Fashion's Night Out

It's day 6 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. In the NYFW post, I talked about Fashion's Night Out--a event in which retailers have special promotions and good food!

NYFW is 2,000 miles away, so I just went to the next best thing.

Last Thursday, I've had the privilege of attending FNO at the Beverly Center with two of my roommates and my friend Cheryl! Despite that traffic and the lack of parking, it was a terrific night! I had an AMAZING Strawberry Macaroon that they passed at BeBe's and a pretty nice cupcake from Guess. But I'll stop talking about food.

So here's roughly how the event panned out.

We arrived at about 6:30. There were so many people. I wouldn't complain about the spot we finally found, it was pretty close to the stage, but it was quite hard to see. Lucky Hale and Kendall Jenner, along with Lisa Love, came out and hosted the show. Lisa Love, the West Coast Editor of Vogue, our very own version of Anna Wintour introduced most of the designers, and then Lucy Hale talked a bit. Kendall, as stunning as she was, kind of just stood there. But look at Lisa and her Sun Glasses! LOL.

On to the Runway show!

Here's some of my favorite looks from the Designers :)

Max & Co.

I love this look because it combines my favorites: leather booties, a maxi skirt, and a hunter, fur-lined jacket.
It remind me of the Hunter style for the upcoming fall season.

      

Sorry, the picture quality is not the best. I was standing underneath a dark stage, and people were pushing me!

But here's another one of my favorite looks :) The Modern Military look is very cool, yet this look is chic at the same time! Max & Co had some great designers!

DIESEL

This model is absolutely beautiful! So the sweater dress looks great on her! And I've been wanting to get a sweater dress for a while, maybe I will!

Lacoste

These are some generic Lacoste outfits, but I really enjoy the fact that they are very elegant. They're simple yet elegant, and most of the outfits seemed like they could be worn for any ocation!

Lastly, my favorite, Bloomingdale's!

Blue Sequins
Sequins are a bit crazy for me, but seeing it on the model makes it so nice!

I love the blazer and the city worker gal look! :) It's a nice blazer, too!

I love the layering of this dress. Wow, I'm so into blue! haha.

Gold sequined dress.
This is such a unique and elegant gown. But the dress fits so great with the model's skin tone!

J. Lindeberg

A nice piece of eye candy. (:  Just wanted to share because I found it funny that almost every girl was screaming!

Here's a video of the final runway!

FNO Beverly Center, final runway from Joanne Zhu on Vimeo.

The highlight of my night was actually the post fashion meet and greet with Elle and Blair! They were doing a signing their new book, Beneath the Glitter, and I'm really excited to read it! I've been following the two sisters for a long time, Blair a bit longer. I was introduced to them by my friend Si Qi, and I'm really glad I got to know them because a lot of their tutorials are very useful!

 Elle and Blair + me at the book signing :)

signed book, WHADUP!

MAI BOOK!

So that's pretty much my entire night, did you feel like you were there?

XOXO.

Joanne

Coco Chanel: A True Inspiration

When it comes to girls picking their most inspirational designer, who wouldn't say Chanel?

Over the weekend, I was in the mood for some movies, and for some reason, I ended up watching Lifetime's version of "Co Co Chanel," which was released back in 2008. I'm so glad that I did! I actually learned a lot.

This movie really made me respect her not only as an artist, but even more as a woman. She came from a time when woman was strictly limited by "proper" social conventions. She didn't care for those limitations and went about her own ways. Most importantly, she was adamant about her own beliefs despite other's discouragements. She stayed true to herself, and maintained a DGAF attitude to the snooty, irrelevant criticisms. Somehow, Garbielle turned COCO just have the foresight of knowing what would be the best. Now look at her success now! With the signature double-C logo and the No 5 perfume, people would line up for hours just to buy her stuff. She built an empire, she established a brand, all while having a rather rough start, too! What I admire about her is her independence. She had a tenacity even when it comes to romance. Though she had a "love-of-her-life" she need no man *snap snap.* #girlpower

But in addition to the life lessons, I've got some fashion lessons from her as well!

I absolutely love Chanel quotes:

"You may have a date with destiny. That might be tonight, and you must be prepared to dress as pretty as possible."

That's something my mom had always repeated to me through out my life. And I completely agree! I guess my mom wasn't the only one who thought of it! Even though it's very superficial to think that if any opportunities--romance or career wise--do arise, one must be dressed nicely to welcome it. But they don't say "dress to impress" for nothing! For all you know, you could be running into the boss of your dream job on the street, and if you're dressed sloppily, they can automatically make a snap judgement, you wouldn't want that! so always be prepared!

