Trend Alert: Keys!

Hey Stylistas! I am going to try out a new segment in the blog. There are so many great things going on in the fashion world. It is always changing by the minute-fashion never sleeps!

One trend worth exploring are KEYS. Trend Alert! Now, to some this trend alert is not exactly brand new. But, they have been popping up everywhere.

I remember about two years ago my roommate went to Italy for the summer. She came back with key on a long thin chain as a necklace. I immediately thought-genius! I had never seen this before. I loved it, and knew that I had to entertain this look for myself as well. Although her key was a but different than the ones that are on trend right now, the idea and the look is still the same.

My parents were taking an Italian vacation about a month after my roommate got back from hers. I asked them to keep their eyes peeled at local vendors in Italy for these keys that I could put on a chain. Well, they had a heck of a time trying to locate these keys I was looking for. Even the Italian family they stayed with questioned my sanity and asked my mom if I was "Perso" (lost). My poor mom, determined to come back to the states with keys finally went to a local hardware store in Italy and bought old fashioned real keys. Which are exactly the same looking keys that are in fashion now-mine are just a little bit heavier on the hardware.

Then, a few months later, I had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona, Spain. While I was browsing La Rambla street during a vendors market I saw one silver key all by itself with the other jewelry charms. I snatched it up immediately and have been alternating between my Italian and Spanish keys as necklaces ever since.

Trends are funny that way. Something that seems to just appear and catch on over night usually originated from somewhere. Maybe this key trend didn't originate from Venice, Italy a few years ago. But then again, maybe it did. Just remember, you heard it here first!

Here are some of the old fashion keys, as well as the newer looking keys that can currently be found at Tiffany and Co.

What are your thoughts on the key trend? Love it or hate it?

Peacock Palette

Happy Tuesday everyone! I wanted to share a photo shoot that I styled over the winter holiday. The theme was centered around Peacocks. We did everything from a white, soft palette to an extreme jewel tone of electric blue and deep green palette. The model was great because she was like a canvas we could completely transform-an artists dream. The photographer Andrea LaBarge Mills was equally amazing and extremely professional. Some of the angels she was able to work from took the shots to a whole new level. Below are some of my favorites from the shoot.

Black/White Widow Shoot-Fall 2009

Hello! As promised, I am staying on top of my blogging! I think that I will start from the bottom of my last post and work my way up. The style project was a concept of a Black and White Widow. The Black Widow was supposed to appear dark and depressed while the other widow-the White Widow was supposed to be happy and fairy-like. When I first heard about the job, I was unaware that the styling would require-wedding dresses.

Now my first thought when I found this out (after I accepted the job) was where in the world and I going to find wedding dresses that someone is going to let me- here comes the crazy part: BORROW. Most stylist borrow and return the items that they merchandise/use. This is anything from the clothes, to the accessories, even the shoes!

Luckily for this project, I didn't need shoes. At the time of this shoot I was living in Fullerton, but working for a celeb. stylist in LA. I hadn't been working for the stylist up in LA long enough to borrow any clothes from her contacts, so I was on my own. And I needed to get resourceful, fast. First thing I did was venture over to downtown Fullerton. There are a couple of great Bridal stores down there as well as tons of vintages stores.

I walked up and down into every store introducing myself and getting to know store owners. It is not easy to feel out a store owner you just met and try to borrow there merchandise for a shoot that will most likely not be published-bc for the store owners, there is nothing in it immediately for them. And I can appreciate where they are coming from. However, that wasn't getting me anywhere either. Majority of the Bridal stores won't let you go near their gowns-they are thousand dollar gowns that could easily be stained or ruined. Part of me didn't want to responsibility of their gowns either, I knew I couldn't shell out the money it would take should anything go wrong.

Then I came across a vintage and costume store that was a true gem. They had a bunch of vintage wedding gowns to choose from, and even better, they were willing to let me borrow them for a few days for a very reasonable fee. Phew! I found wedding gowns for my first shoot on my own. I had already accomplished half the battle. To be honest, I am not sure what I would have done if I had not found this great little vintage store StrayCat & Costumes.

Here are some of my favorite images from the shoot:

The shoot went off without a hitch. I even got to do some Art Directing and play with some of the props and posing of the models. The gowns were unscathed, and most importantly my photographers were blown away by the merchandise I found for them to photograph. We all lucked out to have two beautiful models to work with.

Hello, out there! Happy April fashionistas! First, I must acknowledge that I have been hibernating and I apologize. So much has happened between now and Oct. I can't believe that was my last post. I have been taking on a handful of different projects from styling to branding and concept design. I still did some styling, but more of my own projects, and I have recently been getting photos on these. I will try to catch up and keep current. I think the best way to do it is to do a few Mini-Posts of the different projects I have been working on instead of one massive post. Just wanted to revive the blog and transition it into what is happening now! Here is a preview of some of the projects I have been working on and what is coming up in future posts....

This is the Brand Imaging and Concept Design work for International Fragrance Co.


This photo shoot was done early Spring: Concept-Anthropologie. In addition to all the styling, i was given the opportunity to also be the subject model!

This photoshoot was done during the Winter. Concept: Peacock Palette

This was done all the way back to last Fall! Concept-Black & White Widow

So in a nutshell, that is the most recent of my work and projects. I am currently styling a catalogue project for a co. up in LA. Photo shoot is this Weds. Can't give any more details on that until the project wraps and the new season's collection is shown to the public. Photos will be a month or so out. My next posts will go into more detail on the preview shoots from above.