I'm preoccupied with being lazy for the holidays.
I'm back on Tumblr though...have a look-see.
Ceola's Tumblr
Not much to it at the moment but that will change. Working on getting access to the wifi in work as well as photoshop on my spankin new macbook pro :D
Got a mild fashion Christmas haul coming up as well...apparently I was a good girl this year :)
Seasons Greetings to everyone who reads this thing...love you all...
Chez Nous Haul
Chez Nous Christmas Sale was on last week Saturday, 26th of November at a private home in Cascade. After ditching our beach plans, the boyfriend and I decided to take a trip there (mostly on my persuasian/nagging) becuse a few of our friends were featured vendors and I needed to grab some goodies as last minute (ha! almost all my shopping is done so I can show off) Christmas presents.
The venue itself was lovely, though it was hot as hell in the afternoon sun. Spotted a few noted vendors there, including Meiling and some brands that are sold alongside hers at The Gallery in Long Circular Mall, like SMAKS Bespoke Teas and Sumptiously Organic Tomato Chutney (tried some, it was delish!). Del Mano Pestos, Phillip Arthur and a lot more pop up shoppes were set up for perusal.
I looked at some Janice Derrick jewellery but since I'm partial to gold and all she had that I could see was silver I didn't make any purchases. Her jewellery was really impressive though, interesting and intricate designs.
In the end I came away with three bags:
Immortelle Beauty, which is founded and run by Kathryn Nurse, had 'Foot Rehab' spa packages on sale. Each package included standard pedicure tools, an Immortelle Beauty Foot Soak, an Immortelle Beauty Sugar Scrub and and an Immortelle Beauty Foot Cream. Not entirely certain who's getting this. It's likely to be the boyfriend's mom. But at $300, it's a great gift that I can give to a number of people who I'm sure would appreciate the gesture. I'm afraid to even open them and smell them because I'd probably end up keeping it all for myself. (Found an old-ish but nice review of Kathryn's products over at CFStyle Journal)
Next booth was Keegan Simon's 1ndividual Aesthetic Pop Up Shoppe which is always a fun one to visit. His colours and designs are just what the cool kids wanna wear these days. I'm not a T-Shirt kinda gal or else I'd definitely be rocking his graffiti-esque and pop art designs 24/7. I bought the shirt below ($150) for my little (he's 21 years old) cousin. He would appreciate this kind of one-of-a-kind clothing. My only grouse is that these shirts don't get small enough. Haha. Josh (the cousin) is quite tiny, so I hope the small fits him well enough.
And now, the icing on the cake and the whole reason I initially wanted to go to the Chez Nous sale: Denise Hendries earrings! She does other jewellery as well but when I saw her earrings featured on the Chez Nous site I knew I had to hunt down her booth and buy something. That something turned out to be these shoulder-grazing purpler and orange hemp beauties. I'm on a super statement earring kick these days and I'm in love with this woman's designs. These were reasonably priced at only $120 so I had no choice but to scoop them. I don't wear a lot of colour so I'm glad I can have the pop in my accessories. By the time I got to her booth a lot of her pieces were gone, but she promised me that she'd be making more and selling at the UpMarket sale at Woodbrook Youth Facility on December 10th. I will definitely be there (and early too) to make sure I can grab a few more of these gorgeous earrings.
The venue itself was lovely, though it was hot as hell in the afternoon sun. Spotted a few noted vendors there, including Meiling and some brands that are sold alongside hers at The Gallery in Long Circular Mall, like SMAKS Bespoke Teas and Sumptiously Organic Tomato Chutney (tried some, it was delish!). Del Mano Pestos, Phillip Arthur and a lot more pop up shoppes were set up for perusal.
I looked at some Janice Derrick jewellery but since I'm partial to gold and all she had that I could see was silver I didn't make any purchases. Her jewellery was really impressive though, interesting and intricate designs.
