Bottoms Up!

Drop-Crotch Pants

As promised, I've taken note of cultural changes in street style from Spain and the U.S. For my first observation out of many, I've noticed women dress much sportier here. Even when they're done up, looking feminine and beautiful, there's something so active about their look. The women in Spain remind me of a human Audi R8: sleek, sophisticated, stunning and sporty.

One trend that I've noticed are the drop-crotched pant. The leg material is fitted and classic, but then WHAM. The crotch is hanging low, low, low. It took me a few days to process this look, but it's definitely grown on me. What do you think?

Same Vs. Changed

I was tossing and turning in my uncomfortable, lofted, temporary bed when I glanced up to see my roommate sliding her finger across the illuminated screen of her smart phone. The light harshly blared onto her face and caused my eyes to burn and squint at the sight. Immediately I buried my head sideways back into my pillow. Technology. Ugh. But then I thought, my bed looks the same as it would 80 years ago. Someone like my great grandfather would FLIP if he saw my roommate playing with a rectangular ball of light, but he'd recognize my sheets. Why is it that some things have advanced so much, yet other things so little. A man from a couple hundred years ago would run away from my SUV thinking it was an alien assassin, but he'd be willing to help me learn how to play the guitar. The progress of some things' advancement is so far ahead of others. Isn't this the same in fashion, PR, dance, music? We've all had to wear clothes, communicate and express ourselves. Interesting how some things are so primal and some are so modern. I wonder what we'll recognize in a couple hundred years.

History Repeated

I once coined backlaces (reverse necklaces) as a new trend. Came across this photo from 1960. I guess Elizabeth Taylor was doin it before anyone!

Lemme Upgrade Ya

I don't think I've ever watched every single group in a vid.
So fun.

#WilldaBeastAdams

Shoesday Tuesday

Now that's how you use $6K worth of beading.
Swoon, Kanye West x Giuseppe Zanotti

Cute & Comfortable Combo of heels and sneaks?

Would you rock these?

These should be the Game of Thrones iconic shoe.

Armour me feet, Givenchy!

An Elegant Romantic Relic

It's no shock that Valentino can make a human look exactly like an antique bird cage. This cape formed of black piping takes me right into an old, dark, Victorian dinner party hosted by Edgar Allen Poe. Pay special attention to the embroidered bird detail on the dress beneath. Dark meets Lovely.

Trend Alert

How do you feel about the new stretch-leather boot? I think this color-blocked look from Laurence Dacade is incredible. Circus chic, no?

Hey it's ME.

I promise I haven't gone anywhere. Studying abroad has been the most magical, colorful, life changing experience I've had in my life thus far, however, I regret neglecting this blog for a bit. I have been so busy focusing on documenting my international experiences, studying and traveling that something had to give. This post is proof that I haven't stopped dreaming, thinking and observing. Except for now, all my thoughts are scribbled in my on-the-go notepad. I decided not to get an international phone (or phone plan) so I can only communicate when hooked up to Wi-Fi. I must say it's been a bit of a blessing as much as it has been a struggle. It might be the only time in my life that I can forget about technology and focus on me and my surroundings. Once I'm back in the States, it's beast mode.

At home, I'm mostly involved in uncomplicated endeavors and complicated thoughts...

But this time, both are equally as intricate. I vow to rekindle the love, re-light the flame and ignite some romance back with my posts. Wait for me!

Another blog? How does she do it?

For my more specific abroad rendezvous...

CLICK ME!

InstaLove

In love with the fully functioning Instagram webpage! Beautifully done.

@mik_ela

Space Age

Check out the Dion Lee reflective knit. Futuristic, or what? Are you diggin' the space-like threads?

Nameless Faces in Wondrous Places

I sit comfortably in my surprisingly roomy train car. I am traveling from Granada to Madrid. The Wi-Fi-less area is boring me to tears and I just can't successfully nap. I start scrolling through old photos I've saved on my iPad. I come across one of my favorite portrait shots of a man sitting runway-side.

I must have saved it a few years ago. I've even blogged about his sock-less style. As I look closer, admiring his pose, I notice a familiar face. There. To the left. It's Joanna Coles. At the time of my internship, she was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire. This once unfamiliar face is now a face I could recognize a mile away. I listened to her whistle her way through the halls for an entire summer.

Isn't it incredible that some people, ranging from mere acquaintances to potential best friends and significant others, could quite possibly not be in our lives yet? Their faces, bodies and souls exist, but not to you. To this I say give everybody a chance and get out in the world. You never know who might turn out to be your next friend. Or in my case (to some extent)... boss.

Hobo Chic

Today, I give you grunge.

Are You Living With Your Eyes Closed?

Such a beautifully appropriate image to stumble upon. Living in Spain is a privilege that I want to experience with the heart, soul, mind and eyes. In that order.

Is that... Kanye West?

I've noticed a certain trend fascination with quirky words, phrases or photos of celebrities placed on vintage items of clothing. I've seen everything from Taylor Swift's silhouette to Kanye West's face (get it? Ha-ha.)  But this photo actually made me laugh out loud to my computer screen. I must say, if you find yourself printed on two gowns that must meet juxtaposed to one another to depict a portrait of your face, you've made it. Bravo, Kanye. Bra-vo.

From Fallas to Runway

Jean Paul Gaultier Spring Couture 2007 looks quite a bit like the statue that will be built outside of my window in Valencia, Spain!

Grecian Swag

as per Christophe Lemaire.

Viva Valencia

I've just arrived in Spain and if one human isn't better dressed than the other...

