In Spades

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Would I Still Wear That?

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Would I Still Wear That post, so today – in honor of NYFW starting next week – we’ll be taking a trip down NYFW memory lane.

I picked 3 looks from early on in my NYFW adventure.  These aren’t necessarily my favorites, but they all have fun backstories.

First up…

The Balenciaga Cocktail Dress

Balenciaga black dress

This dress epitomizes my #1 Rule – develop relationships with sales associates.

This dress was originally pegged for a top customer.  She had a ton of things on hold and this was one of the things she decided against.  So it sat in a stockroom and was kind of forgotten about.  By the time someone realized it, it was past season and needed to go.

Hence, the tipoff from my favorite sales associate that scored me a Balenciaga cocktail dress on massive sale.  I love that it’s a little bit Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a little bit badass.

The Indie Designer

Tiko Paksa

This look brings up another good lesson – styling prowess evolves.

I would style this blazer differently today.  This was still early on in my NYFW adventure and while I put thought into my looks back then, my strategy certainly evolved.  I used to think if I had a top, bottom, shoes and a bag I was good to go.  I still think that, but with a bit more panache now.

I ended up styling it differently two years later at NYFW.  Which look do you prefer?

Tiko Paksa blazer & Marni tassel belt

This was the first time I wore Georgian designer Tiko Paksa.  She would go on to become one of my fave indie designers.  I wore her pieces at two other fashion weeks.

NYFW SS19 OOTD 4 Tiko PaksaTiko Paksa at NYFW S/S19

Tiko Paksa Resort 20Tiko Paksa at NYFW S/S20

The Arm Warmers

NYFW FW18 OOTD Day 2

This is probably my favorite of the three backstories.

I was 7 months pregnant for this fashion week, so my top priorities were staying warm and being comfortable.  This was during Raf Simons’ tenure at Calvin Klein and when I saw him send arm warmers down the runway, I about died.  The 1980s are my favorite decade so these HAD to come home with me.

When I came out of the dressing room, I showed the sales associate the floor-length green coat I planned to wear with them.  I was concerned it was a bad color combo and asked him if he thought I would look like a Green Bay Packer.  He replied:

“Honey, what is a Green Bay Packer?”

Of course.  What was I thinking?  Always remember your audience.

LikeToKnowIt would go on to feature this photo on their Instagram account.  The comments it garnered were HILARIOUS.  Clearly, I am in an arm warmer part-of-one.

Happily still wearing all three looks.  Cheers.

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NYFW FW20 Day 4 OOTD

Bottega Veneta storm boots Bottega Veneta storm boots Bottega Veneta storm boots

Low Classic trench (similar) // Tiko Paksa vest // Frankie Shop top // Isabel Marant pants
Gucci sunglasses // Banana Republic belt (similar) // Boyy bag // Bottega Veneta boots

Sorry friends, I meant to get this post out on Friday but our whole family has been under the weather.  Ugh, it’s going around.  Stay well!

This would have been my last look for NYFW FW20.  Day 4 is usually always our lightest day (just one show) so I tend to go more casual (and definitely comfortable).  In an effort to stick with my goal of sustainability, I repeated the boots and handbag you saw earlier in the week.

I also brought this trench coat and this vest out of archive.  Both are from indie designers.  The trench coat designer has been gaining traction and is now sold at two of my fave stores (W Concept and Net-a-Porter).  The vest is part of a set and is designed by a Georgian designer I’ve written about many times before – Tiko Paksa.  I adore her clothing and think she is an amazing talent.

There are so many great designers coming out of the Tbilisi area.  Check out MATÉRIEL, another Georgian brand, designed by two designers who also have their own eponymous labels.  So much talent coming out of Georgia!

Back to the rest of this look.  The overall vibe is kind of fashion safari.  I love that it’s comfortable, includes so many textures and layers, and has a literal meaning as well.  If NYFW isn’t a hunt for exotic breeds, I don’t know what is.

Stay tuned for my last NYFW FW20 show recap!

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NYFW SS20 OOTD 3

Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20 Tiko Paksa Resort 20Tiko Paksa dress and belt // Balenciaga boots // Celine sunglasses  // J. Crew earrings (similar here)
Madewell, Lady Cromer and vintage rings // Bottega Veneta pouch (affordable version here)

This dress was made to move.

And move I did.  NYFW Day 3 was my lightest day but still action-packed.

