February was my fourth season attending NYFW, something that I used to only wish I could experience. What’s the lesson here? DO WHAT YOU WANT. Just go out there and take it. I’m not waiting to be invited to anything. I flew to NYC alone, dressed up, showed up, and it was incredible.

2019 Styles

Red is very in right now. The Pantone 2019 Color of the Year is “Living Coral”, which is an orangey red, but there were reds of all shades on the runway and the streets. I dig it. Other trending colors: lavender (yes, still), marigold, pistachio, winter white.

This season featured the most wearable looks I’ve seen so far. So much great tailoring, power suits, layering, bold prints, feminine prints, and more fur (of course, I love that). Less avant-garde than one would expect from NYFW runways. Yet, I couldn’t help but notice many guests trying SO HARD to come across as avant-garde, street-fashion was an explosion of athleisure, and neon colors. I have to shake my head. I do realize that I’m the minority here.

On Sunday, I had the honor of attending the Rebecca Minkoff runway show. She showcased her Spring/Summer collection, instead of showing looks for this coming Fall/Winter, as is traditionally done at February shows. Mixing many different fabrics and creating a lot of layers with feminine, yet bold prints. Hot white, electric blue, red, every finish of black, and bold patterns. Belts also played a big role in this collection. Belts are very much a highlight in fashion right now and are being paired with everything. Belt loops are no longer needed and honestly, pants are the most unlikely pairing.

Rebecca Minkoff SS19 Runway Show – February 10, 2019 – Spring Studios, NY, NY

A Nod to the Disco Era

Naeem Khan presented a runway show featuring ’60s/’70s inspired looks with an array of mixed textures including velvet, floral embroidery, sequins, and ruffles. I wrote a blog post specifically about mixing textures here.

Michael Kors also embraced the ’70s decade, complete with disco balls and Barry Manilow in sequins, singing Copacabana on the runway.

“I think this collection is very much my love letter to the melting pot of New York City. There’s a lot of dance influences for the disco dollies, ballerinas, ball room dancers, or the modern dancer, there’s movement!” – Michael Kors (taken from an interview with @margoandme, of Neiman Marcus)

Michael Kors FW19 – NYFW- February 2019

Neon Hues

Neon Colors – not my cup of tea, but I’d be remiss not to mention the overwhelming array of neon hues that covered the streets of Tribeca. Christian Cowan‘s collection embodied this trend.

Christian Cowan FW19 – NYFW – February 2019

Monochromatic Palettes

Monochromatic palettes were all over fashion week. Phillip Lim showed simple palettes of grey, white, or black with clean straight lines. Brandon Maxwell‘s show (no, I was not fortunate enough to attend in person, but did watch it live online) was probably my favorite. His collection boasted mostly solids, black and white with a few pops of pink, green and blue.

Brandon Maxwell FW19 NYFW

Cushnie presented a series of monochromatic looks in (surprise, surprise) lavender, black, red, etc.

HELLO, Ralph Lauren. You are speaking my language. This collection was made entirely of a white, black, and bold gold metallic color palette. I guess he has the monochromatic thing going but this is a FAR CRY from the majority right now. You won’t see chunky sneakers, neon hues or mismatched patterns on his runway. {insert Wayne & Garth screaming “WE’RE NOT WORTHY!”}

Also trending, or should I say finally inclusive, Plus Size. Gracing the runways of some of the industries top talent, including Christian Siriano, 11 Honore, and Rebecca Minkoff. Fashion is now available (and being celebrated) for women of all sizes. Cheers to that.

Photos (of me) by Viva Lux Photography

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Located in Glenwood Park neighborhood on the east side of Atlanta, The Shed at Glenwood aims to be the go-to neighborhood spot for upscale dining with a “Cheers” feel. Locally sourced ingredients (seasonal menus of course), and an extensive wine selection, along with spirits make The Shed a favorite for brunch and dinner of many East- Atliens. And they have wine on tap… I’m sold.

