September Monthly Medley

I spent the weekend in Princeton with one of my best friends––more on that later this week––and realised that September is already over. What?! Only a few moments ago I was writing about the summer and thinking of Labour Day Weekend and buying a notebook before classes started. And now the month has come to an end.

It is crazy how sometimes the days just fly by without us even realising it even happened. Sometimes we get so caught up in the routine and in the pursuit of success––which unfortunately for some people isn't even related to happiness––that we just forget about the whole world that surrounds us and the little things that make part of what actually matters in life.

I must confess that this month was one when I didn't even realise I was still alive. I was so excited about the start of this new life in New York and about my program––and I still adore both of these things from the bottom of my heart––that I didn't even take the time to breathe and feel like the living being I am.

When I wasn't reading the insane amount of things that I have to do for school, I spent most of my time trying to make my brand new apartment feel like my home, or rushing from one place to another trying to catch some beautiful people with my lens in NYFW. It wasn't until my body literally forced me to stop––by making me get the worse cold I've had in maybe years––that I noticed how bad I had been treating myself. It was only when I collapsed that I realised that I need to live a healthier lifestyle if I really want to succeed in this emerging field of Fashion Studies––or anything else I decide to do with my life!

From this moment on, I decided to take my life more easily, and September turned into a month of transition. Not only because the weather started cooling down, but also because I had to finally start adapting to my new life in New York––and make it a healthy, happy one! I discovered my first good restaurants in the city, and went to some of the best events that happen in New York in the fall. I changed some of the basics of my daily routine––although always remaining attached to what that truly means to me. And I took the time to leave the library, go (window-)shopping

, and go out with friends.

Although I don't feel like a New Yorker yet––and I don't even know if I ever will––and there is probably still a very long way to go in this transition process, September marked the starting point, and it was a great one. It was also a month full of inspiration and great reads, that I hope you can enjoy as much as I did. And it was a month of new beginnings, of new projects, and new things to come both for me and for those of you who constantly take the time to read all the nonsense and not-so-nonsense that I post up here every day.

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– Domaine Home takes us into a tour inside Jason Wu's studio in Manhattan

– Brian Atwood's guide to Fashion Week dining in New York––which can, of course, be used for just general dining in the city!

– What a Master's in Fashion actually entails––just because

Earning a master’s degree in fashion studies inspires many questions, chief among them, “Do you, like, sew?” No, I do not sew (though sewing is important, and yes, fashion design is a far more ubiquitous program than fashion history or theory). I study fashion as if it was just as worthy of critical thought as physics or politics—because it is.

– Why fashion should stop trying to be diverse––this is a little old, but I re-discovered it during this month and still love every single part of it. Minh-Ha Pham is single-handedly my favourite writer these days! And, just like she says,

the global fashion industry should stop trying to be inclusive, stop trying to be diverse. Rather than count racial bodies, it should begin recalibrating its structural dynamics of race, power, and profit so that a statement like Menkes’ that “the imagination of the [white male] designer is the greatest achievement of the show”—a show brought to life by the talents and hard work of mostly Black women dancers—is simply unthinkable.

– This might not be a very insightful read, but I just love people who are both influential in fashion and try to change the world––just like Simone Cipriani

– I'm currently having an intense love affair with vintage fine jewellery

– Every time I see this video––and I've done it about a thousand times––I fall more in love with it––and I probably should mention here that I even wrote a paper on it for one of my classes

– A very inspiring article on the Marni Flower Market after Milan Fashion Week, by my beloved Garance––oh, and there's Part 2!

– I need to go to all of these restaurants for brunch! Anyone wants to join me?

– The briefest interview with Jean-Paul Gaultier––you probably need to speak French to understand it, but the images are still very valuable

– 12 "Fall Movies" to watch this... fall!

– If you're interested in the luxury business, you might find these predictions from the experts quite interesting

– On Fashion & Fragrance

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Italy in New York: The Feast of San Gennaro

We all know how mad I am about Italian food––and Italy, in general––so it is probably obvious that the Feast of San Gennaro is one of my favourite happenings in New York during the fall. Although I would have liked to go earlier––and have a proper Italian meal there––I didn't make the time to go until last Sunday in the afternoon, which was also the last day of the festival.

I spent a few hours walking around Little Italy, eating cannoli and gelato, and listening to the live performance that was going on. It was a sweet afternoon, and more than a perfect break from all the studying/work I had to do last week!

Love,
  Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Choosing the Perfect Perfume

Splashing my body with perfume in the morning is always my final touch before leaving the house. To me, wearing perfume adds an delicate touch of personality to any outfit, and I've come to realise that I somehow feel half-naked when I don't wear perfume.

