Veer NYC: NYFW Launch

Veer NYC:

Fall 2013 Launch

One thing I've always had an issue with in fashion, is the hypocritical and contradicting fact that we are told to follow fashion to be 'on trend'; but at the same time, told to find our own style and have some individuality. I've personally never had an issue telling someone that I'm not fond of a particular trend and if I don't like a top designers collection, I'll come out and say it. But there are people out there who find it difficult to fit in, or assume that it would be easier for them if they just wore the same as everybody else to be accepted and that's more than a little saddening. 

Occasionally you will come across a new brand or personality and they will endorse individuality until they are blue in the face, but there's something about their product that just screams deja vu. I've really only seen one other brand who fully endorse both a personality and individuality when their product is worn and subsequently, just like the brand I am about to introduce you to, they are also NYC based. Can you see why NYFW is my favourite of the four yet?

Androgyny and menswear-inspired designs have been filtering through various designer collections and street style blogs for a while, but more so since Fashion Week in February of this year. Designers such as Ziad Ghanem, Gareth Pugh and even Victoria Beckham each showed collections showing their female models wearing menswear looks and vice versa. What's missing though, is the more mainstream and accessible brands basing their entire being around androgyny, but that is where Veer NYC comes in to play.

Veer NYC are the "online fashion home for women who carve their own path" - and with a strap line like that, how can you not be intrigued by what they have to offer? After a sold out show In SoHo in March of this year and building a potential client base of around 4,000 people, Veer NYC have found their feet and will be launching their Fall 2013 collection in coordination with NYFW on September 5th. A bold and brilliant decision in my opinion. The forthcoming e-commerce launch will be on the brands website at www.veernyc.com, which is also where you can view the full Fall 2013 LookBook.

"The brand prides itself on being more than a fashion brand; Veer NYC represents a culture and destination for women who take risks, define their own journeys, and aren't afraid to make fashion work for themselves."

So I bet you're wondering what sort of looks you can expect from the brand? Well, it will be nothing short of cool, enviable and effortless. Three things that every man or woman interested in fashion, wants to portray in their looks. Just have a look at some images from their Fall 2013 LookBook. Aside from loving every single piece that I've seen so far, I'm a particular fan of the exposed zip jeans and leather/jersey mix sweater. Oh, and how the models have some tattoos to show as well. 

 

 

 

Mini Haul: Zara

Mini Haul:

Haven't done a post like this in a while, so I thought I'd share some of my recent purchases this week!

My sister and I decided to take a little trip into The Glasgow Fort (an outdoor shopping centre), initially just to buy some last minute things for the impending arrival of her new baby; As if this would ever just work out this way. I'm a shopaholic and I know it.

After trying on a variety of skinny jeans, leather leggings, jumpers, tshirts and a jumpsuit for good measure, I decided on the top two items. The jumper was in the sale and I just loved how casual and slouchy it felt with the jeans, so I had to get it. The jeans are insanely comfortable - no, really. The denim is really soft, moveable and looks even better now that i've added some rips and distressed marks around the knees. Well, you've got to add a little bit of DIY to make something your own, haven't you? The jeans were £25.99 and the jumper was only £9. I couldn't find the exact one online for the post, but the one featured in the image below is basically the same thing. 

Now, I did say that I tried on a jumpsuit for the sake of it and although I didn't go ahead and buy it, I took a photo just so that I could think about it some more later on. After much deliberation (who am I kidding? It only took me about 10 seconds), I decided to just go ahead and buy it online. It's £39.99, had an elasticated waist which can be positioned higher or lower on the body, depending on the kind of look you're going for. I have a thing for low cut neck lines at the minute, so that was another reason that I loved this little black number. I would say though, that if you spot this jumpsuit on the Zara website, it looks nowhere near as good as it does when you try it on. The image on the website does nothing for me and if I hadn't already seen it in store, I probably would have just scrolled past it and not given it a second thought!

Photo Credit: First image is a collection of images from www.zara.com - last image is my own.

Pick of The Day; ASOS Wrap Skirt

Slowly but surely, the wrap skirt (in a variety of colours; from white to neon brights) has evolved as a major trend for 2013 - mainly from style bloggers. We all know what a typical wrap skirt looks like, but  what makes this particular one different is its angular cut and fresh new take on the shape - It reminds me of a Celine design actually. After waiting to decide if it was a trend that I wanted in on, I came across this lime version at ASOS and immediately decided that I wanted it. There was no doubt about it. Rather than just show you the skirt and be done with it, I thought I would style it on Polyvore and show you exactly how I would wear it. 

The skirt itself is only £36 and comes in either lime or cobalt. Both colours are stunning, but there's something about this neon version that gets me lusting after it more than the other. You could easily dress this skirt up for a smarter occasion but being such a laid back person, I thought a simple graphic tank, chained waist belt, neon clutch, simple bracelet and some heeled pointed shoes from Zara would look just as good. I pretty much wear my black Zara heels with everything anyway, so this outfit was going to be no exception - best £35 I've ever spent if I'm honest. 

If you want to get this skirt or it's cobalt sister, then you can click here.

For any of the other items on this set, you can find them on my Polyvore profile here.

What are your thoughts on this trend? Have you adopted it?

Lunch Date: Ninety Nine Newcastle

Let's Do Lunch:

Ninety Nine, Newcastle

I think the only time I've written a blog post that wasn't exactly fashion related, was when I started my sleeve tattoo just after the New Year hit. I can't say that I've ever felt the urge to write about other topics really, but after my little lunch date with the best friend yesterday, it's simply a must do.

