February 7, 2015

080 Barcelona Fashion Week Review.


Barcelona is a capital of fast fashion with being a home of Inditex (Zara, Massimo Duti, Bershka etc.) as well as Desigual and Mango so it's normal that these brands take head spot and a lot of media attention during their traditional 080 Barcelona Fashion event. 

This local fashion week is taking place twice a year and it is largely sponsored by the city of Barcelona but it also attracts local corporate sponsors like water Solan de Cabras (served for free by a super cute hosts in matching white shirts and blue pants), coffee, beer and make up companies like Mac. In comparison to Paris, London or Milan Barcelona is as urban but when it comes to local fashion designers there seems to be a lot of hippy, artesian and indie kind of designers most of whom are struggling to compete with fast fashion brands and not really finding a local clientele.
 

DESIGNER FASHION SHOPPERS IN BARCELONA

Fashion shoppers in Barcelona are used to cheap mass market clothing and struck by a huge local unemployment rate are not willing nor able to shop a bit more pricey (but often better in quality) designers brands which was reflected on the sales results of 080 Barcelona Fashion Market.

 My favorite items to shop in Barcelona are leather goods like boots and purses as they are usually made out of great quality locally sourced leather and with high level of craftsmanship so if you find yourself in this beautiful Gaudi's city, be sure to invest in a great quality locally made leather piece. 

Working for as a co-owner of e-commerce boutique @Trendcy and being in a role of a both seller at 080 Barcelona Fashion Market and a buyer looking to network and recruit local designers I found that very little or no designer (even young ones) speak English which also presents a problem for them when trying to reach out and sell outside of Spanish speaking area.

EVENT ORGANIZATION

080 Barcelona Fashion organizing team did a beautiful job using the gorgeous historic Maritim Museum venue for all of the activities surrounding the runway shows. They organized a fashion summit, photography masterclass, gorgeous Celia Vella exhibition and many others. 

There was plenty of free water, coffee and drinks to go around as well as free wifi and electronic charging stations. Advertising and marketing for the event around the city was done really good with great visibility. Unfortunately not many tourists seem to have visited the 080 Fashion Market most likely because of the horrible weather we had here last couple of days.



The great thing about 080 Fashion Market for designers who were presenting was that it was a great opportunity to present their work to potential buyers of local boutique stores and create connections with factories, other designers, media and bloggers.

WHO CAME TO THE SHOWS?

When it comes to fashion shows there seem to have been a whole lot of very young people, almost teenagers in attendance as well as media representatives, company sponsors and bloggers, while much less fashion buyers both for online and offline boutiques but I am sure that as times go by and this event becomes more well known globally, there will be more international buyers in attendance as well.This fashion event is where I saw the most men in skirts and heels and they could actually walk in them!

DESIGNERS SHOWING

It was refreshing to see a fair number of great quality mens designer collections like Pablo Erroz, Edgar Carrascal, Isometric, Josep Abril, Miguel Suay, Modafad, Torras and Georgina Vendrell. In comparison to other mens fashion weeks around the world I feel like in Barcelona we've seen the most wearable collection with rich selection for different type of men including athletic, casual and dressy looks for men and boys of all ages.

Torras

Overall, attending 080 Barcelona Fashion in my roles as exhibitor, buyer and a blogger was a great experience, I really think that craftsmanship in fashion really came to show both in fashion shows and looking at young designers showing at Fashion Marketplace. I'm looking forward to create relationships with all of the talented designers from Barcelona and work with them in my Trendcy role. Can't wait for the next event in Fall!
 

XoXo

 
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January 30, 2015

Chanel's Divine Flower Fantasy.

Photos: www.style.com

According to The Cut's review of Chanel's Couture show couture shows continue to "sell an ineffable dream" to commoners who will never be able to purchase and wear these mesmerizing but every season more normcore in terms of wearability clothing pieces. 