Perfume –like clothes– forms part of a person's style. Some people would never wear it, others will probably reserve it for special occasions, and others –like me– will make it part of their everyday lives. Some people love trying different fragrances all the time, even changing from one day to another, and some will stick to one single fragrance for ages. I belong to this last group. I believe that the way I smell should form part of my personality, and I personally adore having a signature smell.

For such a reason, choosing the perfect fragrance is sort of like finding the perfect man. Which means that once I find it and I'm ready to buy a special perfume, my relationship with it becomes some sort of marriage.

Unfortunately, just before I moved to New York, my last bottle of Marc Jacobs' Oh! Lola finished, meaning I had to say goodbye to my go-to fragrance for the past few years. It was a shame to learn that the brand had discontinued the fragrance I loved so much, but I took the chance –together with the move into my new life– to redefine myself and find a new fragrance.

I must say that the process was not an easy one. First of, there exist so many different perfumes, that I didn't even know where to start. Once I finally made my way into Macy's –on a Saturday evening, bad decision!– my nose couldn't handle smelling all those fragrances on the same night, no matter how many times I recurred to coffee.

It took more than one trip to the perfume store, and several hours, trying to find my perfect perfume... And the hardest part of the process was when I finally could reduce my options to two.

Before making the final decision, however, I decided to test the fragrances on my real life. It is not the same smelling them in the store than wearing it all day. The perfume's smell adapts to your skin –possibly as a reaction of your pH although it might include other factors as well– and it changes throughout the day.

Luckily enough, you can ask for samples –which is exactly what I did. I brought a few drops of both Prada Candy Florale and Chanel Coco Madmoiselle with me, and tried each one of them for a couple of weeks. And although I still love them both, the Prada one was a little too sweet for my taste. So I guess I am now –partially, at least– a lovely French lady, as one of my friends called my smell on Saturday!

Love,
  Photography via Chanel

Happy Nachos

Not sure if I mentioned it before, but my mum, sister and grandma came to visit me about a week ago. We spent a few days happily together, mostly shopping and eating. My favourite day, however, was the day when we decided to stop worrying about planning our days ahead and ended up wandering around SoHo, chatting and laughing together for the first time in what seemed ages to me.

After a while, we found out a cozy bar named Dos Caminos with a pretty terrace, where we decided to go for some food. We shared some nachos with guacamole –which were really good– and drank some sangria. This was a great evening; I had a lot of fun with my girls, showing them one of the neighbourhoods I like the most in my beloved city. Having them with me for a few days made me realise how much I miss them. I really hope they can come visit again soon!

Love,
  Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Restaurant Outings: Fig & Olive

I'm finally starting to feel more settled down in New York, which means that I am ready to start exploring everything that the city has to offer for its inhabitants––and I guess some of the tourist-y things as well!

Last week I had the chance to go to Fig & Olive––on 52nd Street, just off of 5th Ave––and I couldn't enjoy it more. I really love Mediterranean food––which was actually one of the main reasons why I chose this restaurant––and this place is likely to become one of my go-to restaurants in New York... Although I probably want to try a few new places before going back!

First of all, I feel like I should mention the olive oil was just amazing. I believe it is one of the signature offerings of the restaurant––which means you were probably expecting to hear the olive oil was good––but it is worth making the remark. It was truly incredible!

After the bread, we kicked off with melone e burrata and truffle mushroom croquette. The melon was sweet and the burrata absolutely perfect... But I must say that the mushrooms were my favourite. It had been a long while since I last experienced such an intense pleasure in having just a little bite of food. I probably could have ordered three or four servings of mushrooms and eaten them all!

We then had lobster bisqué...

...followed by paella del mar and primavera lobster risotto to share. The paella was excellent... Although I must say I would stay with the risotto! It is a little spicy, so I wouldn't recommend it if you're not that much into the spices. But I loved it!

We ended up with a crème brulée cheesecake. It wasn't very big, but my stomach wouldn't have been able to handle anything bigger anyway. And it was very tasty, which is what really matters.

All in all, it was an excellent night, full of the food I love! I sincerely recommend visiting Fig & Olive. If you're still not sure, you can check out their menu here. If you're already sold––I would be––make sure you book a reservation before arriving, as the place gets busy quickly!

Love,
Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

11 Healthy Habits for a Long Life

The past few weeks have been exhausting. Between moving, trying to get used to my new life as a grad school student, and NYFW, I haven't had a second to rest. But––as it usually happens––my body is now asking me for a break, and decided to get a cold to force me to spend a whole day in bed and get some rest!

