So I hope you forgive me, these are very busy times. But it is certainly not goodbye.
Here are a few of my favourite moments and memories from the past year (all found on my Instagram).
Naomi
In light of the new year, and the Internet's expected obsession du jour with fresh starts, "new me" mantras and the increase in workout app downloads I thought it would be a good time to check in with all of you here. I know I have been quite MIA the past few months, and I apologize for that. My first semester back at school after summer holiday was a crazy one. I had demanding classes that took up a lot of my time and energy. I started seriously interning at a local jewellery company that I've been obessed with for ages. I was spending more time with friends. But during this time I was also reassessing my presence online and how I wanted to be viewed by the world. Seeing as I am now in my third year of university and will be graduating after next year, I have really begun to focus on setting the groundwork for post-graduation (i.e. finding a job). Being that I am hoping to work in an incredibly creative industry (fashion), my online presence matters greatly. My Instagram feed, the opinions I share online, the brands and people I personally endorse, can in some ways make or break my eligibility when applying to jobs I really want. Because of this I have been focusing more on developing my social media presence - curating a personal digital brand that speaks to both who I am and who I want to become professionally - as well as my professional portfolio (i.e. work). So as you can see, this is why this blog has taken a back seat so to speak. One of the other things I have struggled with lately is what I want to add to the world, and the industry I hope to one day be a part of. We all know that the digital sphere is saturated with independent fashion and beauty bloggers who are hoping their content helps them make it big. Our feeds are constantly displaying accounts upon reccommended accounts of young professionals trying to create a space for themselves in what appears on the surface to be an incredibly lucrative and glamorous industry. And truth be told, we don't need any more of them. What fashion needs now is intelligent, forward thinking, critical voices who bring something new, substantial and meaningful to the table. Fashion needs intellect. Fashion needs credibility. Fashion does not need another twenty-something posting alleyway photographs of a recent shopping spree gone too far. As I struggled with this over the past year, I realized the things I was posting here didn't feel new to me - I was recycling things I loved that other people did; things I want to one day do myself. So I took a step back and focused on developing my own body of work. Making connections with people in my industry here in Toronto that I thought were cool, and attempted to set the ground work for opportunities I will pursue after graduation. I created a fashion magazine with a friend for a major school project. I organized, orchestrated and styled a "Winter Warrior" photo shoot for our magazine's cover. I wrote trend reports, beauty stories, and interviewed local designers all in the hopes of making meaningful connections for the future. I collaborated with local retailers I've admired for ages. And I may have found myself the greatest internship on the planet that I hope to pursue this summer. These are the things I've been focusing on and these are the things that I feel matter most right now. These are what I hope to focus on in the new year, and beyond. Now, please do not panic - this is not the end of this blog. I am not saying goodbye. Style Without A Cause will continue in 2017 and I hope to bring you as much content as I can because I do truly love sharing the things I love with all of you. I just hope that the inconsisent posting and the intermittent communication does not dampen your experience here. I hope I can share new things with all of you, help you discover brands and products and places you never knew existed, but now cannot live without. But I also need to focus on real life and setting good, thoughtful, meaningful groundwork for the future. So I hope you forgive me, these are very busy times. But it is certainly not goodbye. Here are a few of my favourite moments and memories from the past year (all found on my Instagram). xoxo and happy new year!
Naomi
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Any of you who follow this blog (or any of my social media for that matter) consistently, will know I am no stranger to delicate, feminine jewelry. It is my jam. Like seriously, my current greatest (and longest lasting) obsession is in the realm of delicate fine jewelry - rings, necklaces, chokers, drop chains, earrings. If it can adorn an area of my body and can be made out of 14k gold, you know I want it, adore it, need it.
All images found on Jess Hannah's website. Check her out on all platforms (because hello life and aesthetic GOALZ) as well as her shop to die over all of her other creations that I wasn't able to show here.
Photography | Stella Berkofsky Model | Helena Vestergaard Styling | Tiffany Horn HMU | Hayley Farrington xoxo Naomi Welcome back all!
