style – Page 4 – tide & bloom

creative makers: anna oh

Something that I really love and want to get back to is interviewing other creative and stylish individuals. The connections I get to make in this city are more inspiring than anything else could ever be. I do tend to make connections with other women, not because I particularly choose to, but because there’s a deeper understanding between us about how our creative pursuits really affect the trajectory of our success – both professionally and personally. As women we are carriers of the responsibility to nurture families and raise the next generation. That added layer of pressure on top of trying to chase our dreams makes every step feel that much more crucial; every success and every failure is that much more important. Anyways, I digress.

Today I introduce you to Anna, a fellow artist who is brimming with talent and just trying to make her way up in the world. She’s already got the hard part down, I mean just look at her illustrations. Now all she has to do is be patient and wait for the world to pay attention. I have no doubt that soon this girl’s IG followers with explode and I’ll be seeing her drawings all over the industry. Her work is effortlessly precise yet loose, a striking balance of form and free strokes.

When did you start illustrating? How did you decide that pen and paper was your destiny?
I started drawing early in grade school–really the same time anyone else starts drawing. Nothing else really “clicked” with me like art did… and I threw myself into it wholeheartedly. Maybe art found me 😉 I haven’t stopped drawing since.

just one piece

One thing about me that (I hope) will always be true is that I love a good jumpsuit. I own like, 10. No that’s not an exaggeration. They are all different! This new one caught my eye immediately and though I didn’t want to like it, I just knew I couldn’t live without it.

I am also obsessed with this hair cuff because.. well, it was made for hair like mine. Absolutely adore having my ponytail look more than just an afterthought.

makes my heart go bloom

Flowers are EVERYwhere in Atlanta right now, which is why my nose is completely stopped up. Plus side? Lots of photo opps. Top, Citizen jeans, hat, and necklace are all Anthro of course. And then that beautiful golden leather bag is one of my newest, care of the one and only Neva Opet.

ode to a maxi

There comes a time every season when you see a dress and you just HAVE to have it. This irrepressible feeling is the measure by which you judge all your purchases. Say hello to the one that did it for me.

I would never call myself trendy, but this dress is undeniably “Boho Chic” which, let’s face it, is a trend that never goes away. I keep reading that the fashion world is at such a point of saturation that there are no huge trends anymore; buying is all over the place and everything that was once old is new again.

Don’t know when it happened, but I no longer flaunt my legs so midi dresses and maxi dresses are now my dress silhouette staples. I guess I’m just tryin’ to keep it classy and comfortable. The uneven hem on this particular floral maxi dress has the perfect amount of flirt, revealing just a little skin as I walk.

As a woman in her late 20s, my style is starting to settle into its true form. It’s more pared down than it used to be, with an emphasis on quality over quantity (predictably so) while still retaining an openness to the avant garde. I love a great pattern, but neutrals are my thing too. I love the classics – a chambray shirt, a pencil skirt, a turtleneck sweater – but I also crave modernity with some twists to keep things interesting.

getting warmer

The temps in Atlanta are slowly rising, so you know what that means! Time for some closet refreshes and outfit posts featuring my favorite spring staples. I’ve been in need of new dresses in my life for quite some time now. I’m all about versatility so when I saw this buttondown shirtdress at Anthro, I knew I had to have it.

[ dress / hat / handbag ]

transforming fashion

All too often art exhibitions will pass through this city before we get the chance to experience them. I know I’m guilty of missing out on some pretty incredible collections just because I let it slip my mind. But let me do you a favor and remind you of one you should make a priority before it vanishes! This past November, Iris Van Herpen’s Transforming Fashion opened at The High Museum in Atlanta and I was honored to be invited to a media preview and walk-through with the designer herself. The exhibition will be open until May 15th, 2016 so you’ve still got a few months to check it out (spoilers below)! Without further ado, here’s a peek at Iris’ innovative designs:

Transforming Fashion marks the first museum exhibition of Van Herpen’s collections in the US. In addition, this also is the first ever exhibition at the High to feature fashion design. It’s the single form of art that I think almost any one can relate to. We interact with fashion every day in the sense that what we choose to wear is the image we choose to present to the outside world. So we find it much easier to feel a certain way about a piece of clothing than we do about a performance piece or an abstract sculpture.But of course, this is not your everyday button-down and jeans. The pieces in the exhibition come from the entire range of Van Herpen’s collections, each inspired by a different element of the world (but I guess you could say that would be anything). From materials like water and metal to chemical phenomena like magnetism and smoke, her designs are as familiar as they are foreign. I don’t envision myself actually wearing these things, much the same way I don’t envision all art I admire being the art I put in my home. They’re a statement. A meditation on the relationship we have with our world, making the invisible visible.

