Late Afternoon: 3/1/10

Mix Up

(men's sweater & jeans-H&M, jacket-courtesy of Modcloth, necklace-F21, shoes- Micheal Kors via Tobi.com)
All over light wash denim right now.

A Pink Future

(via FashionGoneRogue)

Alana Kuznetsova by David Roemer for Velvet April '10, styled by Sabrina Vanotti.

Party Monsters

(dress-h&m garden collection, shoes-Gucci, clutch-vintage)

Nick won best dressed of the night!

This past Thursday 7x7 Magazine hosted a cocktail party in honor of our blogger article. I wore my brand new dress from the h&m garden collection and met a slew of wonderful SF fashionistas and fellow bloggers. All of my favorite people were in attendance and it was an all around good time, complete with a dance party and a late night dinner at Jack in the Box (yeah, we're classy like that).

The Blues

(Trench- courtesy of ModCloth, belt-Zara, skirt & top-H&M, shoes-JC, headband- courtesy of Rachel Zart)

Today was a beautiful day of brunching and haircuts. I wore my new trench from ModCloth and a blue, structural mini. I've already made it known that I adore little trenches and by the looks of it on the streets, everyone in San Francisco seems to agree. I belted my trench against the cool morning breeze, but as we got to the Mission the trench needed to come off and the belt was appropriated for accessorizing the skirt. While in the Mission district, Sam and I, ate a delightful brunch complete with mimosas, omelets, and crab sandwiches. We finished off the afternoon by visiting my dear Jennie's main man, Shannon, at Revamp. Shannon worked his magic on Sam's hair (made him look amazing!) and gave me a much needed bang trim.

Boy Meets Designer Girl

Today I have another interview for you, my lovely readers. This blog has given me so many amazing opportunities and through it I have met some truly inspiring people. Now, I want to share some of their stories with you in hopes that reading these interviews will inspire you to go for your dreams (how cheesy, I know).

Today's interview is with Stacy Morgenstern the creative director and founder of BoyMeetsGirl. I recently wore her "Love Stamp" T-Shirt Dress in this post (the dress sold out but is now back in stock here at bloomingdales).

1. How did you know you wanted to be a designer?

I grew up in Chicago. I told my Mom at the age of 4 that I would only wear dresses to nursery. I also told her I would move to NYC and start my own fashion line. So I began my life as a fashionista at the ripe old age of 4! I outfitted my pre–K classmates and staged fashion shows in my school cafeteria. I even made and sold charm necklaces to my friends in 1^st grade! My mom was an entrepreneur and I believe it was transported to me in the womb! It’s been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember…

2. How did you get your company up and running?

I designed and sewed some of my first tops in my NYC apartment that I shared with my college girlfriends. I was sewing and designing for holiday gifts, birthdays and special events in my free time while working full time as a designer at Izod. I kept my poor roommates up while sewing all night. But, they were amazing and always my best promoters. They would wear my stuff out and inevitably someone would ask them, “where d’ya get that”? From that point I started taking orders from friends of friends (this was before the world of online selling).

I knew I wanted to design a different line that spoke to an energetic, edgy and playful young woman with a confident and carefree spirit. During the process of creating this vision I knew I needed a logo that encapsulated that girl. One day my boyfriend at the time (now my husband) invited me to his parent’s house for dinner and I noticed a picture frame containing silhouettes of their three children from when they were younger. My parents had a similar picture of my mom, my sister and I when we were about the same age. I thought about us and how we still both had these young, playful, carefree versions of ourselves inside of us and I knew right then and there my brand would be called Boy Meets Girl® and that I’d use our silhouettes for the logo.

In the beginning I was working out of my apartment. I was sewing, selling, promoting (even my first “showroom” photo shoot for Lucky Magazine’s “One to Watch” was actually shot in my bedroom), shipping and doing basically everything by myself. I launched my line in Oct.2001 at a small trade show called the Workshop and at this show I opened my first department store Bergdorf Goodman. Slowly (and I mean really slowly), I was able to afford to bring on a small team but we still worked out of my house. When I was finally able to afford my own space it was the size of a closet in Union City New Jersey. I took a small bus from port authority everyday with my computer on my back to a rundown building with no running water(the building has since been condemned). Needless to say I appreciate my current space in the garment district complete with track lighting and a working elevator among other plush amenities. So that’s how I’ve grown. I really have not changed all that much…I still love to create it’s just that now I am creating a larger and more complex collection with many more moving pieces and personnel involved.

3. What are your tips for aspiring designers?

1. Be prepared to work like you’ve never worked before.

2. Being a talented designer is not enough. You need to learn how to be an effective marketer, networker, salesperson, service provider, writer, stylist, merchandiser and psychiatrist too.

3. Work with multiple vendors and never stop sourcing potential new ones. It gives you leverage and protects you from catastrophes.

4. and last but not least. BELIEVE!

My mentors like Ellie Tahari, Zandra Rhodes and Elsa Klensch were all hard workers even after they’d “made it” so that was an eye opener for me. I was smart enough to recognize that the hard workers were usually the individuals who got the big opportunities in life. They were also the ones who were prepared to capitalize on those opportunities.

4. Where do you find your inspiration?

I draw inspiration from a variety of eclectic influences such as vintage clothing, the vibrant New York art and music scenes and Hollywood’s glamourati.

This quote sums it up for me:

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” -Coco Chanel

5. What do you do when not working and designing?

Hmmm, I am not sure I'm ever not working... In those rare cases, I decompress completely. I catch up with my man, DJ Blue Steel (I give everyone in my life a DJ name and my husband is a model and

Lawyer and I loved Zoolander), I visit with friends and family, I sleep, read, watch the drummers drum in central park and workout... oh, and I watch awful TV.

Also read her interview and her shout out to yours truly at FOX Business News.

From Something Within

(via StuddedHearts)

Lonely Lilac

(trench-Robert Rodriguez, skirt & necklace-F21, sweater-vintage, socks-h&m, shoes-Jeffrey Campbell via Need Supply)

Recently I have become completely enamoured with trench coats. This lilac beauty is the second one I have acquired in the past month. There is something very chic and classic about a woman wearing a trench. They are the perfect outerwear for the spring season and add instant freshness to any look. Currently, I have been belting mine like crazy and wearing all sorts of summery dresses and skirts underneath.
The weather has been especially lovely as of late and I have been taking full advantage of the city's splendor during spring.

*Update: Since so many of you have asked, the nail polish is OPI "Do You Lilac It?" (Mouthwash you were spot on).

Americana

The second installment of our photoshoot.

Aimee asked us to wear denim shirts and had the genius idea of using these glass coke bottles.

Far Away is Where My Heart Blooms

(brocade shorts-h&m, tee-TbyAWang, blazer-vintage, shoes-Jeffrey Campbell, rings-F21,Crossroads, bracelet-vintage)

This past Wednesday I took some time off to visit my family in LA. My mom has been having some health issues and I wanted to be there for her. Aside from this rather somber occasion, I came to see my little sister, Annette. Time could not be better spent than in the presence of my family. I wish they lived closer so I could see them more often.
I truly savored the beautiful, warm weather and took full advantage of it by prancing around in shorts and dresses, without the need to layer tights, stocking and warm jackets.

Many of you have been asking me about the origins of my last name and my heritage.
I am Russian. I was born in Cuba where my parents and I lived until I was 2. My dad was a translator and was stationed in Havana. After Cuba we moved back to Moscow, Russia, where I lived until I was 9. We moved to the states 14 years ago.