Category: Style


Style

June 21 2017

Why I Failed as a Lifestyle Blogger

After I left the art blog My Modern Met, I had big plans for myself. I was going to be like my Internet idols Joy Cho of OhJoy!, Joanna Goddard of Cup of Joe, and Bri Emery of Design Love Fest. I would showcase to the world my beautiful and exciting life! Look at my colorful, well-put together outfit, listen to the latest podcast, be on the cusp of what’s cool. I have total respect for them, but lifestyle blogging just wasn’t for me.

Did I not remember that I’m a total introvert? That I have a hard time taking a selfie? That I treasure my privacy? How was I ever going to make it as a lifestyle blogger? Two years passed and I gained about 300 followers on Facebook. About 100 people come to my blog every day. Who are you, people? Why would you be spending time on my site when there are so many more interesting blogs out there? 300 fans on Facebook is not a bad number, mind you, figuring I hardly post there. I was too afraid of criticism, and since I didn’t get many likes on any of my posts, I figured people didn’t care anyway.

Then, I had this revelation. Though I still like my privacy, I could be bolder in my life. I could share with the world my failures, my vulnerabilities. A few days ago, when I told all of my 2,000+ Facebook friends that I was starting a new company I was scared s***less. Yet, I did it. Why? Because I think sometimes you have to put your life’s goals out there into the universe. Will some people laugh at me? Probably. Now I’m accountable for my actions. The business could implode and never launch but what’s so bad about that? A little lost money but lots of lessons learned.

What happened next? I chopped off my hair (it was long for over 20 years), dyed it pink and started wearing more fashionable and expressive clothes. I fell in love with fashion. It’s a beautiful form of art!

Now, I feel like I’m back in my element, emailing or talking to artists on the phone about their passion. These people just love their craft, they are completely engrossed in the world of hand lettering. And why wouldn’t they be? It’s fascinating what you can do now – taking a rough pencil sketch and “vectorizing it” to create a colorful, unique work of art.

“Lettering, in short, tells a story by using drawn letter shapes. These letterforms are not fonts that can be bought and simply used over and over again. Rather, they are custom-created for one particular piece and purpose. In this sense, they can be compared to illustration – an illustration consisting of letters.” (From the book, The Golden Secrets of Lettering by Martina Flor.

My UK agency and I are working on the target market right now. Who will wear these statement t-shirts? At first, I thought maybe the ban.do market. The really young millennials. Now, though, I feel as though it should be someone who’s fashionable but also mindful and authentic. There’s a story to be told there. Just wait and see….


Style

June 15 2017

Predicting the Future of Fashion

Staff writer for Fast Company, Liz Segran, met with graduate students at the Fashion Institute of Technology to ask them what they think is going to happen to retail stores. In the beginning, Skylar Yoo will be strictly an online store but I plan on selling the shirts to big department stores as well as (possibly) on Amazon. In the future future, I’d love to have brick-and-morter stores but ones that are totally unconventional. I want people to come to the stores to see incredible, cutting-edge art on the walls, I want one-of-a-kind art installations where people can interact with art, and I want a DJ to be playing some jammin tunes. In this day and age, don’t we or shouldn’t we expect more from a retail store?

Here’s what the graduate students said:
“Department stores must think of themselves as entertainment centers: In Korea, some malls are more like amusement parks, complete with rides and art installations. Some brands should become landlords, leasing out part of their space to smaller startups, which will give customers a reason to stop by the store to see what’s new. For other brands, turning unproductive retail spaces into local distribution centers might be a good idea, since it might allow them to get products to customers within hours at lower shipping costs.”

Will the industry adapt and change? All I know for sure is that we’re living in a fascinating time for fashion.


Style

June 12 2017

New Clothing Brand: Skylar Yoo is Secretly Coming Alive

Though I’m still a few months out from fully launching, I wanted to give you a sneak peek of what’s to come with my new clothing company Skylar Yoo. Currently, I’m working with around 20 different hand lettering artists and have about 50 completely original and exclusive designs. Though most won’t make it to the site (I’ll only launch 10-20 shirts and hoodies and I’m being highly selective), it’s still a thrill to see the designs start coming alive. I’m working with Big Fan Agency on the brand identity and website. I think they deserve a shout-out. I’ve worked with them before and they’re just an unbelievably creative, efficient and reliable team. I also have to thank Christopher Jobson of Colossal and Jeff Sheldon of Ugmonk for giving me priceless advice on how to run a successful online shop.

