Category: Articles

#RVABloggerBabes Live Among Chic: Confidence, Passion, and Winter Fashion!

Live Among Chic , revealed their inspiring and surprisingly relatable stories of young adulthood and their navigation through demanding college classes, job loss, juggling work, and – most significantly – struggling with confidence. No matter what phase in their lives, Dee and Sarah remain grounded by both each other and their common passion: fashion! They pour their zeal and creativity into Live Among Chic, sharing their love of clothing with their many followers, seasonally pairing together whatever unique style they have been most recently inspired by. Without fashion, they wouldn’t have found their anchor in life and their true confidence. Fashion, as Dee and Sarah reveal through their life stories, can transform lives for the better. Of course, Dee and Sarah weren’t always fashion bloggers. Both began as two Virginia Commonwealth University undergraduate students, leading two very different lives. Sarah began studying for her undergrad at VCU and is currently working towards her masters in Business and Branding and Experience Design. Dee, on the other hand, graduated a year ago from VCU with her masters in environmental science. She had moved from Saudi Arabia when she was only 13 years old and has lived in Richmond for 7 years, falling in love with the city and its kaleidoscope of diverse fashion. Both had been living such dissimilar lives, pursuing very different career paths, but their love of fashion drew them together. 50% off with code Dee and Sarah had both worked for VCU Globe during their undergraduate years, never really crossing paths, yet suddenly had been tasked with picking up 25 Iraqi exchange students! Thrown on a train together to New York City, the two girls were uncomfortable at best, as they had to share a single hotel room, in the hectic city of the Big Apple, with a complete stranger. Their jobs were hectic in different ways, as Dee and Sarah ran on very different schedules and rarely saw each other during the day. But to Dee’s surprise, “We packed almost identical outfits!… We would meet later for lunch and we’d be matching!” It was the start of a perfect friendship: the same fashion sense! The two have been inseparable ever since, combining both their eye for aesthetically charming outfit collaborations and Sarah’s expertise in graphic design to craft Live Among Chic. It is a fairly new website, as they had just celebrated their one-year anniversary this past August, yet already creating waves in the blogger community, inspiring fashionistas throughout Richmond and more. They also devote their blog to collaborating with local artists, consulting start-up brands, social media advertising, makeup designing, and styling for a transformative look. “It can be difficult to keep up with the blog sometimes,” Sarah admits. “I mean, we’re human,” Dee pointed out. That’s why it can be so rewarding to have a partner in crime. The two best friends constantly nudge each other to update the blog, staying attentive to their passions even when their work life can be overbearing. But fashion cannot simply be left behind, no matter how cluttered their schedules may get. “It’s not just a hobby,” Dee expressed for the two of them. “It’s a part of who I am.” But of course, fashion, especially for Dee and Sarah, is not merely a piece of who they are – it is what fully transformed them, allowing them to feel comfortable enough to express themselves completely. Confidence is a constant uphill battle, waking up some days feeling a burst of energy to work a tight-fit dress, or waking up other days avoiding mirrors and feeling uneasy in one’s own skin. Dee and Sarah have fought for their confidence in different yet very similar ways. In Sarah’s case, she has always been a petite girl, shaving off even more weight after a major surgery. She found it very difficult to fully love her small body type, growing frustrated with awkwardly loose clothes or frustratingly long-fitted pants. But with Live Among Chic, as she constantly experiments with new looks that perfectly frame her figure, she has become much more confident with her body type. “I’m trying to use fashion as a way to show other small girls that you can be small but can still look really good in a lot of stuff,” Sarah explained. “I’m just trying to show other petite or bigger girls that it doesn’t matter what your body size is – you can always look good in anything.” Dee’s struggle with confidence is a bit different. Dee seemed to be born with a flare of confidence, adoring the camera as a very extroverted young girl, as she began modelling and walking runways overseas when she was only twelve years old. But as young girls grow older, of course, confidence always falters. She battled with finding her true body type most of her young life, whether it was growing mildly overweight or unhealthily underweight. She constantly strove to achieve what she thought could be the perfect body weight, but like far too many young girls think, “perfection” is unclear and never quite reachable. I’m sure many young girls have asked themselves: “Should I really really wear this tight of a dress?” or “Do my legs look too big/small in this skirt?” I’m sure many have marveled at the cutest pair of jeans, but when excitedly reaching the dressing room, sighing in disappointment as they definitely definitely looked better on the rack. I’m sure many young girls have experienced frustration and even defeat trying to conquer their insecurities, never feeling fully comfortable in what they wear and how it shapes their bodies. I’m sure many wonder how models, so poised and flawless, rock anything and everything they wear, and they simply assume it is because they have achieved the “perfect” body type – but this isn’t where confidence breeds at all. Dee revealed her most valuable secret to how she eventually found her confidence: “I’ve tried this trick and it works: fake it ‘till you make it!” Something so simple

