LACE AND LEATHER

I'm back from Vegas and back to the grind.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about how the days of the week are so irrelevant for me. Monday never feels like Monday and half the time I don't even know what day it is. I'm super grateful that by managing my own schedule I'm able to take days off to attend things like ENK and PROJECT or whatever else. In turn, it means working through the weekend sometimes (even on perfect beautiful Southern California beach days) but I'm okay with that.

I had a great time in Vegas and now that I've been slaving away through the weekend I was able to bust out some client films, etc. It's kind of nice to work your ass off after a little getaway.



While in Sin City I put together a cute number by mixing this Jack leather skirt and lace trim tank. The detail in both pieces are really awesome - I'm loving the cut-outs in the leather - it makes for great added texture along with the feminine trim. Topped off with some perfect little Lulu's heels I was ready to hit the town.

Top + Skirt - Jack by BB Dakota, Shoes - Lulus.com

BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIOLET LOVE

I'm pretty stoked to share this video with you guys.

Last year I posted a Designer Profile on Rebecca Michaels - if you missed it you can check it out here. Since then she has become a friend and a client of mine for Blythe Films and I absolutely love working with her. The story of how she started her brand and the philosophy is really great and Rebecca has a very upbeat and positive attitude which is reflected by her brand. Because I can easily see her vision and passion, I really enjoy creating videos for her that match her brand's vibe. This behind-the-scenes vid was filmed earlier this year and is finally now released on her site.

VEGAS OR BUST

If you need me, I'll be out in Vegas for the next few days.

I'll be scopin' out all the brands and checking out what they're up to with their Spring/Summer 2014 collections. I love the excitement of ENK/Project/Magic... all of them. Everyone is super stoked to show their lines and it's great to run into old contacts and make new ones.



Anyway, who doesn't love a good lace piece - this tunic in particular is seriously amazing and brings out my inner Stevie Nicks. Some days I just want to go all out with the boho look and then I question if maybe I was born in the wrong era. This Black Swan lace flare sleeve tunic paired with the Nasty Gal headband is the perfect combo to achieve such a hippie inspired feeling.

Tunic - c/o Black Swan, Shoes - Jeffrey Campbell, Headband - Nasty Gal

WHO LIKES SURPRISES?

HAIGHT

Here's what's up - I'm handing out a code for 25% off the 16th Colony Dreamweaver Collection.

There's just a few Ashbury and Haight ponchos left in stock and I figured I would extend the offer as a little gift to just my blog readers only.

So wander on over to the Online Shop and use the code: blog25 when checking out.

Anyway, enjoy - and thanks for skimming the blog every once in a while.

ASHBURY

CLEOBELLA

Over the weekend I made a pit stop at Cleobella.

I was already in the Sunset Beach area but made it a point to drop by and check out the retail space/design studio that they have there off PCH.

This brand has a ton of soul and a great story - since it was founded in Bali much of the inspiration derives from there. The product itself is specially cared for and handmade by local Balinese artisans. You know you're getting a unique piece when they're all embellished and detailed individually.



Although Cleobella has been around for a few years, the cute cottage storefront opened up in 2012. The whole space is amazingly curated with decorative skull heads, findings from far away travels, their Mexican Clutches and boho styled apparel.



I found myself a little something (which wasn't hard to do) - a little crochet piece that I can't wait to bust out for my upcoming trip to the Florida Keys.

Anyway, stopping by Cleobella is a must - so make it happen.



(Steve Madden Booties, 16th Colony Poncho, Little Seoul Necklace)

G-STAR RAW NEWPORT OPENING

G-Star Raw recently opened up their doors to the new location in Newport Beach.

I was invited out to the event to check out the new digs, grab a drink and mingle. The new space is much bigger than their last and had a very clean yet industrial look to it. Love the huge denim wall they had going on.



Personally, I love going to Fashion Island and roaming around, grabbing a Casey's Cupcake and having a late brunch at Cafe Beau Soleil - so having the G-Star location there is a great plus. Thanks for the invite - I'll be back for sure.

AGENDA + EMERGE

It was that time of year again to lurk around the Agenda Show in Long Beach.

So of course another recap is in order. A lot of brands were doing some great things - especially with a major presence '90's' influence. From what I saw it was executed pretty well and not overdone. Anyway, here are a few brands that caught my eye as I scoured the Convention Center aisles.



Right away, I noticed that the action sports brand Lira had expanded their women's collection and it was really well curated. The swimwear and cut off shorts were spot on. However, I was really lusting over their graphic tees - mostly this badass muscle tank.



Montreal based brand Uranium made an appearance in Southern California. Their roots stem from snowboarding and skate so it's pretty appropriate that they made it out to the show. The pieces really stood out and had a unique trait about them - come to find out, their mantra is to be 'positively energized' and I like how that's encompassed into the designs.



I got lured into the Iron and Resin booth first because of the motorcycle with Ural attached (I'm a sucker for a bike) but then I ended up hanging around for the cool graphic apparel and accessories. Some in which were bandanas and shop rags for bikes. I really like how they've set up their brand in that it's very apparent for what they stand for. All of their goods are handcrafted and printed one at a time here in California.



Asphalt Yacht Club, the brand new skate apparel company endorsed by Stevie Williams, Stefan Janoski and Nyjah Huston, made their debut at Agenda. This collaboration reflects a combination of skate culture, street style and contemporary fashion. Their full line of tees, fleece, cut-and-sew tops and denim focuses mainly on comfort and style meant for life both on and off the board.

Thanks to Abegail from AYC's PR team for the hospitality and the invite to the Malibu Launch Party - these Viewmaster invitations were great.

After roaming the aisles of Agenda I had the opportunity to attend Emerge. This was a pretty rad conference with speakers who talked not only about building successful brands but also about a lot of the deeper meaning and what it all takes to get there. Amongst the panel were jeffstaple, Johnny Cupcakes, and Bobby Hundreds.



I always knew I wanted to live the life of a dreamer - to accomplish things that fulfilled me in indescribable ways. Things that have real meaning. I've always followed my passion but not until recently in the past couple years have I been able to completely encompass my life with only these things. I've learned a lot of concepts that I now hold as truths and have helped me continue down this path.

I hung on to basically every word from jeffstaple considering his philosophy aligns similarly to mine. One of my favorite concepts that he discussed was "Never let anyone tell you 'no'. Find another way in."

This is literally something I live by on the daily. Big or small. If you want something don't let anyone tell you that you can't or aren't allowed. If you really want it, you'll find a way. Trust me. Of course, this can be looked upon as breaking the rules but what difference can you make by following the same guidelines as everyone else?