Another day, another post about Art Basel on this blog! Moving along... Andre 3000 presented a super rad exhibition in Wynwood called I Feel Ya, presented in collaboration with SCAD, which is an architect school. Together they set out to explore street art, fashion and film through installations combining all those mediums. The vibe was very socially satirical, making the works extremely interesting without feeling pretentious. It's incredible to get a chance to see inside the minds of some of these artists and the way their imagination and brains work. Their interpretation of everyday things was anything but dull.
In one of the rooms, an army of duplicated mannequins were lined up in rows wearing jumpsuits that each read an ironic statement about the world we live in. My favorites, seen below, were: "Obviously Oblivious", "Children of the Cornbread", "Art of Fart" and "Thinking Deeply About Shallow Shit". The space was really cool and the exhibit was fascinating. I love when art makes you think but doesn't seem elitist, which is one of the main reasons for why I enjoy Art Basel so much.
The second part of this post showcases pieces by a German artist duo named Herakut. They actually had an entire solo exhibit put on in a giant warehouse in the middle of Wynwood. Their pieces were incredibly powerful, their imagination absolutely insane, making their work some of the most interesting and peculiar art I've ever seen. Their influences range from extremely savage to bordering on existentialism, with graphics so haunting it would be impossible to not be somewhat shaken, or intrigued by them, at the very least.
You'll also notice another very powerful piece among the ones presented here with the face of a woman and the caption "Stop Telling Women to Smile". This poster was plastered on the streets everywhere and I initially loved it because the words really resonated with me. Ever since I can remember, there were always random men yelling at me in the street to tell me to smile. I had to take a picture of it. When I later googled it I found out it was a whole moevement against street harassment started by artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. Learn more about it by clicking here. I love social movements like this that empower women and I always have so much admiration for people who actually feel passionate enough about a topic to take a stand.
The rest of the photos are of us hanging out and having fun in the south Florida sunshine. I miss it so much as I type this from the cold, snowy Northern land. If you can't get enough of all this art don't forget to check out my previous posts about Basel by clicking here!
Just a quick hello to wish everyone a merry Christmas! Hope you're all having an amazing time with family, eating a ton of delicious food and receiving (as well as giving) loads of presents. Sending lots of love to all of you from my family to yours. xx
Hard to believe that Christmas has come and gone and that in a mere few days, we'll be in 2015. I swear, sometime I forget which year we are because I just can't keep up with how fast the time goes by. I hope all of you are having wonderful holidays. This week's mood board is obviously inspired by them, seeing as we're smack dab in the middle of the most wonderful time of the year. Actually the photos that spoke to me this week were all about end of year celebrations and cozy cocooning.
Now tell me, what are some of your new year's eve plans??
It felt fitting to have an evening post about Art Basel with the eve of the new year poking at us. Moving along, nothing much to say about these photos other than that it was the perfect outfit to romp around the streets of Wynwood in to be comfortable and feel cool and fresh all at once.
I picked up this leather pony hair top from Ksubi in the spring and while I don't wear it that much (there aren't that many occasions that call for it), it can be oh-so-perfect at times. Especially when it's a tad cool yet still warm, aka the exact definition of winter Miami nights.
The girl on the right side of the shots is my bff Lisa, who resides in Miami and who is always such a gracious host, as well as an awesome partner in crime for all the things that go down during Basel. You might also remember her from my MIMO Market post? Anyway, she's amazing and it's in large part thanks to her that I always have such a great time in Miami.
Outfit details: Top - Ksubi Jeans - Zara Sneakers - Superga Leather jacket - ASOS
As I understand it, it can be frowned upon to fall for the January resolutions hoopla, but I'm here to say this: I personally am a slave to it. Allow me to state my point and then feel free to judge.
I absolutely love the symbolic opportunity that January brings us annually. While you could technically make resolutions every day if you wanted to, there's something about the first day of the year that feels like a true reset button. While I believe in being your best self every single day, I'm only human and fully concede that I sometimes often slip and omit living to the fullest. Getting caught up in distractions is only part of living and while giving your all should be enough, it's inevitable that sometimes we're not at our best.