So what’s going on now at The Shed? During the month of March, Executive Chef Quintles Swain is featuring a different international cuisine with a wine or beer pairing each Saturday – this past Saturday I enjoyed a dinner inspired by the foods of Italy – An Osso Buco with cal rose rice, tomato coulis, and beef jus.

This coming Saturday, March 16th, he will feature tastes of Spain with Trout and Salmorejo, paired with Rivarey Rioja Blanco, and then, France for Coq au vin paired with Two Birds Carignan wine on March 23rd. And finally, an American spring and summer staple, Black Cod and Romesco, paired with Zaca Mesa Viognier wine out of sunny Santa Barbara, California on Saturday, March 30th.   

Mikey had the burger (no surprise there). He’s on a mission to rate every one in the city. I shake my head at his selection when up against items like Osso Buco or filet mignon, but this one was well worth the visit. Their burger is topped with bacon jam, smoked gouda, lettuce, onion on a brioche bun. You can view the rest of the menu here, which is scheduled to change in 2 weeks. Don’t worry, the burger is a staple.

Desserts: In addition to classic dishes like apple turnovers and pound cake, their signature dessert is the Ding Dong. You read that right, it’s their take on every kid’s gas station favorite, a thick, rich chocolate cake with vanilla cream center. Damn.

I would be remiss not to mention that they offer bottomless mimosas on Sundays and an amazing selection of $20 bottles of wine. As if you needed another reason to head there now…

What Atlanta neighborhood are you interested in next? Comment below and I’ll share another favorite.

This post was sponsored by Caren West PR and The Shed at Glenwood… as always, all opinions are my own.

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More is More. If you know me at all, this should not surprise you. I go hard on details, and New York Fashion Week brings out my most extreme self, as you can see here – I’m mixing all the textures. With the temperatures in the twenties and anticipated bone-chilling winds, I knew I had to figure out how to dress for fashion week but not freeze to death (note: anything under 60 degrees is unacceptable, only exception being NYC).

The answer: Layers and of course, FUR. The goal is cover as much of my body as possible, keep my feet warm, but still make a statement. I wore a black tulle and lace skirt, a gold sequin long sleeve top, a black and brown striped faux fur coat, black tights, and cognac leather boots (by Zimmerman, no longer available). Every material and texture that I could tie into one look. This color palette is my absolute favorite, which makes mixing so many different materials okay without looking crazy.

IMHO, you do not have to choose a singular style to base your wardrobe or personal look on, put anything on your body that you love. These short Zimmerman boots are no doubt leaning toward the oh so popular western trends that blew up last year and are here to stay for a least a few seasons I think (wanna see more? Follow Coachella goers on IG this April). Yet, I wear them with anything from skinny jeans to a tutu. Do your own thing, and never doubt your creativity. Someone doesn’t like it? They can unfollow 🙂

Mixing textures: How do you wear things like silk, sequins, leather, fur, metal, all at once without looking like a hot mess? Try to stick within the same color family. With that in mind, distressed denim is an easy way to start… pair some shredded skinny jeans with a delicate lace top, velvet jacket, and sleek patent leather heels. Boom… four textures that give an “everyday outfit” (jeans, top, shoes, jacket) a little extra oomph, in an obvious way because there are FOUR textures, not just maybe two. It makes it more obvious. Another tip: look for repeating patterns in different textures. I chose this skirt before I added the coat to this look. Why? Notice the vertical stripes in the coat and the vertical seams in the tulle and lace. It carries the eye from top to bottom and although many may do a double take if I were wearing this around Atlanta (which is nothing new to me), it just works.

I’ve linked similar items to what I’m wearing below (scroll to the bottom, past the images). Below my outfit, I’ve linked items that I think would look great together if you’re ready to make the (bold) move, or just take a peek for inspiration. Stay tuned for less about my outfits, more about trends that I saw, on the street and on runway, at NYFW FW 2019.

Photography by: Viva Lux Photography

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