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NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part Two

March 20, 2019

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Whoa, doggie, as my mom would say! It’s been a heck of a rollercoaster, planning this wedding. And with 10 days before I leave for California, it feels all the more rushed. Trying my best to enjoy the ride, though. I realized this morning that I hadn’t yet shared part two of my recap for NYFW. At the end of the day, I’m sad to say that sometimes my blog gets left behind to focus on other things. Thankfully, in my downtime, I’ve been making lists of posts to write, things and places to shoot, and topics I’m excited to cover. After the craziness settles, of course!

So without further ado, read on for my NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part Two!

Let’s see, where did I leave off? Ahh yes, back to the shows!
ICYMI, Custo Barcelona was one of my absolute favorite shows last season. I had an even better seat this time (thanks, Custo!), and my jaw was basically dropped as design after gorgeous design came down the runway. The only bad thing was that the lights completely blew out the clothing, so I wasn’t able to get any good videos or pictures. Their PR rep never got back to me with pics of the collection like they did last season so I could share them here, but you can see the full Custo Barcelona spring collection through that link.

At Spring Studios
(Outfit details below)

After Custo, I headed by myself to Spring Studios for the Son Jung Wan show. I have to say it, this show is now battling for my favorite of the season. Extraordinary pieces that definitely make a statement but in an unfussy way. Understated, yet breathtaking. It may make me a terrible fashion blogger, but I was so in-the-moment at the show that I forgot to post a single story from it. I think I’ll go do that now.. You can check out the full Son Jung Wan collection here.

Following my only experience at Spring Studios this past season, I met up with Alyssa for our first ever front row seats at Mac Duggal. This was the brand’s first plus size runway, and I was honored to be front and center to watch all of the gorgeous ladies and stunning designs just a couple feet from me. Check out my Instagram stories for copious footage. I tried to only post my favorites, which ended up being about 20 looks, not even kidding. Their collection was called Fabulouss, and the models all walked at the end of the show holding up posters with inspiring words on them. Such a fun moment. Even though their line is marketed as prom, there are still some dresses I would be happy to rock as eveningwear to my next big event!

With the designer, himself! Such an honor!

With Maddie Baillio, from the film Dumplin’, who modeled in the show! She was so lovely!

Obsession doesn’t begin to describe my love for this sequined dress. It was one of the last things I bought for this trip, and it came just in time. I felt like a princess. And @lizzieinlace said she loved my outfit, which is a high compliment in my book!
Dress (under $75!!) / ASOS // Coat // ASOS // Belt (under $20) / ASOS // Heels / Calvin Klein // Bag and earrings / vintage // Necklace / Kyle Chan Design

After Mac Duggal, we were on our way to the Oxford Fashion Show. So, let me say that I know this accumulation of designers is regularly highly acclaimed and noteworthy. This season, for me at least, there were too many political statements, impractical pieces, and just nothing I would care to wear myself. I am probably in the minority on that, but I can’t lie! Neither of us enjoyed the collections. After that, we were beat, so we just grabbed a bite and headed home.

Sunday was supposed to be a crazy busy day for us, but it turned out to be one of the least. Partially, my fault. I had added the start time for my first show (Alyssa had one at Spring), as 12:30. Turns out, it actually started at noon, a fact I learned at 11:00 while still in Brooklyn and not done getting ready. So I missed it. The second one I was going to meet Alyssa at, but the address I’d added to the spreadsheet was off of the first email the PR company sent to me. Apparently, that was their offices, not where the show was being held. IDK if it was my bride brain, but I felt like I had royally screwed the pooch on shows that day by not triple checking the details.

We walked around for a bit to get some shots in, before heading to Blank Slate. If y’all remember my visit there last season, you’ll know it’s a must stop in while in NY. So girly, the best tea lattes, and just a nice place to sit and chill for a while. Lee from @legalleeblonde also stopped by to join us for a bit. Always lovely seeing her!

Coat / ASOS // Sweater / Forever 21 // Skirt / Miu Miu // Sneakers (currently under $20) / Old Navy // Pearl Pin (under $10) / Full Line Collection // Hair bow & Phone case / Forever 21

Next, we headed to the Nocturne Landeros show at Scandinavia House. We were crammed in a room full of hundreds of people, with no visible runway or platform. After about 45 minutes of waiting, a gentleman came out and started singing. And singing. When the third song started, I looked at Alyssa and told her “I need to leave.” I was getting claustrophobic, and the club-level volume and club-level amount of packed it was in there was not good for me.

