ALL THAT IS TO COME

Oh, hi. Lately, you might have been thinking 'what is up with this girl - did she forget how to blog or something?' I mean it's probably really been weighing on you I'm sure.

But no, really I haven't forgotten about the blog or anything else for the matter. In fact, there's a lot of stuff in the works. I'm getting ready to release my Summer collection for 16th Colony and until then hopefully this little teaser photo will hold you over. This was actually taken when I was visiting my hometown in AZ. The Summer shoot was held here in lovely SoCal last week - I just finished editing all the photos today and everything will be up on the 16thC site very soon.

Back on the Hanger Shortage topic though, a few weeks ago I filmed another Style Interview Video. I'm not going to give away who it is quite yet, but that's another thing you have to look forward to. Let's just say she's a pretty savvy/stylish/artsy business chic who also has a love affair with all things vintage. Be excited.

Okay, so there's a few other things that will come up as we venture into Summer but let's focus on getting some of this stuff done and up on the site first. K, great :)

PORT

I met Jim a while ago back at Agenda and at that point I had already been wanting to get into to his store Port and check it all out.

I seriously suggest you do the same if you're cruising through the Long Beach area. Jim opened his store sort of as a passion project a few years back and it has since turned into basically a destination and home for well thought out brands. He does such a good job curating the space with several lines including some of his talented friends' brands like Wonderland Sun and Quiet Life.



There's some people out there doing their thing that have their hands in so much that you wonder what other great ideas they have - in addition to everything else going on, Jim has Port branded apparel. As of now, the line consists mostly of men's items, including quality, thermals, sweatshirts and hats.



On top of running Port, Jim has also teamed up with the brand Broken Homme which is a leather specific boot collection made in the USA. These handcrafted boots are designed in Long Beach and the aesthetic of the brand fits in perfectly with the overall lifestyle vibe that Jim has created at Port. Now if they'll only come out with a size that will fit me.



Luckily, there are a few great Port items for girls - when I checked out the store a few weeks back, I walked away with their women's crew sweatshirt courtesy of Jim. Not to sound like a bum or anything but I've been wearing this sweatshirt nearly everyday since. The way my crazy schedule has been working out, I don't always have time to plan out elaborate outfits so I gravitate toward my Port sweatshirt, some version of cut-off shorts and boots - works every time.

WILLOW & CLAY FESTIVAL VID

A couple weeks ago I was on set filming with Willow & Clay for their Fall '13 photoshoot.

Shooting behind the scenes for fashion brands is great because it really shows an up close and personal look at how much preparation and thought goes into the photoshoots. I love seeing everything come together and the interaction between everyone and their roles.

Anyway, in addition to filming their behind the scenes - that same day we also shot a vid for their blog that focuses on Festival Season and styling cute peasant blouses for the occasion. It turned out to be really fun - blogger Camilla was adorable and great to work with. So check out the vid and also make sure to wander on over to the Willow & Clay tumblr for some photo and style inspiration.

TRUNK SHOWIN'

My Trunk Show was 3 weeks ago and I have no idea where the time has gone but I've been wanting to share a few photos and thoughts.

I teamed up with Bri the lovely owner of Briana Rene Store and hosted a little shindig for the showing of my first collection. I was extremely happy with the event. I had every last detail in place and as it started to come together just an hour before the show I could clearly see my vision and brand come to life. It wasn't just all in my head anymore and I realized that everything about it was so 'me'. Creating my brand from scratch, I really wanted to just let loose and just let it be - I"m not sure if that really makes sense but for me it means just trusting in myself and what my taste, style and interests are. All of these things combined have been more clear than ever and translated into what 16th Colony is and will continue to be. I'm so grateful to have the creative freedom to do what it is that I love because what comes out of it is so real and rewarding.

Briana and I



As for the event, it was so much fun and I'm so happy that my friends and family were there along with people that I've met during this process that have been super supportive - and not to mention some of you that follow my blog! Thanks for stopping by, grabbing a drink and checking out the ponchos. I really appreciate all the great feedback and I'm also now completely sold out of the Agate.