In the end I came away with three bags:
Next booth was Keegan Simon's 1ndividual Aesthetic Pop Up Shoppe which is always a fun one to visit. His colours and designs are just what the cool kids wanna wear these days. I'm not a T-Shirt kinda gal or else I'd definitely be rocking his graffiti-esque and pop art designs 24/7. I bought the shirt below ($150) for my little (he's 21 years old) cousin. He would appreciate this kind of one-of-a-kind clothing. My only grouse is that these shirts don't get small enough. Haha. Josh (the cousin) is quite tiny, so I hope the small fits him well enough.
And now, the icing on the cake and the whole reason I initially wanted to go to the Chez Nous sale: Denise Hendries earrings! She does other jewellery as well but when I saw her earrings featured on the Chez Nous site I knew I had to hunt down her booth and buy something. That something turned out to be these shoulder-grazing purpler and orange hemp beauties. I'm on a super statement earring kick these days and I'm in love with this woman's designs. These were reasonably priced at only $120 so I had no choice but to scoop them. I don't wear a lot of colour so I'm glad I can have the pop in my accessories. By the time I got to her booth a lot of her pieces were gone, but she promised me that she'd be making more and selling at the UpMarket sale at Woodbrook Youth Facility on December 10th. I will definitely be there (and early too) to make sure I can grab a few more of these gorgeous earrings.
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All The Pretty ... Camera Bags
With the proliferation of street fashion blogs like FaceHunter and The Sartorialist, it's no surprise that everyone (myself included) feels a burning desire to jump on the photo blog bandwagon.
Street fashion in Trinidad is nothing remarkable, so I'm not sure exactly how much material I'd end up with in the end, but I have a much bigger problem with roving day to day photography...and it's one that has plagued me through most of my teen and adult life : how the f*ck do I carry my big ass Canon SLR around with me every day without looking like a tourist?
Now don't get me wrong...I am handbag banton to the tenth power, and BIG handbag banton at that. I am notorious for illogcally large bags, and, naturally, having everything one could possibly need in them: Flashlight? Check. First Aid Kit? Check. Manicure set? Check. Family of four? Check. Camera? No check! Why? Because even I, through my large handbag-hued haze can tell that if I throw a camera in there too, my back will be shot to hell and I'll be spending a fortune on deep tissue Swedish massages sooner than I should be. Also, there's always the horrifying prospect of scratching my camera lens, if the lens cap were to become dislodged. So no...the one thing my bag is lacking is a SLR
Anyway, so the problem presents itself...how do I manage to get featured on The Sartorialist's "All The Pretty Photographers" Series?
Well a swanky camera bag would do the trick I think. Something I could carry solo or in addition to my gargantuan bags. Ideally it would have a separate pocket for my essentials like cash/cards/phone/keys so I could choose to leave the collossus home if I knew I was going out to shoot.
Here are some really stylish and pretty designer camera bags I dug up from the depths (not really) of the interweb. Naturally I can't afford any of them, but who cares? I don't...
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| Mulberry Carter Suede Shoulder Bag |
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| Chloe Madeline Leather and Suede Camera Bag |
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| Alexander Wang Brenda Leopard Print Leather Camera Bag |
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| Chanel Camera Bag |
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| 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli Camera Bag |
Shoe-gasm Vol I
My shoe of the week is the Steve Madden Grettta
First came across this shoe on Lookbook and while at first it said nothing to me, it eventually began to grow on my sensibilities. Chunky heels have been in season for a little while now and they're way more comfortable and easy to walk in than most of the sky-high stilettos that women seem to gravitate towards in the Caribbean. This may be the one time I advocate chunkiness.
The shoes come in black, chestnut, purple and taupe. I would have asked for a pair but they don't have my size in black. Maybe I'll ask for the chestnut instead...hmmm.
Grettta is on Sale now for US$69.98 at the Steve Madden site that I linked to above the photo but if that's still too pricey for your liking I found a pretty decent dupe on Go Jane.
Looks almost identical and it's only US$26.40. Obviously it won't be the same quality but hey, once you don't go cross-training in them you should be fine to skimp a bit on price.
First came across this shoe on Lookbook and while at first it said nothing to me, it eventually began to grow on my sensibilities. Chunky heels have been in season for a little while now and they're way more comfortable and easy to walk in than most of the sky-high stilettos that women seem to gravitate towards in the Caribbean. This may be the one time I advocate chunkiness.
