Phew... I've been busy!

I have been MIA from my blog with good reason... launching fall fashion! The past few weeks I have been to Minneapolis and Tijuana to style shows, a few shows at Bloomingdale's here in SD and a fun shoot for a cutting edge prosthetic leg! Here's some shots from my last few weeks:-)

Fall trends at FNO

Fashionistas across the globe stepped out last night in support of what else... fashion! Now in it's fourth year, Fashion Night Out has grown to span the nation, with everyone from Saks on Fifth Ave in NY to local shopping hot spot Fashion Valley celebrating designers, trends, models and celebs! If you're wondering what is hot for fall, search no further than last night's looks... New "It' girl Jessica Chastain rocked the leather trend in a killer dress with strategic black side panels- super slimming, not that she needed it! Nikki Reed was shining bright in a gold Michael Kors dress, a hot hue for Fall. It was clear bold color isn't fading away anytime soon with Sports Illustrated beauty Kate Upton, and my personal favorite, Victoria Beckham donning fabulous aqua and tangerine frocks.

Dining Diva

Here's a sneak peek of a Riviera shoot I styled with Food Network star, Melissa D'Ariban at Seersucker. For someone who cooks and eats all day (and is a mom of 4!) she had no problem slipping into this teeny tiny DVF dress compliments of Bloomingdale's. Jean-Michele Cazabat moto booties-- key for fall--, a Kate Spade necklace and leopard cuff added the final touches on this yummy look!

Riviera's Look Who's Talking

I had the chance to style the lovely and groovy Noa Azlouay-Sclater for this month's Look Who's Talking section of Riviera. She is a total throw back to 70's cool, from her wardrobe to her home... But she didn't mind throwing on a very modern Vince Dress, Couture fur vest and Giuseppe Zanotti booties (Thank you Bloomingdale's!) for this killer shot!

It's in the Genes....

As far as the celebrity gene pool goes, there are always a handful of beauties that inherit their mamas’ style sense and rise right to the top. As Mother's Day approaches, I'd like to salute my top choices for the most stylish mother and daughter duos. First and foremost we have the ethereal and always sunny Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson. As a trailblazer in the 60’s hippie scene, Goldie Hawn took body paint to a whole new level. A true California girl, her blonde mane and bohemian look came to define an era. Her boho chic look was reborn and re-imagined by the equally bubbly and alluring Kate. Whether she is rocking a teeny-tiny sundress or a killer Stella McCartney suit, Hudson always adds a personal touch that makes the look unique and her own.

Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri are another shinning example of genetics gone oh so right. Susan is the best example in Hollywood of aging gracefully. She knows what clothes and cuts work on her figure and always hits the mark. She and Eva share those amazing doe eyes and pretty impressive cleavage, yet they always dress on the right side of class. While Eva takes more fashion risks than her mom, she always maintains that classic look.

Rounding out my favorite fashionable moms and daughters, we have Bianca and Jade Jagger. A fixture at Studio 54, Bianca was a pro at pushing the fashion envelope. Whether riding in on a white horse, or wearing the smallest and tightest dress possible, Bianca always made a statement. Jade inherited her mom's creative flair (along with those incredible cheekbones) and designed her own jewelry line for several years before launching a lifestyle concept, Jezebel, which fuses music, clothing, and lifestyle.

This Sunday, be sure to thank your own stylish mama for doing the most important job a woman can ever have... being a mother.

Belles of the Ball

Those spectacular stairs, those fabulous frocks, the countless celebrities...There is nothing quite like the Met Costume Gala. Largely seen as one of, if not the, most fashionable red carpet of the year, looks from the event can make or break one’s reputation in the fashion world. A-listers came out in the masses to celebrate this year’s honorees, Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli. Gold was the big color trend of the night, with Jessica Alba glowing in a one shoulder column gown by Michael Kors, Scarlett Johansson shining in curve hugging Dolce Gabbana and the evening’s co-chair, Carey Mulligan, looking radiant in sequins by Prada.

Another trend was the peplum waist as rocked so perfectly by Sofia Vergara in Marchesa, Emma Roberts in Escada, Elizabeth Banks in Mary Katrantzou and Solange Knowles in Rachel Roy.

And as a new mom myself, I just have to give a shout out to Beyonce in a peek-a-boo Givenchy Haute Couture gown. Can you believe that post-baby bod?!

Here Comes (the very well dressed) Bride...

