Print and Color Must Wear For Fall

As the weather begins to steer chilly, it's time to start making room in your closet and putting these trends at the top of your shopping list so you can be fabulously on trend for this fall season with fashion.

Do wear emerald green! As Pantone named it the color of 2013. It's been all over the runway from Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Roland Mouret.

Winter White is another color trending not only for nightwear but also daywear as well. From chunky knits or a chit coat it can be matched up into many outfits.

A huge favorite however is Leopard as it is still trending into fall. So no need to be stashing your leopard prints to the back of your closet. Of course traditional browns and blacks are always a DO but you can definitely play up with colored leopards prints like pinks or teals this fall as well.

Bargin Back to School Shopping

Are you a college student that is ball-in on a budget!? From tuition, books and basic living necessities the broke college student life is something we are all a little too familiar with. We all want to be wearing the latest trends from the hottest designers and best brands. However, not all of us have the pockets to buy new clothes everyday like notorious shopaholic Kim Kardashian. BUT WAIT! Worry no longer my fellow fashionistas because I am going to introduce you to your next obsession that will help keep you dressed as fabulously as Rachel Zoe, while not draining your bank account at the same time. 

ASOS one of the largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer in the UK. With over 60,000 brands from women and menswear of  Dresses, jeans, T-shirts, shirts, shoes, jewellery, lingerie and beauty everything you would need from head to toe but at a fraction of the cost. Not to mention always keeping you updated with the seasons fashion trend. 

Just check out this Oversized Stud Print Scarf great for the this upcoming fall for only $12.66 

Or for you Beanie Lover this Rib Red Boyfriend Beanie for only $5.06

But wait… did I mention they also have free shipping to 109 countries including the United States! Sounds too good to be true right. You are just wondering "Where's the catch!?" and I tell you "There isn't one!". Unless you consider a 70% clearance a bad deal?

Stylitics at NAU

If you like the setup of Pinterest and need a way to organize your personal wardrobe, you need to join Stylitics.com. Stylitics is a virtual closet organizer where you can post your day to day outfits to keep track of your ensembles and share them with other people. It's a great way to plan your outfits and avoid a dreaded outfit repeat. You can also get expert style advice from real stylists and browse their wardrobes! The Stylitics Report, which is the company's blog, has great fashion news and articles to help keep you up to date on fashion trends, history, and events.

There is now a Facebook page for Stylitics at NAU!

This page is not affiliated with NAMA, but one of our members has been working with the company to bring news and events to NAU students. Take a gander at the Stylitics at NAU Facebook page and Like it to receive updates and special offers.
Also check out Stylitics.com to start your own virtual closet!


**NAMA meeting update!
Our meetings will be Tuesdays at 6pm in Com building room 228.
Keep checking the NAMA Facebook page to learn more! xx

Inspire Fashion T-shirt Design Contest

Phoenix Fashion Week is hosting the Inspire Fashion T-shirt Design Contest!

This is a logo design contest for high school seniors and college students pursuing a degree in fashion. In order to enter you must create an original design for a PHXFW t-shirt and submit it by September 6th. There will be one winner who will receive a $1000 scholarship. This scholarship has been established by PHXFW in their efforts to give back to the community and promote education and careers in fashion. This is a really fun and great way to work on your design skills and to help finance your education.

The rules and more detailed information on the contest are below. Read everything carefully! If you have any questions send them to jenna@phoenixfashionweek.com.

Since fall semester is just around the corner make sure you Like the NAMA Facebook page to receive updates on our meetings and events for this semester!

Picture Perfect - Portrait Tees

When I think of graphic tees I usually associate them with teeny-bopper t-shirts that have sassy sayings and cutesy cartoon characters on them. The more mature (but still fun and relaxed) version would be the portrait tee. These simple yet eye-catching t-shirts are great for casual ensembles and are amusing pieces to have in your wardrobe. I think this top is a nice little number to have on hand for those jeans and t-shirt kind of days.

As always, please like the NAMA Facebook page to receive updates on meetings and other fashion news!

Lesa Wallace - Giving Bracelets

This week we are spotlighting local designer Lesa Wallace.

