Category — party

Shake it out! You wish you were Florence Welch with her poise and regal Elizabethan good looks. She epitomizes fashionistah adventuress in this McQueen.

Every Spring, the fashionistahs flock to worship at the altar of Anna Wintour.  En masse, they come in droves to fete the designers and out ballgown each other at an annual event, The Met Gala.  The soiree marks the opening of the fashion exhibition of two Italian designers, Impossible Conversations: Elsa Schiaparelli and Muiccia Prada at the MOMA.  If you are in New York and a lover of fashion history, you should probably check it out.

Now back to the extravagance and audacity that is the Gala.  Best-dressed lists are subjective and my point of view is that these celebs chose to go a more adventurous route, the path less beaten, choices more playful and memorable in their selection, statements so individual, they seared into the fashionistah collective consciousness. 

Fashionistah Grain of Wisdom:  When selecting evening attire, you must wear the dress and not let the dress wear you.

My girlcrush Emma Stone unafraid to rock a red floral Lanvin mini. Red lipstick + red dress. Why? Why not?

Pow! January Jones punches you in the face with her vibrant yellow Versace. Love how she paired the architectural detail of her structured peplum with a turquoise Art Deco necklace.

Gwyneth tips off her figurative hat to Prada in this satin hi-low mini dress. Deceptively modest in the front, daring in the back!

Blake Lively frolicks on the beach with her perfectly tousled blonde hair, silver tunic dress, legs up to there and gladiator sandals.

A friend once commented, “You are always taking glamourous vacations.”  To this I replied, “It’s glamourous vacations ONLY…with fun friends.”  Stay-cations are fine if you’re moving or you need an extended period of time to do monotonous errands, but I say book me the next airplane ticket out of here and it better include beach, ocean and caftans.

Not a fan of going North of 20th, but I might to hit that giant pool at the Fontainebleau. Oh yeahx3!

I am very excited to return to my stomping grounds, my Latino home away from home, South Beach.  Over the years, I have accumulated travel compulsions knowledge that have carried me many a Resort season.  If only real life could include higher levels of sun and fun, our troubles would melt away like the last ice cube in your salty margarita.  Here are some of those pearls of wisdom just in time for vacation season…

Apply a liberal coating of bronzer on thy legs before wearing bright short shorts: Free People Lace Shorts

Rise from the tides and brunch in this Nanette Lepore Marseilles Tunic. A sideways braid is the perfect way to get your salty ocean hair to chill out.

Espadrille meets Wedge in the Charles David Baja Sandal: The shoe that keeps on giving can be worn for more than a block. The perfect pair for an evening of Salsa or a day of shop-shop-shopping!

I am G-L-A-M-O-U-R: In order to have a glamourous vacation, you must channel your inner socialite. Dear heiress, try this watercolour Maggie London Maxi for size.

Blair & Serena matchy-matchy. I especially adore when you show up to an event wearing the same kind of outfit as your fashionistah bestie, "Nice lace dress!" Brainwave!

I am a naughty blogeress. Naughty x 3.  This hottt summer weather has been diverting my attention to galavanting as opposed to blogging.  What can I say?  I love heat & sunshine.

Around this time every Spring for more than a decade, my fashionistah friends and I celebrate an annual event known as Fashion Eastah.  On a road trip to Montreal, my bestie C was calling her boyfriend and due to poor reception, he misinterpreted what she was saying.  He responded, “Fashion Easter?  You girls have a holiday!?!!”  To which many a light bulb exploded simultaneously and we collectively gasped, “We TOTALLY should!”

The early origins of Fashion Eastah are mired in legends of Redbull vodkas, high heels, special edition mixed cd’s, elaborate fondant cakes baked in the shapes of shoes, riotous fashion trivia and after-hour late nights being twirled around by flaming gay boys to the techno-beat of a Killers Remix.  These days our Fashion Eastah’s are less sketchy affairs, more ladylike brunches, chiffon daydresses, quiches and spa water.  But when we get together, we reminisce tasting our first champagne at Les Bains Douches, wearing those backless tops in the 90’s to go clubbing and playing “I Want It That Way” (click to play now) on repeat while taking the EuroRail.  Good times!  BTW, the 90’s are considered retro now.  Crazytown!

Ain't nothing but a heartbreak... Confession: I was never a BSB fan but hell, I love this song because it reminds me of my first trip to Europe with my fashionistahs.

