Harlem

So I hit the streets of Harlem in the pouring rain for the love of style. While most use the rain as an excuse to slap on their sweats with a pair of boots some just cant help being awesome. There weren't really any recurring trends from what I saw besides an umbrella but the look was very urban and diverse.

Dakota & Devani from Icicle Dust, click on their pic to go to their site. I love their video

This weeks how-to: Spring Bag

Materials

Cardboard box

fabric

fabric glue

scissors

chain

Clothes/bobby pins(optional)
decorations(optional)

Step1: Cut the flaps off of your cardboard box top

Step2: Place your box on your fabric, cut a piece to cover the bottom and one to cover all 4 sides of the box leaving an inch or 2 for the top. You should end up with 2 pieces.

Step3: Glue the bottom, cut off any excess. Now glue your big piece to the sides aligning it with the bottom.

Step4: Cut the fabric at the corner. Add glue to the top inside of the box and fold over. You can add clothes or bobby pins to make sure it stays put until the glue dries

Step 5: Make a puncture hole and pull your chain through

Step6: Decorate and go out rockin' your new spring bag sweet thang

Uptown Baby

So this weeks post took me up north to Manhattans Washington Heights. I probably should have gone on a day other than Sunday since everyone looked like they were getting over their hangovers and just threw on whatever they could find. But never fear, no matter what some people refuse to leave the house in anything less than snaztastic and thus I was able to find style in the heights.

This Weeks how-to: T-shirt Skirt

Materials
T-shirt
Scissors
safetypin

Step 1: Lay your t-shirt flat and cut about 1 inch below the sleeve straight across. Cut the remaining inch into a long strip. Toss the arms and neckhole. Now you should have 2 pieces.

Step 2: Cut a small slit into the hem

Step 3: Take your safety pin and attach it to one end of your strip and pull it threw the inside of your hem
Step 4: Turn it right side up, tie it and viola! A new skirt, Go on with ya bad self.

Queens

I can sum up what I saw at Queens Center Mall in one word, disappointing. I honestly thought the area might have more character than it actually did. I walked the area several times and through the mass of boring cookie cutter "style". Queens I know you can do better, shame on you. After a couple of hours I was able to find some people who had a sense of personal style and things that stood out from crowd classic aviators, an awesome hot pink bedazzled down coat and leopard print manicures.


Queens of Queens



This weeks how to: Ribbon bling

Materials

Ribbon

Chain

Step 1: Take one end of the ribbon and bring it through the first opening of the chain. You can tie the ribbon if you'd like, I personally didnt.

Step 2: repeat step 1 all the way through

Step 3: Cut the Ribbon ends and tie, BAM new addition to your accesories collection

Fashion Week

Guess what ladies and gentleman, it's that time of year again...that time of year when all is right with the world(okay maybe not the world...just NYC). When even in the dead of winter, amidst the left overs of about 3 snowstorms anyone who cares about the fashion world puts on there best to attend the fashion events that are taking place all over the city. Sounds like the perfect time to come out of my maternal hiatus. Fashion Week.

This is what was going on at American Apothecary's Fall/Winter 2011 presentation. The brand itself is very cool, down to earth and represents more than just fashion giving 10% of all profit to charity. Check out their cool twist on vintage inspired t-shirts. Sweet meets Street.

American Apothecary

The style in the crowd was fun, urban and quirky.

Denim Vest

This week how- to : "Denim time."

Materials:

• Old Jean jacket

• and a pair of scissors

Step 1: Grab that old jeam jacket you have in the closet that you havent worn in a year

Step 2: get a pair of scissors and carefully cut off the sleeves ( Or you can carefully unstick the sleeves, it takes longer but your end product is pretty cool)


Step 3: A denim vest to spruce up a boring outfit


This one I attacked with a cheese shredder for a more distressed look

I want your input

Hey guys

If you have any comments, suggestions, requests or just feel like typing something up, send me an email crissylavoz@yahoo.com.

I'd love to get your thoughts and input. THANKS!

Fashion on Fashion Ave

Honestly the style that I came across on Fashion Avenue was refreshing. Every ones look was artsy and was more about self expression rather than the latest trends. People were creative and, TRUST ME, I did not see the same outfit twice. Rather than finding the hottest designer stores there were more supply stores, arts and crafts shops, and of course the buildings that hold all the "behind the scene"s for the fashion industry. They don't call it the Garment District for no reason.
FASHION AVE-NYC CATWALK






This weeks How-to: 1 of a kind headband
Materials
Ribbon (Base measurements on your own head)
2 Hair ties
Fabric glue or Sewing Machine


Step 1: take your 2 hair ties and interlace them to form a nice knot.

Step2: Fold the end of the ribbon about half an inch. Sew or Glue in place.

Step 3: Place the end of the ponytail holder at the edge and fold another half inch.

Step4: If you are using glue, glue the second fold to the rest of the ribbon. If you are sewing, sew one from one edge to the next, back sew.

Step5: Repeat on other side.
Step 6: Do the damn thang.

5th Avenue

How can I begin to describe 5th Avenue. If you want to be in the fashion industry I guess it's one of the places that you want to be. The streets are lined with designer stores and gorgeous window displays. The look of the New Yorkers I could instantly spot among masses of tourists was minimal chic with designer accesories. Monogram Louis and Guccis definitely run 5th avenue. It's the place to be if your pockets are nicely lined for spending. Too bad mine aren't.

5'ths Snazziest

This weeks How-To: "Stud your life"
Materials
Flat back Studs
Multi Purpose adhesive
Pair of Tweezers
Something to stud

Step1: Make sure the surface of whatever you're studding is clean
Step2: Grab a little piece of paper and squeeze a little adhesive onto the paper
Step3: Using the back of your tweezers apply a small amount of adhesive to the back of a stud.
Step4: Place the stud on your item using the tweezers and repeat until you get lazy or think you're done.
Step 5: Viola, an easy update to an old boring pair of shoes. Sit back and think about how your life just became a little bit more awesome.



Notes: For the Adhesive I used Beacon's Gem-Tac permanent adheisive. Both the glue and studs were found at M & J trimming