Fashionable? or Stylish?

Salamon wears a tasseled cloud collar from the Qing Dynasty over a 1930s Chinese coat with a 1920s straw headband and earrings made of antique ivory-and-bone Chinese game pieces. Photo by Martin Scott Powell, martinscottpowell.com

Do you consider yourself to be Fashionable? or Stylish? or both? Do you recognize a distinction between the two?

I just read this article from Collectors Weekly on the most Stylish and fascinating woman, Tziporah Salamon. Shes a frequent style flyer on the Advanced Style Blog and a fascinating fixture riding around around New York City on her turquoise Bianchi bike.

She told Collector's Weekly "I’m not fashionable at all; I’m stylish. Fashionable is of the moment. Fashionable is the latest Prada, Gucci, or whatever is “in” this minute, and I rarely have what’s in-the-moment. In fact, when I buy new clothes, which I do, the more you can’t tell who it is, the better. I’ll never wear something with someone’s initials or name on it."

This woman is seriously a walking piece of art and SO INSPIRING! She is 63 and truly a style icon! I love how she is so serious about her looks and carefully curates each one as if she is curating a museum exhibition. She mused "I work on the outfits as I go along, and I don’t wear the outfit until it’s totally complete." (Source)

I look forward to an opportunity to chat with her directly about her affinity for fashion and feature her as a Style Maven! She said she has an 80:20 ratio for Vintage/Antique pieces to Current.  I love that the majority of her closet is Vintage, Unique pieces. We have the same philosophy at Evolution Vintage the re-styling of fashion's past!

Do you consider yourself Stylish? or Fashionable?

Explain in the comments below!

SATC Fashion: Samantha Jones

June 6th marked the 15th anniversary of the first episode of Sex and the City airing on HBO. The most enrapturing part of the show for me was of course the FASHION! Fashion was the 5th character of the show and films to me.

I want to start this 4 part series with the boldest of them all. Character Samantha Jones portrayed by actress Kim Cattrall. 

Samantha's character is a female powerhouse PR executive who is highly sexualized and completely scandalous. I truly love her character and her boldness, thank to Stylist Pat Field is directly reflected in her clothes. Her character was witty, hilarious and FABULOUS!

Kim and Pat Field

We saw this character's style evolve through the series and movies but her 'style' was always sexy, bold, and bright. I love the bright colors, mixes of prints and amazing accessories. She was the ultimate professional by day and party girl by night! The glimpses of just enough skin to be age appropriate is an inspiration to us all that no matter what your age you can still be chic and sexy.

The character also loves her statement accessories as well as having an affinity for designer labels, especially CHANEL a girl after my own heart!

CHANEL Logo Scarf and Earrings

 Marc Bauer Dress and Vintage Earrings

Ungaro Top and Versace Necklace

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff - Dress: Herve Leger - Hat: Sonia Rykiel

Shoes: Jimmy Choo

White Suit: ESCADA paired with a studded Versace top

Dress-Graeme Black, Bag-Adriana Castro, Belt - Bill Blass, Jewelry - Noir

 Ivana Sert Swim and Roberto Cavalli Sunglasses

Sunglasses: Jee Vice ($250)

Pink Emanuel Ungaro Suit & CHANEL Tote

Dress - The Blonds 

Wendy Brandes Earrings ($9,000)

House of Field Dress

Top - Daryl K. - GUESS Jeans - Shoes: Manolo Blahnik

Jacket: Theirry Mugler, Shoes: DIOR, Skirt:  Herve Leger 

 CHANEL Sweater

Jean Paul Gaultier Dress

I cannot find info on the dress so I'm guessing it may be Vintage, Shoes: Stuart Weitzman - Bag: Swarovski 

CHEERS to the ultimate party girl and my FAV character!!

"I don't believe in the Democratic party or the Republican party, I just believe in parties."

A few classic Samantha Jones moments .. lots of F-bombs and lots of laughs!

Samantha would ROCK this Vintage Look:

Sequin Mini Dress - $180

What were your FAV looks of Samantha's? 

or FAV scenes?

Share in the comments below!!

15 Years Ago Today ...

One of the BEST television programs aired it's first episode, and I've never stopped watching.  On June 6, 1998 the television landscape changed forever with the first of 96 episodes of Sex and the City

Final Scene of Ep. 1

Sex and the City was one of the most well written, clever, and stylish shows ever to air, in my opinion.

I can't even imagine how many women's lives were forever changed by this Fab Four! I know mine was.

