Bridal Fashion Week New York City 2015

Times they are a changing, and so is the way we dress.  Specifically, what I am referring to, is the “wedding dress”.  Gone, is the traditional “white wedding dress” of yesteryear.  Evidence of this trend for 2015 can be seen from the Bridal Fashion Week held in New York City.  I have never been to a fashion show in New York City however, I was fortunate enough to have acquired some exclusive photos from this years’ show, compliments of the San Francisco based online boutique Weddington Way. Weddington Way is an online boutique that offers brides and bridesmaids a better way to shop and interact through a virtual showroom experience.  Neato!  To see more of their stunning on trend bridal wear please click here  (I already did)  So, now I have the pleasure of sharing these lovely photos with all of you!  Thank you Weddington Way!  This is super exciting! What I find really interesting is how wedding dress trends for 2015 are influencing every day and high-fashion looks.  

Let's take a look...

 Galia Lahav 

Cream Theme

On the runways from Emporio Armani, Balmain, Ellie Saab, Milly and Alexander Wang featured cream for Spring and Summer 2015 collections similar to this bridal dress featured by Galia Lahav.  White dresses used to be the traditional way of dressing brides, but that is no longer the case.  "The Cream Theme" is dominating the bridal scene and is surfacing in mainstream fashion as well.   Diane Kruger wore a stunning cream two-piece couture outfit from Chanel on the red carpet, as did Dianna Agron by Tory Burch.  

Romona Keveza

Floral Brocade Fabric

This beautiful texture of fabric appeared on the runway for Fall 2015 in the collections of Burberry Prorsum, Simone Rocha, Mary Katrantzou and again for Spring 2015 in the Ready-to-Wear category by Prada.  Brocade is one of those timeless fabrics that always struck me as regal, sophisticated and feminine.  Sophia Vergara wore a lovely gold brocade dress by Romona Keveza to the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony where she received her own star, and celebrity  Salma Hayak also wore a gorgeous white version of it by Alexander McQueen at the Golden Globes.

Claire Pettibone

Romantic Bohemian 

This dress by Claire Pettigbone is probably one of the most symbolic of the change in traditionalism in the bridal scene.  This dress is unique and has a very beautiful and free-flowing feeling to it.  The care-free bohemian trend is nothing new, but it's strength as a trend is steadily increasing and is now progressing into the bridal scene with a romantic twist.  This is probably one of the longest trends that has taken hold of the fashion scene as far as I can tell.  Many seem to be embracing this trend and flowing with it.  Influences of this trend were also viewed on the runways by Etro, Valentino, Roberto Cavalli, Dries Van Noten, Vera Wang, Altazurra, Emilio Pucci, Alberta Ferretti, and Blumarine.  Imogen Poots also wore something similar on the red carpet by Alberta Ferretti in a long black lace sheer gown.

Transparency 

This look in transparency, is appearing in bridal dresses with a minimal amount of see-through lace like we have seen on celebrities lately.  It's a way to show some skin, with class. Similar looks from this trend are going beyond just illusion necklines on the red carpet.  Some women who wore it amazingly well at the Met Gala were: Beyonce in Givenchy, Kim Kardashian in Roberto Cavalli and Jennifer Lopez in Versace.  This is my favorite trend because it is so mysterious, yet classy and glamorous all put together in one.

Badgley Mischka

Anne Barge

Anne Barge

Highly Embellished Beads and Embroidery 

Highly embellished looks like these from Badgley Mischka and Anne Barge appeared from designers such as: Erdem, Emilio Pucci, Saint Laurent and Christopher Kane for the Spring/ Summer collections this year. This trend will definitely grab your attention with some sparkle and shine and intricately embroidered pieces this season.  Some stand out dresses that I enjoyed the most on the red carpet with this trend were: Rhianna’s fur embellished golden cathedral train statement gown by Guo Pei, Amanda Seyfriend’s delicate white haute couture 3-D floral beaded dress by Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, Georgia May Jaggar in a charming shiny lavender silk embellished dress with crystal details by Gucci, Poppy Delvigne in a graceful creme 3-D floral gown by Marchesa and Bee Shafer in a dazzling burgundy custom embroidered gown by Alexander McQueen.

Lela Rose

Draping Over One Shoulder 

This gorgeous draped Grecian goddess bodice from Lela Rose is much like the pretty pink dress that we saw Lizzy Caplan wearing on the red carpet for the Met Gala by Donna Karen Atelier and Amy Adams at the Golden Globes with her baby blue Versace gown.  We also saw it appear again in high style on the runway in many pieces from Reem Acra’s Ready-to-Wear dresses.  I love the classic look of draping.  It's an instant head turner.

