There are three ‘groups’ of fashions, inspired by the sea, on display. One is “Playing at Sea,” which showcases different swimwear from mid- 19th century to present, as well as resort wear. I enjoyed seeing the swimwear from the early 1900s, as they were meant to cover the body. However, as times changed and so did womens rights, the suits were designed to show off more of the body. I saw Rudi Gernreich’s famous monokini. There was a graffiti-print swimsuit from Stephan Sprouse. Claire McCardell designed fab resort wear back in the 30s through 50s. Some of which were on display (and that I wish were still being sold today). The last piece of swim/resort wear were two suit/jacket combos by Karl Lagerfeld. He was inspired by 30s Riviera Glamor and of course Coco Chanel. One of the looks is a lovely suit paired with a tweed jacket, which was a custom order from a lady who didn’t want to lounge poolside with her dinner jacket. The next group consisted of the “Sailor” theme. Of course there were sailor suits on display, as well as the civilian sailor-inspired fashions as well. Back in the 1840s, Queen Victoria had her young son Edward painted in a sailor suit. It then became a trend among boys back then to wear a sailor suit. The grouping of the different outfits put emphasis on the military aspect of the sailor to the romance and sporting outfits worn in the earlier years and sometimes today. There was a glass case with several iconic sea-themed accessories, including 1970s Judith Leiber shell handbags. These were constructed out of real shell and were hand cast, then gold plated and had a brass lid. Yes, they also broke easily. Another accessory that is worth mentioning is a whale bone busk for corsets back in the 1800s. This was considered a Valentine’s Day gift for the woman from her sailor and was meant for her to wear close to her heart. The last group of fashion is “Mermaids and Pirates.” Included in that group was a pearl and underwater-inspired dress from Karl Lagerfeld’s current Spring 2012 collection. Another garment is a Christian Lacroix skirt inspired by the ancient Minoans and their vases. The skirt was paired with a sequin bustier and just looked stunning. Also on display was a piece by Pauline Trigere- who’s main inspiration is turtles. There was a shell inspired piece by Zandra Rhodes, an abstract to water printed garment by Pucci, Prada garment with seashell shaped sequins and a fragile, yet stunning 1860s watermarked silk suit. Watermarking is an old technique that is very luxurious and expensive. {Read more about the process on Wikipedia} Ungaro has a stunning mermaid-esque evening gown in the group, as well as Norell. Norell’s liquidy dress is constructed of 30,000 sequins that were hand sewn onto silk jersey. Lastly, Vivienne Westwood had designed some pirate-inspired dresses with off-kilter hemlines…that is well…uniquely Vivienne Westwood.

Huge thanks to Nicole for setting me up with Dennita. Dennita, thank you for giving me a personal tour of the exhibit! “The Sea” runs from March 3rd- July 15th 2012 in the Ellman Fashion Design Galley at Phoenix Art Museum.

The Saguaro was the venue for the first ever Arizona Blogger Conference, hosted by the lovely folks at the Phoenix Style Collective- Courtney, Chelsea, Katherine, Kara and Josh, co-owner of the GrowOP. There were probably over a hundred people in attendance and EVERYONE looked amazing! I chatted with familiar faces and met new ones. There were some vendors selling their wares, including Corona Couture Jewelry and Rumble and Spur Jewelry. Corona Couture’s jewelry is unique and one-of-a-kind. She recycles vintage license plates, keys, door plates, etc and turns them into wearable works of art. My absolute favorite pieces were the “state” bracelets made from recycled license plates. They are a perfect unique accent to any armparty! Portland-based Rumble and Spur Jewelry designer- Danielle showcased unique necklaces comprised of plastic, copper, brass, plexi glass, etc. I loved her use of mixing different colors and materials. Check out her online shop! We also enjoyed complimentary coffee and lattes by the fab The Coffee Chop- a mobile coffee house if you will, who is very talented in latte art. We were schooled in different poses for perfecting the ‘outfit shot’ by The Agency Arizona. Brenda Eden of Brenda Eden Photography snapped shots during the night and in the Madewell photo booth. Speaking of Madewell, they sponsored a styling booth… full of yummy separates that could be styled multiple ways. I also found the perfect pair of white and blue floral denim! Savante Salon was doing feather extensions and neon color wraps. Of course, the Saguaro provided nibbles and a cash bar.

