{ south by south W }

as i mentioned HERE, i'm currently in austin, texas for sxsw. knowing that this is my hometown, my friends from the w hotels asked if i'd like to host a brunch here for some of the city's style cognoscenti (including my dear friend marie ely, who sweetly agreed to appear with me in this post). of course i said yes!!

this get-together kicked off the w's own three-day music series, and also paid tribute to their global glam collection (which is curated by fashion director amanda ross, and sold exclusively in the hotel's boutiques). i love getting to work with the w hotel team, as we share the same passions for luxurious interior design, great food, fashion, and travel! and i believe their brand-new austin outpost may just be their coolest location yet.

austin's idiosyncratic style has had such an influence on my own aesthetic, and it means a lot to me to be able to come back here and do even a little bit to support its ever-expanding fashion scene. the brunch we held was delicious, delightful, and attended by the best local fashion bloggers, magazine editors, and two of the w's global glam designers, shaesby scott and catherine nicole.

as soon as we finished our feast, the group decamped to the jaw-dropping pool area to sip on champagne and snack on strawberries ~ which is when marie and i snuck off into a cabana and launched this impromptu photo shoot!

{ marie wore: vintage hat, kelly framel necklace, vintage chiffon dress (from feathers, one of our favorite hometown stores), american apparel lace dress, topshop shoes // i wore: kelly framel caramel crystal earrings, vintage oscar de la renta sweater, vintage 1930's tea dress and vintage alexis kirk belt (all from feathers), l.a.m.b. shoes & OPI's 'i want to be a lone star' nail polish ~ a subtle tribute to my home state! }

life at lori's { part I }

knowing how decorating-obsessed i've become since my recent move, my friend karen urged me to pop by stylist lori goldstein's NYC loft yesterday to soak up a little inspiration. and then some!

i had no idea what a tremendous treat i was in for...
{ above: achingly amazing necklaces, slung around a sea glass mirror. see the prada ss10 chandelier piece on the right?!? }

lori is the ultimate fashion insider ~ a real stylist, in the truest sense of the term. you'll not find her vying for camera time on the street style circuit, or tattling on TV about red carpet disasters. she's too busy consulting on the biggest collections and ad campaigns in the business (vera, herrera, versace), commandeering a QVC empire, and running around the world concocting editorial stories for italian vogue with steven meisel. to say that she styled my favorite editorial (of all time) should pretty much say it all. i'm in ladylove.
don't you just adore it when you meet someone, and immediately it feels as though you've known them forever? well, my 'pop by' her pad ended up lasting nearly four hours. after discussing, at length, the power of accessories, we dug through her colossal closet (you don't even want to know how many birkins), her jewels (ditto on the diamonds), and old polaroids of karl lagerfeld and gia carangi.

we talked about life, art, swapped war work stories, and concocted shopping trips and party plans for the future. i'm going to put together a whole other post on her dazzling decor ~ but first, here's a dizzy little peek into our fashion-fantasy fun:

{ above: that bracelet! lori's jewelry collection is out of control ~ and all over her flat // below: i couldn't resist piling a bunch of her beauties atop the mass of my own pieces i already had on! }


{ above & below: lori's bag collection ~ led in number by the aforementioned birkins ~ includes everything from studded fendi palazzos to handmade moroccan coin purses }


{ above: i just HAD to test drive this mink bed jacket and itty-bitty prada purse. // below: the same goes for a fur-trimmed, rubber cocoon coat by marni. its owner was all too obliging ~ and very lucky that i didn't try walking out in it! }

thank you lori for graciously letting me invade every corner of your home!

readers, get ready for her enviable eye candy of an apartment (post coming tomorrow!)... in the meantime, click here to follow lori on twitter, and here to see an informal *before* snap of my own place-in-progress. kindly keep in mind, i'm still unpacking. it has a long way to go, but i said i'd give you a sneak peek this week, and a promise is a promise...!
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UPDATE: part two & three of lori's home tour HERE and HERE.

{ winner's circle }

after a week's worth of vociferous votery, we finally have a winner in the polkadotorama costume challenge. congratulations to contestant #3, AMY!

amy was the only finalist without her own style blog, but considering she sent in an album containing NINE win-worthy looks (trust me, narrowing it down to only one entry was nearly impossible), i think hers is a wardrobe that needs to be shared with the world/web! we'd all read it, right?

