StyleStruck » DIY

SOFT LEATHER

Olivia — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:36:46 +0000

{ Wearing: Zara leather bomber jacket w/ attached fur capelet (a DIY!), Cynthia Rowley petal-collar blouse, Zara belt, Jason Wu skirt, Browns ID shoes, vintage Raybans, Franchi clutch, Fossil rose gold watch, Bfrend bracelets (c/o) }

After quickly shooting my mood-fitting outfit this afternoon I am back at work, happily filling LOVE + MARK’D orders. The Valentines collection will be published tomorrow, and I’ll think you’ll find them just delightful. Many thank-you’s to Monika who sent over these adorable Bfrend bracelets! She definitely got my colors right!

A helpful winter hint: If you’re like me, you despise going to the tanning salon. Lying in that plastic bed, and then having your skin feel all tacky afterwards as you try and pull up your jeans. I much rather a St. Tropez spray-tan session with Cindy Leyland at Yaletown’s Beauty Mark! She gave me the perfect glow just before the holidays and my seasonal dresses never looked better. I highly recommend her services. Find Cindy on Twitter here!

Just flouncing about in English Bay…

GYM CLUB

Olivia — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:24:28 +0000

{Don’t be fooled – the blouse is just doing what its cut and pleats mean for it to do: give me the “I’m carrying” look. (It’s misleading shirts like this that keep US Weekly in business.) Wearing: Zara bomber jacket w/ DIY fur trim, Bedo blouse, JNBY pants (c/o), Michael Kors shoes & small purse, Marc by Mac Jacobs bag (similar here). H&M aviators, Holt Renfrew necklace. Dior Serum de Rouge 640.}

My version of athletic wear: chic sweatpants (no longer the oxymoron it used to be), a bomber jacket and a gym-esque bag.

The above mentioned fur trim DIY circa 2009.

Blair Eadie, of Atlantic Pacific has a thing for customized stationery.

LEATHER & SPARKLE

Olivia — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 21:38:01 +0000

{Wearing: Zara leather jacket and boots, 2 Elles sweater (from Paris, get similar here), wool trumpet skirt: made my me (which upon publishing I’ve just noticed the little rip in the stitching), orYANY bag (get similar here, or get it in orange here), vintage Raybans, H&M headband, Dior Rouge Pink #475, Dior tray from Dior Avenue Montaigne (Paris), Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria c/o}

Just before leaving this morning I spritzed on Calvin Klein’s new fragrance Forbidden Euphoria. The sweet notes to of the perfume make wearing it feel exotic and a little mysterious, which a girl needs now and again! Plus I love the colour of the bottle, a very pretty topper for the counter.

One of my tasks today is to upload all of my new Christmas card designs to my online store on Etsy, I hope you enjoy them! In the meantime, here are the current seasonal offerings from LOVE + MARK’D!

White & Black & Cobalt

Olivia — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 22:05:11 +0000

This is what I do on my lunch breaks. When I work from home, that is. It’s just too hard to feel motivated when you’re trying to get a serious project done and you’re wearing a big robe and pink fuzzy slippers. Looking out the window though, I am sure glad I don’t have to go out into that miserable weather!

Wearing: Sheer sweater from a random shop in SoHo, I ripped the tag out so I can’t tell you the brand unfortunately, Talula spandex tank underneath, woven leather belt from Accessorize – a British brand that used to have a store on Robson about 5 years ago. The skirt I designed and made when I was 18 in pattern-making class. I’ve upgraded my tights, courtesy of Mum who read on my blog I was wearing Safeway tights and went to Sears to buy me decent tights. Cobalt blue leather flats from Zara.

Xo StyleStruck

p.s. How do you keep cute on these blustery, soggy kinds of days?

p.p.s. Follow me on Twitter!

Blogger Appointment With Dela Cruz PR

Olivia — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 22:51:18 +0000

“Hello cab company? Yes, hi, I can’t walk home in these heels.” Wearing: Leather bomber jacket from Zara, with DIY fur trim, Alternative Apparel t-shirt, Fidelity denim, Browns ID booties, Gianni Chiarini navy leather carry-all.

Last week I ventured over to Railtown for an appointment with a local PR agency, Dela Cruz PR, to view a few spring 2011 lines from various clients. Here are my favourite looks from two, Matix and Fenchurch! (Who knows why I look so darn tired in all these photos, I shall blame it on the poor lighting.)

Matix S/S 11 sky blue jacket (above): Love a menswear inspired jacket cut for a woman. And for once, a jacket that isn’t cut at the belly button, who else is over that look?

Matix S/S 11 little black dress (above): This was one of those pieces that would be perfect for a summer date. For now, I paired it with dark denim.

Matix S/S 11 striped shirt dress (above): Loved this piece, it’s so me. This piece would be amazing loose and relaxed with flats or belted with a pair of statement chunky heels.

I swear I’ve never met a stripe I didn’t like… especially a nautical-feeling stripe, like this dress (above). Gorg with golden bangles, no?

