She fell out of the sky

It's been a while since I've written in my blog for several reasons: 1. I got swamped with long days at my internship(s) and second job (which has now segued in a freelance position and second job) and 2. The only thing I felt was worth writing about was the only thing I couldn't write about.  Readers, I am bursting at the seams, wanting to share with you all the amazing experiences that I've gotten to partake.  I'm definitely at a different place than when I started this blog physically, emotionally, career-wise and otherwise; I can say that all that hard work over the past two years+ in New York City has paid off.  But nothing's ever certain in this industry - which I'd best describe as in a state of growing pains - and where I will be in the near future is anybody's guess.

I made print!!!

Currently, I am interning at Time Out New York in the Shopping & Style Department, and I am thrilled to finally have a small blurb of mine published in print! Check out my coverage of the new Burberry Brit store on Bleecker St!

Back to Blogging Business!

NYC, SPI, and now an internship with StyleCaster - my, time has flown! I am officially a graduate of NYU's Summer Publishing Institute (and have the pretty little certificate to prove it!) and had an amazing time meeting new friends, pigging out on the delicious food (although I have yet to try the bagels here - I know, shame on me!), and exploring the city. I moved out of the dorms into the East Village temporarily and am loving this neighborhood - it's an absolute joy to stroll by Tompkins Park and zillions of cute cafes and boutiques on my way to Union Square. And at night, things can get a little crazy around here with tons of bars in the village and down in LES. I am going to miss this place when I move out to midtown next week!

I am also well into the second week of my internship with StyleCaster as a fashion intern! Feel free to visit the website here to find out what it's all about - it's a unique, online destination where content meets community meets commerce. The internship is stressful and I'm always busy, but I am surrounded by beautiful clothes - what more could I ask for? And to de-stress afterwards, I just walk home on 5th Ave and stop by my favorite stores - so I am literally surrounded by clothes from 9 in the morning to 9 at night, haha!

So that's my little update, and hopefully I can get back into the swing of things around here!

My Feature Article for Ruby Magazine

This was the feature article for the SPI magazine launch project (which we finally named Ruby Magazine). From the feedback we got from Ariel Foxman (who was an absolute pleasure to meet!), we changed the focus of the mission statement away from weight loss and toward fashion for plus size women. I was assigned the position of executive editor, so I wrote this article (with the help of my team). Enjoy!

Runway Recap: Full Figured Fashion Week 2010
The second annual show proves curvy girls can catwalk
June 23, 2010

Long gone are the days of shapeless muumuus and poly stretch pants. Full Figured Fashion Week shows off what’s hot in plus size fashion.

From June 16 - 19 in New York City, hundreds of fashionistas turned out to celebrate the second-annual Full Figured Fashion Week (FFFWeek). The sold-out and star-studded event began last year as a way to showcase the new collections and trendy plus size designs that are serving a growing market of fashion-forward, full figured women.

The four-day event featured runway showcases, a modeling competition, discussion panels and seminars, and even a guided shopping excursion. Notable guests included plus size supermodel Emme Aronson, America’s Next Top Model winner Whitney Thompson, and Biggest Loser contestant Carla Sheridan. Thirty-five sponsors supported the event, including big names like Revlon and Lane Bryant.

Similar to other fashion shows, the air buzzed with infectious energy both behind the scenes and on the runway. But unlike these shows, the voluptuous models looked relaxed, healthy, and in high spirits as they confidently strutted down the runway in feathers and sequins.

Rather than strained silence, the packed crowd at FFFWeek’s opening runway loudly expressed their approval for their favorite look. The music, drinks, and cheering crowd created a celebratory atmosphere.

There must be something strong in those raspberry lemonade Sonsi-tinis - cocktails aptly named for sponsor Sonsi.com, an online destination for plus size shopping.

Gwen DeVoe, founder and executive producer of FFFWeek, hosted the event’s opening ceremony at the exclusive New York City club Boulevard. DeVoe, donning a fitted white number adorned with rosettes, worked the crowd in preparation for a runway showcase featuring plus-inclusive designers and design collaborations with large-scale retailers.

“Every curvy girl that has a dollar is willing to spend that dollar,” she told the energetic crowd. “And so we as curvy customers [are] loyal customers. I know that at a lovely size 18 and a size 12 shoe, when I see something I like, I buy four, five, and six of them, because I can’t stand the drama of looking for it again.” Judging by the crowd’s cheers, many attendees could also sympathize with the hassles of shopping for plus size clothing.

The plus size community has been underserved and largely ignored by the mainstream fashion industry, and FFFWeek is its long overdue response. On a business level, FFFWeek is a way for retailers and designers to meet with their plus-size customers. From a greater perspective, the event serves as backlash against the exclusive nature of the fashion industry and a push for size acceptance in the fashion community.