"The poetry of fashion lies in the creation of illusion."

That cannot be more true! Even though she said that decades ago, it can still be applied today! For example, I am 5'8'', and if I want to maintain that tall illusion,  maxi dresses is my go-to solution.  Also, I don't have the straightest legs in the world. So to cover up this flaw, I try to wear things that falls below the knees, which looks a lot better than the shorter alternatives.

I even found a great example how popular fashion site, allwomenstalk, was able to pull together a few tricks to make shorter girls look taller! Those were all wonderful illusions!

"A woman can be overdressed but never over elegant."

Take Duchess Kate, for example, even though in the picture above, our beloved Kate is playing ping-pong and looking intense, I still think she looks pretty elegant. Why? She's a terrific dresser.

I think as duchess, she's already at he very top in terms of having elegance and social grace. Yet, whenever the world think she can't get any classier,  she probably can still amaze the world by pulling off something simple, but still looking classy and well, elegant! Here's one of my favorites:

This is a Jenny Packham teal dress our favorite princess wore to an Olympic gala. Her best accessory was simplicity and effortlessness.

However, drawing to the point Madame Chanel made, if one were to deliberately try to feign elegance with pearls, pastels, and tweed, or all kinds of accessories, without having consideration of the overall image, it might end up looking tacky and overdressed. There we have it, Chanel described a true and simple concept in a nut shell!

Lots of famous designers have the great potential to have as much influence as Chanel by creating breath-taking master pieces. But what distinguished Chanel from the rest of the fashion industry is her sharp wit, her tenacity, and an amazing talent.

Now that I've watched the movie, I have the urge to read the book as well!

I would definitely recommend this movie!

So what do you guys think of CoCo's beliefs or her life's accomplishments?! Please let  me know in the comment below. I'm very interested in hearing what you guys have to say :)

Xoxo,

Jo.

Cute accessories haul

Hey all!

Wednesdays are usually reserved for outfit posts. But today, I'm very caught up with packing because I will be moving into my school apartment, I've decided to do a haul instead.

I've recently went out and did some MAJOR shopping. Most of my finds are mainly accessories (including shoes). So with the pictures, it may seem like a LONNGGG post. But, please bear with me, it's mostly pictures! I promise! :)

Back in Tribal Love, I've spotted these cute oxfords with a tribal trim from zooshoo.com. It looked so great in the set, I could help but get my self a pair. But, I couldn't stop with just one, and I ended up totally splurging. I couldn't stop myself! Here's all the "shoos" I've bought.

I just pulled pictures from their site because their quality's a lot better. But I do plan on wearing them in future outfit posts! Stay tuned.

Trimmed Oxford Flats- $21

So these oxfords were one of the items used in the set in Tribal Love, I actually don't have any oxfords, and I'm really glad I got these to make up for my lack of oxfords! The tribal trim makes it really unique!

black oxfords- $21

So even though I just added a pair of taupe oxfords to the shopping cart, I am still suffering from oxfords deficiency. I figured I should throw in a pair of black ones so it would be easier to match. I originally set my eye own these cute oxfords with pink neon soles, but they didn't have my size. It's still comforting to know that I picked a pair of shoes that many others liked, too!

ballet flats- $19.90

These were also featured in another post, back to school essentials. I listened to Cassandra, and realized a cute pair of flats is an essential piece of the outfit! So another item added to the cart! My only consolation is that the price is very reasonable--I will end up getting a essential pair of flats, without totally splurging!

Navy Flats, $23

 How long have we been obsessing over the sailor/nautical trend? I really love these because of the color. And I like how I can wear it casually to school as well.

That's all the shoes I've bought! Not THAT bad right?

 Onto jewelry!

So like I mentioned in back to school essentials, there are cute accessories everywhere, but the RIGHT accessory is so hard to find. Like the peacock feathered necklace that I really wanted. Fortunately, I was able to find a just-as-cute replacement:

Forever 21 Necklace, $5.80

So you know what they say, can't a peacock? Settle for owls! Ok, they don't say that! But I really like this piece of accessory is because it has very unique colors, which widens my options for pairing it with different outfits. I'm really glad I found this necklace while I was standing in line!

Claire's Owl Ring, $6.50

I think I may have deformed fingers, but it's VERY hard to find a ring that fits. Sure, there are elastic ones, but they always cut off my circulation. Since this fits nicely, and it would go great with my necklace, I couldn't resist. Hate to admit it, but I actually have very little will power when it comes to cute things, clothes, shoes, accessories!

