Behind The Cocktail Ring

Bloggers and Fashionistas Get Ready...

2012-06-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

Fashion Destination Groups event of the year is about to take way! Their Summer Fete is this Saturday which will host Industry Seminars, Outdoor Runway Shows during the day, Swim and Luxe Runway shows in the evening, Celebrity Brands and special celebrity guest appearances! Now only if I can decide what to wear...

Are you going to the event? What are you planning to wear?

Style of the Day - Nostalgic For The 90's

2012-05-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Hat nastygal.com, Romper Vintage from Rose Bowl Flea Market, Cuff Kendra Scott, Boots Jeffery Campbell

Style of the Day - Crazy Hair Day

2012-05-09T15:01:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted and I apologize. Work's been crazy busy but I can't complain, busy is better than dead especially for a stylist. The weather in LA has been amazing this past week and I can finally break out all the dresses, shorts and skirts that have been dying to make their way out of my closet.

Dress Buffalo Exchange, Boots No Rest For Bridgette in Costa Mesa, CA. Hair, unbrushed and bed tousled.

Style of the Day - Coachella Hat

2012-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

So I just got the hat I ordered from Nasty Gal last week and thought I'd try it out and wear it to work. The perfect touch to my Ella Moss styling outfit.

Hat Nasty Gal, Cardigan Topshop, Tank H&M, Jeans J Brand, Shoes Zara.

Rag & Bone Obsessions

2012-04-03T15:30:00.001-07:00

If my closet could only be full of one designer, it would definitely have to be Rag & Bone! Not only do they have flawless quality but the creativity and versatility of their pieces is on point.

Obsessing over this bleached denim jacket with super soft leather sleeves.

The Jean Jacket

I'm a sucker for a wide leg pant! Especially one made of silk.

Racine Pant

A girl can never have too many blouses. You can dress them up for a wine night with the girls or dress them down with shorts and boots for the office or shopping trip.

98 Shirt

The Jasmin long sleeve top is the perfect top for a trip to the farmers market or even Sunday brunch in Newport Beach.

The Hart Biker Jacket is on my ultimate wish list! Waiting for this piece to go on sale so that I can afford it and add it to my clothing family.

And last but definitely not least, Rag & Bone's denim collection. I love their prints!

Biba Short

Legging Goetz Print

White Tuxedo Skinny

Style of the Day - Scalloped Shorts

2012-04-03T10:23:00.000-07:00

It's a nice 75 degrees today is Cali and I wanted to be comfy, yet stylish at work.

Shirt Forever 21, Shorts H&M, Boots Charlotte Russe, Necklace Top Shop

Coachella - Day 2 Inspiration

2012-04-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

The look I'm going for for the second day of Coachella is a hip Indie Rocker look. I got most of my inspiration from Nasty Gal because I feel their site hits the nail on the head as far as the look I'm going for. I'm absolutely obsessed with their site. I even grab some inspiration from their site for my own daily personal style.

The hat and cut out collar necklace I ordered from Nasty Gal just arrived today and look fab! So perfect for my Indie Coachella look.

All images taken from Nasty Gal and can be purchased there. Bottom center photo taken from Omen Eye and can be purchased on their site. I love this company! I met their team at Project and they are amazing. Each piece is made to order so no 2 pairs are alike.

Coachella - Day 1 Inspiration

2012-03-30T12:00:00.001-07:00

Well, Coachella's only 2 weeks away and I can already hear the music pounding in my head and feel the rocking beats. Not only am I stoked to witness legends in the making, discover new artists and dance the weekend away, but I'm even more excited to plan my outfits for these 3 days of festival madness.

Bikini Forever 21, Dress Stone Cold Fox, Fringe Boots Minnetonka, Cuff Nasty Gal.

Style Of The Day

2012-03-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Jacket Zara, Shirt Forever 21, Jeggings J Brand, Boots Rag & Bone, Earrings Chanel

Cabin Fever - My work for the Ben Trovato Blog

2012-03-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted the editorial I styled for the Ben Trovato Blog yet but here it is! It's also to this day one of my favorite shoots.

