My Current Obsession: Blumarine

During Milan Fashion Week, Blumarine, an Italian clothing company established in 1977 by Anna Molinari and husband Gianpaolo Tarabini, stunned the runway with their Spring/Summer 2015 collection. The collection featured a number of beautiful gowns with floral details. Minimal makeup and simple hair allowed the dresses to shine on the runway. Here are some of the highlights of the collection and check out the rest of the looks here.

-Kristin

Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2015

So I think it’s arguably the most exciting time of the year, New York Fashion Week. Extending from September 4^th until September 11^th, over eighty designers hailing from 12 different countries (Brazil, China, France, India, and Korea to name a few) all come together to show their creations and predictions for the Spring/Summer 2015 season.

With the power of social media, it’s suuuuper easy to see all the moments surrounding each and every fashion show from numerous points of view. To keep in touch with all the action, here are some highly recommended Instagram accounts to follow:

@sally_lapointe

@tibi

@marcjacobsintl

@evachen212

@weworewhat

@charlotteronson

@cocorocha

@Moniquelhuillier

@realgirlproject

@miraduma

@mbfashionweek
@Harry_Brant

And to get more than photos or ten second videos, you can bring the runway right to your laptop through livestreams found here:

http://newyorkfashionweeklive.com/live

http://mbfashionweek.com/new-york/schedule

If you want to go back and check out some of our favorite designers thus far, make sure to take a look at:

Charlotte Ronson

BCBGMAXAZRIA

Monique Lhuillier

Crown by Colin King

Tadashi Shoji

Tome

Meskita

Zimmermann

Tibi
Christian Siriano

And in the next few days, stay tuned for these upcoming shows that are sure to impress:

Alexander Wang

Custo Barcelona

Czar by Cesar Galindo

Georgine

Diesel Black Gold

Naeem Khan

Michael Costello

Clover Canyon

Victoria Beckham

If you need me, or want to talk all things NYFW, I’ll probably be perched somewhere in a coffee shop pretending to do actual work while really just eagerly awaiting Diesel Black Gold’s arrival on the catwalk. 

-Leah

Emmys 2014: Red Carpet

The Emmys combines my two favorite things: Award Shows and television. The big winners of the 2014 Emmy’s included Breaking Bad and Modern Family (again). Am I the only won disappointed with the lack of wins for “Girls,” “Orange Is the New Black,” and “House of Cards"? Maybe next year. 

99% of award shows have a RED carpet, and virtually everyone is aware of this. Surprisingly, there was a large amount of red worn on the carpet, and a few celebs sadly blended into the background. Check out my favorite fashion moments below and the rest of the looks here!

In no particular order:

Claire Danes, Uzo Aduba, Heidi Klum

Amy Poelher, Hayden Panettiere, Taylor Schilling

Camila Alves (my personal favorite), Taissa Farmiga, Kiernan Shipka

Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Louise Roe, Sarah Hyland

Anna Gunn, Julie Bowen, Natasha Lyonne

-Kristin

MTV's Video Music Awards 2014 Red Carpet

Another VMA’s Award Show has come and gone, along with some surprises made by the celebrities in attendance. There were some entertaining moments of the show this year, and almost all of the performances featured on the show consisted of women. (The only men to perform were Aussie boy banders 5 Seconds of Summer, Sam Smith, and Usher).  Miley Cyrus took over the VMA’s yet again, but this year, she didn’t even get up onstage. Winning the award for Video of the Year for “Wrecking Ball,” Cyrus had her award accepted by a homeless teen advocating for the charity “My Friend’s Place.” My Friend’s place is an “organization based in Los Angeles that helps homeless people from the ages of 12 to 25 find housing, jobs, health care and schooling” (NYTimes.com). (Click here to learn more)

The red carpet is always my favorite part of these award shows. Check out my favorite moments on the Red Carpet Below.

In no particular order:

Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, Miley Cyrus

Sarah Hyland, Lucy Hale, Nina Dobrev

Victoria Justice, Becky G, Holland Roden

Kendall Jenner, Kylie Jenner, Jordin Sparks

-Kristin

Teen Choice Awards Red Carpet

The 2014 Teen Choice Awards were held this past Sunday at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by Teen Wolf star Tyler Posey and Modern Family’s Sarah Hyland. Some big winners included the cast of “The Fault in Our Stars,” Taylor Swift, and One Direction. A big trend seen on the blue carpet included crop tops and braids. Check out my picks for best dressed below! Who won best dressed in your eyes?

