Beautiful Women Edition ( 7th Issue ) - LaDorian

Anyone who ever dreamed to be a fashion designer? 

name: LaDorian Morris

age: 25 y/o

profession: Fashion Designer

nationality: African-American

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Current Company: Rocawear

INTERNSHIPS:

1. Barone

 in Florence Italy

(The company created leather Jackets and bags for men, women, and children.)

2. Bismarck Philips

 communications and media.

(One of the top Fashion PR companies.  Learned about PR and

backstage production process for Fashion shows during fashion week)

3. Rocawear

(Eventually became a paid intern.  Knowledge about the production process of

creating, organizing, selling, and distribution of a full collection that is sold nation wide)

This New York Fashion Designer

went to study for Fashion Design in College. 

What made her take fashion design courses?

  She has always been someone who was into art, fashion and anything

 that involved expressing herself through her creativity.

POTENTIALS and NON-POTENTIALS

IN FASHION DESIGN:

Potentials: - allows her to be creative             

 - able to do anything from Fashion Production to Design, Merchandising, Graphics. etc.

Non Potentials: - Everything is based on your talent and creativity.

- People's lack of interest in your product or service, makes it difficult to move ahead.

- When a company or an individual does not feel as though your creativity is worth spending money on,

 it makes things very difficult.

Her Advice FOR THOSE INTERESTED

 IN TAKING FASHION DESIGN:

(such as myself)

Many think they would like to pursue a career in fashion design and realize they just want

to be apart of the fashion industry and not necessarily designing.

Fashion design is very tedious and requires a lot of patience and attention to detail.

1. Educate yourself about the industry, like computer graphic skills

(Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator)

2. Go to  fashion school like Pratt, FIT, or Parsons.

                  3. Skills in hand sketch and creating flat sketches is sometimes required.

                4. Know the basics of sewing and construction of garments. 

                       5. Take the time to gain experience in all fields such as Fashion Merchandising,

                             Fashion Journalism, Styling, Fashion Production, Public Relations, and more.

                                                                             

                                                                      
Should anyone who wants to work in fashion have a formal fashion degree background?

There are some exceptions. But, because the industry, just like many others, is a very competitive industry, having a Fashion degree would be very important.

     Drum Dress by La Dorian        
                                 
Best experience while studying Fashion design:

An internship with an Italian company called Barone in Florence, Italy. I Studied Italian for the first 4 weeks and then 5 weeks of internship and had the option to redesign menswear bags.

                          
What is the best thing about NYC and Living in NYC?

I was born and raised in NYC. The best thing for me is being surrounded by so many different cultures, and people. It allowed me to be an open individual, and to learn about other nationalities and traditions, which also inspires me when it come to my creativity. 

                                      
Her motto and what she wants to tell women

 about fashion career:

"Know your craft and be the best you can possibly be at it. 
Figure out who you are as an individual,
know what will make you happy, and go after it."

   Her clothing has been featured on DOll House Magazine
 http://www.dollhousedmv.com/

  Also Voyage to Utopia's Blog    http://voyagetoutopia.blogspot.com/2010/11/interview-with-ladorian-morris.html

Blog:

La Dorian 

Dress Your Men: The Black Top

 Let's give a shot on men's fashion here!

The Main Outfit:  Black Long Sleeves Top

My brother Babehbiham sent me an e-mail to help him ensemble his outfit
with the black top available.  Here's what I did...

Two ways to use a black top:

images source: Google & various online stores

Wardrobe Post - Red Bow Tie

 

I have always wanted to wear a bow tie but I could'nt find one for women.  I got a bow tie for men

which I kept and was very nicely tailored, but I decided to create my own.  I asked my mom

 to make some bow ties for ladies, and this one which I am wearing is one of her handmades.

~ HISTORY OF BOW TIES ~

 A. Did you know that in the 17th century  during the Prussian wars,

Croatian mercenaries would wear colorful ‘scarves’ around their necks

 to denote rank and distinguish officer from enlisted man ?

