Bon Chic Bon Genre

A month ago, I flew out to LA to meet with BCBG and BCBGeneration and I was lucky enough to be there while BCBG Max Azria was kicking off it's 25th anniversary celebration. BCBG curated a full exhibit which was referred to as the Retrospective. The Retrospective looked back at each year the brand has been in existence from the first formal dress to what you just saw come down the runway this past New York Fashion Week. This exhibit was incredible and took up multiple rooms. The first picture below is a room which displayed 2 outfits per each BCBG collection since the launch of the brand. It was amazing to see the evolution of BCBG and having 50 outfits from 25 years in one room was extremely impactful. The next room was a mock red carpet set up with BCBG Atelier looks that celebrities have worn to different award shows. My favorite dress that was featured was the Pink dress that Maria Menounos wore to the Golden Globes this year. The next room was dedicated to Herve Leger - which was obviously my favorite room. The best part about the Retrospective for me, was that I got a private tour with the curator who also happens to be the Creative Director for licensing at BCBG. He was able to give me the insider scoop and little behind the scene details. For instance, Lubov Azria wanted to include a particular white Herve Leger dress in the Retrospective  and so she contributed one from her very own closet! (see picture below).


I could go on and on with more details about walking the Retrospective but overall, it gave me the smallest glimpse into how much money, time, risk, and effort it takes to build a brand with lasting power.

 

 

Grunge Plaid

I like trying outfits that are a little out of my norm and typical aesthetic. I traded in my traditional bodycon style for a more relaxed and laid back look. The best part of this outfit is that there are tons of layers to help combat this in-between weather and all of them are super affordable! I found these Joe's Jeans on mega-sale on Piperlime for $46 from $218 and even though these tattered boyfriend jeans aren't typically my style, I decided the price was totally worth a try.

There is actually a funny story behind the jeans - I wore them in Santa Monica with my sister and believe it or not managed to tear them in one of the only areas that wasn't already torn - which also happened to be in a spot that made them no longer wearable - of course. I was about to throw them out and then I discovered Denim Therapy in NYC - one of the city's hidden fashion gems. They take worn, torn, and holey denim and repair them. I dropped this pair off and 3 weeks picked them up to be as good as new! Check them out :)

Other Outfit Details: Shoes BCBGeneration, Hat BCBGeneration Fall 14 Preview, Grey Shirt WINKNYC, Plaid Shirt Urban Outfitters, Clutch Fendi, Bracelet Urban Outfitters

 

 

 

Black and Grey and Spikes All Over

I love buying clothes that most people would pass over and finding a way to pull together an outfit that then those same people say "oh my god, I love that! Where did you get it?" I feel like it's a challenge, especially since it's outside of the box and could easily be a #fail.

I found this manly-quilted-lumberjack vest with a leather collar at Nordstrom on double sale for $30. This is a perfect example of the above since it had to be marked down twice. I'll admit, I wouldn't have bought it for much more, but I decided that I could give it a shot for the price. I paired it with a basic GAP grey T, BCBGeneration Legging to Leather Pants, Boutique9 Pumps (similar), and Juicy Couture spike necklace. What do you guys think? Is it pulled together? Or still not happening for you?

Here's to the New Year

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays and had some quality family time. Starting with my first post in 2014, I will be showing off my favorite Christmas gift.... a new CAMERA. This means no more ghetto/pixilated iPhone pictures! I kicked off 2014 with the perfect New Years Day: a movie in bed, a blog shoot, dinner with my Gay Boyfriend and ended the day with a gym sesh.

This outfit below is an outfit that I wore out to LA on January 2nd for ten hours of BCBG meetings. It might look put together but this outfit experienced a lot: the beginning of a NYC snow storm, lost luggage in LAX, broken rental car, and endless hours in the airport due to the storm. It's amazing how a great outfit can help mask the stress and drama that we experience on a daily basis and put our best heel first.

Outfit Details: Dress Clover Canyon on sale from Saks, Boots Pour La Victoire on sale here at 6pm.com , Leather Jacket BCBGeneration found it here on sale at Amazon, Bag Rebecca Minkoff smaller version here at Zappos

 

 

 

Mad Hatter

While I was home over Thanksgiving I decided to embrace the true Fall Foliage color palette and try out this Rust Colored Wool Panama from Free People. Although I sell hats as part of my job and I love them, I hesitate and chicken out wearing them ALL THE TIME! Given that this is the most hypocritical thing, I have decided that I am going to start wearing them more. For the rest of the outfit, I had to rep my BCBGeneration "Girly Girl" Cold Weather Loop in Rosewood. The knit is super cozy and I own it in two colors. My jeans are AG which is my go-to brand for denim. I never buy them at regular retail thanks to flashsale sites but I do think they are totally worth the retail price. My leather jacket is BB Dakota. I think Forest Green is my favorite color of the season (for the moment). The best accessory of this whole outfit however, has to be my sister's puppy Milo :)

