My #FierceLiving Fashion starts with bright colors. I love wearing bright colors when I facilitate workshops, moderate panel discussions, give talks about my books, and attend conferences. Ann Taylor Loft, Dress Barn, Forever 21, H&M, Lettie Gooch Boutique, Macy’s, Marshall’s, Target, and Violet Boutique are some of my favorite places to shop for these events.
This week, I facilitated a nonprofit digital storytelling workshop for my client, Serve DC’s National Service Program Director Institute. I wore bright colors: purple Ann Taylor Loft pants and white t-shirt, blue Dress Barn blazer, H&M gold necklace, Forever 21 gold bangles and ring, and Anne Klein black peek-a-boo wedge shoes. My vegan black bowling bag from Violet Boutique kept me company.
Today’s blog post discusses my creative style as an author. Earlier this year, I started collecting pictures from fashion magazines that illustrated what I wanted to look like as an author during my fall and winter Digital Sisterhood book events. I fell in love with gold jewelry, knit dresses with lots of zippers, leather wedge boots, colorful trench coats, and purses with funky side stitching.
Thanks to my incredibly creative and fashion savvy niece, Jordan, I knew I could find my gold jewelry — a funky ring and bangles from Forever 21 during one of my Labor Day sale adventures.
The black knit dress with zippers was a hard one to find. I started looking at my usual spots — Ann Taylor Loft, Macy’s, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx, but had no luck. While I was walking home earlier this week, my inner fashion goddess who lives inside my head whispered, “Drop by Dress Barn to see about the black knit dress.” So I listened (my inner fashion goddess is never wrong!) and found a petite black knit dress with gold zippers for $42. Yes, I said $42!
My Tahari black leather wedge boots were easy to find. I just had to look in my closet and find my boot container with boots I purchased two and three years ago. I had the heels fixed during the summer.
Looking for a trench coat has been a two-year challenge. I finally found one that fit my author creative style requirements (colorful), body size, and budget from Marshalls on a Sunday morning after church. It was love at first sight. Thank goodness Jones New York makes cinnamon double-breasted petite trench coats that end up in Marshalls for $60!
My black leather purse with funky silver side stitching is an oldie but goodie purchase I made at Violet Boutique (one of my favorite places to shop in D.C. — especially for jewelry, purses, coats, and jackets) in 2011.
The piece de resistance of my author creative style is my red tiger glasses by Oliver Goldsmith (OG), a London-based family run business that is synonymous with fashion and style. OG has been in business for the past 80 years. Fashion designers Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Vidal Sassoon, and actors Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Peter Sellers, and Michael Caine embraced OG eyewear early in their careers.
Photo Credit: OliverGoldsmith.com
I discovered my red tiger glasses during one of my summer visits to Dupont Optical, the place that has helped me select signature eyewear for over 20 years. Dupont Optical owner and optician Ben Herman recommended my red tiger glasses and another very cool pair of casual glasses I can wear as sunshades.
What are you wearing this fall to express your creativity?
If you are in Washington, D.C. on October 19, please plan to attend my author talk and book reading from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Joan Hisaoka Healing Arts Gallery, 1632 U Street, NW (three blocks from the U Street/Cardozo Green Line Metro Station). Click here to register for the event. See you on October 19th!
Today, I am celebrating the power of art and fashion by featuring Tanekeya Word, one of my favorite artists who has created artwork and a personal brand that celebrate fashion, popular culture, and her life experiences. She is also a fellow Howardite (Howard University, Class of 2006). I discovered her amazing artwork and purchased several prints in 2008. Word defines herself as a Hybrid Chic Afrofuturist Visual Artist. Currently, she serves as the managing editor, creative & art director, and literature & culture editor of neonV, a biannual magazine for the contemporary peculiar woman that provides a compelling storyline of traditional and innovative content by exposing the cultural and subcultural continuums in fashion, art, beauty, and travel. Click here to learn more about Word and her incredibly stunning work.
This month, I am using my Internet Geek Tuesday blog posts to share my BlogHer 13 conference recaps. Just in case you didn’t know BlogHer is the Web’s largest community, conference, and leading guide to the hottest news and trends among women in social media. It is also one of my favorite online communities and conferences!
Today’s blog post features my reflections on the second annual BlogHer Fashion Show (one of my favorite conference events). The theme was “Half Woman. Half Amazing.” I think it should have been “Amazing Women Owning Their Beauty” because the women who walked the runway gave the audience the gift of seeing what happens when a group of sixteen sassy, soulful, and stunning stars shine their beauty from the inside out as they strut what the universe gave them in fabulous clothing and make up.
