ICF UniqueLA Holiday Show Roundup

Hopefully you guys made it to the Unique LA (now known as State of Unique) Holiday Show this weekend. This was my first visit to the three year old design show created by Sonja Rasula, so I was pretty stoked to see what exactly crafty Angeleno's had to offer. However, I can't lie, the fact that my favorite DJ's, the Beat Ventriloquists, were spinning provided a hefty influence on my decision to attend this year. Checkout the awesome, some of them yummy, finds from vendors that peaked my interest and taste buds!

*Unique LA will soon be expanding to SF and NYC

We Spotted: Mark Charles

#1 item on my Christmas list, a pair of Limited Edition Camy boots by Mark Charles. 

"Like her sister Afina, Camy also has a unique quality that allows her to take center stage without being a total diva. Her vibrant personality is coupled with an inner confidence that naturally captivates the eye in a subtle but endearing manner. Never the shrinking violet, Camy loves to be out and about living life and looking fabulous at the same time."

The man behind the boot, Designer Mark Charles.

Boutique + Blog

FASH-back Friday!: Windbreaker

Item: Neon Windbreaker

Circa: Early 90's - Junior High. That time in your life when you really began to mold your individual self and experiment with whatever was in your immediate little world, be it cool or not. I experimented A LOT with fashion at this time: I wore blue lipstick, tried dying my brunette hair with Kool-Aid, dabbled in Goth style, and gave myself an Anarchist tattoo w/ a Crayola marker (my Dad flipped his lid when he caught sight of it on my ankle. lol). All that being said, I had one fashion staple that I rocked consistently, my windbreaker. During that time windbreakers were a must have, especially if they were from the coolest brands: Nike, Adidas, Gap, Puma, Reebok and Old Navy. Mine, however, was from the thrift store and it was the only neon melon colored jacket in school that I proudly wore with my rainbow colored hair ribbon.

In the Present: With fashion already reworking the 80's and in the prime of recreating the 90's look, now is better than ever to sport a windbreaker. Ladies, pair yours with a cute short skirt or a tight pair of jeans and   heels (Think: Sporty Spice mixed with Posh Spice). And guys, well fortunately you're already ahead of the curve because of your endless devotion to athletic wear, but checkout Nike's new version of the windbreaker in a knit sweater fabric. It goes from the Boardroom to the Bar easily!

To purchase CLICK the corresponding thumbnail:

To purchase CLICK the corresponding thumbnail:

*If you have a past love you'd like to give new life to, feel free to post it on our Facebook wall with your description/ suggestions on how we can incorporate in a present day look.

Book Lust: Fashion Africa + LACMA extended

Fashion Africa is my essential must have book of the month! This past year I've really focused my attention on Africa's under exposed fashion industry. Those of you in the industry, hopefully have your eyes and ears open to the leading Designers and trends coming out of the Motherland. If not, pick up this book, which has been touted as the "ultimate fashion guide from Africa" that showcases "45 designers that have been influenced by the heartbeat, the many facets of history, culture, and people of Africa".

My last three book lust are fascinating extensions of my most recent visit to LACMA. You guys know by now, LACMA is like my 3rd home in LA. I cannot get enough of the place! It's like an awesome friend who   magically has something new and perfectly suited to what you just so happened to be in the mood for. Make a point to drop in and check out the Glenn Ligon: America exhibit on view thru January and the California Design "Living in a Modern Way"  exhibit on view thru June. If you missed the eerily whimsical Tim Burton exhibit, or in my case made it to the exhibit but felt like you needed 2 more trips just to really delve into the detail of his creations, take a piece of the exhibit home by purchasing the book. 

Fashion Africa by Jacqueline Shaw

Living in a Modern Way: California Design 1930-1965 by Wendy Kaplan

Glenn Ligon-Some Changes by Darby English, Wayne Baerwaldt, Huey Copleand and Glenn Ligon

The Art of Tim Burton by Tim Burton and Leah Gallo

Vino for Uno!