The shoes come in black, chestnut, purple and taupe. I would have asked for a pair but they don't have my size in black. Maybe I'll ask for the chestnut instead...hmmm.
Grettta is on Sale now for US$69.98 at the Steve Madden site that I linked to above the photo but if that's still too pricey for your liking I found a pretty decent dupe on Go Jane.
Looks almost identical and it's only US$26.40. Obviously it won't be the same quality but hey, once you don't go cross-training in them you should be fine to skimp a bit on price.
Fashion Warrior
We reach...
As in, Trinidad & Tobago has finally begun to leave an indentation of itself on the global fashion industry. To call Anya a fashion warrior is most befitting...this entire season of Project Runway has been a battle of epic proportions, from dubious start to glorious finish. Lack of practical experience and technical ability as well as some incredibly vulnerable moments of self-doubt...on camera no less pitted the odds against her, and yet somehow, she triumphed.
What is for you is for you...and this win was clearly meant to be Anya's.
Don't get me wrong, I am not being biased; I have a wide spectrum of critiques of her performance on the show and her final runway colection. I mean, I'm no Nina Garcia by any stretch but I've followed Project Runway from its inception, and I have a very strong opinion of what I like and admire within the fashion universe. Anya's speciality is dresses and pants. Those are her strongest design areas...or maybe her only ones. As many people noted...we haven't seen a sleeve yet...barring a few cap sleeves as in the dress below (which I loved)
But seriously...who needs sleeves when you have creations like these in your dossier? And are sleeves even that hard to make? I don't know...I've never sewn a thing in my life except for one very unfortunate glove. When you can make this:
from $11.50...then you're a gosh darn designer, and a good one at that, to pull a win out of your rookunks when you lose all your money running around Mood.
For people like me, who seem destined to live vicariously through the success of others that have been in the game since toddlers...it's refreshing to see someone relatively new to the industry achieve this level of success.
It shows that tenacity and determination, as well as a natural talent and eye for style (and a strong sense of personal style too) might be exacly what you need to be good, no...great at something like designing. That's the fabulous thing about designing...all you need is a unique and strong vision and a damn good seamstress (oh and money...to buy cloth).
I've got an old sewing machine in a box somewhere in my home...I swear I will dig it out and try my hand at conjuring up some crop tops a la Ayoung Chee. I say that a lot though and it never happens so let's see if this Project Runway win is what it takes to get me to stop talking about what I want to do and just do it.
Back to my thoughts on Project Runway...humility and expressing a desire to learn can never do you wrong. Anya showed the judges that she was a blank slate in terms of technique, that she was willing to do what was necessary to move forward. I think she showed the most capacity for growth and in an industry that constantly forces you to re-invent yourself...and the cloth wheel, that open-mindedness is invaluable. Her personal sense of style and her unique perspective and inspiration in terms of where she grew up (this beautiful twin republic we call home) already puts her significantly ahead of the challenges she will face. I have the utmost confidence that her personality will get her through the toughest of times.
I cannot fathom the opportunity that will now be afforded to her...and what she is going to do with it. Blessed is the person who can wake up in the morning and do what they love.
Thank you Anya for showing us all what it means to overcome adversity and challenges, and thank you for humbling those of us (myself included) who may have judged you so many moons ago. Thank you for inspiring a whole new (and old) generation of creatives. Thank you for never turning your back on this place and for keeping the accent strong (ha!) and flying the flag high in the darkest of our days.
Photographs sourced from Small Screen Scoop, and Tumblr.
As in, Trinidad & Tobago has finally begun to leave an indentation of itself on the global fashion industry. To call Anya a fashion warrior is most befitting...this entire season of Project Runway has been a battle of epic proportions, from dubious start to glorious finish. Lack of practical experience and technical ability as well as some incredibly vulnerable moments of self-doubt...on camera no less pitted the odds against her, and yet somehow, she triumphed.
What is for you is for you...and this win was clearly meant to be Anya's.