Now for the fun stuff: We’ve chosen the colors of the brand – it will be a combination of millennial pink and red. Together, they look bold and beautiful. The tagline of the company is simply “Be Bold.”

Yesterday, I put up an Instagram account (@skylar.yoo) so that you can start seeing some initial designs. Also, because of my love for art, design, photography and powerful quotes, I’ll be including those in the feed. Follow it if you want to see a start-up fashion line become a worldwide brand. (Yes, I’m ambitious and proud of it!)

Which hand lettering artists am I working with? I know it may seem like I’m giving away all of my secrets, but I believe in transparency and openness. Everyone can have an idea, ultimately doesn’t it always come down to execution? Fortunately, my experience in working with artists and my love for art has now found a new home. I want you to feel like you’re a part of this exciting journey. Plus, while working at My Modern Met for seven years, I gained the utmost respect for the creatives in the world. As French artist Henri Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage.” That’s why I’ll be crediting every artist I’ll be working with both on the website and through all social media channels. The talented artist who hand lettered “Girls to the Front” is Maddy Nye. Tobias Saul is another talented artist who I’m working with for three designs. He just completed two for me and, let me tell you, I was speechless when I saw them. I am working on signing on Luke Lucas and Jessica Hische, who are both rockstars in the art world. It would be a total dream to even be associated with them.

Let me quickly explain why I decided that, in this first collection, I’m only working with hand lettering artists. I bought several books on the art form. It’s like marrying the old with the new. The artists start with a sketch, which could be in pencil, pen, marker, or paint and then they scan their work onto a computer. From there, they use software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or After Effects to make a refined, and oftentimes colorful work of art. The artist must be adept at both drawing words and using software. Watch this awesome video, by Noah Camp, to see a piece go from a simple marker drawing to a spinning, rainbow colored 3D model. Isn’t it fascinating? If you want to learn more about the art of hand lettering, read In Progress by the queen Jessica Hische.

Why the name Skylar Yoo, you might be asking. Skylar is the name I would have given my daughter if my second child was a girl. The first time I heard that name I instantly loved it. I would have nicknamed her “Sky”. It reminds me of the saying, “Reach for the sky.” To me, it means set very high goals, aspire to be the best.

As I’ve mentioned previously, Skylar Yoo will be a clothing brand dedicated to bold women and girls. The feminists. The ones who stand up and take action. The creative entrepreneurs who pursue their dreams. The women managers and CEOs of this world that work their a**** off to get to where they are. My current rockstars? Tina Roth Eisenberg of SwissMiss, Joy Cho of Oh Joy!, Bri Emery of DesignLoveFest, Jaime Derringer of Design Milk, Chriselle Lim, Aimee Song of @songofstyle,
Gabrielle Stanley Blair of Design Mom and Alt Summit and, of course, Jessica Alba of The Honest Company.

It also includes women that have inspired me throughout my life like my wedding photographer Jessica Claire, my wedding planner Jeannie Savage of Details Details, and my event planner Sunny Ravanbach of White Lilac. These are creative, powerful women who’ve built their businesses from the ground up.

Have you heard about the movie Dream, Girl? I’ve only seen the trailer but it gave me goosebumps. Women are starting 1,200 businesses a day! That’s incredible and inspiring.

Now about Skylar Yoo…there’s more to come! Keep up with “her” on Instagram.

I’ll leave you with this: I just read the book We Should All Be Feminists (yes, there was a TED talk and a book before there was a ridiculously priced Christian Dior shirt) and it explained that a feminist simply means this: Advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men. In this day and age, is that too much to ask?


Style

June 8 2017

New Bathing Suit in My Favorite Colors

Have you heard of the company Summersalt? They create affordable (under $100) bathing suits that are made from recycled materials. This design, called The Sidestroke, caught my eye. I love the look of the one shoulder and it’s in my favorite color combination. Pink and red.

Our family trip to Hawaii is now less than a month away so it’s time to buy a bathing suit. I like this one and Mara Hoffman’s one piece. (See how this one looks on a model. So elegant!)


Style

May 23 2017

Nicole Kidman’s Timeless Dress

This is the type of dress that makes me want to go into fashion. Nicole Kidman just debuted this Raf Simons’ number at the Cannes Film Festival. It took an astonishing 150 hours to construct from approximately 180 yards of silk tulle!

“The dress is the incarnation of a modern fairy tale,” said the stylist, who accessorized Kidman’s look with Calvin Klein deco-inspired heels. “It has to be stunning, chic, timeless, and modern!”