Malania (Dela Cruz) showed me a few of her favourite pieces from Fenchurch‘s spring line…

I see this jacket (below) with white denim shorts, huge tortoise-shell frame aviators and wooden platform sandals…. Oh no… I’m already dreaming about summer… *I love the wind and rain*I love the wind and rain*I love the wind and rain* …

Cute, cute cute. This sweater (above) also comes in cream. You know what I love? Cream with dark denim, or light, faded and distressed denim cut offs… with pink espadrilles… Oh here I go again. I think I’ll have to go buy a new fun umbrella just to make myself feel better about the rain now.

Oh yes, I left with a few little things.

Xo StyleStruck

MY DIY

Olivia — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:56:22 +0000

This morning I put together a little photo shoot wearing a DIY project I did a few weeks ago. I had a leather jacket from Zara from years ago that needed a little love, and a fur caplet I purchased at a vintage store some time ago with plans to turn it into a muff (obviously that never panned out). Then recently I thought, maybe this leather jacket could use a little fur trim, and sewed the caplet right onto the shoulders of the jacket and PRESTO! Insta-Fendi! Or something vaguely resembling a Fendi style jacket. I think Karl would approve, despite his very odd penchant for faux fur these days. (Worst collection, ever. Dear Karl, what was he thinking).

And here is an outfit to go with my fabulous new jacket, I felt a bit Amelia Earhart, probably because my pants could be from the 40s, and the leather jacket felt like a pilot’s coat from the 40s. Now I just need a leather cap and some goggle-tastic flying glasses.

{Wearing: DIY Zara bomber w/ vintage fur, white Sirens T, DIY navy wool trousers, (these were made at fashion school years back) and white leather Zara flats. And of course my rose-gold Fossil watch.}

Operation: Give Our Closets Style! Here’s How It Goes…

Olivia — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:17:43 +0000

What do you get when you mix two cute chicks with a mess of a closet? CLOSET DETOX. This is the latest and greatest way to renew and cleanse oneself without having to pass on that glass of bubbly, in fact, I say when partaking in a closet detox, having a bottle of champagne on hand is probably a very good idea!

So what is a closet detox you ask? It’s when two brilliant and stylish women take over your closet, leaving you helplessly clutching your champagne flute while they dissect each and every piece of clothing you own. This is an absolutely wonderful way to start off any season, especially the Spring season when you’re itching for a Spring cleaning, or a fabulous new wardrobe.

I spent my Saturday afternoon with the ladies of Operation Style, Jillian Crago and Kristy Rogerson, who came over on a mission: to give my over-stuffed closet a much needed detox and me a much needed lesson in closet organization. They started by completely emptying out my closet and then sorting out all of its contents into neat categorized piles; long sleeve, collared, vests, skirts, etc. Once everything was organized Jillian and Kristy examined each piece of clothing for its shape, colour, fabric quality and relevance to today’s styles. Most pieces were lucky, others, like an old black stretchy and very short Wilfred dress, were not. “Faded goes,” Jillian told me. I don’t know why I was hanging onto that dress, the last time I wore it I was blending drinks behind the bar at Cactus Club.

We all have items like this, say an old sweater that you haven’t worn in a year but that you haven’t gotten rid of because you “just might” wear it one day. Or maybe there is a pair of jeans hanging in your closet that haven’t fit properly in, oh about eight months, but you’re saving them because they’re your skinny jeans and you’re hoping that one day, mayybe one day they’ll fit again. (okay yes, I’m talking about my beloved Karl Lagerfeld skinnies). “Those pieces you never wear just stare at you when you’re trying to get dressed, which just makes it harder to find the right outfit!” Brilliant advice from Kristy.

As Jillian and Kristy went through all of my clothing, they created outfits for me with pieces that I would never have thought to pair together! I kept thinking things like, “I’ve had those for years, how come I never thought of pairing them with the cream blazer??” to myself. I won’t lie, at the start of all this I was feeling very nervous, almost nauseous at the thought of other people seeing what my closet actually holds. Some of those things have been in there for years, and I’m not talkin one or two, I’m saying yeeaars, like since 9th grade years. How embarrassing. Although my pride in showing the girls my Chanel pumps did ease the pain a bit. So I pressed on. As each outfit was created, Kristy took a picture so that I could remember them.

Wearing: Forever 21 Blazer, Wilfred stretchy tank, DIY trousers, Michael Kors flats.

Wearing: Cynthia Rowley dress that’s been shortened by the girls of OS, vintage gold belt, Manolo Blahnik flats.

Wearing: Guess jacket, silk top from (212), white Sirens jeans, Stuart Weitzman heels.

Wearing: H&M shirt, H&M striped dress, Michael Kors flats. Kristy also laid some outfits out for me… This one (below) I am really looking forward to wearing come Spring!

Once it was all over, I felt like I had a whole new closet and more importantly, a whole new wardrobe! And thanks to these two lovely ladies, my closet is professionally organized, right down to the colour-coded arranging of the shoes.

A note to guys: A closet detox would make an awesome Valentines Day gift for the lady in your life! I don’t know one woman who wouldn’t love to have this experience. Information on women’s services click here!

And now for the before and afters, top picture shown is my closet before… Here is the after!

If you’d like to see what kind of magic Operation Style can work on your closet, send them en email! They’d love to hear from you! info@operationstyle.ca

XO StyleStruck