If you’ve followed along on my NYFW adventures in years past, you know there is an indie designer that I love and wear consistently.  Tiko Paksa hails from the country of Georgia and continues to steal my heart with her designs season after season.  Take a look at some of my past outfits from her line.  This purple plaid blazer started the oversized trend and this suit ensemble took it to the next level.

There is a ton of talent hailing from Paksa’s region of the world.  Moda Operandi was one of the first to carry her contemporaries. MATÉRIELis another line that I love.  I wore the brand at NYFW while pregnant and still felt so chic and comfortable.

You’ve seen these boots before.  I wear them year-round and haven’t tired of them.  The kitten heel is the perfect height not only for fashion week, but for my life in general.  I rarely wear more than a 2-inch heel nowadays!

And oh this bag.  Forewarning, you’ll be seeing a ton of it on the blog.  It’s just too good.  I found a great alternative under $60 and recently came across this option on Etsy.  Disclosure: the Etsy one looks waaaay too similar to me, and while I’m all for affordable fashion, I’m NOT for copyright infringement.  What do you think about this bag?

ICYMI: here’s my NFYW Day 1 outfit and my Day 2 outfit.

Stay tuned for my NFYW SS20 Day 3 show recap!

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NYFW FW19 Day 2, Part 2

Tiko Paksa blazer & Marni tassel belt Tiko Paksa blazer & Marni tassel belt Tiko Paksa blazer & Marni tassel belt Tiko Paksa blazer & Marni tassel beltTibi faux fur coat (similar here) // Tiko Paksa blazer (similar here)
Tibi track top // Marni belt (similar here) // Jean Atelier jeans
Zara boots (similar here) // Celine sunglasses

Towards the second half of Day 2, the weather took a turn for the worse.  My open front balloon sleeve coat was rad, but couldn’t handle the cold so I changed into a second look.

You may remember this plaid Tiko Paksa blazer from a past fashion week.  I’ve been loving purple for winter, and it went perfectly with my Tibi faux fur bomber and track top.  To add proportion, I knew a nipped waistline was in order.  This massive Marni belt is super editorial with its floor skimming tassels and made me feel like a glam WWE wrestling champ.  I’d call that a win.

While some women are experts at the multi-outfit approach to NYFW, it’s not my preference.  For one, I like the challenge of finding outfits that are chic, functional and can be worn all day.  Second, I’m a collector.  While a lot of bloggers borrow clothes from showrooms or designers during NYFW, I buy all my looks.  My garments are like treasures – I care for them, admire them and hoard them.  I couldn’t bear to give them back, hah!

NonieNonie FW19 Nonie FW19Nonie FW19Nonie FW19 Nonie FW19

Nonie backstage images courtesy of Bumble & Bumble

I first saw Canadian brand Nonie’s runway in September 2018.  A favorite of Megan Markle, the brand delivers clean tailoring, lush basics and a sprinkle of accent pieces – think a leopard print trench coat – in for good measure.  In other words, if you’re interested in the benefits of a capsule wardrobe, Nonie is the brand for you.

The neutral color palette Nonie presented for FW19 felt rich and warm.  Expert draping seen in cardigan sweaters, wide leg trousers and wrap tops provided an easiness to the overall refinement.  When the Nonie woman wants to amp up her look, she struts about in crimson dresses, floral print jumpsuits and accents of ruffles and lace.  Every single piece was extremely wearable.  Every single piece looked extremely comfortable.  There’s not a woman around who couldn’t put countless looks together with the elevated staples Nonie sent down the runway.

From a winter collection for every woman to a swimwear collection for every woman I went!

Chromat

Chromat FW19Chromat FW19 Chromat FW19

Chromat images © IMAXtree.com

If you’ve read my NYFW recaps before, you know Chromat is probably the most inclusive brand to show at fashion week.  They create avant-garde swimwear and bodywear for every age and body.  The goal?  Make the wearer feel positively fabulous.

Witnessing a Chromat runway is proof that the brand makes women feel like a million dollars.  I’ve always maintained that this show is less a runway and more a party.  The audience is super involved, cheering, clapping and dancing as the models strut their stuff.  Personality is majorly encouraged and when the models get to the end of the runway, they SERVE it.

Inspired by Miami, neon colors and tropical accents dominated the collection.  I loved the one-shoulder long sleeved tops paired with sporty bottoms.  What I loved even more, was Chromat’s commitment to sustainability.  Like Collina Strada from earlier in the week, Chromat focused on fashion that is kind to our planet.  Using regenerated nylon recovered from fishing nets found in the world’s oceans, the team constructed the fall 2019 collection.

