Sunday, April 28, 2013

Starry Eyed Surprise + Oasap Give-away!!





   One of the very first blogger programs I became a part of was Oasap.com's Fashion Hunter Program. I'm pleased to say that I have been collaborating with them ever since May 2012. With my one year anniversary of joining the Oasap Fashion Hunter Program, what better time to offer a give away!?
The most fun part of this specific give-away is that the winner is free to choose from 9 Oasap products!
Check them out here (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


So, Without further adieu  here are the super simple steps to enter!



OASAP - The
Latest Street Fashion


Thursday, April 25, 2013

My Pinterest Addiction!

  Something you all may not know is that I am absolutely addicted to Pinterest! I've had a Pinterest since the website launched and have been adding to it almost every day. I just love that Pinterest is a way for me to compile information, images, and inspiration without cluttering my computer or table. However, since I have been adding constantly from the start I have amassed such a huge amount of pins that were poorly organized. So, I could never find the image I was looking for when I needed it for work or inspiration. I decided to take a note from one of my favorite pinners on Pinterest -- Jacque Reid -- and did a little bit of organizing! While my Pinterest page will never be so extensively organized as Jacques, I'm so happy with how it is turning out so far!
  Since I may not be able to update my blog every day, my Pinterest page will be updated and growing almost every day! So I hope you will check it out and let me know what you think. Feel free to tell me if there are categories I should add or things I should change! I'd encourage you to check out Jacque Reid's page as well -- you will most definitely be inspired. Check out my pin board right here!


                                      Here are several pins that I am loving right now.
Pin from Street Style





Pin From High fashion


Pin from Dots



Pin from Stripes


Pin from Dressed To Impress


Pin from 1960's Proper


Pin from Floral


Pin from 1920's Modern


Pin from Bows


Pin from Shades


Pin from All About Hats


Pin from Dramatic Headshots

Pin from Scarves



There are all of these pins and so much more! I'll hopefully have my pinterest page back up to 3000 pins soon! Right now it's about 1500. :) So please do enjoy!

~Mary

Sunday, April 21, 2013

It's Magic

  A few weekends ago, my friend Thomas and I decided we'd have an extra fun shoot. For a while we'd been discussing creating an overlapped triptych for lookbook, so we finally decided to have a shoot for one! It was really fun experimenting with what shapes of poses would look good in this sort of image, so it was definitely a challenge that kept you thinking the whole time -- which I really enjoyed. Also with this sort of picture, it's easy to get too cluttered if the outfit is over-styled. I went for a simple black and white dress I had recently purchased off of ebay. Since the dress had a pretty boat neck collar in the front and a peter pan collar in the back, it really styled itself. I wanted this look to have a classic clean look with a touch of modern in the mint colored bracelet -- Merrin&Gussy of course. :)
  As for the fantastic editing, and how great the pictures look...That's all Thomas's mastery. When I got the chance to look over the images we took that day, I was dumbfounded by how dynamic every shot was! Needless to say, it was so hard to choose just three images to make into a triptych. Thus, Thomas ended up having to create three triptychs for me to decide from. haha
   With no further adieu, here are the images we ended with! I couldn't be happier with how clean each image came out! Be sure to check out Thomas's Website HERE and like his facebook page for more updates HERE!






Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Sundrenched World

It's been quite some time since I have had the chance to shoot a look with my dad, but the other day we had a few free minutes for a rush shoot out at my favorite location.
I'm kind of in love with these free people railroad trousers. I wear them WAY too much, but they are so cute and springy. I've never done a denim on denim look, so I thought it was just about time. I felt like combining modern and vintage all in one -- what better way to do that than to combine foiled hologram heels and suspenders?!






