Inspiring: Solange Knowles

DJ Solange Knowles out and about in New York City wearing an electric floral print Roberto Cavalli Spring 2012 jacket, basic black separates, hot-pink CC Skye Niki clutch, and circa 2008 Pierre Hardy plastic strap sandals. 

What I Would Wear: Work

have you ever watched Two Broke Girls? well if you haven't its based on two (yes, broke) girls living in Brooklyn, trying to make rent each month by waitressing but still enjoy an occasional bargain at the Salvation Army.

I've never been to big on shopping at the Salvation Army or at the many 'vintage' shops New York has to offer but if u have time, you can find some good designer or consignment deals. 

New York is crazy expensive (unlimited metro card runs a steep $110 each month) but when you walk by the bright END OF THE SEASON, SALE, CLEARANCE, or STORE CLOSING signs, you can't help yourself! so i've been making the rounds at the $5 H&M sales, 60% off Gap sales, and 30% off Aldo sales! and by making the rounds i mean: selecting pieces, debating the 30 person fitting room line, feeling the guilt trip and run out. hey! i'm no longer a recessionista, i'm just another broke girl with her first job looking for a $5-$15 deal that won't hurt my savings. i've actually been wearing my Gap slim crop pants at least 3 times a week in these past 2 months. besides the fact that i love them. i need to save struggling through the desperate need of at least some easy to dress tops for work! ASAP!

Aldo, Red Pumps: on Sale for $49

Gap, Green Easy Straight Cropped Pants for $49.95

Forever 21, Bib Necklace: $8

Forever 21, Key Necklace: $4

Gap, Striped Sweater: $19.99

Forever 21, Purple Cardigan: on Sale for $13.99

Aldos, Gray Oxford: on Sale for $40

Gap, Red Pencil Skirt: on Sale for $39.99

Celebrity pictures via People Stylewatch.com

EMMA STONE wearing Burberry outfit, Jennifer Meyer jewels and red Brian Atwood pumps at a press event in Seoul, Korea.

KRISTEN STEWART wearing a burgundy Chaiken Fall 2012 collection blazer and pants, simple All Saint tee, and a BaubleBar yellow Neon ID bracelet.

 

Style Location: Sunday @ the MET

@ the Metropolitan Museum of Art

NYC for

“Good Taste/Bad Taste:
The Evolution of Contemporary Chic”

“Good Taste/Bad Taste” at the MET

 #SUNDAYFUNDAY at the MET

Iris Apfel and Tavi Gevinson at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a little panel about 

“Good Taste/Bad Taste: The Evolution of Contemporary Chic”.

it was ok. i expected it to be a little better. Apfel was quite funny and Tavi captivated the audience with her eloquence. 

i didn't like how the audience didn't have an open mic in order to ask questions, instead we had to gather around the stage like "zopilotes"

(Nicaraguan Spanish for vultures).

  

< - - - - - - - - - >

after the panel, I finally visited the “Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations” exhibit. 

it was revolutionary, rebellious, surreal, and free. i am a fan of Miuccia's work, ideals and thoughts but identified with Schiaparelli's designs. I am 'Waist Up' .

"I try to make women feel more powerful without losing their femininity" - Miuccia Prada

"While the waist down is more basic, more grounded, its' about sex. it's about making love. it's about life. it's about giving birth" - Miuccia Prada

"Many men admire strong women, but they do not love them" - Elsa Schiaparelli    

VIDEO

Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations was organized by Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, The Costume Institute

"IMPOSSIBLE CONVERSATIONS"

Conceived, Produced and Directed by Baz Luhrmann

With Miuccia Prada and Judy Davis (as 'Elsa Schiaparelli')  

  MAYBE NOTHING IS ART. WHO CARES! - Miuccia Prada

New Nicaraguan Designer Alert: Turquesa Boutique

Last week, new Nicaraguan designer, Yaosca of Turquesa Boutique presented her collection at a private New York residence.

Inspired by the waves, surfers and nature of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, new fashion and accessory designer Yaosca brings a unique mix of style to the globetrotting beach babe and offers a wide selection of the most desirable and coveted vintage clothing and accessories as well as unique designer pieces. 

The guests described her pieces to be authentic, unique, conversational, trendy, hippie, natural, and colorful.

Our special guest, Nicaraguan model/actress Maria de Jesus, described the collection as organic and boho and perfect for the summer. Her piece of choice, the metal headband. Follow Maria on Twitter @marypoppings

The pieces were indeed authentic to San Juan del Sur and to the bohemian beach babe. Her pieces are available at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua and online. Visit her Facebook Fan Page: Turquesa Boutique and website, Turquesa Online Store .

 

About the Designer: Yaosca Jiménez is originally from Managua, Nicaragua but currently resides by the Pacific coast shore city of San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. With barely 2 years under her belt as an accessories designer, she debuted her first collection in the Summer of 2010 in Madrid, Spain; since then Jiménez has held showings in Lisbon, Panama City, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, San Juan del Sur, and Managua. Jiménez explains, “I strive to get unexpected results from mixing new technologies with traditional techniques”. The collections are primarily sold at the San Juan del Sur "Turquesa Boutique" and its online store.

 

Yaosca has also been designing trendy dresses, tops, and shorts for Spices & Sugar boutique in Managua, Nicaragua.

My favorite piece: the porcelain double ring.

My least favorite picture: Me wearing the ring. lol. i'm the worst hand model. not delicate at all. lol.

My new favorite nail polish: Metallic Silver by Sephora.