Inclusivity vs. Exclusivity

Once back in my hotel room, I reflected on the notion of inclusivity in the fashion world.  By nature, fashion is very exclusive.  It’s actually the lifeblood of the industry, perpetuating the notion that only a select few can have access to the best of the best.

A lot of bloggers tell me they are too scared to attend NYFW because they don’t know anyone and thus don’t think they’d fit in.  I’ve been lucky to find the opposite.

NYFW is like summer camp.  You see the same people year after year, and although your contact is minimal save for this one crazy week, you pick up where you left off.  You bond over your common passion.  You understand each other.  You speak the same language.

Never in my life have I found a group of people – outside of my dear family and friends –  that “get” me as much as my NYFW peers.  There is no explanation.  I don’t have to qualify anything.  I’m just understood.

As NYFW evolves (more to come on this topic) this notion of inclusiveness is what motivates me.

Speaking of inclusivity, on Friday night I was supposed to meet up with a group of blogger friends for drinks.  Contemplating whether or not I wanted to get out of my pj’s and brave the bitter cold, I called my friend Tiffany who was also at NYFW.

“What do you think?  Should we go out?”

What ensued was a fabulous 45min phone date.  Sometimes staying in and gabbing fashion is more fun.

Stay tuned for my final recap of NYFW FW19 tomorrow!

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OOTD photos by Andrea Ceraso Photography

NYFW SS19 Day 4

NYFW SS19 OOTD 4 Tiko PaksaNYFW SS19 OOTD 4 Tiko Paksa NYFW SS19 OOTD 4 Tiko PaksaTiko Paksa vest and skirt // Amelie Pichard boots // Boyy handbag // Thatch and Giles & Brother bracelets

Down came the rain.

As if signaling the start of spring, the extreme heat from Day 1 transitioned to rain on our last day of NYFW.

Every February, I always tell my husband I’d rather have snow than rain.  It’s so difficult to shoot photos or really walk anywhere when it’s raining, but on we pressed!

Last September I wore an amazing oversized plaid blazer by Georgian designer Tiko Paksa (who picked up on plaid and purple as THE color of the year before both became trends).

Oversized silhouettes are my game, and this belted puffer vest and matching wrap skirt struck the perfect balance between editorial and wearable.  NYFW outfit gold.

Nonie

Nonie SS19 Nonie SS19 Nonie SS19

With the unrelenting rain, it was nice to only have one show on our last day.  You may have heard of Canadian brand Nonie via Megan Markle.  The Duchess of Sussex stepped out in a Nonie trench dress this summer and the brand has continued to garner well-deserved press ever since.

Timeless, clean silhouettes in the finest silk were the theme for spring 2019.  The show opened to all white separates (the chiffon trench paired with silk trousers matched Markle’s look), transitioned to inked hues and closed with crimson and fuchsia.  The ruched side slit skirts resembled my outfit from Day 2 so you know I’m a fan.

In a week that can feature over-the-top designs, it’s nice to end with a clean slate of relaxed, expertly tailored staples.

I’ve said many times before that one of my fave things about NYFW is making friends.  It truly feels like a posh summer camp every season.

While waiting for the show to start, I met model Madeline Stuart and her mother.  Madeline was the first person with Down syndrome to walk in Asia at Mercedes Benz fashion week China, and has gone on to walk in Paris, London, Russia and Dubai.  I actually saw Madeline walk her first show at NYFW almost 5 years ago and have been a fan ever since.  Forbes named her the number one game changer in fashion and she has appeared in Vogue, Marie Claire, Paper, Cosmopolitan and the New York Times.  After meeting her, it was so much fun to follow along on the rest of her NYFW journey via Instagram.

With our last show complete, it was time to celebrate.

My mom and I took a rainy walk through Central Park and stopped at Tavern on the Green for tea and wine.  With the crisp air and tons of foliage around us, it truly felt like fall.

I don’t know if our daughter will join us for another NYFW (February is so cold!), but being able to experience it with her, my mom and husband – three of the most important people in my life – while doing something that is of infinite importance to me was pretty much the best thing ever.

And just like that, we marked another NYFW in the books.

Photos by Matthew Passiglia

ICYMI: my recaps of NYFW SS19 Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3