Oh, yummy wine! How much do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

I wish I could say that I was writing this post in the midst of a good swirl and sip, but I'm not. However, that might make for some interesting word choices on my end. As I mentioned in my bio, I'm a wine addict. Not in a wino kind of way but in the sense that I pretty much only drink wine instead of liquor and I love cooking with it! It has a presence in my weekly life, especially on the weekends whenever there's a gathering of my fabulous ladies. But, overall, I really just love drinking it... No hangovers, an endless variety to choose from, the way it compliments my favorite eats, the way it makes me feel.... How can you not love wine?

While I drink a seriously wide variety of wines- I love to try something new whenever possible, checkout my  top faves that are always on repeat along with my pairing suggestions.

* And please for the love of Dionysus, do not expect to find Moscato on my list.

We Heard: Beldina Malaika

You be the judge... I guarantee you'll be in love like I am.

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FASH-back Friday!: Coral Hush Puppies

Item: Suede Coral Hush Puppies Loafers

Circa: Late 90's - In High School I was "lucky" enough to be part of the first class to become our schools "Classical High School". Meaning we had to wear uniforms while the upper level grades still wore regular clothing. (Completely unfair and ridiculous. I know...) So, just as I had experience with doing all throughout Junior High, I made myself standout  by adding unique pieces to my wardrobe whenever possible. Insert my coral Hush Puppies' here. My bff Suzanne and I were the only two girls in our school rocking punchy colored HP loafers. Not only were they super comfy, but they were outright fab and the perfect eyecatcher amongst the sea of khaki cardinal and white.

In the Present: Bright colors like coral pair beautifully with crisp white jeans and a bold top to match. I love lots of color and unique prints, so I'm never afraid to wear the two together. The combo makes for a fun and cheery outfit! Plus wearing loafers gives your feet a much needed chance to rest after wearing stilettos 24/7.

To purchase CLICK the corresponding thumbnail:

FASH-back Friday!: Kick Start

I'm always in love with reminiscing about past loves (of the non-human variety) so, I'm kicking off what I'd like to refer to as FASH-back Friday! I'll pick an item (clothing or otherwise) give you it's history relevant to my life and if possible show you where to score it and how to rock it in modern times. We all know fashion has a history of repeating itself, so why not be at the forefront of recreating a vintage trend!  

Check back tomorrow for my very first FASH-back, which is sure to be eye catching at the very least. But, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my first ever poem about fashion, written over 6 years ago... Don't judge!

*If you have a past love you'd like to give new life to, feel free to post it on our Facebook wall with your description/ suggestions on how we can incorporate in a present day look.

We Experienced: Do you know Katie Monahan?

Some photos courtesy of Chanel Eakins

A once avid attendee of the Downtown LA Artwalk, I came across Katie Monahan's paintings on several occasions, always with sheer enthusiasm. What immediately caught my eye were the series of Reflections pieces done in black acrylic paint & shards of mirror from her Figures in Line collection. I'm always intrigued by things that reflect the juxtaposition between hard and soft or feminine and masculine, so for me it was love at first sight! During my last visit to the artwalk I visited her show again, this time having the chance to experience a few of her newer works like Girl in a Yellow Dress, Baggage, and Intact. I knew at that moment that I had to do a post on Katie. While fashion is an art form, I feel as if she's created a beautiful world right on the line between fashion and art. Combining one-part fashion illustration and one-part fine art, to produce beautiful works that are enjoyed by fashionites and art enthusiast alike.

Checkout my interview and hopefully you'll discover who Katie Monahan really is... For me, she's like that one really awesome charismatic friend who's so down to earth and just simply following her dreams. You can't help but to be inspired by her!

The Golfer

4 Everyday Things I do to Make My Life Sweet!

We all know there’s more than enough crap waiting right outside our doors that can literally take one’s day from sunshine and rainbows to a frigid thunderstorm within a nano second. Often it seems even the best of intentions can be thwarted by the tiniest occurrence of plain ol’ bad luck. For most of us it’s just a day or two of misfortune, but others aren’t so lucky… Personally I’ve experienced both, so here are a few simple things I do to keep a smile planted on my face and steal my sunshine back from the abyss.