fashion Archives - Page 8 of 8

Snakeskin

Snakeskin is a big texture I like to use in small doses.

Snakeskin is a big texture I love to use. It’s not something to use in abundance, but in small doses snakeskin is very chic and trendy. It definitely creates a look! And with all this faux stuff available, snakeskin texture isn’t limited to belts and boots. For accessories and accents, snakeskin gives a modern, edgy look. You can find it in a variety of colors and patterns, but one thing all snakeskin has in common is a rich feel that people can’t help but want to touch.

jimmy choo irena — Jimmy Choo Irena Shoe – My every day go to shoe!

lanvin snakeskin sunglasses — Snakeskin sunglasses from Lanvin.

python belt — Python belt by Lara Bohinc.

The same approach to using snakeskin in fashion applies to interior design. A little goes a log way and packs a big punch. Snakeskin isn’t for everyone, but it’s a great textile and medium to bring out a bit of daring — very graphic and sexy.

robin brooks snakeskin lamp — Snakeskin lamp by Robin Brooks NY

Two's Company Ottoman — Two’s Company Ottoman

snake skin living room — Living room with snake skin accents. Photo by Eric Roth.

Ashley Stark’s Entry – Vintage snakeskin bench.

Color Obsession: Turquoise

Turquoise is a summery hue that really resonates with me.

Turquoise is a summery hue that really resonates with me. It’s clean, fresh, and works great as a little accent or a bigger splash of color!

1. Gracie Studio hand painted wallpaper

2. Rhys Chair from Anthropologie

3. Turquoise necklace by Alexis Bittar

4. Alexander McQueen

5. Quadrille Fabric

6. Turquoise seas in Tekek, Malaysia. photo credit

7. 10th Street Tufted Sofa

8. Christian Louboutin 20th Anniversary Unzip 100 Suede Sandal

9. Ceramic Vase lamp from Vaughan

Things I Can’t Live Without!

We all have our favorite day-to-day items, our go-to gadgets and accessories that help us stay organized, keep us on track, or simply make us feel good and lift our spirits as we get through the day. Here’s a list of things I simply can’t live without!

We all have our favorite day-to-day items, our go-to gadgets and accessories that help us stay organized, keep us on track, or simply make us feel good and lift our spirits as we get through each day. Here’s a list of things I simply can’t live without!

1. My Camera

I love my camera! Photography is definitely an art form and I love photos. I’m not a sentimental person at all, except for my family photographs. If my house was on fire and my family was safe, I would run back inside to rescue my photo albums; they mean that much to me.

2. My Watch

I wear my Cartier Roadster watch every day. It’s a piece of feel-good jewelry for me. I don’t need to wear any other accessory, but without this watch I’d feel naked.

3. The Beach

Being at the beach, any beach, simply makes me happy. We sometimes vacation at Cabo San Lucas, and the beaches there are so incredible.

4. Lip Balm

I must use Kiehl’s Lib Balm twenty times a day. I’m never without it.

5. My Hermes NotebookI have two of these great Hermes notebooks that I use for work and, of course, in my favorite shade of orange! I’m a bit old school; I still prefer to write things down instead of using my phone or a tablet. I keep one notebook for my own notes and one for my calendar. I use them every day!

6. Helmut Lang

I wear Helmut Lang almost every day. It’s functional but looks chic and stylish.

7. Picasso Etchings

Picasso’s etchings are inspirational to me. They helped me navigate my own development with sketching and drawing.

8. Tom Ford – Black Orchid

My signature scent!

9. Ochre Chandelier

Love this! The Arctic Pear Chandelier by Ochre in any size, any color.

10. Amalfi Coast and My Italian Heritage

My Italian heritage definitely defines a bit of who I am. Being able to visit Italy as a child also exposed me to traditions that influence my family life.

11. Jeans

Love these wide legged jeans – they remind me of the 70’s!

12. High Heels

High heels are a signature of my everyday dress code. I am crazy for shoes! Contractors are used to creating planks and walkways for me to get around when I enter a construction site. I am not practical by far!

Color Obsession: Tangerine

I love the exciting hue of Tangerine.

I love the exciting hue of Tangerine. It’s such an energetic and confident color, bold and certainly trendy. Tangerine is my daughter’s favorite color and the primary color of my own business cards. This color really resonates with me!

1. Room by Mary McDonald

2. Hand painted Chinese scenic panel by Gracie Studio

3. Tangerine gown by Carlos Miele

4. Greek Key Bedding with Pagoda Headboard

5. Tangerine silk clutch

6. Elie Tahari shoe

7. Leighelena Lizard Tangerine Wide Buckle Bracelet

8. Quadrille Fabrics in Pagoda

9. Interior by Lola Agaton

Aviator Style

Lately I have been loving aviator-inspired style!

