The Skinny Promo Model Bitch Diet

I'm a skinny bitch. Bitchy, when need be, but skinny, always. How's that now, you ask? Does a hard partying, model/promoter lifestyle not shine as a beacon for health and athleticism? Oh, but it does. Allow me to introduce you to the Skinny Promo Model Bitch Diet...no sneakers or Lululemon pants required.

- Drink copious amounts of vodka.

For a little Asian, I can down my vodka with the best of them. Nurture has taken over nature in this case and my promo-breeding has made it so that three times a week from the hours of 11p.m. to last man standing, vodka renders itself to water in my body. Okay, water that gets me wasted, but not nearly as much as it should. They key here is vodka and nothing but. It's all about shots. Cranberry juice is for high school girls and pansies. The only acceptable mix is sugar-free diet Redbull or a lime. I like my girly cocktails at dinners but they tend to be full of sugar and other crap. Like my Russian girlfriends wisely advise, it's all about the WODKA.

- Those extra 4.5 inches.

I'm talking about heels, of course. Waltzing around three or four (or five or six..) times a week for hours on end in sky-high heels gives your legs quite the workout. I practically live in heels and have to run all around clubs in them providing me with an arched-angle workout that you can't get at the gym. This supposed kitten heeled comeback in fashion this season can kiss my toned ass. The magic number is 4.5...inches that is! Tall enough to look amazing and work those calves but not high enough to borderline on hooker-esque. (Defend Loubs all you want girls, but those shiny, patent leather, platform 6-inchers belong on escorts and escorts only.) Guiseppe, Nicholas, Rupert and Alexander care not just about your fashion but your health too...obviously. Now strap on a pair and get moving.

- Shake it like a Polaroid picture.

Shake it, and shake it often. Dancing at a club usually entails bobbing around from side to side while having screaming conversations with your booth mates over the bass line. Heck, on most of my nights the dance floor isn't so much a dance floor as it is a single's mixer. I make a point of dancing my face off at least once a week. When the dance floor won't suffice, there's always in the booth or better yet on the tables. Fist pumping, booty shaking, legs rocking, and whatever else you can do, do it. It's fun. It's calorie burning. And it sure beats talking to all the duds who are trying to pick you up should you remain sedentary. Oh Andre 3000, you are so wise.

- Cooked food is for suckers.

 My favorite meal is steak tartare. I could eat that for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sushi is a close second. What can I say -- I like my animals raw. Fortunately, there are enough trendy sushi restaurants in this city to dine at so I don't have to resort to health/fresh/raw eateries to maintain my raw cravings and can still be social. Dinner at Blowfish before a night out? No problem. Drinks and bites at Ja Bistro on a Saturday? Sure thing. Keeping it (mostly) raw when dining out allows for a meal that doesn't necessarily have to be belt line busting. Also, as some one who has to (seriously, has to) have dessert at, oh, almost every meal, I rather save my calories for all things sweet. Baked isn't the same as cooked, right?! Whatever, cake is so worth it.

- Sleep it off.

When you like to party, you some times get home at 4a.m. When you like to party and it's your job, some times you come home after sunrise. What does this mean for your sleep schedule? Mostly that a good portion of it occurs during the day. On the weekends anyway. And what does this mean for staying a skinny minny? Well, simply put, if you're sleeping, you can't be eating. And when you sleep your way through most normal hours of meals, it means you're eating even less. There are quite a few days a week where dinner is the only meal I have. (And some times late night junk after a night out, but I mean....McDonald's after a particularly intense night is practically a right of passage in your twenties.) Healthy, it ain't, but when I'm hungover in bed, there is not a power on Earth that will make me functional enough to prepare a meal. Until the delivery service industry evolves to fit my promoter needs (ugh, hello, how hard is bedside delivery really), daytime starvation once or twice a week it is.

- Balancing cigarettes & tofu. 

As Gwyneth Paltrow stated in her recent Harper's Bazar interview, "it's all about finding that balance between cigarettes and tofu." (Some call her insufferable, I call her perfection.) I work three nights a week and go out on my own at least one other night. But, the rest of the time, I am pretty darn healthy. Veggies galore and lean fishes and meat. Does it make up for the irreversible damage I'm likely causing my liver and otherwise the rest of the time? Probably not. But I like my cigarettes just as much, if not a little more, than my tofu. Youth is fucking precious and I plan on procuring one that I can regale endless stories from when I'm older.