Why is it here that men are always in slacks, never sweatpants, and each woman's coat is more lovely than the next? I'm not sure what America is doing wrong, but Europeans know how to live and live well. Wine, great food, late nights and fabulous style. I'm excited to photograph what I see.

'Til then! Xx. 

Back to my leather obsession

Michelle Dockery wearing Collection at a Downton Abbey screening hosted by Ralph Lauren and Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter. What a beautifully shaped dress. I also love her subdued makeup and "vampirey" white complexion.

Isn't it though?

The combination of strength and beauty. Well said.

Python & Leather

Men! Easy trend alert. Will probably make you look more important than you already are.

Team Biebs

Next time your flight's delayed, watch this vid for entertainment. Note how Nick has his backpack on in the last scene. Dancers have more fun :-P

And nothing.

Django Unchained

Warning: Trailer is a bit gory.

Quentin Tarantino does it again with his new cinema, Django Unchained. I was watching this trailer in the theatre when I noticed the costumery. From the silk royal blue neck ties to the grey fur coats and white double-breasted suits, it was truly alarming. It's one thing to make a movie look like it's set hundreds of years ago. It's another thing to make the characters look chic. I can't wait to see this film. How refreshing for a director to defend the depiction of slavery and turn it all around.... fashionably.

Best Believe.

"When you have a passion, there is no choice but to follow it, fight for it, make it your life’s work. Because when you love what you do, you live in your destiny."

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre

Looks like a hell of a foot rub.

Va Va VROOM.

I am thankful for leather! The Sartorialist truly knows how to capture a great leather look. Biker chic is most definitely coming back in and I'm a fan.

Influencers Influencing the Influenced.

I've been thinking a lot about what PR means in the fashion field. I've interviewed PR professionals who work a lot with social media. I happen to be great at social media. So, naturally I'll be successful if given the right opportunity, correct? No. How could anyone be so ignorant? As we attempt to define PR in my classes, sometimes the category of social media gets swept under the mat. Instagram, blogs, Twitter, yeah yeah anyone can do that. I can upload a pretty dress in a vintage filter. I can position a pair of shoes to look divine. Is it that easy? Sorry for all the hypothetical questions, but I just don't think anyone can use social media strategically. Social media is one of the many tools in a PR professional's tool kit. Granted having a passion, interest and large following in social media is necessary, but without proper application, you're wasting your time. Social media has become one of the main sources of news for target publics. As a part of an organization's objectives, it falls under a PR's job specifications to disperse those objectives to as many people as possible. That, is where strategically filling a void can cause room for promotion. Whether it's being the first to create a brand-endorsed Spotify, or giving breath to an otherwise boring fashion column, it's about doing something that hasn't been done before. There is so much room for that in social media. Like PR and like fashion, social media is constantly evolving and coming up with new platforms. It's our job to think of something before someone else does. There's no better way to disperse that information to millions of followers.

My Superman.

Have you ever seen five separate entities move as one? Special note how they use the suspenders as part of the choreography. Absolute perfection. Maybe my favorite dance video to date.

Are you happy, interesting, or dare I say... both?

I was mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram feed when I stopped upon a square snapshot of a newspaper article uploaded by the Man Repeller. I believe it's a clip from Vanity Fair, but I don't want to read the article without thinking about it first. Its main point is: "The interesting adults are always the school failures, the weird ones, the losers, the malcontents. This isn't wishful thinking. It's the rule."And the Man Repeller's caption to the photo is: "But does interesting equal happy?" Does it? In my opinion, it absolutely does not. Referring back to Watcha Thinking About?, I note how the most talented, interesting people were the most bonkers. They were also, most definitely, not the happiest. They were tortured, bizarre and completely consumed. The work they produced and the people they became were extraordinary and admired by all, but they themselves didn't even recognize that. They were just executing life as who they were.

The author notes that there is no solace in peaking too soon. I have been saying this for years. Heck, my 18-year-old sister has been preaching this for years. We cannot help when we hit our elusive "prime," but we can notice which parts of our lives are filled with the most depth and importance. For some, it truly is being captain of the cheerleading team in 10th grade. And for some, it's being in the best sorority as a college freshman. And for others, it's getting a fabulous job right out of college.

Happiness is an art, not many seem to master it. But who is to say who is happy and who is not? The never-was-es-now might truly be happy with their beer bellies and trucker hats. They might not be too successful, worldly or interesting, but they could be happy. Interesting does not equal happy and vice versa. I say we let each category stand alone. If you're lucky to cross over into both of those traits, let's set up a coffee date.

Enjoy this great read.

(My apologies for starting so many sentences with a preposition. Just felt right. Damn you reporting.)

A little early, but nonetheless, keep it in mind.

Meeting People We Already Know

After seeing someone you haven't seen in a while, it's normal to feel like you're meeting someone you already know. Whether it's his or her longer hair, trendier clothes or deeper voice, there's something so primal about revisiting a familiar friend. However, it's important to tread lightly. Do the same things make them tick? Laugh? Debate? It's interesting how we evolve and change. Things used to make me upset that don't anymore. Things used to amuse me that no longer interest me. This is how we should aim to meet new people we've never met before. The familiar, warm intonation is comforting, but the light questioning is inquisitive and makes you seem interested. I'm going to watch carefully how old friends, new friends and mere acquaintances interact. You can learn a lot by observation.

I like to call this...

...business on the right, party on the left.

Ci-a-ra

I absolutely love how the clothes, sound and dance take me right back to the 90s. The beautiful and talented Ciara just gets better and better with age.

Sir Alexander McQueen

What do you all think of the RTW Spring 2013 design?