Lately I have been loving aviator-inspired style! It’s such a classy blend of retro and modern, representing a chic period of American history when people were adventurous, optimistic, patriotic, and willing to take risks. Amelia Earhart embodied all of these traits, smashing stereotypes and becoming a symbol to the world that the role and image of the American woman had changed forever. Aviator style brings all of these various ideas to mind and, at the same time, looks fantastic.

aviator style — AVIATOR FASHION, created by ffpava on Polyvore.

ray-ban aviator sunglasses — Ray-Ban Aviator Large Sunglasses - Never leave home with out them.

giuseppe zanotti shoe — Leather flat, Giuseppe Zanotti Design. Love the aviator-style details.

Aviator style doesn’t have to be limited to fashion; it can also inspire interior design. Aged leather, sleek metallics, and details such as rivets create a look that is retro, chic, and memorable.

Blackhawk Coffee Table by Restoration Hardware

phillip jeffries aviator — Phillip Jeffries Aviator Wall Covering

restoration hardware aviator interior — Aviator Interior from Restoration Hardware

david catta aviator chair — Aviator Chair by David Catta

plane over new york — Plane Over New York from Bobo Intriguing Objects

*cover images via Harper’s Bazaar

Color Obsession: Ink

This deep inky color, just shy of black, is a shade I really love right now.

This deep inky color, just shy of black, is a shade I really love right now. I can see so many uses for it, from accents to wall coverings to fashion.

Cover Image: Photos by (left to right): Blue Pool Road, Pia Ulin, and Kate Mathis

1. Indigo Intrecciato Nappa Duo Bag

2. Beautiful industrial-chic kitchen with rustic touches by Richard Powers

3. Totem V by Meredith Pardue

4. Porta Romana Glass Slinky Lamp

5. F. Schumacher Greek Key Sisal

6. Surfacing by Eric Zener

7. Glazed Garden Stool by Dennis and Leen

8. Liya Kebede

9. Maharam

Fashion

It probably comes as no surprise that fashion and interior design are closely linked. A passion for one usually includes a strong interest in the other and we can see overlapping trends in color and texture.

What is it about fashion that appeals to designers? I think it’s the creativity and individual expression allowed by both. Fashion designers often take risks, combining materials and colors in unconventional ways. They focus on details, on creating a certain mood or feel, and typically have their own signature style. Like interior design, fashion often includes unique uses of materials, layers of textures, and important accessories. You don’t see a model sauntering down the runway without jewelry, makeup, a hand bag, and a gorgeous hairstyle. For the same reasons, a thoughtfully designed room has its own accessories that are crucial to the overall design.

Being both a mother and a busy designer, actually wearing the fashions I love on a daily basis is sadly impractical. As much as I’d adore spending my days looking fabulous, some styles just aren’t meant for grade school concerts, installs at new construction, or afternoons at the playground. If I could have my way, however, these are some of the gorgeous fashions I’d be seen in!

louis vitton — LV - The skirt reminds me of a laser cut leather pillow I just installed.

fashion detail — Love the metallic embroidered detail.

gold ring — Enamel hand hammered ring - so cool!

Alexander McQueen - Absolutely love the structure!

beckham shoe — Victoria Beckham - Fabulous shoe!

I may not be able to spend my days dressed as a runway star, but I do love my high heels. Anyone who knows me, knows I wear heels every day. It actually becomes comical sometimes when I visit new construction. The contractors comment on the heels and occasionally have to improvise platforms as we tour the site! I can’t run around in high fashion, but at least I still have my high heels!

*Cover image via Felicity Brown

1920’s Fashion

By 1925, the style of the Roaring 20’s was in full effect, with dresses that allowed freedom of movement and short hair to fit under stylish cloche hats.

I love just about everything about the 1920’s era. Art deco, flapper dresses, Elsie de Wolfe’s design, the carefree entertainment lifestyle. Rather than try to cover all of the fantastic things about this time period at once, I want to focus on one aspect at a time. And today, that focus is the fashion of the Roaring 20’s.

In order to understand the forces behind fashion changes that look place in the 20’s, you first need to understand the mood of the country at that time. The U.S. had just come out of WW I and was enjoying a time of prosperity and optimism which, naturally, led to relaxed social customs and morals. Prohibition was in effect but was widely ignored. Women finally won the right to vote. New advances in clothing materials such as rayon and easier-to-use fasteners like hook and eye closures and zippers made it easier to fasten clothing shut. This combination of a national good mood and modern convenience caused women to begin to abandon strict, formal modes of dress for more comfortable fashions such as shorter skirts and trousers.

By 1925, the style of the Roaring 20’s was in full effect, with dresses that allowed freedom of movement and short hair to fit under stylish cloche hats. Fashion icon Coco Chanel was one of the first women to reject the corset, cut her hair, and wear trousers. I can easily imagine how liberation from corsets would inspire women to kick up their heels and do the Charleston!

77476056059547747_UG207wiT_f — Bobbed hair, cloche hat

77476056059547799_f7nUGj6l_f — Flappers (image via corbis)

77476056059547791_s2qszRaS_f — Love the black and metallic combination.

Unsurprisingly, modern fashion still takes inspiration from the 1920s. You don’t have to look far at all to find designers drawing from iconic flapper style.