A market valued at $18 billion, plus size fashion is a booming business opportunity. However, the fashion industry at large has been slow, and sometimes even resistant, to capitalize on this market. Recent news surrounding American Apparel’s decision to stop producing certain items above a size 6 and fashion designer Julien Macdonald’s disparaging comments about plus size modeling continue to perpetuate size discrimination.

However, retail giants like Walmart and Target are recently stepping in to fill the plus size fashion void. Both retailers debuted their latest plus size clothing collections at FFFWeek’s opening runway showcase. Walmart’s Just My Size previewed their younger, trendier sister line Evolution by Just My Size, which included fun tops in animal prints and bold colors with price points under $20. Angelina Mortarotti, the designer behind the Pure Energy line for Target, created a collection with floral and plaid tops, denim staples, and on-trend jackets.

FFFWeek showcased 25 diverse designers who specifically cater to the full figured woman. Angel L. Myers of The Angel Alternative had only been sewing for the past 10 months, but her retro-inspired pieces looked as though she had years of experience. Jaspher Knowles of edgy, fashion-forward Drapery flew in all the way from the Bahamas to take part.

Fashion designer Susan Moses has styled an impressive clientele of celebrities, including Queen Latifah and Gabourey Sidibe. Her collection hit the right trends: sequin mini dresses, silky jumpsuits, and a metallic, peplum stunner that hugged all the right curves.

Deb Malkin, owner of boutique Re/Dress NYC, had her eye on the Susan Moses collection. “She’s branching out into a lot of party and evening wear, and it blew me away. Her collection is really extraordinary,” she said of the celebrity stylist.

Another designer that impressed Malkin was Project Runway alumnus Qristyl Frazier, whose collection included off-the-shoulder column dresses. Frazier’s dresses played with the draping and wrapping of fabric around the shoulder, across the bust, or tied around the waist.

But Malkin’s standby favorite was IGIGI by Yuliya Raquel, a plus size design brand with 10 years of experience. “Lots of incredible prints, really well proportioned clothes. They just know what women want,” she remarked. IGIGI’s graphic print wrap dresses were easily among the night’s best pieces.

Malkin, a plus-size woman herself, understands how frustrating shopping and fashion can be for the full figured woman. “I was right there in the struggle of finding it really hard to find clothes and really understanding the role of fashion as it relates to the social standing of bigger people,” she revealed.

“I don’t think we have a sense of the collective fun of shopping because so much shopping happens online for plus size women, and that’s not really the same experience that other women have where they get to go shopping together and have a good time,” she shared.

Fortunately, FFFWeek provides another much-needed outlet through which the curvy community can come together to celebrate their shape and have fun with fashion. Malkin nails it on the head with her parting advice: “dress yourself for today and really express yourself through the creativity of fashion.”

Manhattan, Ariel Foxman, and other exciting New York related news

I landed in NYC on a sunny, humid Saturday, dirty, exhausted (not a wink of sleep the night before), hungry (whatever happened to free airline meals), excited at seeing the beautiful Manhattan cityscape from my plane window, and bewildered at how exactly I ended up in the city. Three months ago, I decided to seriously pursue a magazine career. Two months ago, I submitted my application just days before deadline. One month ago, I learned my fate. Now, here I am, blogging away in my NYU dorm right by Union Square Park in Manhattan!

My first week at NYU's Summer Publishing Institute has been a very long week. Full days with back-to-back lectures and panels, and plenty of late night hours mulling over a magazine brand launch project that will be presented in front of THE Ariel Foxman tomorrow! It was just a few months ago that I had been researching about him for an interview with InStyle's West Coast office (which I bombed, please don't ask how... *sigh*), and now I am actually going to meet him in person!

My group has come up with a magazine idea titled Full Fitness (if you can come up with a better name, PLEASE share!), and our magazine "supports overweight or obese women in every stage of their weight goals through the adoption of a healthier, active lifestyle." What do you think?

Is this a sneak peek of J. Crew Fall 2010?

Cause it sure looks like it to me. It's gorgeous, and Siri looks unbelievably beautiful here! Check out more pics at Daymion Mardel's Online Portfolio.

BIG NEWS!

home, originally uploaded by mudpig.

Like my blog header states, it's been a dream of mine to work at a fashion magazine. Well, this year I decided to do something about it and applied to several summer publishing programs. For the past three weeks, I was stuck on the waiting list for NYU's Summer Publishing Institute, everyday checking my email and dreading a rejection letter, but finally - last Thursday - I GOT IN! I am so excited to be making my move to NYC and starting my career in publishing - and extremely nervous about the economic climate's impact on the industry.

Those of you who may have been closely following my blog know that I'm no good at shopping bans or saving money. Now I totally regret buying those Dieppa Restrepo shoes! To prepare for the big move, I've listed tons of my clothes on eBay and am closely pinching my pennies, saving every last cent from my tutoring gig. I have a month to raise funds quick! Any ideas?