Bring on the gingham!

With the coming of spring, gingham has taken over the spotlight and ended the reign of plaids.

The charming checked prints may invoke countryside connotations but this need not be the case anymore. Major household names from Derek Lam to House of Holland to Balmain have revamped this timeless classic and turned it into the new stripe.

History serves to prove the versatility of gingham. We can channel the sweet innocent “Americana” from the Wizard of Oz or better yet – the untempered sex appeal of Bridget Bardot. Actually, her look with a full skirt, paired with neutral black and flats couldn't be more time appropriate today. Perhaps due to this latter reference, gingham is reminiscent of Parisian chic and a taste of summer.

Forget the associations with picnic, table cloths and boarding schools. The new gingham with exaggerated prints in fresh colors has a modern touch to it, with just the right amount of nostalgia for the glorious 50s and 60s. It has certainly gone trough a fashion makeover since Dorothy but it has retained its youthful DNA. Trend setters such as Olivia Palermo and January Jones rock the retro vibe in a modern cool-girl-way.

Gingham comes with an additional advantage – you can find it on everything. If you are not sure whether this trend is for you, you can still enjoy a fashion moment with gingham espadrilles, a purse or even sunglasses – the opportunities are endless. I however am on full on gingham mode and prefer to dive into the trend with cool separates – from t-shirts and bomber jackets to full skirts and pants. Served in the right amount, the cross-hatched lines will take you to the streets of a bustling metropolis, rather than to Kansas or rural France.

Gingham prints can be small-scaled of exaggerated. The former is easier to style because it blends from afar. The larger print is certainly more out there and represents a challenge but also an opportunity to truly flash your styling credentials. Pair it with a solid color or be bold and add … more gingham, channel the S/S runways and mix patterns.

It is time to de-minimalise your wardrobe. If you can overcome the associations with school uniforms, you are free to experiment with gingham and let your unique personal style shine trough the checkered print.

p.s. This is straight out of Bitchy Online UK:  it's a great new London-based online magazine. You can find the original article here.

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Hipster Alert: Illesteva sunglasses

Summer mode is fully activated and if you haven't already invested in a cool pair of shades, there is no better time to do so. Even if you have, your eyes will probably appreciate some extra coverage, especially if it happens to be fresh, edgy and ready for some serious beach fun. So do yourself a favor and check out Illesteva.

Designed in hipster paradise NYC and handcrafted in Italy and France, Illesteva are on par with other luxury brands but they are...better. With only 50,000 instagram followers, they belong to a relatively unexplored territory. There was never a better opportunity to make a fashion statement with your shades. Sunglasses, are normally quite conventional, after all, how much imagination can you fit in something so tiny, yet somehow Illesteva manage to push boundaries.

If you are a jet-setter, gearing up for Ibiza or still contemplating Coachella, you've probably heard of them anyways and I am a few years too late.

Illesteva was founded in 2009 by the New York-based designer duo Daniel Silberman and Jus Ske. Drawing inspiration from their downtown environment and background in design, music and photography, they create pieces that are the epitome of contemporary edge. The duo experiment with funky shapes and materials like acetate, bamboo, titanium and natural buffalo horn. This combination ensures a timeless result that you may enjoy forever, provided you keep them in their leather hard case.

Illesteva is already gathering a fateful fan crowd, celebrity enthusiasts include Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry and own very own Alexa Chung, just to name a few. You can find them online at illesteva.com and thank me later.

p.s this little article got published in Bitchy Online UK - a really cool new online managize, which is intended as an entirely girly zone. Check it out! The original article is here

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From the Dominican Republic with love

My dear online universe, I'm alive! 

It may seem that I have completely forgotten you, which is not entirely true. I was just busy living my life lately, rather than writing about it. Unfortunately, my recent adventures have finally come to an end. So here I am, pretending to enjoy the heat that has finally hit my country, and attempting to organize my thoughts into a decent article. 

The last month included a few take offs and landings and I finally managed to cross the Atlantic for the very first time. It may not seem like such a big deal to normal people but surviving a 10-hour flight seems like quite the achievement for a seriously nervous flyer (aka me).

Punta Cana Airport

Flying for what seemed like ages was absolutely justified on my very first morning in Punta Cana. I managed to get up a 5 am (not a big achievement, considering I was jet lagged anyway) and caught the Dominican sunrise. To be honest, this is quite something, since I'm normally busy sleeping or partying at this ungodly hour. Therefore, due to the lack of many comparisons, the sunrise at Playa de Arena Gorda seemed magnificent, at least to me.

Lonely footsteps

 Having the beach all to myself was another perk. I walked for miles and the only sign of human presence were my lonely footsteps in the sand (for the sake of writing I'll pretend I didn't notice the massive resorts that are stretching along the coast). It was another one of my spiritual moments: being alone yet not lonely, feeling connected to nature, looking at the ocean and thinking that everything familiar is all the way across it.

 This blog was supposed to be about fashion, it turned to be with no direction whatsoever. Oh well (again)...

I packed so lightly for this trip, I fitted almost everything in my cabin-size suitcase. After all, how much space do bathing suits and sunglasses take. I think I did enjoy a fashionable moment though, as I got to wear my fairytale-esque Maje dress for the very first time. 

I paired it with my Alexander McQueen shoes, which I've been wearing so much, I think they may have gotten a vintage quality to them. 

The more I travel, my curiosity towards otherness grows stronger. All-inclusive-tourist sounds almost like a dirty word to me, so I tried to avoid falling into the stereotype although I did stay at an all inclusive hotel. I'm happy I met some lovely local people and took interest in their lives. The children from the video bellow were my favorite thing out of the whole trip. I thought that the 10 dollars I gave them were the best spent money ever, only to find out later that they have a "jefe" who takes virtually all they make. Silly me. Oh well...

Beach essentials

breakfast for champions

Before I knew it, it was time to go. After all, what are 12 days in paradise. I was splashing in the Carribean sea and a few hours later I was over the Atlantic, experiencing some major turbulence. On my way to the airport it occurred to me that wherever we go, we leave a little bit of our hearts and we take a little bit with us. Every trip changes us, and hopefully, when we come home, we are a better version of our old selves. 

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