Lonnie Webb Photo Shoot

Farewell Summer, Hello Winter Photo Shoot

Looking back to see how this shoot formulated makes me SO thankful for technology. Lonnie Webb found me through Promise Tangeman's blog, made a comment on my site, and from there we started conversing through social media about fashion and photography. A month later, Lonnie booked a flight down to Arizona to spend time with his sister, but also to collaborate on a shoot.

The theme wasn't set when we decided to work together. It actually came to me as I was dreaming about cooler weather and getting sick of Arizona's intense summer heat. I thought it would be cool to create outfits that share summer and winter. I completely bypassed fall, well, because Arizona doesn't have a fall. haha.

Lonnie loved the idea! So, then I thought all we need is an all-American girl to be our model. Someone that has a great smile and that is simply beautiful - enter Megan Bryant. A girl with her own style and love of fashion.

We created multiple looks based on three different pieces - a bright red dress, denim cut-offs and black skinny jeans. All of the clothes came from her closet and were put together by me. We kept her feet bare because it evoked the summer, and added fur, hats and jackets to incorporate winter.

We decided to shoot at the Rio Salado Audubon Center which offered us six miles of paved nature paths to walk under trees, stand in the desert and play with the water.

Lonnie did a fabulous job capturing the carefree spirit of summer and winter. It really reminds me of something Urban Outfitters would publish or Nylon Magazine.

I hope you guys enjoy it. =)

Menswear Wednesday: What Fall?

So it’s technically fall, as of the 22^nd.  But if you’re looking outside, you’d never know it.  It’s still warm, and whether you’re in Phoenix or Houston (I’m assuming a bit about the readership of this blog at the moment), the last thing you’re thinking about is breaking out that parka.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t dress like it is fall.

Call me a traditionalist, but I’m into the idea of seasonal dressing.   Particularly when the spring rolls around and I’m able to bring out the lightweight fabrics and the white shoes again, it’s like the first day back at school, seeing old friends again.  Particularly when you live in a climate where the seasons are replaced with simply “cold days”, hot days, and hotter days, it’s a nice little reminder of the ebb and flow of the year.

The typical demarcation between the seasons are Easter and Labor Day; between those days, if it’s lightweight or brightly colored, it works.  The intervening season becomes more muted; earth tones and grays rule the day, and heavier fabrics like wool and flannel gain the upper hand.

And there we are again: verge-of-October or not, it’s still a bit too hot for tweed, and it likely will be until this time next month.   So what’s a guy to do? A trio of quick suggestions, after an overly long introduction:

1. Cotton sweaters.  Up north, sweater season is already in full swing.  A fitted v-neck sweater in a lightweight pima cotton or cotton-cashmere blend (or even a linen-cotton blend leftover from the summer stock at places like J. Crew) is a perfect layering piece.  Put it on over a button up shirt with jeans, and you’ll look all snuggly without sweating like a pig.  Lightweight cardigans work here, too.
2. Corduroy.  When you really get down to it, cord pants aren’t really any hotter to wear than dark denim.  So grab a pair of cords in a casual, jean-like five pocket style, and wear them in place of jeans to the office or a night out.  A good corduroy blazer is another good look that isn’t too heavy.
3. Wool ties.  This one is almost a no-brainer.  It’s obviously not going to add weight to your outfit, but it is going to add some  fuzzy charm to your get-up.  Fortunately, most of the wool ties you’ll find these days are a little more slim, so they won’t look like you actually are wearing a sweater.

Do yourself a favor, and embrace the season, even if “football weather” means it dipped below 80 degrees.

Life Update: New Job

It has been awhile since I gave a life update, and I have some happy news to share with all of you... In addition to styling and my job with AIA Arizona, I've become the new Project Manager for Promise Tangeman Creative. YAY!

I'm so excited about my partnership with Promise. She is a very dear friend and creative genius. It's truly inspiring working alongside her and manage her creative projects such as SiteHouse and custom identity work.

I decided to work with Promise because I very much enjoy organizing, communications and art. I'm finding that being around creative people, no matter what the art form, translates into my love of fashion. I can see architecture and graphic design influences in my tastes, and I think this position will really grow me as a business woman.

Don't worry though, you'll still see me posting about fashion, doing photo shoots, shows, etc. My dreams still remain. You can check out my official interview and announcement on Promise's blog: http://www.promisetangemanblog.com.

You'll also find a couple sneak peaks of some photo shoots I did this summer. More to come. =)

Rouge

A year ago or so, I did a poll asking my guy friends whether they found red lipstick flattering on women. The overall consensus was that guys didn't like red lipstick and preferred natural colors. Well, after seeing these pictures and pictures of the 2011 spring fashion shows, I say, "Who cares!" Haha. If you don't find red lipstick gorgeous, you're crazy.