It is the most important dress a woman will ever wear. Yes, she may only actually don the frock for 6 hours (and in my case thank goodness it was only a few hours... how long can one suck in, stand tall and look glam all at once?!) but it leaves a lasting impression and memories for a lifetime. Her family and friends will ohhh and ahhh as she sashays down the aisle and it is truly a show stopping moment! This year’s Bridal Week offered gowns that definitely delivered that wow factor and took bridal fashion to a whole new level. Vera Wang, the fairy godmother of couture wedding dresses, turned tradition on its head with her collection of gowns in deep scarlets, burgundies and plums. A bold look indeed, Wang decided it was time for the color of love to have its moment, “The symbolism of red—boldly romantic, charming, protective, grand, seductive, sexy. From dahlia to scarlet, crimson and vermilion. It’s a celebration of love.”

Another trend coming straight from the ready-to-wear runways are peplum waists. All over the Spring 2012 runways, the bridal world also took notice. Designers including Amsale and (my personal fave) Ines de Santo injected a dose of waist-defining couture into their structured gowns.

The peplum is not a silhouette to shutter at; in fact, when it comes to bridal, it's quite the opposite! The peplum is a great accent to a column style dress. If you're concerned about lumps and bumps, opt for rouching.

Whichever style you opt for, this season's perfect marriage of traditional and high fashion makes for a very happy ever after.

Best Dressed Baby...

I love to talk about ladies rocking styles that I adore and today I wanted to highlight a future fashionista. Yes, I am a bit biased as she is my daughter but I couldn't resist! You'll notice the juxtaposition of the frilly and super girly tutu with the toughness of her Mr. T onsie.... I love pairing two elements together that one might not typically think to mix and it ends up being so wrong it's right! I give you Miss Harper Grace....

Bella Coachella

Coachella is not your mama's ol' music festival. It has become not only a stage for music most talented acts, but also a runway for the most boho beauties around. Kate Bosworth has become the unofficial muse of Coachella and her laid back, devil may care approach to dressing is contagious! I'm loving the Isabele Marant cowboy inspired shirt as a jacket, adding a pop to her black tee and cut-offs. The layered necklaces and nude booties are the perfect finishing touches on this hippie chic look.

The good news is this is a totally wearable look outside of a music festival- I promise! For the warmer spring months, try a white tee and cut-offs and head to your nearest vintage store where cowboy shirts are more rampant than peace pipes at Coachella. Nude booties can be tricky on legs any bigger than Bosworth's gazelle-like gams but here are some tips to help... Look for a bootie as close to your skin tone as possible. Make sure the top of the bootie hits below your ankle, or at least dips down a bit in front to elongate your leg and keep the visual line going. Throw on a few layered necklaces (anything chunky and turquoise is tres chic here) and let your inner hippie rock out.

What to Buy When...

With sooo many fabulous trends for Spring, it's easy to want to spend a small fortune to stock up. Which is all fine and good until those gorgeous fall looks start rolling in and you're left with a not so full wallet. So, I give you a "What to Buy When" cheat sheet. If you plan carefully and buy right, you'll be on-trend and still have enough moola to go out somewhere fabulous to show off your flawless wardrobe.

April- Spring dresses, men's suiting

May- Sunglasses, handbags and jewelry (think Mother's Day gifts)

June- Summer clothes start getting marked down

July- Bathing suits and sportswear

August- Sleepwear, belts and shoes

September- Final clearance on summer items, pre-sales on denim, handbags and other fall items (this is a big turn around month in retail, out with the old and in with the new!)

October- Back to school clothes get their mark down

November- Winter clothes, boots and gloves

December- Special holiday promotions and then the inevitable post-Christmas mark downs

January- Shorts, t-shirts, dress shirts, and exercise clothes (just think, all that discounted Holiday shopping merchandise has to go)

February- Jewelry (Gotta love Valentine's Day deals)

March- Intimates, outerwear and coats

TV Highlight Reel

Styling Reel

Here's a little reel I put together of my styling work. So fun to look back over my body of work!

Just in time for Spring Break, here's a news segment I did on hot bathing suit trends...

Spring Break Swimwear!

Here's a shot from the CW San Diego Spring Break Swimwear news segment I filmed this morning. Super fun! Be sure to tune in Monday morning for three fabulous segments between 6 and 9am!

Girl Scouts turn 100!

To celebrate the Girl Scouts turning 100 years old, Bloomingdale's brought me in to style a spring trend fashion show using girl scouts along with professional models. They could not have been more adorable! It took me back to my time as a six year old Daisy... My mom was our troop leader and had our hideous cobalt blue Daisy aprons refashioned into a much more hip (well as hip as a six year old's apron could be I suppose) design. It our own little Shelly Long a la Troop Beverly Hills moment. Guess you could say my Girl Scout experience finally came full circle:-)

How to Color Block....