B. The French, who were fighting alongside the Croats, who were mightily impressed,

 took this idea with this fashion innovation,; adopting it as their own.

C. These  neck adornments were called ‘cravats’, and became quite the rage among

the upper crust of French society. Whether or not these cravats first spawned the bow tie,

and then the straight tie, or the other way around is not known.

D. In general, there are two types of neckties, the bow tie and the straight tie.

 

        (source: Bows 'N Ties )

I sell a few on my Etsy store, and I still have some more smaller sizes that I needed to finish attaching some clips.  We started from the plain designs for now.  All these are hand washable and made of silk.

This baby here is my son, he was 10 months in this photo, he is turning 1 year on April 18th!

(Vintage top, vintage steal from husband vest, Attic Memoirs bow tie,

costume tights, vintage hat, vintage earrings, vintage rings, Ebay glasses,

Chaps hand bag, Jeffrey Campbell oxfords )

Kitchen Weekender: Grilled and Steamed

I am going out of town today, I just want to leave a quick post

of what I cooked for the weekend!

Remember, a fashionable lady should also be eating healthy

 just as she can buy clothes and shoes!

Grilled Pork Chops - with no fats

Marinated overnight with Carribean Jerkey, pepper, paprika, wine and Jack Daniels barbeque sauce.

(They do not sell fats in the grocery stores here in Oregon unless you go to the butcher.)

Steamed Vegetables

in butter, celerey salt and peppers - no oil

( Zucchini, beans, cabbage, red bell peppers, white onions and chayote)

Plus RICE...

and a glass of Pinot Grigio white wine

Enjoy the last Spring Break WEEKEND !

Shopping Guide: Business / Formal Dinner / Fashion Week

History: The Long Lost Nike Waffle Iron

Nike and Me

I am a big fan of Nike, one of my New Year's resolutions is to acquire one pair every month (which I posted here before).  It is like a pledge.  When my husband told me the story of how Nike was invented, that was how I fell in love with Nike.

Aside for the fact that I am an Oregonian, and the Nike main headquarters is located here in Beaverton, Oregon.... Nike tends to be a point of local lore, and pride, often verging upon the realm of legend.  I told a friend how I collect Nike, and guess what? She told me on the phone that she was also buying Nike shoes! 

( I don't like to be imitated but sometimes, imitation means you have a fan.)

THE DISCOVERY

OF THE WAFFLE IRON

On March 1, 2011, a news article that caught my eye was within the headlines of The Oregonian newspaper. The article trumpeted the recent discovery of the waffle iron that originally shaped Nike's very first pair of  shoe soles and how it was recovered from the garbage pit of time!  How did it happen?

The family Bowermann (who's deceased grandfather, Bill Bowermann invented the soles of Nike in 1971), were constructing a new carport on their property when one day, Tom, (Bill's grandson) dug a hole and saw a bunch of garbage in a pit.  He went through them and one of those things found were the old waffle iron and an old Nike shoe which Mrs.Barbara Bowermann, Bill Bowermann's wife threw away decades ago. 

(image taken by Dear Girl from the newspaper)

Since my husband went to University of Oregon in college, he told me that before Nike's existed, there were only Chuck Taylor's available in the stores.  In the 1970's and onward the University of Oregon was THE center of the track universe in America.  Mr. Bowerman, the track and field coach at the  University of Oregon at that time wanted a shoe that could grip equally on grass and bark dust . Coach Bowerman soon discovered that such a performance shoe with the demanding sole that he required was not commericially available.  Therefore, Coach Bowermann one day used some polymer resins to make a urethane that he poured upon his perplexed wife's waffle iron, and created the shoe sole that would change the world.  Thus on that day the first Nike sole was made and an empire was given birth! 

NIKE - THE BIRTH & THE PRESENT

Phil Knight is Nike's well known business and marketing genius, a native Oregonian, he ran track for coach Bill Bowerman when he attended the University of Oregon. (Together they would eventuallly co-found Nike to sell the uniquely modern  waffle sole that Bowerman had invented.)

