StyleStruck - Olivia Lovenmark's Vancouver Fashion Blog

28
Jun 10

The Pictures Have Arrived!! The Guess by Marciano Event

With Lindsay Lorimer, Project Manager, Special Events and Marketing woman for Guess? Canada and Niki Blasina blogger of A Haute Mess and co-host! (Be sure to check Niki’s blog for event coverage as well!)

Thursday night a crowd gathered around the entrance of the Marciano store on Robson St, waiting to be let into a fabulous party co-hosted by Niki and I to celebrate Guess by Marciano… There was wine, cocktails and delicious h’ordeuvres being passed around as a DJ played the latest tracks, and what seemed like hundreds of people to mingle with. Amongst the crowd there were fashion editors, stylists, both corporate and freelance, club promoters, marketing pros, CEOs, real estate agents, models, bloggers galore, PR people, fashion aficionados and mega-shoppers! Not to mention, the lovely representatives from Dress for Success, the non-profit we partnered with in putting the event together, (Dress for Success received a portion of the profits from the evening’s sales). Thank you to everyone who came!! The night was such a wonderful experience and I feel so lucky to have been a part of it!

Niki and I with the Guess? Canada head honchos, all the way from Toronto for the event!

Andrea Pahn, founder of Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics was on site to give girls a mini mani with her brilliant polish!

With Liz Sperandeo, a member of the board for Dress for Success, and a Dress for Success volunteer. Guess? asked Niki and I to choose a non-profit to work with, and who better than Dress for Success?! “Dress for Success® Vancouver is a registered Canadian Charity that helps low and no income women to transition into the workforce by providing professional attire.”

Second from left, stylist Dani Barnes of Dani Barnes Productions.

The swag!

Lovely fashion & lifestyle photographer Christine McAvoy!

Dessert: amazingly delicious mini cheesecakes… No I did not have three of these…

The outfit: Thank you to Guess for Marciano for allowing me to choose an outfit for the evening! In response to some of your questions, yes I got to keep it. : ) Head to toe Marciano, (except for the watch, that’s mine). I love this colour! Reminds me of a Tiffany’s box!

Cheers to a fabulous party!

Xo StyleStruck

28
Jun 10

Toasting to Dior!

Listening to Fashion Magazine Editor-In-Chief, Bernadette Mora speak about the history of Dior watches at Holt Renfrew.

Thursday afternoon I headed down to Holt Renfrew to meet Fashion Mag’s Editor-In-Chief and see Dior’s beautiful watches, which did not disappoint! One of the most delightful parts of the afternoon was meeting and chatting with Holts’ West Coast PR woman, Lenirose Espiritu! Lenirose has been with Holt Renfrew for about eight years now, and started on the sales floor working for Gucci. We quickly got to talking fashion, specifically bags. Her favourite purchase is her brown leather Balenciaga tote, one of the “it bags” of 2006, (I have always coveted the pink version of this bag, even to this day).

(And that fab Dior gift bag Lenirose is holding? Filled with the summer edition of Fashion Magazine, a Dior eyeshadow compact and a sweetly wrapped box holding four delicious macaroons! Thank you Dior and Holts for the lovely gifts!)

With Bernadette Mora. I loove her look, so Audrey Hepburn, and it’s so working for her.

With fashion journalist, and writer for String Magazine, Nadia Chu. Check out her gorgeous vintage Manolos!! A rare limited edition shoe done for a Neiman Marcus anniversary!

Fashion Magazine’s West Coast Editor Rebecca Tay admiring a friend’s shoes.

That ridiculously fabulous watch on the left has my name all over it. (A mere $23, 000).

Thank you to Lenirose for inviting me the lovely Dior event!

Xo StyleStruck

Stylish Events — 2 comments

28
Jun 10

A Girl’s Guide to Dressing for Sports & More

Recently I received an email informing me about a new sports book for ladies, PERFECT! I thought, because honestly, all I know about sports is that there is usually a ball of sorts involved. Though I do enjoy attending sports events. If like me, you could use a little help understanding the world of sports, read on! (And if you really need help, get the book: She’s Got Game by Melissa Malamut.)

This is not a guide for impressing your boyfriend (though you will), it was written to help women fall in love with sports.

This hilarious and practical guide to the world of sports for women provides outlines of the rules as well as superstitions and customs of the four major professional sports. SHE’S GOT GAME, ($14.99) is a must for any woman who doesn’t want to be clueless in the bleachers or on the couch.

Sporting events raise so many questions. What is March Madness all about? What on earth is a pop fly? If they just had the fourth down, then why is it the first down now and not the fifth? What’s a down anyway? What do I wear? Will I wipe out if I wear heels? Should I wear makeup? And how do you say that player’s name?

Melissa Malamut brings a lifelong love of sports, a girly-girl’s sensibility, and insight from fashion editors, friends and her own experiences to this guide. SHE’S GOT GAME is packed with all the rules and history of the games, personal anecdotes, and do’s and don’ts. In this incredibly well-researched and engaging book, Melissa gives you everything you need to feel at ease and fall in love with sports.

