This outfit was worn to enjoy Friday night cosmopolitans at the Opus Hotel in Yaletown. All day I had been wondering what I should wear, we were going to be meeting up with quite a big group in the Velvet Room and I wanted to look fabulous. At the last minute I settled on this outfit, deciding that I needed a print moment. The women thought my outfit was a dress, so I suppose the two pieces were a successful combination! 

Wearing: BCBG Max Azria silk heart blouse, (as previously seen at Chanel), Zara silk snakeskin print skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, vintage ring, Stuart Weitzman nude pumps

And for a little kitty update:

Marie is a happy, healthy and ever growing kitten! Happy home over here with little Marie!

Till next time,

Xo StyleStruck

Last night, Chanel hosted a cocktail, (or champagne), party at their new beauty and fragrance bar in Holt Renfrew. The space is GORGEOUS! It is truly a Chanel wonderland of sparkly lip gloss, perfume galore and the latest Shanghai collection of nail polish. I’ll have to be careful about going near it, as I know I’ll be bound to find a few, or a lot, of things I just have to have! The party-goers last night were an eclectic mix of local celebrities, (Erin Ireland, Elisa Estrada), Chanel clients, beauty gurus, PR pros, bloggers and people from the office of Chanel. 

Niki Blasina, of A Haute Mess, and me at the event! Love this girl’s style, and fierce boots! 

With Ryan Bazely, of PINQ.

DJ Blondtron, a.k.a. Samantha Mathews spinning for Chanel. 

Maria Jose Hernandez Cos and Nadia Chu of String Magazine with Marilyn Wilson of Vancouver Fashion Ezine.

The fabulous Niki and I went for a little Granville stroll after the party.

Wearing: BCBG Max Azria silk top, B.B. Dakota skirt, Chanel sandals, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, Fossil watch.

Thank you to the PR & Event team at Holts and at Chanel for putting on such a wonderful party, and for inviting me! And THANK YOU for the swag bags!! Eeee CHANEL USB STICK! Best thing ever!

Now off to play in the sun! 

Xo StyleStruck

Who doesn’t like fun photos? Thought you might like some more, I like these ones! : )

-SS

 So by now you now that one of my passions is marketing and pretty much all that falls under the marketing umbrella. At the moment I am taking a course called Strategic Corporate Communications that encourages exploring the new methods of communicating with your business members and target audience. In our first class last week the professor asked us to create a blog that will serve as a platform for our take on some given readings. I thought that since I dabble in a little bit of marketing related info, (events and bits I find here and there), on this blog already, I would include some of the tips from the readings on my blog. If like me you are interested in pursuing a career in public relations and marketing, you might find these insights helpful! And as always, why not include pictures to make this visual!

This post will feature my thoughts and ideas from a reading explaining how to “make your message visible.” I thought I’d combine it with a little photo shoot my sister and I did together that features how I make myself visible, all sequins all the time. (Photography and styling by Monika Loevenmark).

So this reading was particularly interesting to me because it highlighted something that I think I’ve been doing all along, but didn’t know that it was a strategy to lure you readers in; captivating the audience’s attention with imagery, or “data visualization,” via social media and creating that one-on-one connection with your audience. Although, I wonder if writing a piece on marketing and including fashion shots with it counts as “data visualization”… But it sure does make it more fun!

The reading: “How to make your message visible: On becoming better visual storytellers” by Susan Suggs, APR, (from Public Relations Tactics Journal by the Public Relations Society of America). That’s sure a mouthful. 

So what I took from the reading was this main principle: “the more visual you make your data, the greater its potential impact due to a stronger impression and better recall.” What this means to me is when you want to communicate a message, use creative and strong visuals to promote and enhance what you are saying. I think this is why blogs have become such an important part of internet marketing. Blogs are the perfect platform for communicating a message because the posts are infused with captivating pictures, (who doesn’t love peeking into someone else’s life, or closet?). I can learn from this principle, the more I continue to make my posts visual for my readers, the stronger the impression I will give to you about what I’m about and will probably have you coming back to check my blog, hopefully! On that note, time for a photo…

This reading also says, “for PR professionals to be better visual story tellers, they should try using a problem-solving outline or a direct human interest story.” So, does this mean that as a wannabe PR professional that I am promoting myself through this blog and the way that I communicate with you, my readers, by telling little stories from my life, could be considered “visual story-telling” through my own “human interest” stories? And therefor I am making this a stronger connection with you? Rad. Lets keep this going!

A quote that I like from the reading goes like this: “audiences today mine data for the short vignette that encapsulates the best and brightest ideas.” Your audience still wants “access to pertinent data, but perception of key messages improves when delivered with an understanding of the shortened attention span of today’s media-infused consumer.” So keep it short and sweet. Say what you gotta say in the most effective way possible, make it interesting and if possible, unique to all the many thousands of messages out there on the internet, (since we’re talking about an online forum). On that note I shall end the writing portion of this post, (see how I am showing that I understand what I’m reading?? Haha), now for SOME FABULOUS PHOTOS!

Im wearing: vintage sequin jacket, H&M over-sized T, Zara snakeskin printed skirt, Marc by Marc Jacobs necklace, Michael Kors watch, H&M bracelet and Zara leather flats. 

Hope you enjoyed my thoughts, : )

Xo StyleStruck

Here I am prancing around my apartment in the morning hours before work. I consider blogging my work actually, my other work is really just a way to support it. And speaking of all things fashion-work related, I was recently told about a new fashion site that allows you to network with everyone and anyone in the fashion industry. It’s called Afingo, pronounced Uh-fingo, meaning fashion, and is what the four co-founders consider the “first fashion-centric online platform that merges a marketplace and a social network; a virtual tradeshow, showroom and industry directory enclosed within an online community where members of the fashion community will connect and interact.” Well now that’s a mouth full! I’ve just been introduced to Afingo, but I’ve already signed up! Find me: http://www.afingo.com/users/stylestruck

Thus far it seems the site has done a great job at making sure all details are covered; when you sign up you fill it all out, from what you do and where you’ve been educated to where you shop. Because the site is so new, only time will tell if it will be the next social networking spot for fashionistas, but in the mean time I’m looking forward to connecting with all you  fashionistas and fashionistos there!

Note: When you sign up for a profile, you won’t be asked for a password. The site sends a link with an opportunity to create a password shortly after you sign up, so be patient and it shall come. 

And now back to the previous programming: StyleStruck Prances Around Her Teeny Apartment:

I’ve been dying to post about this new military style jacket I got while in Whistler. What my closet really needs is a good shot of Balmain, but for now a Guess look-a-like will do! And paired with my pink sequin skirt found at Patricia Field’s shop and Marc by Marc Jacobs cream patent leather mary-janes. Another Note: My hair is currently growing out, please bear with me as I endure the very awkward phases of growing ones hair out. I’d say I’m currently in phase one, ohh only about another 6 months of hair-hell to go through. 

XO StyleStruck