Feathers

Don't you just love anything that floats when you walk! For Fall 2015 we saw a lot of feathers floating around the runways from Marchesa, Rachel Zoe, Libertine, Rodarte, Proenza, Naeem Khan, and Michael Kors just to name a few. From the red carpet, we also saw the feathered look on Julianne Moore at this year’s Golden Globe Awards as well as Kim Kardashian in Roberto Cavalli at the Met Gala.  You see, the magical thing about feathers, is that with each step,  they so delicately flutter in a sort of captivating enchanting flow.  With each plume moving in slow motion, it's almost as if time slows down just a wee bit. 

Watters Bridesmaids Dresses

For the Bridesmaids

Pink Blush, Glacier Gray and Orchid Tint are just a few elegant colors that were named for this year's trending bridesmaids dresses. You can see these tones reflected in these exquisite bridesmaids dresses from Watters for this upcoming wedding season in 2015.  

What do you think of these trends?  What is your favorite trend or trends?  What color would you choose for your bridesmaids dresses?  

I can't wait to hear from all of you, so please leave your comments in the boxes below.

Hope you have some fun adding some of these trends into your week!

XO Joanna

Meaningful Monday Quote by Karl Lagerfeld

“Youthfulness is about how you live, not when you were born.” 

–Karl Lagerfeld

Work It Wear Wednesdays-Style Blogger in the City

Floral Tunic: Simply Vera Vera Wang Similar

Python Clutch: Zac Posen Similar

Kick Flare Jeans: Free People

Stiletto Heels: Bebe Similar Similar Similar

Sunnies: Gucci
Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada
Photography: Franz Swantko

Happy Wednesday to you!  How is everyone's week going?  Today, I wanted to represent the style bloggers out there who do photo shoots in the streets, crossing busy sidewalks, along the sides of buildings, in front of beautiful doors, fences, etc.  I'm still new to blogging, so I'd like to find out a little more about you...

What do you like most about style blogs?
Do you blog full-time or part-time? or not at all?

What kinds of things do you juggle in your day?  

What do you think is the hardest part about blogging?

What do you enjoy most about blogging?

I wanted to go for a more casual look today.  These jeans by Free People are the best of both worlds because you can literally pull them on, look great and still eat!  They are very comfortable and have the cutest kick flare to the legs.  I hemmed mine because I am a shorty, but they come in different lengths as well.  This is an older tunic top that I got at Kohl's from Vera Wang, but I love it and still wear it a lot because it is so comfortable and stylish.  I always get a ton of compliments when I wear it too.  Lastly, this python embossed olive leather clutch from Zac Posen is my most recent love.  It was one of those pieces that called out to me.  It is made of high-quality materials and has a slinky gold chain inside for a shoulder strap if you'd like to wear it hands-free for a better shopping experience lol.  You can find several Zac Posen versions of this exact purse in different colors and materials with the same distinctive design at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Shopstyle, 6pm.com and Lyst.com.


Well, I hope you enjoyed this post.  I always like hearing from you!  Please leave your responses in the comments below.  Thank You!

Hope you have a Stylish and Joyful Week:)

XO Joanna

Meaningful Mondays Quote- DVF

  “The success of every single woman is an inspiration for another.” 

-Diane von Furstenburg

Remembering My Mother on Mother's Day

Redondo Beach, California

Blue Coat: Armani Exchange Similar Similar Similar  

Blue Jeans: Free People Similar

Happy Mother's Day to you!  Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday with their moms!  As for me, I will be spending the day in memoriam of my mother.  She was the woman who inspired me to be creative.  When I was a little girl, I remember crafting with my brother during our summers outside on our art bench, being involved in musicals, dance classes and watching her paint and draw.  She introduced us to all sorts of different kinds of art.  This taught me at a very young age to think "outside the box" and to "create something from nothing".  

Here are some things I remember about my mother...

Her favorite color was blue.

She was always upbeat and positive.

She taught me to appreciate art and to value education.

She taught me what it meant to be diligent.

She surfed longboards in Redondo Beach :)

She was energetic and outgoing.

My friends liked her.

She liked to shop.

She was practical.

She mostly wore pants, not dresses.

She never wore make-up.

She enjoyed building or making things.

She never gave up on living!

My mother survived breast cancer for 21 years!  

