PURE NIRVANA

 Despite the bipolar weather, this past weekend was pretty sweet. Kevin and I headed over to Downtown L.A. to share a vending booth with some of my photography friends at the Artwalk. Aside from the fact that a pedestrian got hit by a car that had jumped the curb, it was a pretty cool day. I made a nice chunk of change at my Urban Legends Vintage booth and had tons of fun in the meantime. If I wasn't on my business woman tip, I would have taken tons of pictures of all of the swaggerific guys and gals that came by. As for all of you So Cal fashion lovers, my store will have a booth at the Inland Empire's very own Funky Fresh Flea in Riverside. I'll keep you all updated with the deets, so be on the lookout!

GRAND OPENING!!!! URBAN LEGENDS VINTAGE

After plenty of crazy nights and stress that would make most people yank their hair out, 

I am extremely proud to say that the time has finally come, ladies and gents:

Urban Legends Vintage is officially open for your shopping pleasure!

And in lieu of our grand opening, 

we're offering FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS to anyone in the U.S!

From custom-made denim cutoffs for the fashion savvy gals to rare vintage duds for the dudes,

Urban Legends is the place to make your wardrobe ultra-cool.

CLICK HERE to grab some dope threads before they're all gone!

Follow Urban Legends on Twitter and Facebook!

FASHION, LIGHTS, & L.A NIGHTS: WHO WHAT WEAR / JOYRICH EVENTS

Last week, all of us Who What Wear interns got to take a load off from the hustle & bustle of the office.

We enjoyed a night out at the Los Angeles boutique, Satine, for the book signing for Who What Wear's newest book, What to Wear, Where!

The newly released publication is jam packet with TONS of fashion advice 
from Who What Wear's top ladies, Katherine Power and Hillary Kerr, about what to wear for any occasion!

From job interviews to date nights, this book is an excellent go-to guide, and a necessity for every fashionista!

photo via WhoWhatWear.com

NYFW FALL 2011: INTO THE WILD

NYFW takes a trip to the exotic.

Animal prints, tribal fabrics and colorful blends are my absolute favorite parts of what's in store for Fall 2011. 

Though I've always wanted to take a trip to embark upon an African safari,

I don't mind settling for these eclectic runway looks in the meantime. 

NYFW FALL 2011: GLAMOUR AMOUR

I thing the glitz and glam is one of the greatest things about being a girl.

If anybody knows how to jazz up a gown, sequins, or a fuzzy fur,

it would be a woman.

NYFW FALL 2011: DARK & DAPPER

Crazy. Sexy. Cool.

No, I'm not talking about TLC. lol

Playing around with the ideas of androgyny and sultriness, 

New York Fashion Week took a walk on the dark side.

NYFW FALL 2011: ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES

With us nearing the 20th anniversary of Marc Jacobs' infamous grunge collection--the one that got him fired from Perry Ellis and yet launched him into being one of the greatest designers of all time--Joesph Altuzarra couldn't have picked a better time to debut his take on teen spirit.

Rich burnt oranges and dark olives, silky satin dresses with shredded hems, and fur-frilled parkas are all diverse elements that seem to work so perfectly together.

NYFW FALL 2011: IN LIVING COLOR

Although we're still in the dreary midst of winter,  the bright future of fashion for the year's end has made its way down the runways of New York City. Fall 2011 takes on a colorful twist, giving the finger to the blah mood that sunshine-less weather brings while not turning a blind eye to the furs, heavy layers, and woolen fabrics that keep us toasty.

NO DAY BUT TODAY

I'm just now getting over the soreness that had overcome my body after

participating in THE longest journey on foot....aka the L.A. Aids Walk.

It was a no-brainer to support such a powerful movement with the crew:

Chelsea, Keek, Bree, Sulem, and Krystlasia

We walked a good 2 miles to get there--after taking the metro and the bus--,

walked 6 miles amongst more than 30,000 people,

then walked 2 more just to get to the car. lol

And, it was raining.

But all in all, it was for a good cause and I had blast with my girls.

Plus, we rewarded ourselves by indulging a hearty meal from

Roscoe's afterwards. ;]

Team Bullets&Bows!!!

BACK TO THE BOOKS

Thursday was officially my first day of school being a senior.

It feels so weird to say that. lol

I can't believe three whole years of college have really passed me by!

Where has the friggin' time gone?!!?!

Though I am {partially} glad school's back in session,

I know this quarter's load of intense creative writing classes combined

with an ancient African history class will be quite the challenge,

but I'm just gunna have to suck it up, take one for the team, and duke it out.

To kick off the school year, UCR hosted its annual Block Party concert

exclusively for all new & returning students.

We were allowed to bring one guest, so my bf Kevin came along

to indulge in the festivities.

This year, The Cool Kids, J. Cole, & Estelle

were the contenders to rock the stage.

OF COURSE I was gungho about seeing The Cool Kids,

but the crowd was acting pretty lame since they were the first act.

I felt like me & Kev were the only ones who knew the words

to about every single song!