That metaphoric way to "pass go" on the first of the year is a way to say out with the old and in with the new. It's a chance to reflect on what the past twelve months have brought and to dream about what the following twelve could generate. There's no greater joy provider than that of novel ideas and aspirations.
And there you go, that is why it is my personal belief that the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to give birth to new dreams. So In order to fully do that, I decided to take a few days off from blogging this week while I focused on other things, including ringing in the new year and nursing a hangover.
Speaking of new year's eve, here are some shots of my look and snippets of my evening - blue steel nails and tons of delicious food. Let me know how you welcomed 2015 down below! Happy new year everyone xx.
If you thought I was done with the Art Basel posts, think again. There's just no way that I could possibly skip over what was one of the greatest art exhibits I've ever had the privilege to peruse, the Scope art show. You see, during Art Basel, there are pop-up galleries literally in every nook and cranny of the city. Some of them have an entrance fee, others are just great spaces to showcase pieces by more obscure artists who want whomever is interested to stumble in and take a glance.
The latter is super fun because no matter where you find yourself in the city, you can pretty much wander in anywhere and discover some great stuff. When it comes to the former, if you are attending Art Basel as an appreciator of the arts as opposed to a buyer, choosing which paying tents to go into is a task that shouldn't be taken lightly.
When you're headed to a museum, you've select that particual one because there is something that interests you in it, right? Same goes in this case. Art Basel's show spaces are occupied by different types of artists and galleries from all over the world and they tend to be grouped by genre, which means that deciding on where you're going to spend your hard earned coin becomes super important. (Especially since you're not spending it on the actual art.)
With that in mind, my friends and I decided it was imperative for us to check out the Scope art show because of its abundance in young artists and contemporary street art and installations. It was a giant exhibition space that took hours to go through. We couldn't get enough. Every piece was more amazing than the next. We pretty much spent our entire Saturday afternoon taking things in at Scope and below you can see some of the day's favorite pieces. Just roll over the photos for the Artist info. Enjoy!
And if you're hungry for more art but have missed my previous Art Basel blogs, click here to see it all.
It's hard not to fall for the appeal of year-round sunshine when you're blessed with this type of weather all the time. Every day of my trip was the most beautiful day. It may have rained a few times, but nothing lasting longer than ten minutes. Le sigh.
As I mentioned in my previous post, we spent our Saturday in South Beach at Scope, which happened to be conveniently located directly on the water. After a delicious lunch of açai bowls (it's the Miami way), we made our way over and had to document the route, of course.
In conclusion, I could never get sick of this weather. Especially if I got to wear denim cutoffs and free-flowing silk tops every day.
Outfit details: Silk top - COS Shorts - Levi's by Refind Denim Sandals - Loeffler Randall Clutch - Zara Sunglasses - Ray-Ban
Welcome to the first Friday Inspo post of 2015! I apologize for missing last week's, but I decided to take an impromptu first week of the year break in order to start things off right, as I explained a few days ago. Another thing I mentioned in previous posts is how much I love taking the opportunity to start fresh in January. Have you got an resolutions this year? Enjoy your weekend everyone xx.
[Elin Kling, Zara, J.Crew, Who What Wear, Uterqüe, Style.com, TFS, Pinterest]
If there's one thing that I could never get enough of while I was in Miami was that almost every day, we started off with a delicious açai bowl. The açai bowl has been something that I'd heard of forever, being a staple in the #eatclean circles of this world, as well as major Insta fodder for all the food trenders out there. But I had never tried it. I don't typically frequent the type of places that would make them in NYC, however, they appear to be a more common offering in the city where to heat is on.
Well, I finally got a chance to try one. It did not disappoint. In fact, the açai bowls were so delicious that my girl Lisa was on a mission to take me to all of her favorite haunts that made a mean dish out of the miracle frozen berry. It made for the perfect start to each day, truly. Naturally, on my last full day in Miami, we took one final ride to Wynwood, made a pitstop at Jugofresh (absolutely head there if you make it to Miami), and then it was off to the BEACH!!