When I was just 4 years old, she showed me her scar from her breast cancer surgery.  It was then that she had to explain to me that she had breast cancer.  Ever since then, I understood what death was and that it could become a reality for us.  As I got older, I realized that it wasn't easy for her to try to cram as much living as she possible could into her life while she still had it.  She was a fighter.  She smiled through her pain and never lost hope.  Even with this debilitating disease, she continued to "live" when she could have easily let herself become depressed.  Watching her live even through the recurance of cancer at five different times, has inspired me to live my life to the fullest, even when it gets difficult.  This experience made me realize that life is a gift, and it is short.  There is no time like the present.  If there is something you want to do or need to do, it is best to start doing it today because you never know what tomorrow may bring.  

Always remember to look for your joy!

XO Joanna

Fitness Friday-Run in the Sun

 '

Capri Pants: Under Armour Compression Capri Pants Similar

Top: Nike Pro Hyperwarm Embossed Half- Zip

Socks: Head Similar Similar

Shoes: Asics Gel Kayano 20

Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

Happy Fitness Friday Everyone!  Do you love running or hate running?  I'm going to be honest about the running part.  I have a love / hate relationship with it.  Some days I am totally in the mood to run, then other days I would rather sit in front of my computer and blog or shop...of course:)  My favorite type of running is interval running because you can burn the most amount of calories in a short amount of time.  Time is something that we could all use more of, right?  Now, I am by no means a fitness expert, but I do know that interval running works (at least for me).  

One of my friends is a physical therapist and she said that it's good to run with a cushioned shoe because it is less jarring on the body's joints, organs, etc.  The ones I have been running in for years are Asics.  I absolutely love Asics shoes because they are so comfortable and come in a variety of stylish designs and color combinations.  The socks I am wearing are by Head and they are really comfortable and matched my outfit, so that's why I chose these particular socks. 

The Nike Pro Hyperwarm Embossed Half-Zip top I am wearing is usually for colder climates and has Dri-Fit Technology which pulls moisture away from the body and can be worn alone or with an additional layer underneath.  They also have these neat finger holes for your thumbs to keep your hands warm when you run in the cold.  I really like Nike apparel because of the stylish designs and high-tech fabrics they carry.  As soon as I saw this top,  I knew I had to have it because I thought it would be something that would be versatile enough to wear out casually on the weekends (to run errands) or work out in.  Since it can get pretty breezy by the beach in the morning waiting for the marine layer to burn off, it could also be worn during both the cooler and warmer months.  

Lastly, I want to tell you how much I have come to love Under Armour.  I tried on these pants at Nordstrom and absolutely fell in love with the fit and comfort of these capri pants.  They even seem to have a slimming effect on your body because of the compression factor.  These pants also have a zipper in the waistband to put your keys in when you go out for a quick run.  Neato!    

So, there it is...some of my favorite fitness apparel brands rolled up in one post.  What are some of your favorite fitness brands and items to wear?  What do you like to do to stay fit?  I'm always on the lookout for cute work out wear.  Let me know in the comments below.  

Hope you have fun shopping for fitness apparel this weekend and staying fit.

XO Joanna

Tropical Island Midi Dress

Midi Sundress: Lapis Similar Similar

Earrings: Ralph Lauren Ralph Lauren

Heels: Bandolino Similar Similar

Bag: Michael Kors Similar

Belt: Ribbons Boutique Similar Similar Similar

Hair and Makeup: Francisco Estrada

Photography: Franz Swantko

Aloha!  How was your weekend so far?  I hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday relaxing and getting to do the things that you enjoy doing.  Right now, I really want to go on a vacation to Hawaii.  Have you ever been? Since I was thinking about how tranquil Hawaii is, I put on this really comfortable and lovely yellow and brown floral tropical island print midi sundress by Lapis. To accessorize this look, I decided to go with matching brown peep toe heels by Bandolino, pearl earrings by Ralph Lauren, and an this (old love) gold velvety bag from Michael Kors to match.  I really miss Hawaii.  The last time I was there was for my friend's wedding ages ago, which is kinda funny because half of my family is from there and I hardly ever go out there.  The clear blue water looks so fresh and clean.  Delicious hot plates of pulled pork, spam musubi, and macaroni are all island foods that make my mouth water. Yum!  I also miss the snow cones, those are pretty awesome too!  However, nothing compares to the beauty of the land with it's green landscape, volcanoes and the feeling of cool rain on your face while the sun is still shining.  Not only is it a beautiful place, but the people are so friendly and welcoming that every time I go there, I never want to leave.  It would be so nice to go back and visit with my dad sometime soon, so he can show me the island through his eyes.  Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!  "Aloha Oe" Until we meet again...


Mahalo,

Joanna