Holiday Inspired Designer Nails

The holidays are right around the corner, so I decided to get a bit festive and decorate my nails in white and red  The last time I got my nails did, my inspiration was Betsey Johnson. I normally gravitate towards ribbons, bows, hearts, and shiny-shiny things. As silly as this sounds, these nails put me in a cheerful mood! Other than, 1) not being able to type as fast on my iphone and mac book and 2) having a hard time picking up paper or my credit card from the floor. These nails are great

Here are some other nail designs.

StyleCaster Short Film Premiere Party

Last night was the StyleCaster Short Film Premiere Party …

StyleCaster teamed up with Shopbop, Kimberly Taylor, David Lerner, and FEED Projects to create 3 short films produced by Last Pictures.

The first short video, Fly by Night, starring Poppy Delevigne and Isabelle McNally is completely fun to watch and dance along with! The atmosphere was nice and definitely can’t wait for the next event! I really enjoyed the videos, super-cute-fun-hip SO you should have a watch… spot me if you can! Read more about the films series here, here and here.

Also, Jane from Sea of Shoes has the sneek peek at The New StyleCaster, coming in December!

New York Update

My stay in New York City is half way done…

And I have mixed and confusing feelings about this. On one thought, I could live here. The city is vibrant and contagious, I can already see that I’m slowly becoming consumed by this city’s spectacle of what it has to offer. “I regret not living in New York when I was young,” is the advice I constantly hear from friends, advising I move to NY. BUT, on the other hand, I don’t want to look back 5 years later and wonder to myself, where all those 5 years went. What’s a girl suppose to do … thoughts?

Enough diary talk! I’m looking forward to this week. I have two whooping events to attend. So look forward to those posts

Pants: Zara Shoes: Steve Madden Bag: Alexander Wang T-shirt: American Apparel

 

 

YSL Masquerade Ball NYC



Last Thursday, Yves Saint Laurent kicked off the Halloween festivities by hosting a masquerade ball to celebrate the launch of its new women’s fragrance, Parisienne. Read more here, and here.

The whole night was just a mingling sort of night, getting to meet people and catch up with others. The event was made so people could enjoy, dance and drink (open bar) the night away. Once again, I didn’t have a camera so I couldn’t picture record my night Thank goodness for the photographer attendees…

It was fun!

Thanks lastnightsparty for these images

Fashion 2.0: The Future of Media + Fashion

Last night I attended the Fashion 2.0 meetup hosted by Yuli (co-founder of MyItThings.com) at the Audrey Café & Lounge at W New York – The Tuscany on 120 E 39th St. Basically, it was a meetup of tech, social media, and fashion enthusiasts coming together to network and learn about upcoming trends. Luckily, I work a couple streets down from the W Hotel and got there a little early and met some interesting people- of course we exchanged contact cards. This is mine It’s smaller, and everyone has their opinion about professionalism, BUT, this is my personal contact card not my company business card – plus, its a touch of my personality.

I was among students, designers, and people in investment banking researching investment opportunities, advertising executives and many more …

I apologize for the ooogly images, dang-it-iphone-that-comes-with-no-flash – it’s probably going to be a new feature in the next generation of iphones, ugh.

The panel started off really good, for a couple reasons the moderator was quirky and added humor which is ALWAYS needed (you don’t want to have a boring panel).

It began with speaker introductions:

1. Ian Schafer, CEO and Founder of Deep Focus, has redefined the way the way brands and entertainment properties are marketed online, and actively promotes the idea that “interactive” is not just a medium, it’s a philosophy that should be used to bring people closer to brands – and each other. Deep Focus, OMMA Magazine’s 2007 Media Planning & Buying Agency of the Year and winner of a Cannes Lion, is an experience driven, thought-leading interactive marketing agency that boasts a client roster that includes some of the most recognizable names in entertainment, lifestyle and CPG brands. Recently tapped as an AdAge Media Maven, Ian is considered by many as one of the foremost experts in interactive and social media marketing solutions, and has been featured in Wired, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, ADweek, New York Magazine, Variety, CNN, Fortune and The Hollywood Reporter. He is also a featured columnist for Advertising Age.

2. Greg Verdino is a futurist, marketer, writer and speaker who works as Chief Strategy Officer at marketing consultancy crayon LLC. His first book, microMARKETING, is due from McGraw-Hill in summer 2010. This blog looks at trends in media and marketing, as these industries grapple with the changes being brought on by disruptive technologies, new business imperatives and the rise of the empowered consumer.