And there you have it...the Skinny Promo Model Bitch Diet. Ingest with your skinny tongue firmly placed in your skinny cheek. I'll see all you 4.5 inched, straight vodka guzzling skinny bitches on the dance floor. x

 

OMFG - Spring Cleaning.

After an almost alarmingly mild winter (global warming much?), the first truly warm days of Spring have hit my dear city of Toronto. And, as with every year, that means a bit of spring cleaning for me. Mainly my closets which tend to overflow with accumulated goods over the year, and sadly the years past. After removing three garbage bags worth of clothing from my double closets, two things were apparent to me: 1) I need to stop buying ugly leopard print shirts and dresses in an attempt to satisfy my hunt for the perfect animal print outfit (feminine, chiffon and preferably Cavalli) and 2) my closets are so much better when following Thoreau's famous words: simplify, simplify.


Well, what's good for my closet is good for life. Clutter, tangible and otherwise is just not conducive to anything. Granted, your twenties is a time of trial and error -- as in figuring out your likes and dislikes when it comes to style, people and overall lifestyle. Fashionably speaking, I've recently come to the conclusion that I just don't care for, or particularly like anything super trendy and would rather invest in a few classic pieces from say, Holts, rather than twenty trendy items from H&M. (I also just can't wrap my head around wearing anything I find remotely silly. This encompasses the entire hipster trend at the moment of crop tops, floral high pants, etc. Maybe I'm just not cool enough.) With the style mantra of feminine, elegant and timeless in mind, I easily rid of all the frivolous and girly pieces I'd long outgrown.

While tossing some ugly jeans is easy enough (I had a light pair that were bedazzled. I kid you not.), it's the non-tangible clutter in our lives that's a little harder to rid of. Deciding what even counts as unnecessary in your life can be a challenge; I know I still have trouble differentiating between what's glamorous and fun and what's detrimental to me. With so many ups and downs being inevitable, keeping one rule in mind seems to be the trick: does this make me happy long term? That last word is key. Instant gratification is easy as pie...it's long term gratification that defines maturity.

Negative influences such as (for me anyway) overly dramatic "friends", selfishness and perhaps the most detrimental of them all, cheesecake, at the end of the day aren't paths to my long term happiness. And, for the most part I've been able to kick them to the curb (except for cheesecake. But I'm working on it...kind of.) These past few warm days have coincided with some wake-up calls in my life lately and what better time of year than nature's rebirth to make some improvements! Nothing crazy -- although my fitness kick made my dad ask me in all seriousness "Are you kidding?" when I said I was going for a run -- but rather a newly conscious way of making decisions. Simply being aware of what impacts us and what doesn't makes a world of a difference. For me this means not letting silly things affect me for the worse, a renewed focus on my writing and loved ones, and my health. A total Spring cleaning I need not: just tweaking and fine-tuning. Bring on the warmer weather.

x

OMFG - Make Me Up

There are some girls who are naturally great with make-up. You know the ones I'm talking about; they can mix palettes, know the differences between mouse foundations and powder ones and where that fine line is between a glamorously well-made face and an all-out tranny look. My older sister was one of these girls, and when we were teens, I used to beg her to apply my make-up for any special events I had to go to. I, on the other hand, have never known what to do with a millions of make-up products I've purchased throughout the years. On a day to day basis I use foundation and eye liner and that's about it. It's not that I wouldn't wear more during the day time, it's that I honestly don't know how to without coming across as someone who face-planted onto a still-wet painting....or Christina Aguilera.

My lack of beauty knowledge miffs many, as they assume that as a model, I should also have a working skill of make-up application. Wrong. Models are simply the blank canvases that extremely talented make-up artists do their work upon. It's how I go from a relatively low-key twenty-something to a sexy lingerie vamp, delicate geisha, or whatever else the theme of the shoot happens to be. I've come to have a great appreciate for these artists as it really takes skill and creativity to be able to work with faces of all different races and walks of beauty. (I've also come to realize that some are better than at Asian faces than others....Asian models don't always have to look like geishas, FYI. And geishas are Japanese not across the board Asian...anyways, I digress.)

I've attempted to amp up my beauty skills lately, just for the fun of it and was introduced to a great line of videos by two make-up artists I've worked with several times! So, for any of you girls out there who are as clueless as yours truly when it comes to make-up, brush up on your skills!

