As a huge Game of Thrones fan, I created a Daenerys-inspired street-style look from my closet in honor of tonight’s Season 4 finale! Call me a nerd if you want, but the unique combination of fantasy, violence, sex and drama on GOT is the ultimate expression of TV as a creative medium. Plots can be a bit cheesy and predictable, however the stunning visuals and engaging dialogue easily make up for that. Daenerys Targaryen is my favorite character, and not just because she’s kickass at life. As a strong, assertive female in the male-dominated world of Westeros/Essos, Daenerys balances her quest for power with compassion for the people she rules.
When putting together my Daenerys outfit, I started with my gossamer-thin periwinkle Haider Ackermann dress, one Daenerys’ favorite colors to wear. She also loves to layer whites and golds, so I threw on my new Zara top. I cinched both pieces for waist-definition with my Elyse Marie Vieni lioness necklace, rigged into a belt with a gold chain. My Chan Luu bracelet (gifted by Debbie Jagel of Ootra!) has Dothraki vibes. For nail polish I chose Chanel Peridot 531, which fit well into my overall look. Red nails don’t jive with her personality!
Last but not least, my Céline ankle boots from 2011 channel the practicality of Daenerys’ footwear choices. After all, she’s leading an army of Unsullied and Second Sons to reclaim the Iron Throne, literally ruling out delicate footwear as a wardrobe option for her.
All in all I think I did pretty well channeling my inner Mother of Dragons!
Outfit Credits
Tom Binns spider earrings / Topshop choker / Chan Luu bracelet c:o Ootra / Haider Ackermann dress / Zara top / Elyse Marie Vieni necklace as a belt / Céline ankle boots
Photos generously taken by Soundfuse Magazine
In three months I turn 26. That birthday was always the moment that stood out in my mind as the age when people become real adults. It’s when people start to have mortgages, children, and marriages. I mean let’s be honest; most 18-year-olds are really just AINO; adults-in-name-only. With the terrible economy drastically reducing entry-level career opportunities for young adults, graduating from college and heading straight into an executive position at 22 is a fantasy for all but a select few. Most of us liberal arts majors have had to make do with whatever low-paying jobs we could get, or return to grad school to learn marketable skills. I took option 2, thankyouverymuch, and now I have this lovely blog to show for the past 1.5 years. I tell interviewers that basically I created my own internship, something they all instantly agreed with. Now that am I two classes shy of graduating with my master’s degree in management and interviewing for executive positions I feel like I’m finally growing up!
When Tory Burch invited me to visit her brand new Oak Street flagship and pick out a couple items to feature I saw the experience as an opportunity to think outside the box. While I tend to buy directional fashion with a hard edge, Tory Burch’s aesthetic is the essence of pretty. Her pieces are flirty, they’re feminine, and they’re girly. That’s what has made her so successful because she designs stylish clothes that are accessible to the everyday woman. I think we in fashion tend to close ourselves off to exploring new brands, and far too often stay in our comfort zones. I know I am that way but I’m working hard to evolve my style. Since I’m at a transition point in my life I knew I should use this as a chance to explore my new identity as a career woman. That’s why I chose the Mattie dress, which combines a soft quirkiness with a super polished vibe. I love how it looks like it’s actually two pieces. Plus, it’s worth noting that this is the first piece of tweed that has ever entered my closet. Going someplace new, right?
My second piece was an easy choice; the Robinson black patent leather envelope clutch. I like how subtle the logo is and I’ve wanted a clutch for a while… being a street-style photographer doesn’t lend itself well to carrying non-messenger style bags. But I do have a life outside of blogging where this would be perfect, like going out to dinner and on dates.
In many ways I am still a kid at heart (*cough* CTA Holiday train freakout *cough*) hence the bubblegum pink vintage Bottega Veneta pumps from Dethrose Vintage. Every outfit needs a little touch of the zany to make it fun!
All photos by Luis Torres of Chic Overload.
FCC Disclosure: The dress, sunglasses, and clutch were gifted to me by Tory Burch; the coat was gifted to me by Zara.
I adore this profound oddness of the dress. This is my first Junya Watanabe purchase so I was surprised at how difficult it was to actually put on the dress. Challenging traditional methods of garment construction is at the heart of the Comme Des Garcons spirit. The experience of wearing such a piece out in the real world of Chicago revealed to me just how subversive a piece like this can be, especially to American men. I wore it out to a nightclub (long story and subject of an upcoming post) and let’s just say they call fashion “man-repelling” for a reason. Although the upper half of my body is obscured by draped jersey in this dress, I was stared at as though I was walking around topless with bared breasts. I can imagine all these straight men were looking at me and thinking – “What the f*ck is she wearing?”
“Conceptual Japanese fashion, that’s what,” I thought as I imagined myself answering all these confused dudes staring at me. Granted, I stuck out like a sore thumb next to my gorgeous blonde best friend Maryhelen who donned my sexy Suno minidress for the evening. The idea of obscuring the silhouette of the human body, by adding fabric or lumps (as Watanabe’s mentor Rei Kawakubo is known to do), is perhaps the antithesis of Western fashion. Western designers usually seek to accentuate a woman’s shape even though they may too obscure it, as Prada’s bulky coats recently did in the Fall ’11 and Spring ’12 collections. Yet how is it that the absence of a defined shape, which requires the viewer search for the female form, can actually sexualize clothing?
Either you appreciate weird Japanese fashion or you don’t. And thank God for the existence of eDrop-Off so women around the world (like me) can obtain legendary runway pieces seasons after they were produced. Now, I just have to keep checking back for that Rodarte dress I had my eye on…