But before I share the photos from our fun beach day, here's what I wore to attend our beach day (bikini as underpinnings). Easy on, easy off, still city appropriate, and that paisley shirt made for the ideal cover-up on the sand.
Details: Blouse - Ann Taylor Skirt - Gap (diy cutoff) Sandals - H&M Sunglasses - Raen Clutch - Zara
What's a trip to Miami without a beach day?! Nothing, that's what. It's become a little tradition to end the week with some well-deserved, much needed time on the sand, soaking up the sun and frolicking in the waves (sort of). So we gathered a group together and headed for the beautiful shore of Miami Beach. Such a treat.
I didn't actually achieve my goal of getting any color on my skin, as I'm kind of a hopeless case, but we did have loads of fun doing all sorts of things. Besides laying out and not really moving for a couple of hours, we managed to get a pretty spectacular synchronized jump with some significant air, as you can see below.
My friends, who are all really into yoga -- not exactly my bag -- kept doing all kinds of crazy poses and freezes with one another while I was busy imbibing the rays. They suddenly beckoned for me to join them... They had a move that we could all do together, apparently. I promptly assured them that I had no business doing any kind of partner posing or stretching, as I would probably throw out my back or sustain some other kind of ridiculously embarrassing injury. They insisted, I obliged, and in the end surprised myself, as there I was, the last addition to the "handstand pyramid" as they aptly named it. See below for living proof.
So there you have it, this concludes the sunny Miami posts and, we can now go back to more seasonally-apporopriate programming. I hope you loved reading about Art Basel as much as enjoyed attending it and preparing this series of posts.
Another week bites the dust. A cold week, at that. The temps have been pretty nasty in most of the country, unless you're in Florida or Cali those lucky dogs. Nevertheless, the week was good and now it's time for the weekend, which is what we all live for, right? Hope you guys enjoy it xx
There are certain items that are considered to be timeless classics in the fashion world. Blue jeans, crisp white shirts, black pumps, the LBD and, yes, the trench coat. While the latter khaki-hued piece of outerwear is indeed a great staple to have in your closet -- every woman should own one, given that it's a flattering silhouette on you -- that's not to say you can't also have fun with it.
I was super excited about this leather-sleeved iteration. I love little seasonal updates to keep things fresh. Additions like this provide your style with instant modernization without straying far from its core, tried and true sartorial identity. And golden hour on a crisp-but-not-frigid NYC evening awarded this type of gear the perfect setting.
A fun handkerchief tied around thy neck and I was all set.
I haven't had a chance to blog much this week cause I've been traveling for work (find out where here), but I thought I'd share just a few detail shots of things that I'm feeling these days. Obvi, follow me on instagram if you want to keep up more regularly with my shenanigans and other daily sensibilities... But for now, let's get to it. Here are three things that I've either been wasting time thinking too much about or that I've been entrenched with as of late.
I'm lucky to live just a few blocks from Catbird (I know, I know), which actually makes it really difficult not to blow my entire bank account in the store every single day. But aside from their vast selection of super pretty jewels, they also carry the cutest little trinkets you didn't even know you needed until you go there and decide that you can no longer live another day without that particular lip salve (wait, what? Yes.).
Catbird is also one of my go-tos for cards. Any sort of card, really: thank you, welcome baby, I love you, congrats on your wedding, sorry not sorry, happy birthday, you name it. When the card actually serves no precise purpose but has an irresistible illustration on its cover, I still buy it and I keep it for myself. I like to frame them and hang them up on the wall. Improvised wall art, if you will. Anyway, all this nonsense just to say that when I popped in there the other day to pick up a birthday card for my dad when this Garance Doré print was screaming at me to be taken home. Naturally, I obliged.
The letter plate is from the magical land of John Derian and it was a wedding present. I adore it and have been debating forever now if whether I want to keep is on its back or find some sort of fixture to hang it on the wall. Still pondering the issue... Inside the plate is another H letter, this one being another gift from my dear friend Stephanie, which is a charm for a necklace. As for the jade elephant chain, that's one of my dearest pieces of jewelry, a gift from my grandmother.