Vintage Decades Day Dream: NIGHTHAWKS Vintage

We often find ourselves dreaming of a different decade, lost in the trends, culture and lifestyle that it embodies. Local brand Nighthawks Vintage , embraces the nostalgia of the 80’s and 90’s, while reminding us that our current trends are not to be overlooked. Jessa began her company in 2010 on Etsy , in order to sell her unique upcycled pieces. After graduating from VCU Fashion , she launched her company with a small budget, which has inspired her to acquire her fabrics through thrifting. “[Thrift Shopping] is like a treasure hunt to me, to find vintage pieces… I can always see its potential” and that she does – as her collaboration with RCFU brought us back to the decade of flared trousers and groovy blouses. We begin our journey lost in a sea of literature, as the clothes chanted their vibrancy throughout the silent library floors. In her deep green jumpsuit, Bria modeled playfully as if she was strutting into Studio 54 . But the outfit wasn’t so monochromatic, as her berry beret supplied a touch of color while her belt was the delicate vintage addition. Then, in a studious fashion, Caity’s look taught us how to get into sophisticated style, while also pattern mixing. Her vertical blue and white blouse gave us Linda Evangelista vibes in her 80’s Vogue photoshoot, and it was paired with a mustard wrap skirt. What pulled the entire outfit together was the long striped blazer that rested on her shoulders, and subtle color combination contrasted well with her blouse and matching the skirt. There is nothing more 90’s than leather jackets, and Sarah’s look proved that it doesn’t have to be in the form of a biker jacket to radiate toughness. Paired with a purple dress, the outfit resembled more of an effortlessly chic style, while her boots gave a vintage flare.   50 off promo code We then traveled into the old time record store, Plan 9 Music located in Carytown, Plan 9 has welcomed music lovers for 29 years with a display of various genres of music from the 40’s to the modern hits. There, our models showed off the wonderful combinations of trousers with oversize coats. And while the style may be similar, the colors of each outfit told a different story. Caity’s long berry jacket and suede brown pants provided a color palette that embraced the fall aesthetic. Bria balanced her sophisticated black and white look with a playful deep green blazer. The western style belt, a current trend, reminds us that 90’s styles still have a way of influencing us today. Lastly, Sarah’s look was finished off with a thin blue belt to prove that cool tones are the perfect ‘pop of color’. And no outfit is perfect without the right hair and makeup, and with the expertise of Shelby Lynn-Woods , each look served a great tribute to the vintage styles of the past (take Caity’s teased up hair, for instance). Today, Nighthawks Vintage is still available on Etsy, yet Jessa spoke about her goal to transition the company on a new platform in the near future, “I would like to have my own domain someday, but for now Etsy is the main thing… but I just always have to look for the next ‘big thing’.” Similar to us, the future still remains a bit of a mystery to Jessa, but we’re confident that she will continue to create beautifully made clothing to bring a bit of the previous decades into our lives.