3. Barry Lowenthal, President, The Media Kitchen.

Next:

A question that stuck out in my mind was asked to jump start the panel, “could you pick a brand to describe you” and unanimously everyone began responding with Ralph, Chloe, etc…!!

Summary of my notes:

(it’s just random notes that I took during the event, so bear with me and look to these points as just ideas and things to ponder, OR they could be conversation starters…)

• Does print still have a role? Role of editor is diminishing. We don’t need to go to runways for runway shots anymore – increasingly these exclusive events will begin being for the mass consumer market
• Future of digital channels? Story of Lauren Luke, a single mother who began posting her own makeup tutorials online and now she has her own agency and representation. Pretty awesome, eh?
• Gucci, 1/2 million fans on facebook – Gucci can utilize the FB community and offer them images first before it reaches print publications and it costs $0.00
• Century 21 – invited top style bloggers to their store. And asked them to style their own looks followed by blog posts (of course) – one form of online marketing.
• Armani Exchange paid Kim Kardashian to post an official tweet about her in-store shopping experience, providing her own promo code. Results: the Armani Exchange website blew up. Did you know she has 2.7 million followers on twitter.
• Emerging problem: How do we know what’s authentic?
• Instantaneous Awareness is key – how do we successful provide that?
• It’s not that we don’t have control anymore, we never did. It’s just NOW, people are communicating what we talk to friends over coffee online – it’s more open and accessible.
• Did you guys see the live streaming of the U2 concert?
• Needless to say, we’ve heard this before BUT, it comes down to monetization!
• Videos are the next BIG THING. (With that said, I’m trying to figure out how to get video on my mac without buying the QuickPro program?!?! anyone?)
• Job forecasts in new media: Ad Trader, Relationship Management, Social Media Manager, Community Leader/Curator…

Like always, I encourage you to comment if you have something to say, anything… this is a topic I am passionate about and would love to hear from you!!

Styling Tips: 1 Piece All Week

Another round of styling tips from StyleCaster. I was lucky to be asked by Meg to style one look for this H&M jacket…

This jacket is real versatile. There were a lot of ideas that came to mind when I first saw this piece:

- you could put a fur scarf type of thing and really put that oomph in your look

- you could wear it tucked in with trousers (tweed, denim, etc.. its really up to you)

- or you could simply layer! (you can’t go wrong with layering)

Other ways of transforming this piece here…

10 Characteristics of a Great Leader

Lately, I’ve been reading A LOT on leadership. I came across this article here from the CEO of P&G, Bob McDonald:

1. Lead a life guided by purpose.
Only work for a company that you believe in, said McDonald. When looking for a job, examine a company’s purpose, values and people to see if they align with your own beliefs and ethics.

2. Everyone wants to succeed and success is contagious,
Treat your employees like they want to succeed, not like they want to fail. “Most of us manage by exception: We wait until someone does something wrong to interact with him or her,” McDonald said. “Spend enough time in your leadership role finding people succeeding.”

3. Put people in the right jobs.
McDonald emphasized the importance of identifying your employees’ strengths, and then placing them in roles that feed into those strengths. “At P&G, we have 130,000 employees around the world,” he said. “Imagine what would happen if we put them in jobs that they weren’t good at.”

4. Character is the most important trait of a leader.
It’s important for leaders to have integrity and take responsibility for their mistakes. “Choose the harder right, rather than the easier wrong,” McDonald said, citing a prayer that he learned as a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

5. Diverse groups of people are more innovative than homogenous groups.
Diversity sparks ideas and innovation, so companies must employ a diverse group of people. “We try to plan innovation, but there’s a little serendipity involved,” McDonald said. “Diversity is what helps these nodes to connect.”

6. Ineffective strategies, systems and culture are bigger barriers to achievement than the talents of people.
It’s important to blend a high-performance culture with robust systems and sound strategies, McDonald said. Those ingredients, coupled with technical competencies and a strong company mission, will create a high-performance organization.

7. There will be some people in the organization who will not make it on the journey.
Some employees won’t turn out to be a good fit for your company. As head of a company, it’s your responsibility to find the right place for them. “Your job as a leader is to be committed to them as people, not employees,” said McDonald.

8. Organizations must renew themselves.
Leaders should always think about what changes are needed to stay relevant in the marketplace and fulfill the company purpose. “Organizations are like biological organisms — they constantly need to change,” said McDonald.

9. Recruiting is a top priority.
“Somewhere here is someone who will be giving a presentation here years from now,” said McDonald, pointing to the audience of Kellogg students. “And that excites me.”