Joe says they were more focused on creating a visual story that is accentuated by differences in styling, and that they were not influenced too much by other visual references.”We wanted to convey femininity in a soft and a hard form. We love our industry but feel that while everyone is trying to innovate constantly and people do for the most part, it just doesn’t stick for one reason or another. We keep coming back to classic and safe things that we know work and they look damn good. This sort of represents a difficult cycle to break.”
Stylists Elizabeth Watson and Crystal Ung from Liz + Crys says they always try to exude class in everything they do, but at the same time be able to make a bold statement. “We really loved this concept because it gave us a chance to do just that. Through mixing tailored pieces with statement pieces we were able to portray a classic look but at the same time give it a bit of edge. Villanueva & Stone’s Cabin Fever concept really inspired us to play with various emotions within the styling. We feel that it’s not just one person that makes the shoot a success but the entire team and this team was definitely one we were happy to be a part of.”
Joe and Katie agrees, and tells us of a great day shooting: “- This was our first time working with the styling team Liz and Crys. They did a fantastic job with the styling, we loved their dynamic and taste. We have a great working relationship with Ashley the makeup artist for the shoot, sometimes we get our portfolios mixed up. We would work again with everyone in the team and encourage everyone to check out their work. Our work would definitely not be the same without the artists we collaborate with,” they say, before praising model Wylie: “- Wylie is a natural. She is a model who definitely knows what she is doing but makes it look effortless. She has a great face and piercing eyes, there is a quality to her that you don’t find in very many models. When she stands in front of the camera she knows exactly how to move her body and emote with her face, she gets it.”
Credits
Photography by Joe Villanueva & Katie Stone (facebook | twitter | blog)
Styling by Elizabeth Watson & Crystal Ung of Liz + Crys
Makeup & Hair by Ashley Lueckenhoff using NARS makeup
Model – Wylie Hays @ Next LA

Images and exert taken from bentrovatoblog.com

Style Fashion Week - Day One Ina Soltani

2012-03-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

A little Christian to start off the week. Anxiously awaiting the next show, cocktail in hand.

Leather bermuda shorts, yes please!! I need these for spring ASAP. They can rock up any outfit. I would wear them with a mint green blouse, buttoned all the way up and a gold collar necklace.

Desiree and I backstage after the show. fShe is one of the key makeup artists for the entire week at Style Fashion Week. Work it girl!

Ina's show was full of leather and I love me some leather. The leather romper was to die for. I don't think I've ever seen a leather romper and it was definitely fab! I like the fact that Ina incorporated a few different unique groups in her collection but I thought it also made the flow of the show a little awkward. I like that she used color in her show but the fact that it was only for a few garments didn't make sense. I could definitely see a few of these pieces in an editorial and would love to work with Ina in the future!

xoxo

Style Fashion Week - Day One STOP STARING!

2012-03-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to go with a little boho glam style for the opening day of Style Fashion Week. I was already a little exhausted from Concept so thought this look was a little less maintenance but still chic.

Dress by Parker, Purse Louis Vuitton, Shoes Christian Louboutin, Ring H&M, Lipstick MAC.

For those of you who don't know STOP STARING!, it is a vintage inspired line designed and created by the wonderful Alicia Estrada. Her tailoring is flawless and I can't get that gold, sequin finale dress out of my head. (I can't believe her sister had to convince her to keep this piece in the show.) There were a variety of silhouettes to be seen at the show, ranging from body hugging dresses to circle skirts, and my personal favorite the peplem skirts. I noticed that metallic's were prominent in the show with the use of sequins, silver and gold metallic fabric. I loved the touches of fur throughout the show and also the gloves used to glam up the looks.