This post is sponsored by The High Museum of Art; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

her hardest hue to hold

sweater blazer / anthropologie
necklace / anthropologie
booties / frye
midi skirt / nordstrom
tights / anthropologie
sunglasses / urban outfitters
clutch / thrift

a style guide on wearing dresses this winter

As we delve deeper into sweater weather, many people are prone to sacrifice style for warmth, putting their dresses and skirts into storage until spring comes around again. Although your beloved floral dress won’t protect you from the elements, the beauty of accessories is that they can be varied up to suit the changing temperatures. A contributor of the lifestyle media publication Gurl says that any dress can be worn in the winter, as long as you have the fashion basics including boots, cardigans, leggings, tights, thick socks and scarves to support it.

[ image via vanessa jackman ]

You also have the option of shopping for new winter dresses. As you can see on the fashion e-store Lyst, brands like Missguided have a diverse collection of winter dresses with long-sleeved wraps, high necklines and velvet bodycons, but you should also try to make use of what you already own. Here’s how to incorporate your favorite feminine outfits into your winter wardrobe:

Wear cute knee-length socks or tall, fitted boots
Tights and leggings are obvious staples for the winter, but Cosmopolitan also suggests substituting these accessories with cute knee-length socks and tall boots. To keep you looking chic, make sure there’s some skin exposed between the boot or sock and the hem of your dress. For extra protection, wear a long coat and sheer or nude hosiery underneath the socks or boots.

Layering is key
Dresses are usually the star of the show, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try to switch things up. A simple dress can be worn underneath a long sleeve striped tee or a cute sweater. It can be also worn over a snug, collared oxford shirt. The plain patterned dress will allow you to experiment with different colors and prints. Another way to layer is by wearing a thermal top underneath along with a standard slip dress, as the blogger of Smaggle recommends.

[ image via closetfullofclothes ]

Sport a turtleneck underneath a shift dress
In one of the many tips to winterize your closet, Buzzfeed says that a turtleneck works well under a shift dress. The new silhouette adds a little more complexity to the lack of detailed shaping made popular by Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy in the 1950s and 1960s.

[ image via vanessa jackman ]

Check out Style Motivation for more ideas and style inspiration for this season.

iris van herpen at the high museum

As much as it pains me to say this, I recognize that museums aren’t always the most exciting activity for a lot of people. Most people would much rather go see a movie, shop the mall, or walk the Beltline. And while all those things are just as enjoyable and just as stimulating, I think people all too often are missing out on the chance to experience a unique sense of awe that you can only find within the white temple of the art museum. It does require a willingness, a desire to remove oneself from all the media crap out there and focus in on a moment. A visual record of a moment of individual (or collective) inspiration to create something out of nothing.

Sometimes it can be easy to find that awe, standing in front of gargantuan Rothkos or among rows of classical carrara marble sculptures. Other times it takes explanation, reflection, and thinking outside oneself to find meaning. The High Museum’s mission is to cultivate a community where art appreciation and education can thrive so that this kind of museum-going experience becomes a shared one. Their recent programming aims to entice the broader Atlanta audience and in their upcoming exhibition, they do so through the glossy lens of fashion.

Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion blurs the line between form and function and will be The High Museum’s first ever fashion design exhibition. Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen is known for creating sculptural couture looks which feature various media, everything from magnets to synthetic boat rigging. It’s no wonder she was the first to introduce 3D printing technology into the world of fashion! The integration of this new technique with traditional handiwork results in a collection of pieces that feel at once both out-of-this-world and of the body.

Join me at the opening party for this exhibition on Friday, November 6th from 7:00pm to 10:00pm! The event is free and open to the public, complete with a dance performance from the Atlanta Ballet, music by DJ Speakerfoxxx, and most importantly… Iris van Herpen herself! The exhibition opens officially on November 7th and runs through May 15th 2016, giving you plenty of time to see these extraordinary pieces.

This post is sponsored by The High Museum of Art; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

nothing better than sweater weather

sweater dress / anthropologie
jacket / anthropologie
boots / frye
handbag / neva opet