Fashion and lifestyle blogger.
Full time adventure seeker.
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On Sunday I headed out to the Shiseido Malibu Beach house for the ultimate blogger brunch hosted by the amazing Catt Sadler.
She welcomed me and a select group of other bloggers to the intimate brunch celebrating the launch of what she calls her "next chapter". Watch my interview with Catt below to hear her describe Naked in her own words! She also told me about her sparkly look for the event and we had the same thoughts on wearing a jacket for the event since it seemed like kind of a grey day in Malibu. The sun did come out for us in the afternoon though and I got some great pictures of the amazing views for you guys!
The podcast has a unique twist to it and at the brunch Catt explained to us where the name "Naked" came from. Her idea is to have each of her guests take off a piece of what she calls "armor". Armor can be anything from red lipstick to a bra and according to Catt one of her guests decided to take the opportunity to go braless!
She said she wants to have her guests be, "raw and revealing and exposing their truths and sharing
their struggles and triumphs.
She hopes the audience, "can feel a little less alone
in a world in which we all walk around with this armor all the time. I think
it’s important to continue having conversations where people feel empowered or
have a take away or where you feel inspired to be your best self.”
Her idea really stands out in the world of lifestyle media and episode 0 went live as we all toasted to the occasion.
I got to sit down with Catt and asked her more about her idea for Naked and how she feels about the current media landscape.
She told me that she was inspired to create Naked hoping to offer something different to her listeners and be more authentic.
Catt said, "It's really tricky because all the platforms kind of have a different tone or a different realm in which they operate. I feel like we're moving towards a shift right now where people look at Instagram and they know ok, this is polished or this is photo shopped or this is your highlight reel and I think everyone is privy to it at this point and I think it's gonna swing the other way where people just want more organic realness. You know, that is real life. There is a place for everything obviously, it's beautiful so many beautiful images on Instagram so much art so much inspiration I love it. But, it's doing a disservice to people, especially young girls who look at it and think that their mentors or icons, the people they look up to look a certain way because that's just not reality."
The former E! News anchor who now has her own brand complete with a site called the Cattwalk.com and her new podcast shared so many inspiring quotes throughout the day. She was truly excited for her next big adventure and was full of energy all afternoon.
She teased episode one of the podcast which is coming out this week, and talked about what it was like interviewing her first guest Olivia Munn. I don't know about you guys but I can't wait to listen in to episode 1 and hear what it's like to get "naked" with Catt Sadler and Olivia Munn! The brunch was amazing and the views from the patio were even better! Plus meeting this super inspiring entrepreneur and seeing her in action was definitely a highlight of my weekend! Check out more pictures from the event below!
This year I got to celebrate Halloween in style at the Halloween masquerade ball on the rooftoop of the charming Sicty Hotel in Beverly Hills. The event was hsoted by MTS development and everyone came dressed in their best masks and Halloween attire. The venue was perfect with 360 views of LA and lounge seating for relaxing and enjoying the cityscape.
There was a best dressed contest and plenty of photo ops. Bloggers and creatives from all over LA turned out to celebrate the haunted holiday in their best gowns and creative masks. The music was great and the DJ got everyone in a party mood with Halloween classics like Thriller. Soon the crowd was dancing the night away and the best part was everyone was anonymous so people were trying out all kinds of dance moves. The stylish crowd was mingling and everyone seemed to have a great time.
I wore a vintage midnight blue floor length dress with a silver mask and silver accessories. I love this dress because it has a tie back so there is no sticky zipper to worry about and it always fits like a glove regardless of if I have my summer body or my winter coat on! ;) I loved my hair and makeup look as well courtesy of my BFF Chapman's beauty! This girl is so talented! The whole night was so fun and the masquerade added an extra element of mystery putting me in the Halloween mood! Check out my look below!
"Even my dog thinks she's an influencer" -Lainey, blogger at Iamfashionlaine
On Saturday at the Simply conference in LA I got to meet so many cool people from the fashion and beauty industry. Check out my interview with blogger and influencer Lainey of pop art fashion blog Iamfashionlaine. She spoke on a panel about being a micro-influencer and shared some great tips for bloggers just starting out. Before going on to her panel I got an exclusive interview with her where we talked about all things fashion and the latest trends in the industry as well as her top tips for micro-influencers.
