Welcome 2012!

I hate New Year Resolutions... I think that everyone should try (or at least pretend) to be their best every month, week or whatever. But I want, and am determined, to make 2012 my most fashion oriented year so far. And I don't mean go shopping more, because I certainly can't afford it, but to finally get started with my own fashion carreer.

Pic taken and edited by me. ELLE Mexico January 2012.

Step 1: Internship with Dana Thomas
Dana Thomas is a fashion journalist living in Paris. She will be doing research for upcoming books in Savannah (courtesy of SCAD) and I will be working with her as a research assistant. I recently finished her book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster, about how luxury houses went from being small family businnes to belong to huge companies. And this book actually inspired me to change the direction of my upcoming MFA thesis.


Step 2: My thesis about the fashion world in Mexico
After reading Deluxe and talking to some fashion people in Mexico I decided that my thesis needed more conflict. Initially, it was going to be about the history of fashion in Mexico, profiles of some famous designers and where it is going. One of the persons I talked to suggested I explore the problems and conflicts fashion encounters in Mexico and I think that's the direction I'll take. I hope I get some insight from Dana Thomas herself on how to improve my material.

Step 3: Graduation
After finishing my Master of Fine Arts in Writing I'm planning on gifting myself a very fashionable graduation present. Probably something from net-a-porter:

Net-A-Porter is definitely one of my favorite websites, and
I long for that day I can actually get myself something.

Step 4: Getting a job in a major fashion magazine in Mexico

Once I have the perfect outfit(s), I will return to Mexico and try to get an equally perfect job in a magazine. My number one choices are Elle Mexico and InStyle Mexico, I just love them and people I admire work there. But anything and everything from Glamour to Harper's Bazaar, or the fashion section in a newspaper would be amazing.

To work for ELLE Mexico would be my dream come true.
Image courtesy of Fashion Foie Gras.

As you can see, I have a lot of work to do... But I am really, really excited to do all this and more. Also, I hope I can put together a great New Year's Eve outfit, I'll keep you posted... Happy New Year to everyone!

Cults! (best of 2011)

My third favorite thing in the world is music, just after fashion and TV. I love to listen to music that makes me feel happy and most important, I love bands with girls who choose pretty outfits to perform. And that is one of the reasons I looooove Cults and I want to see them live again (for the third time).

Photo from the band's official website.

The band was formed last year by Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion in New York City. They have three other members who play live with them and they make beautiful music, she has a really sweet voice. Also, I love the dress she's wearing in the picture above and everything she wears.

The first time I saw them live was in NYC in August, when I hadn't even heard of them. I was there mainly to see Friendly Fires, but Cults was incredible. And I loved the little coral dress Madeline Follin was wearing, and I fell in love with her singing.

We All Want Someone to Shout For, is a music blog that has an amazing review of that
concert at the Summer Stage and provided me with this pic.

The second time I saw them, now with a longer set, was at the Austin City Limits music festival. By then I was already obsessed and knew all the lyrics by heart. My favorite part was her looking so sweet and pretty while singing "I could never heal myself, never heal myself... So fuck you."

This was taken by my friend Luis at Austin.

I am definitely planning on seeing them live again in March, either in Orlando or Atlanta. And I hope they play sometime in Mexico, I'd like to see how they perform with a better audience ;) . Meanwhile enjoy this crazy video for the song "Go Outside". (And for other well-dressed girls in bands, I recommed RaRaRiot).

Go Outside, by Cults from Boing Boing on Vimeo.

One (fashionable) day in Mexico City

First of all I need to say that I hateeee the traffic in Mexico City... Buuut, I want more than anything to live there after I graduate from SCAD. Then, I apologize for not posting in a while, I've been a lazy Mexican.

Last week I was in Mexico City for a couple of days, and I usually have mornings and afternoons for myself while my friends go to work. This is what a (semi) local does while there for just one day.

Start by having breakfast at Cielito Querido. It could be considered the Mexican Starbucks and at the same time the anti-Starbucks. I chose the one in la Condesa because that's my favorite neighborhood. And this coffee shop is delicious and very Mexican with tamales and café de olla but also with the option of frappés and everything American.

My Friday morning: coffee, a green tamale and my Dana Thomas book: Deluxe. Getting
ready for my internship (more on that later).

"Aquí le decimos chico no alto" ("We say small,
not Alto").

My boots, polka-dot tights and the pretty tile floor.

After this delicious breakfast, you should walk around the streets of la Condesa (one of the oldest and coolest neighborhoods in the city) and see the little stores, many of them sell stuff by local designers at great prices. Also, you will see things like this:

Then, for some contrast, you can take a cab or the subway to Polanco and walk on Masaryk Street, the Mexican 5th Ave. There are many luxury brand boutiques so I take it only as sightseeing because I can't even go inside.

