All Dressed Up With Nowhere To Go: Photo Shoot With Kyle Johnson & Patrick Wright

When I created the storyboard above I had a housewife in mind. Usually housewives are depicted as cookie cutter 1950's homemakers, so I wanted to do a different spin. The concept of the photo shoot included elements from The Graduate, Real Desperate Housewives, art inspired clothing, beautiful artwork, etc. I chose long flowy dresses that were glamorous but simple. I also used dresses with interesting artistic textiles.

Model: Shealeen Hager of SMG
Producer/Photographer: Kyle Johnson
Photographer/Lighting: Patrick Wright
Art Direction/Wardrobe Stylist: Osiris Navarro
Hair Stylist: Omar Willis
Makeup Artist: Stacy Meyers


I love the contrast of black and white in this photo. (Patrick Wright)


Starry Night vintage dress, necklace designed by my good friend Justine Levy. (Patrick Wright)


Necklace by my good friend Justine Levy. It goes perfectly with the dress. (Patrick Wright)


My intuition was telling me to bring this 1950s Vogue Original Paris dress. Once we got the location I was taken aback that this painting was perfectly coordinated with the outfit! So unplanned, but it worked out. (Patrick Wright)


Those piercing blue eyes! Bling compliments of Dolores Gill. Stacey Meyers is a makeup genius! (Kyle Johnson)


I have been waiting for the perfect woman to wear this dress, then along came Shealeen. (Kyle Johnson)


Aquamarine Beauty. (Kyle Johnson)


Curious and waiting. (Kyle Johnson)


Back to Black. (Kyle Johnson)

Alice In Wonderland

When I first started this blog a couple months ago I was inspired by "Alice In Wonderland". A girl curious about life, eager to taste, ready for adventure, and all dressed up in the finest linens.

Secret Garden: Photo Shoot With Kyle Johnson

With the spring/ summer season here it is only necessary to do a spring inspired fashion editorial. To read more about my pre-production process click "Styling and Storyboard: Garden Photo Shoot". I definitely wanted to showcase a series of textures and floral prints with orange, pruple, and teal tones.

Producer/Photographer: Kyle Johnson
Photographer/Lighting: Sarah Jurado
Art Direction/Wardrobe Stylist: Osiris Navarro
Makeup Artist: Calvy Tran
Model: Kristen
Special Thanks: Naomi B., Katie Cox, and Parsons Garden


The Golden Hour- Thanks to my lovely friend Naomi B. for designing this beautiful cocktail dress and Kim Cox for the feather head piece. This look was by far my favorite outfit showcased in Seattle Fashion Week. The natural lighting in this series is perfect!


Purple Lovechild- When I was conceptualizing this look I wanted to do a different play on the "hippie" theme. Usually there are lots of tans, reds, leathers, and denim when throwing together a hippie/ boho look so I thought using bright vibrant playful colors would be different. I am not one to customize or sew outfits, but I dyed this dress purple the night before and it turned out pretty nice.


Secret Garden- This season I am overdosing on some serious hues of purples and violets. I love it and this picture shows how much I love it. I layered two dresses in this shoot and thought it would be interesting to juxtapose a classic 1950's dress with small floral prints on the bottom and pair it with a current smocked tube dress with tropical blossoms over.


Sunkist- The burnt orange skirt with floral bodysuit was one of the more casual looks of the shoot. Kristen looks lovely in anything and this outfit really showcases her amazing legs and that perfect size 24 waist!

Ri-ri in Rodarte

Love the leather cutout leggings. I need them in my life.

Madonna Has Gots Ta Go!

Some female celebrities age gracefully...like Raquel Welch, Sophia Loren, Lauren Hutton, even Twiggy. They revel in the peak of their careers, marinate in the spotlight for a couple of decades, and step down when their time is up! Madonna is having a serious, and I mean serious mid-life crisis. To be quite frank, I am tired of this woman and her soul searching antics. In the 90's she could get away with anything...from roaming the streets naked, having orgies, to throwing a tantrum when she wasn't nominated for an Oscar for her role in Evita, and being romantically involved with men such as Dennis Rodman. However, that was the 90's...it's 2009, and forgive me for saying this but I think it's time for Madonna to grow up.

