JUST STYLING

I had the best time the other day pulling looks for one of my girlfriends who models!  Michelle is seriously beautiful inside and out and coming up with some day and evening looks for her was something I'd been wanting to do for awhile. 

Schedules finally allowed and here's our final product:

 

 

 
ZARA TRF SWEATSHIRTZARA TRF JEANS 

EXPRESS GOLD CHAIN
ASOS HOLLYWOOD HEELS

UO BDG BEANIE

 

I feel like "DOPE" sums this look up.  The sweatshirt keeps it young, the beanie keeps it playful, but the heels keep it grown. 
 

H&M SILVER CHAIN

H&M LEATHER-LOOK PANTS

H&M BASIC LAYERING CAMI

JENNIFER LOPEZ BLAZER

ASOS HOLLYWOOD HEELS

 

I love an all-black ensemble and the blush-colored blazer upped the feminine factor.  Michelle worked this outfit with a chic, sleek ponytail.

ZARA FAUX FUR GILET

H&M LEATHER-LOOK PANTS

UO BDG SHEER BLOUSE

EXPRESS GOLD CHAIN

ASOS HOLLYWOOD HEELS

 

We love the heels c/o ASOS, can you tell?  They go with just about everything and are my current go-to heel.  Michelle kept on her black seamless bralette and over that we threw on a sheer white blouse.  Sheer is so sexy and chic when done right.  The faux fur gilet and gold chain glammed up the look.  Rock/Glam.



 

 

H&M TOP

H&M PANTS

HER OWN BLACK PLATFORM PUMPS

 

I thought this look was femme without being dull.  It's easy to keep it drab and simple but what is more lady-like than florals and lace?  The black lace on the cream top was bold enough to carry the strong floral pattern of the ankle pant.  Out with the chunky metal jewelry and in with the giant pearl earrings. 

 

 

 

H&M JACKET

H&M PANTS

HER OWN BLACK PLATFORM PUMPS

 

I admit I am not the one to mix prints so freely.  But I feel like this just worked.  We kept the giant pearl earrings and bold floral pants but paired this striped, gold threaded jacket with it instead of a top.  Vibrant, girly, and fresh.


 



KENZO KRAZY

Kudos to KENZO'S new co-creative designers Humberto Leon & Carol Lim. 

VOGUE UK

These cool kids/visionaries of Opening Ceremony fame have breathed life into the fashion house started by Japanese-born Kenzo Takada in 1970s Paris.  And this fashionista is loving it!

Some of my favorite looks from Womens F/W 2012:

The Famous Embroidered Tiger Sweater

Amazing looks pulled from Womens SS 2013:

Glad to see the luxe sweatshirt trend hanging on.  My favorite trend of 2012!

Shoulders bared in billowy sillouettes! Casual/Sexy/Chic=KENZO

Floral Prints & Neutral Leathers... YES.

KENZO Embroidered Gabardine Jacket. 

MY LUXE GIFT WISH.  If I could buy one thing in 2013 it would. be. this.

And men:  KENZO has gifted you with some dope creations as well:

LOGO LOVE.

The Jacket and Snapback = Love.

TO:KENZO

LOVE: YOUR OBSESSED FAN :) :*

MOSSED

KATE MOSS IS EVERYTHING!  The December issue of Vanity Fair features the supermodel and her latest interview. 

Vanity Fair December 2013

Totally relatable on that whole woman/heartbreak level.

"I believed what he said,” Moss says. “Like if I said, ‘What do I do?,’ he’d tell me. And that’s what I missed when I left. I really lost that gauge of somebody I could trust. Nightmare. Years and years of crying. Oh, the tears!”

Everyone has problems, even supermodels.  Besides being a style icon the woman is a survivor and I love to see someone who comes out on top over life's struggles. 

CAMPARI CALENDAR

Some behind-the-scenes images have been released from the 2013 Campari Calendar featuring the ever-stunning Penélope Cruz. 

Seriously luxe location.

The wardrobe!

Penélope Cruz is everything!

Ching ching

The calendar is distributed in international limited edition of only 9,999 copies.  Ready for 2013! 

ZARA, MI AMOR

Another reason to love Zara!  The Zara Home online store is finally open to the U.S.!  Good-bye paycheck!