First, I know an apology is in order...I have been severely MIA these past few months, and for that I truly apologize. Life has a funny way of getting in the way of itself...but then again, if your entire life is spent online, is that really a life? Anyways, no philosophical questions for today, just a check in. And a fancy shmancy mood board of the aesthetics I have been coveting the last little while as the summer draws to a close. Although, it doesn't feel like the heat is letting up on us anytime soon. I am totally okay with that. If I can have beach weekends well into September, I would be a very happy lady. So today, I have a series of images that have been capturing my attention and have been inspiring me lately. As the start of another school year draws near, I feel myself slowly becoming more creatively inspired again. Ideas, projects, dreams and more ideas keep filling my brain! The possibilities for creativity this year are endless, and I can't wait! Let me know what you think of this mood board, and if you'd like to see more. I was thinking of posting a summer mood board before the season dwindles because there have been so many things that have inspired me over these past few summer months. I'm still thinking about it, but for now: here is my "current mood status" for August. xoxo Naomi Images courtesy of my Tumblr, @badgur1fifi (boat on the water; store window underneath) & my Pinterest page. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have such a strong respect and understanding for the Mad Hatter. As a kid, watching the Alice in Wonderland movies and reading the fantastical books of her underground adventures, I thought the Mad Hatter was just a quacky storybook creep, who happened to have no idea how to colour coordinate his stacks of hats. As fabulous as they were, I could never understand why someone would want to walk around wearing so many hats. Talk about a serious case of indecision. And also...neck cramps...with that many hats there's no way he didn't have back problems. But regardless, I now understand him. I know why he did it. When there are hats that exist in this world that are so glorious you cannot fathom to choose just one favourite, no wonder he wore them all. You might ask, why am I only now coming to this realization? My answer: Janessa Leone. The hats created and styled by eponymous label Janessa Leone are the most heavenly creations I think I have ever experienced in my entire life. From her fedoras to her boat hats; her straw hats and wide-brimmed sun visors, there is no head adorning accessory that she cannot do; and do beautifully. I never was an enthusiastic hat lover, not until a few years ago when I began to discover they actually looked good on me. Blame it on my newly mastered hair style or the fact that braces fixed the curvature of my jaw to the point where all hat styles are flattering, but now I can (and want to) wear pretty much any hat I set my sights on. Janessa Leone's masterpieces are at the top of the list, especially those included in the Spring Summer 2016 Collection. So take a peek below at what I mean, and maybe you too will become a mad hatter just like me ;) but save your pennies, an expansive collection will cost you (when has that ever stopped anyone?). Images found via HonestlyWTF. Hats are available for purchase at JanessaLeone.com and range from $180 - $290.
xoxo Naomi Had to do a super cool interview with some up-and-coming designers/entrepreneurs in Toronto for a course I'm taking at school. Not only did it give me an excuse to do some really cool graphic design work at the end, but I also got to hook up with one of my favourite designers - like ever - Elisabetta Marrella of BREAD&CIRCUS. If you guys follow me on Instagram or know me in person, you know how obsessed I am with her jewellery and I wear them everyday. Literal forever love for this chica!!! So naturally, at the first chance I got, I sat down and asked her loads of questions about what it's like to be an entrepreneur in Toronto, what it's like to run a creative business, what it's like to do EVERYTHING herself (insert lots of exhaustion) and everything else I could think of. Basically our hour and fifteen minute long chat was an attempt to keep her talking as much as possible, because everything she told me was so spot on and so inspiring. If you ever have a chance to meet this lady, chat with this lady or here her speak to a crowd....omg do it. <3 Anyways, my final assignment was way too long to warrant sharing on here but I thought the visual mockups I did of her imaginary print article would be fun to post. Only a few more weeks until school is over, thank goodness, so sorry for the lack of activity on here my loves. All images here are mine. Created with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator.
All images featured in the mockups are courtesy of BREAD&CIRCUS. Sometimes your digital content just needs to hit the "REFRESH" button. Today was one of those days. Spending the day at home completing assignments, compiling notes, developing future projects and trying to study for midterms brought on a serious need for some creative relaxation. So as any good fashion kid does, I hit up my tumblr for a much needed break from all the intellectual goodness I saturated myself with this morning. But recently things have changed. I'm noticing I appreciate different things when it comes to design now that I didn't before. I am obsessing over black and white motifs, cool colours and everything in a shade of blue. My insta is currently feeling very coastal vibes given that the past six or seven posts I've made have been either grey, white or blue/green in some manner. So looking at my tumblr this morning, I was feeling the need for a little refresh. A little design reboot. SO, I spent my mid-morning break scouring the interwebs for free tumblr themes (because hello: poor student) that were aesthetically minimal, clean and would display my oh-so-beloved images in a large, sleek, easy to see format. Did I mention I am also obsessed with grids? For tumblr, I feel grids are essential to a strong brand image. It's just such an inherently visual platform and when I scroll through the blogs of others, I want to see multiple images at once that intermingle and tell a visual story of that persons interests. It's also easier to get a handle on their personal aesthetic when you can see lots of their content at once. So alas, here is the product of my morning spoils. I took some screen grabs of my favourite sections, just because I loved how the images worked together. Then I thought: hey, let's share this! So here I am, sharing with you: the redesign of my tumblr!! If you haven't seen it yet, go check it out...not gonna lie I am completely OBSESSED with the first row of images rn, I mean they just look so perfect together!! <3 <3 Hope you've all had a great past few weeks, I know I've been a tad MIA...blame school. Literally it's the only reason. Have a great weekend everybody and I hope you like the reboot!!!