She said, "Our panel is about the power of micro-influencers so I think the biggest tip is about being authentic to who you are because being your self is the biggest most special thing you can have in a world where everyone is an influencer, my dog thinks she's an influencer so its like what makes you different and I think its really you. That's what I figured out throughout the past 5-6 years about being a blogger."
This was a theme shared throughout the conference and something that really speaks to how the influecner space has evolved over the past couple of years.
Lainey told me about growing her blog and how her own personal style has changed since she started it. She is focused on a colorful style and her insta feed is filled with neon and rainbow outfits.
She told me about her look for the day saying, "Right now I'm wearing a crop top and a matching set and I love two pieces I love fun colorful stuff even if it's winter and I really do wear crop tops a lot so I feel like I always go back to that."
Lainey was taking advantage of all the great panels and expert opinions at the conference just like everyone else and she told me about the highlights she'd seen so far saying, "I've just been hopping around to the different panels and seeing a lot of people that I know and I was like Oh my God, Lo from the Hills is here! So I'm like freaking out. But just seeing the different people and hearing what they all have to say because everyone has something cool to say here!"
We also talked about her latest venture called Fashionablylatte a fashion and popculture Youtube show she created with her partner Diana Espir. She's been working on trying new content ideas with the show and was so excited when she found out I watched it. She even featured me on her insta story during the event! Check out her blog to see more of her fun styles here!
A young hip brand
called Everyone Wins was particularly eye catching to guests and designer, Alan
Eckstein was excited to see his creations come to life in the store. In an
exclusive interview with the young creative, Eckstein shared the inspiration behind
his one-year old brand made exclusively from recycled vintage clothing. The name
is an apt description for what Eckstein describes as his “latest creative experiment”
where he hunts down old vintage pieces and combines them to create unique one
of a kind items. According to Eckstein he “mixes the old with the new” which is
more of a philosophy to live by than a brand for him. He described how
satisfying it is to see clothes get a second and third life when a happy
customer wears one of his pieces. A true fashion lover Eckstein gushed that he “loves
getting into the craft” and eagerly took me through some of his favorite pieces.
Eckstein said one of the reasons he loves vintage so much is that the clothes
are so well made and meant to last. He told me, “vintage is something I’ve
always loved because it’s really the only way I get to wear truly nice pieces
in my everyday life” When I asked him if he had a favorite he immediately pulled
out a black cardigan that he explained was one of his first pieces for the
collection.
Eckstein told me why this piece was so close to his heart saying, “my
grandfather owned an embroidery factory in the 50s and these are french” as he
pointed to the delicate sparkly appliques he had decoratively placed on the
cardigan.
“They’re really high quality and you just don’t see stuff
like this anymore” he continued.
“It’s so cool because these were in my mom’s closet and now
they’re on a cardigan in Fred Segal” he said, reminding us that recycling isn’t
just for junkyards.
Eckstein continued saying that he is a New Yorker at heart
but has become very inspired by the Cali culture. He aims to incorporate the “ease
and freedom” into his brand because to him it resonates with his vison for Everyone
Wins.
Next, I spoke to Christopher, a designer from the brand Nicholas
K. which was also featured at the event. Nicholas K. takes a slightly different
approach to creating eco-friendly fashion. Check out these clips from my talk with Christopher over at Hollywood Glam Magazine's Youtube channel and read below for the full interview!
According to Christopher the brand takes
a personal style approach to fashion which Christopher described as a modern
urban nomad look. He said they mostly try to stay away from trends. The brand
is all about making things that people cherish. “having less but better things
is our philosophy” said Christopher. He believes that in today’s world the
modern customer is always on the move and prizes multi use pieces that can
travel well. “We like a casual feeling in terms of how it feels on the body but
we like a more sophisticated look. No sweatpants at an event like this. So we
try and create things that feel like sweatpants but look more sophisticated.”
he told me. He showed off one of the brands most popular pieces, a grey cape
that could be worn two ways.