Christine Cho and I worked an event over a year ago and bonded over mutual Asian gripes about the industry, going out, and more. We've been great friends since then and I can safely say that when I get married, Christine will be doing my make-up! She's well-established and even appears on the Steven and Chris Show as their beauty expert! Check out her line of videos on everything from natural beauty (my personal make-up philosophy) and a helpful video on everyday five-minute make-up!

Another make-up artists I've worked with many times is Amanda Blair. With her rocker-style and tons of experience despite being young (Seriously. I'm more than a few years older than her..) the shoots we've done have always been edgy and fun! Amanda has her own line of videos which dole out great tips on glamorous styles for going out.

Enjoy glamouristas!
x

OMFG - Eat What You Love...A Haut Appetit Connection

As Toronto Fashion Week takes over the city, models once again are in the spotlight, ready to be scrutinized by the media, fashionistas and the general public. Whoever said modeling was an easy job has never done it -- only those with thick skin should apply. Thick skin, however, is the only part of a model that is allowed to be thick as rail-thin is still the ideal body-type. I don't care how many fashion organizations vow to use models with body types of a certain BMI, or cast "curvier" models every once in a while: fashion has always featured extremely thin women. Everything else is simply for good publicity or sympathetic smiles from the fashion elite. We're all dying to be thin, thin and thinner.

Well, not all of us! I've been lucky enough to be naturally quite thin (while still being able to eat as much as I please for the most part) and find that the girls I become close friends with in the industry share my view on food: eat what you love, just don't stuff your face. I've never been one for extreme dieting, unhealthy means of staying skinny (read: laxatives and other unpleasant forceful removal..), juice cleanses or anything else along those lines. It's all too impractical for me. Life is for living, and that, in my opinion, includes ordering dessert when out for dinner with your boyfriend, making grilled cheese when you feel like vegging out and doing nothing at home, or sampling all the various gourmet hor dourves when at a party. Anyone who has the willpower to censor themselves every minute of the day with food is probably not the happiest...after all, a starving model is never a happy model. Give me the happy glow of a well-fed woman over the grayish tinge of an emaciated waif any day.

My closest friend from modeling, Elizabeth Minett, (or Minny as I call her) shares a similar philosophy when it comes to chowing down: mainly that we both turn into miserable cows when hungry, and become gentle purring kittens when with a bellyful of delights. Minny and I first bonded a couple years back when we met during a fashion show we were both in....a week later and we were sharing gossip over late-night greasy Chinese food after a night of clubbing. Chow mein? Yes please! Chicken balls? Why not! Fried rice? Of course! It was love at first bite for Minny and I and we've had many a food adventure in whatever city we happen to be in together since then. (Cupcakes in New York, pub fare in London and sushi in Miami, just to name a few!) To know there are other models out there with beautiful figures who enjoy food as much as I do was, and is, refreshing. Minny lands more than her share of jobs making it clear that girls who eat are not just happy, but damn sexy as well!

Minny + cupcake = <3

Minny is a baking enthusiast and has parlayed her passion for all things ooey, gooey and delicious into a blog of her own which follows the world of haute healthy eating from the perspective of a stunning model. We recently took a cupcake tour of Manhattan stopping at several well-known cupcake shops and sampling treats at each one to take tasty notes for her to blog about post-meal....a pumpkin cupcake at Sugar Sweet Sunshine, a vanilla bean cupcake and banana cream pie at Magnolia, a sugar-free cupcake from The Little Cupcake Shoppe...suffice to say it was heavenly!

While sitting around and indulging in cupcakes everyday is not the healthiest of lifestyles, it was a lovely way to spend a day. Don't get me wrong; neither of us chows down on burgers and fries daily, but we do eat when we're hungry and enjoy desserts just as much as we enjoy healthy foods. I feel sexier, happier, and most content when my body is at its natural weight as opposed to being a frail five or ten pounds lighter which would fit industry norms. I don't allow modeling to dictate what I eat, and more importantly how I live my life, and would much rather share a tapas dinner with friends than sit alone at home counting how many grapes I'm allowed that day. Minny and I have gossiped over late night Chinese, chatted over spicy salmon rolls, discussed life crisis's over slices of cheesecake and had girl talk over salads. Food is friendship for us and is part of the equation without a second thought; which is exactly how it is in both our lives. Fashion week, Schmashion week! Girls, once again I re-iterate: eat what you love, but don't stuff your face (unless it's on really good cupcakes..) and you'll be lovely as ever on the inside and out.

