Collegiate Skeleton

I love this skeleton ring paired with a class ring by Allix Wright. The tension between the edgy and classic is exceptional. 

Brunch Jumping at Busboys

I meet a lot of people, or rather, my camera allows me to meet a lot of people. As many of my closest friends (who I met because I photographed them) know, I can and will talk to anyone who is dressed. While I was at a brunch with some fellow fashionistas last weekend during my double brunch Sunday funday extravaganza adventure, I saw a little crew come into Busboys and Poets as they walked past my table. They were dressed. Not loudly, since this was clearly some hangover fashion, but dressed nonetheless. I approached their table, introduced myself, and asked if I could photograph them. 

Oh. Boy. STORIES. Yep. 

This first gentleman is, among many other things, the founder of Thirst DC. Eric Schulze is also a leading stem cell researcher, genetic engineer, linguist, vintage car (Mustang) builder, tie pin collector, and style connoisseur, to name a few. Or a spectacularly good liar, but that I highly doubt. There will be many more stories to come about this dapper gentleman and his vintage Tarts specs (I think they're divine, for the record), but I'll foster a sense of mystery around him for now. 

Instead, I'll talk really briefly about Thirst, which is an event sort of like TED, except with booze. Big ideas, interesting people, and whiskey? I'M IN. Eric approached me about giving a talk for Thirst and after a grueling battle of wits and wills, I gave in with little/no fight, because really I was insanely excited at the prospect. Me, loving talking?!?! WHAT? Yes. So I'll be giving a talk for Thirst DC, whoo!! That is, if Eric and I don't banter and brawl our way into oblivion or a brutal fight first. We'll see. The man collects tie clips, I think I'll be fine. 

So anyway, meet Eric. 

Admire the glasses, have a moment with them. 

Tie clips come later, YOU HAVE TO WAIT. 

Next comes Lori! Lori and her insanely amazing denim jacket is actually the reason I approached the group in the first place. You see, I have been arguing about the style (or lack thereof, depending) of denim jackets with some seriously fresh DC designers recently. Battle Royale over denim jackets, the real deal. So anyway, Lori walked into Busboys and I had to eat my words; this denim jacket is nothing short of GLORIOUS and badass. Yep. LOOK AT IT. Stunning. Haha. So the story is that Lori was traveling and went to an antique warehouse. She shopped for 3 hours and toward the end found this jacket. WITH HER NAME ON IT. Yep. Many of the patches are vintage military and have significance; Lori is so rad that she went and found out what they all mean! That's awesome! 

Have a moment with this jacket. 

And finally, some classic brunch attire: the stunnas. I'm going to let these speak for themselves. Awesome  amount of swag. I love it.

This Bracelet, These Hands

On Monday, I photographed the 9 at 9 poetry event at Busboys and Poets for the Corcoran, who will be using my photos to raise awareness about their 30 Americans exhibit that examines the role of race in art. I photographed the press preview when it opened, so I was really excited when the Corcoran approached me to capture their event. I've written poetry for many years, and it was an opportunity to spend a soothing evening with fellow writers and listen as they responded to the 30 Americans art. I am so thankful to live in a city filled with such a diverse mix of people who all bring unique perspectives to the table. Emotions are quantified differently, but everyone feels the same; it is wonderful to see that come through the poetry and art. 

I took many lovely photos, but my favorites by far are these two. 

After the readings, I approached poet Ernesto Mercer and asked about his bracelet. It seemed really unique and had caught my eye as soon as I got to Busboys, so I introduced myself (as I typically do) and asked him to tell me more about his bracelet. 

Ernesto explained that it was by a local designer who used to work for Calvin Klein, but that it was made under unique circumstances. One day at CK, the head designer approached the designer and told him he didn't use enough classic Calvin Klein materials. In response, the man went straight downstairs to fetch a fistful of vintage leather belts from the early 1970s. He cut them into strips to make bracelets, and then looked around to look for more "classic" Calvin Klein materials. He lit upon the extension cord at his desk and the bottle caps from the beers he was drinking and fashioned the piece Ernesto was wearing. How witty! 