I ended up heading to meet up with Laura from @lauraadney/Have Need Want. We went to dinner at Nomo Kitchen and OMG were their Brussels sprouts amazing. Everything else was OK, and priced on the higher side, but those sprouts I would definitely return for. Home to Brooklyn, this time a $28 uber because the train was still down.

Monday was our last day in town, and Alyssa and I had decided to book a photo shoot in the morning, since we hadn’t had too much luck photographing our outfits on our own. My camera kept dying, and the phones weren’t cutting it. I was about 20 minutes from being ready (actually a half hour ahead of schedule!), when I get a text message from Southwest, saying that my flight was cancelled. Since Mark booked it, it wouldn’t let me change the flight online or through the app. The estimated hold time was 22 minutes, and it ended up being 59 before someone picked up. She told me I was getting the last seat on the last available flight that day, now at 2:00 instead of 6:00 PM and that inclement weather in Chicago was delaying/cancelling flights from everywhere. What else is new?!

So I missed the shoot, and had to start packing. I made it to the airport 2.5 hours early, and my flight continued to get delayed until 5:45. I honestly thought I was going to have to get a hotel room, but thankfully, the last one pushed out. I landed at Midway and had to take another uber home, because Mark was out of town. That one was not cheap either, if you can imagine!

I like to keep it real on here, and even weeks after this trip, I felt defeated. This was my third time attending NYFW, and as much as I thought I’d properly organized everything, SO many things just didn’t work out. I guess after having two amazing visits back to back, it was time to shake things up! ?
Regardless, I’m always thankful that I even have the opportunity to attend each season, and look forward to the next more than you can imagine!

I’d love to hear.. Have you ever been on a trip that didn’t quite go according to plan? What did you learn from it?
I’d love to implement your tips! ?

NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part One

March 7, 2019

This post (NYFW A/W ’19 Recap Part One), contains affiliate links. Clicking on them or making purchases through them may provide me with a small commission. This post is brought to you in part by VB Studio, Valley NYC, DreamDry, Pucker, SuperJeweler, and Atrium Dumbo. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my own.

Well, hello, loves!
Let’s cut right to the sparkly pink elephant in the room. Yes, NYFW took place almost a month ago, and I’m JUST NOW getting my posts up. If I had known how much stress I would be putting on myself by planning a wedding almost entirely solo, I probably would have skipped it altogether. That’s real talk! All of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes in to a successful NYFW trip is no easy task! But regardless, I went, I had lots of fun, attended some amazing shows, and I’m so thankful that I was able to be part of all of the magic that is NYFW.

I’ve decided to just do two posts to include my time in New York, partially because I’m sure y’all don’t want 4 lengthy posts documenting what most of you have already seen on stories. Also because half of the designers whose shows I attended didn’t get back to me with pictures of their collection. I digress..

My first day was a logistical nightmare. I landed at LaGuardia at 11 AM and after a half hour of password-resetting attempts, my phone wouldn’t let me log in to Juno (an NY-only based ride sharing service). It’s cheaper than Lyft and Uber, but I ended up having to book one of them. I plugged in the address of where I was planning to store my luggage temporarily, and we were on our way! A few minutes into the ride, I got an alert that the location was closed. Long story short, the driver told me he couldn’t change the destination and let me out of the car basically at the freeway offramp somewhere in Brooklyn. I had to call another car, and finally made it to Williamsburg to the new storage spot. Cute area, great bagels, moving on..

I took the train into the city, grabbed the house key from my roommate for the week, and took the train back to get my luggage. Another Uber, and I landed at my temporary home, in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. Side note, I had NO idea how big Brooklyn actually is. More on that later. I steamed all my clothes, settled in, showered, and got ready for dinner. I wanted to treat my roomies to a nice dinner, so we headed to Peaches. So good, highly recommend them. But easy on the shrimp and grits, it’s half cheese and made my tummy hurt from trying to eat it all, so definitely split that with someone.