I just had the pleasure of doing a Spring trends presentation for Bloomingdale's and color blocking was a big part of it. Pink and red, purple and yellow, blue and green....what used to be considered taboo color combos are suddenly now the chicest options around! Obviously Spring time means bright and bold colors, but you can achieve this look with a more muted palette. Here are two fab DVF dresses; one for the more adventurous and the other a bit more reserved....


If paring two bold colors is not for you, think about mixing different shades of the same color. Play around with pinks, reds, yellows and purples...


If all else fails, look for pieces with the color blocking already done for you. I love these Suzi Chin dresses- so easy!

Oscar Fashion Wrap Up

For those of you that were sleeping and may have missed my Oscar Fashion wrap up, watch it here!

Fall 2012 Trends

While most of us are still enjoying our to-die-for fur vest from the holidays, or that killer cape purchased for 50% off on December 26th, the fashion world is already busy at work, deciding which pieces we will be vying for next fall. New York just hosted Fall 2012 fashion week and the trends did not disappoint!

Next fall’s palette is a rich one. Big trends in color include deep reds; from Jason Wu’s crimsons and wines to Diane von Furstenberg’s burgundy played playfully with pink, it’s safe to say red is the new black. Also hot for Fall 2012? Plums and blues. So, how do you best wear these bold colors? Paring complimentary colors, once thought to be taboo, is another big trend for Fall 2012. A more sophisticated version of Spring’s color blocking, we saw blues paired with blacks. Carolina Herrera and DKNY seamlessly combined these two hues for a perfectly ladylike look while Prabal Gurung stayed true to his edgier look with black and blue graphic print dresses and suiting. Narcisco Rodriguez and Thakoon offered beautiful combos of burgundy and orange, red and magenta and plums and violets. The key to taking this look from the runway to real life to is play with different shades of the same color.

Remember when wearing white after Labor Day was a serious no-no? Well dare to wear white past September and suddenly you’re now the chicest woman alive! Those beautifully breaking the rules include Alexander Wang with his chunky knits, Derek Lam with a white piece in almost every look and 3.1 Phillip Lim skillfully contrasting white with black.

Always chic for the colder months is the look of luxurious leather. A go-to fabric for Fall, this time around it is much more sophisticated. Both Thakoon and the Rodarte darlings stunned with peek-a-boo leather dresses demure enough for daytime. Helmut Lang, long revered for their perfectly fitting leather jackets and pants, added fitted leather sheaths to their collection. Michael Kors and Derek Lam paired their leather pieces, blouses and a pencil skirt, with more conservative touches to show that anyone can wear leather. If head to toe leather is a bit too dominatrix for you, single out just one piece of leather per look. Opt for a sleek pencil skirt with a silk blouse or try a fitted jacket with a t-shirt, your favorite skinny jeans and heels.

After seeing all these fabulous fashions, now's the hard part... waiting another 6 moths to get our hands on them!!!

T minus 3 days

Okay ladies, any of you who braved the Missoni for Target madness (I myself drove 30 miles to a Target I thought was off fashionistas' radar at 6 am-- wrong! But I managed to team up with a perfectly nice stranger with whom I split up the store and between us, we managed to get at least one of everything!) get ready to do it all over again. This Sunday, Jason Wu's collection for Target hits the floor and I could not be more excited!
The Taiwanese designer launched his first ready-to-wear collection in 2006 and just two short years later, won the prestigious Fashion Group International's Rising Star Award. While the fashion industry has long adored this uber-talent, it wasn't until Michelle Obama wore his one-shoulder white gown to the Inaguarual Ball that mainstream America took notice.
Now, while the rest of can't get a custom made gown that will end up in the Smithsonian, we can get a full ready-to-wear collection at the nearest Target. So my suggestion, fashionistas? Rest up, arrive early and be willing to make new friends!

I'm baaack.....

Okay, after nine very long months of pregnancy (it's actually ten months, someone created this whole "nine months"malarkey ; but, I digress) and a three month fog of no sleep, I'm back to doing what I love! I just did a bridal shoot for Exquisite Weddings Magazine- check it out on newsstands in March- and am finally getting around to posting some shots for a shoot I did in August. Now mind you I was eight months pregnant, the size of a house and shooting outside in 90 degree heat but I think it all came together beautifully! Here are some of my favorite shots...