He said, “This is an iconic piece. I’m all for comfort and
this piece is so versatile. That’s the key to sustainability, is creating something that people don’t want
to get rid of.”
He described the organic materials they use citing how important
it is to find natural fibers. He explained that it takes 3 pounds of chemicals
to make synthetic cotton and none to use organic cotton. They even source some
fibers locally in their home state of New York. Christopher said they mostly
used organic cotton, linen, and tangese cotton from Peru. He talked about how
it appeals to their customer because people have been slowly becoming more
aware of what they are putting on their bodies.
“It was an evolution, first it started with what people were
eating, then it moved to beauty and what they were putting on their skin, and now
people are starting to think about what they wear” he said. It also makes
practical sense for customers to buy organic materials according to Christopher
since dying fibers destroys the fabric making it weaker and more likely to tear
due to the high temperatures in dye houses.
Christopher said, “the moment when people realize what a difference
it really makes is when they sleep in organic fibers. Al lot of people don’t realize
that the leggings and things that are so popular right now are made out of these
synthetic fibers. But your sleep will be totally different when you try it and then
you can’t go back.”
The brand also stays away from reptile skins and they’ve moved
away from exotic furs as well. Christopher said they use a “no waste” approach
when deciding on animal materials meaning they don’t use anything that was
killed for the sole purpose of fashion.
The brand is also conscious about the labor they outsource
wanting to make sure it is eco friendly and ethical. He said they use artisan
handmade looms in India for a lot of their work because the industry employs
around 10 million rural women in India who often have no other means of income.
The Tangese cotton they get from Peru also helps to employ
rural communities and according to Christopher, using Peruvian cotton is worth
it since they grow it 6 times a year compared to the standard single crops
found in other places.
Other brands showcasing at the event included Tome, Alabama
Chanson, and Yeohlee. According to Victoria Urso, a representative from the
CFDA, each brand was chosen for their work with sustainability and all are members
of the CFDA.
Urso showed off several different items from the
collections. The Alabama Chanson collection was another crowd favorite and
according to Urso its designed right here in the USA at a local factory in Alabama.
The designer uses organic cotton and hand sews many pieces herself as well. This
brand creates business locally while also remaining sustainable and stylish.
The event also featured an all natural perfume brand called
Behnaz. The creator uses fresh flower extracts and she told me, “most people
thin k perfume is complicated and made by an expert, but I wanted to make something
that was very close to nature, like smelling a bouquet of flowers. It’s a little
bit more like wine making.”
These designers were a great reminder that staying
eco-conscious comes in all shapes and sizes and, any effort helps. The theme of
the night seemed to be that no matter what materials you use or what kind of
designs you make, it’s important to make clothes that are meant to last. It
really can be as easy as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Style!
This Valentine's Day I headed into the stylish Ron Robinson boutique in Santa Monica where the store was celebrating the holiday of love with tons of cute festivities. There were several brands showcasing at the event and the store was filled with Valentine themed decorations and products in every section from home decor to swimwear.
As I entered the store the first brand that I came across was. Lord Jones They made the party extra sweet with some delicious candy samples and their new celebrity esthetician approved moisturizing cream.
Next I headed over to Lotte 99 a mother daughter athliesure brand founded by Sharon and Charlotte Brown. The cutest mother daughter duo who told me all about the inspiration behind their fashion forward loungewear. The brand was especially appropriate considering the event's theme was "love yourself" and the store art featured inspiring messages of self love this year. The clothes on display were also on theme with red and white styles in silk and other soft comfy fabrics. According to the pair, the brand was founded on the idea of living the American dream which can mean being caught off guard and require athliesure wear for any occasion. The designs are all handmade here in LA and some are from up cycled materials keeping the brand ethical and appealing to the millennial consumer. The concept behind these designs was focused on working from home and how fashionable house wear can become a necessity for those working from a home office according to the designers.
I loved getting the chance to practice some #selflove in the form of retail therapy at this event! How did you show yourself some love this valentines day?