The next day, I took the “Q” into the city and met up with my girl Alyssa from @lifeandstylebyap. We’d planned on doing 90% of things together, and I was SO happy to see her lovely face! We grabbed coffee, and headed to our first appointment of the day at VB Studio. Super cute, no frills spot. We were treated to blowouts (and champagne!) and Alyssa made an appointment to come back later to get her extensions re-done. The weather unfortunately took a toll (it was drizzling) and my hair was flat about 30 minutes after we’d left. My hair HATES humidity, and never holds curl or volume when it’s around. Not the salon’s fault, just crappy timing.

Outfit details:
Coat (under $100 and one of my faves of the season) & Dress (doesn’t the dandelion print give you all the Gossip Girl vibes!? Just me? OK…)
Bag (linking similar) / Loeffler Randall // Booties (I sized up to a 7.5) / Target // Necklace / Kyle Chan Love Initials

A quick walk and train ride later, we were at Valley Nails. Their space is SO adorable, and I was finding something new and pretty to stare at in every corner. My tech did a great job at applying the gold holographic foil. Y’all know I love my gold everything! Over the next couple days though, I noticed staining, chipping and peeling. Alyssa had a similar issue, but was able to go back to have them fixed. Apparently, her second set didn’t stain and lasted a lot longer, not sure what happened with that first round! I’d try them out again, just maybe go for a darker color.

Ring (comes in a set of 3) / Gorjana

Yay, onto our first show! And I have to say, one of my favorites of the season. Jiri Kalfar opened with legendary supermodel Paulina Porizkova (said in my best Tyra Banks voice), and continued on with such energy, and truly beautiful designs.

We learned a sneaky little trick, since the next show was at the same venue… We hopped to the front of the newly formed line to go back in, instead of going outside and waiting for check-in to start again. Hogan McLaughlin was the next designer to have his pieces come down the runway, and while the clothes were stunning, they were a bit high concept for me. I still appreciated the art of his designs, and it was another great show.

Off to the final fashion event of the evening, a presentation by Celestino Couture. They gave the incorrect address on the invite, and Alyssa & I, along with 6 other guests, were wandering around for 20 minutes before we learned of the new location. Gorgeous, intricate designs, breathtaking embellishments and embroidery, and a show-stopping pink gown as the highlight (it’s saved to my, ahem, highlights). Worth the hassle of finding the spot ? Most of the designs I felt had a vintage, almost time period quality to them, but made current for wearing today.

Alyssa was off to dinner with friends, and I was supposed to head to a shopping event, but your girl’s feet were done. Like bleeding ankles, done. I hobbled to the train after chowing down some pizza, and got off a couple stops from home to walk around Target barefoot until I found my favorite new (lifesaver) pink sneakers on the clearance rack. Oh, the glamour….

Friday was probably my most stressful day of the trip.
Blowouts at DreamDry and makeup at Pucker were exquisite, as always, and I will continue to work with and support them. The artists are always so talented, and actually work with you to create the vision you dreamed of.

The details!
Lightweight Trench / Nordstrom // Midi skirt (also comes in plus) / Nordstrom // Bodysuit / Free People // Belt bag (under $30) / Steve Madden //
Necklace / Kyle Chan Design // Earrings / vintage // Sneakers / Target (yay!) // hand warmers / Alpaca farm in New Jersey

After that, we headed to the Fashion Hong Kong runway show, and even though we arrived 15 minutes before the show started, we were 6 people deep in the standing section and couldn’t see a thing. Like not even a sliver of the runway. Hey, it happens sometimes. We decided to leave so Alyssa could get to her extension appointment, and I went home to change and rest. I believe this is when I learned that the “Q” train would now be down for maintenance the rest of the weekend, causing me to take… alternate means of transportation.

We met up again around 4 to shoot near the Manhattan bridge, to mixed results. About 30 other bloggers and their photographers had the same idea, and the sun was already pretty far set. Earlier is definitely the way we’ll go next season! Oh, and it was trash day. And windy AF.

Those deets!
Bodysuit (super comfortable to wear and under $60) / Nordstrom // Skirt / TopShop // Bag (sold out, linking similar) / Zara // Bracelet c/o SuperJeweler // Booties / Forever 21 // Ring / Aurate NYC // Earrings / vintage

On to dinner at Atrium Dumbo. I didn’t know if I was going to mention this or not, but I think it’s important to share, for any bloggers out there reading this, how important being accountable is. When you commit to a business or brand, it’s your, and sometimes other’s reputations on the line. I hate to sound like I’m scolding people here, but I spend hours planning meet ups so bloggers and influencers can connect in person, and also to bring exposure to awesome restaurants, and when people don’t show, it’s like a slap in the face!

