Saturday, February 28, 2009

i'm bored


jade, post and entertain me. stat.

Monday, February 23, 2009

SUPER sunny obsession

italian eyewear line super's spring/summer 09 is sick.

Super is the first brand to introduce a line of bright fashion sunglasses that are manufactured at an incredibly high quality. They have Zeiss lenses which "guareantee an extremely high level of protection to the eyes in all conditions," says the Super website. Celebrities like Kanye, Daft Punk, The Kills, Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba and Valentino Rossi have all been spoted wearing these sick, sick shades.

Daniel and Simon Beckerman are the creators of SUPER and are also publishers of PIG Magazine, the most prestigious independent music and fashion magazine in Italy together with PIG Radio, one of the most infuential indie music web-radios on the net.\

SUPER unveiled their new Spring/Summer line, and I suggest you not only check them out but buy a pair. These trump ray-bans any day.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Having Fun Hurts.

Sitting here Sunday night reflecting on my weekend, I just realized I am freaking EXHAUSTED. Every inch of my body aches. My knees kill. My feet hurt to walk. My abs feel like I actually worked out. I have a red eye. And one of my fingers feels like it is about to fall off.

For the most part, these injuries were obtained through Purdue University Dance Marathon (an 18hr marathon benefiting Riley's children Hospital in Indianapolis) but surprisingly enough my friends actually endangered my health this weekend also.
Here's my story:

Saturday we played IU so I went and met up with my friends at a campus bar, Stack's. Well, one of my 'sassier' friends, Katelyn aka Rado was sitting next to me and we're goofing off. I try to pester her because she's a germaphobe and stupidly put my finger next to her mouth. Like a young puppy who doesn't know better, she bit it. It drew blood. I'm not even joking. All night my finger throbbed and it still hurts. Thanks Rado.

After this, we went to go get something to eat and Rado then proceeds to tell us that 'she's a peach' as in she's so sweet to anyone. The funny thing about this is that on the way to get something to eat, I go to change the song playing in the car and she fights me off by clawing my eye.

It looks worse today, trust me.

After that, I went to Purdue University Dance Marathon. Because I had been up all day I didn't make it to the 18 hour mark like I did last year which disapoints me. I had so much fun at the marathon, despite the fact that I was scaring everyone with my creepy devil eye.
The only drawback to this marathon is that you feel like utter shit for the next week. I literally woke up feeling sore all over my body with a strange pain in my right eye. Great.

Sleep is crucial to healing so I'm going to hit the hay and hopefully cure my poor body.

See ya cyber heads,
Jade B.

Totally myspace.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

personal happenings of Fashion Week

So, if you follow fashion, even the slightest, you would know that one of the two most sacred weeks of the year in New York City (America's fashion capital and headquarters) just came to a close. Yes, I'm talking about Fashion Week. There is so much build up to this week that occurs once in September previewing Spring fashion and once in February previewing fall. People travel from all over the world to attend runway shows, line representations and fashion events in one weeks time to see what designers have decided will be the leading trends and influences for the season to come. Last semester I jumped at the opportunity to dress models for Texas designer Abbie Ferrin's show sponsored by Elle Magazine and attended the Brian Reyes's tent event. Besides that, I really didn't do much for fashion week but watch the industry professionals around me run around like crazy people to attend as much as they possibly could.

Currently I am interning for Archetype Showroom, as mentioned in a previous post. Archetype represents many independent designers (men's wear, women's wear and accessories) for both showroom sales and PR. Some of these lines include men's brands: Corpus, bblessing and April77; women's brands: Hangst, Freemont, and Kaylee Tankus. We also carry footwear like 80%20 and Tristain Blair and jewelry by lines like Surface to Air and Digby & Iona. The way it typically works in the industry is a designer displays their line every season in a showroom. A store's representative, professionally known as a buyer, makes an appointment at the showroom to review the line and decide if it is the right merchandise for them to sell at their store. Archetype handle all the showroom sales for the designers that sign with the company and we also handle the press for the them. This means sending samples of each line to various magazines to get coverage in shoots, holding events and parties for industry professionals to view the collections and assuring we have representation during fashion week.