Don't get me wrong, I am not being biased; I have a wide spectrum of critiques of her performance on the show and her final runway colection. I mean, I'm no Nina Garcia by any stretch but I've followed Project Runway from its inception, and I have a very strong opinion of what I like and admire within the fashion universe. Anya's speciality is dresses and pants. Those are her strongest design areas...or maybe her only ones. As many people noted...we haven't seen a sleeve yet...barring a few cap sleeves as in the dress below (which I loved)
from $11.50...then you're a gosh darn designer, and a good one at that, to pull a win out of your rookunks when you lose all your money running around Mood.
For people like me, who seem destined to live vicariously through the success of others that have been in the game since toddlers...it's refreshing to see someone relatively new to the industry achieve this level of success.
It shows that tenacity and determination, as well as a natural talent and eye for style (and a strong sense of personal style too) might be exacly what you need to be good, no...great at something like designing. That's the fabulous thing about designing...all you need is a unique and strong vision and a damn good seamstress (oh and money...to buy cloth).
I've got an old sewing machine in a box somewhere in my home...I swear I will dig it out and try my hand at conjuring up some crop tops a la Ayoung Chee. I say that a lot though and it never happens so let's see if this Project Runway win is what it takes to get me to stop talking about what I want to do and just do it.
Back to my thoughts on Project Runway...humility and expressing a desire to learn can never do you wrong. Anya showed the judges that she was a blank slate in terms of technique, that she was willing to do what was necessary to move forward. I think she showed the most capacity for growth and in an industry that constantly forces you to re-invent yourself...and the cloth wheel, that open-mindedness is invaluable. Her personal sense of style and her unique perspective and inspiration in terms of where she grew up (this beautiful twin republic we call home) already puts her significantly ahead of the challenges she will face. I have the utmost confidence that her personality will get her through the toughest of times.
I cannot fathom the opportunity that will now be afforded to her...and what she is going to do with it. Blessed is the person who can wake up in the morning and do what they love.
Thank you Anya for showing us all what it means to overcome adversity and challenges, and thank you for humbling those of us (myself included) who may have judged you so many moons ago. Thank you for inspiring a whole new (and old) generation of creatives. Thank you for never turning your back on this place and for keeping the accent strong (ha!) and flying the flag high in the darkest of our days.
Photographs sourced from Small Screen Scoop, and Tumblr.
My Christmas Wishlist
I often make the annual mistake of assuming that people care what I want for Christmas. This year is no different...I'm going to drop heavy hints...and hope someone catches them...
MICHAEL Michael Kors "Jet Set" Suede Medium Top-Zip Tote - Orange
MICHAEL Michael Kors Patent Leather Top-Zip Tote
Style Soul Food
It’s no secret to most who know me that style is one of my few true passions. I wish I could be one of those prodigies who can design, sew, model, manage, market and do any and everything associated with the fashion industry. While I’m not nearly bold-faced enough to publicly vocalize my opinions of the way most Trinbagonians dress…I feel like it can’t be perceived as THAT judgmental and snobby if I just offer some gentle nudges towards what I think is a slightly more refined and sophisticated means of dressing/styling oneself.
Every morning, without fail, I get to work at some ungodly hour, make myself a cup of coffee, and pore over my google reader which is basically just a steady flow of advertising and fashion blogs and news (the less prominent feeds are the architecture, interior design, technology and human rights blogs).
Here are some of my favourite/recommended sites and blogs to follow if you have any interest in fashion or would like to update your aesthetic or just looking for something pretty to look at :)
Lookbook – a fantastic place to start if you’re looking for fashion inspiration. The photography is also quite impressive since a lot of these persons do their own photography and editing. Here you can find all kinds of fashion genres, from prep to goth to classic chic. You find every range of products from luxury items like Chanel and YSL to your basic fashion retail stores like Forever 21 and American Apparel. It’s a brilliant resource for people like me who love to shop and reference clothing, since posters to the site are encouraged to list the items they’re wearing and where they purchased it. It’s also really great for discovering new fashion blogs since most of them also have their own blogs independent of their lookbook feed.
The Three F – Hands down my absolute favourite male fashion blog. Filippo Fiora is amazing, he’s brilliant, he is everything I want my little brother to be, style-wise (barring a few questionable shorts thrown in the mix sometimes). His shoe game is crazy crazy crazy off the chain (barring, again, some questionable Prada brogues I saw in a post once, he seemed to like them…I find them vile). I want his shoe closet to share with all the men in my life.
