Tuesday 21 July 2015

Still There

Inspired by my Chinese roots, this outfit reflects my zen side, which I've been really exploiting these past weeks. The breezy layers complement the minimal-fitting pants, giving the outfit a unique structure. There is one accessory: an ocarina necklace bought from a market in the ancient streets of Beijing. Best part: it actually works, and I've figured out the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star melody on it. I also recently purchased these Ralph Lauren studded sandals. I absolutely love them - the heel isn't too high, and the studs remind me of the well loved Isabel Marant sandals. All together, it is a laid-back, culturally inspired and simple outfit good for any occasion, from urban events to lakeside 'meditation'.  

















Sandals: Ralph Lauren
Trousers: Dr. Azhu Studios

Enjoy!
Katia

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Stylistic Decisions

Sometimes I derive from one style to another. I change moods, therefore I change outfits. It bothers me, because I want to stick to a type of look. A single way of dressing, reflected through a tasteful and consistent uniform. Most fashionably influential celebrities can be spotted wearing their iconic piece; take Alexa Chung with her pussy-bow blouse, or simply Anna Wintour with her shades and bangs combo. A lot of people's style changes with their mood, or in the fashion blogger world, especially according to trends. I remember when I started being interested in fashion back around 2008, where the galaxy print was super in. It seemed completely normal and cool to adopt those, but honestly, looking back, I must admit it was pretty mindless and must I admit, hideous to my taste. On the other side of the coin, people experiment with trends because they like it, and ultimately through them search for their own style. Their own style, that is, is very often influenced by what's in. And that's what I disagree with. It should be so much more than just copying looks straight off the runway, or in most cases nowadays, social media, but an integrity of one's personality, culture, environment (professional, social,..), lifestyle, and simply preferences. Sounds like a lot of variables, but there's not that much thinking about that done when in front of the closet getting dressed, since it is as implicit as thoughts, I think. 

That being said, I still am not able to completely decipher my own style. I've had quite some experience in the fashion world, but I still sometimes find myself relying on my mom to filter out my pile of clothes when shopping. Somehow, people are easily able to identify the singular way I dress. However, I've very recently come to realize that my style has two faces, and I'd like to share this. Day and Night. Sounds easy, even cliché, but for me, I've never realized that there was this much of a gap in between the way I'd dress accodringly. But Day and Night have a symbolic. Day represents the everyday life, the usual routine, but also the events and the nightlife. A paradox - but still, the way I usually dress. Stylish, je-ne-sais-quoi, somewhat appealing, artsy qualify as some keywords. Night, being the side that no one knows, the one that I do not display. The face that even I seldom experience because I still am not able to develop and understand it. It is above all a personality, but fashion allows to express it. Still incredibly vague. This duality never came in conflict, but I yet long to see if it ever will. 

This present outfit is extremely experimental. I would actually wear all the items, but not together once again. Could qualify as Acne inspired minimalism. 







Trousers: Zara

Enjoy!
Katia

Monday 6 July 2015

Dainty

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Robert Frost, 1874-1963

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay. 








Wednesday 1 July 2015

Neo B&W

This is the first of many from a nine-look series I just shot. What it has in particular is that all of the looks to come consist of short dresses and tunics that just might be a little too short to wear on their own (you know you're guilty). To play with proportions and give them a new life with a modern and fashionable edge, I styled them with longer layers, mostly consisting of palazzo pants, midi skirts, and the ever man-repelling culottes. Each look has its own flair - some are urban, some are zen, some are beachy and some are  professional. 

If you look carefully, the 'dress' I'm wearing below is actually my mother's edgy-rocker authentic moto dress from the 80s. You can just tell by the broad shoulders and the zip that goes all the way down. To be honest, I would probably wear that dress alone on, let's say, a night in the town, but I still find it more amusing to dress this down to a to a completely different level - almost unrecognizable from its era. Here layered are a kimono and culottes, which keep the outfit amusingly monochrome. 

What I've been doing so far this week is amazing. I am basically in the middle of nowhere doing nothing. In other words, I am at the countryside by the lake sleeping in, cooking, reading, blogging (just a bit), and, well, incorporating more of nature into my life. I now have time to make myself infamous green smoothies every morning, but other than that, some of my activities included spending 30 minutes trying to photograph a snail under the microscope with my phone and trying to communicate with a frog through the sound of a rippled drinking glass. Today was even more awesome. Having some friends from work over, Canada Day was celebrated through various peculiar activities. We canoed on the lake despite the heavy rain and, like somewhat newbie explorers, landed on a desert island, docked our ships and attempted to bring back a valuable treasure for our spa-demanding faces: clay. Unfortunately, the resource was inconveniently buried in the coastal sands, and not wanting to expose our frail bikini bodies into the water, the mission was aborted. We scurried back, on our way reenacting and filming the dramatic raining boat scene of The Notebook. We also spent about an hour in the jacuzzi, and went stick hunting for the smores to be roasted over the campfire. As I presently write I still have the earthy smells of rain and smoke haunting my nostrils. 

Lol to that metaphor. 






Sherpa bag: Ecote
Clothing: my mom's

Enjoy!
Katia