Madonna should have thrown in the towel in 2006. But nooo, since then she has saturated the media with her stunts to preserve her halo of glory. I mean first it's the Kaballah, then it's the baby hunting and trying to outdo Angelina Jolie, then the divorce with Guy. And the cherry on top was the outfit she wore at the Met Gala on Monday. Hell to the no, Madonna has got to go. Marc Jacobs should have picked another face for the Louis Vuitton S/S ad campaign, but nope...he had to pick Madge.

Met Gala 2009: "The Model As Muse" Exhibition

Earlier this week Marc Jacobs sponsored this year's Met Gala for the "Model As Muse" exhibition. On his arm was his co-host, the legendary Kate Moss who after all these years has proven to be both a timeless and evolving beauty. The night was a showcase of the special relationship between designer and model. Designers escorted their favorite model who they deemed most inspiring in their careers. From Michael Kors and Lauren Hutton, to Zac Posen and Helena Christensen, and the list of pairs goes on. This red carpet event featured some of the world's most credible fashion big wigs and icons from Andre Leon Talley, Anna Wintour, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, The Olsen Twins, Victoria Beckham, Madonna, and many more. Below are some of my favorites. Enjoy. Read more about it at Style.Com


Kanye West with his lady love Amber Rose. From strip clubs in Philly to red carpet galas in The Big Apple. You go girl!


Best friends forever. Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta.


The lovely Ashley Olsen and Diane Kruger. They look like angels.


Supermodels Kate Moss and Cindy Crawford.


Marc Jacobs and Victoria Beckham.


The prettiest girl in the room. Chanel Iman

Change Clothes and Go...

I love this video.

Change Clothes - Jay- Z Ft Pharrel

Styling and Storyboard: Garden Photo Shoot

A year or so ago when I decided to style a few photo shoots for fun. I was pretty laid back and casual about it. I'd stuff a suitcase with random stuff and just coordinate the looks on set. These days I am applying my OCD in my wardrobe styling and putting a lot more thought into it. I am creating storyboards, pulling from a number of different places, drafting out color schemes, and alas putting the outfits together on a mannequin prior to the shoot. Anyway, I am preparing for Friday's photo shoot with local photographer Kyle Johnson, makeup artist Calvy Tran, and beautiful young fresh face model from Portland Oregon by the name of Mama Wolf. Below are 5 outfits I've put together so far. I am working on 2 more, but time permitting, we will most likely only get 4-5 looks in. I can't wait to see how it all works out.



1) Originally this nightgown was a stained yellow, however when I saw it I knew there was so much potential in this piece. I'm happy I dyed it purple and since the lace didn't dye the exact same color as the rest of the dress it adds a nice effect.

2) A burnt orange ensemble with gold and black belt brings out the rich and luxurious colors of this dress and this look will tie the entire fashion editorial together.

3) Two dresses in one. I wanted to incorporate the mix match floral concept and I thought the contrast of small floral bud prints versus big printed blossoms would be an interesting look.

4) I wanted to go for a fun and chic summer look and used this floral bathing suit as a top with a high waisted skirt, paired with the gold and black belt.

5) Velvet painted tube top with deep purple skirt paired with green leather belt. This is one of the more subtle looks of the bunch, but it will flatter any figure and body type.

Valentino: The Last Emperor

Who wants to see Valentino The Last Emperor with me? Showing now at AMC Pacific Place Theatres in Seattle, WA. Visit www.fandango.com for movie times.

Blackbird Has A Girlfriend

The nationally recognized men's boutique in Ballard, WA, Blackbird has a girlfriend store called Birgitta. It is opening this Wednesday May 6th. Show them some love.

Grand Opening Party
Wednesday, May 6th 2009
6PM-9PM

5410 22nd Avenue NW
Seattle, WA 98107
(located inside Blackbird)

Thank You Thakoon

In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month I wanted to focus on Asian designers for the rest of May. Another favorite of mine (and Michelle Obama agrees) is Thakoon Panichguil. The Parsons graduate Spring/ Summer 2009 ready to wear line is a lovely juxtaposition of dainty florals, tough chic, and slouchy boyfriend fits.

Pink Panther

Can a sista please get this Alexander Wang blazer like now? Thanks!

