Project Runway: TCU Style

Its happened everyone...the first skirt has been made from pattern pieces. I don't know how I finished on time or even put it all together, but it is done and in my eyes, perfect! I had to make a skirt for my Apparel Construction class at TCU for our last major project this semester. And I got an A! Woohoo! Starting the project was a bit overwhelming at first, but looking at it now it was so much fun and interesting to see how pieces of fabric come out to be a well constructed garment. My skirt has gathers at the top to control the fullness, a rolled hem at the bottom (which was made very difficult by the way), and an exposed silver, metal zipper in the back. The underlay of the skirt is made with 100% viscose fabric, and the outer layer is 100% polyester chiffon. If you are interested and ready for the challenge, I would highly encourage y'all to go out there and make one for yourself. It's so much fun!! 

XOXO, Kaygan

(Front)

 (Back)

Trend Alert: Pretty Patches

Our must-have items on our Christmas wish list this year are sweaters and cardigans with elbow patch detailing. Whether it be sequins, leather, metallic or fun shapes, patchwork on the elbows adds that extra detail that will make your top stand out from the rest. With this new trend you can be cozy and chic all at once. And now that the holiday break is upon us, you can use your free time to try a DIY project and create a one-of-a-kind piece yourself. Check out the second image below...how awesome!

Maison Scotch sweater (see more long sleeve tops)

DIY

The BIG 2-0!!!!!

Happy birthday to my amazingggggg little sis and other half, Kaygan!!!! Can't believe she is 20 years old today...man time flies!! I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you, Kegs. What you have done and what you are doing is paving the way for the incredible future ahead of you. You are not only my little sister and best friend, but you are my inspiration and drive that keeps me going. We're one year closer to making our dreams a reality, and I can not wait to keep experiencing every step of this journey with you. I love you SOOOOOO much and miss you like crazy!!!!! ROAST TO THE TOAST!!!!

Xoxo
Kailey

The Biker Boot

Alright fellow boot lovers, one of the hottest boots of the season is the grunge, rocker boot. I know, I die. I already grabbed two pairs myself and am on the hunt for another. Steve Madden has hit the mark with these bad boys and come out with some AMAZING styles that work with multiple looks for differnt occasions. My suggestion would be to pair these comfy, edgy shoes with some skinnies, a loose, long tank and a baggy sweater for the Fall. Down here in Fort Worth, Texas, it still feels like Summer, so luckily these boots are light enough to wear even when the temps don't resemble fall just yet. So go get yourself a pair and rock those biker boots!  

Xo,

Kaygan 

ZARA 

Steve Madden $149.95

Madden Girl $69.95

"Pin"tastic Pins

We have been pinning up a storm lately and wanted to share some of the awesome pins we've come across lately.
Follow us here and happy pinning!

Leather and sequins 

Ellie Saab Fall

Loving this look 

Louis Vuitton S/S 13 

Gwen rockin' the stealth 

Embellished leather J...NEED this!

Great fall look

Runway drama 

Extreme embellishment 

NYFW S/S '13

So may I just say that this past week has been absolutely AMAZEEE! Still trying to wrap my head around all of my experiences being involved with and just being here in the middle of New York Fashion Week. Let me give y’all a quick re-cap of the highlights:

Ok so the week started off with me and Gen(my awesome roomie) hustlin’ and bustlin’ after work on Thursday to make our way down to SoHo to celebrate Fashion’s Night Out. And oh my goodness y’all, I mean I knew it would be busy (this is NYC people), but I had NO IDEA!! The streets were jammed pack with fashionistas from all walks of life wanting to take part in this fashion celebration. And although we could barley shuffle our way through everyone, it was so exciting seeing all these people who share the same passion as me and Kaygan! You could just feel the energy and anticipation for what lied ahead in the upcoming week.

