In Spades

Style... in abundance

That’s Bananas

Bluth1 Bluth4 Bluth5 Bluth2 Bluth6 I love a good graphic tee.  Not only are they nostalgic, but they serve as great conversation starters. Over the years my husband and I have collected quite the vault, and the top three that never fail to attract attention are Missing Missy, the Piggly Wiggly and this Bluth Banana Stand number.

The styling potential of the graphic tee is vast.  I like to wear mine under a frayed Canadian tuxedo as seen above, or with a polished Theory suit + heels.  The point is that a graphic tee has personality unlike other articles of clothing – rather than going the obvious route and displaying it front and center, I like to pair it underneath something unexpected so the joke is a little more subtle.  Make em’ think, ya know?

Vintage and repurposed Levi’s jacket // Ripple Junction Arrested Development tee // 
AE destroyed boyfriend shorts // Zara heels // Banana Republic ring

A Nu Evolution

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Thanks to my mom, I’ve always been good about taking care of my skin. You will never catch me going to bed with makeup on or forgetting my daily sunscreen. But in the quest for healthy skin, good habits are only half the solution. The other, more difficult half comprises of what we actually put on our skin. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become increasingly aware of the contents in my makeup and beauty products so I was more than pleased when a chance meeting introduced me to Nadine Cormier and Sandra Anderson-Diaz.

Nadine and Sandra are the founders of Nu Evolution Cosmetics, a beauty line consisting of the purest, natural and organic ingredients in the market. Through them I learned that more than 60% of what we put on our skin is directly absorbed into the bloodstream. Even scarier, the personal care industry is mostly unregulated allowing companies to put just about whatever they want into their products, including Parabens (found in 99% of breast cancer tissue), Propylene Glycol (antifreeze) and lead.

Influenced by high fashion, style and pop culture and deeply committed to living green, healthy lifestyles, Nadine and Sandra created a product line free of toxicity that delivers pigments on par with makeup artistry brands. Their products look good on you, and are good for you.

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I’ve found two recurring themes in the organic makeup lines I’ve tried: they either don’t work (not long lasting, don’t provide coverage) or they’re not super pigmented, which results in multiple applications and burning through more product just to achieve my desired color.

I tried Nu Evolution’s lipstick in Femme Fatale and have finally found the answer to my perfect lipstick quest.

First, it smells wonderful. Rather than a chemical or medicinal smell like most lipsticks, this one has a light, fresh vanilla scent. I seriously can’t stop smelling it. Second, it’s super moisturizing thanks to the Shea and cocoa butter, jojoba and coconut oil and vitamin E. It’s creamy consistency glides on easily and stays put for hours of continuous wear. The best part? When it finally does fade, it fades evenly. You’re not left looking like all you put on was lip liner. And thanks to its hydrating nature, it doesn’t leave your lips feeling dry and chapped like many long wear lipsticks.

The pigment. The photos should speak for themselves, but I have finally found an organic makeup line with pigments that rival Nars and Mac. Their lipsticks pack some serious color and Femme Fatale is a red that will look good on any skin tone.

I’m so happy to have finally found a natural, good-for-me cosmetic line that works.


Nu Evolution lipstick in Femme Fatale // Altuzarra for Target lace mask // 
Roland Mouret for Banana Republic dress // Pianegonda ring

Back to Basics

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Sometimes I just need to hit the reset button. Especially during this in between time when the seasons are changing and nothing I thrown on seems quite right. There is nothing better to cleanse the sartorial palette than a basic black ensemble. It does my thinking for me. It packs a powerful statement without saying too much. It’s polished and pulled together.

Alexander Wang has long been one of my favorite designers for not-so-basic basics. Each piece he creates pulls a look together but still manages to stand out in it’s own special way. His creations are like a perfect little unusual dot on an “i”. Necessary yet unconventional.

Reset. Set.

Club Monaco kimono dress // Alexander Wang Rocco satchel and Clara sandals // Eddie Borgo pave cone bracelet // Giles & Brother railroad spike bracelet

NYFW Street Style

I first became interested in street style thanks to Bill Cunningham and Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist. During New York Fashion Week street style walks a fine line between genius and completely off the rails. It was one of my favorite aspects of walking up to Lincoln Center each day. The complete frenzy of photo snapping, interviews and wondering what everyone else was wearing is chaotic but also kind of magical.

