Sidewalk Catwalks

one blazer two ways {2}/ baggy blues

2013-05-21T01:48:00.001-07:00

blazer/ Versace

t-shirt/ T by Alexander Wang

pants/ Sebastian's (literal boyfriend jeans)

bag/ ASOS

heels/ Alexander Wang

After the first part comes the second of my justifying this splurge by photographing it. This time, instead of teetering around on Barbie pegs, I went for the option of stealing a pair of overly baggy pants from Sebastian's side of the closet and called it a day. And I must say: men have it good. There's tons of extra room for pocket essentials and the food baby belly that comes after every mouth watering meal. What's not to love?

one blazer two ways {1}/ price & prejudice

2013-05-16T05:36:00.000-07:00

blazer/ Versace

t-shirt/ T by Alexander Wang

jeans/ Vero Moda
clutch/ Rianna Phillips

heels/ Tibi

lipstick/ NARS Schiap

I have done the whole 'wow look at my versatility when it comes to styling!' spiel before, and thought I'd give it a go again.

This Versace piece was not a 'my heart got so caught up that I just haaaad to have it' kind of situation; I found it, couldn't decide, left the store in the mindset that my wallet couldn't handle that kind of cardiac arrest, drove away, and then sat idle as Sebastian turned around on the highway to go back because he actually agreed that it was something practical to splurge on. I couldn't love him more because his judgement was better than mine, and now I have a day-to-night-to-wherever-the-heck-else piece happily hanging in my wardrobe.

Also, pink. Enough said.

tropic thunder

2013-05-13T00:24:00.000-07:00

t-shirt/ La Piccola T-Shirteria

skirt/ ZARA

heels/ Shoedazzle

sunglasses + necklace/ H&M

lipstick/ M.A.C. Ruby Woo

Was busy running around in this getup all day, and when we finally got the chance to shoot it, the planet decided to pour rain in all its fury upon us. My camera got wet, my hair got soaked, and I have absolutely no idea how these photos managed to come out without me looking like a scrappy puppy. All is fair in love and fashion, I suppose. And everything is better when you have a flower-covered female splayed across your boobs.

p.s. My floor and I had sorted this outfit out a whole ago; it's perfect to have a pre-planning board for almost everything you do in life.

eye spy spring

2013-05-07T00:43:00.003-07:00

sweater/ Forever21

skirt/ ZARA

bag/ MANGO

heels/ Jeffrey Campbell

sunglasses + bracelet/ ASOS

In between sneezes and raindrops these photos were shot, but (sneaky) bad weather and allergies can't stop me from scouting out the most in-bloom white flora and planting my chubby knees front and center.

But more importantly, can we observe how creepy my wrist-eyeballs are? I'm a little afraid to keep them anywhere close to me when I sleep, for fear of them giving me the death stare. They still serve as a purposeful accessory/ toy, but they are always secretly chanting "Eye'm watching you..."

free to flaunt

2013-05-01T00:41:00.001-07:00

skirt/ Helmut Lang

jacket + top / H&M

booties/ Shoemint

bag/ Cambridge Satchel Company

Since moving to Munich, I have been ever captured by its enthralling hidden beauty. It's not one of those cities that you can get a guide book for and do in a day; you need time to walk, explore and be amazed by the hidden gems cowering in each corner. These shots were shot right under the Freedom Angel, which gave me all the more right to flaunt neon as freely as I saw fit.

In other news, I was pretty sick when we took these; intense-as-heck allergies, anyone?

(im)perfectionist

2013-04-27T02:06:00.001-07:00

cape/ Barneys New York

mohair sweater + silk pants + clutch/ H&M

heels/ BCBG

watch/ Skywatch

ring/ hardware store

Immediately after looking at these photos, I wish I had worn this sweater. It would have synched perfectly with the allergy bombs in the background, and the perfectionist in me was scraping it's nails against my insides. I was terribly tempted to change sweaters and go shoot again, but then realized that I might as well show the (online) world that I am not carefully curated.

