last christmas@ 12/9/12

Last Christmas I had a very merry christmas/birthday dinner with some of my closest friends. I decorated the house, made desserts, dinner and brought in some alcoholic beverages to start the night's festivities.

 hand made decorations~

cake pops, rice crispy pops with frosting, brownie santa cakes and digestives from england! 

christmas dinner!

drinks, sweets and games!

a birthday toast

x

I scream you scream!!@ 7/13/12

It's been a crazy couple of weeks! So much to write about, so many photos to post... but first and foremost I must tell you about my trip back home to California! My best friend Annie and I went to Nordstrom Rack in the Southbay area and low and behold... I found... PROENZA SCHOULER!!

{close up}

I am generally a size 00-2 in jackets, but this beautiful blazer/jacket was a size 4! I wore it around Nordstrom for a good hour looking for other sizes before finding out that size 4 is the smallest size. I cried a little, pouted, tried to pretend it fit me, and even hugged it multiple times before letting it go. So sad. 

I was willing to buy it upon reaching for it on the hanger and then when I saw it was $386.25 I was like "wHAHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!" It was a sure thing, this jacket was going to be mine. But there was no way I could make the 4 fit me even if I got it fitted, it would look awkward on my body and I would've had to take in the sleeves, armhole, etc. UGHGHGHHG why WHY!!!

My semi sad face. The last time I wore this beauty before handing it off. I'm pretty sure the people that work at Nordstrom and shop there thought I was nuts. But wouldn't you be if you found the one and only Proenza jacket in the whole of Nordstrom Rack + it's beautiful + it was marked down 85%! 

I have so many other things that are post worthy, but I just thought my readers should know that I found Proenza at Nordstrom Rack marked down 85% and then had to let it go. 

Leaving California after two weeks of sunshine and heading back to New York! Happy Friday the 13th! x

Tuck@ 6/23/12

Now that I am done with my course and all of Uni... here are some pictures from the photo shoot that took place at the end of May. 

Amazing hair and make up artists, listed here: teaser.

Some test shots

Also, some of the pages from my sketchbook, research book, and portfolio: 

If you'd like to see more, check out my showtime page. 

And the final look book for my collection! Make sure to view it in fullscreen!

This is definitely a collection I am proud of because I put a lot of thought and hard work into everything. It all started last Summer when I began thinking about what I could do my final collection on. I couldn't think of anything I felt passionate about so I started going to museums, walking around the streets of Manhattan and doodling. Eventually my sketchbook started to make sense and it hit me! Shirts! Upon deciding that my final collection would consist of shirts, I also decided that each would have a special fit that would be draped to the stand in order to get the pattern. I was advised by 1-3 people (my tutors at Uni) not to do this, but I had to do what I wanted. I knew from my internship that draping was important and it was something I was not taught at Uni and I needed to prove that I could do it for future employers. SOOOOO.... I did it. I draped each and every shirt, getting the exact fits I wanted and I didn't even use one pattern block from the "closet." TAKE THAT LCF! Now I have my own patterns. I love how each fit- fits the body and that was the most important factor for this collection. The collection is absolutely wearable, with one or two pieces belonging to a more fashion forward person. 

Through the year I had stayed in contact with people I met during my internship. I suppose they are "mentors," although they have stated they feel like my mothers! I am so blessed to have had such an amazing learning experience at my internship and everyone was so understanding. I started out not knowing what draping was, being told off, wanting to learn, deciding I need to take classes (outside of Uni), and worked my ass off to learn how to drape. I came back to Uni in the fall and knew more about it than my tutors. I haven't received my mark yet, but truth is, I don't care. From being where I was two summers ago, and where I am now- I am damn proud of myself. I couldn't have done it without my "mentors!" I emailed them a few months back showing them some photographs of my progress- teaching myself how to drape shirts, as well as thanking them for setting me straight. And within weeks, I was offered a freelance position! And.. I'm taking it!