So Alyssa and I planned on meeting three other bloggers there at 5:00 for a dinner I’d coordinated. One of them even said she was currently getting in a cab after stopping by her apartment to change, and was on her way. Alyssa and I waited until 6:00, and no one else showed. I also learned that even though we’d finalized a lunch for the following day at another restaurant more than a week prior, those girls had no intention of showing to that meet up either. We were disappointed, embarrassed, and hungry, to be honest, because they were waiting for the rest of our party to arrive before serving us. We explained the situation to the manager, offering to pay for the cheese plate we’d picked at, and he was very understanding and invited Alyssa and myself back another time. I think for future meet ups, I will require a deposit to hold people’s spots, which hopefully will have them actually respecting everyone’s time by showing up!

I will say that the space is stunning, the service was attentive, and the vibe was unpretentious and utterly romantic. Alyssa and I both remarked that it would be the perfect spot to be proposed to!

We then headed to Ciccio for wine and for something to eat (they forgot to ring in my food, even after being reminded when Alyssa’s food arrived, so annoying!), before meeting up with a large group of fellow bloggers at Bar Hugo. Such a cool space, and they actually let us enjoy a complimentary drink and private space so we could all chat and FINALLY see each other in person! I talked to @girlmeetsbow, @miss_alk, @payt_reed, whom I’d never met before, along with @kristinacatherinemcinnis and fellow Chicagoan @caitpatton. So many fantastic ladies in one place! So I will say that the night did end on a high note.

Stay tuned for the rest of my NYFW experience in Part 2!

And don’t forget to check out my past NYFW coverage from last season, and last year!

My Perfect Summer Dress – Worn Two Ways

August 22, 2017

Hello, hello, my loves!
If you’re reading this after seeing my post on Instagram, you will already know the news… these long locks are no more! My photographer brought to my attention, actually the afternoon of my big chop, that I still had one last post to share before the big reveal. She asked me if I was going to look back at our shoot, this shot in particular, and regret my decision. More about that in my next post!
For now, I just want to rave some more about this perfect maxi dress that I discovered while browsing around on Amazon’s prime day. It wasn’t included in the deals, but that didn’t matter, because it was still under $30! It comes in like a bagillion colors, OK, closer to 35, but I fell in love with this one because the print reminded me of something Reformation would create. I have neither the budget for that brand, nor am I even sure that they carry my size, plus there’s Amazon Prime soooo.
I wanted to share a couple of different ways to style a dress like this, because first instinct would be to throw on a pair of flat sandals and call it a day. For the first look, I chose some brand new white sneaks, a denim jacket, little crossbody bag and delicate layered necklaces. This is so perfect for brunch with the girls or a date where you know you’ll be walking a bunch. Later on in the post, I paired it with some mixed-metal mules, my favorite O-ring bag, and some oversized sunnies. I’d definitely wear this to go shopping or grabbing a quick dinner with the boyfriend. I hope you enjoy the looks!

Dress / Amazon // Jacket / JustFab // Sneakers / Superga USA // Bag / Shaffer LA from the Box of Style // Necklaces / LA Finds

Look Two

Dress / Amazon // Mules / ASOS // Bag / Nordstrom // Both necklaces / Gorjana from Rocksbox // Ring / Rocksbox (use code kristinbff320 for your first month of Rocksbox free!) / Sunnies / Lauren Conrad for Kohls

Shot by Holli Z Photography.

This post contains affiliate links. Clicking on these links or purchasing items through them may provide me with a small commission.

Puerto Rico Summer Vacay

August 11, 2016

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably caught that I recently traveled to Puerto Rico with Mark to celebrate the wedding of my friend/coworker, Amanda, to her longtime beau, Martin. We had been researching places to visit, restaurants to eat at, and things to see for about six months preceding the trip, and I still don’t think we were prepared! Puerto Rico has so much to offer.. The food was great, so much seafood, mofongo, and not overly sweet baked treats. There were museums, forts and cathedrals, and you pretty much had to take taxis wherever you wanted to go. We were lucky to have a little market called Pueblo right across from our condo, which made late-night beer runs and planning what to have for breakfast a whole lot easier. I tried to capture as much as I could, but also stay present in the moment so I could truly enjoy every experience. I hope you enjoy these pics from my Puerto Rico Summer Vacay!