1. Shay Mitchell 

2. Nina Dobrev

3. Janelle Parish

4. Taylor Swift

5. Kylie Jenner

6. Chloe Grace Moretz

-Kristin 

College Girl with a Stylist Mentality: Sunnies

I worked for Sunglass Hut for a couple months and learned a lot about sunglasses from the best quality polarization to pointing out the different brands of Oakleys. It was a great job and my love for sunglasses just grew. Now many of my friends have a much more extensive collection, but I thought I'd show some of my favorites.

Not to be cliche but one of my favorite brands of sunglasses is Ray Ban. Three of the Ray Bans I own are the black New Wayfarers . They are smaller than the originals and do not slant inward. They are great everyday sunglasses and look great with practically anything. The second pair are the Dylan collection, a remixed version of the clubmasters. These are a little out of my comfort zone but they are very fun. The matte nude color makes me love them even more. Lastly, are the Tech Aviator LITEFORCE in a matte black. They are the lightest sunglasses I have ever worn and literally give the most badass feel, but man do you have to be careful with them.

The second batch of my sunnies are less of the beach wear scene and more of the out on Michigan Ave. The first pair is probably my favorite pair I own which are rounded Gucci sunglasses with a black to green gradient (seen below). They are different and I like to call them my 'bitch glasses'. Right beside them are a pair of cat-eyed Steve Maddens. These sunglasses seen in every inch of Turkey. They are sassy and are a blast from the past.

Now one thing I think every person should have is a pair of cheap sunglasses. Yes, I said cheap. I cannot tell you all how many sunglasses I have bought for just a couple of bucks at Forever 21 and Target. Yeah, they may not be the best quality, but that is exactly it. They are perfect for jet skiing or any high intensity activity. No one wants to loose a $200 pair of sunglasses in the ocean!

I'm currently wanting the Original Aviators with the gold rim and blue gradient lenses, but I'm holding myself back right now. I've been pretty good and haven't bought a pair this year, but who knows if I can stay good and wait.

If you're interested, all sunglasses mentioned are linked above if they are still available.

Also, make sure to stay up-to-date with my personal blog as well found here!

-Amira

Business Casual

So here’s the deal: since the beginning of my time here at DePaul, I have noticed this incredibly prevalent concept of “business casual” that won’t seem to leave me alone. I wish you all could have seen my face when I was told that I needed to dress business casual for the first time. I stood in front of my closet with a look that I can only describe as confusion and borderline defeat. Did business casual mean I couldn’t wear pants? Did I have to wear high heels? What about hemlines? I had too many questions and Google just was not helping me out. I wanted to dress like myself, not Hillary Clinton. 

 With our generation’s movement of self-expression, just how much could I express myself in the workplace (or a workplace-like setting)? On one hand, an individual should be hired for skill. On the other, you are a direct reflection of whatever organization you are representing. To have a feeling of self while simultaneously maintaining a positive image of a given company is a skill that is—in my opinion—wildly undervalued.

 Having that in mind and through a process of trial-and-error, I started making a few general rules for business casual:

1. Don’t wear anything you wouldn't wear while visiting your Grandma

a. Respectable neck and hemlines, layyydies.

2. If you would wear it to a formal dance, don’t wear it to a business casual event

a. I’m serious; I contemplated this for a second.

3. If you aren't comfortable, don’t wear it

a. Just because you have to fit a certain dress code does not mean that you have to completely sacrifice being comfortable in your own clothing

4. (in response to #3) BUT still be mindful of your audience at whatever event you are going to or whomever you are representing.

a. Find a compromise between heels and your dirty Converse. 

5. If you don't know what you should and should not cover, cover it anyway

a. We're talking no sandals, and no tank tops unless stated otherwise. 

6. Don’t focus too much on the “business” side of “business casual” 

a. I personally found the task of business casual to be frightening, but really all that is being asked is to step up your game a little bit. No sweatpants or jeans with holes, but also no pantsuits or ball gowns. 

That being said, there are a lot of stores that offer business casual attire for college students. I mean, technically they are offered to everyone, but I think we all know who the real audience is. Anyway, I’m serious when I say that you can find appropriate (and incredibly cute) business causal at H&M, Forever 21, Zara, and all the stores that you would regularly be found at. Then there are stores like Banana Republic and Gap, which were conceived with a strict focus on business casual. It ultimately depends on how much you want to invest—both monetarily and time-wise. Personally I like having to seek out a good dress on the sale rack at Zara, but that might just be me. 

Anyway, I compiled a few options of business casual below, so take a look: 

-Leah