I may not be the best designer, heck I know I am not, but one thing I am is a hard worker. I am dedicated, passionate, and when I say dedicated and passionate I mean it- I once ran 20 blocks and 3 avenues over in 15 minutes with the heat of August pushing me down to deliver an envelope with a single swatch to an agent before she left for Italy. I'm not sure where I got this drive from. I began 2010 not knowing how to drape or what it meant. Took and paid classes outside of Uni, working my ass off to learn. By 2011 I knew the basics. Summer of 2011 I knew I wanted my final collection to be on shirts. Winter 2011, I wanted to drape every single one to prove to myself and my "mentors" my willingness to learn and use what I have learned. By spring 2012, I had draped countless fits, shirts, what have you and ended up with a final collection of shirts. And was offered a job! 

I was told not to drape and use basic patterns from the "closet" but where the hell would that have taken me? Sometimes it's best to ignore what professors or anyone else tells you and just go with your gut because in the end they are not the ones offering you a job. Be passionate about whatever you are doing, strive to be the best, better than the best and work your ass off because it truly does pay off. 

x

tropics@ 6/22/12

{celebratory drinks in shoreditch, london}

{pearl with a fire in her drink! and me}

{with Archana for dinner at ping pong, london}

my time in London is coming to an end! in just a few days i am gone for good......... AHHHH!!! and i haven't even started packing or even thought about it. *headaches. 

Madrid@ 6/21/12

The coolest place we went to in Madrid was something called "CaixaMadrid." It was free entry, had toilets and air conditioning. It was also an art museum and had some pretty neat stuff. The coolest thing about this place was definitely the entrance; no idea how they built it, but it is pretty darn cool! We were obsessed and walked around until we were ready to face the heat outside. 

{one of the most beautiful airports, madrid}

{loved finding these penguins throughout the parks!}

{with Pearl!}

Going to Spain with my best friend was quite the experience. Madrid was so stressful! We didn't sleep at all the night before because we had an early flight. When we arrived at Madrid from London, we realized there were no street signs!!!!! It was the most frustrating thing ever. We walked back and forth in the middle of Sol, sweating our butts off, and we were extremely exhausted trying to figure out where we were. We finally found our hotel and knocked out for a few hours. Took us a while to get ready and go into tourist mode. Madrid was... not that different from London, New York City or Downtown L.A. To be honest I didn't really enjoy it because it didn't feel like we were really traveling anywhere new. There were some cool sites, but the amount of time it took for us to get to places was ridiculous. I don't know if it was the lack of energy or just being in a big city, but Madrid is my least favorite city that I've been to. Pearl and I laughed a lot, sweated like crazy, swore left and right, and really tried to make the most out of Madrid but it really wasn't our city. Even finding a Zara proved to be difficult! 

x

regrets collide@ 6/19/12

{Jason Wu Spring 2012 RTW}

Since the first moment I saw this last year on Style.com, I have not been able to get it out of my head or off my desktop. Although, I could've gone without the shoes.

happy days@ 6/18/12

{Camden lock}

{having some pret in the park!}


{Pearl at Spitalfield's market}

{me and Pearl in Camden}

These photos are from last month when my bestie, Pearl came to visit me in London! I know have a week left and my Macbook is in pieces at the apple store... wahhh

Follow rivers@ 6/17/12

{Regents Street}

{In front of St. James park}

{Pearl with her boyfriend}

coming to an end@ 6/16/12

{celebrating the end of university}

So much has happened since the end of hand-in and I will slowly be uploading photos here and there. In the meantime I have one full week left in London. This actually makes me very sad, wahhhh. Going to explore and revisit my favorite places and eat everything that I can't get in America!

x

Feeling navy@ 6/14/12

Olsens wearing Supergas and they do it well!

I recently bought another pair in Sherwood Green, I'm kind of getting obsessed with all the cute colors. It wasn't too long ago when I bought my navy ones... but now I'm thinking of a 3rd pair! The Superga x Henry Holland collection is too cute to pass up. Oh gosh, I'm going nuts. 

x

stride@ 6/12/12

two weeks left in london! 

what's left@ 6/11/12

I'm not really sure where I lost myself. I've always been a really strong and independent person and until recent months, or perhaps this year, that seems to have changed. I'm giving up on all the negative things and really letting God take control of my life. There's no point in sitting around waiting for something or trying to make sense of something that will never make sense. I need to put myself, my career, and what's left of who I was first. What's never going to change are my friends, my family and what I have ahead of me. I've got too much and I'm not letting one thing hold me back from celebrating my life and what I have. I'm moving forward, here's to being happy, letting go of the past, and thanking God for the future that's ahead, here's to me. 

x