvinvent.com/

http://www.johnnyvinvent.com/

http://www.johnnyvinvent.com/

Versace for H&M

Luxury fashion house Versace is soon to grace the ubiquitous H&M clothing retail chain. Despite excitement among the masses, retail and branding experts are reluctant to embrace the idea of such an iconic and inaccessible label being marketed in budget-conscious H&M. They argue that being sold in a non-luxury store could damage the image of Versace as an exclusive brand. However, Versace is the latest couture house to collaborate with H&M on an exclusive designer collection, following the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons, Roberto Cavalli, Jimmy Choo and Lanvin. Such partnership has not harmed any of these brands.

As a consumer, I think that it is a smart move considering the struggling economic times which have definitely adversely impacted the fashion industry. This move may help the brand to remain relevant among shoppers rather then remain a remote symbol of excess, wealth, and the 1980s. Also, the collaboration will definitely attract consumers who ordinarily cannot afford to purchase the brand. The partnership may also encourage the fashion house to expand its designing paradigm and use the masses as inspiration.  

 

We should be expecting a fall collection of womenswear, men's wear and home items to hit 300 stores November 19, 2011. What should we expect? The collection aims to pay homage to the legacy and heritage of the edgy Italian luxury label by incorporating leather, metal studs, vibrant prints and of course neon.

Versace Sketch

Donatella in Versace for H&M

Versace for H&M

Versace for H&M

Makeup and Fashion

Hello Everyone,
I recently went to a test fashion shoot and I got the opportunity to meet the makeup artist Johnny Gonzalez and his assistant Veronika from Czech Republic. Although Johnny was super busy making the model look more beautiful than she already is, I did get to speak with his wonderful assistant Veronika. I asked about makeup tips and what she thinks everyone woman should do before she leaves the house. Guess what she said? Eyebrows! She said that not enough women pay attention to grooming their eyebrows which is so essential to open up the face and accentuate your features. She mentioned that it was a major pet-peeve of hers.  I could not agree with her more.

I also think it is important for woman to really pay attention to taking care of their skin. (The model had amazing skin!) Drinking lots of water, eating lots of vegetables like carrots and spinach, developing a cleaning and moisturizing regimen, wearing SPF protection, and investing in a good foundation are important to make skin look radiant. No matter how good your makeup is, if your skin is not taken care of from the inside out, it will show.

Tis the Season for Hats

I have to be honest, it has only been recently where I have learned to like love hats! I always was annoyed about how I would look with short hair and a hat on; I was afraid of that looking like a boy or even looking like I didn't know what I was doing.  Now that my hair is longer, I am apt to the idea of wearing them with a side bun or a braid and big hoop earrings.
Over the last 2 years I have developed an excitement for hats, especially fedoras! So I found these two hats at J.Crew, and I had to grab them. They are so cool for the summer and I am so excited to wear them.

Spring Cleaning and Re-Fashioning NYC

As much as I am a lover of fashion, I am an avid supporter of recycling clothing and shopping at thrift and consignment stores (please see earlier post: Thift Store Shopping). For this reason I want to share with you a new partnership between Housing Works and the City of New York.  These two entities have teamed up to create Re-Fashion NYC.  Re-Fashion NYC is a new effort to encourage recycling, help the homeless, and reduce city waste. Therefore, Re-fashion NYC has placed donation bins in several apartment buildings throughout the city. It is a free and convenient service that allows city-dwellers the opportunity to donate unwanted clothing, shoes, toys, furniture, books, or electronics. 100%  of donations will be given to charitable causes so that those who are willing to participate will receive tax receipts. This is right in time for spring cleaning and clearing out cramped NYC closets.

Because the program is relatively new, the initial bin placement will only be in a few locations. As it grows, bins will placed in more apartment buildings as well as commercial and institutional sites. This is an important effort to reduce waste in city landfills.

   
If you are eager to participate in the program and your building has yet to place these bins in the hallway, please visit nyc.gov/stuff exchange to find locations near to you were you can always donate your unwanted items. To learn more about the program and its effort please visit nyc.gov/refashion.

Building your Wardrobe

Ladies, as cosmopolitan modern women, it is of the utmost importance that we are dressed appropriately for every occasion. This means that we invest in certain wardrobe items. This does not mean that you have to spend significant amounts of money, but it does mean that you spend more time to look for quality pieces so that you have a full wardrobe. This may mean that you will have to resist that purchase of that stiletto shoe or that tank dress( not as essential) but in the long run, you will feel prepared when you have an impromptu engagement.

This is especially important for women who are new to the workforce and are unsure of what to have in their closet. For this reason, I am going to provide you with some basic staples that I believe that every women should own. Investing in these items helps you save money because when that particular occasion arises, whether it be a job interview or a gala, you already know that you have something in your closet which eliminates the rush to "find something" at the last moment. Also, if you buy ahead of time, you are more likely to catch sales and find something you really like rather than something that will have "to do for now."
Also, if you need a little bit more direction, Nina Garcia from Project Runway wrote a book a few years ago titled, "The One Hundred." It is a simple read that shows women how to build a sound wardrobe. I recommend you check it out!

Featured below are some items to consider which include and LBD, pencil skirt, black blazer, boyfriend watch, trench coat, cocktail dress, cardigan, a hat and galoshes.