What we see on the internet around us is often mistaken for perfection: "whoa, how did she simply stumble across such a beautiful backdrop," or "how does she eat so much and stay so thin?" Everyone's lives seem better than our own. Yet there is so much effort that goes into the maintenance of that image, and so much that stays behind the scenes. "Be yourself" has become synonymous with "show only the best side of yourself," and it's quite a sad fact.

Then again, I'll never Instagram my 'just woke up face' because frankly, I look like Frankenstein.

And all revelations due to the color of a stupid sweater.

{catwalks chit chat} don't feed the fashion people

2013-04-23T03:04:00.000-07:00

This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, but always avoided because I run a ‘fashion blog,’ a.k.a. solely images of myself looking serious and wearing cool clothes. But there is so much more to me than simply bags and shoes and sartorialism.

This is my space in which I can compose whatever I wish, and so the Catwalks Chit Chat series is born.

Weight is one of the heaviest things on our minds (mind the very intended pun). We are confronted with it on a daily basis, and for many it is more than an issue; it is a war. It is waking up and looking in the mirror to see if anything has changed, and being disappointed when it hasn’t. It is eating salads and drinking green juices and always avoiding the elevator with a vengeance, all to obtain a certain ideal that we believe we should achieve.

Why? Because what used to stay in magazines has now become reality. Fashion bloggers, who are meant to represent ‘real girls,’ are just as thin, tall and beautiful as the models who walk the runways. And though you may not be a stick when you start, you lose weight as you inch further and further into the spotlight. Mind you, I have always believed that your weight doesn’t make you ‘real’ or ‘fake’; it’s merely an observation that every new tab we open in our browsers brings us to another skinny chick.

It’s hard to keep up with. An industry shrouded in detox diets, sample sizes and protruding pelvic bones has influenced a generation of impressionable minds. Tumblr is filled with ‘thinspo’ blogs, herding sheep-followers to eat an apple a day, but it’s only to keep the flab away. Twitter personas constantly twit on about their skipped meals and water for dinner. Cleanses are cool and thighs that don’t touch are in demand.

But this isn’t how it should be. Our beauty lies in our imperfections; if we were all the same, what would be the point. If my cheeks weren’t so chubby, if my shoulders weren’t so broad, if my knees didn’t look like floppy alien masterminds: all the ‘if’s should remain in their realm of fantasy. Being thin is fine, but so is having a little junk in the trunk.

I know for a fact that my boyfriend enjoys me more when I enjoy myself. When I can indulge in a good meal, when I skip a run to cuddle instead; he understands the conflicts that constantly being in front of a camera brings, but he has always told me he loves my little curry belly anyway (ugh, Indian genes much).

And so I want to pass this wisdom on to you, because even if you don’t have someone to tell it to your face, it is true: just thin is not beautiful. You know what is? Intelligence. Having a sense of humor. Being able to get out of your head and into the world, and not constantly worry about the number on the scale.

p.s. Speaking of scales, mine (pictured above) is a pretty interesting futuristic/ minimalist looking one. I also haven't stepped on it in years. Deal with it.

What do you think? Continue the chit chat in the comment box below!

painted sheep

2013-04-20T01:24:00.000-07:00

tshirt/ Esprit

vest + skirt/ ZARA

sneakers/ Nike

clutch/ Callixto

watch/ SKYWATCH

I'm not even going to mention the whole 'it's THAT skort' speil because, well, it's a piece of clothing. It's easily style'able, versatile and actually affordable; who wouldn't want to jump on the bandwagon with those qualities in tow (for the record I initially spelt that as 'in toe,' jeesh girl it's early but get your act together).

I will, however, mention that I'm not going with the whole 'all white' act. I take greater enthusiasm in pairing two very bright, clashing colors and calling it a day.

p.s. These sneakers see a lot of action, but they're also great still life actresses.

flat out

2013-04-15T02:20:00.000-07:00

blazer/ 3.1 Phillip Lim

skirt/ Helmut Lang

bag/ GiGi New York

flats/ Charles Philip Shanghai
iPhone case/ The Case Factory

No, I am not going to go on the 'oh my gawwsh the weather is so warmmm' rant. I will also avoid the 'I am totally pulling out all the colors for spring' because I never stop wearing brights, and never believe that the seasons should dictate what hues I choose to drape my body in.