Alicia, congratulations on the bun in the oven! I had the opportunity to chat with Alicia after the show and she shared with me that she might not be showing next year because... she's 3 months pregnant! We are all so excited for her.

xoxo

Concept Fashion Week Day 2 - Jen Awad Show

2012-03-22T10:34:00.001-07:00

The Jen Awad show was definitely more my speed. I can see almost every one of her pieces living in my closet. Her line consisted of wool, metallic fabric, satin, fur and extreme hardware. I was definitely feeling the rocker, boho chic vibe her show gave off. A few of my favorite pieces in her collection were the tailored cropped biker jackets with zipper details, both in black and hot pink, the high-waisted bloomer shorts(I'm bloomer obsessed) and her pants suit. I was also very happy she decided to use color in her collection. After a weekend full of colorless collections, a little splash was refreshing to see.

I also spotted a new trend at this show, wearing sheer thigh highs as an accessory. I jumped on the thigh high trend a couple years ago and have always loved it thanks to one of my all time favorite movies, Clueless, however I never saw sheer thigh highs being worn until tonight and I'm all about it! I also noticed Blogger's Teresa Marino and Emily Kolberg wearing this trend to the show.

The statement lipstick the models were wearing was also an A in my book. You can't ever go wrong with a pop of color!

Alysha stylexperiments and I ready for the show to start

xoxo

Concept Fashion Week - Day 2 Nami Show

2012-03-20T00:45:00.000-07:00

With designer and good friend Curly Vee

Curly Vee's installation. His black and white character pieces seem to be his trademark. Curly uses cutouts of teeth, eyes, etc to help bring pieces to life in a fun and quirky way.

Jacket Vintage Jen Awad, Shorts Urban Outfitters, shoes Jeffery Campbell, Glasses Chanel, Bag Chloe

Thai Nguyen is another talented local designer. He specializes in Red Carpet worthy Couture evening gowns as well as Couture Bridal Gowns.

Alysha Kelley stylist and blogger stylexperiments looking fabulous.

You've got to love bow ties for women! I absolutely love Teresa's look.

The Nami show included garments of various textures and fabrications. She used fabrics such as lace, silk and wool. One of my favorite things about the Nami collection was the creative cut outs in the backs of a number of the garments. I also enjoyed the various ways she incorporated lace by using it as panels in a maxi dress as well as for the bodice and neckline of certain pieces. Another favorite of mine were the over-sized, draped, dolman sleeve cardigans and sweaters, which would be perfect for these last few cold months of Spring.

However, I wish she incorporated more use of vibrant color in her collection. I am currently obsessed with the color nude but I felt like a few of these pieces would have stood out more if she had included a little more color in the collection.

Concept Fashion Week Day 2 - Laili Lau Show

2012-03-12T17:53:00.000-07:00

Two of my favorite parts about the Laili Lau show were her fabulous draping techniques and the absolutely incredible harem pants that made their way down the runway paired with a variety of textured tops. There were tops such as cashmere, knit, dolman sleeve sweaters with sequin cluster detailing, crocheted over-sized knits and draped cashmere asymmetrical tanks.

Everyone sitting around me, including myself, were absolutely dying over the harem pants. These pants being made of materials such as metallic faux leather and crocheted cashmere, how could you not go crazy over them. I personally need to pick up a pair of the green crocheted harem pants ASAP!

Wearing a vintage Jen Awad(local LA designer) Jacket, Chanel Frames and MAC Lip Gloss in Strut Your Stuff.

Style Of the Day-Before Tonights Fashion Festivities

2012-03-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

Shirt Urban Outfitters Upside Down, Scarf H&M, Coated Leggings Krisa

Concept Fashion Week - Day 1 Chambers Show

2012-03-11T12:16:00.003-07:00

"Chambers Clothing est. 2010, Los Angeles California. Devin Carlson and Matt Goldman just made it cost a lot less for cute boys to look hip. Their new line, Chambers -- full of easy-to-wear collared shirts, jacket and sweater standards treated with a stylish twist—is perfect for lazy guys who don’t want to think too much about their outfits."

(Taken from California Apparel News written by Rhea Cortado)

Sitting next to one of my favorite boys Elio Montoya.

The men's outerwear at the Chambers show was impeccable. I also loved the way the show was styled, very hip!

Concept Fashion Week - Day 1 S&G Show

2012-03-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

We started the night off with the S&G show. S&G is owned and designed by Sequoia and Gita and was founded in 2007 in San Fransisco. They recently moved their headquarters to Hollywood and now have a boutique on Melrose.