For a Minny & Sheilakins approved recipe, Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies (Big. Fat. MMMMM), go to Minny's Haut Appetit Blog here!

Haut Appetit's Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies!

OMFG - Guest Blog for South Molton Street Style!

Hi loves,
My dear friend Anna in London has created South Molton Street Style Blog (recently named one of Vogue's top 20 Fashion Blogs) and I've written a guest blog on fashion essentials for it! Check it out on OMFG and at SMS Style here! Don't forget to comment and vote for me!) 

As a born and raised Toronto girl who has visited London on several occasions, I must say we style mavens on both sides of the pond can relate very much to each other! We can relate to the wretched winters we both must endure (while still trying to look cute), we can relate to a fascination with all things royal and thus an enduring preppiness in our collections, and finally we can relate to having not just winter to deal with, but a whole array of seasons! (Yes, Miami fashions only work for about a month or two for us Toronto/London girls...the rest of the time it's layers, layers, and more layers!) But don't the pesky weather fool you...we savy and smart girls have cultivated a practical yet utterly fashionable look all our own! Here are five fashion essentials for every Canadian girl, British girl, or just plain stylish girl at heart!

1. The LBD
The little black dress has been a staple since the days of Hepburn, and is still just a relevant, and sexy, today. Except gone are the staunchly structured and prim and proper silhouettes of yesteryear which have been replaced with endless renditions of the modern classic. I myself must have close to ten LBD's, all of which make regular appearances in my social life!
This delicate crocheted LBD from Urban Outfitters is daring, demure and different all at once. Wear it sexy with nude sky-high sandals, or wear it hip with chunky platforms. Scope it out here!

2. The Sexy Heel
Canadian girls are made to withstand the cold. Even in the dead of winter, you can see us venturing out on a Friday night in our finest heels, minis, and not much else....save for a fabulous fur coat to throw on top of it all! Sure, we'll put on tights as to not look totally insane, but whoever said heels and 6 inches of snow do not mix was lying. When you're a fashionista, everything goes with heels. While chunky pieces may be the trend at the moment, I've always been a fan of footwear that is feminine and sexy, sexy, sexy. The latest trend of "flatforms" merely doesn't cut it for yours truly. Why drag down your feet in heavy unsightly shoes when you can doll them up in delicate creations? Exactly. I have more footwear than one girl needs in a life time, and my next addition will be these darling pieces of heaven from Topshop. Sky high, multi-textured, classic on color scheme and still entirely feminine? I'm in love.
Check them out here!

3. The Slouchy Cardigan
While summer dresses are perfect worn solo in the hot months of July and August, when fall and winter roll around, we transform them into layering pieces to be worn with tights, belts, heavy leather purses and that perfect slouchy cardigan. Oh, the slouchy cardigan! Such a sweater is not only cozy for chillier nights, but also the right amount of tasteful and pretty to make yourself look like a gorgeously bundled package. This one from Free People is organic, unique and versatile and would just divine belted over a little knit dress, tights, and lace-up booties.
See it here!

4. The Warm Winter Coat
I've tried being cute with coats. I've tried being trendy with coats. But when it comes down to it, you need to be warm with coats...because when it's minus twenty outside and the blustering wind gusts towards you, no amount of impractical-yet-pretty detailing on your of-the-moment coat is going to save you from being in bed with the flu the next day! It's all about practicality while still looking stunning for fall and winter coats, and no one has done better in this area than the tried-and-true Burberry. These coats are works of art in their craftsmanship and mouthwatering in design, making for the perfect warming essential. No gusts of wind will get through this wool trench, and the fox fur collar makes for a luxe, yet practical addition. Picturing this coat with flat knee-high leather boots, an extravagant fur hat and knitted gray tights almost makes me wish winter were coming sooner! Almost.
Check it out here!