This semester, I approached fashion week in a different light. I realized as a college student studying fashion, this is the most amazing networking opportunity I might ever have. Therefore I threw myself at the mercy of the fashion gods and decided to not try to attend shows but volunteer and network as much as possible. I worked overtime at the showroom, helped at the Corpus representation event in the Bowery Hotel, and emailed past contacts to see if they needed any help during the week to prep for their shows. Last Saturday I help designer Brittany Pham of Freemont prepare her collection for women's market week. I edited her line sheets, steamed her clothing and sent out samples to Canada.
A photo of the final line up after the Corpus presentation
Sunday, I volunteered at the Brian Reyes showroom prepping clothing for his runway event at Bryant Park. I even fit Niia, an upcoming singer who was featured in Wycleff Jean's "Sweetest Girl" song who was attending the show and performing at the after party. Monday was the day of our Corpus event which involved me stuffing give-away bags, refining the guest list, steaming clothing, dressing models, and greeting guests at the door to confirm they were on the list. My most favorite guest in attendance, celebrity stylist Robert Verdi, was down to earth, polite and well dressed.
Niia (in white) during her fitting @ Brian Reyes
Tuesday morning brought about another fashion challenge; my first phone interview. Chicago designer Maria Pinto (most recently known for dressing power women like Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey) had responded to an email which I sent out over winter break expressing interest in working for her this summer. My strong point in the "job search" process is the interview. It is my opportunity to really sell myself and let the company know what I can bring to the table. But up to this point, these have always been face to face opportunities. The phone is totally different. You can't tell how someone is responding to what you are saying, you can't dress to impress and you can't look that person in the eye to show them your sincerity. As nervous as I was for the interview, it went great. I'll find out by the end of next week if Maria feels I'm a good match for her Chicago studio and I am keeping my fingers crossed. It would be amazing to work in a creative atmosphere close to home this summer, especially for someone who is really taking off and has such an eye for fit, embellishment and sexy femininity as Maria.


The last exciting thing to happen had nothing really to do with fashion. Above Archetype is a recording studio. Thursday after moving a bunch of clothing racks onto a Uhaul truck outside, Mary J Blige reentered the building with me heading up to the recording studio. I obvious freaked out and made pointless conversation with her about the weather, but needless to say a good celeb moment for me.

I think I am going to start doing more posts regarding fashion from here on out. quick posts.
things i think are cool and happening. talk soon everybody.

peace out from nyc
shana b.

Monday, February 9, 2009

Mo' Cheese, Mo' Problems

Kappa Kappa Gamma's meal schedule this week:
Monday: Lunch- BLT's, fries, & soup/Dinner- Hamsters, Caesar salad, green beans
Tuesday: L- Taco Bar/D- Hamsters (AGAIN) & white rice
Wednesday: L-Grilled Cheese, fries, and tomato soup/D- Pot roast, carrots, & potatoes
Thursday: L-Baked Ziti/D- Chicken Parmesean
Friday: L- FRIED FRIDAY/D- Coney dogs & tots

Drawbacks to living in a sorority, I guess... not vegan friendly that's for sure!
Plus for Vegans (especially Vegan Jades): I GET TO EAT TACO BELL!!

This big guy right here (minus the cheese and sour cream) is totally Vegan friendly. Thank goodness... I don't do well with out T.Bell. Call me gross, tell me the foods a grade above dog food, I don't care. I am in love with Taco Bell.
On the same website I found the T.B. news, it also had a listing of what I can have from various restaurants so when I eat out, I can still be Vegan friendly. It's call Vegan Eating Out and has proved to be really helpful with my merging of 'life styles', if you will.


On a different note, I'm thinking about volunteering for this organization called LUM. It's through the Purdue Panhellenic system and you go to different elementary schools across the Lafayette area and just hang out with kids and help them with homework. I remember when High School kids came to my elementary school when I was younger and I always thought they were so cool and huge (they looked like giants). I feel like being in college and in the greek system I lose sight of things a lot and need to step out of my bubble and see the world from a different point of view. What better way to start than with an elementary school kid's perspective? They probably have the simplest yet most creative way of looking at the world because for what they don't know, they just fill in the blanks with clues around them. I could really use some simpleness in my life, this could be a beneficial venture for me.