Sunday, April 14, 2013

Dallas FGI Career day

On April 12th I had the chance to assist Studio Rocket Science at one of the most notable events in Dallas, FGI Dallas career day!
  Before I go into details of what the event was, I'll explain a bit about what FGI is. Fashion Group International is a global nonprofit organization with over 5000 members in all areas of the fashion industry. FGI's mission is to be the top authority in the business of fashion and design; forecasting and providing insight into trends in person, online, and in print. So, it's a pretty big deal.
   At FGI's Dallas Career day of 2013 designers from all around the country had a chance at winning a major scholarship! This year, $37,500 in scholarships were awarded to top designers. And one special designer will be sent abroad to a design school in Europe with paid tuition! Amazing, right? Well, that's not even all.
  Along with all of the amazing awards, there were guest speakers, classes, and a runway show all in one place! Sadly, since I was working I wasn't able to sit in on as many of the speakers and classes as I would have liked. There were some really amazing and influential people speaking and teaching at this event. The speakers and teachers I was able to hear were Stephanie George, Lisa Petty, Rhonda Sargent Chambers, and Levi Palmer.
   For Levi Palmer, I only walked in for the last half. Before I had a chance to see Levi and recognize him from his brand, I saw the sign that said "Palmer//Harding" and immediately was so excited that this was a guest. I have been following Palmer//Harding since they showed in London fashion week and have been hugely inspired by their great work and the fact that Levi came out of a community college in Dallas and moved on to do great things.
   Sadly, again, I missed the majority of the students runway show since I was working, but the parts that I was able to see were stunning! These budding designers sent some of the most elaborate garments down the runway! Pieces like I've not often seen on the runway. The innovation and passion of these students was clearly displayed in their garments. Hopefully, I will soon be able to share some pictures from the show itself, but for now, all I have are a few cell phone pictures of what I saw while I was working. ;)
My view from the second Floor working the strobes

Levi Palmer and Me
Night before the show at my work station.




Tuesday, April 9, 2013

All The Little Lights

Photo Credit Thomas Garza Photography
Photo Credit Thomas Garza Photography
Photo Credit Thomas Garza Photography

Sunday, April 7, 2013

All that Jazz

  I recently had the chance to spend the morning shooting photos with a good friend of mine, Thomas Garza -- who happens to be a fantastic photographer! We decided to head over to the Bishop Arts District in Dallas (one of my favorite areas for a happy atmosphere) and take some typical "Mary" pictures. Which pretty much means me being silly, and laughing, and cracking jokes; so these are a bit more light-hearted than most of my posts because this was all about having fun!
  For this look I chose one of my absolute favorite outfits to hang out in. It's also one that is really great for working because it's easy to move in and looks just stylish enough. I also chose one of my favorite murals in the Bishop Arts area -- and there are a lot of murals -- but this one is very much 'me'. I love music, and I always title my lookbook posts from songs that are on my mind.

  I hope you enjoy! This look was so fun and so exciting to shoot. :)
                                                                   Hat: Forever21
                                                                   Collar Tips: Merrin&Gussy
                                                                   Bracelet: Merrin&Gussy
                                                                   Belt: Express
                                                                   Suede Shorts: Forever21
                                                                   Heels: Banana Republic
Thomas Garza Photography


Thomas Garza photography

Thomas Garza Photography

Thomas Garza Photography


Saturday, April 6, 2013

Fashion Cited: Part 3 -- The designers

                                                                                             Designer Cathy Garcia
Cathy Garcia Designs
I chose this design of Cathy's as my favorite because it's very young and modern. I love that she took a 90's style bandana print halter and turned it into a quirky mini dress with bubble style skirt.

                                                                                            Designer Morgan Powell
Morgan Powell designs
 I was so excited when I saw this outfit. This is absolutely something that could walk right off the runway and be perfect for day! The cut of the trousers is really beautiful and the cropped style makes them so fresh. Definitely a statement outfit. So sweet and youthful, but still modern and chic.

                                                                                            Designer Anthony Muelle
Hueso Outlaw Designs
I chose to share two designs from the Hueso Outlaw's runway pieces to display the variation in design and print. I especially like the usage of contrasting piping that accentuates the bone snaps down the fronts.

                                                                                                Second Kiss Vintage 
Second Kiss Vintage
This is such a cool dress. Although it is vintage, it's still a very relevant piece today by the creative color blocking, asymmetry, and contrasting fabrics. Combining a classic silhouette with unexpected details, such as the single sleeve, helps the transition from one style era to another.

                                                                                                   Ladaska Mechelle 
 
Ladaska Mechelle

I love this two piece by Ladaska Mechelle. The combination of a bandeaux top and a vintage inspired bottom makes this a very on trend piece for summer 2013!

                                                                                                  It's Lynette Millinery
It's Lynette Millinery
This elaborate feather and crystal encrusted headpiece was an extraordinary addition to this glamorous gown.
                                                                                       Marquiel - Exclusive Tailoring
Marquiel - Exclusive Tailoring
As I said earlier, I love the look of white trousers, so I was definitely a fan of this almost resort style collection. There were so many chic pieces it was hard to choose just one. The addition of the contrasting scarf pulls this outfit together completely.
                                                                                                         Emmanuel Tobias
Emanuel Tobias
From extremely detailed to strikingly minimalistic, Emanuel Tobias has something to inspire everyone!
                                                                                                            Mario Alberto
 