Mark and I, pre-flight. Such cheeseballs.
Kimono / Bohocheri

A gratuitous in-flight cloud shot.

The grand chandelier in the lobby of our first hotel. I need this in my dining room.

Mark and I arrived a night before everyone else, so we decided to stay in downtown San Juan at the Casablanca Hotel. It certainly did have that old world kind of charm, and were thankful for the kickin’ AC.

After checking in to the hotel, we headed next door to Gringos, a Tex Mex restaurant/bar that specializes in “smoked” drinks. After a long day of flying, Mark and I definitely enjoyed testing a few of them out, along with some fantastic food and funky décor.

In the morning, we walked along these gorgeous streets in Old San Juan, in search of a delicious meal at the highly rated Caficultura. We were both left entirely underwhelmed at the whole experience, from the food, to the service, to the hammering and drilling going on in the back room. Shaking that off, we continued our morning of exploring little gift shows and boutiques, picking up some framed butterflies and art prints of the city.

Almost ready to meet up with everyone, the heat was really starting to get to me, more specifically my hair haha!
Tank / H&M // Necklace / Luv AJ from the Box of Style // Sunnies / Amazon

Finally, I meet up with Rebekah, her mom, Martin and the rest of the crew. There were 10 of us staying in a condo in San Juan, and we basically had the entire floor, with tons of room to spread out.
Top & Necklace / Banana Republic

Walking around the gorgeous blue brick streets of Old San Juan, and seeing the chapel at which the bride and groom would be married.
Top / Banana Republic // Jeans / MaviUSA from Stitch Fix // Sneakers / Superga // Bucket bag / Forever 21

Cathedral de San Juan Bautista.

Several gorgeous views while strolling around downtown.

The next day, while the girls and I wandered around some more downtown, Mark and the boys took a trip to the rainforest! I wanted to go, but it was kind of a boys bonding trip, and who am I to interrupt boy time? 😉

The next day, we took a trip to the beach!
Seriously, the most gorgeous beach I’ve ever been to. You could walk out in to the water 50 feet and still have your toes touching the sand. We stopped in to a hotel bar for refreshments and I loved their little lounge area.
Sarong / Mara Hoffman from the Box of Style

The next day was the wedding, but as an attendee (maid of honor), of course, I wasn’t able to take many pictures of the event. It started raining, but tapered off as we neared the start of the ceremony. After, we headed to the Marriott for the gorgeous reception and enjoyed our first of many drinks, haha.
Dress / ASOS // Heart necklace / Kyle Chan Design // Rings / Forever 21

The morning after the wedding, comfort food from Libros AC was just what I needed to get back to normal. I also picked up one of those adult coloring books, which I’d been wanting for a while. I love the idea of having a full-fledged bookstore and coffee shop under the same roof.

Mark and I decided to branch off from the rest of the group and spend our afternoon at the Museo de Arto. Unfortunately, they don’t allow any pictures inside the museum, but we did manage to take some great shots in the garden area. Miles of paths with works of art on either side, gorgeous trees and plants, and a huge coy pond.
Top / Stitch Fix // Jeans / MaviUSA from Stitch Fix // Necklace / Luv AJ from the Box of Style // Sneakers / Brooks Running // Sunnies / Amazon // Bucket bag / Forever 21

Our last dinner in town was spent with the whole crew, back in downtown Old San Juan. It just so happened to be National Pina Colada Day, and who am I to not partake in such an occasion? 🙂

On the plane ride home, we experienced some inclement weather, meaning circling Orlando for an hour, landing in Tampa to weight for a thunderstorm to pass, heading back to Orlando, and then to Phoenix then Ontario. About 12.5 hours on the same plane. Kind of my nightmare but we made it! I took this picture, thinking that the clouds looked like a wolf breathing fire or something, but Mark thought it, ahem.. Looked like something else. Boys..
Anyway, that is all, I hope you enjoyed my little recap of my Puerto Rico Vacay!