During the conference portion of the event, we listened to several panelists. First up was Margaree Bigler of Local First AZ. She discussed the importance of shopping locally and supporting Local First AZ. Then we heard from Georganne Bryant, owner of Frances Vintage and Smeeks. She told us her story about her store and then how blogging has helped her business. We also heard from the lovely Kate of the style blog- Running on Happiness. She told us her back story and just shared some pointers in starting and running a blog. Next, we listened to photographer-Sarah Rhodes of Arrow + Apple. She first mentioned that she was nervous, but I honestly didn’t see it. She was funny and really impressed the crowd with her tips on better blogging photos and powerpoint examples. Lastly, we heard from Chelsea of Tea Talk. She explained the importance of finding your own voice and also told her blogging story. The event ended with more networking and mingling, lattes and cocktails.

Thank you Courtney, Chelsea, Kara, Josh and Katherine for the very fun evening. If you’d like more information on the Saguaro, go to the Saguaro website.

** The Conference/Event**

** The Hotel **

We were introduced to the Spring (and some Fall) 2012 collections. I admired all the colors and neon that are in still on-trend. Neon shorts available in lime, orange and pink? YES PLEASE! Colored denim and corduroy, animal prints, florals are what’s in store this season and I can’t wait! We saw all variations of denim, ranging from raw to super vintage. According to Sandy- the knitwear designer, “In the current 2012 Spring collection, you can see influence from old Aztec prints and inspiration from desert road trips. The whole collection is fun, easy, loose fitting tees and dresses that have a burst of color along with nautical inspired stripes. Each piece is unique in its styling as well as each wash technique and original graphics.” We also checked out the men’s line. “The Big Star USA spring line for men stays true to its heritage, work wear and military themes. It offers styles ranging from raw selvage jeans, vintage inspired denim washes to classic work chinos,” Ron explained.

I really enjoyed meeting the designers, as well as the creative director- Evelyn, on preview day. The denim and knitwear were hung neatly on a couple racks. Keeping up with the ‘vintage Americana’ theme, old school candies and sodas were set up on a large glass table where the DIY was also to be held. Mikki- the womens denim designer, was looking marvelous in her Big Star USA floral denim (a new addition to the collection and a ‘must-have’ on my list). She also accessorized her look with an very vintage looking floral fanny pack from Urban Outfitters. Sandy oversaw the DIY- cat ear headbands decked out with recycled denim scraps, studs and spikes and lace. I made mine with some leftover floral denim and lace. My ears included a cute bow in between the ears. I really enjoyed crafting and talking to these truly unique designers in a laidback atmosphere.

Big Star USA ranges from $45 to $68 for knits and bottoms range from $98 to $136. Check out the Big Star USA website for more information on previous and current collections.

Thank you Bollare ladies and Big Star USA for an amazing day!

Thank you to Chelsea M. from No Subject, Jazzi McG and Johnny P!!

The Robertson Blvd. Alice + Olivia store is located at 134 Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048. I’d like to thank the staff and Alanna for the wonderful evening!

After the show, followed an LAFW afterparty and encore fashion show from FURIO.

Way to go Project Ethos team!

It was my first time stopping by the Le Fashion Truck- a cute little fashion boutique on wheels. The mobile shop on wheels was created by friends and small business owners- Stacey Steffe and Jeanine Romo. The shop features their lines, indie and local labels, as well as some vintage items. I thought that the little dressing room (and the fact that they were able to fit a dressing area in the truck) was just the cutest thing! Check out more information on Le Fashion Truck here. There was also another mobile fashion boutique on hand- William B + Friends- which is a mobile designer sample sale truck. William B + Friends was founded in 1985 and sold apparel, accessories and home decor at competitive pricing. Find out more on their website and Facebook. I met with Chris Erven, one of the co-founders (CJ Thomason is the other co-founder) of Wood Eco Eyewear (Sires Crown Eyewear), an LA-based accessories line that features trendy wooden shades of all styles and sizes. Worried about prescription glasses… they’ve got you covered! Their goal is to plant over 100,000 trees with help from ‘Trees for the Future.’ Check out more information here.

It was such a lovely afternoon and I’d like to thank Hollywood Tower apartments, the vendors and the bloggers who hosted the VIP Blogger Lounge. I’d also like to thank the 101 Coffee Shop, where we had a late-afternoon lunch. The veggie sandwich and sweet potato fries were amazing!!

** Images courtesy of NYDJ/Michael Underwood **