STYLE: October Fashion Editorial - Black Metal Chic

 I absolutely LOVE this time of year! The trees are gorgeous with their fiery leaves, the air is a little more crisp, and there's a mischievous sense of anticipation with Halloween slowly creeping upon us. The entire month of October provides plenty of opportunity for us to transform and becoming someone (or something) else, all in the name of being festive. There is something fearless and daring about the way people dress for Halloween; some like to be super sexy, others like to be humorous, and some like to be terrifying.  Why can't we take the same risks that we do during the Halloween season, all year around but on a much less extreme basis?  Local designer, print maker and crafty queen Adrienne Rozzi's line, Poison Apple Printshop, is a prime example of that type of risk.  Highly influenced by the Norwegian death metal scene, she takes simple pieces and transforms them into wickedly amazing metal-chic outfits.  Her patchwork and screen printing provoke taboo and strange ideas that haunt you far after you've witnessed her clothing. We took the risk of painting the models faces death-metal style and shot in broad daylight into dusk at the beautiful Allegheny Cemetery. A lesson to be learned from Ms. Rozzi: be bold and daring, and never be afraid to take a risk every now and then.                     Happy Halloween!

STYLE: ULTRAVIOLET Fashion Show Features Top PGH Designers

In the height of Pittsburgh's 3rd Annual Fashion Week, came Keith Bloom and Donovan Wilburn's ULTRAVIOLET fashion show.  Both experts in fashion and equally creative, the duo set to to produce the most professional, high-end fashion show the city has ever seen - and boy did they live up to it! Set at the new Cavo Lounge in the Strip District, Ultraviolet featured some of Pittsburgh's newest, hottest upcoming clothing lines such as Highway Robbery, Clothes Minded, Chloe Chic Dresses, Boutique la Passarelle, Roberta Weissburg Leathers, Timebomb, Streetheart, and of course the much anticipated line by Keith Bloom - In Bloom.
     Each one of the collections was far from what you would expect from the ordinary Pittsburgh fashion show - there were no fanatical,  re-made jerseys, no black and gold t-shirt dresses or bejeweled team hats, this was a sophisticated and very polished show.  Ultraviolet opened up with darling dresses by Chloe Chic making a slight wink towards retro shapes, Peter Pan collars and feminine allure.  Clothes Minded was refreshing in a sense that it showed a large amount of men's fashion - beautiful boys in oversized t-shirts with intricate shredding and day-glo splattering paired with good ol' blue jeans and cowboy boots - very urban cowboy!  The always classy Boutique la Passarelle oozed modern femininity with hi-lo cut sweaters, a beautiful tweed dress suit, lots of silky textures and plenty of ruffles and floral prints.  Finally, In Bloom by Keith Bloom was an amazing collection that dripped with sexuality and class at the same time - long, sleek lines fit perfectly for the body, sophisticated, clean prints and patters, and an Egyptian-style dress that I just can't stop thinking about!  Bloom and Wilburn both were in great spirits before, during, and after the show, there are the definition the type of team that makes for a great fashion house.  I'm excited to see what they have in store for the future!

Back to School for Grown Ups - 6 Ways to Have A Fresh Fall Start

Back to School for Grown Ups

Fall has a magical way of allowing us a fresh start, to re-boost our energy, and shake off the summer laziness.  This probably comes from the feeling we got as kids during the back-to-school time of the year when the anticipation of new teachers, new friends and a new "year," provided a novel and comforting feeling.  Although the days of recess, sitting at squeaky desks and note taking are over, we adults can still celebrate our own "new year" with little back-to-school styled upgrades and changes to sharpen our minds and bodies for the months to come.  Here are six A-plus ways to restore that old back-to-school feeling!  Class is in session!

STYLE: Girl Power: JAZMEEN brings "The Lady" back for Fall 2012

     Just when I thought summer's boho-futuristic looks - with its flowing sheer skirts and mermaid colored ombre-hair - was going to tragically bleed into the fall/winter season, along came JAZMEEN.  The launch of fashion designer, Jazmin Jackson's line JAZMEEN, promises cleaner silhouettes and a more refined look for the colder seasons.  JAZMEEN's Fall 2012 collection steer's clear of the past season's loose grungy looks and reestablishes a very novel idea - dressing like a lady.

    The Fall 2012 collection is all about old school nostalgia, bold colors and embracing the female figure.  Crayon colored flared pants took the runway with skin tight turtle necks and groovy silk blouses for a sexy retro-working girl vibe. Flirty high-waisted pencil dresses and a charming classic a-lined dress - a la Audrey Hepburn in Funny Face - made a sassy debut for the fall.  The collection is timeless, fun, elegant and sensible for the professional girl.

10 Ways to Experience August in Pittsburgh

I always find it hard to say good-bye to summer - I tend to get "summer sick" in the dead cold months of winter when it's not as fun to be out and about.  Therefore, I am all about making this last month of the official summer season one to remember by enjoying and experiencing all the wonderful events and talent we have in Pittsburgh. I hope this post brings a couple good memories, some fun times, and maybe even introduces you to something new - either way don't forget to slow down for a second and really savor the summer; be it at an outdoor event, sipping drinks with your friends on the porch, listening to great local music, or just enjoying a lazy day by the pool in the last bit of "pool weather" of the year -you know you're going to miss it!