Feel free to co-opt this holiday for you & your best fashion girlfriends.  Some tips for your Fashion Eastah event:

• Flowers for the Hostess – A lovely floral arrangement is de riguer for your hostess.  After all, she has woken up early to pick up those fresh croissants, place the tablemats just so and greet you with a spritzer.  I love mixing shades of pinks, oranges, white and greens in tulips, gerber daisies and roses. Ahh, so fresh!

Domestic goddesses take note: Do co-opt the gradiant hues in this floral arrangement from Martha Stewart.

• Dress the Part – Call me Cruise, but I love setting a dress code.  Cheesy as it sounds, I get a kick out of co-ordinating outfits with my friends.  Part of Fashion Eastah is the celebration of Spring – getting to rip the hangtags off that new outfit sitting desperately in your closet or break in your new patent pastel wedges.  Plus, your clique of fashionable friends will notice your attention to detail.  “Ooh, I like how you matched your daisy earrings to the yellow piping on your skirt.” Noted!

Feel free to wear something extra girly. After all, these are your people. Constance working pastel florals in produce Aisle 1 for Vogue.

• Savour the Macarons – We had a full on conversation about macarons and how one of my friends had to chastise her husband for popping them into his mouth like a box of Oreos.  Helloooooo, those take a bajillion hours to make.  Remember to savour the macarons!

Fashion Eastah, literally! I mean, designer Easter eggs via Vogue. This would make a fun crafternoon, non? Ridiculous.

Music is my life.  My life is a dance song.  When I am in a crap mood, I blast the music and sing along.  And when I stop at a red light, I sing to my neighbour.  Don’t judge meeeaahh!

This playlist is alternately titled Botox and Hip Hop.  I didn’t want to name the post that because let’s not get it twisted – I don’t love botulism but I do love hip hop.  Alas, to each their own.  Driving bumper to bumper on the 10 West freeway takes a zen attitude, the ability to merge aggressively (yet safely) and solid tunes to enjoy the late afternoon sunset.  Being on the West Coast always reignites my love for Hip Hop.  The proximity to the beach and salty air remind me of old copies of Seventeen magazine featuring a fresh faced Cameron Diaz.    

Did you have this issue of Seventeen too? Bright, bold and casual and characteristic of California girls

Here are some tunes that remind me of California:

Lana Del Rey (aka Lizzie Grant) posters are plastered on every corner.  A young songstress who was recently remarketed to appeal to the blogosphere and Silverlake hipster set with her plumped up lips (not pumped up kicks) and 60’s styling.  Her music is a melange of heartbreak ballads (of the ‘I love bad boys but they don’t love me’ variety) and uptempo alterna-pop.  There is a lot of controversy surrounding her imminent rise to superstardom but I still dig her music.

Lana Del Rey covers British Vogue. If you can look past those plumped lips, her music is Nancy Sinatra meets a Quentin Tarantino movie.

• Lana Del Rey – Video Games
• Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

Oh boy, do I love me some hip hop! Listening to the radio in LA, they always play the best old school R&B and Hip Hop.  You definitely have the chance to discover new tracks.  A dance-y hip hop song is better than a shot of espresso in the morning.  I love the melange of genres when a hip hop artist does an alternative mashup.

• Flo Rida f. SIA – Wild Ones
• Trey Songz f. Nicki Minaj – Bottoms Up
• Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa – Young Wild Free  “So what we go out!  That’s how it’s supposed to be!”

Fun factoid: The iconic Hollywood sign was once an advertisement for "Hollywoodland," a real estate development

As a whirlwind living, globe-trotting fashionistah, my passport gets its fair share of stamp abuse from Customs Officers. 

Dramatic re-enactment:  Officer “Do you have anything to declare?” Me “I had fun.” Not True Story. Don’t try this at the airport. 

The sunshine state has its fair share of shoreline beauty but the glam factor is much like a Hollywood backdrop: airbrushed, re-touched and made for television.  For those who have high expectations of LA because of an unhealthy diet of non-reality programming, you my friend, may be a smidge disappointed.  When it comes to truly enjoying a trip, my friends often seek my advice and I theirs.  Here’s the real deal on California dreaming…

• Baby Do You Like My Ride?  Conquer your fear of the freeway and perhaps rent a behemoth SUV (Cadillac Escalade anyone?).  Los Angeles wasn’t made for passengers, pedestrians or taxicabs.  You will see most of the city by renting a vehicle and driving through the many boroughs.  It will be just like that time Di got on the Freeway in Clueless.  The most important thing to remember is that Downtown LA is sketch but neighbourhoods get progressively tony as you move westward – Hollywood, West Hollywood, to Beverly Hills and the coastal towns of Santa Monica and Malibu.