To this day, Nike provides all sports gears - clothings, gear and shoes - for the Oregon Ducks gratis and free, along with a host of other paid sponsorship deals, to the point that there is no doubt as to whose teams these really are and who leads the sporting world in fashionable gear.

"Nike" was the name of the Greek winged goddess of victory, and  was commericially applied to shoes by Jon Johnson, a  friend of Phil knights.. Prior to that change Nike was "Blue Ribbon Sports" from 1968 until 1974 when Nike officially became Nike, Inc.

Today, because of the graittude Phil Knight has for the educational and commericial start he received from the University of Oregon, the university is home to some of the most fashionable, cutting edge and well-designed uniforms in all of football. Simply the way they dress has as much media and societal impact as the way they play football....all courtesy of Phil Knight and Nike, Inc.

(Rachel Bachman, a journalist from The Oregonian, was the original printed source that tipped me off to this story and I thank her for that.)

Wardrobe Post - Spring Petals

Hi!!  Everyone .....ready for spring!?  I bet so..!  It is amazing how time changes here in United States

(Daylight Savings) where an hour is deducted whenever spring arrives.  Spring is a time of

budding and blossoming, where in it derives its' association with rebirth. 

In as winter is a time of dying , and as Lent is traditionally seen,

after that comes the spring of Easter - the resurrection, the blossoming of flowers.

( Target lace dress, vintage scarf made to belt, Sears tights, brooch from Missouri Historical

 Museum gift shop, vintage rings, necklace from sister-in-law,

Attic Memoirs flower girl headband, BCBG shoes)

I will have to share with you these flowers, not only as they appear  in the spring time,

but they are also believed to be magical !

Crocus: This flower is one of the first you'll see in the spring, and it's often associated

 with newly blooming love. The crocus is also known to enhance visions and bring about intuitive dreams.

The rare and exotic spice Saffron comes from the hand picked stigmas of this flower.

Daffodil: The bright petals of the daffodil are typically found in shades of white, yellow or even pale orange. The daffodil is associated with love and fertility -- place fresh ones in your home to bring about abundance. Wear this flower close to your heart to draw love and luck.

Dandelion: The leaf of the dandelion is used for healing, purificaiton, and ritual cleansing.

To bring positive change about, plant dandelions in the northwest corner of your property.

 The bright yellow flowers can be used in divination, or placed in a sachet

to draw good energy your way. My husband has even made a sweetly bitter wine

 out of the Dandelion flower.

Echinacea: Also called "Purple Coneflower", this garden mainstay adds a little bit

of magical "oomph" to charms and sachets. Use Echinacea for prosperity related workings.

Burn the dried flowers as an incense, and for use on an altar as a ritual offering to the deities.

Goldenseal: This sunny yellow flower is often found growing in the wild,

alongside roads and in fields. Use it in money spells, or for business dealings.

Work Goldenseal into charms connected to matters of financial gain or legal issues.

 Utilize it as a cleanser of the blood.

Hibiscus: This lusty flower incites passion -- use it to attract love or lust, or for prophetic dreams

about your lover. Burn Hibiscus as an incense, or carry in a sachet to bring love your way.

Hyacinth: This flower was named for Hyakinthos, a Greek divine Spartan hero

who was beloved by Apollo, so it's sometimes considered the patron herb of light and the sun;

truth and prophecy.Carry Hyacinth in an amulet to help heal a broken heart

or to ease grief when a loved one dies.

Lily: The Easter lily or Tiger lily is associated with all kinds of Spring connections

-- fertility, rebirth, renewal and abundance.

Narcissus: Named for its namesake from Greek mythology, the Narcissus

helps promote polarity and harmony.

Its calming vibrations bring about tranquility and inner peace.

Tulip: The tulip appears in many different colors and varieties, but is typically

connected to prosperity. You can use the different colored variations in color magic --

 use a dark strain such as Queen of the Night for full moon rituals, or bright red flowers for love magic.