LA's Blog – My latest discovery. Now, you should know I am a ZARA FREAK. I love Zara…almost everything they produce is something I would wear or carry on my shoulder. This girl’s style is so effortlessly chic, and it’s primarily because of her predominantly Zara/Bershka wardrobe. She doesn’t overwhelm the senses with exorbitantly priced designer goods or shoes, so her style seems accessible but still looks expensive. I know frequently purchasing from Zara is still out of the price range for most lower to middle income Trinbagonians, but hey….there’s always Sale…:)
Ok…that’s all for now. I have a few more up my sleeve but I’ll save them for a later blog post. Maybe this can be a regular installment.
Bless,
Ceo
Made in T&T
The entire country has Anya Ayoung-Chee Fever; God knows I have it. The symptoms: the nagging urge to shave the sides of one's head and an unrelenting propensity towards massive, dangling earrings. It's disarming how effortlessly Anya pulls off the statement earring look, inspiring a nation of trend-hunters (because let's face it, Trinidad & Tobago is a trend-savy place) to go in search of the perfect monumental earlobe adornments. However, as fantastic an example of what I'm about to talk about Anya is...this blog post is not primarily about her.
This is about the uprising of local designers and artisans of my generation and a little before...and the attitude towards it. I admit off the bat that I've not always been an avid supporter of local products, whether it be out of sheer ignorance, disinterest or a philosophy that prompted me to believe that local meant lesser, no exceptions.
4 years ago, give me TT$3000 to spend on any clothing and jewellery I wanted and I'd immediately run to the computer to select one of the many mass-produced items available from stores like Forever 21, Zara, H&M, etc. Ask me to pay $150 for a pair of completely unique, hand-crafted statement earrings from a local jewellery designer and I'd balk. Ask me to pay $350 for a pair of custom, one-of-a-kind high-waisted shorts from a local fashion designer and I'd look at you like you'd gone mad.
Now, after spending 3 years away from home, and then returning to my island, full of vibrant, creative and wholly enterprising people...I see that locally produced goods carry much more value than I could ever get from my (still) beloved clothing chains of 'foreign'.
Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to purchase two pairs of statement earrings (again, on my Anya Ayoung-Chee beat) from two local jewellery designers, Nakita Hyatali and Shereece McKenzie. Gorgeous, stunning conversation pieces if I say so myself (and I love a good ice-breaker). Last month, I was taken to local artist and designer Keegan Simon's 1ndividualAesthetic pop-up shoppe at #6 Carlos Street and was impressed by the funky, imaginative, often graffiti-inspired pieces by this young entrepreneur.
In this same locale -evidently a breeding ground for up and coming designers- Shannon Alonzo held her much-anticipated pop-up shoppe of her line Shorts Are E.V.I.L. and items sold out within a day or two.
Now I would never advocate the purchase of anything that 1) is of poor quality 2) you don't like simply because it is local. In fact, even while the country waited with bated breath for Anya's premier on Project Runway, tongues wagging and voting fingers twitching, I was concerned with only one thing...that she was good. I won't support a designer or an artist whose work I think is poor...the rules still apply. However, I won't readily write-off any local artist or designer until I've seen their work and can make a fair assessment of their products.
I'm thrilled with my earrings, and in the market for more. Shereece is making me a custom piece inspired by one of Anya's apparently favoured accessories, and Miss Hyatali is soon going to get a request from me as well for another pair.
Why blend in when you can stand out? Why wear the same old mass-produced items that hundreds (maybe thousands) also have, when you can own a much more exclusive piece of clothing or jewellery. Buying generic stuff is great and easy on the pocket, I'd never say no, God knows I am online-shopping-banton, but don't put local out of your thoughts.
If Anya has taught us anything, it's that anything they can do, we can do better (or at least just as well).
Bless
Ceo
Shereece McKenzie (Left) Nakita Hyatali (Right)
ps. Sorry for the horrible pic...taken with camera phone, better ones to follow :)