Yet by the time Mikey Rocks & Chuck Inglish spit their last song,

everyone wanted more. :)

J.Cole was up next buuuuut I'm not a fan of him. lol

The girls were going I N S A N E, and oddly enough,

so were most of the guys! hahaha

I don't think I've ever been to a live performance where the guys are that ecstatic....

maybe that's just me.

..unintentional, yet ironic and interesting..

Since it was ridiculously hot out, I was over standing amongst

crazed--and some obviously drunken--fans...

and after waiting for about an hour for Estelle to come on, I was ready to bounce.

But I knew you all would want to see all of the action,

so I sucked it up to snap a few pics of her when she finally started her performance.

For some reason I expected Estelle to be.....

well, civilized. lol

But after a few hell yeahs and a slew of f*** this and that's,

my predetermined expectations went completely out the window!

I guess I just expected her to transcend black stereotypes and be some kind of posterchild

for English women of color, but that ideal was a failure.

While she did manage to prove to me that she was not the tea & crumpets chick

that many alike myself initially perceive her to be,

Estelle definitely knows how to rock a party

& make everyone in her presence have a good time.

Olive & black floral scarf {worn as headband}:: Forever 21, Multi-chain necklace:: Forever 21, Vintage silk color block top:: Goodwill, Brown woven belt:: Hollister, Levi destroyed denim shorts:: Urban Outfitters,

Brown strappy heels:: Reflections

**Random side note** I've been debating on whether or not I want to switch

from Blogger to Tumblr...no particular reasoning, just ready for a bit of a change.

Lemme know what your thoughts.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

This weekend's festivities were priceless.

Friday night, Brittany & I headed to Redlands for a party,

yet once we seen the ridiculously long line, we didn't even make it out of the car lol

And the fact that there were plenty of hoochiemamas on the scene was an even bigger reason

for us to go elsewhere.

We made a pit stop for some gas and then made our way to Pomona's Fox Theater for rapper Kent Money's mixtape release party.

The event was a rooftop shindig....definitely more my scene, lol

full of fashion savvy guys & gals.

Upon our arrival, I spotted soooo many people that I knew!

After grabbing a tasty concoction of a beverage from the bar,

we linked up with my girls Yesenia {of Saucie Garments},

BreeAnn and Chelsea {aka Danni Rouge of Bullets & Bows}.

Rica Cupcakes, Ms. Keek Marie, and a few other pretty gal pals were with them,

and once that music started bumping... IT WAS ON! lol

Neon t-shirt {made into a headband at the last minute! lol}:: Forever 21, Black sequined vest:: H&M, Black & white striped dress:: H&M, Multi-chained necklace:: Forever 21, Black studded bracelet:: H&M,

{Not pictured} Black & neon pumps:: Forever 21

The infamous Don Cannon was the DJ for the nite

and was the master of keeping us on our feet.

Many including the uber talented guys from Audio Push came out to support Kent Money,

who performed a few tracks from his mixtape just as the event got underway.

Things got a little on the wild side...

but for good times with good friends,

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

BETCHA WANNA SEE THIS BOOTY BOUNCE

Tuesday night {after a long day's work}, my b.f.f Brittany & I got all dolled up

to go to Hollywood's infamous Dim Mak Tuesdays at Cinespace.

The streetwear queens of L.A.'s very own Hellz Bellz were hosting the Hollywood Boulevard hotspot to promote the release of DEV's music video for her dope track, "Booty Bounce."

Filled with tons of fresh threads, the styling of the vid was all thanks to Hellz.

After premiering the video,

we nabbed a spot front & center as DEV took the stage to perform a few hits,

including my all-time fave, "Fireball."

The diverse crowd was full of hipsters and free spirits,

all grooving the night away to indie pop jams.

We had a good time, even though we ran into a few weirdos lol

But hey, it comes with the territory.

Black headband, Black tunic w/ sheer sides, Grey splattered dress {worn underneath}, Multi-chained necklace, Army green grommet belt, Black lace-up booties. *All from Forever 21*

SHOWTIME

On Monday night, I was one of the many black designers who's designs were featured in UC Riverside's very own Black Homecoming Fashion Show!

One of the organizations on campus {African Student Programs} came up with the idea of having a Black Homecoming for UCR's African-American students in an effort to raise money for various events that they have planned for the rest of the school year.

Even though I've been sewing constantly,

I'm glad that I got to showcase my work at the fashion show.

Because of the hectic craziness backstage with models changing

and the fact that I temporarily lost my Blackberry,

I was unable to snap pics of the models who were rockin' my designs :(

BUT WAIT!

Don't be too disappointed lol

I'm going to be part of a HUGE fashion/music/art event at my school called LUX

that is set to happen this Friday!

Personally, I'm more amped for this show lol

So I will definitely take pics for you all of the intense backstage action :)

In the meantime,

I'll give you all a peek at what I wore to the show on Monday night!

FYI: Peep the neckpiece! MADE BY YOURS TRULY! ;)

Black fabric earring:: Forever 21

Black bodycon dress with lace detail:: H&M

Purple geometric neckpiece:: Made by ME! :)

Teal tank:: Forever 21

Acid wash vest:: Forever 21

Teal bangle:: Forever 21

Ingigo suede pumps:: Forever 21