5. But enough of winter talk for now! After all, it's still summer and absolutely gorgeous outside. Little summer dresses are a staple for all girls, and I like them, surprise surprise, to be feminine and flirty! While sleeveless minis might be overtly sexy, longer sleeves, or longer hemlines with daring details make for a less-obvious yet still sensual outfit. This belted, bell-sleeved mini from Rare is a lovely dress that showcases your long, luscious and tan summer gams without giving it all away at once! Throw in a warm breeze, a glass of sangria, leather sandals and posh black sunnies and you've got yourself an ideal afternoon of lounging. I'll drink to that!
Scope it out here!

And there you have it girls, a practical yet sexy fashionistas must-have essentials for all seasons. Whether it's going to music festivals, out for a swanky dinner with your love or a wild night of clubbing with your girl friends, it's the clothes that make the girl, so make yourself a stylish being.
x

An OMFG Guide to Spring/Summer 2011 Essentials!

Despite the recent weather we've been having, summer really is just around the corner! On the advice of my dear friend Clint who advised I add more fashion and not just emotional purging on my blog (he also noted that I should add cute animals...sorry Clinters, the animals will have to wait!) I present to you an OMFG Guide to Spring/Summer Essentials!

My fashion aesthetic is to simply look and feel beautiful. While I admire the more avant-garde fashionistas I see out and about in the city, I have no intention of waltzing around in black rubber pants or spiked-shouldered blazers and whatnot. Ultra feminine, versatile, classic and a touch of trendy and bohemian now and then describe my style to a tee...so with that in mind, here are my Spring/Summer 2011 essentials for all you lovelies!

The Maxi
I love the idea of maxi dresses; soft and flowy and low-key while still having enough room should you decide to indulge in a burger and fries on a patio! However, most maxis end up making even the skinniest of girls looking like large unshapely sacs. Enter the perfect maxi: Urban Outfitters has created this little number with a sheer long layer over a shorter one. Easy, breezy, and flattering all in one.
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/lq6HrK

The Silk Pant
Sure, printed silk pants are always a little Jazzy Jazz on first impression, but breathable and comfortable as well as chic and cool soon follow. Paired with a simple tee, neutral blazer and wedged desert boots take these pants from Jazzy Jazz to simply hip.
Link it via Net-a-porter --> http://bit.ly/j0O7t7

The Black Purse
I'm the kind of girl that believes all purses should be black, bitchy, designer, and big enough that if you need to shove some one you're not fond of, you can do so and blame it on your beautifully bad-ass Balanciaga. While the classic Motorcycle Balanciaga is the epitome of the bitchy black purse, this snake-print Marc by Marc Jacobs one is just as classic and bad-ass while being much more affordable.
Link it via Shopbop --> http://bit.ly/lZSQu6

The Accent Purse
On days when your huge black Marc Jacobs purse just isn't going with the summery all-loving feeling that comes with warm weather, an accent purse in an unusual colour is the perfect choice. Little sundresses go from sweet and simple to luxe and lovely with the addition of this perfectly pastel Rebecca Minkoff satchel! And, at under $200, it's a steal. I'm expecting mine in the mail any day now!
Link it via Shopbop --> http://bit.ly/mga5bX

The Sundress
I have a thing for little flared dresses. Dresses that have a fitted bodice and a flare when the waist starts are flattering on all figures, feminine and just flirty enough -- a perfect combo in my opinion! Urban Outfitters is always well-stocked in sexy little daytime numbers with my favourite being this Kimchi Blue knitted dress in bright yellow. Throw in a Miami tan, straw hat and glass of sangria and you've got the ideal summer afternoon.
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/mqIyYj

The Blazer
Like any girl out there, I can never have too many blazers! From my basic black boyfriend cut one to my silky navy longer one, they're a staple in my wardrobe. I tend towards lighter colours and materials for summer blazers, and this nude linen cardigan from Zara has all the right touches. All nude/cream ensembles are a go-to outfit for me and I can just picture this over white tailored shorts, a loose white tee and nude flats.
Link it via Zara Canada --> http://bit.ly/kWhrn4

The Sandal
Nude, on trend but still classic, insanely strappy and unique. I am obsessed with this modern take on Gladiator sandals from Urban Outfitters. The only downside? Beware of funky tan lines!
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/mIlDng

The Party Dress
The latest retro trend is a throwback to the glitzy glammy 70's and I couldn't be happier. Give me swingy dresses, shoulder-padded beaded blazers and bell sleeves galore! Vera Moda is right on trend with their delicate pink pleated evening dress. Showy but subtle, it's low-key glam at it's best.
Link it at Asos --> http://bit.ly/mhdQMw