10. The true test of a leader is the organization’s performance after the leader departs.
If you want to determine whether a leader has been successful, “look at their fingerprints and footprints,” concluded McDonald.

I couldn’t agree more… I encourage you to comment if you have any thoughts?

Interning in NYC

My latest interview with BARE Magazine:

1) How do you compare living in Berkeley and being in the Big Apple? Easy transition?
In Berkeley I was really in a bubble, among students and I was a student. Berkeley is more laid back. While NYC is CROWDED, people are everywhere and moving fast. They are going places (or at least it seems like it), and majority of them are rushing to catch the subway, or in a rush to hail a cab. Nonetheless, my time in NY is for work so living the 9-7 lifestyle is definitely a change…

The transaction has been much easier than I imagined. I think that it’s real important to know people in the city, this will probably make or break your experience. Luckily, I have a few friends here that have introduced me to others and so I’ve acclimated pretty well…

2) Congratulations on getting an internship with StyleCaster, can you tell our readers a bit more about what it is?
The most simple way to explain would be, imagine if facebook.com, style.com and shopbop had a baby, that baby would be StyleCaster! It’s a community of influencers, and experts. Our site offers everything from content, shopping, community to inspiration look books, basically it’s your one stop site for your fashion needs. When you sign up you have your “daily looks”, these are like inspiration looks for you but tailored to the weather in your area!

3) What’s your favorite part about StyleCaster? Why should we use it?
My favorite part, hmm… right off the bat would be the team I work with. I’m beginning to love my team they’re amazing people. They are people with character, brains and humor. We have fun, and get work done, and I respect that environment.! Each department works on different assignments but, together it creates a synergy because we all have the same goal. And that’s to bring and provide the best service to our community members and other people we collaborate with. I work with the business development team and I like being a part of StyleCaster because I feel like I bring value to the company while developing my skills. We’re constantly encouraged to think outside the box, and we have the freedom to make our ideas come to life which is invaluable experience.

You should use it because it’s the first fashion style site that personalizes and feeds you individualized information/content. It’s pretty neat. Everyone should try it, I’m sure you’ll get hooked!

4) How did you get your internship with StyleCaster?
Last semester I was really interested in social media and the dynamics of online communities, then I found StyleCaster and I was sold. I followed StyleCaster for a couple months and decided I had to be here, I applied, interviewed and voila here I am. I appreciate fashion and I’m exploring different components of the industry to discover where my skills can be of most value.

5) Finally, any tips for our readers who would want to get an internship in the fashion industry?
I don’t want to sound redundant, and everyone knows this but, it’s networking. And networking doesn’t mean just meeting people and having their contacts, it means forming relationships with people so they remember you. People are not going to put their name on the line for someone they don’t know and trust. Don’t worry, if you don’t know anyone that’s fine, the next tip is perseverance and persistence. Pick a few companies and apply apply apply, and get creative when sending your applications. I never sent my applications to HR, I always sent them directly to the person who I wanted to work with.

Read the original here…

Prospects of Social Media and Fashion

We are living in exciting times eh? Yes, we are!

Before I go discuss further some of you may still not fully understand ‘social media‘. I like to think it as media that is socially disseminated online. The web and Internet supports and continues to accelerate this type of communication and human interaction. It allows individuals to form communities. Again, due to the web there are no clear definitions for community.  You might be wondering – I know I have –  what constitutes a community. Schools? Towns? Companies? Forums? MySpace groups? Facebook fan pages? Tech sites? Fashion sites? Do they need to be off-line or on-line? I would say that all that I’ve listed rightfully can be deemed a community. More and more things are becoming if it already hasn’t, a blur. I tell you, technology. Crazy.

At the same time it’s wonderful. It’s paved the way and brought us 2009 Fashion Week shows right into our own homes.

Alexander McQueen did it

Vivienne Tam did it

Burberry Prorsum did it too!

At this point, fashion bloggers and enthusiasts around the world can all become fashion market editors. Next season, we can watch shows during dinner right in the comfort of our own home with friends! Don’t get me wrong, I would still attend shows over watching them with friends It used to be SO exclusive and you would starve to attend the shows, NOW, times are changing and things are definitely becoming more open. All industries are clearly modifying their business models and PR/marketing strategies. For the fashion industry, however, I’m excited to see how we will embrace these changing times.

Any thoughts?

Transitioning: Fall Fashion

Fall is upon us and since I’m no longer in California, I’m forced to prepare for this weather… The StyleCaster office is filled with fashion forward girls who know how to best transition into fall …

Read more here …