One of my favorite pieces in the collection is this sheer paneled pant suit.

Loved all the leather and sheer paneling of the pieces. Great details in the garments. Also loved the hats the used to complete the looks!

Marci, fellow stylist and blogger of Fringe Fries and I

Pre LA Fashion Week Event

2012-03-11T11:14:00.001-07:00

It was so nice to have a chance to socialize with fellow bloggers and fashionites before the insanity of fashion week. Which shows and events we were going to and which we were most excited about. Learning more about each others blogs and what we all do in the industry. A great time for us all to get together and just hang out.

Alysha, fellow stylist and blogger of Stylexperiments and I wearing our bold colors.

Jacket Zara, Collar Necklace H&M, Leather Fringe Skirt Zara, Shoes Brian Atwood, Bag Chloe

Thank you Hard Luck for the tasty drinks. The Red Fish Vodka really tasted like Red Fish candy!

(Last 2 photos taken from LookbookLA)

Trend Alert: Digital Print Garments

2012-02-01T23:14:00.000-08:00

So lately these digital printed garments have been popping up everywhere and have been strongly catching my eye. One of these type of pieces are definitely on my "to buy" list. Keep an eye out for these statement pieces this spring.

Affordable styles can be found at: Nasty Gal and Anthropologie

Style of the Day - Birthday Dinner

2012-01-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Although my birthday was a few weeks ago I wanted to post a few outfit shots. I chose to wear a red ostrich feather skirt I got at Zara in Brazil with a black tank, black Christian Louboutin peep toe pumps, necklace from Target and Chloe bag.

With friends, co/workers and fellow bloggers Alysha from the blog StylExperiments, Marci from the blog Fringe Fries, my cousin and one of my best friends.

Crazy Legs

2012-01-26T11:16:00.000-08:00

So excited for all the crazy patterned, neon and tie died denim/leggings for the Spring season. These bright, wild prints are poping up everywhere from designer labels like Rag & Bone to major denim brands Hudson, Paige, and Seven For All Mankind. I don't know about you but I'm loving it! How about you?

Hudson

Rag & Bone

Paige

One of my personal fave's Black Milk Galaxy Leggings! Amazing!

Schutz=Amazing German Shoes

2011-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

Spent the day shopping yesterday and was encountered by many a fabulous shoe! One of which I couldn't help myself but to purchase...

I'm now the very proud owner of these baby's! Can't wait to wear them to an event soon!

Me, looking very touristy! Shirt Lacoste, Bermudas Zara, Sunglasses Chanel, Crossbody Bag Marc Jacobs, Sandals Forever 21

You can check out more of their collection at loja.schutz.com.br

Biquini Brasileiro aka Brazilian Bikini

2011-12-31T16:08:00.000-08:00

During my visit to Brazil we took a trip over to Guaruja Beach for a few days. One of the items on my must purchase list was a Brazilian Bikini and man did I find some. They cut is amazing and really flatting. I'm definitely hooked.

The first one I fell in love with I shockingly found at the hotel gift shop! Was even able to barter with the sales lady.

Love these striped bottoms!

Havaianas in Brazil

2011-12-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

During my 2 week visit here in Brazil, I've come across many inspiring things. One of them being the obsession with Havaiana's. Local's have told me these poplar and now expensive flip flops use to be the shoe of choice for members of the working class like maids for example. More recently they went through some major re-branding and became attractive to those in the US, being sold at high end retailers such as Nordstrom and other department stores as well as high end boutiques like Kitson on Robertson Blvd.

I got the chance to visit a couple of the local stores here in Sao Paulo which were both completely packed with people. Havaiana's have become such a huge deal not just in Brazil, but wold wide. Definitely picking up a couple pairs for myself as well as a couple gifts. My favorites are the thin strap ith the new gold foil logo!

Store front in one of the biggest malls in Sao Paulo

Cute window displays

You can even design your own style with mix and match body's and straps

One of their newer styles

Feliz Natal!