The Midi-Skit
That's right, midi, not mini! Ladylike is another trend of the season and hemlines have dropped from the thigh to the knee if not longer. The midi skirt is versatile for day and night and is demure while still being right on trend. I couldn't choose between a funkier printed one and a bright blue one (perfect for colour-blocking!), so here they both are, from Asos.
Link it via Asos --> http://bit.ly/j1zLuX (printed) and http://bit.ly/lKCA4K (electric blue)

 And there you have it lovelies, a little collection of pieces that are sure to jump start your summer stylishly! With so many wearable trends being in for the season (neutral layering, mixing prints, military-inspired pieces, etc.) it's going to be one beautifully-inspired summer!
x

OMFG - Modelizers galore..

After being here just over two weeks I've encountered many new species: the incredibly large and scary flying bugs that whiz in and out of my apartment via the open balcony, the screeching tropical bird which wakes me up every morning that, although I know it's probably rare and endangered, I just want to shoot, and then there's the most fascinating species of all -- modelizers. Oh, sure, we have our share of mild modelizers in Toronto -- men that enjoy the company of leggy waifs hanging around King West and pursue them here and there and whatnot but over here, at least from what I've seen, it's not just for sport -- it's a downright profession.

With so many girls here who are depending on modeling to give them a better life, I guess it's no surprise that it's like shooting fish in a barrel for men who have oodles of money (or enough to pretend they have oodles) to come in and sweep them off their feet with dinners, trips, purses and hey -- maybe even a little affection. I've had dinner with more than my share of modelizers and to hear them talk about us models like pieces of meat really ("Oh, this agency gets all the good blondes. She had good legs, bad teeth though. Unfortunate." That's so not what's unfortunate about that sentence, buddy.) is something I choose to view as entertaining. Yes, they're condescending and arrogant but likely sad little men as well so I make the best of such situations and humor this amusing breed of (not-so) gentlemen. (I also end up befriending modelizers because it's apparent one drink into dinner that they're not getting in my pants.) Men that want to be surrounded by beautiful women always isn't surprising really, I mean sex makes the world go round and round after all (sorry love and money) -- what's surprising to me is how willing all these girls are to latch onto some dude they barely know. Coming from a fairly well-off family in Canada I guess I can't really relate to not having a backup plan in life but to see fourteen year olds throw themselves at men old enough to be my dad -- well it's just kind of gross. Okay sure, maybe I'm being unsympathetic; what if they came from a hard life and have parents who are ill and blah blah blah but honestly if you're some chick who wants to whore themselves out via their looks to get the good life, well don't expect much sympathy from anyone! Like jeez, go to school or something! Brains. They're in our heads for a reason.

Snideness aside, the situation is what it is and oh goodness, it's just downright hilarious sometimes. While enjoying tapas and martinis the other night, one modelizer friend of mine expressed his disdain for a girl who outright asked for a designer bag during lunch with him. "I mean, can you believe that?!" he had exclaimed. That's the fine line of modelizing; even though the girls are acutely aware of their status as status symbols, it's in bad taste to actually acknowledge it...subtleties also make the world go round if you ask me. It's a whole industry where decisions are made on nuances so why should the sex associated with it be any different? These girls are girlfriends to the men they're with, and are expected to act appropriately. Sometimes it's like watching a father with his daughter who just was taught how to act like a lady post-Cotillion or something....i.e.hilarious. 


I'm sure some of these pairings turn into lasting unions, and good for the ones that do, but for the rest of the girls out there who are looking to latch their legs onto something better than what they came from; it's a mess waiting to happen. Even the savviest of femme fatales are bound to feel used (and really, how much of a femme fatale can one be as a teenager?) or worse. A modelizer's motto likely something along the lines of "why fuck the girl in the skirt when you can fuck the girl modeling the skirt?" -- well ladies, or more like girls, why fuck the man with the money when you fuck some one who actually likes you for you? Exactly.
x

OMFG Fall Fashion!

