Wicked Cute

No Rest for Bridget

2013-04-14T18:20:00.001-07:00

No Rest for Bridget is one of the newest Boutiques to pop up on Newbury Street this spring. The store, which has its roots in Orange County, California, offers trendy young women cute clothing and bold accessories at reasonable prices.

My favorite thing No Rest for Bridget carries has to be their extensive selection of statement jewelry. I recently popped into the store and instantly fell in love with the colorful chunky necklaces they had on display.

In addition to No Rest for Bridget, Brandy Melville just recently opened it’s doors on Newbury Street and I heard that Frye is coming May 1^st! I’m so excited about all the new store openings happening right now in Boston just in time for summer clothes shopping!

Urban Chic: Catalina De la Torre

2013-04-14T18:15:00.004-07:00

One Boston-based jewelry designer that I absolutely love is Catalina De la Torre. The native Columbian designer aims to create trendy yet classic jewelry that mix metals with color.

Catalina De la Torre has been nominated for best Accessories Designer 2013 for the Boston Fashion Awards competing against Magdalena Stokalska, Marie Galvin, Nicoletta Lyons and Zack Lo.

Who are you going to vote for?

Boston Fashion Awards Nominations are Up!

2013-04-14T13:31:00.002-07:00

The Boston Fashion Awards nominations have finally been announced. Local designers, models, stylists and photographers have been nominated by the community to win the titles of best hair stylist, best print model, best runway model, best couture designer, best casual designer and best wardrobe stylist, to name a few.

I’m so excited that to see that Zack Lo has been nominated for best Accessories Designer and Lit Boutique for best local Retailer! Love them both!

The Boston Fashion Awards will take place on April 28, 2013 at Royale Boston and all proceeds will benefit the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Check out their website for a full list of the categories and nominees.

Who do you want to win?

Brandy Melville Opens on Boston’s Newbury Street

2013-04-14T13:28:00.004-07:00

The recent opening of the Brandy Melville store on Newbury Street has been the talk of town lately. Well, at least among my friends and sorority sisters.

The store, which is the first in Massachusetts, is known for having cute, trendy pieces at affordable prices.

Low-priced chain Forever 21 has seen huge success since it’s opening on Newbury Street in 2010 and I feel as though Brandy Melville, which is now located across the street from Forever 21, will see the same success.

Plus, how can they not do great when they carry clothes as cute as this?!:

What stores are you dying to see come to Newbury?

Boston Beware: One Direction Pop-up Comes to Quincy Market

2013-04-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today tween girls from all over Massachusetts will be flocking to Quincy Market to get first dibs on merchandise from the One Direction pop-up store that opens there today.

The pop-up store will carry everything from life-size cutouts of band members to One Direction stick-on nails.

The grand opening of the One Direction pop-up store in Sydney last year reportedly attracted over 2,500 eager fans.

So unless you’re obsessed with this teenybopper band, I highly suggest steering clear of the Faneuil Hall area this weekend or risk being mobbed by dozens of screaming girls.

Interview: Jeremy Dreyfuss of Species Apparel

2013-04-11T18:43:00.001-07:00

Shelby Hickox: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your
major?

Jeremy Dreyfuss: I’m from Westport, CT and I’m a CGS student going into COM. I
will be majoring in Film and Television and minoring in Advertising.

SH: Tell me a little bit about Species Apparel.

JD: Last year I started [Species Apparel] spontaneously in my dorm room. I had the
creative impulse to start something and I’ve always been into fashion and clothing.
There’s a lot of causes I’ve cared about my whole life and animal protection has been
one of them. I felt like, why can’t I do something creative that makes a difference in
some way?

SH: How did you get started?

JD: Well I was influenced by a company that makes similar clothing called APLIIQ. I
really liked their pocket detail design because I think it’s simple but creative.

They’re based in LA, and I had been really into their stuff. But APLIIQ’s shirts are
like $30 and I thought it was too expensive so I wanted to do something similar but
cheaper.

I started learning how to sew-I knew nothing about how to do that prior to last
year. I used some money that I had saved and bought a sewing machine and played
around with it for a few weeks and I don’t know how but if just broke on me and
derailed my whole process. How was I going to start something–pocketed T-shirts- if
I didn’t have a machine?

I started taking sewing lessons in Arlington, MA- I had to take two buses to get
there. There I met an instructor who was very supportive and helpful. I took
about three lessons with her and she ended up giving me a 1950s SINGER sewing
machine. I thought the older machines wouldn’t be as efficient, but I’ve made
hundreds of shirts with it- it’s heavy, made of metal.