I've really been into high-waisted denim as of late. I've always been a fan of the high rise style and have forever appreciated it on others, but I just wasn't particularly fond of wearing it because I didn't think it was flattering for my body shape: square (aka thick waist). But it appears that I've had a change of heart and can't get enough of these Nasty Gal jeans. Along with this camo tee that I picked up in Miami this past December, the softest top I own, no joke. I wear it every day. And the Vans in the back, of course
And finally, my hair. You see, I have this weird thing about my hair where I cut it only once or maybe twice a year. Which is why I keep it relatively short: my strategy for a good grow-out scenario, which leads to avoiding the scissors for a while. It's also no secret that I like my hair to be a big ol' mess, but it's naturally very (read: extremely) pin straight and it takes a lot of plotting for it to reach the texture I consider to be ideal. Well, this is it, friends: pretty much my ideal length, ideal color and ideal style.
If there's one thing I have a soft spot for when it comes to fashion and style is having fun with interesting and unexpected proportions. Untraditional ways of putting together different shapes can take your look to the next level without having to put any extra effort into it. The way you pair your garments can alter your silhouette as a whole, and can be an very clever strategy to stand out in a good way.
We've seen it in recent years with the rise of the oversized, and more specifically with items like culottes and boxy construction, embodied by style icons like the Olsens, which they trickle down brilliantly into their luxe line The Row. The wonderful Camille from COTR also has a stellar touch when it comes to balancing clothing ratio. Another expert at this is Jayne from Stop it Right Now (side note: major #girlcrush). There are a ton of other example I could cite, but this gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.
To strike that perfect equilibrium while piling on the layers, the goal is to evoke something offsetting, but to channel a polished, nonchalant essence. It's about mixing unexpected pieces, fits and cuts that look surprisingly completely cool together. Think hemlines, heel and ankle heights on shoes, the absence of tailoring, overindexing on tailoring, exaggerated forms, etc.
I attribute my penchant for proportion play to my disdain for the ordinary. I hate seeing things over and over again, repeated by legions because of something's it factor. I like to veer from the norm and find interest in things that are much more surprising. That goes for everything, but it particularly applies to style.
Ok, so now that we've all survived the super mega epic blizzard of the northeast, we can all go back to just going through the motions of winter. I have a few feelings about the cold season: I hate it. No, actually, I loathe it. I can't stand being cold, the very thought of shivering makes me uncomfortable and having to pile on thousands of uncute layers is enough to make me want to hibernate until the sun rays melt all the snow away.
That said, winter is a part of life, and has been for the entire lifetime I've spent on this earth (I'll spare you the specific amount of years) and it's inevitably -- and forcefully -- something that I've just learned to deal with as time went on. Hailing from the Great White North, you have to make do because winter is the longest and most painful season of all.
In New York City, winter is on the frigid side, but, all in all, pretty tolerable in comparison to my motherland. You can get away with wearing normal footwear, as opposed to big galoshes like I am in these photos. You can rotate your outerwear, ranging from moto bomber to fur coat to the occasional parka. The cold fronts never last too long and, more importantly, the snowflakes that fall from the sky once in a while never stay on the ground for very long.
These photos were from the holidays in Canada. But they very well could have been taken anywhere in the northeast post-Juno. And this is how I survive winters.
Details: Parka - Woolrich Jeans - Zara Boots - Sorel Sunglasses - Ray-Ban Scarf - H&M
February is right around the bend and I suppose I've got love on my mind, as you'll be able to tell once you glance over at the mood board below. But let's focus here: this weekend is the big game (football, I think it is?), not that I care about the actual sport, but I'm all about the free-flowing nibbles and tipples. And the advertisement, of course. What are your plans for the weekend? Wishing you all a good one xx
When coming across a new beauty line that I've become very fond of, it would be a travesty not to share it with you guys. Kjaer Weis (pronounced keer weiss, I know, not the most intuitive name to say), makes some stellar cosmetics, which I've been using and loving for a few weeks.
