The Clunkster

new york fashion week: vitruvius vancouver by a youth design collective(!)

Fashion Show, StyleKristenComment

dress (from charlotte russe, rip). heels (similar).

Hey cutie pies! I can’t believe I’m writing the final review from Nolcha ShowsNew York Fashion Week event that I attended in February. If you haven’t read my first two reviews, be sure to check them out here and here! Hopefully, these are the first of many fashion show reviews to come. I love discovering new designers and seeing how talented they are firsthand!

That’s why I’m especially excited to write this review. Vitruvius Vancouver is a brand that provides art and design education for Canadian youth. The pieces that I saw were created by a collective of people who are younger than me! When I saw the collection, I thought it was just one designer. I already loved everything, but now I’m even more amazed at the designs that I saw.

Everything was so unique. While each piece that came down the runway differed from the next, they incorporated the same colors and fabrics, which made things really cohesive. In particular, they used a lot of royal blue, neon green, fiery orange, and soft grey. I was really impressed with the fact that they were able to create a wide range of pieces within a collection with such an interesting color palette. I think the colors are what really pulled the pieces together since each one was so different.

The collection included all types of pieces: rainjackets, turtlenecks, suits, dresses, and athletic wear. There are some pieces that I don’t really know how to classify, like the tuxedo jacket leotard, which was my favorite look. Is that considered outerwear? Most of the jackets that came down the runway were quite literally massive. I was a huge fan of all the pantsless looks. It’s like the youth of Vancouver know what I want.

I was also really impressed with the amount of texture in the show. There were a lot of traditional turtlenecks and some that were tailored very interestingly. They added a lot of dimension to the pieces. Later on in the show, we were introduced to a new, fuzzy looking fabric that was the same grey color as the rest of the pieces in the collection.

Vitruvius is the only designer at the show that had models of all genders, which added something cool and gave them a lot more room to play with their designs. However, the models were super stoic when they came down the runway, which was really different from the fun-loving vibe that I got from the collection. There was only one model that looked like they were having a good time.

Overall, I was so impressed with Vitruvius Vancouver and I’m so happy that I was introduced to them through Nolcha Shows. I can’t imagine how cool it must feel to be so young and see your designs at New York Fashion Week! I’m really excited to see what else Vitruvius has to offer, and the amazing designers that come out of their program.

If you’d like to see videos from all the shows at this event, check out the “Runway” section of my Instagram Highlights. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be sure you never miss a post from me!

mayday mayday i'm being forced to grow up

Outfit of the Day, StyleKristenComment

shirt (gamma exclusive, sorry loves!). skirt (similar). sneakers.

Happy May! I can’t believe April is already over. Since I graduated in May, I’ve been enjoying a relaxing post-grad life, and it hit me really hard that everyone was leaving soon. I always feel bad when I don’t have enough time to see people that I really wanna spend time with, but I know I’ll see them the next year. But I’m moving back to Long Island at the end of August, so I won’t be a couple of T stops away from my friends for much longer :(

But I know myself, and I know that I’ll make the effort to keep in touch with the people I love. I think a true mark of friendship is when you can maintain your relationship even if you don’t speak every day and you’re on opposite sides of the country.

This subject brings me to my sorority’s recruitment theme for Fall 2018 (my last one ever), a Nu Home. We always say that Gamma brings everyone home no matter where they’re from. That’s why our symbol is the compass. So, our amazing Insignia Chair designed these, and it’s one of my favorite recruitment shirts.

I paired this tee with my denim skirt, and I really love the way it looked. I was nervous that the colors would clash a little too much, but the colors were just different enough that it worked. I love wearing tees with this skirt. I wore a white one for our recruitment video shoot, and I really loved how it looked (that look is coming soon, if you’re curious!). I brought in a little French Tuck action so I didn’t look like a little nerd. Not that tucking your shirt tightly makes you look like a dork, I just think there’s a time and place, right Tan?

I took this picture all the way at the beginning of this year (that’s why my mirror is in a completely different place fun fact), and I’m getting so excited to wear looks like this again! I’m already so happy that I can go outside with just a light jacket. It makes me feel so free.