But as awesome as it was people watching and trying to sneak a peek at all the stores and events, I was on a mission. Word on the street (aka all my social media sites) was that my idol, the one and only Rachel Zoe, was going to make an appearance at the grand opening of the Piperlime store. Well that meant that NOTHING was going to stop me from getting over there, including the massive cramp in my right foot from my new Nine West fringe platform booties that I just had to bust out for the night’s festivities. At least they're broken in now;) So we finally made our way through the crowd and arrived at what seemed like the line for a SixFlags theme park ride. Yeah, that was not going to work. So me and Gen managed to score the best seats in the freaking house with a direct view of where RZ would arrive. After about an hour or so of standing our ground, getting snapped by some fashion street style paparazzo(pretty cool), and having our camera aimed and ready, Zoe arrived looking fabulous as ever with Roger and Joey by her side. She was in this amazing navy, long-sleeved jumper. What happened next is all one big blur. All I know is that I was mere inches from my idol (we made eye contact) and it was such an awesome experience it's hard for me to put into words. 

Me in front of Piperlime 

The fab RZ 

On Saturday I worked with a production company at the Porsche Design fashion show held at Jack Studios. I helped prep the stage, organize the event, and was backstage lining up and making sure the models were ready to walk out when it was their turn. It was awesome to be backstage in the middle of the madness and to get a first hand experience at what it's like to produce a fashion show. The show was a great success, and I gained tons of valuable experience. 

Backstage after the show with some of the models

The next day I had an editorial photo shoot for the Spring 2013 collection of the clothing line I work for, Doucette*. It took place on the head designer's rooftop, which had the most beautiful views of the city. We had a great day of shooting and captured a lot of fabulous shots. You can check out our Facebook page to see some behind the scenes pics. Make sure to visit the website to see all the editorial shots that will be up soon. So fab!

Sorry for getting a little long-winded again. There is just so much I want to share with y'all! It was such an amazing week full of valuable experiences. I'll leave y'all with some of my fave looks from NYFW S/S '13, and you can check out our Pinterest to see all of our favorite images from the week. Hope everyone enjoyed their fashion week! 

xo

Kailey 

Oscar de la Renta...died. 

Love the messy fishtails at Tory Burch 

Bravo Jason Wu

Monique Lhuillier bringing the glitz 

Summer in the City

I want to first apologize for lack of posts from me and Kaygan recently. The past few weeks have been insanely busy for us, but oh so exciting.

I'll do my best to paint the best picture for y'all about my Summer in the City, but honestly there have been so many "You just had to be there" moments.

So I'll start where I left off. I finished up my internship with the online boutique, and started the hunt for a job. And man oh man, was that a stressful process. I sent my resume out to multiple companies and job listings everyday, and I went on numerous interviews a week. After a lot of praying and relentless searching, I managed to land a full-time job at an amazing advertising/branding firm. The people I work with are awesome and the company is so impressive to me, being that I majored in advertising at the University of Florida. I am so excited to see how I can grow within this company. And the best part about it is that it allows me to live in NYC and continue to chase my fashion dreams. I am still currently the Sales/Marketing Director for the high-end clothing line, Doucette*. Yes, my days (and most nights) are jammed packed, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The fact that I am now officially living in the Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of is still hard to wrap my head around. I have dreamed about this moment for a long time, and I am so grateful for all the support from my amazing family and friends that have helped me get to where I am.

So this leads me to my next topic, the apartment search. Ohhhhh y'all I wish someone would have been video taping me and my roommate during this quest because just writing about it doesn't do it nearly enough justice.
Going off on a quick tangent, I want to give y'all a little bio of my amazing roommate, Genny. All I can say is thank goodness I have Gen. We both knew of each other through NCAA gymnastics, but we had never met before. One of our mutual friends put us in touch with each other at the beginning of the summer because we were both looking for someone to room with in NYC. Gen came to the city for a graphic design internship. Midway through the summer, she landed a graphic design job at an amazing digital lifestyle publication. She loves what she gets to do and really enjoys the people she works with everyday. Gen is one of the sweetest and most genuine people I have ever met, and to have her with me on this journey has been such a blessing.
Ok back to the search. So here we are, two girls fresh out of college on a tight budget, attempting to find their very first apartment in New York City none the less. We spent hours upon hours researching online and calling countless brokers(which we later learned there's a way around those sneaky suckers) in hopes we would stumble upon anything that would suffice. Not knowing all the different areas of NYC was both a negative and a positive. Yes, we had to go galavanting around town in order to see which areas we liked best, but at the same time, we experienced so much and became what we like to call "subway pros". But I have to give credit to Mr. Blue Dot, aka the iPhone map app. Without our trusty blue dot moving with us and showing us the way to our next destination, there is NO way we would have managed. After a lot of disappointing finds and "dramatic situations"(that's my and Gen's most used line to describe our recent events), we stumbled upon our little piece of Heaven! There she was, our converted studio apartment placed on the 17th floor over-looking the whole Hudson River. As soon as her door opened, we knew this was it. She was PERFECT. Don't ask me why we talk about our apartment like it's human, but we do. And we are so proud she is all ours! As I'm writing this, I am sitting on our couch looking out over the river and the city...and I can't stop smiling:) We are so happy and excited for what the future and NYC holds for us!