Every year the amazingness that is New York Fashion Week gets overshadowed in my dear city by the Toronto International Film Festival. It's not that I find movies more interesting than fashion (not by a long shot...give me rolls of fabric over rolls of film any day) but when the liquor board extends the city's license until 4a.m. at all hotspots and thus parties go on until the wee hours of the morning -- well it makes it rather hard to be awake during daylight hours. (I'm only just now coming out of my nocturnal schedule, but just barely. Dinner at midnight anyone?) And so, after a good ten days of rising midday, shining til the morning, and managing to eat and sleep some time in between, I'm only just catching up on all the beautiful collections that made their debut across the border. 

There's a ridiculous amount of coverage available for fashion adorers who can't actually be front-row of all the shows; from live streaming of the collections [check out all the shows here: http://www.mbfashionweek.com/], backstage pics, live feeds, fashion bloggers galore [The Sartorialist never goes out of style: http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/] and of course the constant Facebook status updates from my friends lucky enough to be there! 

My favorite show was Burberry Prorsum's Spring 2011 collections. Body-con yet feminine dresses. Tailored studded leather. Their classic trench made slick and modern with metal adornments and colored belts. It was effortless cool at its best. The line's past few collections have been consistently beautiful in my books because of their wild child meets feminine and tailored outfits. The Burberry Prorsum girl is confident and cool without compromising on her sex appeal -- and it was definitely love at first sight. 

Burberry Prorsum Sping 2011

The Burberry show hit all the right trends we're seeing in multiple collections this year, including utilitarian touches, soft animal prints and a luxurious nude palette (although in Burberry's case, with punches of electric color). Usually reserved for those who can afford to shell out two grande on a jacket, or at least have daddies who can, Fashion Week's top trends have made their way to the mainstream at a pace never seen before. Almost exact replicas or at least spot-on trends from the runways have descended into stores like Forever 21  in sync with their debuts. Fashionistas everywhere can rejoice at wearing trends while they're still trendy -- not three seasons later! What exactly has caused this mass infatuation with designer goods to be at the forefront of pop culture -- or at least every girls' closet? The desire to replicate the runways has never been in in question, however much of its elitist facade has been stripped away due to the new generation of self-promoting, highly participant fashion savvy moguls. Everyone with an intense interest in style can put their thoughts for everyone to see and read via blogs (much like myself), social networking and so on. Lookbook sites have made mini-celebrities out of edgily stylish individuals and blogs can propel even the tiniest of bloggers into fame (literally as with the case of 13 year old Tavi Gevinson at www.thestylerookie.com who became a regular fixture backstage at NYFW through the sheer uniqueness of her blog and sense of style). 


The overwhelming knowledge of trends and obvious demand for them being broadcast over the web, magazines and overall in our overly-communicative society (seriously...I have friends who post when they're taking a shower via Ubertwitter!) has led to fall trends in all their gorgeousness making their way into stores and onto our lovely selves. The ubiquitous camel coat, luxe jewel tone cardigans, intricately printed maxis and structured dark totes can all be found in surprisingly similar form from Holt Renfrew to H&M. It's less about price and more about style nowadays which has refreshing allowed us to mix and match; a $300 L.A.M.B knit can look just as put together -- and probably a helluva lot less pretentious -- paired with wide-legged H&M trousers and Jeffrey Campbell booties than with other flashy designer pieces. It's the era of attitude in being that's all one needs, along with a sharp sense of themselves, to pull of whatever look from whichever store they so desire. Take it from Olivia Palermo, socialite of The City fame whom, while perhaps the most annoyingly polite character on reality television, has undeniable effortless style. Her "Today I'm Wearing..." outfit calendar at the Vogue website [http://www.vogue.co.uk/photo-blogs/olivia-palermo/100406-olivia-palermo-day-5.aspx] showcased her mixing the likes of Topshop and Ann Taylor with Prabal Gurung and Hermes -- instant modern chic. Palermo prominently wears Zara, which is my personal favorite for picking up luxe pieces which are trendy but not too much so at amazing price points. 


When it comes down to it fashionistas, style is style and stands alone from any obstacle. If you're a chic person, no matter what dough you're rolling in, it'll come through in your outfits. I make decisions based simply on what I like -- if I like it, I'll buy it. It's not the best mentality to have (my poor Visa took a beating this fall..) but having the trends present at such an accessible level has definitely made it a tantalizing season to shop! So go nuts bloggees and keep your eyes open; those studded leather jackets I saw strutting down the Burberry runway days ago will likely be hanging at Urban Outfitters faster than you can say "Need. Want. Have." 
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