Some thigh high slits, a pair of city-friendly shoes and a huge a$$ bag to carry half my possessions around in. Ready, set, spring.

redrock

2013-04-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

faux fur/ ELLE

jacket + pants/ H&M

heels/ Shoedazzle

earmuffs/ ASOS

lipstick/ M.A.C.

Yet another escapade in me flailing about in heels. Apologies for the extreme shortness of said flailing in motion; this little specimen was shot before the weather got warmer, and I basically froze my painted lips off.

I came across Redrock Micro while searching the web for a rig worthy of getting rid of the eternal shakiness that comes with lugging around a DSLR, and found that the Running Man is perfect for our on-the-go-ness. You'll definitely be seeing more Catwalks in Motion to come, so stay tuned!

Equipment/

Canon 60D + 50mm 1.8 lens

Redrock Micro Running Man Rig

Final Cut Pro X

Song/ Electric Feel by MGMT

bright eyed gangster

2013-04-05T04:29:00.000-07:00

faux fur/ ELLE

shirt/ COS

jeans + bracelet/ ZARA

bag/ Cambridge Satchel Company

iPhone case/ The Case Factory

sneakers/ New Balance

I know, I can hear it resonate in your brains: "Sheesh, how many times is this delusional chick going to wear sneakers and get away with it?!" The answer is: whenever I want. Cold weather, icy sidewalks and snow (in SPRING, mind you) don't make for happy heel time. Also, I'm not going to lie and say I wear stilettos to do errands. I don't.

p.s. Can I once again state how much I love graffiti? If you offered the proposal of trading my faux fur for a couple cans of neon spray paint, I'd probably go for it.

spring into snow

2013-04-01T01:38:00.000-07:00

blazer/ Theory

faux fur vest/ Tart Collections

tshirt/ Esprit (Men's)

trousers/ ASOS

necklace/ Rocks Paper Metal

beanie/ H&M

heels/ Tibi

It may technically be spring, but it's snowing and therefore it's still winter in my books. Hence the color: I can never fathom why people say that color is for summer, because my feelings are the polar opposite. When your surroundings are a colorless monochrome, why not spice it up and stand out? Step into some brights, close your eyes, and enjoy the wet flakes on your (faux) fur.

{sidewalk sojourn} london

2013-03-25T02:26:00.002-07:00

As you may gather, our trip to London for Fashion Weekend involved lots of random prancing around, walking off of butts and very few clothing options. Packed super light and decided to actually focus on the beauty of my surroundings (save for a day of filming with Canon, that was

completely fashion oriented), but definitely took the time out for some good drinks, a couple colorgasms and eventually painful heels.

London, London, you are beautiful, lad.

p.s. I was halfway through getting to Hogwarts for my first semester when I received notice that I had been rejected for not having hair that met the minimum standard of frizziness and eyes that have lack of spastic frazzle. Very disappointing.

much ado about notting

2013-03-20T03:14:00.000-07:00

wool coat/ thrifted

snake vest + leggings + hat/ H&M

tshirt/ Studded Petals

clutch/ Callixto

sneakers/ Nike

Spent our last Sunday morning in London a few weeks ago wandering around Notting Hill. Mornings that entail a long lazy brunch and flat shoes are the best mornings. The only way to make such an a.m. all the more enthralling is to have a feline fashion icon staring at you from my boob area.

space cadet

2013-03-15T04:46:00.000-07:00

jacket/ Sugarlips

shirt + clutch/ H&M

blouse/ vintage

skirt/ Lulu's

sunglasses/ zeroUV

heels/ Sears

Constantly sniffing around for cool shoot locales and came across this other worldly lighting situation, similar to the fixtures you would find aboard Buzz Lightyear's star ship. Or perhaps my imagination just got a little out of hand.