What are you looking forward to this summer? Let me know in the comments!

Codi Olive Nourishing and Rejuvenating Hand and Body Lotion

Cruelty-Free, Beauty, Beauty ReviewKristenComment

Hey cutie patooties! I don’t know about you all, but I love getting my nails done. The people that work at my nail salon know exactly what they’re doing. I always leave with a smile and beautiful nails. So when they gave my mom and I these Codi lotions for Christmas, I knew they would be great.

I tend to get really dry hands in the winter. Like, cracking and bleeding dry. I keep this tube of lotion by my door so I always remember to put it on before I go outside. During the colder months, I put my gloves on to seal it. My hands stayed really hydrated. There were some periods of time where I’d forget to use this lotion, and my hands would get stingy and gross again. As soon as I started using it again, they would heal.

The smell is also heavenly. I’ve never had anything olive scented before, and I’m obsessed. I think it smells like the nail salon; it puts me at ease and makes me feel special. I just really love manicures, you guys.

I very highly recommend this lotion, especially if you have really damaged hands, like me. I really have nothing bad to say about it. It’s even cruelty-free!

For more information about going cruelty-free, check out PETA’s Searchable Database or Cruelty-Free Kitty’s alphabetized list of cruelty-free brands.

new york fashion week: hathairat by hathairat maneerat

Fashion Show, StyleKristenComment

dress (from charlotte russe, rip). heels (similar).

Hey hey! Remember when I posted about that awesome fashion show I went to back in February? I’m so pumped to tell you about the second designer at the show, Hathairat! From Bangkok, Thailand, Hathairat Maneerat’s collection was full of eye-catching pieces.

There was some very interesting tailoring across the items in the collection, including asymmetrical sleeves and big proportions. The colors of the clothing were also beautiful! The collection used a lot of metallic black, gold, and red lace, which added a lot of texture to the pieces. I was a really big fan of the subtle sparkle details, be they in thin lines on the clothes or in the statement earrings that all the models were wearing.

I was so impressed with the styling of all the pieces! All the models wore their hair in updos with snake-like braids underneath. Everyone also wore clear shoes, which I really, really loved. I found that it highlighted the beauty of the pieces so much more, since they were beautiful and stole the show on their own.

At the end of the show, all the models came down the runway one last time (as they do) and started dancing together! It was actually the cutest thing ever to see everyone having such a great time after they walked down the runway so seriously. It showed how much the models loved working with Hathairat.

Overall, I absolutely loved this collection. I would wear any one of these elegant but unique pieces! This was my mom’s favorite designer in the show. I’m so happy I got to see this collection and I can’t wait to see what else Hathairat does in the future.

Hathairat was the second designer at this event. Click here to read my review of Amnesia’s collection, and stay tuned for my last review coming soon! If you’d like to see videos from these shows, check out the “Runway” section of my Instagram Highlights. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to be sure you never miss a post from The Clunkster.

ayeeee-pril

Outfit of the Day, StyleKristenComment

shirt (Gamma exclusive, sorry bbs!). vest (from Marshall’s, by Michael Kors). leggings. sneakers. perfume.

Hey cutie pies, is anyone else’s weather doing all types of things lately? As I always say, I don’t care which season Mother Nature picks, as long as she picks one. We’ve been flying back and forth between sunshine and heat and rain and humidity. I’m not a fan.

What do I always break out during transitionary weather patterns? My puffer vest! Well, this look is actually super old, but I figured it was relevant. Sometimes it can be so hard to dress for weather that can’t make up its mind. I usually stick to layering and dressing comfortably. There’s nothing worse than being soaking wet and wearing those pants that are too tight but make your ass look bangin’ (seriously just donate them already there are so many fish in the sea bb).

Anyway, this look also features one of my favorite sorority shirts. The Alpha class got these when we first colonized, and to make things even more ~vintage~, only a couple girls got them. It makes me feel really special :’) I wore my fuzzy leggings and black Converse (white Converse usually look cute with this top but these look better with the black vest), and put my hair in a half-up-half-down style.

We can get through this insane weather, loves! Only two months until summer! As they say, April showers bring May flowers, so I’m not giving up hope.