True Prep

True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World

From the author of “The Official Preppy Handbook” comes a new classic, “True Prep.” This new adaptation of the old classic has been modernized to fit in with the cell phones carrying, iPad loving and Gin & Tonic consuming corporate culture of the new millennium. The tongue and cheek humor regarding the appropriate dog for which school you attended, how much you should pay the au pair and what category Daddy’s new “special friend” falls under, makes for a light hearted read. No sorority girl should be without this second addition, perfectly placed next to her copy of “Take Ivy” and some of her favorite issues of Vogue. 

Designer Spotlight: Phillip Lim

I first fell in love with Phillip Lim when I attended his ready to wear show at Spring 2010 Fashion Week. It was one of the very first shows I had ever attended; I even managed to work my way backstage. The show was memorable, mostly because the same model fell twice during the show. First, when she was on her individual walk, second in the final group walk, which ended up with her pulling down the model behind her as she tried to help her up. While all this was going on the other models began to pile up and stand aimlessly on the runway. It ended with two models dragging the first off the runway and a standing ovation, but I’ll pretend the clothes are what made it so memorable. Needless to say Phillip Lim made his way into my heart during that very show. His clothes are colorful and whimsical, yet simple enough for everyday wear. Above are a few pieces from this spring 2010 line. 

Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys

How cool are these? For all you local Austinites or simply you Willie Nelson fans out there, this is the ultimate home accessory. This iconic profile will keep those blue eyes from cryin in the rain. Although they are a little pricey, $80 a piece, they are just too fun to pass up. You can buy these little wonders from Spruce on Etsy.com or simply click here.

Need Supply Anyone?

Sweater Dress      

$42.00

Foley + Carinna  

$444.00

       
Soho Sunshine
      $130.00

                                                                       
Need Supply Co. is one of my favorite places to shop online. It's the perfect mixture of Forever21 and Anthropologie. Low prices with high design. They are constantly updating their merchandise and are always on top of the latest trends. Above is a sample of an outfit I put together from a variety of vendors. Dress from Need Supply Co., purse by Foley + Carinna, shoes by Jeffery Campbell.

                                                                                                            

My New Obsession

 

What an amazing website. I fell in love on my very first visit!
Check it out for all your architectural and interior design inspirations. 

 Department of the Interior 

Smile of the Day

    “Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland" By: Kelly Ryden and Tracy Raver

                                Sleeping Beauties: Newborns in Dreamland

Chegg.com

I know a lot of you are college students like me and are constantly on the lookout for ways to save money. Well look no further, Chegg.com is a textbook rental website that can save you tons of money. The concept of renting your textbook is something I’m pretty sure should have been invented many years ago but at least it is around while I’m in school. I got my accounting book for $100 less then what it was going for at the campus bookstore and that was at the used priced. Oh, did I mention that there is no buy-back market for that book because there is a new edition coming out this summer. So now I’m just out $50 versus $150. If you use the coupon code CC116539 you can get an extra $5 on your book buy backs or an additional 11% off if you want to rent your books for summer school.

What I Want Now!

Shoes: Cole Haan $294 

Glasses: Zooey $350

Thanks A Lot Snow!

Due to the wonderful winter we had in February I was unable to make it out of Lubbock to attend Fashion Week due to a massive snow storm. No worries though, plans are in the works for my arrival in September and let me tell you I already have some amazing opportunities lined up. I’m very sorry I don’t have any fun pictures or stories to share with y’all but now that school is winding down I’ll have some free time to update the blog with all my favorite picks for the summer. I’ll have you dressed and accessorized before you know it!

Fashion Week Fall 2010 Tentative Line-up

Thurdsay:

Toni Maticevski

Port 1961

BESPOKEN

Japanese Fashion Week Preview

Friday:

SAK Salon

Phyto

Saturday:

Loris Diran

Andy and Debb

Nicolas Clements Lindsey

Irina Shabayeva

Twinkle

Sunday:

Catherine Malandno

Rebbecca Taylor

ANN TAYLOR: SEE NOW, WEAR NOW

Vanessa Williams

The necklace I got in my goodie bag

Back in September I attended the Ann Taylor “See Now, Wear Now” show. What an amazing come-back. Ann Taylor, once known for classic business suites has been slowly sliding down the ranks of popular places to shop over the last decade. With the hiring of a new designer, Lisa Axelson, Ann Taylor has made an amazing turn around. Fun bobbles, bangles and pom-poms, adorned playful dresses. Grays and blacks were paired with vivid shades of purple and neon yellow to add a more modern touch. I actually ended up getting a seat next to the current head of marketing and she walked me through the entire collection as the models passed by - a truly amazing experience.