Just the random babble in my mind today. Off to study for my Western Renaisance art class!

Ta-ta from West La La,
Jade B.

my date with a hitman...

So I must say I had a rare occurrence on Sunday and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I'm not sure what to make of it all but it makes a somewhat entertaining story. I guess it all starts a week or so back. I had been at an after-party in a small club/bar called Le Royale After cracking a few jokes with the coat check guy, I realized the two bouncers were staring at my friends and me. We smiled and said hello and one grabbed my arm and told me he "hadddd to meet me." He handed me his card and informed me he was a promoter at that club as well as a popular spot in the meat packing district, Pink Elephant.

It's always nice to have a contact like this if you like going out to night clubs because all you have to do is show up and you are taken care of. And as I've said before, the recession is NOT helping my pockets. You typically have to text them earlier that day and they will tell you what time to show up - then from there you skip the wait in the line, skip the cover pay or bottle service charges, get to sit at a nice table/booth, get to meet some sometimes fabulous people and you drink for free. I really can't say i mind any of those things when I go out.

So Saturday night rolls around and I decided to use the card. The promoter informed me that he wasn't working that night but was hosting a party at his loft with a guest list of 200+ people. I figured it never hurts to make a few new friends so my room mate, Liz, and I hopped on the subway to check it out. Sure enough, outside of the loft alone were about 15 young, well dressed under 25ers either hailing cabs or who had stepped out of the party for a smoke. Once we got INTO the party we were amazed by how many people were there! It was an open bar, dance floor, dj, black tie event. Needless to say we started mingling. That night we talked to many people but I do remember one guy introducing himself to me near the DJ's table. We were interrupted when a friend of his grabbed his hand to start dancing with him. It didn't faze me as rude but he made it a point later in the night to come over an apologize for leaving so abruptly and asked for my number. I typically don't give it out but for some reason I felt he was a nice guy. He had mentioned he would love to get brunch Sunday and I said yes - really expecting it to fall through or not go.

Sunday rolls around and for whatever reason, I decide to met him for brunch. We do the whole reintroduction of ourselves. He is 24. Originally from South America. Moved to NY when he was young. An only child. He went to an all boys private school on the upper west side for high school and then attended Harvard to study economics. But when I asked him what he did now, he looked at me dead in the eye and said, "I kill people."

I laughed, and said - so what do you really do?
He continued looking me in the eye and said, "I like to be upfront with girls about this, and I don't want to go much into it, but that is what I do. It's a family business, and you can't leave that kind of family business." I laughed again but this time awkwardly, dropping the subject because I figured what he really did would eventually come out. The rest of brunch was filled with great conversation. He seemed to be a real gentlemen. He had great manners, was well spoken and traveled, cultured and interested in art and music. But whenever work would come up, he either wouldn't talk about it or continue this story of "that is what I do, it's a family thing." He mentioned it was his dad's side of the family and that his father didn't live with his Mother anymore.
Roosevelt Island (to the left Manhattan, to the right Brooklyn/Queens)
After brunch he asked if I had been to Roosevelt Island before and I said no. So he showed me the island for a few hours and his apartment he had there. It was an incredible apartment. Floor to ceiling windows everywhere. After that, I went home. I never felt unsafe or threatened. Before I left I asked what he was doing the rest of the day and he said maybe playing ball in the park, and that he 'didn't have to work,' "thank god."

So what happened? Did I go out to brunch with a hitman? Could this be for real? I don't know. He either is lying. Or he isn't. But either way....is either okay? And if it is true, can you be a good person in all aspects of your life, except for that?

could only happen in NYC.
best, Shana B.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

more than meets the eye.


Shana and I in a nutshell

As Shana has informed me, you write about yourself in your first blog. I have never really sat down and wrote about myself before so bare with me as I do my best.