SH: How did you go about launching Species Apparel?

JD: Last year I was in LA for a month and a half living by myself and I made it a
goal when I went out there to make strides to launch it after some time. Last May I
launched the website and started running the operation online.

The first summer was important for me because after launching it, I really made it a
goal to promote it as much as possible in my hometown of Westport. I reached out
to a lot of friends who have a similar appreciation of fashion and cool clothing.

I knew I’d have a good audience in my town-especially over the summer. My friends
go to school all over the country. When they went back to school to different places

it helped me develop a good fan base in places like UVM and Michigan and places I
could rely on and reach out to specifically. That first summer is when things really
started.

SH: Did you always have an interest in clothing design? Is clothing design something
that runs in your family?

JD: I don’t think my family influenced me or anything-my older brother has also
always been into fashion. I guess he kind of served as an inspiration for me as in
making me aware of my appearance really.

But no one really got me into it, I just sort of got into it myself and I like the
originality and how cool and bold certain companies are with fashion styles. I
appreciate companies that are on the cutting edge.

Adding the animal dimension to my brand gave a real cause for it, and made my
product original. I didn’t want to offer something that someone else offered already.

SH: What is your favorite piece that you’ve made so far?

JD: That’s a good question-I really like how over the past two months or so I’ve had
the chance to improve my products. In the past I had the standard Hanes beefy tee
that was good and held up, but nothing special because I wasn’t working with that
much money. I really have enjoyed working with the high-quality crew neck tees and
sweatshirts. They’re really good sellers.

I want to be able to offer the best product that I can-and the new crew and V-necks
are extremely comfortable and affordable so those are probably my favorites.

SH: What are some of your goals for Species Apparel?

JD: Well something important that I haven’t talked much about yet is that a portion
of every purchase goes to Wild Aid, a non-profit organization that leads campaigns
all over the place to save animals. For example, right now their campaign is to help
prevent the killing of elephants for their tusks.

So my goal is to raise as much money as possible to help their campaigns and make
more of an impact than I am right now. I want to donate as much as I can while still
improving my products and staying in business at the same. time.

SH: How much do your pieces cost?

JD: Well, Snap backs are $20
Girls Tanks are $22
Tank tops are $20
Crew Neck Sweatshirts are $39.99
Beanies are $19.99
And Mens button-down shirts are $54.99

SH: Where can readers buy your clothing?

www.speciesapparel.com

Learn more about out Species Apparel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Interview: Chrissy Gerardi of StoneKissed Jewelry

2013-04-03T16:41:00.001-07:00

Check my interview with Chrissy Gerardi of StoneKissed Jewelry!

Shop her adorable collection here.

One Billion Rising: International Fashion Extravaganza

2013-03-26T06:59:00.002-07:00

On Friday I was lucky enough to attend the One Billion Rising: International Fashion Extravaganza put on by the New England Friends of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the AIC Center on Newbury Street. The event, which included a reception and runway show, benefited a women’s shelter in Bosnia and female refugees from Syria.

When my roommate invited me to the International Fashion Extravaganza I had no idea that I was in for such a treat! The night kicked off with a small reception before the runway show where guests enjoyed delicious ethnic hors d'oeuvres from the Middle East. My girlfriends and I were running a little late (per usual) but were relieved to find out that the show was running a bit behind schedule as well.

Once we all took our seats along the catwalk, Edina Skaljic, the AIC Center Senior Programming Manager, introduced herself and played an extremely moving short film created by the One Billion Rising organization that depicted stories of violence against women across the globe.

After the short film concluded, the runway show began. Each model that emerged from backstage was dressed in authentic traditional garb from a different country. We saw models wearing everything from traditional Gypsy outfits of Romania to flashy carnival outfits of Trinidad to delicate silk kimonos of Japan.

The diversity of the clothing and the energy of the models made for a truly entertaining and educational night that benefitted a great cause.

Below is a picture of a few of the volunteer models after the show.

Boston Welcomes StyleWeek Northeast!

2013-03-22T10:35:00.003-07:00

StyleWeek Northeast made its debut at the W hotel in Boston last night with three runway shows featuring designs by Nick Pini, Toni Lyn Spaziano and Sarah Prost.

StyleWeek Northeast, which has seen great success in Providence since it’s founding three years ago, will give young, local designers an opportunity to showcase their collections in Boston.

Runway shows will continue tonight and tomorrow night at the W.