Audrey Hepburn
They reminded me of actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn’s beauty wisdom: “The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a Woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.” Check out some of their photos below.
Disclaimer: All photos are from BlogHer.com.
Afrobella, co-hostess of the BlogHer fashion show (photo from Blogher.com)Luvvie Ajayi, co-hostess of the BlogHer fashion show (photo from Blogher.com)Grace Hwang Lynch (photo from Blogher.com)Vikki Reich (photo from Blogher.com)Isra Hasmi (photo from Blogher.com)Lianne Farbes (BlogHer.com photo)Meseidy Rivera (photo from Blogher.com)Katherine Stone (photo from Blogher.com)Kareisha Questel (photo from Blogher.com)Natasha Taylor Nicholes (photo from Blogher.com)
Aren’t these women owing their beauty? To learn more about them, see the list below.
My greatest takeaway from the fashion show is that all women have the power and right to define and express what beautiful means to them. And that’s exactly what I did after the show when I asked my dear digital brother Tyrone Farley, founder of TrueFashionistaNow.com to style me. With one small touch of moving my hair to one side, I got a new summer look that truly reflected how I felt: simply beautiful and grateful for a wonderful BlogHer conference experience!
Ananda, Xina Eiland, Jazzy Jones, and Macy’s Staff at Spring Fashion Show on March 28
Before the show, I met up with my Blogalicious digital sisters, Xina Eiland and Jazzy Jones. We had a chance to reconnect and talk about our plans for the spring season.
Style expert and author Daisy Lewellyn
During the show, Daisy, the “Queen of Effortless Chic,” shared that she was a Howard University graduate (love that we are HU Bisons!) and gave five tips for Spring wardrobe essentials. Check out the photos and tips below.
Peplums are big this spring!
Tip #1 – Peplum: Daisy recommended that women add a peplum top or dress to their wardrobe. The top could be paired with a skirt or pants. I love peplums. I wore them a lot during the late 1980s!
Lace is huge this spring!
Tip #2 – Lace: Daisy encouraged women to wear colorful lace. I fell in love with the yellow lace dress. It reminded me of my Aunt Paulyne’s vintage 1960s peach lace dress I wore to my law school graduation at Howard University in the late 1980s.
Pullover sweaters are key to a woman’s spring wardrobe this year!
Tip #3 – Pullover Sweaters: Daisy suggested women incorporate pullover sweaters in their spring wardrobe. She used First Lady Michelle Obama’s sweater style as an example. I ADORE pullover sweaters especially the ones you can wear with a belt.
Printed pants are very in this spring!
Tip #4 – Printed Pants: Daisy shared how women can add more color to their Spring wardrobe with printed pants.
Dresses are hot this spring!
Tip #5 – Dresses: Daisy talked about how dresses like the ones worn by First Lady Michelle Obama create a total look. I agree!
What are your five Spring wardrobe essentials?
DISCLAIMER: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about the Macy’s event. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.
Since it’s Creativity Thursday, I thought I would take a fashion field trip to Macy’s Metro Center this evening to get some creative tips on the five Spring Essentials I need to enhance my lifestylista wardrobe.
Photo Credit: Macys.com
I am excited about seeing the Spring Fashion Show and meeting Daisy Lewellyn, style expert, author, and TV personality, who will be sharing her spring style tips. Daisy is known as the “Queen of Effortless Chic.” I hope she brings copies of her book, Never Pay Retail Again.
I’ll be live tweeting during the event. So follow me on Twitter @anandaleeke. I’ll be using the event hashtag #5Essentials and including @Macys and @DaisyLewellyn in my tweets.
PS: I’ll post a recap blog about my Fashion Field Trip to Macy’s in a few days.
DISCLAIMER: I am a member of the Everywhere Society and Everywhere provided me with compensation for this post about the Macy’s event. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own.
Photo of Digital Sisterhood Focus Group Panel on 12/12/10
Day #12 of Digital Sisterhood Month was a special digital diva day for me because I moderated the Digital Sisterhood Focus Group on how women in social media discuss fashion, beauty, hair, and lifestyles at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC. The dynamic digital sister panelists included:
1. LaWanda Amaker, Founder of L.A. Beaute Beat and Media Mingle;
2. Monica Byrd, Founder of Fashionista Flea Market, Pregginista, and Charm Chat, and DC Women’s Style Examiner;
Many thanks to Xina Eiland for serving as the event videographer, Sharon Malachi for serving as the event photographer, and Glory Edim’s mother Ms. Henrietta for making “Digital Sisterhood” cupcakes (they were yummy) for the ladies!
Ananda Leeke 