I could go on and on in attempts to explain everything that I have been through this past summer while being here in the Big Apple. I have experienced so much, and as stressful as some times have been, I am having the time of my life.

I'll leave y'all with some very exciting news...I will be working Fashion Week in T-3 DAYSSSSS! So make sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram(@kaileytissue) to get some behind the scenes updates and pics from the BEST WEEK OF THE YEAR. Ahhhh I can't believe I'm going to be right in the middle of it!!! I'll do my best to keep y'all updated:)

xo
Kailey

"Subway Pros"

One of the perks of working on 5th Ave...I get to see this beauty everyday:)

Moving day! Somehow managed to get all this in 2 cabs...

The view from our apartment. Amazing!

Yeah we might be graduated, but we still celebrate Gameday! SEC football baby:) 

Young, Stylish & Chic

Ok y'all, so we came across THE most adorable, vintage-inspired children's handmade clothing line on Etsy, Fleur + dot! We just had to share some of the absolutely precious pics of the oh-so fashionable little ones. High-waisted shorts, infinity hair scarfs, chic up-do's...Aren't they the cutest things in the world?!

Check out our collection on Pinterest, "Young, Stylish & Chic", to see many more adorable fashionistas! 

Trend Alert: Fall Fashion Preview

With the recent release of all the fashion magazine's September issues, we can't help but be inspired to start planning out our fall wardrobe. Fall fashion has always been our favorite, and we are especially excited for this season's cooler weather must-haves. Here are some of the top Fall 2012 trends that we predict will be major hits this upcoming season:

Jewel Tones
Rich hues such as emerald, amethyst, oxblood and sapphire are sure to bring added depth to your fall looks. An easy way to add this hue into your wardrobe is through jewel tone skinnies or trousers. Zara and H&M have a plethora of colors and styles to choose from (we recently scored a pair of amaze oxblood, shiny skinnies from H&M...in love).

Leather Lovers

One of the most popular, and hottest, fabrics to rock during the colder months is leather. From leather detailed leggings to laminated leather outerwear and dresses, this edgy fabric is an absolute must-have for your fall wardrobe. And with it's versatility and wide array of uses, you can add as much or as little to your look and still exude tough luxury. 

Vision in Velvet

The 90s child inside us is secretly jumping for joy with the return of velvet for the fall. Ease yourself into this trend by just wearing a velvet maxi skirt, some wide-legged velvet trousers or a crushed velvet dress over some ombre tights. But if you really want to make a statement, go on and rock a full-out velvet suit that will be sure to cause some serious double-takes!

Texture, Structure, Embellishments...Oh My!

One of our favorite trends for fall is the overall structure, decadence and interesting texture of the clothing. Not sure what it is, but we love us a stiff and structured piece. Assertive shapes, opulent beading and sparkling embellishments are what make this upcoming season's fashion so exciting for us.

Boots with the...socks??

And of course, a fall wardrobe is never complete without a killer pair of boots. Platform, riding, booties or thigh-highs, we don't think there has ever been a pair of boots we've come across that we haven't liked...must be a Texas thing;) But this season the fashion world is adding a little twist. To add extra warmth and some texture to your look, try pairing tall socks with your boots. This trend is an instant way to look effortlessly chic. How fun!

All of these images can be found on our Pinterest page. And make sure to follow our Trend Alert: Fall 2012 collection to stay up-to-date with all the Fall 2012 fashion trends!