I had heard about a little cafe-type eatery called Ninety Nine just off Monument (Grey Street to be exact) in Newcastle earlier in the week and after some Googling and reading reviews, thought it would be a nice idea if my friend and I had lunch there before she went off on holiday on Monday. This, as it happens, turns out to be the best idea I've ever had (well, nearly) and is looking to be a place that we'll want to visit at least once a week from now on.

The place is relatively small as they promoted themselves as 'Gourmet Fast Food'. You walk in and are immediately greeted by the nicest chef I've ever met. I'm not just saying this. He was all smiles and knew everything that there was to know about the product he was offering. He explained all of the meal deals without us having to ask and had me certain on the fact that I was getting the (handmade) beef burger with sweet potato fries and (homemade) lemonade - the lemonade is an extra 50p, but believe me, in this heat we've been getting, it was worth every penny. Sophie decided on the tortellini and couldn't help herself when she saw the sweet potato fries on my order and got those alongside hers as well. Well, it would have been rude not to really.

My burger came with sweet jalapeño pepper relish (absolutely amazing by the way), salad, mayo and cheddar cheese, but you could add bacon and other things if you wanted to as well. The sweet potato fries were hand cut and cooked with some chilli which enhanced the flavour and really went well with the relish in the burger. Oh and the burger bun - fresh from a local bakery that day. Perfection.

Unfortunately I didn't get the chance to taste Sophie's pasta dish, but judging from her facial expressions -  and the rate in which she devoured the whole thing - I'd be willing to put a bet on it tasting pretty damn good.

In terms of pricing, you won't pay any more than £6 for something, but to be honest, I'd be willing to pay whatever they asked for. Like I said earlier, I've never felt the urge to write about anything other than fashion at Vita di Moda, but I just had to make an exception for Ninety Nine. The only thing that could make them better? If they delivered..

Follow them on Facebook or Twitter and take a look at their photo's and comments from other customers - you'll see why I love it so much.

Photo Credit: First two images were from Ninety Nine's Twitter account & the last image was taken by myself.

Summer Swimwear: Minimale Animale

MINIMALE ANIMALE.

As much as this pains me to write, unfortunately this year, I haven't had the pleasure of going shopping for that perfect bikini or one piece. This is first Summer since the year I was born (literally, no exaggeration in that statement) that I haven't had a holiday abroad somewhere. Last year I went on three trips for crying out loud, so to be in the UK for a British Summer is slightly depressing. I will admit that this amazing heat wave we've been having has eased my pain - but only a little.

Having said that, my lovely mamma went on a two week holiday to Aruba with her now fiancé (he proposed whilst they were away) and loved it that much, has now said that she is thinking of booking up again for next year and we can all go and stay in a villa. As if this wasn't already exciting enough, my little niece or nephew (& godchild) will be with us in October of this year, so will also be accompanying us in Aruba next year. Happy days! 

Anyway! What has all of this back story got to do with the post? Well, it got me thinking of swimwear for the beach - Aruba has thee best beaches I have ever seen, so it's only fitting that you have a banging one or two piece to stroll around in. I know it's early days, but I couldn't help myself. This little piece of research then lead me to finding the relatively new brand Minimale Animale. 

I had typed in 'swimwear 2013' and no more than 3 seconds later, found this link taking me to the MBFW 2014 Swimwear designer bio page for the brand. For starters, they're from California, so it was almost a given that I would love them. Secondly, I just loved how edgy and different the cuts and shapes were for the swimwear and immediately wanted to see more from them. You'll probably be aware of the brand if you've watched some music videos from the likes of Iggy Azalea; you know the palm tree body suit she wore in the video for Work? Yeah, that one.

The four pieces you see in the frame above, were taken from the Minimale Animale Shop page on their website, as I wanted to show you exactly which pieces I would be sporting - you know, if I had $250 going spare to spend on a bikini. The best thing about the collections (and main reason I love them) is that they're sporty and slightly tomboy-ish. They're sexy, but not in a Victoria's Secret kind of way. They're definitely suited to women who are comfortable enough in their own skin, are confident and 100% know how enjoy themselves.

Like what's on offer for Summer this year? Then you had best check out the collection for next Summer..

Photo Credit: Found via Minimale Animale webite & edited on Polyvore. Top image found here.

For Love & Lemons - Fall 2013 Campaign

For Love & Lemons:

This is the second Fall 2013 campaign shoot that I've seen lately and felt the absolute need to blog about ASAP. The other was DKNY; it was cool and very NYC (my favourite Fashion capital), but with For Love & Lemons, let's just say that it's the dark, vampiric and slightly 'Adams Family' feel that I get when I look at the images. What can I say? I'll forever be attracted to anything that is remotely scary, dark or verging on Hallowe'en-y. #soznotsoz

**(From the brands website)

The L.A based brand has given us a series of skirts, tops, floral printed focal points and thigh-high slit dresses to parade around in this Fall. The lack of fabric around the legs however, is, I suppose, a great feature if you live on the West coast of America and don't really get the same weather as the arctic circle. I guess we could just add a little hosiery and heeled boots to accommodate the looks to our own weather here in the UK though. Not too difficult. Velvet, lace and other deliciously demonic fabrics have been the go to choice in the collection as well.

What I really love about the collection - in the campaign images anyway - is the styling and lots of high neck ties featuring in some of the looks. It's a little costume-ish and dramatic, but that's a great thing. The Fall/Winter months are dull enough as it is, we should at least be able to entertain ourselves through our oufits choices, no? If I had to choose a look to be my absolute favourite, I think it would have to be the slightly off-set white, floral printed dress with Victorian style choker necklace. 

What do you think of the Fall 2013 campaign? Could you see yourself wearing any of the looks?

Photo Credit: Nylon Mag