She looks A-MAZING!

via [Vogue]


Style

May 17 2017

Favorite Workout Leggings: Outdoor Voices

On my quest to find my next big business idea, I researched the hell out of leggings. Ever since I was 10 years old, I would always wear my trusty old black pair of leggings. They’re just so comfortable and they go with everything. Lately, there’s been an explosion of different legging styles. As I’ve mentioned on this blog before, one of my favorite companies who makes leggings, especially for runs or workouts, is Outdoor Voices. Not only do they have clean, timeless styles, the materials are good and they fit just perfectly.

They just came out with The Rose Collection and I’m loving all of the pieces. I know they’re a bit pricey, at between $75 and $95 dollars a pop, but they’re really worth it for the quality and style.

You know how I love sharing the stories of go-getter, entrepreneurial women? The person behind Outdoor Voices is a young woman, named Tyler Haney, who has the guts to go after the Nike and Lululemon market. More power to her! Read the CNBC article, here.

Check out Outdoor Voices’s website!


Style

May 15 2017

The Perfect LBD (Little Black Dress)…I Found on Amazon!

Ladies, aren’t we always looking for that perfect little black dress? Well, I think I’ve found it! Have you heard of Lark & Ro? It’s a clothing line created by Amazon exclusively for Prime members. This 3/4 sleeve knit fit-and-flare dress is so comfortable! It hugs in all the right places and it’s not too short or too long. I’m kind of a minimalist, I like everything in my life to be simple and clean. Lately, that’s applied to my wardrobe as well. I liked this dress because it acts like a blank slate. You can dress it up or dress it down. Best part? This dress is only $44.50!

The other one I love, also from Lark and Ro, is this sleeveless ponte fit-and-flare dress. It’s more for the summer. Also super comfortable and chic.

Also one of my finds, to pair with these dresses, is Boohoo jewelry. They have cheap but trendy pieces.


Style

May 11 2017

Super Organized Purses Hold in Place Everything a Woman Needs

The company, This is Ground, just launched a new collection of super organized purses. Called The Self Made collection, the bags come with tons of pockets and places to keep the contents of your purse secure. The bags open completely flat so you don’t have to dig around for a pen or your wallet. The fact that they unzip is genius!

I particularly love The Bank Bag. Though it’s pricey at $695, it can fit an iPad Mini or Kindle, a notebook, cords, cards, your phone, and lip glosses. Imagine taking one of these out to a meeting. I’d be impressed with anyone who sported one!

The bags are limited edition and are made in Italian leather. They come in four different colors: black, rose, baby blue, and a yellow. (Love rose!)

“The ethos of This Is Ground is to make it easier to create anywhere and for women, that means being able to see and access everything in their bag at a moment’s notice,” said women’s creative director Heather Lipner. “So far, the evolution of handbags has just been more and more pockets, but with this design, you can be prepared for anything.”

via [Conde Nast Traveler]


Style

May 10 2017

The Three Leggings That I Love

Let is be known that I own, probably, about 50 pairs of leggings. They’re my go-to pants throughout the day, from the morning run to when I sleep. Yes, I even sleep in leggings! Recently I found out that from 2015 to 2016 online sales of leggings jumped a whopping 41%, while orders of jeans only went up 3%. Have we reached a massive turning point?

Here are three of my favorite pairs of leggings and where you can get them:

Morning Run (Exercise):

Outdoor Voices is one of those new-ish companies that sells beautifully designed workout gear. They’re not for the hardcore exerciser, they’re more for the woman who likes to fit in a yoga class here are there. I love their 3/4 Two-Tone Warmup Legging that sell for $85. If you like inspirational stories, you can read about how this young, female entrepreneur is taking on Lululemon and Nike. (The other running pair that I put in rotation are these cool “Dream Leggings” by Goop. Mostly, I love the original pattern.)

Career (At Work):

For work, you want leggings that feel more like pants, they have a bit of structure and they pull you in at the waist. Though American Giant just came out with something similar, called The Pant, I like these Inc. leggings better. They just feel nicer on my skin and they have just the right amount of compression at the waist. They’re called the Pull-On Ponte Skinny Pants and they’re only found at Macy’s.

Lounge and Sleep In:
You can’t find softer leggings than this. I heard about Lularoe leggings from multiple friends but didn’t believe the hype until I tried a pair on. They use this soft brushing technique that creates this “buttery soft” feel. Unfortunately, you have to buy these through a rep or one of their Facebook pages. I find mine through eBay, and though they are a bit pricier than what I’d pay at a party, I get to skip the hassle. They’re so soft I end up falling asleep in them! Hint: Try and ignore all the garish prints and stick to the solids.

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