Violet: In Roman myth, the first violet sprung from the spilled blood of the god Attis, who killed himself for Cybele, the mother goddess. However, today the violet is associated with tranquility and peace.

The leaf offers protection from evil, and can be sewn into a pillow or sachet for a new baby.

Carry the petals with you to bring about luck and enhance night time magic.

Flower girl headband @ Attic Memoirs

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source: About.com

P.S.  I am so glad that my friend Dana of StyleMeFab who was in Japan during the tsunami survived and was safe, and probably enjoying her new place now in London.

Nothing To Wear

Look what I found at my favorite antique store down town.

This is a porcelain china dress form mannequin figurine that is absolutely antique and beautiful. 
It has a necklace, and a slip with shoulder straps and a bow and embroidery on the chest. 
 Pretty as it is, I did not buy it. I try very hard to not be an impulse buyer!

It always takes me a hundred times to dream and think about a thing I truly want before I buy them.

It costs $18.00. 

 

I am sure you feel the same way,

this porcelain made figurine speaks right to me.

          This is how I always feel whenever I look at my closet.

Happy Weekend!

Dear Girl Reads: Curing the Blues with a New Pair of Shoes

The book cover and the title alone would probably race your fashion spirits up,

 authored by Dixie Cash, Curing the Blues with a New Pair of Shoes!

Basically, this is a story about comemorating the King of Pop, Elvis Presley at a festival held in Texas, specifically in the town of Salt Lick.  The novel never talked about fashion, I will be blunt,

it doesn't make sense with the title, from first page to the very last page...

 

The story was not interesting to begin with.  The actual solving of the crime of the stolen Elvis shoes was not mentioned once after the initial 1-2 pages until frusratingly, the last 1 or 2 pages of the novel. 

But if you are a Texan, this might be interesting for you, in that it talks about cops lives, salon life,

some old fashioned match making and the festival.

Anyway, it is up to you to judge this novel, but if you seek my opinion or not, here it is...

" To begin with, holding a woman hostage and harassing that very same lady twice in the story

was not to my feminist liking. Secondly, I never liked the gratuitous use of the "F-Bomb"

in print or real life and this novel proceeded to use it hundreds of times....

If you need an occasional  laugh, possibly you seek an old time cowboy inflected conversation, or if you have always had a desire to discover a little literary bit of Texas...you may give this novel a try....otherwise......?

The novel had no real appeal throughout and I only completed the reading out of curiosity. 

I am torn because I realize I am openly and honestly showing my overall pessimistic view of  this novel, but I must also admit that I did read in this novel a few favorite lines of prose that continue to be memorable.....

________________________________________________________

* Sports was a universal language.  No matter where a guy

found himself, armchair coaches

were always present with plenty of opinions.

* While looking good on the job was important,

so was having money in the bank.

*... her high heels sinking into the gravel. 

Thank God she had worn cheap shoes.

*"They learn that in school, "Avery said.  "It's part of

a child safety.  That's what they supposed to yell

when they're approached by a stranger."

*  Most women Sam knew would shriek at being caught

with wet hair and no make-up, but Avery seemed unconcerned."

---------------------

 

 What can you say, would you read this book?

Or would you like to keep the cover story?

I am giving away 1 brand new copy of this, if interested,
tell me why you seriously wanted this book.

Give-Away Winner Announced

Thanks for everyone who joined my Birthday Give-Away, I got 25 comments, 14 entries, 

but only 7 qualified by following very close to the rules and expressing their desires and efforts. 

 (No one did it perfectly)  If I do not have the rules I could have entered all fourteen!

The feeling of the first give-away is not easy, there's a little ache in me saying I

wanted everyone who showed their desire to own it, but there is only one winner.

Thank you for all who supported my blog and liked my facebook.