Karl Lagerfeld scened his show in fairy-tale like garden rich in which models took a casual stroll like Alice in Wonderland wearing intricate assembles of clothing equally rich in flower appliqués.

I personally look forward to Paris Couture shows year to year because for me they are a source of inspiration, an opportunity to dream. Every year I take bits and pieces I see and try to incorporate them in my look, this is what couture stands for for 'fashion masses' as buying and wearing is reserved for a selected few. 

From this particular show I will try to reinterpret shoulder flower puff and bottom of the skirt flower appliqués for upcoming Spring. I also like how wide A-line skirt suit with side cut button closure looks like. 

From season to season Karl Lagerfeld is adding young millennial normcore touch to Chanel's couture collections while not compromising in art and craftsmanship department. From last season's flip flops and sneakers to this years sports wear inspired but still classic Chanel two piece white and black suit and young and chic beekeepers hats embellished with rich flower appliqués. Seems like these new wearable couture pieces are ready for their millennial clients. 







How did you see this season's Chanel couture collection?

Bloom on ladies!

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January 27, 2015

Simpe Sausage, Arugula and Ricotta Rolls.



I found this puffy pastry recipe on Pinterest and planned to give it a try but never did. Usually I use puffy pastry to make ham and cheese or Nutella croissants when my boyfriend and I plan to watch a movie or a favorite TV show. I try to make bake goods at least 3-4x a week as my boyfriend is so happy when he comes home and whole house smells like warm cookies, bread or any other pastries. 
This is one of the easiest and most delicious of pastry goods we tried! It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and bake these rolls. You can eat these as breakfast, snack but it's also a great finger food to greet friends. 

First time I made these I didn't roll the dough tightly enough so they fell a part a bit while baking, next time I made a dough just a bit thicker, layered filling evenly and rolled the dough tightly and the rolls came out picture perfect and were soooo delicious! 


INGREDIENTS:
2 purchased puffy pastry rolls (cut in square) or make your own puffy pastry
Thin sliced 10 pcs of large chorizo or other (non-spicy) sausage
1 Ricotta cheese (200-300g) or you can substitute with fresh goat/cow cheese
1 bag of arugula (you can also use spinach)
1 bunch of small basil leaves 
1 egg yolk
Salt & pepper 

PREPARATION:

Heat up the oven to 180C or 350 F. Roll out the dough to about 3-4 mm thin, generously spread over ricotta cheese, sprinkle salt. Spread the sausage slices over the ricotta cheese, spread the arugula leaves over the sausage slices and add basil leaves. You can also add a bit of grated cheese to taste. Roll the dough end to end tightly and close the end of the dough to keep ends of the roll closed. Use very sharp knife to cut the roll in even 1 cm pcs. squeeze each piece gently together to form a tight roll and place it gently on baking paper sheet on warm tray. Beat the egg yolk and brush it over the rolls. Place rolls into the oven to bake for about 20 min or a bit less (check occasionally to see when the bottom of the rolls is blush pink in color.


Enjoy! 

Please come back to comment and let me know how it came out for you! Would love to hear it!


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January 25, 2015

Hats have made a big come back!


I always loved wearing hats, not caps and beanies but proper wool round lady hats and already have a nice collection of wool hats for Winter and Fall and beautiful straw hats for Summer. This post goes to this mysterious, nostalgic but ohhh so romantic and fabulous piece of clothing. A properly styled hat makes any outfit more chic and lady like.

It's not only important how you style your hats but also how you care for them and how you pack them.  If you love hats but don't know how to wear them and where to get them, this post is for you! 

One doesn't need a special occasion to wear them, you can wear hats every day as they protect your face from damaging effects of sun and you don't even need to wear make up if you don't want to.

HOW TO CHOOSE A HAT FOR YOUR FACE SHAPE?

My face is somewhere in between oval and round so I wear floppy hats and fedora hats mostly both for cold weather in wool and for Summer in straw. I don't really like to wear sports hats and fur cossacks, well...in general I don't like fur and rarely even wear faux fur.
 