"But this is an Alaia??!!" If you drive, stay alive...and don't wreck your dress. Make sure you don't stop in shady neighbourhoods at night.

• Rush, Rush – That’s the sound of my heart bursting out of my chest as I hiked up the Hollywood Hills…or the name of a Paula Abdul song and video starring Keanu Reeves.  Park your car at the foothills of Griffith Park and walk your way to the top.  You might catch a glimpse of an off-duty starlet working on her fitness but you will certainly be rewarded with panoramic vistas of the Los Angeles skyline.  You can also take a break by visiting Grifith Park Observatory, unleashing your inner astronomy nerd.  Who doesn’t love a good Planetarium??

Griffith Park Observatory also has a water fountain in case you're parched from your hike.

• Shop ‘Til You Drop – Any true fashionistah knows you never pay retail.  “Bahh!”  Adjacent to the Beverly Center is Nordstrom Rack (perhaps one of the best I have EVER been to).  My friend J’s hair got progressively wild as she desceded into her shopping shame spiral.  The greatest scores are for designer jeans and contemporary LA-based labels.  For those stalking the Zoe (as in Rachel Zoe) or you’ve got cash-money to burn, you can try the designer vintage emporium Decades on Melrose.

West Coast Style: Channel Lauren Conrad or Whitney Port. California girls like a mix of boho and casual dressy.

• Eat Then Exercise – While it sounds as though, you may want to go easy on the carbs, the culinary delights in LA abound.  Try the Farmer’s Market at 3rd & Fairfax, a maze of local and gourmet food stands adjacent to the outdoor shopping complex The Grove.  To cool down in the heat, stop for a self-serve fro-yo and top it off with delicious toppings (cheesecake bits, fresh fruit, candies galore) at Yogurtland.  Nosh on brunch and rub shoulders with LA hipsters and undercover A-listers in West Hollywood at Taste, Toast or Joan’s.

Meet me at 3rd & Fairfaix: Get your savoury & sweet on at The French Crepe Company.

Tra La La Ladies: Weeee, isn't this so glamourous and fun

The summer with its warm beams of sunshine is often rammed with social engagements – from weddings and bridal showers to birthdays celebrated on outdoor terraces.  For occasions such as these, forego your usual skinny jeans and forget the flimsy t-shirt.  Dressing up is an integral part of the celebration! You can still be stylish and keep your cool.  Every day, I graciously accept compliments to the point that perhaps I take them for granted.  In a gesture of good will, here are my secrets to lady-like dressing.

Fresh as a Mint Julep – The easiest way to make an impression is to wear a day dress in a jewel tone lightweight cotton or linen.  Both have a tendency to crinkle so make sure your event is of the standing, sipping spritzer and mingling variety.  Vibrant colours often accentuate the glow of sun-kissed skin and make you stand out from the crowd.  I love the combination of bright red lips matched with a sunflower hued dress.  The best are A-line styles that flare at the waist into a full skirt – this is best for lithe girls who want more volume or for those who want to accentuate a tiny waist.  Add a skinny belt in a contrasting colour, presto 25% cuter!  Channelling Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.  Yes please!  

Classicly Refined: Alice + Olivia Grace Blouson Dress

Look Ma, no tan lines: Swish your skirt in this Rebecca Taylor Button Dress

Blinded by the Lights - When wearing a solid coloured dress, make sure to pop with a bold statement necklace.  Use the natural rays of the sun to make your jewellery sparkle.  Clear facetted or bezelled gems often radiate more than naturally smooth stones - it’s the cut that makes them more reflective and glittery.  If you are going to an outdoor party, why not beat the mosquitoes by pinning yourself with a faux insect such as a rhinestone encrusted bumble bee.  It’s a great ‘wink-wink’ conversation piece.  Hi-larious.

Mmm, this has an Antique Flavour: Aqua Pearl Necklace with Brooch

Bzz Bzzz: A Bumble Bee Ring for extra flare. You can often find these inexpensive pins or rings in Kensington Market.