{ below, a peak into amy's myriad ensembles }

congrats again to amy, and thanks to everyone who participated, voted, and made this contest so much fun!

{ brimmy market }

to follow-up last week's flea market survival guide, here's a peak back at my recent brimfield adventures with the beckerman girls (who i became fast friends with after first falling hard for their blog!). it's no accident that we're all grinning from ear-to-ear in nearly every picture ~ we had a gloriously good time! together, we always do.

{ the fab four } polkadotorama

big thanks to everyone who sent in photos for the polkadotorama costume challenge!
i received over 75 entries; it was nearly impossible to narrow them down to just four. i wish everyone could win! for the sake of objectivity, i brought in several of my most stylish friends and family members to help narrow down our finalists. here they are, in all their spotted splendor:

{ contestant one } duckalicious

{ contestant two } dreamecho

{ contestant three } amy ~ who really needs to start a blog!

{ contestant four } chloe

who do you think deserves to win the $150 credit to shop.theglamourai.com? let me know in the comments ~ using either their name or contestant number! voting will close next friday, june 28th at 12pm (EST). good luck ladies!

{ sisters match }

this weekend was spent in wimberley, texas, in honor of easter and my grandfather's 75th birthday. our family is incredibly close; it's always a joy to be together. as i mentioned last christmas, my sister and i love to celebrate such occasions by coordinating our outfits. a show of solidarity, if you will. so when she arrived in a silk chiffon breton riff from banana republic, i had no choice but to pull this version out of my suitcase as well. sisters match!

{ reality is } what you make of it

{ from top to bottom: krystal simpson at geren ford, richard chai love, peter jensen, and kate spade parties }

last night i was cleaning out the memory card on my G10 and giggling over the oodles of goofy fashion week snaps i made of my pretty pal krystal, who writes what is reality anyway. for two girls who are so different, we've gotten along famously since the moment we met, and rarely left each others sides during this new york show season. we have some exciting adventures planned come summer ~ until then, miss you krys!

{ nyfw } kick-off party

last night i was joined by krystal simpson (straight off a plane and STILL looking insane) to kick-off fashion week ~ valentine style! the festivities commenced at curve, where we fêted the US launch of jovial japanime character pucca. aided by buoyant refrains spun by harley viera newton, plus an abundance of mini-cupcakes and godiva truffles, the crowd was equally animated. everyone seemed so happy that fashion week had begun!

on display were darling designs from a few of my favorite fashion friends:

but we mostly had eyes for the sugar-sweet heart-shaped sunnies (i left with a black pair that i plan to wear all week). viva l'amour & glamour!!

{ photos 2 & 4 courtesy of thecobrasnake / 2nd to last courtesy of marion curtis/starpix }

{ costume of the night } going gaga

my favorite fun-time friend and flatmate, dan of the year, surprised me on saturday with tickets to last night's lady gaga show at radio city music hall. i guess i don't have to tell you that it was incredible!!! i had planned to document the entire experience, but my camera battery died 10 minutes before the show started ~ such a serious fail. dan and i coordinated our costumes, wearing nothing but leopard print. he looked dashing in a commes de garcons spotted suit and paul smith loafers. as usual, i took the vintage route:

{ lady gaga tour merch sunnies, the glamourai cleopatra necklace, vintage dress (last worn here), coat (last worn here), belt & earrings, DIY studded gloves }

UPDATE! by popular demand, i give you the very dapper dan:

{ indie 100 }

i spent most of this morning discovering a bounty of beautiful new {to me} bloggers, thanks to the weardrobe 100 ~ a supercool directory of the top style blogs of 2009. i'm honored to be part of the lineup, and even more excited to add some fresh links to my daily visit list. it's yet another great way to kick off the new year!

{a few new favorites! pictured, clockwise from top left: elinkan, ployy, natalieoffduty, gillofilippa, ...anywayss}

{ holiday at home }

in my family, we're big on tradition ~ especially at christmastime ~ and every year, the list of holiday rituals grows. we love adding new ones! indeed, since last year {when my sister and i coordinated in salt + pepper ensembles} we have decided it will forevermore be customary to wear lace on christmas day:



glamour jr wears: 'in god we trust' headband, 12by12 blouse + skirt, vintage + the glamourai jewelry, guess shoes

{vintage glasses littered about the house}

wearing: f21 earrings, rodarte for target shirt, helmut lang bandeau, ports 1961 skirt, target socks, colin stuart shoes