{ introducing } sachin + babi

{ LOOK 1: tiffany aviators, pink vintage coat (borrowed from jamie), sachin + babi blouse, camille zarsky clutch, gifted kolae pants, zara boots }

{ LOOK 2: lanvin for h+m sunnies, self-designed necklace, sachin + babi leather-trimmed coat and sequin-panel dress, juicy couture bag (previously seen HERE and HERE), B brian atwood boots (knee-high variation available HERE) }

i was pleased to recently make the acquaintance of designer couple sachin + babi ahluwalia, whose clothes i'm wearing in today's post. they're one of those super-creative couples who not only seem to do it all, but also coolly do it together.

for years they've run ANK, an international, couture embroidery business, ANKASA, a high-end home decor line (who's newest store just opened this monday at 1202 madison avenue!), and most recently, they launched sachin + babi, a super-modern, super-wearable collection of artfully-embellished, elegant, cool-girl clothes. and a line of jewelry! these are my kind of people.

that's why i'm extra-excited to be working with them on some upcoming projects ~ kicking off today with a month-long giveaway on their facebook page. CLICK HERE to enter to win any one of the sachin + babi pieces in today's post (blouse, coat or dress ~ winner's choice!). afterwards, CLICK HERE to peep some behind-the-scenes pics from my sachin + babi studio tour ~ then stay tuned for more!! we have some really cool stuff in the works.

{ acute angles }

{ forever21 sunnies, self-designed necklace, club monaco dress-turned-top (previously seen HERE, HERE and HERE), vintage belt, h+m leather skirt (similar option on sale HERE), camille zarsky clutch, zara boots }

in order to transition my wardrobe for fall without spending a fortune, i've been reworking pieces that have already had their fair share of wear. for example, this top used to be THIS DRESS. i felt like it was ready for a change! and i'm simply loving the look of interestingly angled layers, though it's hard to find tops that are cropped just right. better to do-it-yourself (or have your dry cleaner do it for you, like i did).

i always like to kick off a season by rethinking what's already in my wardrobe before adding in new duds. this time next year, don't be surprised if this skirt is six inches shorter!!

{ block party }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel necklace, nümph sweater courtesy of modcloth, stella mccartney corset, dedegumo watch, coach classic duffle, banana republic socks, alexander wang shoes (best seen HERE) }

had a pretty spectacular week, but man am i ready for the weekend! slouchy dresses are my jam for the next few days.

{ grazia }

i'm currently writing to you from milan, where i am honored to be a guest of grazia magazine for fashion week. before coming over, they asked me to shoot a story and share a few words for their website on the topic of grace ('grazia' is the italian word for this). it's a trait i certainly aspire to exude, albeit one i don't always achieve. anyway, in case you don't speak italian (me neither!), i've included excerpts from the piece i wrote below:



{ karen walker sunnies, primary blouse and skirt, forever21 cropped cami, gifted corello bag, alexander wang shoes }

GRACE. Grace is a virtue that’s far-too-infrequently celebrated these days. It’s not about stature or prominence or even glamour. Grace is elegance. It is deference and authority in equal measure. It is good manners, it is kindness and it is a sense of propriety.

But grace is not stuffy. It is being comfortable in one’s own skin, while conscientiously allowing others to feel equally at ease around you. In fashion, this means dressing in a way that is appropriate to your lifestyle and surroundings. That is, embracing your age (at any age!) by combining femininity with a dose of mystery, plus a necessary nod to functionality.



{ nine west sunnies, club monaco jacket, kelly framel necklace, vintage dress (last seen HERE), corello belt, yves saint laurent shoes }

Happily, graceful is the perfect word to describe this season’s long-skirted look. Full and pleated, or languidly bias-cut, it matters not. Either way, the look is simultaneously timeless and contemporary. It harkens back to the silhouettes of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly, but can be paired just as easily with a utility jacket and wedges as a trench coat and pumps. Modern mid-length skirts can veer fairly formal or incredibly casual – this is not a 1950’s sort of femininity. It’s current in that it’s comfortable and it’s elegant because it works in nearly any situation. You’ll rarely feel under-dressed...



{ juicy couture sunnies, halston heritage trench, meg dress, gifted corello clutch, lamb shoes }

please CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article and see many more pictures of these looks on grazia.it. then, CLICK HERE to check out my up-to-the-minute updates from milano!!

{ auburn }

{ vintage yves saint laurent sunnies from ebay, self-designed necklace, gifted tory burch blouse, dedegumo watch, gifted bulgari bracelet, vintage bag, zara skirt, christian louboutin shoes }

it's officially that time of year when we're straddling seasons: summer brights suddenly feel silly, but it's not yet cool enough for full-on fall layers. so i've got a little of everything in here: lace-up sandals, meet color-blocked skirt (black and navy, every new york girl's favorite combo!), meet autumn-auburn blouse. plus a bag passed down from my great-grandmother ~ for me, the best part.

{ disco dream }

{ kelly framel necklace, primary silk dress, dedegumo watch, khirma eliazov cuff, tiffany & co clutch (last seen HERE), yves saint laurent shoes }

wore this dress to shows on saturday, then snapped these photos upon my return to the w hotel ~ my fashion week home-away-from-home for the second season now. more on that coming soon!!

{ from quieter times }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel necklace, elizabeth + james top, corello belt, shades of grey (men's!) shorts, anya hindmarch clutch, alexander wang shoes }

this was my uniform last week, as i prepped for the calm before the fashion week storm. and now the storm has arrived ~ figuratively AND literally. it's raining, it's pouring, and the fashion pack is never boring. updates from the front coming soon!!

{ little tramp }

{ vintage ray-ban sunnies, kelly framel necklace, helmut lang blazer, forever21 tank, alice+olivia pants, primary clutch, prada shoes }

this is one of my favorite outfits lately; the way that it sits at the intersection of layered-but-subtle, tailored-but-easy, and dressed-up-but-dressed-down is so my speed. also, i think these shoes really need to come out more often.

{ rest stop dress }

{ karen walker sunnies, kelly framel necklaces and wrap bracelet, miu miu dress, michael kors watch, anya hindmarch clutch, gifted corello shoes }

a few weeks ago, i was driving back from newport, rhode island, when i suddenly had to use the loo. after pulling off the highway at the nearest exit, what should i find but a barneys-equipped outlet mall?! i ran in to use the facilities, and ran back out with this new miu miu dress in tow. didn't cost much more than a tank of gas!

{ after } the storm

{ vintage umbrella, kelly framel necklace, helmut lang blazer (last seen HERE), rachel rachel roy blouse, alexander wang shorts (last seen HERE), kelly framel wrap bracelets (coming soon), dedegumo watch, gifted tiffany tiger's eye clutch, chloe sevigny for opening ceremony boots }

in the end, hurricane irene passed rather uneventfully through new york ~ for which i am quite grateful (so many other cities were less lucky). also feeling pretty giddy about: this so-gorgeous silk clutch, scoring 3 great pairs of shoes at the barneys sale (these boots included!), and the fact that today is my birthday!! and my blog's almost-anniversary ~ you see, three years ago today, at my 25th birthday celebration, my friends dubbed me 'the glamourai' (they all got party names too), and the basis for this whole blog project accidentally began. who'd have thought we'd all be here today?! what a ride.