I Want To Be Famous!

    Most children dream of being famous at one time or another, right?  I was like that, you were like that, Cinderella was like that - well maybe not Cinderella, but you get my drift.  As we "mature", we also see the down side of fame: the paparazzi, tabloids, gossip blogs and E! News, but hey, a kid can still dream.  They may not all become famous, but they are certainly more style savvy, fashion forward and label conscious than kids were back in the day!  It's scary... and amusing at the same time.

     I was staying with my younger cousins for the week in what I used to call their shoe box apartment, but now I call it the Village Mansion because I have a new found appreciation for a 3 bedroom NYC apartment (hard to come by and even harder to afford).  As I was getting ready for work and they were getting ready for school all squished in the bathroom the youngest one was watching me apply mascara to my long lucious eyelashes (ok, so my sister has the long lucious eyelashes, whatever).  She procceds to say, "I need to learn how to do that because today I am going to be famous."  Surprised, I said, "Oh, really, and how do you plan on doing that?"  With serious written all over her face she said, "Annie, you are going to be my photographer and post pictures of my outfits on your blog."  Flattered that she thought my fashion blog was meaty enough publicity to make her famous, I told her to strike a pose.

     Don't think it stopped there.  She waltzed over to me with a pen, a pad of floral Papyrus paper and generously offered me her autograph and granted an interview if I was interested.  They really do grow up so fast and they're so full of it, aren't they?  She reminded me of a younger, harder to understand version of myself.  So, I graciously accepted her autograph and commenced with the interview.  I found that she gets her style inspiration from H&M and Gap Kids because they are always colorful, she will love all of her fans, she likes Juicy Couture and even if she's late for school she will stop and give autographs.

     As Andy Warhol said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."  With her penchant for leadership (bossing people around) and pure determination I can see her becoming the President of the United States or the CEO of some outlandishly successful company and therefore her fame will last far, far longer.  But, for now, here she is! When you recognize that mug someday, somewhere, remember you saw her here first!

Fame and fortune!

Ciao,

Annie

Break Down Of A Fashion Show!

     A fashion show can be anywhere from 10 - 30 minutes of actual "model strutting" time and even longer in some rare Karl Lagerfeld cases.  Designers and their crews slave for months to meet the Fashion Week deadlines all for a show that lasts minutes.  Although it seems a bit barbaric when you really get down to the nuts and bolts, it's tradition and kind of the law, (well...fashion law) and you know what happens when you break the law!  Nothing good can come of it.
     So what exactly is the focus of a fashion show?  The clothing, right?  But, if one look is flashed before our eyes for a mere 30 seconds, how in the hell are we supposed to process the look, be able to clear our buzzing mind and have a clean slate for the next look?  Unless you have supernatural sensory power, (which is totally possible for us fashion lovers, it's the power of the clothing!) then you have to break it down into  manageable pieces and then thank Steven J. Sasson (the inventor of the digital camera).
     When I assess a fashion show I start at the bottom, with the feet.  Funny, I know! I am a shoe lover therefore, missing the shoes would be akin to missing the first act of a great Broadway production. To ensure that doesn't happen I glance at the model's feet, drink in the shoes, and then go straight to the head.  Scanning the head, neck and shoulder area for any dazzling or perhaps fabulously subtle accessories, I look very carefully and then move on to the outfit. If it's a dress, it allows a little more time to really analyze the whole look and if it's a top and bottom I get a quick peek and then like a flash it's gone.  Instantly I want to yell, "wait, stop, come back" but they have already turned the corner and are off.  Speaking of back, you simply must allot time out of your 30 second assessment for the back of the garment! There are always forgotten details that float at the back of these outfits so, make sure you don't let them pass by you.
     There you have it, my way of making sure that I see as much as I can during a fashion show. Everyone has their own methodical approach to it, just make sure you don't skip a beat because there is so much to see and so little time!

Photographs thanks to Vogue.com!

How can you drink it all in?