The Louis Vuitton store on Masaryk St.

One can eat here in one of the many sidewalk cafés or go straight to Antara Fashion Hall (yes, that's its name) and eat there. This is a more affordable place to shop with everything from Zara and Pull&Bear to Marc by Marc Jacobs and Coach. But I have to say that my favorite is Argentinian brand Rapsodia, besides, it's a store you can't find in the U.S.

I love the prints, beading and the boho-chic vibe of the
Argentinian brand (pictures from soyasi.com).

Finally, you need to go see Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 by yourself (that was actually my plan but I couldn't do it because of schedule conflicts) while waiting for your friends to get out of work.
And at night you can go back to la Condesa and have dinner and some drinks. Or you can catch some show, concert, or play.

And this is what I wore to run around the city. Not very wise to wear those tights on a subway, I must say. But I enjoyed my outfit (composed also by pieces -sweater and shorts- from my mom's closet).

Sunglasses: D&G/Necklace: Wright Square Market Savannah/Sweater: Zara/Coat:
French Connection/Shorts: Massimo Dutti/ Tights: Gap/Boots: Old Navy

So while I wait to finish school, get a job and move to Mexico City I will just have to enjoy my one-day-visits. (And in case I don't post again... Merry X*Mas!)

Reduce!

As an outsider living in the US, I see how much people waste things here... Everything from money to time to food. And I know that especially as a fashion person what I'm going to say now may sound harsh and intollerant, but here it goes: seeing obese people in the street makes me really mad. I even wrote a paper on the security dangers of obesity in airplines and why people above certain weight should be required two seats.
And living here but being from Mexico I see how both countries are fighting to be No. 1 in obesity in the world, that is why it worries me so much. But today I found an article in the TIME Magazine website that shows some ways to combat it, or at least make it stop increasing.
I know this is not very fashion oriented but I hate to see what is happening to people and the economic tolls it has on EVERYONE... Here is the link to the article if you're interested: Let's Stop Being Passive About Obesity by Shannon Brownlee.

Nylon made me happy...

I'm in finals so the little free time I have I use it to relax doing yoga and reading magazines. The November issue of Nylon made me very happy. Sometimes I don't really like Nylon that much because it seems a little costume-y... But this issue is great.

The cover.

Things I loved about the issue.

1. Christian Cota x Aldo

I am Mexican and love fashion. And Christian Cota is the most important Mexican designer at the moment. So I am a fan. He could tell when I met him at the SCAD Fashion Show earlier this year (I had to chase him to get this picture).


Anyway, I was really excited when I heard he was doing a collaboration with Aldo shoes because this means he's getting the recognition he deserves. And I really loved the way the magazine styled the boots he designed. I especially loved the second outfit with the red dress.

Courtesy of Christian Cota's Facebook page.

2. Rachel Bilson and Hart of Dixie

I am actually watching Hart of Dixie while writing this post. The show is kind of cheesy, but funny... And it's a little of a guilty pleasure, but it kind of makes sense when living in Savannah. Being the South and all that. One of the reasons I love it, is watching Rachel Bilson as Zoe Hart, and of course her outfits. I love Rachel Bilson's style and I absolutely love her wearing New York outfits in Alabama. (Both pictures taken from the CW's website).

This may seem like a normal outfit. But not in a
place where women dress like it's still the fifties with full
dresses and pearls for going to turtle races.

I love this dress... Of course I would wear it to a
wedding or something similar. Not to a gumbo cooking competition.

3. Arc

As you may recall, a couple of posts ago I wrote about Arc (here). I love that Savannah is written about next to cities like Sanf Francisco. And especially, seeing Arc in two different national publications makes me really happy.

And the break is over. Back to writing about the importance of fashion... More on that later!

Clothes+Movies

Last week was the Savannah Film Festival presented by SCAD. Just like last year, I couldn't get tickets for the evening screenings. I really, really wanted to see Like Crazy. It sounds like exactly the kind of movie I would love. And with Felicity Jones being called the new Carey Mulligan, I HAVE to see it. I will probably have the same luck I had with Black Swan: when it opens in the U.S. I'll be in Mexico, and when I come back to the States it will no longer be playing.

Felicity Jones, one of my new style icons,
on the BAFTA red carpet.

Anyway, I did see some other movies like Barry Lyndon and Take Me Home, but my favorite was with no doubt Let Go. This movie tells the story of Walter Dishman, a parole officer in charge of three very particular convicts. The story is a funny combination of heartbreak and hope, and each of the characters has a different struggle and different backgrounds.