I love that story; the designer took it off and gave it to Ernesto when he complimented him on it. The gifting of the piece is just as special as how it was created. I love that this classic DC poet was wearing a bracelet that can only be thought of as poetry. It is very fitting. 

I snapped this photo of an elderly gentleman's hands as he was writing during the reading. As a fellow writer, I understand the immediacy that comes with the urge to write; I often forgo socialization, sleep, and a myriad other things to tap away at the keys or feel the brush of thick parchment paper traveling beneath my pen point. 

Big thanks to the Rachel Cothran and the rest of the Corcoran team for having me out. 

An Afternoon At the Freemasonry

As part of the aforementioned super Sunday adventure that Miss Cheralee and I had, we chose the  Freemason Temple near my apartment for a sunset locale for some photos as we chased the end of the light. I was once introduced to a photographer who referred to photographers as "painters of light", and that is the perfect description. As a result, I am always acutely aware of where the light is, where it is coming from, and the tone it is setting. As you'll see from the photos below, the late afternoon light was delightfully soft for our little shoot. This massive building was a perfect setting for some grandiose snaps of our brunching styles. 

I love this fantastically layered shot we captured in the glass of the pre-war building next door. From the wrought iron detailing to the leather couch and stark tree branches, this photo is a perfect reflection of the nuances of these beautiful old buildings in Dupont.  

I am wearing a bow tie that Eliot Payne and I made for our bow tie company, Accoutre. It's a very dastardly quilted leopard print that matches absolutely nothing I own. Obviously I'll be wearing it all the time. Like it? You can find it and other wildly whimsical bowies here. Yum! I paired it with a comfortable striped turtleneck and some serious 1920's jodhpurs from Dr. K's Vintage, which I also wore for the Tweed Ride. At first glance you'd think, sweet Lord, those pants will make my butt look enormous! but then it's OK and somehow they magically don't. More or less, haha. 

Delightfully, Cheralee is wearing a men's Brooks Brothers classic white shirt styled with a classic black dress. She borrowed the shirt from her boyfriend when her own did not have a strong enough collar. I love the high-low mix of masculine and feminine energies, plus it's really special that she is mixing pieces meant for both genders as well. 

I love love love a fuschia lip. Also, I went out wearing it the night before and it wouldn't come off so I embraced it. Ah well! Photos of me nicely taken by the talented Cheralee Lyle. 

Carpetbaggers: Cheralee

Last Sunday, I had a marathon of intimate stylish events. My good friend Cheralee and I attended not one but two brunches, a DIY event, and then had a photo shoot, but it was so relaxing! She and I are starting several very exciting creative projects together, so last weekend was a fantastic opportunity to build on our lovely creative-focused friendship that we started during a night on the town, and NYE.  I’m releasing photos kind of pell-mell and out of sequence, but this first set of her were taken between brunches one (Busboys and Poets), and two (bottomless mimosas at Mad Hatter). 

I love the lush mix of prints between her brocade coat and the oriental carpets that we used as our setting! The early afternoon light was perfectly soft and her play with proportions is impeccable.

We have lots more photos coming all this week from our wild stylish jaunt around the city, so keep an eye out! I hope you DCers enjoyed that super-fluffy and lovely snow yesterday; even though it didn’t stick, the Vermonter in me is happy that we finally got a proper dusting. 

Brunch at the Holstee House

The last time I went to NYC, I had the amazing opportunity to stay at the Holstee house. For those of you who are not familiar, Holstee is a brand of environmentally conscious clothing and accessories made of recycled materials. While the products look amazing (and they really do!), it is their manifesto that has made them famous; the Holstee manifesto is the perfect embodiment of how a brand's personality and point of view can add  value to their business. What began as a simple mission statement about what they wanted to accomplish and how they viewed the world became an internationally-acclaimed approach to life for hundreds of thousands. They began selling their statement in print, and have expanded their business ever since. 