You know I don't like to look too painted on, right? I like my face to look bare without it actually being bare. Natural without actual being natural, capish? This is the kind of face goo that I want to slather my face in: subtle colors, long lasting and, more importantly, it's certified organic.
The highlighter is my favorite (shop it below). It leaves your complexion looking super dewy with a perfect glow. The blush, which I have in the shade Embrace, is perfect for both the cheeks and the lips. Anyway, I love this line and I urge you to try it too.
It's a known fact that art and fashion are two mediums that often meet. They're almost like bffs: they're both ultra creative fields, are all about aesthetics, glorify insanely crazy personalities and harbor lots of geniuses. I'm a big fan of art, but to a certain extent. I'm an appreciator, but I often feel like sometimes it can go come across as pretentious and annoying. But I love beautiful things and I certainly have a great deal of admiration for the individuals who shaped movements by being the voices of generations past.
My favorite museum in all of NYC is the MoMA. I've been countless times (seriously, I've lost count) and my wonder never ceases. It houses a lot of the type of art that I enjoy, like the impressionism, abstract expressionism, surrealism and pop art. Their permanent collection, which houses a few works from some of my favorite artists like Van Gogh, Dali, Pollock, Warhol and Monet... But they also have pieces from a bunch of other artists that are current, relevant, and incredibly captivating.
But the kicker is that they always have amazing temporary exhibitions. The kind that make you glad you live in New York to be able to take it in while they're there. The most recent one, which is still going on right now, is on Henri Matisse's cut-outs exhibit, which the hubs and I took in a couple of weeks ago. I always knew Matisse as a painter and never knew that cut-out art was a huge part of his career and actually became his primary medium in his later years. Incredibly inspiring, and somewhat puzzling. You should go see it.
While we were there, we took the opportunity to scour our favorite floors of the museum and made a super fun date night out of it. Oh, and did I mention that Friday night admission is free from 4 to 8PM?
The day is here: Friday. Or should I say Fri-yay? We all live for the weekend, whatever that may mean for you, whether your weekend happens to be in the middle of the week or if it's the traditional Saturday/Sunday. I remember when I was in university, my favorite day of the week was Monday, because it was akin to my Saturday at the time. I worked all weekend long so those days meant nothing to me --I lived for Mondays. Times have most certainly changed, but my enthusiasm for a day off has not, especially when working so hard the rest of the time. And on that note, I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful break and hopefully this mood board leaves you feeling inspired.
It's no secret that I am not a fan of cold weather -- I've expressed my disdain for winter in many past posts. But today, in a positive twist, I am here to toot its horn a little bit. Not the blizzarding, snowglobing, slushsludging kind of weather, but the more, usually clement winters we are lucky to have in New York.
I'm about to tell you about how NYC winters aren't so bad, even though the streets have been covered in snow for the past two weeks, but I assure you, that is not the norm. Not what I am used to anyway. This is my fifth New York winter, and only the second one that has had snow. You know, the kind that actually stays on the ground and piles up. And while we've been experiencing a particularly cold spell recently, the temperatures are usually tolerable and nothing that a little strategic layering can't remedy to.
With that said, New York also offers the privilege (yes, it is entirely a privilege) of being able to wear normal shoes as opposed to oversized galoshes (read: outfit-ruiners). Which means that winterizing your style doesn't take much and isn't that annoying to do. Basically, you just need to get really good at layering. Take what I'm wearing: I've piled things on in a way that looks casual and practical, as well as cool -- I've got on a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, a denim jacket, a leather vest and an oversized scarf. That's a lot of stuff on one half of my body.
And to top things off, what could be better than my own personal, customized, super dope FOR lid? I've got them in a bunch of different colors, so if you want to get yours, click here.
%2BThe%2BWord%2B%22definition%22%2B1966%2Bby%2BJoseph%2BKosuth%2Bat%2Bthe%2BMOMA%2C%2BNYC.jpg "Titled (Art as Idea as Idea) The Word \"definition\" 1966 by Joseph Kosuth at the MOMA, NYC")