xoxo, Naomi Following the theme of pink and romantic considering it is the month of February and we are exactly a week away from Valentine's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to share a beautiful Hollywood home that aces romantic Bohemian style. Christina Karras's Spanish Santa Monica bungalow is the epitome of Old Hollywood glamour sans the fuss and drama. Despite the fact that all the walls inside and outside of her home are a blazing coral pink, the design does not feel childish or kitschy. It is actually breath-takingly stunning and I would totally move in. Being an interior designer by trade, Karras knows her way around a perfectly executed spacial design so there is really no surprise that her own home is as well curated and representative of her personal style as the homes she creates for her clients are representative of them. During the day a lot of Karras's clientele are edgy, rocker music people so in her own home she, according to the Lonny, attempted to recreate that wonderful balance of rock-and-roll flare and old Hollywood glamour. She says of her design, "it has a very 70's Stevie Nicks vibe going on". I really love everything about the design of this home and how well it reflects the personality and the life of its owner. Although I would never design my own home in this same bright and fantastical way, I can absolutely appreciate the well executed design and the eclectic vibe it screams. I would never live there, but I would sure love to visit. All images are found at Lonny.com via HonestlyWTF.
Nothing left to say other than: Topshop knows what it's doing. Forever in love with everything about this fashion shoot. The feminine biker aesthetic, simple, natural hair and makeup, and it also not a typical white-washed fashion editorial - so loving the diversity in fashion we are seeing this month, and hopefully every month to come. <3 Hope everyone is having a good week, I am eyeballs deep in school work so you will not be getting a novel worth of text today, but hopefully these pretty images will suffice. xoxo, Naomi I mean how much more perfect can you get? Easy, you can't.
Images found on HonestlyWTF via Visual Optimism. models: mayowa nicholas (elite) and julie hoomans (storm) photographer: matteo montanari (streeters) stylist: ondine azoulay (clm) hair: alex brownsell (streeters) make-up: lucy burt (dandv) One of the things that many of you who read my blog semi-frequently will have noticed is that in addition to be an unwavering fashion kid, I am also an immense lover of art. Basically anything related to art and design makes me very happy and takes up a lot of my time both academically and personally. I just love it all so much. The more I experience various works of art and the artists/designers that create them, I learn a little something about myself. I have noticed recently that I am very drawn to soft, ethereal, almost fantasy like art. I love abstract works as much as I love realism. I absolutely believe that photography can be an art form as much as it is a mechanism of memory making and documenting. I am currently in a period of obsession over anything done in watercolour or oil on canvas that looks as though it is watercolour. James Turner, Monet and oh yah, Clare Elsaesser are among the artists I am really really inspired by at this current time. I am hoping that sometime this week I will be able to make it to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) here in Toronto because James Turner's exhibit closes at the end of January (the 30th to be exact) and I don't want to miss seeing his amazing works in person. I learned about him last semester in my Visual Culture class and have been obsessed ever since. Anyways, today is not about James Turner. It is about Clare Elsaesser and her amazingly feminine and captivating oil on canvas portraits. In the spirit of Valentines Day and the fact that today marks the beginning of February, I for whatever reason felt that Clare's work perfectly set the mood and vibe I am feeling this month and will be feeling all this month. There's something about the Valentine season that makes me feel so much more feminine and I seem to appreciate little details much more during this month of the year. Call me a romantic or whatever you want...I will personally argue with you for hours that I am one of the least romantic people you will ever meet, but this is beside the point. February is for girlishness and that's where I leave this discussion. So here, meet Clare Elsaesser and fall in love with her work, just like I did. Also....HAPPY FEBRUARY!!! All images courtesy of Honestly WTF. All of Clare's works can be found and purchased on Etsy.
I am not even going to waste both of our time trying to describe how unbelievably obsessed with this choker trend right now. When I was a kid and plastic chokers were a thing, I thought they were so incredibly horrendous, but as with many other things in my life, growing older has turned me into a ridiculous hypocrite when it comes to things I steadfastly believed during my childhood. One of which, being my now and what I believe to be my never ending love for chokers and choker like jewellery. So here, are some of the most beautiful images I could find of this wonderful trend as well as my introductory attempt at embracing the trend in my own wardrobe. The collection of chokers will continue!!! So as you can see there is no shortage of inspiration for those of you who, like me, have become infatuated with this jewellery trend. Everyone from Free People, Urban Outfitters, BREAD & CIRCUS (who also happens to be a local Toronto brand I completely love and adore), Catbird (out of NYC...aka the motherland for all things minimalist and dainty) and many other jewellery companies. Bloggers such as Danielle Bernstein and basically everyone else is jumping on this trend, making it both easy to have millions of inspiring photos but also incredibly difficult to keep yourself from buying a new accessory every time you open up your Insta feed.
Anyways, hope you all have a great week! xoxo, Naomi Images are from: Because I'm Addicted (1,2,3,4,7,9 and 13), BREAD & CIRCUS (5,6 and 8), WeWoreWhat (10,11 and 12) my personal Instagram (14). |