Voluspa Candles

Great Last Minute Christmas Present

Voluspa.com

Trend Report: Elephants

1. nOir Elephant Ring $175

2. Gemma Elephant Top $130

Shopbop.com

3. Elephant Paper Clips $7

Momastore.org

Dror

For a brief semester during my freshman year I was an interior design major. I loved every aspect of it except for the actual drawing and designing, ironic right? So naturally I picked the next best major, fashion merchandising. Lucky for me, fashion is my true calling and I’m so glad my brief stint as an interior design student didn’t go over so well. Even though that major is in the past, I still get that exciting tingle when I run into amazing architecture, original product design, and creative expression through the use of interior spaces. I was recently researching the felt trend for this upcoming winter and I discovered my new love, Dror. Dror is all about functionality. He takes a concept, breaks it down to its simplest form and then re-creates the object in a new and exciting way. He recently was selected by Target to take on the Back To College line, adding a functional designer look to the typical dorm items. His most recent and amazing piece of work is the Peacock Chair for Cappellini. This chair is made entirely of felt! To check out more about Dror and his thought provoking designs go to his website http://www.studiodror.com/
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José Luis Salon

I recently met with Bill Pitts, partial owner and manager of Jose Luis Salon, to have a tour and complimentary blow out. Can I just take a moment to brag about my job … Love it! It’s going to be so hard for me to go back to school next semester. Anyways, the trip was fantastic! The staff was warm and friendly, not only to me but to ever person that walked through the door. The Salon was designed to have a light, airy, feel with large open window and mirrors that are strategically placed to create extra light and the illusion of more space. One of the things that I found most interesting about the design of the salon is that all the furniture are on wheels so it can easily be moved about and allow the salon to be used as a venue for parties or events. Very smart, boys. The Salon features Kerastase, Shu Uemura and Oribe products. Jose Luis even has its own cosmetics line which was just launch at the beginning of last month. Rumor has it that they secured a very prominent make up manufacturer to produce their products … So, the beauty world better watch out because Jose Luis Cosmetics is taking it by storm. Jose Luis Salon is located in Austin, Texas on West 6th Street. Please stop by when you are in town and tell them I sent you, you won’t be disappointed.

Catherine Nicole & Vintage Chanel

Catherine is one of my favorite jewelry designers from the local Austin area. Her style is very elegant and classic but the best thing about her jewelry is that it is made from vintage Chanel handbag chains! I can finally own my own Chanel for less than $100!!! I currently own a bracelet and necklace and hopefully will be splurging on a pair of earrings for Christmas. The jewelry line is something totally out of the closet of Rachel Zoe and I would not be surprised if in a few years it actually was. To find out more information about Catherine Nicole check out her website http://www.catherinenicole.com/home.html .

NaturallyCurly.com - Where Curls Come To Life

So I might be a little biased since I intern here but it really is one of the best hair websites out there. It was founded by two curly women named Michelle Breyer and Gretchen Heber over ten years ago due to frustration and lack of information regarding curly hair. Since then the website has accumulated almost a cult following of curly-headed fanatics. The website’s main focus is to help you learn to love your hair and give you plenty of advice to keep it healthy and strong. There are tons of articles about celebrity curlies, stylists, products, trends and even fashion and make-up advice (written by yours truly). It truly is a one-stop-shop for all your beauty needs so check out http://www.naturallycurly.com/ and see what all the buzz is about.

21st Century Fashion Predictions

I found this online and thought it was so interesting. The clip below is a fashion forecasting segment from the 1930's predicting what will be trendy in the year 2000. There predictions were anything from what we wear today but still so entertaining to watch!

John Galliano Turns Hair Into Modern Art

Little Bo Peep seemed to have made an appearance at John Galliano’s Spring ready-to-wear show this season. Galliano has always been a show stopper, mesmerizing his audiences with wild fantasy-like creations. There is no fear when it comes to being avant garde — in fact, it seems like he strives for it day to day. The creations that come out of this man’s head are truly a spectacle for the eyes, yet they are still so practical to wear. Galliano enjoys mixing colors and patterns with soft and hard textures. Silk ribbons are paired with coarse wool knits and pastel dresses are combined with bright blue hair teased from root to tip. He even went as far as creating a sort of papier-mâché helmet for one of his models. Although I don’t recommend jumping on to this new hair trend right away, it is certainly a well-thought-out visual display that compliments his ready-to-wear outfits beautifully.

Shu Uemura- Art of Hair

I have always been familiar with Shu Uemura but I had never had the opportunity to actually use any of his products. Well, lucky for me Jose Luis Salon invited me down to experience the “Art of Hair.” I walked into the stunning salon and was immediately greeted with a warm smile from the manager Bill. Bill offered me a glass of wine and led me to my stylist Alisha. Alisha washed and styled my hair with Shu Uemura’s volumizing shampoo and condtioner and curled my hair with a round brush leaving it with the old-Hollywood-style curls. For all you curly girls out there be sure to pick up the new Cotton Uzu Cream which actually has little bits of cotton fibers in it to add extra texture to the hair, it is amazing and had my curls bouncing away for the rest of the day.