June 24, 2010

Spotlight: Hanneli Mustaparta

I came across Hanneli’s blog while looking for fashion photography. I absolutely fell in love with her site right away. Her photos are simple and sweet yet very stylish. When I clicked the “About” section, I found out she’s a model and styles fashion stories and music videos…and to top that off, she’s an MTV VJ in Norway. So basically, I love Hanneli. You are awesome.

One of my favorite parts about her blog…almost every photo is taken by Hanneli herself. Model, stylist, MTV VJ, AND fashion photographer? Is there anything you can’t do Hanneli?

Here are some of my favorite photos from Hanneli:

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All photos taken from www.hanneli.com

June 21, 2010

Qlix Magazine

I want to begin by apologizing for my extended leave of absence from blogging. As you can see from my last post (which was quite some time ago), I was in Australia for about 3 weeks… and upon my return, I began interning for Qlix Magazine. I discovered Qlix around the launch of their first issue (earlier this year) and I was beyond impressed with the publication. It’s very different from any other fashion magazine I’ve read with regards to content and layout. Qlix covers emerging designers and “under-the-radar” fashion concepts which I always find to be the most interesting. The magazine comes in an unconventional form, an envelope with multiple inserts and fold outs, which makes it stand out from any ordinary magazine.

Because I knew I always wanted to work for a fashion magazine, this was the perfect opportunity to jump on. So with that said…I will be writing a blog post for www.qlixmag.com every week and I hope you can check it out. My first one was posted last week and it’s all about my fashion experiences in Australia. Click here to see my first Qlix blog post.

I will do my best to keep up with my ChiCityFashion blog but definitely check out www.qlixmag.com for updates on ISSUE 02, Photo of the Week winners, Qlix blog and the DISSUE (digital issue).

May 24, 2010

Going Out of the Country…

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to inform you I am leaving for Australia today and I will be back in mid-June. In the mean time, I will not be blogging but I will try my best to tweet a little and possibly post some pictures from my trip. Follow me @ChiCityFashion for updates from down under!

Keep me posted in the comments section about any fashion related news you’d like to share. Who knows…maybe I’ll blog about it when I return.

Have a fabulous next couple of weeks!

-Jena

May 20, 2010

What I’m Reading: Fashion Blogs

If you keep up with the latest fashion news, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that fashion bloggers have become a HUGE deal within the past couple of years. They are getting invites to attend various Fashion Weeks worldwide which is VERY cool and getting other perks as well…but unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of fashion bloggers…mainly, the editors of big name magazines. Although I am a fashion blogger myself, I totally understand where they’re coming from…”I’ve been doing this for 20 or 30+ years and these kids from out of nowhere are sitting front row with me when they have no professional experience and have been blogging about fashion for a year.” I get it. But you know what…us fashion bloggers didn’t ask for this. If designers/their PR companies invite us to shows, we’re obviously not going to say no. Right?

With that said…I am dedicating this post to the fashion blogs I am currently reading. Keep in mind, these are just few of the many I keep up with (and ar currently my favorites).

Jessica Schroeder (www.whatiwore.tumblr.com)

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Jessica started off as a girl who posted pictures of her daily outfits to her website. Now, she’s a well-known name in the fashion blogging world and she has really created a name for herself. Anyone can write a fashion blog, but she really took it to the next level by showing people what she likes to wear and where she gets her inspiration from. She’s a cute girl with a great sense of style…who wouldn’t want to see her daily outfits? Check out Jessica’s blog and follow her on Twitter @whatiwore

Elisa Goodkind & Lily Mandelbaum (www.stylelikeu.com)

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The inspiration behind Style Like U is finding out what inspires the “regular” people; why they choose the pieces they wear and where these pieces come from. Anyone can read the “Editors Picks” in Elle and InStyle but what is the hipster in Brooklyn wearing? Or the surfer guy in LA? Style Like U finds these people and films them. It’s a great interactive way to experience various styles from all over the country. You may see a familiar face or two on their site…Andrew Mukamal (from Kell on Earth) being one of them. Follow Elisa on Twitter @stylelikeu

Tom and Lorenzo (www.projectrungay.blogspot.com)

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There’s no opinion like a gay man’s opinion…and with Tom and Lorenzo you get a double dosage of the truth and nothing but the truth. They began blogging about Project Runway episodes and expanded their blog to cover everything from red carpet events to episodes of Glee and RuPaul’s Drag Race. I really cannot begin to tell you how entertaining their site is and you have to see it for yourself to get the full Tom and Lorenzo experience. I’ve now added a new goal to my life…and that is to have lunch with Tom and Lorenzo. It would go down like this…we would bitch about awful celebrity red carpet moments, have a few cocktails, and 3 hours later become best friends. So anyway, you should follow them on Twitter @tomandlorenzo

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So, what are your favorite fashion blogs to read/who are your favorite fashion bloggers? Have you read What I Wore, Style Like U, and/or Tom and Lorenzo? Always love to hear from you!

May 19, 2010

H&M Fashion Against AIDS Collection

I literally just got home from the H&M Fashion Against AIDS collection launch at the H&M on Michigan Avenue. I love the collection so much I had to blog about it right away. The collection is very “music festival” chic and it is complete with dresses, separates, shoes, jewelry and tents. Yes…tents. Also, really dope headphones.

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Let’s start off with the jewelry…it’s tribal inspired with very bright, bold colors and some crazy prints. If you’re looking for some great statement pieces and you’re on a budget, definitely check out this collection.

Aren’t those headphones rad? They come in a variety of colors and prints (but the gold pictured above is the coolest).

The jacket pictured above is so awesome. It’s all beaded and it’s super heavy but I love the vintage look to it. Unfortunately, it didn’t fit me right so I didn’t get it but it was still one of my favorite pieces from the collection.

Like the sandals pictured? I’m kind of obsessed with them…so I got ’em 🙂

Here are some more pieces from the collection…

Let’s start from the top. The distressed leather jacket is super cool and it’s another great piece to buy if the real version is not within your budget. It’s a great color and can go with everything.

The gold/bronze fringe dress is amazing but you definitely have to have a certain look/style to pull it off.

I loved the white dress because it has bell sleeves and I am a sucker for bell sleeves. The detailing along the neckline and the bottom of the sleeves makes the dress different and it’s a great blank canvas for some killer wedges and some statement earrings.

The denim dress in the middle does not look cute in the picture but it’s actually freakin FABULOUS in person. Unfortunately I am neither 5’11 nor am I a size 0 but if you are both of those things…this dress is perfect for you!

Those pants seem very MC Hammer but they’re actually pretty cool. I would definitely wear them to a music festival with a black flowy blouse and a fedora.

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Overall, I absolutely love this collection AND a portion of the proceeds go towards the fight against AIDS…it’s a win-win situation!

Keep in mind these are just some of the pieces from the collection…check out an H&M near you to see the full collection.

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So, what do you think of this collection? What are your favorite pieces? I’d love to hear from you!