I love when a designer’s inspiration for a collection can be palpably experienced in a single garment

“My muse, Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love and war had to find new clothes to wear on an expedition to uncover the ruins of her lost civilization”
- Samantha Pleet

You can see a peek of the reversible tan underside of this lovely dress

I am in love with every delicate twist and pucker to reveal diamond cutouts around the waist line

Can you imagine a Babylonian goddess wearing anything more appropriate? I am jealous of designer Samantha Pleet‘s muse’s impeccable wardrobe! Aside from fulfilling my dreams of sitting atop an exotic throne, this Tabernacle dress is also the most comfortable in my closet – didn’t think that was possible. The raw silk feels like, well, silk – the softest and lightest you can imagine. But it’s the cut of this dress that I am most in love with: It’s perfectly relaxed and just lightly grazes your body yet maintains a gorgeous silhouette + the twists around the bodice create delicately sexy cutouts. Did I mention the dress is reversible? I agree… it truly is perfect.

See Samantha Pleet’s dresses on ANTHOM

I found the perfect summer dress – and it traveled 4800 miles to get to me!

Ksenia Schnaider camouflage dress from Ukraine – A harmonious combination of edgy, flirty, and pastel

I love the priest-neck mesh collar details

I’m also wearing BCBG Gamma mesh booties and Robyn cat-eye sunglasses by House of Harlow

Somedays my curly hair misbehaves in all the right ways

A perfect mix of cerulean, sky, and baby blue pastel colors combined with blush pink tones

I love the mesh back and all the flattering
panel details on the bodice

I am and always have been a dresses-and-skirts kind of gal. Maybe the unique thrill of twirling around in a perfectly flowy skirt I experienced as a little girl never quite wore off. Whatever it may be, I find them incomparably comfortable, flirty, and chic. Unsurprisingly, I immediately fell inlove with this silk pastel camouflage dress from uber talented Ukrainian designer Ksenia Schnaider’s SS13 collection and just knew we had to carry it at ANTHOM – and of course I had to buy one for myself This time I paired it with an edgy mesh BCBG bootie (in heavy rotation in my closet) but I’m also excited to wear it more casually with flats or with pink bow heels for an upcoming wedding. What about you? Have you found the perfect item for summer yet?

I am delighted to announce my collaboration with Refinery29 in a new revolutionary community hub called “My Stylist.”

This forum will feature me, along with a handful of the best fashion bloggers in the country, and the R29 staff. I will post stories, photos, interact with readers, and answer your questions! I’m looking forward to being a part of this exciting community for the fashion-obsessed

I will be asking you, my readers, questions on Twitter to get the conversation started (see my 1st question HERE). You can also ask ME fashion-related questions, tips, or anything you want! Our chats will appear on my feed once the site launches – just make sure you use the hashtag #R29MyStylist.

Can’t wait to interact with you more! Check back for the My Stylist launch on Refinery29.com  April 22 (new date: April 29th).

A dream of light, algorithms, and computer programs comes to life in an underground passageway

This enchanting beauty connects the East and West buildings of the National Gallery of Art and it has mesmerized me since the 1st time I saw it

I’m wearing a Zara heart print pleated skirt, Silence & Noise motorcycle jacket, Chiyome bag from ANTHOM, and a vintage printed silk scarf

It’s quite a treat for me to live in DC steps away from some of the best art galleries in the world. This means I can visit them often and discover hidden rooms, secret exhibits, or magical underground glowing passageways. Feast your eyes on Multiverse - the largest and most complex light sculpture created by American artist Leo Villareal. The concourse is made up of 41,000 LED nodes programmed by the artist to create layers of abstract configurations of light that are unlikely to ever repeat, yet your eyes find repeating patterns among this blanket of lights.

You may have noticed a recurring theme lately where we photograph my outfits in front of walls of light. We are undoubtedly enthralled by their immersive illumination and organic lifelike qualities.

Our love for fashion and unique design has led us to a beautiful place – it’s called ANTHOM

In the 5 years since we started our blog, our appreciation for fashion has multiplied. So has our love for independent, under-the-radar designers who are pioneers in creating unique and beautiful clothing. We have partnered with our gorgeous and talented friend Ashley to launch ANTHOM, an online shopping destination to bring you the special and unique items that we love, covet, and admire. The collage above is a peek at some of the designers we will carry – from as far away as Ukraine, Morocco, and Chile – and others from our own home of DC. ANTHOM will launch in April; you can follow our adventures on ANTHOM’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We are delighted to share this journey with you and hope you love ANTHOM as much as we do.

www.shopanthom.com

Coffee, shoes, and BCBG with Ashley and Natalie

I’m wearing a BCBG Avery neon yellow asymmetrical dress, motorcycle jacket, black skinny jeans, BCBG mesh booties & a vintage black sequin bag with a faux rabbit’s tail

Two stylish photographers during NYFW trying to keep warm

We love this photographer’s green wool coat

Lincoln Center on a cold day

Ashley, Natalie
& I spent the afternoon together chatting over coffee & previewing the gorgeous Modern Vice shoes that Natalie & her sister Dylana designed for spring (more on that later!)

