Happy Birthday, Kristina Bazan!

I had the pleasure of meeting the incredible Kristina Bazan last week at Macy's State Street for an event with Michael Kors. Kristina is the founder of Kayture, one of the most influential blogs in Switzerland as well as internationally, with over 1 million followers. Since 2011, she has been traveling the world working with high-end designers such as Louis Vuitton, Dolce&Gabbana, Yves Saint Laurent, and Jimmy Choo just to name a few. Did I mention that today is her 21st birthday? She's only TWENTY-ONE!

Kristina, I can not elaborate enough what an absolute joy it was to meet you. It was so refreshing to see that with all your accomplishments and publicity, you're still so humble. You treated each person that came to see you like they were long-lost friends, and spent time talking with each of us. You're ambitious, kind, and beautiful inside and out- and that's what makes you so inspiring! Not only are you living the life that every girl dreams of, but you're doing so with grace. 

Have a very happy birthday, darling! May your celebrations be filled with all your heart's desires!!

                                  xoxo,

                                      Jackie Rose

                                  'The Fashion Fairy'

Louis Vuitton's Handbag "Zoo"

(I guess this is old news, but no one I've talked to seems to know about it so...)

In honor of the design house's 100th anniversary in 2012, Louis Vuitton commissioned British artist, Billie Achilleos, to create the "Maroquinaris Zoologicae", a collection made entirely out of the brand's signature handbags and small leather goods.

Wait, wait, wait...

Louis Vuitton is making fake animals... out of real animals?

Yyyyep!
23 gorgeously hand-crafted leather animals to be exact...

Iguana, duck, squirrel,

armadillo, 

cricket, 

and life-size panda bear, just to name a few...

           On the one hand, I'm incredibly impressed. Coming from a background of selling designer handbags at Nordstrom, attending designer triangle meetings for insight on exactly how the pieces are made, taking classes and attempting to sew leather myself (and breaking three needles), it's not at all hard for me to be able to appreciate such amazing craftsmanship that went into this installation- not to mention the time it took to execute! The giant panda alone took two months and 74 bags to complete... If that doesn't deserve applause I don't know what does.

           On the other hand, I try to shop vegan when I can. I don't necessarily believe that animals are here for us to "use". I am very much aware that in the wild, creatures hunt, kill, and use one another for sustenance, but we humans have this thing called "money", and we just don't know when to stop. We take more than we need, and it creates imbalance. 

           I'll be the first to admit that I'm always ogling over the latest Ferragamo satchels and Valentino totes, but the excessive use of real animal to create fake ones here does make me the tiniest bit uncomfortable. I think I would have really loved to see Vuitton using such a magnificent display as a way to create hype for a non-profit organization in order to help animals that might be endangered or something, giving the collection a more meaningful and pro-active purpose. But alas, the world is round, the sky is blue, and Louis Vuitton does what Louis Vuitton wants. 

           What's your take? Are the leather animals more impressive than inconsiderate? Or is it just too ironic to be able to enjoy?... I'm really on the fence here- I wanna know what you think!

Original article from The Denizen, April 2012

Photos by Rex Features 

2 for 1: Designing Through Decades

                    Ohmygosh, it's been so long since I've posted anything! I took a brief vacation to visit one of my close friends, Kate Noreen, at The Ohio State University. I had never seen her school before and her sorority was throwing a "Great Gatsby" themed party so of course, I took the opportunity to come up with a killer costume.
                   My boyfriend plays League Of Legends, and one day I had enough curiosity to ask him to show me all the "champions". One character that really caught my eye was "Jinx", a 1920's flapper, (pictured below) and we joked around about how we could be each video game characters for Halloween. It was sort of just a soft glow of an idea, but then once Kate mentioned the Great Gatsby party, I got SO excited and started buying supplies to begin my transformation into Jinx:

• I found the dress at Goodwill for only $5. I cut off the sleeves, made it into a v-neck, and added two layers of white fringe ($6 from Hobby Lobby). 
• The pearls, green pendant, and green brooch were also from Goodwill at about $5 total for those.
• The stockings were $5 on Amazon.
• Gloves, $9, also Amazon.
• The garter belt is where I really splurged- $12 from Lover's Lane.
• And last but not least, a feather from Hobby Lobby- $1, with a purple headband I had from home.

                Not only did I have a blast "droppin' it like F. Scott", I also got so many compliments on my outfit. Everyone was impressed that I made it myself. A few people even knew who I was! Now I don't have to worry about Halloween coming around the corner... (different parties, different states, I think that's allowed right?)

               Speaking of Halloween, have your seen American Horror Story Freak Show yet?? Cause I haven't. I heard it's really creepy! I did however complete and submit my entry for their costume design contest! 

               She's a psychic fortune teller who dabbles in snake charming and trapeze flying. My inspiration came from ABC's Once Upon A Time, Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame, and of course the 1950's where Freak Show takes place. In retrospect, I'm not really sure if anything actually goes together? But hey, it was fun to create and if I get picked I get to execute my design on the set of AHS!

           In other news, the transition to the new location at BCBG Max Azria is slowly unfolding now that we have a new store manager, and I'm now channeling all my energy towards my school work as I wrap up the semester. I'm still creating, still learning, and still looking for more inspiration and new opportunities every day. 

                      Love and Light, 

                                   Jackie Rose