Whatever the case, I felt it was compulsory to dress up in various isotopes of metallic'ness and pretend I was being trained to attend space school. A girl (who just wants to be/date an astronaut) can dream.

scaling a mirage

2013-03-12T02:50:00.000-07:00

dress/ Motel Rocks

cropped jacket/ H&M

sunglasses/ zeroUV

booties/ Shoemint

iPhone case/ The Case Factory

I have two words for you guys: TOTALLY PRACTICAL. I kid, I kid; you didn't really think I scamper around the supermarket in this dress, did ya? I'm not in Hollywood and my abs aren't rock solid (thus providing me with all the more to jiggle when I wiggle), but this doesn't stop me from slipping on some sequins and shakin' what my momma gave me ... and what used to make my diaper stick out a mile from my body when I was a tender young babe.

Tried to tone it all down by avoiding stilettos and covering up with a ribbed jacket, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this gorgeous pony hair case draws all the more attention. Why not; go big or go home. And my butt is definitely saying 'go big baby, go big!'

mind the gap, chap

2013-03-07T01:31:00.000-08:00

wool coat + blouse/ thrifted

pants/ ASOS

heels/ ZARA

hat + silver necklace / H&M

sunglasses/ Le Specs via Sunglasses Shop

mint necklace/ Rocks Paper Metal

Ah, London. The city of red buses, black taxis and a spectrum of styles. Spent a wonderful few days attending London Fashion Weekend with Canon, filming as the winner of their Best Streetstyle Contest, and generally walking around like a tourist with fluffy earmuffs.

Regardless of the fact that I did in fact have these Le Specs sunglasses with me in tow the whole time, the sky decided that a steady flow of light snow would be sufficient. C'est la vie, who wears sunnies just because it's sunny, anyway?

p.s. Expect more photos + a video soon!

{catwalks collage} oh my moc!

2013-03-03T00:43:00.000-08:00

Phew, hope you don't get sick of my face/ semi-awkward poses after scrolling through this photo overload. Hopefully you've even made it this far, and if not then I'm just typing to myself and my overly puffy earmuffs and faux fur cocoon of warmth.

I teamed up with Minnetonka to bring these three looks to life, revolving around the statement that comfort can in fact be chic (well, as chic as giving a death stare to the camera can get). Whether it's with a huge travel tote and reflective headphones that you designed yourself, or with a dress that's way too short for the weather (been there, done that), there's plenty of ways to strut around in winter without resorting to sweats and a certain cloth boot that forces me to make a gutteral UGH (...hint hint).

p.s. If you WANT TO WIN one of these three pairs, simply leave a comment below with your email address and your choice. (& I'm not nationalist, but this is open to U.S. residents only)

you blue me away

2013-02-26T01:13:00.000-08:00

faux fur/ ELLE

turtleneck/ old

pants/ Friends & Associates

sunglasses/ zeroUV

earrings/ H&M

heels/ Nelly

For once, my legs are actually covered while trodding through snow-covered streets. It's now apparent that miracles do happen. Decided to go all out with the doses of blue and pop on some cobalt eyeliner and sapphire ear chandeliers. All to accent the fact that I did indeed iron these pants numerous times before wearing, but my daily life and I somehow cause wrinkles to survive in all their glory.

terracotta forest

2013-02-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

coat/ thrifted

sweater + beanie/ H&M Trend

sunglasses/ ASOS

faux fur/ Karen Kane

skirt/ Charlotte Kan

rings/ hardware store DIY

heels/ Alexander Wang

It's not every day a beautiful young designer makes you a beautiful silk skirt in a bright color because she knows how intense your colorgasms over bright, rich hues are. Couldn't wait for the warmth any longer and decided to bare it all for the sake of style (which, by now, my knees & nether region are getting quite used to).