I’m so excited to see that the style scene in Boston is gaining momentum! It’s about time Boston Fashion Week gets a little competition! Can’t wait to see pics from this event!

Fashion Show Tonight to benefit Big Sister Assoc.

2013-03-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

I know this is last minute but if you can make it you should!

Tonight there will be a fashion show to benefit the Big Sister Association from 6-9pm at the Fairmont Copley Plaza featuring designs by Denise Hajjar.

I’ve been to a few of Denise Hajjar’s fashion shows in the past and she is an amazing local designer! Hajjar supports a ton of local charities including Dress for Success Boston, a non-profit that I’ve worked with for the past few years.

Find more info on the event here!

Interview: Ava Hashemi of Hâshé

2013-03-09T13:43:00.002-08:00

Interview: Ava Hashemi of Hâshé

Check out my recent interview with Ava Hashemi of Hâshé!

Céline 2013 (Left)-Hâshé 2012 (Right)

Shelby Hickox: Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from? What's your educational background?

Ava Hashemi: I grew up in Dubai and I went to school there. I just came to Boston for college. I was an engineering major at first, and then I figured that I wanted to take some courses in fashion school. So I went to the School of Fashion Design in Boston- I took a course there. I thought fashion design might be a potential career for me so I transferred to management school. Management goes better with fashion than engineering, you know? So I transferred into school of management my second year

SH: What does fashion mean to you?

AH: Fashion is basically my life because I wake up in the morning and I look at fashion blogs and fashion news first thing in the morning. To pass the time I watch fashion shows, I work in fashion, I plan on working in fashion so it’s basically my life. Some people say that appearance doesn’t mean a lot but whether you mean to or not you’re basically working in fashion unconsciously and dealing with fashion everyday –it’s a way of expressing yourself.

SH: How would you describe Boston’s fashion?

AH: There is a lot of room for upcoming designers because there’s not as much competition here in Boston as there is in Milan, New York and London, for example. But then again there’s only so much you can improve on here because the schools aren’t that good. I mean, they’re good for someone who wants to start from nothing, but if you want to grow big and be international there’s just not room here for that. There’s not a lot of potential here to get buyers. Boston’s good enough to just develop your passion and get a sense of how designing works but if you want to really pursue this career seriously, Boston wouldn’t be the ideal place.

SH: How did you get into fashion?

AH: I’ve been designing since I was in 9th grade but it was just something I did for myself-I would just design something myself if I couldn’t find it and take it to my tailor to get it made. In ‘09 I started making clutches-two or three for myself, and wherever I went people would ask me where I bought it from-so I got the idea to make my own. That was a huge success. At first it was mainly just family and friends. Then after a little while I started doing a lot of trench coats and stuff like that. After some time in Boston I made a collection all by myself-sewing and everything-which ended up being very successful. Over the summer I started my line in Dubai- I got tailors, PR people and all of that to help.

SH: Where do you sell your clothing right now?

AH: Right now, only by orders and I do a trunk show every year. I’ve also designed a ready-to-wear collection for Karmaloop- I’m doing the paper work for that now.

SH: Where do you want to take your designs?

AH: After graduation I’m going to Dubai and hopefully expanding my line there

SH: What is the favorite article of clothing you have ever designed?

AH: My favorite piece so far is a peplum blouse that I designed. I was looking at NYFW collections and I saw Céline’s peplum blouse and I was shocked because it looked identical to a piece I made last year- so I was like oh my God, Céline has a piece just like mine! So for now that’s my favorite piece so far.

SH: Who are some of your favorite designers?

AH: One of my favorite designers is Ulyana Sergeenko- she’s my recent favorite because she has such a new, fresh take on couture that I really admire. She incorporates her culture into her designs. She’s the new “it” couture fashion designer- I think she has such a unique design that’s such a reflection of her as a person and her background and her culture.

SH: What are some of your favorite clothing stores in Boston?

AH: I like Pinkyotto a lot because they select pieces that are young but at the same time sophisticated – there’s always something you end up liking. I love BCBG too!

SH: How would you describe your line?

AH: Exclusive pieces. All hand-made for women who like to look sophisticated but at the same time feel sexy.

SH: What are some of your fashion goals?

AH: Definitely to expand my line-I’m opening my own workshop when I go back to Dubai. I already have the space rented out, and hopefully just get into some major department stores that I feel are more in line with what I do. My dream store to carry my line would be Bergdorf!

SH: Where can readers buy your clothes/jewelry?

AH: I’m going to have a trunk show soon-but they can always Facebook message me on my Hâshé page, or they can just email me at: hashemi.ava90@gmail.com

Check out more of Hâshé on Facebook.

