BonBon!

Quality over Quantity Challenge

Living out of a suitcase for the better part of 2010 taught me an important lesson - I have too many clothes.

It is so easy to spend each season chasing the latest trends. If you are on a budget like I am, it is tempting to succumb to instant gratification, picking up several discount pieces at a time to satisfy that desire for newness. But as my closet has become more and more stuffed, I find I have less and less to wear.

I want to pare down my wardrobe, eliminating all duplicates, ill-fitting items, "what-ifs" and "somedays." I'm declaring a shopping moratorium on black, on polyester, on high street prints, on faux jewelry, on skinny jeans, on cheap cocktail dresses, on non-versatile tops and on ill-fitting "I'll have this altered someday" vintage finds.

Freeing up space in my closet and budget to purchase one or two quality pieces each season will allow me to expand my jewelry collection, refine my own style aesthetic independent of fickle trends, eliminate clutter and live comfortably in minimalist luxury every day.

I challenge all of you to shop mindfully as you enter the holiday season - quality trumps quantity any day, and those with limited budgets can afford quality too as long as you save impulse buys for the chocolatier instead of the department store.

 

November: Currently...

CURRENTLY...

Reading: 13 Bankers, by Simon Johnson and James Kwak

Craving: Caramel Apple Cider

Overwearing: Charles David black peeptoe pumps

Loving: Oversized cashmere sweaters

Planning: Post-graduation champagne celebration!

Tired of: Working 8am-10pm

Lusting for: YSL Iconic Arty cocktail rings

Trying to: Land a dream first job working for the Texas Legislature

Overwhelmed with: Fellowship applications

Writing: Senior thesis on China's domestic labor migration policy

Dancing to: Matisse ft. Akon, "Better than Her"

Eating too much: Oven-roasted broccoli with sea salt (it's addictive!)

Looking forward to: Christmas decorating!

Drinking: Half-caf Americanos by day, La Crema Pinot Noir by night

Thrifting for: Vintage wide leg designer trousers, gold statement bracelets

Saving for: Ticket to Dubai vacation

Missing: Snowy shearling-jackets-and-leather-boots weather

Crafting: airtight research abstracts, compelling personal statements

Resolutions

I've been staying very busy these past couple of days modeling at various Fashion Week events. Last night, I posed in a window on 2nd Street advertising Stacy Kenyon's Bandita Couture custom swimwear. I'm in LOVE with her styles - definitely going to order one to have for next summer!

Between Fashion Week, moving and a slew of internship interviews, I've barely had time to breathe since I arrived back in Austin. I'm having a blast, of course, but I can't wait to get settled into a saner routine. To mark a new beginning and get Fall started on the right foot, I'm starting a 2-week vegan, gluten-free cleanse on Monday. I already have my menu planned out. All that remains is to stock my fridge with healthy yummies to get me through the next two weeks. Can't wait! Check back soon for recipes and healthy eating tips.

Austin Fashion Week '10: Monday

 

 

I had a great time at jewelry designer Dean Frederick's "The Heist" party last night, featuring eats from Mulberry and Franks, Tito's vodka, a diamond giveaway, and live music by local greats The Soldier Thread and Quiet Company. I'm already so tired of little sundresses and tanks, so I instead chose this thrifted black jersey dress - lightweight enough that I didn't die from heat exhaustion, but still with a little more edge than a boho frock.

Also, check out this cute bag I found at - wait for it - Goodwill. It's a no-name brand, but is supple, buttery leather and I think it elegantly captures the current ladylike trend in bags. Check back soon for more of my latest thrift finds! ;)

Austin Fashion Week '10: Sunday

 

On Sunday, I had the pleasure of walking in the Keep Austin Beautiful show at the Austin Museum of Art, featuring pieces created with environmental sustainability in mind. My outfit - which also happened to be my favorite of the show - was the stunning "Systems Supernova" dress by designer Tina Sparkles, constructed from computer wire. It must have weighed at least 30lbs, but was extremely well-received by audience members and media alike! Here's an interview that aired on News 8 Austin - scroll to the bottom to the Tina Sparkles segment and take a look (or watch them all - all the participating designers had some really fabulous pieces on display)!

After the show (and a quick afterparty-slash-photoshoot at The Marq, which promises to yield some fun images), I headed over to Pearl Salon on 29th and West, where my lovely friend and ridiculously talented makeup artist Maris Malone Calderon and fabulous hairstylist Jen Hoover hosted their Zoolander party. Free Tito's vodka, cupcakes, and vibrant conversation made for a great afternoon. I've got a few pics to share, but realized belatedly that my temporary computer has no way to convert RAW to JPEG... so you'll have to check back soon for an update. ;) 

Bittersweet Farewells

 

With my last final turned in, graduation ceremonies completed, and Chinese-only language pledge lifted, it's almost time for me to head back to Austin. I have one more weekend here in Hangzhou with these beautiful ladies (I'm the black and white stripe-happy one in the center) before I hop on a plane in Shanghai, bound for Texas! Goodbyes are certainly bittersweet.