And yes, I did conveniently place that pot next to me in an attempt to be super creative and artsy. Shut up and love it already.

damp & dapper

2013-02-16T01:01:00.001-08:00

trench/ vintage

dress/ Friends & Associates

heels/ Shoedazzle

sunglasses/ zeroUV

lipstick/ M.A.C. Ruby Woo

A little post-Valentine's day vagina-ism, proving that the whole red/ pink color scheme is not just acceptable on that sole day of mushy love and overly visual affection. Also proving that no matter how cold the weather or how dry the legs, nothing will prevent a girl from bearing knees and ankles in the cold if she feels like it. And though she may feel like it, she surely will not be able to feel said knees and ankles post-photo session.

the not-so-mighty jungle

2013-02-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

cape/ Barneys New York

floral bomber/ chicwish (on sale here)

silk blouse/ MaxMara

iPhone case/ Anicase

bag/ Walmart (lol, no joke)

heels/ Jeffrey Campbell via Ashbury Skies

jeans/ Anine Bing

These were definitely pre-snow; cut forward to a day at Fashion Week and I'm wearing huge galoshes to overcome the mammoth slush puddles that define every crosswalk. I'm not complaining though; I love the snow and all the beauty it brings with it. Perhaps slightly less beautiful once a myriad of taxis have plowed through it... then it becomes 'urban' beauty, I suppose.

Anyway, back to the present. This little leopard friend from Anicase is amazing and you should get one (I was sent a tiger too); 10% of the profit goes towards helping endangered animals, and each case comes with a little bio on the inside about the creature you're housing your gadget in. Cute and for a cause, who doesn't desire that. Paired with some big gold sun protection, that is.

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Chanel Giveaway!

hipster hood

2013-02-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

wool coat/ thrifted

denim shirt/ vintage

sweater/ H&M

jeans/ Helmut Lang

heels/ BCBG

I have three sentiments about these photos:

1) Wind. It is a force which has enough power to make even the toughest of beings surrender. My hair, quite a gentle, innocent being, found it miraculously hard to put up with the horror show that is a windy day between Manhattan & Brooklyn.

2) My meerkat hands. Whenever my fingers make a sly sneak into my coat pockets, two of them are always left out and leave me with an awkward 'I don't know what I'm doing' pose. Loners they are, by choice or not I cannot figure out.

3) The view. There is nothing like being suspended above the water with subway trains and cars zooming past right at your level, and staring upon two boroughs at the same time. That is, until, a biker zooms by with his pants falling off his hips, reminding you that you are, in fact, passing through cool-kid territory.

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Chanel Giveaway!

{giveaway} channel your inner chanel

2013-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

Knowing me and my colorgasms, what better way to celebrate color than allowing you to slather some fancy Le Vernis all over your fingernails. Or, if you're like me, half of your fingers, too. You can sit in your living room and still be on Holiday sipping a Mimosa, whilst your imaginary model lover hands you a Peridot. See what I did there.

There is no third party involved here: just me being nice and offering colors that I've been lusting over. To enter couldn't be easier, just a few clicks (and devotion forever?) :

Step 1/ Follow me on Twitter and Instagram

Step 2/ Follow me on Bloglovin'

Step 3/ Leave a comment with your email address

Et voila, these could be yours. This is for you, no matter where in the wide world you are.

I will announce & email the winner in one month. Good luck!

on the right track

2013-01-29T06:43:00.000-08:00

parka/ MANGO

sweater/ GAP

sunglasses/ FREYRS

bag/ GiGi New York

Watch/ Daniel Wellington

skirt/ Helmut Lang

heels/ Tibi

Please don't ask "oh my gosh, aren't you freezing" because I'm going to tell you straight up: if I was a man, my special parts would have completely retreated inwards. All genitalia talk aside, I had this get-up in my head and couldn't get it out, despite the freezer that engulfed us for a while. Blue bag matching partially blue sweater with, once again, prostitute slit skirt. On a railroad, naturally. Because I just hang out on creepy-looking railroads all day, it's my passion.

p.s. If you have googly eyes for this pretty monogrammed bag (which you could get with your initials unless you secretly love and stalk me, you perv), you can get something for yourself at 20% off with code CATWALK.

p.s.s. Don't forget to take some sartorial things off my hands. Hashtag oh my god cheap.