NBA Finals Talking Points
The Girlie Girls Guide to Basketball

The NBA has a Dress Code. Why Wouldn’t You?
* Pro basketball is the most stylish and dressiest sport. It’s really the only sport (maybe with the exception of hockey) where you can get away with high heels. Even stilettos.

* You can wear anything from team gear to your work suit. Fashion-conscious females in the basketball business suggest jeans, a cardigan and heeled boots, stylish flats or city sneakers. The season goes from winter to summer but the climate controlled 72-degree arenas never change.

Tips for Female Fans
* Best time to leave the seats (or the couch) to not miss the action: Obviously halftime. Time in between quarters is short (only about two minutes.)

* Best time to leave the seats (or the couch) for the shortest lines for the bathroom/food: Beginning of the second quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter. You may miss some game play, but the lines will be short and you’ll avoid the halftime rush.

* When to cheer/not to cheer: You cheer on your team throughout the game whether they are on offense or defense. But when a member of your team is shooting free throws it is customary not to cheer so he can concentrate.

Lingo – Shout it loud – Love this!!
* And one! – Shout when a member of your team is fouled while shooting and he makes the basket. He now has the chance for a three-point play by earning a foul shot.

* Denied! – Yell it after a member of your team blocks a shot.

* Airball! – When the other team shoots and the ball misses the hoop, backboard and rim completely. Touches “nothing but air”. Slowly shout, “Aiiiiiiiir-baaaaal!”

* Brick! – Shout it after the other team shoots an ugly looking shot that clanks off the rim or backboard Terms to know

* Travel – “Too many steps” A violation if a player takes more than two steps without dribbling (bouncing the ball to the court) or moves his pivot foot (one foot must be planted to the ground when not dribbling). The team that commits a travel loses possession of the ball.

* Double dribble – When a player stops and then restarts a dribble or uses both hands. The team that commits this violation loses possession.

* Swish – “Nothing but net” When a shot goes right through the basket and touches nothing but the net. Makes a noise that sounds like “swish”.

* Bench points – Points scored by non-starters.

* Shot clock – “The 24 second clock” is the time a team has to make a basket. The ball must at least hit the rim before the clock expires or they lose possession. If the shooting team gets their own rebound (takes control of the ball after a missed shot), they get a new 24 second clock.

AMAZING! I coulda used this aaaages ago!! Hope you enjoyed the read!

Xo StyleStruck

Photography & Style — No comments

28
Jun 10

J’adore Marie

The kitten has grown! Marie loves to play and dress up! She’s definitely my little kitten! (The truth is, she puts up with my dressing her up for about ten minutes, then tries to bite the bows and kitty shoes off, yes I said kitty shoes, no I have not made her wear them.)

Sooo precious! If only I had a mini strap-on tiara… ; ) Marie is officially 10 weeks old now!

Xo StyleStruck

The StyleStruck Family — No comments

24
Jun 10

Guess for Marciano Event

With Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess, and yours truly! Now this is one Olivia that WILL be wearing Guess to a Guess event… (unlike a certain Palermo who couldn’t get it together).

Very excited!! See you fabulous people tonight!

Xo StyleStruck

Stylish Events — 3 comments

23
Jun 10

Blog-Tastic Advice from Anna dello Russo

(Above: Ms. Anna dello Russo) Remember, fashionistas and fashionistos, these rules are very important if one wants to become the most fabulous fashion-show attendee. Thank you Anna d R for these bits of brilliance taken right from her blog, (literally taken exactly as is, spelling errors and all!):

” During the fashion week I havemy rules to follow and I’m goingto tell my top ten list for theFRONT-ROW “

1. YOU MUST WEAR OUTFIT ONCE.

2. WEAR GOOD SHOES. DON’TBOTHER WITH A BAG CAUSE WHENYOU PUT IT ON THE FLOOR IT COULDBE ANYONE.

3. WEAR COAT AS A DRESS.ONE-SHOT IS BETTER.

4 . DON’T WEAR SUNGLASSES,IF YOU NOT ARE VIP (VERY VERYIMPORTANT PERSON).
IT’S IMPOLITE.

5 . SOMEBODY WEARINGYOUR SAME OUTFIT?
WONDERFUL, YOU DID THERIGHT CHOISE!

6. FLASHY JEWELS PERSONALIZEYOUR STYLE.

7. NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE EXCESS!

8. DON’T PEEK INTO THE CLIPBOARDOF WHO IS SITTING NEXT.

9. DON’T SAY HELLO SHOWILY ANDWARMLY AT WHO IS IN FRONT OF YOU.

10. SHARE YOUR LOVE FOR THE SHOWON TWITTER AS MUCH YOU CAN.

Serious fashion advice from Japan’s “it” editor!

Xo StyleStruck

Thoughts — 1 comment

21
Jun 10

The RRS Feed & 7 Ideas on How to Use It for Your Audience

I’ve recently discovered the many uses of the RSS feed and am in the midst of incorporating such uses into my blog, but for now, I thought I’d share what I’ve learned!

Just in case, RSS as defined by Wikipedia: RSS (most commonly expanded as Really Simple Syndication) is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format.