Mario Alberto
This outfit to me is a high fashion twist on the column dress. This was so beautiful when it moved -- being able to see each detail of fringe on the skirt move as she walked was exquisite.
                                                                                                Francisco Flores INC
Francisco Flores INC
My favorite thing about this dress is the feeling of constant movement through the cut-outs, to the intricate piping, and ending off at the tail. Definitely a sophisticated piece worthy of the red carpet.
                                                                                                   Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers
I simply love the spring layering in this outfit. The multiple colors and prints used add a great deal of interest and personality to this ensemble.
                                                                                                              Bladi Duran
Bladi Duran
Reminiscent of a gown you might have seen by the late Alexander Mcqueen, designer Bladi Duran created a masterpiece with this exposed spine dress. I love the way that the "scale" design almost appears like puzzle pieces slowly falling away.
                                                                                                               Solodky
Solodky
What better way to end a runway show than with some glamor? This elaborate rose and crystal ballgown by Richard Solodky was a heart stopping finale piece! Intricate roses adorned this gown from top to bottom. The crystal waist, detailed with a gorgeous bow, added just enough "fit" to make this dress the complete package!

I hope you enjoyed this series of articles on the wonderful Fashion Cited 2013 event as much as I did! There was so much beauty shown at this event, I wish I could have had the time to talk about every single piece. Since I didn't cover every design in the runway show, please feel free to view all of the photographs from the show on Thomas Garza Photography.

Thank you to everyone who did so much work for this show and allowed me to be a part of it. Special Thanks to Thomas Garza for the fantastic pictures from the show! 
 




Thursday, April 4, 2013

Fashion Cited - Part 2: The Show Begins

     At 6:30 the doors opened wide, and the crowd began to file in. Soon the nearly empty museum was filled with the sound of lighthearted conversation, cheerful laughter, greeting of friends, and camera flashes. The arrival of guests always signals the backstage rush. Thus, pre-show prep kicked into high gear. I have no words to explain the organized craziness backstage before a runway show. I have great appreciation for the designers, directors, stylists, and models who make it happen through the seeming madness behind the scenes.
   Once the backstage rush commences, it's not usual to see a designer mingling with guests. However, I happened to spot one designer in the crowd that I recognized, and I took that as an opportunity to do a mini "before-show" interview. The designer, Anthony Muelle of Hueso Outlaw, was one I had seen show in several events but had never been acquainted with, so I was excited for the opportunity.
   Deeply inspired by the 1980's film Urban Cowboy, Anthony's designs have a rockabilly feel with a touch of old-world style. Targeting a biker and hot-rodder crowd, Hueso Outlaw is far more than typical "westernwear"; each piece is made to defy trends, span generations, and spark a sense of nostalgia in the wearer.
 "Defiantly raising the bar on style and individuality" is the heart of Hueso Outlaw. Designed and crafted as tough as its target crowd, each piece in this collection is built to last. He also makes sure that everything is natural, cotton wovens, leather, and re-purposed materials. "You won't find any polyester here!"
   The loud speaker call to "take your seats" ended our short interview. Even after just having a short chance to speak with Anthony, it was easy to understand that his designs are definitely the kind that will make easy transition from this day and age to the next! 
  Soon after the announcement to take seats, the lights dimmed, the crowd hushed, and the emcee Tim Vasquez stepped on the runway to give a small presentation and a bio of the event.
After a short explanation about Fashion Cited and The Legal Hospice Of Texas, and credit had been given to the staff and production team, the lights dimmed and the show began!

Collection #1 Haggar Clothing 
Haggar Clothing

 I chose this outfit as my favorite from the collection that Haggar sent down the runway because I am a fan of their usage of creams and whites in tandem. Its uncommon to see much styling in menswear that combines both white and cream cohesively in one outfit, and I thought that was a smooth modern statement. I'm also fairly partial to the sleek&shine texture of all the materials combined here.

                                                                                                   Collection #2 Yomono
Yomono vegan designs
   For this collection I decided to show two pieces because it offers a better idea of designer Charlotte Elliott's MO. I am always amazed by not only her skill in construction but also how smoothly her designs transition from a 1960's "menswear-as-womenswear" into a very modern feminine silhouette. I think both of these pieces are beautifully constructed and ready to wear! 

                                                                                           Collection #3 Jonathan Aparicio
 
   This was one of my favorite pieces by Jonathan Aparicio designs. I found the old-Hollywood silhouette to be perfect for such a glamorous material choice. I think this design displays skill in both draping and tailoring.


  Thank you so much for reading and joining me as I cover this wonderful show! Part three is coming soon and will contain the rest of my favorite designer pieces!
To view Thomas Garza's photographs from the entire show click here

~Mary