Although I hate being sick, I did appreciate a lot having some time to finally rest. I spent most of the day yesterday just lying in bed, reading, and drinking tea. I also had the time to re-evaluate what my life became, and to understand that, even though I want to take the best out of my time in New York, I don't really want to stop living in the healthy way I used to live before I came here.< So I decided that it's time for me to go back to health. That probably means I'll be starting to do yoga again on a regular basis soon –because we all know how much I love yoga– and that I'll start eating more veggies more frequently. But other than that, I need to reassume all the healthy habits I used to have in my life. These are my top 10 healthy habits for a long life:

1. Sleep at least 7 hours a day

Sleeping is amazing, not only because of the beauty of it, but because it is when all the necessary processes in your body take place. As a student, I particularly value sleeping because it's when my brain actually learns the information it received during the day. But sleeping is also good for digestion, vitamin absorption and , among thousands of other benefits.

2. Eat––or drink, I guess––at least 5 different fruits or vegetables every day

Fruits and vegetables contain lots of the daily nutrients we should intake on a daily basis, as well as fabric –which aids digestion. It has always been my rule of thumb to eat a total of 5 or more different fruits and vegetables every day––starting with a daily dose of orange juice in the morning––in order to feel healthy and happy.

3. Drink water

Water makes over 70% of our bodies, which means that it is super important for us to drink the appropriate amount of water every day. Having enough water in your body will not only make you feel energised all day long, but it will also aid your digestion and help you fight that belly fat––if it is something that worries you. However, keep in mind that drinking too much water might be harmful for your body, so don't exaggerate your intake of this elixir of life.

4. Morning yoga

I think it's pretty clear that I love yoga. I particularly love doing yoga first thing in the morning because it helps my body wake up and gain consciousness in a slow way, which will then leave me active for the rest of the day!

5. Eat whole foods

This habit was imposed on me after I got a very painful stomach illness when I was a teenager, and I had to stop eating white, processed grains. Ever since I switched to whole foods, I've started feeling much better, my belly stopped hurting, and my digestion has improved. Who wants to join me?

6. Limit your intake of dairy products

Dairy products are delicious––starting with ice cream, for example––but they have a lot of fat and are very heavy for the stomach. If you tend to suffer from allergies––as I normally do––they will probably increase your propensity. So replacing dairy milk for almond/soymilk, butter to almond butter, and trying to control the amount of cheese and yogurt you consume daily will probably make you feel better.

7. Walk

I know we don't always have time to walk to work, or spend a few minutes just walking around our neighbourhood, but it is essential for our body to move. I have the fortune of living in New York, which normally requires a lot of walking, so I do this almost unconsciously on a daily basis. But I really think it is very important for my body to move, especially after spending a long time working on my desk.

If you have enough time and energy, I would also recommend going for a short run or doing some active exercise at some point of the day, just to make sure your body feels great.

8. Read

With the invasion of technology in our lives, we spend too much time browsing the internet and texting friends, and tend to forget the importance of reading. Even if you only manage to read 5 pages of the latest book you bought every night before going to bed, this is an amazingly healthy habit you should work on.

9. Don't starve

There's nothing more harmful for our digestion than spending long periods of time without eating. So you should try to eat small snacks––by small I mean 12 almonds, an apple, or a few baby carrots, but nothing more than that––every 2-3 hours, in-between meals. This will help your body stay active and have a better digestion, but it will also make you feel more energised throughout the day.

10. Have your daily cup of Tea

I am definitely a tea addict –to a point where I have to ask myself if it is still healthy. But having a cup (or a couple) of tea every day is an excellent habit, due to the incredible benefits this legendary drink has.

11. Smile!

This sounds like a cliché –and it might be– but I feel healthier when I'm happy and when I take enough time to have fun with the people I love. Even when I know I have lots of work to do or hundreds of pages to read, I always try to take breaks from time to time to make sure I am happy and I still remember how to smile.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Street Style: New York Fashion Week Day 4

I think this will be my last article related exclusively to NYFW street style. As much as I've been loving meeting all this beautiful pictures and taking pictures of them, I'm dying to share the details of some of my favourite runway shows with you! And although I definitely would be down to do it all, I have lots of work to do for school and I physically can't. I hope, though, that some day I will be able to do that!

I would say that this day was my favourite, but only because the temperature wasn't as high as the days before, meaning I wasn't melting while trying to concentrate taking good photos. I also got to talk to the most people this day, probably because I finally managed to leave my shyness away and tried to make an effort in actually saying some words to many of the people I took pictures of.

Although in terms of what people were wearing it's hard for me to choose just one day. I really loved the outfits people wore. Why can't I look like them all?

Love,