Let them eat cake

photo credit: models

This editorial depicts this spring seasons pastel craze with a kitschy, sea punk twist. We love the candy-coated cake set, the saccharine baker's frock and the 50s sweet 15 art direction. Girls really are made of sugar, spice and everything nice!

Soda Pop

Pur

This editorial featured this month in Purple Mag caught my eye. The saturated burst of color coming from the backdrop really make the otherwise monochrome clothing pop. I especially love the hot pink with black leather crocodile skirts. Femme fatale chic.

Barbie's Closet

 Former Betsey Johnson and Heatherette designer, Pamela Thompson, opened a fashion shop dedicated to all things Barbie. The Tiny Frock Shop carries reworked, pre-loved and new designs for Barbie. I loved the novelty and quirkiness of this online shop!

Havana Style Inspiration

Carmen Miranda in That Night in Rio

Dovima (in the first bikini to be seen away from France) for Harper's Bazaar, Montego Bay, Jamaica, 1945

 Bette Paige

Eve Arnold - Bar Girl in a Brothel, Havana, Cuba, 1954

Vacation for me this year feels a bit more like an overdue pilgrimage than a self-indulgent holiday. Both of my grandparents migrated from Cuba to New Jersey before the Castro revolution in the 50s, and since then no one I'm related to has cared to go back or at least see for the first time their roots, or rather, ruins. The means of getting a visa and transporting myself to the motherland has not been an easy task. Thanks to my friend Debbie, whose family friend owns a travel agency specifically for traveling to Cuba, I was able to get a ticket on a charter plane to take me to my pearl in the Caribbean....basically for free! It's three of us (two fire signs and a cancer) that are traveling together, we are all Cuban, some more than others,  but i'm basically the only one who hasn't been yet. Many new   discoveries and revelations are underway, and I can't wait! Hopefully lots of vintage discoveries too. 

It's a 7-day trip, 2 of which are going to be spent on El Varadero beach sipping on mojitos under a wide-brimmed hat. Packing has to be light, very light and the outfits can't be too ostentatious, this leaves me in a bit of a humdrum. The outfit i'm wearing in the first picture is by Marc Jacobs and is incredibly discounted at the store right now. So tempted to go buy it! Reminds me of something Carmen Miranda would sport today. 

Color Theory

wearing vintage Moschino jeans crop top, vintage silk maxi skirt, United Nude block pumps, Diane Von Furstenberg sunnies, vintage bangles

Summer is the time to explore new territories, get over an ex, reinvent yourself and refresh. It's also the time to forget about neutral colors and wear shocking bright hues unapologetically, without a hint of shame or modesty. This outfit is a mish-mash of different elements of style I'm currently loving: colorblocking, geometric shapes and art prints. It's interesting to see how different colors enhance one another and how they react to each other when juxtaposed. Color harmony can be pleasing not only to your eye but also your mood. Whenever I wear these green mary-janes by United Nude, it's like an automatic mood booster. I snap out of whatever frazzled mindset I'm in and put my best foot forward. 

Hotel California

e

 

Fancy Fun

1990 Vogue 'Pink Persuasion; Madonna Like a Virgin; Teen Spirit; Glitter Nailpolish
images from google, tumblr
Prom season has long passed us, but the pouffy tulle darling dresses can stay all summer long and can so can the loud music.  Pastels, shiny sparkles, layers of tulle, long pretty hair, glowing skin and satin. These are a few of my favorite things, some of the vibes I'm absorbing for a shoot tomorrow with Kendra. All can I say is it's going to be a whirlwind as usual and the result will be nothing less than glamorous. I'm dressing Kendra in some of the fanciest frocks from C. Madeleine's and room full of balloons. Time to make some magic!

Miu Miu Musings

Latest addition to the shoe family: miu miu S/S 11 mary-jane ankle booties. The more you have, the more you want; this is definitely the case betweenamiu me and shoes. I only buy shoes I love and they don't necessarily have to be made for walking. Comfort is a factor, but not a deal breaker. It's more a matter of how much they can make a thrifted outfit look like a million bucks.  I loved these bad girls so much, I adorned the front cover of the box with this collage of mixed media and a combination of old 60s magazine cut-outs, a Prada S/S 11 lookbook and snippets from an old Italian vogue. Now shoeboxes can be just as artful and useful as the shoes that once nested neatly inside.