The Final Chapter: She Works in Fashion

 I started this blog back in 2009 for fun, for me, for my friends and family to join me through my application process for grad school, move to Italy, grad school in Italy and Italian life. It showcased my ups and downs in love, family, friends, and school. It was a public diary that was loved by many and hated (but secretly loved) by others. I never meant to hurt anyone or myself but sometimes that's exactly what it did.

It's June 2012. Its been 31 months. and my life has changed every 9 months. Thanks to the Young Executives Program at Incae Costa Rica, I decided not to attend Incae and get my Masters in Fashion Management in Italy. I spent an amazing 9 months in Italy, met an incredible group of international girls, and traveled Europe on my own. As amazing those 9 months were, Europe just wasn't for me and my Italiano was not perfetto enough for me to land an internship (either way internship season was during summer vacation and I much spent el verano mas feliz de mi vida con mis viejos). While my parents and I were lounging at my Florentine apartment overlooking Santa Croce, I interviewed via skype for what would now be my first public relations internship for Shout Social (now known as Sacasa Media). A start-up PR firm spearheaded by entrepreneur and now friend, Nazira Sacasa. Thanks to her, I moved to The City and began my adventure in Fashion PR. At Shout Social, I learned how to pitch, communicate with editors, learned the importance of paper presentation, and landed my first media placement for Essence. By the time I end this internship (which was for graduate school credit) it's December 2010 and I had been away from home, family and friends for a year. At the same time, Nicaraguan designer, Shantall Lacayo returned to Nicaragua after an exhausting little project called Project Runway Latin America. December was all about me asking my family for a little financial help in order to intern a couple more months in New York so I could land a decent job AND networking with Shantall. Fortunately, I was successful. My family supported my dream and Shantall read my email from thousands of emails to be her social media intern. Back in New York, I took a second public relations internship for my resume, an internship I think I have badmouthed a little too much but an internship that also taught me too much. I took a second internship because my resume compared to local FIT and Parson students was shit - and as the Social Media Director at my second internship said "pffffff you have a Masters? that means nothing in the fashion industry". She was right. It will give you a little VA-VA-VOOM but "can you pitch, be a bitch, and handle fashion pr?"  Factory PR taught me, the power of social media, the long hours you put in for passionate writing, top notch events, and media placements. They were the typical NY/Fashion/PR/Internship Nightmare/Internship Dream/Glitzy Side/Dark Side all wrapped in one! My resume now reads "head intern' because I was one of the few interns that stayed till 2am breaking down mannequins, boxing them, and carrying them to storage. I gave them sweat, blood, and tears all in the name of public relations - and I loved every second of it (well maybe 50 of those seconds, ha! you know what I mean). My term there, ended because of a fall-out I had with an undermining younger (paid) assistant who didn't know how to talk to interns. A few weeks later, a job was offered. but because of my own pride, it went down the drain. 

[Sometimes in life, things just have a funny way of working out]

Right around here, we hit the summer of 2011 and I am unemployed and anxious. My grad friends all have jobs but me. They all have jobs at Tom Ford, DVF, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, and I'm unemployed. I applied to jobs for about four months and decided I had enough and needed family. I'm not going to go into detail but around this time, my personal life changed forever and I ended up moving back to Nicaragua.

I tried not to drown in my sorrows, went to a couple prayer groups, made some new friends, traveled and kept busy with Shantall as her PR Manager. When I moved to Nicaragua, I always said, it would never be for more than a year. so I bought a ticket and moved back to New York, 9 months later. right before my move, I applied to jobs like crazy and once I was here, I had at least 3 interviews a week. it has been 2 months since my move to New York, it's now June 2012 and I landed a job in fashion! I am an E-commerce Marketing Assistant for ........ ;) I think I've shared enough. hehehe.

[Sometimes in life, things just have a funny way of working out]

thanks to my internships, Shantall, my family, my friends, and GOD I am right where I am supposed to be. I know I am! thank you all who have been on this journey with me. i couldn't have done it without you. it has been two years. two very long anxious, scary, tiring years. i seriously don't want to see my resume, mediabistro, or another interviewer for a very very long time. this blog has now come to an end. thank you. best, alicia beatrice. 

Some Dreams Test Us

Some Moments Change Us

Some Choices Stay With Us

FOREVER

[via the words movie trailer]

Graffiti Location: Williamsburg, New York

MOB WIVES anyone?

Style Location: Williamsburg, New York

Graffiti Location: Williamsburg, New York

how was your weekend?

well, i spent mine at Williamsburg, yep! both saturday and sunday. saturday, i walked around with Yao from Turquesa Boutique and Patty, and we hit up the Artist and Fleas Market and the Williamsburg Food/Flea Market on the river. we all decided on Colombian Arepas by Palenque! delishhhhhhhh! and since Yao just moved into the area for the week, we walked her around the Bedford vintage, lingerie, tea and coffee shops. 

then today, with her friend, Erica, we all walked around with New York/Dominican skater and master of the ollie, Luis Tolentino for a little photoshoot and interview (which will be featured on Turquesa Boutique's blog.

** update ** check out Turquesa Boutique's blog for more photos and info about Luis.

Williamsburg is not only a style location but an artsy location. enjoy!

oh! and don't worry i got some style shots for some later posts.

BTW like URBAN ARTISTS?

did you hear about this? DE MI BARRIO A TU BARRIO

" This regional project features artists from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. Together with German painter Jim Avignon they will create a mural in a public space in each participating country, followed by an after party. 

More than 300 urban artists, designers, muralists, illustrators, cartoonists from the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico have participated in our contest and sent us their proposals. "