Eye Candy

Is there anything better than sitting in the window of a quaint lil’ coffee shop with a steaming cup of coffee (or my favorite – the Americano..), and crisp clean copy of your fave magazine? Ever so often you glance up to catch up on your people watching, but it’s those pretty pictures that makes the time fly by!

What’s your current fave list of mags? Add it to the list below!

1)   W Magazine – I guess, for some people, this isn’t the mindless magazine that we’re craving at times… the articles are usually a lil’ more artsy fartsy in comparison to “the top ten things to stop flyaways!”,  but when I’m looking to learn about up and coming designers  ( I guess they’ve probably already made it since they are in W), or perhaps check out fellow artist inspirations, this is the mag I turn to. The ads are always huge, they are on trend or even ahead of the game, and the fashion spreads are always a touch more pretty... W: the thinking woman's mag. HA!

2)   ELLE and VOGUE – there are times when you just want a good ole’ fashion magazine.. and these two fit the bill. Perfect blend of fashion, and beauty tips, and every once in a while, and mindless things to read about.. sure? why not read about the best mascara, or maybe take a quiz to find out if you're more jen aniston or ang jolie.. not like it'll change your life, or make you look like them anymore.. but sometimes you just don't wanna think!

3)   HI-FRUCTOSE – big art buff? Just looking for “the unique”? this is my favorite way to find out what underground art exhibits are going on in the city. I love the features and in depth interviews they do with artists.  Although, they only come out quarterly  (and sometimes it ships out late ..) they always give you lil’ freebie postcards and pics of works from the featured artist as a bonus! 

4)   GQ – yes, I know I know, this is a men’s magazine.. but don’t you wanna make sure that your man is keeping up with the trend? My guy’s mag choices mostly include muscle fitness mags that feature people who have thighs the size of my waist, or how to workout to the point where your veins pop, GQ is a great mag that suggests better  music, has great eye candy, and also offers up funny sex advice that either is blatantly obvious or it's just something to laugh about. silly boys...

5)   FITNESS – everyone’s got a health magazine that they read when they are feeling bloated or perhaps just need some inspiration for their lackluster fitness routines. I find that FITNESS have better info on newest trends in fitness and better workout tips.. not that i would immediately apply it but it's nice to THINK about. Yeah, they still contain those ads for the workout supplements and sometimes the women are borderline bodybuilders but that's just more things for me to stare at and realize i will never get there.

I AM WOMAN! HEAR ME... call for help?

We started off being the representation of the home. We cooked, we cleaned, we raised some hoodlums, and we played wifey. Then, after a lot of hard work, we got to play with the big boys. We got educated, we have careers, We Are Free!!

mannequin in midtown!

Or are we? As a woman of this era, are we bounded even more by societal expectations? Sometimes it can seem like we must strive to have an education and a challenging career, and yet, still have a happy home complete with a man, house, kids, walk in closets and maybe a garden too. Don’t forget, as a modern woman,  you should be making dinner and while the kiddies are playing in the back, you should be tweeting your latest fashion craving while checking all those pertinent emails from the office.

We may have finally become free to choose the path we want to take in life, but did that freedom mean that society would allow us to lose it’s expectations from the past? Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean that we have to play by those rules! Life is short and we only have one to live, so whatever you decide to pursue, make sure that you are doing it for you.. run free ladies, and hope nothing holds you back! 

New York, I love you....

NYC, How do I love thee, lemme count the ways! Only you can provide me with such tiny delights that make you stay fresh in my mind. I can never forget how young and lively you made me feel with these memories, and you will always remain so close to my heart! And during this fall season, I will always remember…

- A brisk stroll through the streets to my favorite village while watching the few trees that line the streets shed their earthy toned leaves.

- The smell of freshly roasted nuts (not those burnt ones that you can smell for like 3 miles away) wafting in on the breeze as I’m on my way to the local bodega..

- Savoring my coconut milk based strawberry ice-cream in a tiny neighborhood park while daydreaming on a park bench,

- Tasting a freshly baked egg tart after a lavish and hefty dim sum meal in my favorite Chinatown restaurant. 

- Enjoying a velvety glass of Tempranillo on a Sunday night while relishing a cheese plate pairing in a cozy, tiny, hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

- Chuckling at the “fine” entertainment on my train ride to Brooklyn: the 3 minute magic show complete with rabbit in the hat and dove disappearing, or the breakdancers that can do some seriously dangerous tricks on a moving train.

- Aromatic and warm expresso drinks at a neighborhood coffee house with my mac on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

- Walking through L.E.S. and finding random art galleries or vintage shops that might just have that perfect shoe i was looking for all season! 

- Enjoying a fresh glass of ale at local 138 only the best pub in the whole L.E.S.  

When will i be one too?

The city that never sleeps.
Gotham.

street performers

The melting pot.

There are hundreds of nicknames given to this city, and yet the one name given to its people, is “New Yorkers”. The city creates a lifestyle of its’ own: people here have a rhythm – a hustle and flow that will leave you behind in a heartbeat, there’s a style – not to follow trends but to exemplify your individuality, and there’s a diversity that is unmatched anywhere else in the US.

 So, my question is…  what makes you a New Yorker? I remember asking an older New Yorker once, who said that you’re a New Yorker when you start paying NYC taxes, but can it be that simple? Do I just move here, and BAM! “Dude, I’m in!”… Now, I can complain about the tourists that never know where they are going and laugh at people that think 5^th Ave is the only place to shop.

city hall park

Not so fast! Other New Yorkers say you haveta live here for longer than 10 years, or know the difference between lombardis and grimaldis .. or for those extremists – you need to be born here, SON! But the one thing I have noticed of all the convos I’ve had with ‘true New Yorkers’ is how much they love this city..

                Perhaps all those other definitions is just a way to gauge how much you love the city.. enough to try all the pizza joints to know whats your fave and to know that any other city’s pizza – just won’t do. Enough to know that a fashion trend is just a trend – it’s how YOU work it on the streets of NYC that makes it fabulous, and enough to know that living in a tiny space and paying half your paycheck in rent is still worth it just to live in this city. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel comfortable saying “I’m a New Yorker”- I probably won’t have a “New Yawk” accent, or intelligently argue why I love east village more than west village, but the longer I’m here, the more I love the city, and the more “New Yorker” I will be.

Looking good ladies!

"winter pigeon"

alice's "modified" nite owl.. looking good :)

"broken wing" from the zombie fashion show!

The fall collection is looking good on all these people! thanks for the support guys!

new work space.... glad we moved!

finally almost settled into the new apt this week. and the workspace is looking good :) having more space really does make a difference! and lookie lookie at the new order for 'nite owl'... can't wait to see it on!

HALLOW'S EVE!

it was fantabulous! hahaha - finally after taking a mini break from working on the line and getting myself moved into a new place in the city, i got some time to get back into the groove!

and what better time to wear something from the new line than hallow's eve!?! happy halloween to all the NYCers out there!