The movie's poster, from IMDB.com

But what I loved the most is the way the costume designer gave them a personality through their clothes and appearance in general. Walter is tall and always wears beige clothes, so dull against the bright blue walls of the house he shares with his wife. Darla, who was in jail for trying to sell an engagement ring on e-bay always has bright coral lipstick on; and she always wears beautiful floral dresses. Artie, the 70-year-old-vintage-thief, seems stuck in the 70s and represents the nostalgia of an era through his knit shirts and polyester pants. And finally, there's insurance-fraud Kris who changes clothes as he changes jobs: from a valet parking to a hot-dog costume. (I wish I had images, but they were impossible to find.)

At a Q&A following the movie, director and writer Brian Jett commented no one has offered distribution of the movie. And I really hope he does because it is a wonderful movie. Character-based, funny and endearing.

Color, color, color!

I can't get enough of Kate Spade New York's blog. It is so colorful that it makes me happy just by looking at it. It's the perfect distraction for a lunch break!


The online store is pretty too, it makes me want to get everything. And with this month's "multi color theme" I especially want the Sorbonne Square Evangeline purse and the Crystal Kaleidoscope Bib necklace.




So if you were planning on giving me a Christmas gift, now you know what I want!

Everything New Sidenote

I want:
To eat the soup of the day everyday at Foxy Loxy. It is a new café near where I take my classes and has great tacos, excellent coffe and the most delicious soups.

I hate:
The Savannah Rock and Roll Marathon. A band playing around 8 am. 2 blocks from my house. Enough said.

Everything New! (almost)

I love new stuff. And there's something big and new in Savannah: the SCAD Museum of Art. For my first time visiting the new museum I decided to wear almost everything new, including my new Les Folles de Joie Jeans, which I've decided are the best jeans I've ver own. I am seriously considering getting them in black and pink. And another pair of the blue ones for when the first need to be retired. I also wore my cape (from Marshalls) after almost two months of waiting for the weather to be worth of a cape; and finally a new leopard print shirt I got on sale at Old Navy. This is my outfit:

Sunglasses: D&G/Cape: JouJou at Marshalls/Blouse: Old Navy/Jeans: Les Folles de Joie
Belt: American Eagle/Purse: My mom's/Flats: Tahari at Marshalls

Now that you've seen the pictures, and my horrible photographic skills, let's talk about the museum. It is really beautiful, I see it as the perfect representation of the contrast between old and new, but especially between Savannah and SCAD. It's everything new inside an old building. What I loved the most, obviously, was the André Leon Talley Gallery.

André Leon Talley in his gallery at the SCAD Museun of Art with
SCAD President Paula Wallace.

Although, it's really small, it is really beautiful. I think my favorite was the Oscar de la Renta black gown that Penelope Cruz wore to the Costume Institute Gala at the Met earlier this year.




And also, being so close to the Manolos Carrie Bradshaw wore to her City Hall wedding on the Sex and the City movie really took my breath away.



I love museums, André Leon Talley, and, of course, fashion. And this particular museum is really worth the visit. I'm looking forward to the next ALT exhibition! But while we wait for the next one, enjoy the rest of the pictures.

Me and Marc. Marc Jacobs, Spring 2009.

Oscar de la Renta, Resort 2012.

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Spring/Summer 1984.

John Galliano for Dior, 2007.

Vintage Savannah

One of the things I love the most: shopping. Another addiction? Magazines. And Lucky has become one of my favorite magazines, and I really enjoy their local shopping guides (their Twitter account is really good, too). So imagine my excitement when the latest issue featured a Savannah shopping guide. You can find an online version here.


Not that I need any instruction or help finding stores, but I loved that two of my favorite stores were featured: Arc and the Wright Square Antique Mall. Arc is the store I have to credit for my converting to an avid vintage shopper. Before Arc, I thought vintage meant "old and smelly". Now I even shop at the Goodwill.

Image courtesy of shop-arc.com

I've bought skirts and shirts at Arc. But I think that my best findings here have been the Christian Dior lace blazer (pictured below) that I wore to my job interview for Net-A-Porter, and a beautiful leopard print maxi dress that I'm planning on wearing at a beach wedding next month.

A lace blazer: my dream come true!

The Wright Square Antique Mall also has great findings, especially jewlery and purses. They have vintage clutches (like mine, pictured below) in all colors and sizes. Some jewlery pieces look not-so-vintage to me, but yet you can find great things, and very different from what you'd find in other stores. And it really is a great place to waste time just looking around.

I love, love, love this necklace!

The perfect neutral color for a clutch.

So now you know, if you ever come to Savannah visit these stores, and another good thing? They're conviniently located next to each other. Enjoy your shopping!