Congratulations to the winner! I hope you will treasure this,

this is the first painting that I will give to anyone in the world.=)

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7 Qualified Candidates

1.Karl Jacobson in Fb (Azephead blog)- USA

2. Cammie Walden in Fb ( A Woman's Right to Shoes blog) London

3. Alix McShane in Fb (plus blog repost) (Fashion Philadelphia blog) Liverpool

4. Bianca Stanley in Fb (Miss Bias blog) Australia

5. Jenna Nolten in Fb(Jenna Nolten blog) Netherlands

6. Dana (plus blog repost) (StyleMeFab blog) Japan

7. Tiyagong Bayawak in Fb( Writing Down My Emotions blog) Philippines

My 40-Day Favorite Bloggers Posts

My first "40-Day Favorites" list ranged from last December 15  through January 23, 2011, at which point, I featured my first batch of "40-Day Favorites" here.  Now comes the "40-Day Favorites II" (second post)....

As I read through other bloggers....newly met....stumbled upon, or just in my daily contacts with my web bound friends...I always save something that I may eventually place upon my budding "40-Day Favorites" list.  What made me "favorite" them?  In most cases, it is in the site creators content and knowledge, their sense of helpfulness and the sites overall healthiness.  Do they provide the interesting facts that grab the reader's rapt scrutiny?  Are their digital offerings THE haven where you can safely put your emotions and opinions that every reader always brings with them?  Well, ....to me the following are ones that meet that criteria and consequently are also the ones I recommend  that everyone should watch, read and enjoy.

January 20, 2010
Female Life by Shybiker

This blogger named Ralph, has his regular "Basis of Female Life" questions post that you can participate, just like in a forum and share how you feel being a female in certain ways or experiences.  You get to know other women, too, who were participating in this post and it is fun to know what all of your differences are and how you take and handle them in the process.  For me, this is one of the outlets of my feelings. 

This is a good form of exercise as well.

 

February 18, 2011
Kimora Simmon's Closet by StyleMeFab

Is'nt this photo everybody's dream?  The shoes, the beautifully furnished interiors...oh my g**....

I just love every second of this !  I dream of having this closet solely to be my personal room for "Everything"!  What do you think?

February 20, 2011
Trouble Sleeping? 5 Foods That Will Help You Sleep by StyleMeFab

I know, I have chosen 2 interesting blog posts from Dana the author of the same blog, StyleMeFab. 

I bet ( like most of us bloggers), we all have so many subjects and thoughts constantly going on in our brain that we have to eventually chase down and post. Sometimes, I can not sleep, when I naturally am thinking about my next post and it makes me uneasy at times in bed when I just lay there.  At times, while laying there at night, I tend to think my next post is my ONLY problem.  They say when a person perceives they have problems, real or not,...they may not sleep well.  Uhmmm..Well with that said....so.....if you for any reason find you need to locate a potential path to naturally sleep, read this blog and try the 5 foods! 

February 25, 2011
Once Upon A Time by Blog is the New Black

This blogger shared a link about Camilla Morton's fashionable books and her new book  'Christian Lacroix And The Tale Of Sleeping Beauty'   It is a fanciful tale reminiscant of Sleeping Beauty, with French designer Lacroix as the prince who  traces his career from his early days in haute couture to the opening of his own fashion house - in short it is a designer and fashion themed fairy tale.  She also recommends this book as a nice gift for a daughter {if you have one}.  It is a nice chance to share your love of the fashion world with a young girl at an early age  =).  I would definitely read Camilla's Morton's other books too!

March 3, 2011
Escape to Paris for the Weekend? by Women of Style and Spirit

Paris anyone?  Thanks to Rachel for feauturing her suggestions to make your stay in Paris enjoyable! 

All the stuff you need to know from places to stay, to places to eat and visit, places to shop,

places to indulge and even how to achieve the Parisian  look!

March 7, 2011

Sexy Simone by Starview Sonnet

 Isn't this beautiful??  She's "Symone", a handcrafted dress form made of door knob crown and embellished in a French theme.  Cori,  the author of this blog, also makes and sells customized dress forms, decorative art works and revised/refinished pieces of old furniture . If you love interior design and antiques, I wouldn't think twice about visiting her blog!  I also featured her here before.

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Which of these favorites of mine you think you're most likely interested to read and why?