So I guess that means that I should release the Summer collection soon - who's ready?

Chattin it up with Beatrice and Erika

Blogger love with Kimberly and Stacey

The Talc Poncho

Jodi Carpenter looking babely in her Black Onyx

FESTIVAL STYLE

With Festival Season approaching, I was inspired to put together a few looks.

I've been super into graphic tees the last few months. For me they're perfect for my everyday styling since I'm either designing in my studio or at the computer editing films - but of course on top of being comfortable I want to look put together too. I'm loving these tees from Wenanami and wanted to take my obsession with graphic tees a step further and style them with a festival vibe.

Wenanami graphic tank styled with Nasty Gal wool floppy hat and a black knit slit skirt made by me.

Wenanami California graphic tee styled with Black Sheep suede fringe vest and Urban Outfitters lace shorts.



Now I'm all set for festivals - Thanks to Shout PR and Wenanami!

Wenanami graphic tank styled with cut out shorts made by yours truly.

SPRING LOOKS : TOP PICKS

Now that Spring is finally here I wanted to share some of my fave looks.

Once it warms up, I always feel so much more alive. And it never fails that every year I have a major case of 'Spring Fever' and can't wait to put together outfits for the perfect weather. This season, I got my hands on some great items and so I decided to piece them together, get out to my new secret beach spot and take a few stills - I even edited together a little vid for your viewing pleasure.



I absolutely love this Willow & Clay Military Vest - it pairs perfectly with the lace Black Sheep Stargazer dress but is also great with dark skinny jeans, a feminine sheer top and a great pair of ankle booties. The fit of this vest is great and so are the large pockets and drawstring at the waist to give a more girlish look.

Willow & Clay Olive Military Vest



I love that festival season tags along with Spring - the looks that are shown during this time across blogs, brands and instagram are so fun and inspiring. The level of carefree attitude in fashion is completely heightened. I think that the Black Sheep 'Bonnaroo' suede fringe vest falls into that category very well - especially with this Lost bell sleeve lace top.

Cut-out detail on the Black Sheep Bonnaroo Suede Fringe Vest

Lost For Her - Volare top and Black Sheep Bonnaroo Vest



Lace dominates my closet - I'm so drawn to it's sheer feminine beauty but I also love to roughen it up a bit. Juxtaposition with lace is a constant in my styling rotation. I love how this Black Sheep long sleeve lace dress fits so well and that it's so girly and pairing it with the Lost denim vest definitely gives a it a little edge and mixes it up a bit.

Black Sheep Mitzy lace dress paired with Lost For Her Wallace denim vest.



So, as you can tell I'm pretty excited about Spring and the warm weather. Thanks for checking out my looks. Also a huge thanks to my girls at Shout PR, Black Sheep/Black Swan, Willow & Clay, and Lost.

TESTINO AT PRISM

As soon March hits and the weather starts to warm up I'm itching to get out and about.

I've been hiding out and working on some projects along with my brand and had seriously forgotten the last time I had a day off. I mean a real day off. So naturally when I heard that there was an exhibit at Prism Gallery featuring Mario Testino's work, I used that as an excuse to pull away from all my obligations.



Being that Testino is one of the world's most influential photographers for the fashion industry I was really interested in checking out his work in person. You may know of him through some of the shoots he did for Vogue and Vanity Fair and his ad campaigns for Valentino, Gucci, Burberry and Versace.

A lot of the photos on display were maybe in some people's opinion provocative, although I found a lot of artistic beauty in them. I loved how some of the women modeled and the way their bodies were posed. I always find that the strange creative photography inspires me a lot, so in a way the 'day off' did some good and boosted my spirit a bit. You can't stay cooped up in your work - you definitely gotta get out and experience things a bit and get excited again.



Since the gallery was in LA, I of course loitered around for a while - did some browsing around on Melrose and grabbed some food and sangria (duh) at Tart. It was definitely a good little outing. I've been back on the grind since but as soon as our lovely Pacific Ocean warms up you'll be able to find me along the coast enjoying the weather and escaping from work again.