Earrings: Claire's Star cuff, heart cuff, star and moon cuff, $7.50 each, buy 2 get 1 free

I was actually in Claire's looking for other accessories when I came across these. I thought they were really unique, plus they were buy 2 get 1 free. My favorite is actually the star and the moon. It reminds me of the dreamy night time sky. AND it's very unique.

leather bracelets from Cotton On, $3.50 each set

I've been looking for leather bracelets for a while as well. I really like the colors of the bracelets on the right. Together, they really complement each other. But the set on the left has a traditional vibe to it. I really like the heart shaped peace charm as well. Plus I get to donate to charity with these bracelets as well. I'm all for good causes :)

BAG!

envelope bag, $29

You guessed it right! I've been searching for envelope bags all summer. I came across a couple, but I'm glad I got this one because I like the color blocking and it allows me to pair it with different color schemes. Plus, the snake-skin pattern give it a bit of an edge.

HAT :)

"Style for less" sun hat, $6.60

Here in LA, where the sun shines almost everyday of the year, it's important to get sun protection. Having a big hat is an effective way to block out the harmful UV ways. I purposefully got the plainest one so that I could put embellishments according to the outfit I'm wearing. I can't wait to try these on with my Maxi-dresses.

So that was all the accessories I've got during these past weeks. Thanks for reading! Stay tuned as I feature these cute accessories in future outfit posts!

Until Friday,

XOXO. Joanne.

Back to School Essentials

I've been following Diamondsandheels14 for a while now. I find her health-related/skin/beauty videos very helpful. But, since she uploaded this back-to-school video, I feel like it's relevant considering school is starting soon. I for one cannot wait to get back to school, catching up with friends after the long summer, and most importantly, FOOTBALL SEASON! Even though I've been shopping and stuffing my closet to get ready for going back to school, I find this video very helpful. I like her suggestions because most of the stuff she suggested were very simple, yet they still have the potential to be nice, eye-catching outfits. Sometimes, I feel less comfortable wearing a flashy outfit to class because that's an environment for learning, and wearing something attention-grabbing may drive the focus away from the learning. Of course, that's just my opinion. Still, I'm really appreciative of her suggestions for the basics. I think for me, I plan on trying to go for the basic looks for a few days of the school week, and for the rest, I would go for something more unique and shows my personality. It's a win-win compromise :)

Here are the things listed in the video:
Basic loose T's
Cassandra (the guru) recommended stylemint T's.
But I think it would be just as easy to find more affordable basic T's from Forever21, Wet Seal, Cotton On, or other stores you go to regularly at the mall.
But there's one thing she mentioned that I couldn't agree more, make sure it's comfortable!

Flats
Ahh shoes! The piece of accessory I couldn't get enough of! In a basic outfit, a cute pair of flats really adds a bit of femininity.

I recently got a pair of ballet flats. And I love it! The neutral blush color is easy to match, and it's a very reasonable price!

Fun Accessories
I love playing with all kinds of accessories. Like in raspberry swirl, the scarf really changes up the originally basic outfit.

Over the summer, while I was shopping in Shanghai, I came across this GORGEOUS peacock feather necklace. I wasn't feeling it at the moment, but looking back, I SO regret not getting them. It's a total dont-you-hate-it-when-that-happens-moment.

But this is the closest one to the one I liked

However, I won't give up! The search for cute accessories continues!

Perfect Fitting JeansOk, that's sort of a given. But the options are still wide open!
A lot of retailers American Eagle, Holister, Aeropostale, and many others have been having jeans promotions. I think it may have something to do with back to school.

But of all the brands, one of my favorites is still AE jeans. Their marketing team must be happy to hear this. They'be been going all out with jeans promotion. With the contests, celebrity endorcements, yesterday, they even had a commercial on TV. But I've got it hand it to AE, they're the experts when it comes to jeans. I own two AE jeans, and they both have really nice fitting--certainly better than the other brands. Plus, there's lots of options, even within each "cuts." Most importantly, their jeans are very reasonably priced.

Last, but not least! Cardigan(s)!
Sure it's still summer, and it's still unbelievably hot (in LA at least). But I remember how the school AC was so cold, I got sick. So! Having a matching cardigan may be the cherry on the sundae, it may potentially save you from a cold!

Aside from these five wonderful suggestions, I may have some suggestions of my own!
Sleeveless Button-Up

I'm absolutely loving sleeveless blouses. The fact that it is a blouse makes it school appropriate. The sleeveless gives it a bit of an edge. And with a high low skirt, or a pair of shorts, it makes the perfect chic look.

SCARVES
I love scarves. If a cardigan is too hot, a nice thin scarf would provide the warmth AND puts the cherry on top.

So, with all these suggestions, I have all the more reasons for being excited to go back to school ♥

xoxo,

excited for school.