Through a mutual friend, my good friend Michelle Ferng and I stayed with the founders of Holstee in their apartment in the Village and had an amazing time. The house was filled with a constant flow of new friends, open-minded individuals that the Holstee guys seemed to have known for years while still keeping an exciting freshness to the relationship. Doors were always open, with people moving through their home with smiles, a bottle of wine, and an interesting point of view to share. We all bopped around and did our thing throughout the weekend, but Sunday morning they hosted a family-style brunch to put all other brunches to shame. Fresh bagels appeared, coffee was made, and each new person who entered the house brought something to contribute. In the end, the result was a group of  eight motivated, like-minded twenty-somethings discussing world issues, learning about one another, and passing the day as only Sundays can be passed in that slow, luxurious and meandering appreciation for being young and having endless opportunity. 

When we arrived in NYC around midnight on Friday, we followed instructions to make our way to a local deli, where we had to put $1 in the tip jar and utter a secret phrase to get the key to the Holstee house. We did so (much to the amusement of the gentleman at the counter), and then made our way to the house. We were greeted by Holstee founder Dave, who offered us drinks before we went out for the evening. We spent more and more time at the house getting to know the guys, culminating in the aforementioned brunch. Amazing!

The light in the clean, modern apartment was beautiful; all of these shots by Michelle and I were taken only with natural light. After we finished eating, people continued their discussions and she and I slowly milled around, shooting the scene and drinking coffee. Some of the shots are grainy; that is on purpose. We wanted to capture the soft natural light without spoiling it with flashes.

 

So what does all of this have to do with style? As you can see from the photos, everyone was dressed in their Sunday relaxed attire. The clothing facilitated everyone's comfort, and nothing more. What struck me as truly stylish about our brunching experience at the Holstee house was twofold. Aesthetically, the space was beautiful. Simple furnishings, many handmade, leave a cleanness that makes talking and clearing the mind for stimulating conversation easy. The food we had, as I'm sure you can see, was divine. Bagels were fluffy, spreads diverse in selection and fresh, and vegetables made everyone feel full but not lethargic. The ever-important orange juice and coffee was present, making waking up very easy. But on top of all of that aesthetic style, the personalities of the people present were glowing. Their approaches to life were refreshing and made our time there unforgettable.  A beautiful personality and outlook on life is worth more than anything you wear. This was an example of a stylish life. 

I would like to thank the Dave and Mike for hosting us, introducing us to their awesome friends, and making us feel truly at home. My experience at the Holstee house reaffirmed my faith in my generation; there are brilliant, passionate, amazing people out there who want nothing more than to love another another and leave the world a better place. Thank you! 

Introductions: Oliver

I am completely allergic to cats. I love animals, but I turn into the sneeziest, saddest little thing when they're around. So obviously, I have two of them. I would like to introduce to one of them, Oliver. Now, I am not one to take pictures of my cats, but this shot of Oliver on my vintage 1950s pink velvet chair is just too much fun not to share. 

Today is certainly one of those oh-so most lazy of Saturdays. I will edit some photos, look at some art, and chat serious bow tie business with Eliot Payne. To be honest, I'm still on the couch, sipping some fruity breakfast booze as I attempt (and fail) to motivate. 

Happy weekend, all! 

Late Night at IVD

As happens more than I care to recount, last night I ended up hanging out at It's Vintage Darling talking big plans, personal style, and creative brainstorming until the wee hours of the morning. Buyer and manager Elise Peterson (who I've photographed so frequently, you can't go through this blog without getting hit in the head with a post featuring her modern-infused, disco fabulous style), Eliot Payne and I are involved in numerous yet-to-be-announced projects that demanded some serious hang time. So in typical stylista fashion, we ended up having a photo shoot with all of the new goodies IVD has. Official photos are forthcoming, but I was so enthralled with the stylish bits that I had to snap some photos with my trusty phone. Don't judge the photos, but focus on how super-swoon to-die-for the clothes are. 

This first look is very ethereal; I adore this high neck hand-beaded sheer top. With endless styling options from the most exposed to subtle, the potential of this impeccably cut piece sent me swooning. For our shoot, we paired it with a green khaki leather pencil skirt to get a mix of soft and feminine with a harder edge. We then added peep-toe Fendi sandals in greens and blues to give the look a subtle pop of color. 

I just had to document this impeccably-styled mannequin; the Native American printed coat is complimented with a 1950's feel classic button-up and squared tie. 

These ties are so colorful, they just made me smile. So dapper!

Annnnnnd vintage YSL heels. In my size. SWOON.