Shoe Fashion Show at the Liberty!

2013-03-01T14:05:00.002-08:00

Looking for Something to do Tommorrow?

In honor of MS awareness month, Accelerated Cure Project for MS will be hosting the Annual Shimmer and Shine: Stepping Out to Cure MS Shoe Ball at the super trendy Liberty Hotel tomorrow night!

With cocktails, hors d'oervrs, a "shoe" fashion show and DJ this sounds like a really fun event for a great cause. Who's coming with me?!

Check out more info on the event here.

Fearless? Boston shoe designer Zack Lo's "Risk" Collection

2013-03-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

Fearless? Boston shoe designer Zack Lo is sure to help you satisfy your urge to push the limits of fashion with his “Risk” collection. Check out these mamacita wedges!

Not all of Lo’s designs are this out there. I’m really loving these black leather clutches-seem like the perfect size for hitting the bars.

For more of his funky designs check out Lo's Facebook and website.

Rock & Romance: The Emerson Collection

2013-02-27T15:43:00.002-08:00

The Emerson Collection is a fairly new, beatifully crafted clothing line created by Massachusetts native, Jackie Fraser-Swan. Fraser-Swan is infamous for combining romance with rock in her collections thus creating brilliantly wearable feminine looks with an edge.

Fraser-Swan attended the School of Fashion Design in Boston and now has her headquarters located right in the middle of Boston's premier shopping area on Newbury Street.

Her pieces have been worn by a number of celebs and have been showcased in many of the leading fashion magazines such as Elle, Marie Claire and Women's Wear Daily.

Check out her chic new A/W 2013 collection on MarieClaire.com here!

Follow the Emerson Collection on Facebook or check out their blog for updates on the collection!

SS13 Trends Screening at Bay State College

2013-02-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Fashion Group International is hosting an overview of S/S13 trends and what they mean for Boston fashion! This is a great opportunity to hear from some of Boston's fashion experts including designers Jonathan Joseph Peters, Firas Yousif, fashion PR agency owner Nash Yacoub and Elisha Daniels of Neiman Marcus.

Entrance fee is only is only $10 for students!

Get your tickets here.

"Shoe Obsession" NYC

2013-02-23T06:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone heading to NY this weekend? There's a "Shoe Obsession" exhibit at FIT featuring extravagant styles from Christian Louboutin, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Prada and more- looks awesome, I can't wait to check it out!

"Shoe Obsession" runs from February 8 through April 13. Look here for more deets!

Interview with Erin Sachese of Eriness Jewelry

2013-02-21T14:45:00.001-08:00

Listen in on my interview with Erin Sachese of Eriness Jewelry!

You can find her beautiful designs at the following locations:

Anne Sisteron (Beverly Hills)
Boca (Los Angeles)
Fred Segal (Santa Monica)
My House of Style (Michigan)
Celebrities Gallery (Maui)
Etcetera, Etc. (Austin)

Or request an order by emailing Erin at erin@erinessjewelry.com Follow Eriness on Twitter @erinessjewelry and instagram @erinessjewelry to see more of her designs!

Boston's Most Fashionable?...

2013-02-19T09:50:00.001-08:00

Last month US Trendy voted for Boston's 50 Most Fashionable people. What do you think of the list?

Source: US Trendy

Boston Designer Makes Splash at NYFW

2013-02-17T12:05:00.000-08:00

Last week Marblehead native Sally LaPointe showcased her Autumn/Winter 2013 collection on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week. This RISD grad made Bostonians proud with her impressive collection that featured this season’s trend of fabric-blocking and peek-a-boo cutouts.

Here’s a look at Elle Magazine’s take on the fabric blocking trend that dominated the runways at this year’s NYFW

Shop her line: http://www.sallylapointe.com

Sara Danielle: Local Handcrafted Jewelry

2013-02-17T10:47:00.001-08:00

I stumbled upon Sara Danielle jewelry designs and instantly fell in love with her delicate collection. Sara Danielle is a Boston-based jewelry designer who creates beautifully feminine pieces using only 14K gold-filled metal and hand-selected gemstones. Check out these adorable stackable rings-I NEED them!!

She has a ton of pieces that would make the perfect birthday or Mother’s day gift. Thinking of getting these Horizon earrings for my Mom!

Check out the rest of her collection at: http://www.saradanielledesigns.com. Sara Danielle also sells her pieces at Mint Julep in Coolidge Corner and Harvard Square- just a short walk from BU!