I saw several trends in action – the oversized vest, destroyed denim and both men and women working the single statement earring. There were the photos of people taking photos of the people taking their photos, which reminded me of the early 90’s when I used to do that to my friends with a pink wind-up camera. But there were also moments of quiet reflection, like the artist drawing sketches of looks he saw come down the runway. One thing is for sure, if you ever want to be sucked into a crazy, anything goes fashion vacuum, NYFW street style is the place to be.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia    SS16SS1 SS2 Ss5 SS6 SS8 SS9 SS12 SS10 SS21 SS17 SS13 SS15 SS22 SS14 SS24 SS18 SS19 SS25

Top 10 New York Fashion Week Takeaways

10thingsNew York Fashion Week came to a close last week, and while fashion month rages on in London, Milan and then Paris, I’m still reflecting on the amazing experience I had in NY.

Here are my top 10 takeaways from what I learned, observed and participated in during NYFW.
1) Style is karmic. 
When you have a large group of people confined to a small space, all sporting their finery, communal bonding will inevitably occur.  To an art connoisseur it’s like being in a room full of people with Picasso’s draped from their arms, Dali’s strapped to their chests and da Vinci’s sitting atop their heads.  I can’t tell you how many friends I made and connections I formed simply by admiring someone’s outfit.  I also firmly believe it’s the reason I was asked to fill in a front row seat from my standing room only position.
2) NYFW is a lot like Vegas.
You will barely eat, sleep or remember to hydrate, and when you do it will likely be a glass of wine at 1am.  A 10am wake-up call will seem impossible and you’ll spend your day constantly trying to keep up with your schedule, but instead of pool, show, dinner, club, it will be Lincoln Center, Designer’s Loft, Chelsea and back to Lincoln Center.  In heels.
3) Location is key.
If you are coming to NYFW from out of town, try to stay as close to Lincoln Center as possible.  As noted above, you’ll be running around like crazy, many times during weekday rush hour.  It’s nice to have a home base close by for a change of clothes, a quick nap or just to recharge.  Plus, for the shows that aren’t at Lincoln Center, Chelsea is a quick zip away.
4) The nuts and bolts of getting in to NYFW.
I was surprised by the number of people who thought you had to purchase really expensive tickets to get into NYFW shows.  Show tickets are free, but they are difficult to obtain.  To get tickets, you have to contact each individual designer via their PR firm and request an invite.  It’s extremely important to provide a compelling reason for why you deserve a spot at each show in your request.  Another option is to apply for press credentials.  This doesn’t guarantee tickets to any shows (although as press you’ll likely be invited to a few) but it does provide a list of the correct people to contact for which to request invites.
5) Arrive early to shows.
If you have a standing room only “seat”, you will have to line up outside the venue and wait for those with seats to get situated before your section is allowed inside.  To ensure a great standing room spot, arrive early.  The line fills up fast.  Or, if you have a designated seat, arriving early provides for some excellent street style watching and photo ops.
6) Pre-show etiquette.
If you are in the standing room only line waiting for the doors to open, don’t cut the line.  And don’t snake your way little by little to the front of the line.  We know what you’re doing.  It’s not cool at Starbucks, it’s not cool at Disneyland and it’s not cool here.  And when the doors open, don’t run.  This is a professional event – keep it that way.
7) Runway show photo etiquette.
No, it is not okay to use an ipad to take runway photos, even if it’s an ipad mini.  Nor it is okay to reach around the person sitting in front of you, so much so that your armpit is resting on top of their shoulder, just to snap a photo.  Saw it, lived it, hated it.  Also, unless you’re in the press bay, keep your photo snapping to a minimum.  I get that everyone is excited, but you don’t need 30 blurry runway photos of one outfit for Instagram.  In today’s world we often forget to do one extremely important thing – live it.  Live it through your own eyes, not the lense of your phone.
8) The perception of fashion bloggers at NYFW.
Do fashion bloggers belong at NYFW or not?  There are two schools of thought on this, which can be eloquently summarized here and here.  My take?  I worked really hard to give an honest, compelling reason for why I should be allowed to take up precious real estate at a show.  It was the choice of the designers and their PR teams to say yes.  And since they said yes, I showed up, documented, shared, and reviewed as quickly and professionally as possible.  I LOVE this.  It’s in my blood.  I am a direct consumer of their end product.  As a direct consumer, I ensure their end goal is realized – a sale is made and the outcome is shared across a larger platform.
9) Pack a survival kit.
At all times you are going to want the following things on you: extra cell phone battery/charging station, hand sanitizer, Band-Aid’s, lip balm, wet wipes, business cards, granola bars, gum and a pen.  Bag lady!
10) People are truly friendly.
It’s a small world.  We saw the same guy every single day we were in NY, not just at shows, but during meals and other outings.  Like Comic-Con or any other convention, it’s a week of like minded individuals crammed together in the same place.  People want to help.  They want to connect.  Listen, learn and reciprocate the good will.  I made some great friends.