Ciao,

Annie

The Power Of A Manicure & Kicking Bad Habbits!

     We are all culprits of a bad habit or three.  Maybe you constantly play with your hair or chew with your mouth open. Perhaps you occasionally belch aloud in public, smoke cigarettes like a chimney, or bite your nails.  There are some habits that just seem impossible to kick.  Since my youth, I'm afraid I would fall into the category of colossal nail biter.  I admit, initially I was a voracious thumb sucker, but some time around age 6 (yes, I sucked my thumb at age 6 - so what) I discovered an enormous satisfaction in biting my nails... to the quick.
     People around me hated it.  If I was watching TV with my family they were constantly subjected to the, "chomp,chomp,chomp'" (attractive, huh?), and like clockwork came the, "stop biting your nails!"   After a while, I started to notice it was out of boredom that I would resort to gnawing my nails.  But thankfully one day, several years back, (ok so it was only 2 weeks ago!) I discovered a cure for nail biting.  This cure has been out there for ages, but only after a consecutive month of weekly manicures have I officially realized that nail polish has saved my life - or at least my nails!
     It's not that I'm new to the world of mani's, I've enjoyed getting them for years - almost as much as I've enjoyed chewing them off!  So what gives you ask?  Why stop now?  You wouldn't be asking that question if you'd seen the Essie Spring 2013 palette.  They're far too gorgeous to chew on, and off.  And perhaps I'm just growing up a bit because I'm obsessed with a perfect, non- nibbled, manicure.  It's that simple.  I have kicked the habit!  No rehab - cold turkey!  At least until I see the Essie summer collection!
Giving you habit breakers a perfectly polished thumbs up!

Annie 1 : Nail Biting 0

Ciao,

Annie

When Jealousy Took Over!

     As I was groggily walking back to my apartment after a day of sorting out size 7X muumuus I received a text message from my Aunt.  It reads, "Can you please get L and D from your uncle's office on your way back from work and bring them to the apartment, M and I are heading to a fashion show, tell you more later!"  I take a glance at the message and to avert walking into a tree I didn't fully finish reading it, I just decided to call to make things easier and less dangerous, for all.  She clarifies that she no longer needs me to fetch the kids and that, "the thing didn't last as long as I thought."  So, I frantically hung up because I was going under ground, where the rats party and the service sucks!    Gasping for air once I hit Christopher Street, I decided to reread my messages just to avoid that awkward eye contact with the women that stand outside of the lotion store and asks me everyday, "Can I ask you something?"  NO, you cannot ask me something!
     As I near the end of the message I see fashion show.  Wait, WTF, fashion show, they are going to a fashion show and I am on Washington?  That's so wrong in so many ways.  Not the kind of wrong when you're heading into the dressing room and grab a size 2, but you meant to grab a 4.  It's the kind of wrong when you buy the 2, get home and try it on, only to realize that you can't zip it up and that it was a $300 final sale.  It was that kind of wrong.  So, needless to say, I called her.  She gleefully answers, "Annie, i'll explain as soon as we get to the apartment."  Well, those 5 minutes felt like 5 hours.
     So, they walk in the door with a goodie bag that consists of Karen Walker's new look book along with a shleeda pair of $345 dollar glasses.  We sat.  They proceeded to tell me that a friend of a friend got them tickets and from there on all I heard was blablabla because my jealousy took over.  Fast forward to right now as I'm laying on my bed writing this post.  I noticed that they never mentioned seeing any bloggers or fashion icons.  I yelled to the other room, "Did you b****'s see anyone worth crying over?"  The answer was no and that made me feel a little better.  Until this.  I pulled up a picture of Leandra Medine, The Man Repeller.  I said, "Not even Leandra?"  After all, last week she posted a whole page on the lovely Karen Walker, she must have been present for her show.  M comes a bit closer to the screen and then lets out this earth shattering scream, "Yesssssss, she was front row, had a stunning red skirt on with a red lip and bangs!"  My thoughts - should I hit her right here and right now? - but then I realized she was 10-years-old, so I refrained.
     Now you can see that not only new fashions and trends come out during fashion week, but the claws do as well.  I know that there is no crying during fashion week, but hell, I was tearing up when I realized my 10-year-old cousin went to a Karen Walker fashion show and saw Leandra Medine AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT!