There was pieces from each character that myself and my friends could identify with. Their triumphs and tragedies, bad dates and wardrobe malfunctions. I loved the evolution of each character as they navigated their way through their lives and relationships with other people just to discover the most important relationship ANY of us have is with our self! There are other parts of the show that were pure fashion fantasy, the closets and shoe collections. I adored watching just the wardrobe and styling of each character.

My next 4 blogs will be dedicated to the fashion/wardrobe evolution of each character - THANKS TO Stylist Patricia Field and her genius team!

The characters became part of our family for 6 seasons and 2 films! 

CHEERS FABS & Thanks for all the laughs!

“The most important thing in life is your family. There are days you love them, and others you don’t. But, in the end, they’re the people you always come home to. Sometimes it’s the family you’re born into and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.” ~ Carrie Bradshaw

 Will you watch SATC tonight?

Share your FAV episode or Fashion Moment in the Comments Below ...

A Creative Victory: VVB

I love to connect with other women who share my interests and appreciation of fashion, creation and art in general. I am grateful, through technology to have been able to connect with fellow artisan and eBoutique owner Brande Wilkerson of Victory Vintage Boutique and Design Studio (or VVB). I have personally shopped  for Vintage via VVB for my own closet and am currently waiting on a fabulous Custom feather creation from her design studio to arrive! 

Vintage Hat SOLD

Creative individuals always inspire me and this includes Brande, a busy MOMpreneur with 2 girls and a budding creative business in Austin Arkansas. She is a happy, positive person who I am thrilled to feature. I'm all about one's creative evolution and over the past 3 years I have seen Brande's passion for Fashion's past evolve into this haute hybrid of Vintage, Re-styled, uniquely inspired pieces from full gowns to hair accessories.  She does a lot of her own artistic portraiture, modelling and photography too. She styles her images, does theatrical makeup and sets the scenes to bring her visions to life. She has an affinity for Vintage wedding gown re-inventions and by the look of her images some really amazing friends (models), though she primarily models her creations and Vintage wares. Shes a one woman show like I am and for that alone I have a ton of respect for her and the hours it takes to run a creative business and also be a good mother.

I asked her to tell me about the Evolution of her business. I wanted to know where she started and where she thinks she is heading ...

Brande explained to me, "My business Victory Vintage Boutique started in year 2000 when I inherited a group of amazing billowing chiffon peignoirs from my grandma. I was on the hunt for more like these and found them! I went looking for the things I loved and started selling some of them online and learned there was a market out there for beautiful vintage garments like the ones I loved. I started selling online that year and became a Powerseller within 9 months! I was selling and shipping amazing vintage dresses, accessories and party gowns around the world!"

In the last 2 years I have expanded to open my Etsy Design Studio which offers one of a kind hand made designs, gowns, headpieces and hats. Many made from discarded vintage millinery ,trims and vintage fabric remnants that came into my hands that were just too beautiful to toss. This was the birth of the VVB dream gowns line of altered vintage wedding gowns and headpieces. I look forward to growing and expanding my design work, and evolving my collections into unique wearable creations as inspiration come into my hands! The future for VVB is wide open!

I love that she pushes the boundaries and follows the vision that is uniquely HER's. She draws her inspiration from several sources. She told me, "Many factors inspire my designs. I am an art buff, and my mother is an art teacher so it has always been in my life & blood! Recently I have been hugely inspired by the Art Nouveau period of art history. Some of my favorite artists are Alphonse Mucha, Gasper Camps,Walter Crane and Georges de Feure. Their amazing work inspired the "Fine Art Inspired collection" of gowns & headpieces for VVB. I offer these creations in my Etsy Design Studio. We offer these pieces for rental for photo shoots as well."

Who is the VVB woman? Brande says, "The VVB woman is a creative and uninhibited creature! She is confident in expressing herself through creative style and glamorous fashion design! She is also not as interested in the trends as what inspires her and makes her unique!"

Her FAV piece from her most recent collection is the Huldah Headpiece ($225)

A floral, faux fur creation. 

Available HERE 

"I think its my favorite because of the vintage element with the fox fur stole that drapes the shoulders.The colors and earthy and flattering on everyone and the dramatic feel of this brings a magestic queenly feel when you wear it. The gown styled with with is also from our collection of altered vintage slip dresses. Its made with a ecru collar and embellished with trimmings from a vintage wedding veil"

Giant Pansy $195

The VVB 2 cents on Style: "Wear what best defines you! Trends are fun to embrace and try but only choose the ones you like and add your own twist to make it yours. Reinvent your style by your own definitions each season..that way YOU own the trends!"

The sky is really the limit for Brande and VVB. I'm excited to see where her creative inspiration will lead her next.

Are you a VVB Woman?

 What's your FAV piece from her collections?

Leave your comments below!

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