HOW TO STYLE A WIDE BRIM HAT?


Woven hats look great as part of casual outfit worn with distressed jeans, white blouse and sneakers or flats or a with a flowy patterned sun dress. Wide-brimmed hats in color look great when combined with all black outfit. They take a spot light and pick up the whole outfit. Floppy flat hats in burgundy, black or camel look great as part of Fall outfits worn with poncho, jeans and thigh high boots.  Beret looks great with men's inspired look. Make a statement, be brave and combine your big straw hat for a fancy event or a wedding together with gorgeous fitted silk floral cocktail dress.

Major no-no is wearing a hat that doesn't fit (just like any other piece of clothing) or matching it to perfectly in color with the rest of your outfit. Be sure to have your hat fitted if you are investing in it and buying it from hat maker. If you are buying your hat from a fast fashion store, rather don't get it if it's to small or to big.


HOW TO STYLE YOUR HAIR WHEN WEARING A HAT?

Whenever I am wearing a hat I wear my long hair down, I french braid it or I just do a regular side braid with a couple of hair strands hanging messy on a side, I just curl them a bit with hair iron. Important thing for me is to spray my hair against static especially if it's the day when I just washed it. 



HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HAT?

STRAW HAT: For oily stains, sprinkle the stain with cornstarch or talcum powder to absorb the oil. Leave it for a few hours and then brush away. To remove perspiration stains, wipe the area with a wet cloth as soon as possible to prevent body salts from staining the straw. Allow the hat to air dry completely before wearing it again. Always store your hat covered to prevent it from crushing and dust getting to it.

WOOL HAT: To remove oily stains from hair products, lotions or body oils, sprinkle the stained area with cornstarch or talcum powder to absorb oils. Allow to sit for at least a couple of hours and then brush away. Do not use liquid cleaners on the hat unless the fibers are synthetic. You can use a bit of mild detergent (I use the one for delicate clothing) mixed with water on a clean, white cloth to spot treat stains. Store your fedora in a covered hat box to prevent dust settling onto the hat. Store upside down to prevent the brim from becoming misshapen.



DID YOU KNOW?


- Elisabeth I had a law according to which every person older than 7 years had to wear a cap on Sundays and holidays.
- Fedora was first a women’s hat than men’s. Now it is both.
- In 1920s there was an odd custom in America that it was common that if people wore straw hats after the 15 September they were beaten up.
- Panama hat has never made in Panama. It is made in Ecuador.
- Those who supply men’s hats are called hatters while those who supply women’s hats are called milliners.
- There is still a law in Kentucky that forbids a ma to buy a ten gallon hat if his wife is not present to assist in choosing a model.

GET YOUR NEW HAT HERE: 

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January 20, 2015

What's your fitness routine?


It's January 20th and I am 'still' keeping up with one of my New Years resolutions - I am working out regularly, which means 3-5x/week. So far, so good.  

Even though I was a professional athlete back in the days (read back in early 20's) and I was on a very strict daily workout and nutrition regiment (I played basketball for professional team and later on for university team in US) it's as hard for me as for anyone else to get my ass up and go to the gym or workout at home. 

I have absolutely no excuses for not working out, the one I use most often is that I don't have time due to busy work schedule but we all know that once you make something a priority you also find time for it no matter what (and health should be one of the top 2 priorities of every person hopefully). 

Read my older blog post titled "1...2...3..Work It Out!"  to see what are the top 3 things one needs to have to get back to working out.
  
One of the most important things at the beginning, when you are just getting back to your workout routine is to start with small steps cause you don't want to overdo it at the beginning and give up fast.