Lesa, who hails from Arizona and went to college in California, has created a name for herself with her line of beautiful leather handbags and accessories. Her handbags have been featured in numerous fashion publications and can be found in stores and boutiques around the country. Lesa also has an accessories collection called Giving Bracelets. NAMA President, Jenna, recently saw Lesa’s designs at a market in Flagstaff and wanted to spread the word about these bracelets. I had the opportunity to talk to the designer herself and learn more about what she does and her goals with her business.

Lesa has been creating leather handbags for ten years and says her inspiration really comes from growing up in the South West. Nature and Native American art have been big influences, which you can see in her bags and bracelets.

The idea for the Giving Bracelets came from using remnants from her handbags. Lesa began taking the recycled leather bracelets out on the road and selling them at art shows, markets, and music festivals. She brings her leather presses and other tools to these shows so she can customize the bracelets for each customer.

A few years ago, Lesa began volunteering with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children, an organization which helps provide legal aid and representation for neglected children, but didn’t have the time to focus on both volunteering and designing. A little over a year ago Lesa decided to start selling her Giving Bracelets as a way of spreading the word about the organization. The bracelets retail between $20 to $25 and 10% of all the proceeds are donated to CASA.

When asked about the future of her business, Lesa said she sees the Giving Bracelets continuing to grow and still promoting CASA through her work. She really hopes to see her business lead to something like the mission of TOMS shoes; a product with a charitable purpose.

As a parting statement, Lesa encourages anyone who wishes to be involved in fashion to focus on finding their story and message. She also said that working with social media to spread the word is the best way to get started.

To learn more about Lesa, Giving Bracelets, and her other designs, head over to the Lesa Wallace Handbags Facebook page. You can contact Lesa at info@lesawallace.com to find out where you can purchase her bracelets and the next time she will be in your area. You can also reach out to her on Twitter by using the hashtag #givingbracelets.
Lesa will be in Flagstaff this weekend at Wheeler Park so make sure you check out her booth.

 Designer Lesa Wallace (left) and NAMA President Jenna (right)

Keep checking our NAMA Facebook page for weekly posts and to learn about upcoming meetings and events this Fall!

Style Icon: Kate Middleton

Earlier this week the Royal Duchess of Cambridge gave birth to her first child after much anticipation. Due to this exciting event it is only fitting that we pay Kate Middleton some fashion homage. She is our Style Icon for the week!

Her style in casual settings is always so put together and flattering

Kate’s formal wear is elegant, classy, and demonstrates her superb personal style 

She always looked fantastic during her pregnancy!

Let’s not forget her gorgeous wedding gown! 

 Kate Middleton is without a doubt a very fashionable woman, but her style is very sensible and not too flashy. This Duchess knows how to dress! 

Please Like the NAMA Facebook page to see our weekly posts and other great fashion reports!

Daisy's Girls

Since the release of the latest film adaption of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the styles from the 1920s can be seen almost everywhere in full force. Drop-waist dresses, fringe, bob haircuts, red lips, you name it. Wildfox Couture recently came out with a collection for Fall 2013 inspired and named after the film’s leading lady and Gatsby’s love interest. Daisy’s Girls, as detailed by Wildfox designer Kimberly Gordon, is “decadently beautiful”. Take a peek at the photoshoot for the collection and shop the pieces when they hit the online store in the Fall.

You can also check out this fabulous video (directed by Brian Kazez) of the luxurious lives of Daisy's Girls.

The NAMA Facebook page is updated twice a week with tidbits of fashion news and inspiration. Make sure you Like our page so you don't miss a thing! xx

Boutique of the Week Scavenger Hunt

This month, Phoenix Fashion Week is presenting a very exciting new event to help promote local boutiques. Monday, July 8^th marked the beginning of the very first

Boutique of the Week Scavenger Hunt!

The premise of this stylish quest is to find the hidden Phoenix Fashion Week tank top in the boutique of the day, style it with accessories from that store, and send a selfie of the ensemble to jenna@Phoenixfashionweek.com. One winner will be chosen each day and will be contacted via email. There will be a new boutique featured every day for the rest of July which will result in 24 winners and 1 grand prize winner. You can read more about the event and the scavenger hunt rules here.

There have already been a couple of winners and you can see their selfies of their outfits on the event page and the Phoenix Fashion Week page. Now it's your turn to get out there and explore all of the fabulous fashions that our local boutiques have to offer, all while participating in a fun event!