Leandra Medine

Karen Walker Shades

Blogger envy!

Ciao, 

Annie

Walk. Jog. Run. Sprint.

     I think all of us fashionistas can admit that we are always (and I use that term lightly) trending, in style, keeping up with the Jones (or Kardashian's), so to speak.  Having said all that, it is only natural for us to be "trending" while working out, right?  Women spend all this time contemplating their appearance for their various different roles they play in life.  Such as working, socializing, exercising and some even when their little fashion minds are dreaming.  Some are a little too concerned about their appearance and for all the wrong reasons, but I am not addressing those women right now.  I'm crediting those whose minds solely generate their appearances on the love of fashion itself.  

     Now, back to the part where I discussed exercising.  Exercise, that eight letter word that most people dread to participate in and that others spring from the sheets and start their day off with.  As I got to thinking about my blog for the day, I was pondering about athletic fashion.  I know there is a huge market out there for those few people (although, the urge for exercise is growing) who love to workout and look fashionable.  There is no reason to be held back from being trendy even when you have sweat dripping down your face (but, women don't sweat, they glisten).  My point of the day is that you can be fashionable when and where ever you please.  There is yet to be a law on clothing and until that day arrives, embrace it!

All of these articles of athletic clothing come from Lululemon Athletica, one of my favorite athletic wear companies.  

Work out for me!

Ciao, 

Annie

The Top Trends of 2012!

     Happy New Year to everyone!  Now that we have officially entered 2013 we can put the ghosts of 2012 behind us and welcome the change and upcoming success.  A lot has happened in our little world this past year, especially when it comes to fashion.  Let's reminisce about our favorite and most popular trends of 2012.
     Pastels blew off the chart this past year.  They no longer stayed in their traditional Easter month, they traveled all the way into the cold and windy days of winter.  I am sure this will be something that will continue onto 2013.

      Gold was another 2012 trend that we all embraced at one point.  Many of us may have even ended 2012 with a gold bang! I know I was decked in gold glitter from head to toe and loved every minute of it.

     Statement pants!  This might have been my favorite trend of 2012.  Statement pants took off like wildfire.  Designers embraced them, street fashion embraced them and well, so did everyone who is anyone.  Simple on the top and eccentric on the bottom, doesn't get much better than that.

     As for the punks of 2012, well, we all kind of became a bit edgier, didn't we?  Spikes, studs and skulls entered in 2012 and became trendy quickly.  I feel like that look is dying down a little now but you always need those articles of clothing in your closet that add a little edge to your life.

     Why wear half a print when you can wear the whole thing from head-to-toe?  These top to bottom printed outfits stopped being strange and became chic in the year 2012.  So, thank you 2012 fashion changes.  Embrace it while you can because sooner or later we will be onto something new.

     And there you have it, some of the best trends during one of the most memorable fashion years.  I wish you all the best in the year 2013.

Happy New Year!

Ciao, 

Annie

Sparkle For The New Year!

     Let's welcome 2013, the new year, with some sparkle and bling.  In our society everyone knows that New Year's Eve is the day, well night, of extreme partying and fashion strutting.  You get all glammed up to go out to some fabulous party with all your friends and family to watch the ball drop and welcome the new year.  Sounds odd, but any excuse to go to some high society, "show off your stuff" parties.  But, us women and even some men, start mapping out these outfits way ahead of time to make sure that everyone knows we are ready to take on each year with better style than the next.  Let's take a look at some glitzy and glammy outfits that can inspire us for our upcoming festivities.

Spice up the new year!

Ciao, 

Annie