1. At this point, RSS feeds are relatively spam free, unlike email, (making email a very ineffective way of distributing information, in my opinion). An RSS feed allows the subscriber to control what they receive, meaning they’ll be much more likely to receive your updates.

2. RSS feeds are an ideal tool for press rooms. Journalists can access updates on your company’s happenings without their inboxes constantly being filled with press releases. This is also a good way to let journalists be aware of what’s going on with your company/organization when perhaps a press release isn’t necessary.

3. A hassle-free way of ensuring your partners are informed. Add an RSS feed to your extranet, (again, just in case you’re not familiar with this term: an extranet is a computer network that is partially accessible to chosen authorized users outside of an organization/company). Generate content that will inform and update your partners on the latest company info like press releases sent, media coverage received, financial information, top-management decisions, etc.

4. Create specific categories of interest for your RSS feed that people can subscribe to. This is especially effective if your company or organization offers a variety of services or products, or if your site covers a variety of topics. Make the information that people desire from you easily accessible.

5. Planning an event? Create an RSS feed for it! This is a sure way of informing your attendees/subscribers of changes to the event, what to expect and who will be attending.

6. Create an RSS feed to give awareness to all coverage your company/organization garners. Not only is this a great way to generate a further buzz around your company, but a simple way of keeping your employees and customers in the loop.

7. Use an RSS feed to provide up-to-date information on promotions! Give limited-time promotions to your subscribers so that they benefit from following your information stream. Also, publicize that you’re offering these promotions to your RSS feed subscribers as a method of attracting more subscribers.

Hope my thoughts are useful!

- SS

Photography & Style — 1 comment

20
Jun 10

My First Kate Spade

Hot pink leather Kate Spade bag, all the way from Palm Dessert!

Recently I was the lucky recipient of this beautiful bag, which has quickly become one of my favourites! I take it everywhere, from photoshoots, (it held my Nikon on the day of the Kensie shoot), to Starbucks to school, (at school it sits proudly, though kind of in the way, on my desk). It is just exactly the right shade of hot pink! And I have been searching for a pink bag for years, it’s hard to find one that is the right balance of cute pink and sophisticated pink, seems bag designers out there want to make all pink bags out of pleather, or cheap vinyl, which is like handbag suicide. And the gold accents are so beautiful, it really makes me very happy to carry it around town.

Outfit I wish I’d captured: Last week I went to meet with the lovely lady I’m currently interning with, Andrea Baxter of Bratface Marketing, and wore a navy and cream striped knit blazer, a light pink ribbed cotton tank tucked into super dark, super long Fidelity jeans that have this fantastic wet-look waxy finish to them with my Chanel platform sandals and this bag! I felt FABULOUS! Though, I spent the majority of that day traipsing through the city, walking city blocks, catching a bus and then another bus to get to all my appointments. In the afternoon, after I finished my hair appointment, (got a little blonder, LOVING being blonde!), I had to walk through this unpaved alley, it was like off-roading in Chanel. I nearly broke my ankle on those 6 inchers trying to make my way over a seriously uneven road. I must have looked ridiculous, but I’d wear them for a day of adventure again!

Xo StyleStruck

My Style — 4 comments

19
Jun 10

Socializing For a Cause: YEF!

Last night what seemed like hundreds of fabulous Vancouver people joined together at the Renaissance Hotel’s 360 Room in support of YEF, Youth Education Farms, a non-profit founded by UBC grad Mr. Riley Mari. YEF’s mandate is to purchase farms in Swaziland to run as businesses that employ, nourish and finance the education of youth in the African country. The model is a brilliant example of sustainable philanthropy and I am grateful to Riley and his board for bringing it to our attention!

The goal of the event last night was to raise as much money as possible to build additional farms in Swaziland, YEF already has one working farm. I’m not sure how much the event raised, but I did see some wonderfully high figures below the items during the silent auction! I won’t also mention that a certain notorious Vancouver business man offered my date 1 million dollars to take me on a jet to vegas. Unfortunately I had to pass, I just can’t whore myself out in the name of philanthropy. It was all jokes, of course. But in seriousness, the event made for a fantastic evening of raising money, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. Congratulations to the YEF team for all of the good work you’re doing!

And because this is a fashion blog, here is what I wore to the YEF event!

Wearing BeBe top, B.B. Dakota skirt and Aldo heels. (Miu Miu look-a-like Aldo heels).

Below: Check out this fabulously fabulous woman, Joan Gusola, mother of Hayley and Katie Gusola! She has such an amazing taste for clothes, point-in-case: her shoes. It takes a fashionista with some serious cred to pull off such a fun look as this vintage Cheap and Chic Moschino soccer ball jacket. So appropriate with all the soccer frenzy going on right now. I love a woman with a sense of fashion humour! I hear she has an AMAZING vintage collection. I die.

And finally, one more fashion picture: 1 skirt, two girls!

Meghan Parks, representative for Alternative Apparel via Diverse Group and I both working the B.B. Dakota skirt! I must apologize to the lovely Miss Meghan for cutting our faces off, I was caught with horribly squinty eyes. Next time we shall take more pictures!