MY WORKOUT ROUTINE

Currently I workout 5 times a week, one day I go to gym and next I work out at home. Since it's cold outside I cannot run outdoors but I rather do my cardio at the gym where I do half an hour (cc 5km) of jogging now (I started with 15min and build up to 30min) and then I do legs, hands and core exercises with very little or no equipment. I record my runs with Nike + Running app because I get to race with my Nike friends who also run so that makes it more fun and it's also great to track progress of your runs and your shape. When my legs feel to tired and if it's my cardio day I just to elliptical for 30min instead of running.



From my personal experience, your own body weight is more then enough to do good workout if you just want to get in shape, loose fat and tone your muscles to look fab all year around, not just in Summer on the beach. In total, I workout for about 1-1.5 hours/day but there are days when I skip and don't feel bad about it at all, those days when I do workout I mark it with big red X in my calendar as it makes me feel good at the end of the month to see that I did workout that much. :)

BEST WORKOUT APPS

If you don't know what exercises to do I highly, highly recommend to use Nike Training App for smartphone. I use it for both my home and gym workouts and they really really work. You get to choose your goal (get lean, get toned, get strong or get focused). Then each of these has beginner, intermediate and advanced options (I started with beginner). Then you are offered specific 15/30 or 45 min. exercise programs with short video which shows you each exercise. This app times each exercise, you can always re-watch that particular exercise video again and it tells you when to switch. At the end, it records your results. I saved my favorite exercises in 'favorites' section of the app so I don't have to search for them each time. Most require no equipment or just a jumping rope, mat and small weights (you can use 1L water bottle in each hand if you don't have dumbbells). 

Start with beginners programs and build up as you feel comfortable. Be kind to yourself, stay motivated and push your boundaries, don't give up but don't kill yourself either as it may cause injury. Progress takes time but trust me, results are visible quite fast!


If you are using Nike running or Nike Training Apps do add me as a friend so we can workout 'virtually together' - my username is Katarina Stimac.

EQUIPMENT 

For years now I am using my pink Nike ID running shoes, exercise mat, pink 3 pound dumbbells, jumping rope and a resistance band  as my go-to equipment but I mostly work with my body weight only. In terms of clothing I prefer to stick with cotton and cotton stretch materials. The clothing item I invest the most in are really good sneakers and a top otherwise my boobs hurt when I am running if my sports bra is not supportive enough. Currently I wear Victorias Secret sports Bras with extra support. :)

Another thing which is a must have for me is a great playlist. I update my workout playlist every few months so I stay motivated and never board while running. 

On top of work out equipment, motivation and time you need to take a very good care about your nutrition. There is one simple rule, don't put junk in your body. Eat fruits, vegetables, fish and white meat, drink lots of water. I love to make my own juices and smoothies but if you don't have time you can now purchase 100% natural juices from juice bars in your town.



What motivates you and how often do you workout? 
Let me know in comments.


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January 17, 2015

Easy Breezy Delicious Pecan Pie.

Photo: Pecan Pie 

While reviewing designers Spring/Summer 15' collections I felt like eating a home made pecan pie (which I never made before myself from scratch) so making one was an adventure, but fun kind of adventure and it didn't take to much time at all.

Usually during weekends I am ironing, cleaning and trying to get my cosmetic treatments done (nails and waxing) as during the work week I rarely find time for anyting other then work. The rest of the free time on weekends I like to spend doing long beach or forest walks with my dog and try to make a dish I never tried before. 

This week I watched a cooking show while ironing and a lady from American South was making a beautiful pecan pie so my boyfriend and I kept talking about it whole week as we like pronouncing pe-can pieeee! Sounds so fancy right? :) So today I made one with and it was super easy and ohh so delicious!  

*1 cup = 236 ml

INGREDIENTS: 
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
3 large eggs 
1 cup (236ml) sugar
3/4 cup (177ml) light or dark corn syrup OR 3/4 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons melted butter 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 (9-inch | 22cm) deep-dish frozen purchased unbaked pie shell 


PREPARATION:
1. Spread pecans evenly on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° F | 180 C for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Stir together eggs and next 5 ingredients (sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla extract, salt); stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie shell.
4. Bake at 350° | 180 C for 55 minutes or until set. 
Protect pie crust on sides with aluminum foil after first 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Serve warm or cold. I served it with cream and it was delicious!