Primary Colors

I was inspired to do a storyboard by the work of some artists such as Piet Mondrian, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein. I am in the process of pulling clothing and accessories to do a fashion editorial with six or so pieces. I want to focus on primary colors; blue, red, yellow, with black and white of course. The other day I found a vintage tri-color (red, blue, white) tulle petticoat for starters. I am not sure which photographer or model I am working with yet for this project. I also have to scout for some locations. So if anyone knows of any royal blue walls, red doors, or yellow brick roads...let me know!


Roy Lichtenstein


Andy Warhol


Piet Mondrian

Amber, Kanye, and Louis...Three Is A Crowd

Amber Rose is the new "it" girl. And you can find her gracing the pages of the new campaign ad for Kanye West's shoe designs for Louis Vuitton. Read more about this at The Cut.

The New Asian Persuasian

Do the names Derek Lam, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, and Jason Wu ring a bell? The 4 mentioned names are some of the most raved about fashion designers right now! What do they all have in common...they are all asian! Pardon the pride, but it's refreshing to see young ambitious asians follow their dreams. Especially since "fashion" in many asian households isn't considered the most stable or respectable career path. Below are some of my favorite looks from the designers' Fall RTW 2009 lines.


Jason Wu- Fall RTW 2009


Alexander Wang- Fall RTW 2009


Derek Lam- Fall RTW 2009



Phillip Lim- Fall RTW 2009

Sneak Peek of Test Shoots With Christine Hahn

A week or so ago I was able to work with LA based fashion photographer Christine Hahn. This is just a sneak peek. More photos to come! I can't wait to see the rest of them. To see more of Christine Hahn's work visit www.christinehahn.carbonmade.com


Kristen of TCM. Thanks to Strut and Moksha for letting me pull some outfits to style this shoot.


Megan Patterson. Thanks to Su the poodle lady and all her fabulous poodles.

Featured Local Models : The Sweet, The Sassy, and The Sexy

I could never be a model. I'm 5'2" and my measurements are very...sausage like. Flat chested, big bellied, and love handles for days. Sure I'm "cute", but nevertheless I am plump! However, I'm not insecure about it. I love fashion, but I love food just as much. My two passions conflict, that's why I opt to work behind the scenes of fashion instead. I love my cupcakes, all fat mocha, and hamburgers past midnight. With that said, I can appreciate beauty in the 5'8" and above, and the 32-24-34 physique.

I was able to work with a number of beautiful models the past couple of months and I have developed a roster of "favorites". Some who are signed with an agency, and some who are not. I hope they don't mind this little shout out.



Meet Giselle. This young, vibrant actress/ model is someone I can picture in Teen Vogue. I would compare her to Kristen Dunst. I would recommend her to any designer and photographer any day. Photo by Evan Carlye.



Meet Ashley Chanel. She is an exotic beauty mixed Japanese and Spanish. Great on the runway, perfect in front of the camera, and a face of an angel. I could see her gracing the pages of Nylon Magazine and ads for any mainstream beauty line.



Meet Zjanna. This Romanian beauty has it all. The height, the bubbly personality, and legs for miles. She brought the crowd at SFW to their feet when she came out in Logan Neitzel's finale piece. Love her! Photo by Barry Druxman.

This concludes my first installment of Favorite Local Models! More lovely ladies to come.

Naomi B.

My ultimate career goal is to run a boutique fashion PR/ image consultation agency. I want to help brands and designers with their brand identity, help them with press releases, coordinate events, etc...pretty much help them get famous. So for starters I have been helping out my good friend Naomi with her budding career as a designer. Visit her site... www.naomibonline.com

Clise Mansion Photoshoot

On Tuesday a group of photographers, makeup artists, stylists, and models joined forces in a pool photo shoot. The concept of the photo shoot was to use the same and see all the different outcomes through pictures. It was an interesting way to capture perspective. It was cold as ice, and foggy like it is in scary movies, but overall a perfect day for photo taking. Below are some photos of yours truly. I didn't get to do much styling for other people this time around, so I just dressed myself. To see other photos from the shoot visit the Clise Mansion Flickr


Dark Horse. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

A very Alice in Wonderland moment. Photo by Kyle Johnson.


Eye see you. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Seattle Fashion Week

Stay tuned for Dlist Seattle Fashion Week ad in the February 09' issue. Featured designer; my friend Naomi B.