Happy hunting fashionistas!

Follow the NAMA Facebook page as well as the Phoenix FashionWeek page for fashion news and updates!

4th of July Outfits

 4^th of July is just a week away so it’s time to start planning your Independence Day outfit!

One way to get into the patriotic spirit is to sport the American flag in your ensemble:

 

Or, you can rock the red, white, and blue in some more subtle ways:

Of course there is always Katy Perry’s approach:

Have a fun and safe 4^th of July everyone!

Follow NAMA on Facebook and keep checking back for our weekly posts!

Fashion Design 101

So, you want to be a fashion designer? Well there are some things you need to know before you can expect to become a haute couture genius. There are fundamental skills and some basic knowledge that everyone should know if they want to be a designer or even just work with clothing. First, in order to construct a garment you must begin with a pattern; no that does not mean adding some stripes or floral bits to your sketches. Garment patterns are individual pieces of the silhouettes you will need in order to construct an article of clothing. You can buy them at your local craft store or get adventurous and create your own. These flimsy and delicate pieces are necessary elements to clothing construction. This video by Nick Verreos briefly breaks down the need-to-know information about pattern pieces and the tools used to create and refine them: 

Nick has other videos about the basics of sketching, creating looks, and other inspiration for aspiring designers. Check out his videos at LookTV on YouTube to learn more about getting started in fashion design.

As always, check back next Thursday for another post!

In the meantime, Like our Facebook page for weekly tidbits of fashion.

Summer DIYs

It’s a new season, and an extremely hot one at that! When updating your wardrobe for the summer heat, consider DIYing some of your last season pieces. This will save you some cash and give you something to do during those days you spend inside away from the scorching sun.

Here are some videos that will help get those creative juices flowing:

A chic and super simple cutout tee:

Cute lacy shorts made by an AZ native:

Brandy Melville inspired tank top (this DIYer is French which is pretty cool): 

Don’t let this summer go to waste. Get creative and stay stylish!

Remember to Like the NAMA Facebook page for more posts! We'll see you next week ;)

Allie Ollie Boutique Launch Show

This past weekend our NAMA President, Jenna Moser, worked with a style team to help create a fashion show for Allie Olsen, the owner of Allie Ollie Boutiques, to launch her first clothing line called "Ensemble". There were three fashion shows and the stylists has the opportunity to work with the talented Rochelle York to create some really chic looks. The runway was set up right in front of the Allie Ollie store at Paradise Valley mall and the proceeds from ticket sales went to the Sojourner Center (an organization which supports victims of domestic violence).

The interesting thing about this type of fashion show was that there were both runway models and realway models. Allie Olsen has created a line pf clothing for both real women and runway women.

Allie Ollie Boutique has 5 locations in Arizona: Prescott, Flagstaff, Sedona, Paradise Valley, and Cottonwood. You can find them on instagram at @allieolliestore and online.

Like the NAMA Facebook page and keep checking back for more posts and updates every week!

xx

Uniqlo x Suno Collab

What do you get when a CFDA award-winning design duo and a mega-chic high street store collab? Some killer must haves for summer 2013! Uniqlo, a Japanese casual wear retailer, along with designers Erin Beatty and Max Osterweis, the founders of the label Suno, have created a line of easy and ready to wear pieces at affordable prices. Everything is under $40 which sounds pretty reasonable to me!  This collection hit Uniqlo stores May 20^th and it is definitely something that East Coasters need to check out.

It has become a major trend in recent years for big designers to collaborate with lower end retailers to bring chic and reasonably priced pieces to the masses. I personally love this and hope to see more CFDA designers bring their work to high street type stores in the future.

Read more about this collab here: http://www.refinery29.com/suno-uniqlo-collaboration

Also check out this Polyvore mood board with great pieces from the collab: 

Make sure to check out the NAMA Facebook page for other content and weekly updates!

New and Improved!

Welcome to the new (and much more stylish) NAMA blog! We will be posting weekly throughout the summer and you can expect some great posts and news in the Fall. Let us know what you want to see and what you are interested in getting out of this blog. Like our Facebook for more updates and posts for the next few weeks. Stay chic!

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