A little background: I was born and raised in a bad ass little Southern California town called Glendora. My childhood consisted of In-n-out, Jr. All American Cheerleading, razor scootering around town, museums, writing (yes, I dabbled as a youngster), art, and DISNEYLAND. I then moved to Keller, Tx the middle of my freshman and sophomore year of high school. It didn't really seem that way then but now, it was probably one of the defining points of my life. Let's just say, Keller High for me consisted of: a whole new breed of girl friends, jealous older girls pulling Mean Girls style pranks, driving a 1978 Ford Pinto for the first 6 months of driving, crazy narrow minded conservatives, familiarization of the word 'frenemy' (friend plus enemy equals frenemy), and people that taught me a lot of important lessons that I have used today. I actually grew to love Keller, and occasionally, to my mother's surprise, get home sick from time to time.

HAHA... me as the Keller High School Mascot


Now: I am a junior at Purdue University and am currently CODO-ing into Selling and Sales Management in the Consumer and Family Sciences Department and I'm getting a minor in Art. and maybe Organizational Leadership Supervision... who knows. I have to stay an extra semester at Purdue which is bittersweet, but anything to delay the inevitable is A-Okay with me. I really would love to get into Advertising when I 'grow up' but work on the creative side of things. I haven't done all the cool professional stuff that Shana has done (yet), mainly because I'm stuck in this cow-town of West Lafayette, IN and aside from the Chipotle and Maru Sushi house, there's really not much goin down here.

'boilering up'... first days of Purdue


Right Now (na naaaa): I am really into finding new and interesting websites lately. Some of my current faves are CollegeHumor.com (they just got a new MTV show and if it's anything like their website, it's gonna be awesome), lookbook.nu (something to get my creative juices flowing and seeing how people dress around the world is so interesting to me), and tuckermax.com (guilty pleasure... he's hilarious and disgusting. Total guy humor so feminists beware). I am also into Blogging i.e. this new blog. I am also trying out veganism. I have yet to really crack down on it considering I eat ranch and sea food (and cheese only on sundays) but starting monday which is today, i guess, I'm going full out vegan-licious. can't wait! not.

Best picture I've ever taken.

Welp this is already too long and it's already too late so I'm going to sign out.

keep it real, homez.
Jade B.


Hello 2009.

Oh it happened.


taken @ the Met in front of The Temple of Dender
When jade first suggested a blog, she wanted it to be a vlog (for those of you not up to speed, it's a video blog). I loved the idea, but unfortunately my iBookG4 was a pre-camera mac and this recession hasn't exactly left me moneybags-mcgee. But needless to say, I agreed that a blog could be fun and a good way for me to stay connected with friends and family since I've moved to the big apple.

I am currently a junior in a joint education program with Purdue University and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). I am receiving a bachelors in Apparel Design and Technology with a Fine Arts minor from Purdue and an associates in Fashion Merchandising Management from FIT. I really have no idea what I want to do EXACTLY with this combination of interests but I have a feeling it will leave me with a somewhat decent job in the fashion industry and I think that would make me ultimatly happy....to be employed. Currently I am interning for a company called Archetype Showroom and Gallery with a focus in PR and Event planning, but I am also getting exposure to showroom sales and marketing. My third week begins tomorrow and I have already learned a great deal and can tell it is going to be an exciting semester there. Previously I intered at Kenneth Cole Productions for the women's design team and had an invaluable experience learning from them.

2009 is bringing a new outlook to a lot of things in my life. I am having a great time growing up and experiencing as much as humanly possible. I started the year in a conversation with my dad that was one of the best talks we've ever had. We talked about life, love and things to be lived by and shared with others. It was the first time my dad ever opened up to me about his religion, Zorastrianism. Prior to that talk he had never opened up about it much, perhaps because I was brought up in Christian faith. He told me that his religion is based on three ideals; Good thoughts, Good deeds and Good words. I decided to live my life by this incredible foundation and see where it takes me. I hope to share with you all my experiences in the city, my love of fashion and art, my take on the world and anything else that catches my interest.

I hope the new year finds you all well and I look forward to posting (as regularly as I can find time) in the near future :).
Best from NYC. Shana B.

New Fings

so this is our new blog. i wanted to use tumblr but shana made a good argument about using blogspot, so of course she got her way. some of our ideas for blog names were recessionsarefun, loveknowsnodistance, and NYCandLALAforme (shana's idea).

but basically this blog is for everyone's entertainment because we aren't currently in the same state, it makes it hard on people to enjoy our friendship... so go ahead now and enjoy it, you greedy bitches.

signing out,

Jade B.