Valentino

The Not So Basics

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mutedcolors4[Photos by NR]

Top: Stripes crop top c/o OASAP (cropped shorter than original)| Bottoms: Leith tube skirt | Jacket: Free People crop leather jacket | Shoes: Steve Madden | Bag: Valentino

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This past weekend, we attended a lovely brunch hosted by The Four Seasons Hotel MKT Restaurant who partnered with Vince to show off selections from their 2013 Fall/Holiday Women’s and Men’s collections. It was a really neat experience as we get to mingle, sip on bubbly and have an up close look of the collection while the models walk the dining room floor. The special 3 course menu created by Executive Chef Mark Richardson was also delicious! As much as I love the typical “runway” fashion show, this was definitely much more intimate and I love that.

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The refined but modern simplicity of the Vince Fall Collection is hot, slightly European with a nod to California casualness. It’s “Let’s do Basics” appeal to everyday practicality yet swanky and luxurious materials makes each piece a coveted item. I’m impressed by their “basics” being anything but basics. A total quietly gorgeous line if you ask me. Here are a few of my favorite looks of the day. Price tag is a bit steep but it’s surely worth every penny. I’ll surely have to save up lunch money for those edgy leather pants (bottom right)! :)

Denim in Distressed

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denimindistressed6[Photos by NR]

Top: ASOS crop top | Bottoms: DIY distressed vintage shorts (coming soon to KTRcollection online store)| Jacket: Free People | Shoes: Valentino Rockstuds pumps | Bag: Rebecca Minkoff | Glasses: Dior cat eye

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I love my short shorts denim cut offs but sometimes it’s great to just kick back in loose fitting over-sized shorts. What’s awesome about these is they are loose and comfy yet sits snug on your waist. It’s so easy to throw on and run errands in or just lounge around the house. The best thing is I can put on a pair of heels and call it a night out!

I actually made these shorts for my booth at the SJ Jazz festival where I was a vendor (reviews and my opinion on that soon :)… Have you ever tried making something with the intention of selling but ended up keeping about 5-6-7-8 of them? Yeah, that’s kind of what happened here…But a girl can’t never have enough denim cut offs right?

Neon Girl

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I really love how sweet and playful this OASAP dress is and the neon is really bright, perfect for summer and on sun-kissed tanned skin (too bad I am pale as ever right now but it still works :). I was actually running on 3 hours of sleep this day after staying up all night packaging orders for my shop but instead of throwing on sweats, I thought putting on something bright and cheerful can give me life (also with the help of caffeine). Added a black studded belt and some silver metallic heels to edgify the look. Hope everyone is having a lovely Friday!

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Dress: Neon  embroidered dress c/o  OASAP  | Shoes: Zara | Belt: studded belt (similar here) | Bag: Valentino Rockstud bag | Glasses: Lumete

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Congrats to Jessica T. for winning my handmade Wild Roses crop top and skirt set from this Post!

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Pleated Love Affair

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I’m a huge fan of statement pieces (especially with beautiful semi precious stones) so it was naturally love at first sight when I laid eyes on EselviDesigns handmade jewelry by Shainery Vargas. Most of Shainery’s designs are bold and vibrant with a feminine touch of delicate wiring details that makes each piece unique and one of a kind.

 

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Top: H&M stripes blouse (similar here and here) | Bottoms: DIY pleated (faux) leather skirt (tutorial HERE) | Shoes: Valentino rockstud t-strap black pumps | Bag: Milly | Accessories: ASOS wide band ring set, Amelie wire bracelet c/o EselviDesigns  | Glasses: Giorgio Armani

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I recalled mid last year my girl Sabby of RougeSpark and I searched high and low for the perfect black leather skirt. We seriously went on a mission (no joke) and even ordered numerous skirts online, only  resulting in returns because we refused to pay $500 for this Alice + Olivia skirt which we really loved. All we wanted was a nice quality little leather (or faux) skirt that’s affordable, but for some reason, it was nearly impossible at that time (pleated leather skirt recession I’m guessing).

Well you know what they say…when you can’t find something, just make it. Ok, I’m not sure if anyone actually said that but it sure gave me that extra push. I have to warn ya, the fabric was stubborn to work with especially through the sewing machine, but if you’re patient, you can get exactly what you want for under $25, it’s your labor of love and you can save the money to buy more shoes! :)

See my Skirt DIY Tutorial HERE

JUXTAPOSE

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juxtapose8[Photos by NR]

Top: Aqua white blazer, F21 tank | Bottoms: Vintage Levis (DIY distressed) | Shoes: Aldo metallic cap toe pumps | Bag: Valentino rockstud mini bag | Glasses/Hat: H&M | Necklace: J. Crew (similar here and here)

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If there is one word I cannot remember for the life of me to spell, it would be juxtapose. I don’t even know why, but somehow I always find myself spell checking to make sure it’s spelled correctly. Well, even if I don’t pass the spelling bee contest because of it, I’m still very much infatuated with juxtaposing outfits. In my opinion, some of the most interesting outfits usually come from mixing different elements of color and ordinary, classic and trendy, edgy and sweet…breaking up the expected and pairing it with the unexpected. Oh, I also hate the word hors d’oeuvres. Who came up with these words? :)