It's Not Cuffing Season Anymore!

Which means that us girls have to look cute everyday because of all the dates we're going on! (As a side note I've learned a couple things since moving to New York: 1) East Coast slang is about 1 year ahead of West Coast slang and 2) women need to look cute everyday, in my opinion, because the women to men ratio here is about 2:1, meaning twice as much competition!) Cuffing season can be defined as the period of time during the Fall and Winter months when one is in a relationship and/or "handcuffed," just so you know.

One good thing about working at Macy's is that I am constantly surrounded by fashion. It's not uncommon to catch me on a twenty minute break shopping the second floor women's section with my partner in crime, Norah (visit her website while you're at it, she's an enormously talented graphic designer who will have a major hand in revamping this blog and my professional website). Here are just a handful of my favorite summer dresses from RACHEL Rachel Roy, BCBGeneration, and French Connection.

From left to right: Sleeveless Sashed Dress by RACHEL Rachel Roy, $109;
Ruffled Neckline Polka Dot Dress by BCBGeneration, $128; and Fast Anna Lace Dress by French Connection, $188.

I Heart New York

Moving to New York has by far been one of the best decisions of my life. I feel like I've spent the last 7 months (down to the day!) just trying to absorb this new life that I've created for myself, completely independent of my family. November to December was spent just adjusting to taking the bus or subway to and from New Jersey or Brooklyn into the city and adjusting to a new job and finding an apartment and furnishing said apartment. January to April was a lot of dating boys, a lot of drinking and no sleep!

Since this is, in fact, a blog about my fashion adventures, I'll just cut to the chase. I started my internship at Aviva Embroideries at the beginning of March and have since been working 35 hours a week at Macy's and 13 hours a week at Aviva- hence the no sleep. In the past, when I apply/pick internships, I tend to pick ones that are a little obscure so I make sure I learn something I would never learn in school. Alchemy Goods used recycled bike inner tubes to make messenger bags; Sheer Style did a lot of design, sourcing, and production for start-up design companies; and Crescent Down Works made down-filled outerwear. When I saw the ad for the internship at Aviva on Craigslist, it was no different. I soon found out at my interview that I would be helping to design swatches with beaded and sequin motifs, combined with fabric flowers to create pieces that would then be sent to designers to be chosen and used in their collections. In the nearly 3 months I've been there, two of my swatches have been chosen by Reem Acra and Monique Lhullier to be used in a future collection! (Pictures to come if I get permission.)

This past week, I made a very important decision in regards to working on my own line. For a long time I told myself that I wouldn't try promoting my own line until I had AT LEAST 5 years of real industry experience. Working at Macy's has made me want to break away from upper management authority a little and has made me realize that I'm only young once so why not just promote my own line while I'm young and crazy and can get away with it?! I even tried out for Project Runway last month at the open call here in New York! In light of recent events I've realized that while I may get distracted by a lot of things in this enormous city, I really came here to do one thing: advance my career in fashion. So I made a big decision last night that I plan to stick to: show my Spring/ Summer 2012 capsule collection during New York Fashion Week. NOW, an important thing to remember is that when I say "show my collection during NYFW", I am not under any sort of sick delusion that I will be showing at Lincoln Center alongside Anna Sui or Oscar de la Renta. I simply mean that I want to, either be involved in a fashion show with a number of different up-and-coming designers, or find a venue to have a viewing party during NYFW.

Since I wrote about my big plan on here, that means that you, my MANY (cough) followers, are now being held accountable to make sure that I follow through! I will update, step-by-step, my design process here (complete with pictures!) so no one can make a liar out of me!

And since my Blogger visits seem to get further and further apart, I will leave you with photos of a couple projects; an illustration of a blazer I recently designed and a little something I made for my Project Runway audition:

Stay tuned!

Band of Outsiders Spring Lookbook

Before the holidays, my Mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas. It took me a few days to come up with exactly what I wanted aside from her mailing me some of my stuff from home and then it came to me: a Polaroid camera. Since then I've been taking it with me every time I explore a new place in New York or go to one of my favorite places. But anyway, my obsession with Polaroids goes on and when I saw that the new Band of Outsiders lookbook, featuring Kirsten Dunst, was taken in Polaroids I got very excited. Two of my favorite things: fashion and film!

Sofia Coppola Inspires!

I realize it's been a while since I've posted anything about my fashion life but I'm back now and my new topic of inspiration is Sofia Coppola. Personally, I feel there are only a handful of directors that are completely hands on when they do a movie i.e. writing, producing, casting, directing, etc. Not only do I love the way her films portray young women and exactly how they feel, I especially love her distinct color palettes. Marie Antoinette is a perfect example of this:

As is The Virgin Suicides:

And with Lost in Translation:

Lately I've been obsessed with Sofia Coppola movies and the topic of distinct color palettes is particularly relevant to me right now because the Spring/Summer 2012 line I'm developing is going to have the strongest color palette I've ever worked with.

Pictures to come soon!

BLACK FRIDAY

My shift started at 5:45 this morning and there was always someone waiting in line to pay. Good for my paycheck, but bad for my sanity. And afterward, I headed to the Toys R Us in Time Square to pick up a gift, which also proved to be bad for my sanity. HOWEVER, I have never been happier to be in bed. 

With this post comes yet more belated pictures. But one of the more exciting moments of my life is presented below:

Picture it: Nordstrom. Downtown Seattle. October 15th, 2010. I had just finished interning at Crescent Down Works on Capitol Hill when I took the bus to meet my dear friend Alex, because we had plans to meet one of my very favorite designers, Betsey Johnson. We laughed, I cried (almost) and ended up getting her work phone number on the back of my business card.

BEST DAY EVER.

Farewell!

Hello faithful followers!

You may have noticed that I fell off the blogging radar for a hot second. Well, rest assured I'm back and ready to share my fashion favorites. The reason of my prolonged absence came for a number of reasons:

1) After graduation in September, I took a trip with my alma mater to New York City for a week in October.

2) Upon my arrival in New York City, I went to an interview I had previously set up with Macy's and got a permanent job in Men's Collections, on the spot.

3) After the New York trip, I spent the following two weeks buying suitcases, one-way plane tickets, and black clothing because:

I NOW LIVE IN NEW YORK CITY. 

Well actually, New Jersey for the time being but close enough for the purposes of working in New York.

Just a few highlights from the trip: I met Anna Sui and Robert Savage (Nanette Lepore's husband) and was in a photo in Women's Wear Daily for an article about the rally to Save the Garment Center.

And because I'm so behind on my Spring 2011 coverage, here are my final two favorites that got left behind in the whole picking-up-my-life-and-moving-across-the-country thing.

Betsey Johnson took my favorite theme of all time and went faux luxury with the gold accents and gaudy jewelry.

Christian Dior's John Galliano took that same favorite theme of mine and took it 1940's South Pacific goddess.

Enjoy!

Moschino May Be From Italy...

... But I want to run down the streets of Paris in nearly all the Moschino Spring/Summer 2011 collection! Moschino is known for being fun and flirty and I feel like this collection really represented so many parts of my design aesthetic: primary colors, polka dots, stripes, a-line skirts, and belts; it's like an amazing pin-up dream! Beloved pieces below!