If you are making your own 9 or 10 inch | 22-25cm pie crust, follow directions bellow:

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/2 (591ml) cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup (177ml or a stick and a half) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into 1/4 inch | 0.6cm cubes
1/2 cup (118ml) of all-vegetable shortening OR stick margarine 
6-8 tablespoons ice water

1. Place flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl or a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix. Add  half of the butter to the food processor and pulse several times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until smooth. Sprinkle the mixture with about 1/4 cup of ice water and mix again. Add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together.

The mixture is ready when you can pinch some of the crumbly dough together with your fingers, it holds together. Be careful not to add to much water.

2. Carefully poor dough mixture from the food processor or a bowl on to a clean, dry, flat surface. Gather the mixture and push down with the palm of your hand on the dough crumbles a few times to flatten the butter pieces. Divide the dough mixture into two even-sized mounds. Use your hands to form each a bit. 

It's ok to have small pieces of butter in the crust. Sprinkle each crust ball with a little flour, wrap each one in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.

3. Take out one crust ball from the fridge and leave it out for 5-10 min. to soften. Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to an about 12 inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick. If the dough sticks add some flower bellow and place onto a 9-inch pie plate. Press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Use a pair of kitchen scissors or a knife to trim the dough close to the edge of the pie dish.

4. Add filling mixture onto pie dough.

5. Roll out second ball of dough, as before. Gently place onto the top of the filling in the pie. Pinch top and bottom of dough rounds firmly together. Flute edges using thumb and forefinger or press with a fork and make a cross in the middle so the pie bakes well inside and out. :)

Voila! Bon Appetit! 



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January 10, 2015

Jean Paul Gaultier home collection par Lelièvre.


As I am helping my boyfriend to furnish and decorate his new apartment in Dubrovnik to be ready for this Summer I am spending at least half an hour a day browsing the Internet for fabulous chairs, tables, lamps and home decor items. We hired a designer but we are trying to choose majority of items on our own and stick to the budget.
I was excited to see that Jean Paul Gaultier fabrics and home accessories collection par Lelièvre.
Eight textile creations explore soft, bright or tonic tones according to the seasons. The year of the Dragon advances with a magnificent interpretation of Jean Paul Gaultier's sign, a classic Tartan plays with bold colours on velvet. With a wink, Cabaret shows touches of couture and femininity for a reinterpreted fishnet.  Collection features cushions, throws, curtains and rugs which connect classicism and eccentricity with dynamic elegance. 
JPG also featured his recognisable blue and white stripes all through collection.






"I am only a couturier, my métier is fashion but I have instilled the spirit and motifs from my collections in these fabrics."
 Jean Paul Gaultier 


You can shop cushions from JPG home collection here.


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January 6, 2015

The best of Pre-Fall 2015: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi.

Photo source: www.style.com

We just stepped into 2015. and designers have already sent Pre-Fall 2015' collections down the runway to give a glimpse of what is coming to fashionistas all over the world.

Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Pre-Fall 2015. collection is one of my favorite thus far. I love the bold color over sized knits, dresses and outwear. My favorite pieces are sweatshirts with lace applique and blue sequin and gorgeous red dresses which reminded me on late Oscar de la Renta romantic and glamorous dresses. Seems like peplum is also coming back in this case as a top with matching color smart trousers, try not to be a center of attention in those!




I personally love to match sporty and chic so I wear sneakers with dresses a lot and combine sweatshirts with sequin skirts and dress pants so this collection is right up my alley.

Royal green and red are one two of my favorite colors and in general look good on dark hair girls so I am excited to see powerful red assembles and royal green sequins in this collection. I am sure fast fashion brands will jump on these styles asap! 




Which Pre-Fall collection you liked best?


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