I first got a taste of Zara in 2008 while living in Kuwait.  The Spanish retailer is BY FAR one of my absolute favorites and once I got back to the U.S. I of course came to a Zara-less state.  Sadness.  So, it's all good, I'm used to having to shop online to get most of my favorite brands.  I'm just happy to have access to the goods!

Zara NYC

I was a little put off, however, when I read a recent article in my Yahoo! news feed. 

Here's a quote from the article regarding the retailer's possible expansion into the U.S.:

"The U.S. is really complex because it's about putting stores in shopping malls in the middle of nowhere. Fashionistas live on the East and West coasts. Then everyone else dresses in the Gap and Walmart and T. J. Maxx. If you really wanted to cover the U.S., you would have to open 300 stores, and they would have to focus all their energy to make it work." -Professor José Luis Nueno

To be clear, this is not an official statement put out by Zara - this is the opinion of one professor.  An impressively credentialed professor in the areas of marketing, globalization, and the marketing of consumer goods and luxury goods, albeit, but still not a winner in my book.

I am an east coaster.  Love, love, love the east coast. *kisses*  But I grew up in N.C. in the rural Piedmont. And I've also been a fashionista since I could put on my own clothes.  There may not have been a slew of girls like me but hello!  We exist!  While Nueno has a point to his statement, there's no way you can condemn a whole market to "Gap and Walmart and T. J. Maxx''.

I'm a first-generation American born to a Peruvian mother and Israeli father.  I've been places and I've seen things.  I know the sterotype of American "style" or lack thereof.  But Mr. Nueno, no you didn't! 

Style is something you have or you don't.  Fashion is not confined to whatever region of the country you happen to live in. 

DOPE CHICK

Who's heard of Melody Ehsani?  This girl is too cool for words.  I've been doing my homework on her for awhile now since her jewelry has been rocked by some major celebs. 

Melody Ehsani

This LA-based jewelry & shoe designer has got some serious talent; and, I'm happy to say a beautiful spirit.

"In my culture, a womans value and status are determined by her marriage. This is a difficult and challenging concept for many women in todays world. By following my calling and making shoes and products, I am helping women resolve these kinds of paradoxes.  I want to become my true self and be a vibrant member of a family and a community. I want the women who wear my shoes to have the same opportunity for equality, wholeness, and self expression. My style is inspired by paradox, controversy, justice and pushing the envelope in showing that you truly cant judge a book by its cover. I design to upset the equilibrium. I design to inspire. I design to serve. I design because I was created to do so. A portion from each pair of Ehsani shoes purchased will go towards the advancement and education of women in our society." -M.E.

Do any of her pieces look familiar to you?  I can't wait to see what else this design genius will gift and inspire us with next.

Armo Dillo Ring

Queen of the Jungle Necklace

 I'm Fly Ring

Luxury Ring

And she even does customized jewelry! This has to be one of my favorite features of this artist.  Her custom design shop makes it super easy to design your own custom earrings, necklaces, and rings.  Choose your own text, font, colors, and sizes, and rock M.E. jewelry your way!

WORK IN PROGRESS

I've been away from my blog for too long!  Sorry for the brief hiatus all - I'm back.

Just wanted to express where I'm at (headspace-wise) right now.

I've had a love for all things beautiful for a loooong time.  My aunt was a fashion buyer for a major department store when I was growing up and some of my best memories are opening up the boxes of clothes she would send me.  They were always a season ahead of time and most definitely samples that we had to hairspray the sample stamps from. (LOL)  We'd coordinate outfits together and she'd explain to me the difference between "trendy" and "classics".  She was everything to me and the first person I shared my love of fashion with.  Looking back I don't think I'd ever been happier; and it is this reason why I have decided it's time in my life to do more of what I love.

Flash forward - Over the years I've spent a small fortune on fashion magazines.  Foreign and domestic.  I've logged serious hours online shopping (and window shopping), viewing slideshows of runway shows I've yet to have the pleasure of attending, and reading up on blogs and trend reports.  I seek out inspiration in stores, fabric shops, gardens, and the ever-addicting Instagram. (By the way, follow me: claudiacohencolon.)

So with all that said, I am trying to announce this:

I am adding stylist/personal shopper to my résumé.

I am pulling together my resources and getting all the legalities worked out as I type.  And the most fun part of it all - designing my own business cards. :)

More news as I get it...

Thank you to all who read this and hopefully get something as meaningful from this, albeit neglected, blog as I do. 

XOXO