I was thrilled when my friends at BCBG invited me to preview the Fall 2013 collection a few days before the show. Lubov excitedly showed me the beautifully crafted pieces and regaled us with stories of her trip to Istanbul – part of the inspiration for the collection

♡ the gorgeous oxblood
motorcycle
jacket

Paul met us at the BCBG showroom with a big smile and lead me to a room replete with colorful spring dresses; he let me choose anything I wanted! My excitement was surely manifest in my perpetual smile

I was immediately drawn to this brightly-colored
asymmetrical
dress and thought it would pair well with my dark winter staples. I also picked another beautiful jumpsuit! I can’t wait to show you that one soon

Natalie and Ashley walking to our coffee date

Times square before the epic snow

See our photos from the BCBGMAXAZRIA fall/winter 2013 runway show HERE

I’m wearing a Kenzo blue wool dress with leather straps and gold zippers (on sale right now at Opening Ceremony), leather leggings, and wedge booties with my favorite military green coat with leather-like sleeves from BCBG

I like Ashley‘s denim on denim outfit with red accents (her bag was a gift from her mom for her first fashion week trip)

New York Fashion Week is invariably a time of surprises, excitement, and long hours. After an amazing morning attending the BCBG F/W 2013 show, we spent the day in Brooklyn with our friend Ashley for an exciting project we are eager to share with you next week. An evening stop at our favorite little cafe, Zampa, ended the evening – which, after almost a dozen visits over the years, has started to feel like our second home in NYC. Do you have a place that you always have to visit when you are in NYC?

It is not often that a runway show accurately captures the pulse of what the world of fashion wants to wear: the impeccably styled BCBGMAXAZRIA‘s Fall/Winter 2013 collection

The prints in this collection are a juxtaposition of Phil Frost‘s layered art work and Turkish-inspired prints using photos from Lubov’s recent trip to Istanbul

Just when I thought I had every coat I wanted, I see this stunning piece.
Up close, it looks like the exotic skin of a purple/blue alien – achieved using a honeycomb quilting technique on nylon

One of my favorite examples of layering:
a brightly printed silk dress + 2 cashmere sweaters over it, and toffee stamped lizard thigh-high boots – finished with a navy cashmere beanie

Another extraordinary coat, this time a motorcycle jacket in port burgundy leather with a matching fur collar

A beautiful hand-cut embroidered burgundy port leather top and skirt

A perfect winter white – talc leather baseball jacket with embossed sleeves, satin shift dress, and thigh high boots

My favorite dress of the show, a trapunto stich bra, under a talc tulle tunic with leather sequins and a long slip dress with appliqués + an ivory cashmere beanie

The proverbial cool girl who layers effortlessly and wears a beanie everywhere she goes

I loved seeing the smiling faces of the models peek around the corner. Lubov told us that many of them had never walked in a US fashion show before and she was excited to give a chance to these fresh faces

calm after the fashion storm

BONUS GAME! Spot the fashion bloggers in the front row: 1/ Lindsey of Saucy Glossie 2/ Sydne of Sydne Style 3/ Helena of Brooklyn Blonde 4/ Kimberly of Eat Sleep Wear 5/ Erica of Honestly WTF 6/ Danielle of We Wore What 7/ Rumi of Fashion Toast 8/ Carolina of Fashion Squad 9/ Chriselle of The Chriselle Factor 10/ Aimee of Song of Style 11/ Chiara of The Blonde Salad 12/ Wendy of Wendy’s Lookbook 13/ Kelly of The Glamourai 14/ Leandra of Man Repeller 15/ Garance of Garance Doré - did we miss any?

The perfect runway show at the perfect time: just before a massive snow storm. The show was such a hit that Rumi of Fashion Toast found herself compelled to wear an outfit inspired by the collection mere hours later. Post-Nemo everyone seems to be running around NYC in copious layers and beanies.

An unprecedented exhibit of Korean-born artist Nam June Paik is on view now at the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Since the first day I set foot in the modern wing of the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery, I was mesmerized by Nam June Paik‘s extraordinary installation featuring fifty-one channels, custom electronics, and neon lighting

Details of my Proenza Schouler blazer as I stand processing all the imagery presented in front of me

my new favorite shoes: the BCBG Gamma open-toe mesh booties (they are remarkably comfortable)

I’m wearing one of my favorite purchases from Hu’s Wear, this Proenza Schouler printed orange tweet jacket from Spring 2011, GAP ripped jeans, and BCBG Gamma Open-Toe Mesh Booties.

In addition to Electronic Superhighway, you can also view 67 artworks and more than 140 items from the Archive in the exhibition titled “Nam June Paik: Global Visionary” on the North side of the 3rd floor in the Smithsonian American Art Museum from December 13, 2012 – August 11, 2013.

A fun evening of art, music, and BCBG

Wearing the Flo Open-Shoulder Jumpsuit by BCBGMAXAZRIA

Mural by Kelly Towles

Dancing along to the contagious tunes of The Funk Ark

Art installation by Brandon Hill of No Kings Collective

Mural by Tim Conlon

Gamma open-toe mesh bootie by BCBGMAXAZRIA

Our friends at BCBGMAXAZRIA were gracious enough let us take over their Instagram and give us access to their new collection for me to wear to the MCentral Inaugural Ball. With the help of Mark at the BCBG Georgetown store, I surprised even myself by choosing a jumpsuit. It’s unlike anything else in my closet! Mark also suggested the Gamma Open-Toe Mesh Bootie, a sexy compliment to the sleek jumpsuit.

I enjoyed viewing the Millennial Trains Project art exhibition by some of my favorite DC area artists while listening to the talented and rhythmic beats of The Funk Ark and the Brass Connection. Inauguration weekend can be hectic and I’m glad I picked a youthful and artistic event to celebrate!

Jump over to the BCBGMAXARIA blog and check out their Instagram for a few more photos from the night.