Sister Sister

I could probably stretch my LA trip out into about 5 posts but I figured I would recap you with the cliff notes version... or at least try

As I mentioned in my last post, the purpose of my trip was to attend BCBG and BCBGeneration Brand Summit meetings to discuss 2014 planning and also reiterate the different brand DNA's. Thursday we flew out and quickly went to Pour Vous - this awesome bar in downtown LA which turned out to be the perfect venue for the Generation Summit. Joyce Azria, creative director of BCBGeneration, chose the location because she wanted us to be in a setting where she thought the #GenGirl (her target customer) would hang out on a typical night in LA. This really beat the routine Thursday "work vibe." Joyce's energy and passion for the brand is truly uplifting and it was a great way to kick off the trip.

 Here is a preview of the Sp 14 line for Generation

Friday we woke up and went to the BCBG Corporate office to attend the BCBG Max Azria Summit. With 2014 being the 25th anniversary of the brand, it was amazing to hear more of the history and get a better understanding of it's incredible growth over time.

 

Here is a Preview of some BCBG looks for Spring 2014

After the summit, I went back to meet my sister and we decided to cross something off our bucket list and hike Runyon Canyon. The weather was amazing and although it was a lot steeper than we expected, the views and sister-time made it totally worth it. Tip for future hikers: Don't try to hike after Bloody Mary's.

 

Following the hike we did some retailing. One of the fun parts of my job is getting into as many stores as possible to shop the competition and offer my clients the best feedback, advice, and opportunities to improve their business.

 It was amazing getting into a Generation store and seeing the all of the product we work on merchandised in the store. This Cold Weather Gifting table looks flawless!

Had a BCBG Moment!

Friday night we went to dinner at Riva Bella on Sunset Blvd. The food was amazing!
Saturday we woke up and continued retailing and then headed to Santa Monica to go to the Pier. I looked homeless but Natalie looked absolutely adorable! 

 

Her panama hat is Collection18 - the company I work for :) , sweater is BCBG, bag is Rebecca Minkoff, Jeans are BLANK, sandals are Dolce Vita, and her necklace is from South Moon Under
 

 So much for the cliff notes version :) At least I managed it in one post.

Denim Bib Tuxedo Top

I've been MIA and a little off the map because I've been traveling so much and this past week I went to Vegas to attend the MAGIC Tradeshow with the BCBGeneration team. As per Creative Director Joyce Azria's request, we were supposed to wear Denim, White, and Black - preferably leather. She gifted all of us that attended this adorable Denim Bib Tuxedo Top from the BCBGeneration line. Here's how I styled it  and topped it off with my custom GLAM affirmation bracelet that I made at the show. Check out their site for this top in other patterns as well.

Details: Top BCBGeneration - Shorts BB Dakota - Shoes Zara (similar)-
Clutch Rebecca Minkoff Similar

 

 

 

 

Summertime Romp

Although I do love rompers, they really can be hit or miss with whether they are flattering or not and if they aren't, they tend to make women look like overgrown babies. There are definitely different cut rompers that are best for specific body types. This BCBGeneration romper is a perfect summer lovin' outfit being that it's a fresh floral print. Dress it down with a denim vest and flat sandals or make it a little fancier with a pair of wedges, it works for multiple occasions :)

Details: Romper: BCBGeneration. Wedges: Steve Madden. Necklace: Rebecca Minkoff. Cuff Bracelet: C Wonder. Bag: R + J

 

 

School's Out

I know I sound like a broken record talking about Sportswear being big but it's true! You'll really start to see a bunch of it emerge in the next month during the delivery time dubbed "Back To School."
That time growing up where you started freaking out because you didn't do any of your summer reading or book reports but your mom could get you sortaaaa excited for school by bribing you with new Back To School Clothes? Or was this just me? Here's an outfit that makes me laugh because this looks like somewhere in between a modified Girls' School Uniform and a Soccer Team Jersey Dress. I got it on sale at ASOS and decided to continue on with the sportswear theme by wearing my wedge sneakers with it. The big steal here though, is my R+J crossbody pastel yellow bag- which fits my laptop (amazing carry on for travel) that I bagged for $29 at TJMaxx (full retail price here). I have never bought anything from there but I guess if you're in the treasure hunt mood, you really can score some great things! This is my version of the backpack for BTS which I am seeing everywhere! Holographics, metallics, leather, kaleidoscope prints - they are really stepping up the backpack from the original Jansport that I used to have. Here are some of my favorites that I've spotted online:

 Clockwise from Top Left: BCBGeneration Floral, Marc by Marc Jacobs Yellow

 Nasty Gal Metallic, and MCM Red Leather