APC x vanessa seward

designer collaborations can be kind of a hit or miss. there's the good, of course: remember when missoni crashed target's website? and nike x liberty london have continually turned out amazing floral-printed sneakers (which sound wrong but are so, so right... as i proved around this time last year).

but then there's the bad. as much as it pains me to speak ill of my beloved doc martens, their collaboration with swarovski was not my cup of tea. the translation was a bit too literal -- and other collabs have suffered similar fates.

this was not the case for A.P.C. x vanessa seward, in which the sleek, minimal designs of A.P.C. get a healthy dose of femininity from vanessa seward, who used to design for azzaro. the collection is super-edited and cohesive -- imagine a stylish French girl suddenly goes ultra-glam. simple shapes and silhouettes meet unexpected hues (like slate blue and mocha brown), retro prints and ah-mazing shimmer finishes. it's sweet, modern, and not in the least bit "trendy" -- i can see myself wearing these pieces for years to come. with prices ranging from $300-$700, it's still an investment, but arguably an easier one to make!

below, my favorite looks:

{ images via refinery 29 }

II emily

nyc photo diary: part 2

well, first thing's first... happy 4th of july!

i can't wait to celebrate here in nyc (in fact, i should probably start getting ready...)

but i wanted to add a few more photos to continue the nyc photo diary - except none of the photos below really have much to do with each other. at all. except that they were all taken here in new york!

my puppy raj! miss him so much 

enjoying a lazy saturday in the west village

discovered an entire wall of mario badescu (my favorite skincare line) in a hole-in-the-wall pharmacy

more west village love

magnolia bakery... my weakness.

below: some instagram pics from a photo shoot i worked on a few weeks ago - will give more details later! i was one of the stylists:

how much do you love that camilla and marc dress {above} ?

the super-talented lyle hawthorne doing his thing

running into this (enormous) dog made for some great photos!

this one {below} is thanks to jenni zellner, the makeup artist for the shoot - her instagram is jenni8z

boats in central park

the beautiful freedom tower

my two favorite things: roses and blondie spread! (from pain quotidien)

DIY coconut rose body scrub materials: mason jar, almond oil, raw sugar, coconut oil, and fresh rose petals

final result!

sunset in tribeca

loved these lanterns at chelsea market

a pre-dinner cupcake - who says dessert has to come last?

the greatest thing in the world: strawberry nerds mojito at dylan's candy bar

II emily

trend hopping

while trying to shop restrictively (nyc shopping is literally better than anywhere else ever) i've subconsciously indulged several of my favorite summer trends: 

1) neon + neutrals // c wonder clutch (such a steal!)

2) drop-waist tunics // uniqlo (so cute with slim pants + a chunky heel)

3) leopard (when isn't this a trend?) // zara mini bag

4) industrial earrings // rachel rachel roy (also seen in this post)

5) americana stripes // uniqlo t-shirt dress 

what are you wearing this summer?

II emily

nyc photo diary: chanel lbj exhibit

i have to apologize for the lack of posts lately, i feel like i literally am always on the go! between work, grocery shopping, meals, attempting to socialize and some sleeping, i barely have time to relax, let alone blog! i used to blog nearly every day and i definitely miss it.

today, instead of a typical twin studies post, i decided to upload a few photos i've taken since coming to new york. i have to begin, of course, with the exquisite little black jacket exhibit by the one and only karl lagerfeld.

to celebrate the iconic power of chanel's endlessly-chic little black jacket (or LBJ), karl lagerfeld shot over 100 celebrities wearing the piece -- from anna wintour to elle fanning, kanye west to natalia vodianova. like any true fashionphile, i've always dreamed of wearing chanel and truly appreciate the brand's fascinating history and timeless appeal. don't even try to argue with me about this: gabrielle coco chanel revolutionized fashion for women. she showed us how to wear pants and masculine pieces without sacrificing femininity -- and that's preceisely what the little black jacket (and its many iterations) represents.

 even though the modern chanel brand is completely different than gabrielle's original little suits (i mean, just check out the insane resort collection), so much of it still ties back to its classic, tried-and-true roots. karl once said "chanel is composed of only a few elements: white camellias, quilted bags and austrian doorman's jackets, pearl, chains, shoes with black toes. i use these elements like notes to play with." the way he updates and modernizes those classic chanel "ingredients" is really, in my opinion, the most fashionable thing ever.

i made it to the LBJ exhibit on the very last day before it shipped off to tokyo and was absolutely blown away -- so much so that i actually considered dropping $98 on the coffee table book. luckily for me, everyone at the exhibit got to take home three poster-sized versions of the photos. not only do i love the ones i got (sarah jessica parker, elle fanning and vanessa paradis) but now i finally have something to cover up the peeling paint on my dorm walls!

a few snaps below...

{ outside the soho showroom }

{ elle fanning looking adorable in a flower crown }

{ elizabeth olsen turned hers inside out }

{ the gorgeous sofia coppola in nautical stripes }

{ natalia vodianova covered herself in chanel's favorite white camellia flowers }

{ Clémence Poésy added a feathered headdress }

{ should me and liz pose like this...? }

{ my bedroom wall with the new additions! }

{ a shameless mirror shot - but i had to include what i wore to the exhibit! }

wearing an h&m tank, joe fresh skirt and ann taylor clutch

II 

emily

pinned to perfection

 

 { rachel rachel roy earrings } 

picked up these beauties yesterday after work (which ended at precisely 1:30... thank god for summer fridays in new york!)

 i've been seeing variations on safety pin earrings all over blogosphere/street style photographs these days and was so excited when le fashion posted about these earrings in particular. they're teeny tiny and just a little bit sparkly, perfectly balancing  the toughness of the safety pin. get yours here or try them  in hematite.

II emily

jenni kayne resort 2013

 

{ photos: courtesy of jenni kayne via style.com }

of all the resort 2013 collections - and believe me, i've browsed them all - one of my favorites is jenni kayne. the looks are ultra simple: sleek silhouettes, clean neutrals, a slight menswear vibe, mexican-inspired prints and tiny pops of neon green. it's exactly what i want to be wearing this summer... and fall.

can i have every look? please?

II emily

dark vs. light

 

 { images via atlantic-pacific. clockwise from top left, bracelet: kate spade / top: topshop / skirt: topshop / earrings: c wonder / pumps: charlotte olympia / tote: reed krakoff }

until recently, i honestly was not a fan of the "classic" black + white combination. black and white outfits have always seemed far too boring, plain and predictable for my tastes, especially since the clothes themselves were often completely boring, plain and predictable. no interesting shapes, textures or patterns..minimal accessorizing... nothing to create a strong reaction. 

recently, however, black + white has truly become one of my favorite looks - especially when worn by the likes of stylish bloggers like blair eadie. a voluminous skirt, mixed textures and a bold print - like her striped coat or a pair of spotted shoes - make these quintessential basic hues feel downright chic and unexpected. taking something so simple and styling it up with subtle details makes this look perfect for work, play, and everything in between.

II emily