I will especially miss my ridiculously adorable roommate, Xiao Meng. (I will NOT miss the mosquitos. My dismay at yet another bite is evident in this scruffy shot, taken during an otherwise relaxing lakeside barbeque!)

Now, time to pack!

August To Do List

I am a master list maker. Writing things down is such a stress reliever, and a great way to stimulate creativity. Try it sometime (if you don't already)! I always have a Moleskine notebook on me just for jotting down thoughts, ideas, and most importantly, lists. Here's a little insiders peek at my August to dos!

HEALTH:
- Undertake a two-week vegan, alcohol-, caffeine-, refined sugar-, gluten-free cleanse diet to kickstart my fall healthy eating plan (after I get my fill of margaritas and queso, of course!)
- Buy Ballet Austin community school class card and take full advantage of their ballet, modern, dance fitness and yoga classes

BEAUTY:
- Go see Rahel at Topaz Salon for a mane makeover. My mom and I both adore her! Can't wait to get her help freshening up my hair.
- Stock up on late summer nail polish shades. I'm especially hoping to find a perfect salmon pink, muted lilac, and over-the-top glam metallic gold.

AT HOME:
- Get settled in my new apartment! Flip through old issues of Dwell and browse HGTV.com for design inspiration.
- Make travel photo prints. Matte and hang.

OUT ON THE TOWN:
- Check out Paggi House's Thursday night Summer of Sangria Reverse Happy Hour.
- Belatedly celebrate my 23rd birthday eating Wink Restaurant's to-die-for fois gras with my family.

ON MY BOOKSHELF:
- "Someone Knows My Name," Oprah Book Club recommendation (by Lawrence Hill)
- "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," in Chinese translation (by JK Rowling)
- "POE," trade paperback edition (by my dear friend J. Barton Mitchell, recently recommended by the legendary Stan Lee at Comic Con!)

EVENT CALENDER:
- Austin Fashion Week, Aug. 14-21 - GSD&M, the Long Center, various add. Check www.fashionweekaustin.com for details.
- Austin Fall Home and Garden Show, Aug. 27-29 - Austin Convention Center
- IAOHRA Annual Human Rights Conference, Aug. 31- Sept. 3 - Mobile, AL (Austin is hosting the 2011 conference!)

And most importantly, fly home from Shanghai to Austin! The prospect of seeing good friends and family, eating Tex Mex and swimming at Barton Springs is making me more excited by the day. But goodbyes will be bittersweet, even as I remind myself they are temporary and that I will stroll luxurious West Lake, travel backwater towns, eat morning baozi and enjoy Chinese hospitality again soon....

Forever Young

  

  I'm enjoying a lazy Saturday in my room, just catching up on celebrity gossip, drinking milk tea and flipping through the load of books I scored yesterday at the massive Hangzhou Foreign Language Bookstore. (Can I catch a break for reading Twilight if I'm reading it in Chinese translation? I can't understand "real" literature yet!)

I threw on this vintage Bob Dylan tee and flouncy black mini with a pair of sandals I picked up at the Beijing wholesale market and an amethyst necklace I made.

Which reminds me - I'm still on the hunt for the perfect amethyst cocktail ring. Tiffany has this gorgeous one, but at $800, it's just a tad out of my price range...  

Like my balcony? It's especially nice when it rains. Which it does, almost daily.

Happy weekend!

Announcing: Austin Fashion Week 2010!

   

 

Austin's second-ever Fashion Week is set for August 14-21, and I couldn't be more excited! Between planning my outfit for the kickoff party (Saturday, Aug. 14 at GSD&M's Idea City) and collaborating on some soon-to-be-announced mid-week events, I've kept myself busy to make the time pass quickly.

The official Participant List has just been posted. You can see my model alter ego here: Emily Brandt: Austin Fashion Week. Be sure to check out all the awesome retailers and salons, exciting emerging designers, and of course all the talented industry people participating this year. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone - and especially looking forward to giving you lovely readers the inside scoop on all the fresh new ideas coming out of Austin's burgeoning fashion scene! 

Austinites, buy your tickets now at http://www.fashionweekaustin.com!

Fall 2010 Shopping List

Drapey silk tanks

Oversized comfy slub tees

Menswear relaxed fit button-up shirt

Cream-colored brocade shorts

Gray tapered sweatpants (for lounging, or dressing up with heels)

Anthropologie flouncy, chunky knit cardigan

Gold boyfriend watch

Classic leather blazer

Vintage fur stole

Huge tribal print wrap/poncho

Signet ring

Heavy vintage necklace tangle

Caramel-colored Victorian-inspired heeled booties (a la Alexander Wang SS'10)

Black patent leather loafers

Large envelope clutch

Long sleeved jersey mini dress

Currant-colored nail polish

The perfect cocktail dress to start off Austin's gala season

Plus, I can't express how excited I am to reexplore my closet back in Austin after living with such a limited wardrobe these past 8 months!

What's on your list this fall?