Model Your Heart Charity Fashion Show: A Night of Captivating Creativity

Story by Christina Amano Dolan The night began with an old brick building of sheer black – simple and modest from the outside – but as the doors opened, I was immediately immersed in the atmosphere of booming music, stimulating club lights, excited movements of models being pampered and polished, and racks and racks of colorful clothing. I had walked backstage into the world of fashion – both chaotic and glamorous – watching as young talent swirled in an excited blur around me, racing to add the finishing touches to a night of pure perfection. The   Broadberry concert venue set the perfect stage for a charming night. Its chic, modern layout combined with vintage artwork, elegant glass chandeliers, and intimate space surrounding the walkway added to the fashion show’s charisma. The locally-famous and talented DJ Syren blared her catchy, unique remixes through the club speakers, entertaining the trickling-in crowd of all ages before the show even  began. The night’s host was , Kelli Lemon , a Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) alumnus and popular figure in Richmond, with an impressive background of hosting and arranging events. Lemon constantly kept the crowd energetic, laughing, and seated in between sets. Without Lemon’s knack for entertaining a crowd, the   Model Your Heart Charity Fashion Show wouldn’t have been the same.  It was a night of endless excitement, flourishing with inspired fashion, fresh music performances, and, of course, charity – all made possible by the young talent of Richmond. The Executive Director of Model Your Heart (and recent VCU alumnus), Rondell Tucker, was especially instrumental in the success of the second annual charity fashion show. Although he is young, he already has expertise in the world of fashion, as he spent much of his college life modeling for GroupMODA – Richmond’s first student-run fashion organization – and other local events. He used his connections and leadership skills to collaborate with young talent all over the city. “My goal is to help develop models and other young talent,” Tucker explained over a phone interview with me. “I’m a person who loves collaboration…  My goal, as I have already developed a platform, is to share my platform with the young, talented minds of Richmond.” He accomplished just that, as the night was far from amateur work. It was hard to believe many of the designers and stylists had never showcased their work in a fashion show before, the tech and stage crew were not much older than myself, and many of the models were even VCU students. The two music performances by Mic (not yet available on iTunes) and SwitchinLanes (album out on iTunes: Rhythm of Heaven) were young, up-and-coming local artists with exciting spins on hip hop and R&B music, keeping the crowd bumping their heads and some even singing along. With a night jam-packed with young talent, Model Your Heart successfully exemplified how the city of Richmond and other areas of the East Coast are truly rich in culture, creativity, and gifted young minds. But of course, the night wouldn’t be as impressive and admirable without its main purpose: giving back to the community. Built from the ground-up, the program started out extremely successful, with sold-out tickets for the first-annual fashion show. This year, Rondell Tucker was recruited by Ernest M. Weaver III, the founder of Model Your Heart, as they had met through mutual connections from GroupMODA. As Tucker has always been philanthropic in the past, he was able to partner Model Your Heart with other proactive organizations: FeedTheStreetsRVA and Richmond Cycling Corps. FeedTheStreetsRVA’s president, Cory Jones, had taken the mic at the event to describe the nature of his organization and its immense impact on the poverty-ridden community of Richmond. His organization aims at improving the lives of both children and their families with tremendous results. Richmond Cycling Corps is an extremely impactful organization as well, investing in inner-city youth over the past eight years, training them to cycle and ultimately changing their lives for the better. Its president, Craig Dodson, later introduced his organization to the crowd. He modestly explained his charity but instead touched the crowd with his personal connections to Rondell Tucker, as Dodson is a mentor to his little brother, and how in awe he was of the sense of community in the room. With all three organizations partnering with one another, it is plain to see how connected and compassionate our community can be in changing the lives of those around us – in fun and light-hearted ways such as hosting a fashion show! From the words of Rondell Tucker: “Fashion is just a way to connect other people – to connect nonprofits with one another.” Now onto the main attraction: the clothes! All eye-catching and intricate, honoring the autumn season with mostly dark pastel colors. The first line introduced was by Masako Yamaguchi , a men’s clothing designer, from her Militia lookbook. The line’s clothing were all variations of the same outfit, yet unique in their own ways. The first look was an olive green jacket and matching pants fused with stripes of khaki, popping colors of red, and subtly-colored patches stitched into the chest and sleeves, tying the fall colors together. Another look, keeping the theme of a soft olive green, was a long trench coat with an arresting tiger patch on the back. The staple piece of Masako’s line was the blending of the soft and the striking – with autumn colors and a flash of red, and with a fairly simple outfit with elaborate patches. The next clothing line showcased down the runway was Mercés: Element featuring Liberatus jewelry – a local jewelry boutique. The first was a silk orange dress with pastel yellow sleeves and pockets, appeared to be made from different, sweater-like material. A simpler yet bold look was an off-the-shoulder draping down the back and a bandeau-cut in the front, paired with a simple pair of light wash jeans. The boldest look of the line was an opened-back,

RVA Fall Fashion Weekend: A Glorious Recap

Story by Ashley Newman Photos By Trysten Evans   RVA’s fashion week was an experience unlike any other; the moment I stepped out of the elevators, more than 15 floors up, I was taken aback by the view of Richmond. There were multiple vendors out, selling makeup, clothing, and ties. I ended up purchasing a beautiful pyrite crescent moon necklace from Tailor. I couldn’t help myself!   It was a scene out of Gossip Girl, getting dressed up and getting a press pass. I felt like Manhattan’s Elite. Not only did I get to meet local RVA bloggers and photographers, I also got the chance to see and say hi to TV actor and actress, Tim Reid, also known as Ray Campbell on the 90’s Tv show Sister, Sister was there with his wife, Daphne Maxwell Reid, who played Aunt Viv on Fresh Prince of Bel Air . Miss Richmond USA was at the show as well. As the sun set, and the moon took its place, the show began. It was such an eventful show full of beautiful formal wear for women and men. The show started out with Stitch by Chanel, this line walked RVA and New York runways. The first model that walked down the runway strutted Stitch by Chanel’s unique black and white, moon patterned bodysuit, instantly one of my favorite pieces of the night – and the show had just begun! Stitch by Chanel rocked her use of ruffle fabric on many pieces of her clothing; ruffles were placed on sleeves, as well as ankles. The next fashion designer to show off her Don’t Be Rude line was Destiny Howard. Her inspiration comes from allowing people to be themselves. She wants to show, through her  art, how individuals should not be mistreated based on their gender, age, race…etc. and that they should not be bullied for being different. Howard’s line portrayed this message very well with each distinctive piece. Her pieces tended to be, purposefully, oversized, but in all the right places. Most of her pieces were topped off with an 80s plaid design stitched into the clothing or as an accessory.  Up next was Ka’mala by Kamala Bhagat. This line was described as having that cozy feeling you get when you wrap up in a blanket on a cool fall night with earmuffs. Earmuffs were even an accessory used with this line, and I absolutely loved that. This line was one of my favorites, because I loved the pops of neon used. I just wanted to sit by a fire with hot chocolate on a crisp fall night wearing the clothes in this line. The pieces looked like it was made out of the most comfortable blanket ever.    Destin’ee Nicole Browne was next with DNB. This line was full of timeless style with different shades of black, gold, and navy paired together. This was another one of my favorites, seeing as my entire wardrobe is basically all black. Browne had a prominent use of feathers in her line, which was another aspect of this line that I loved.   I also loved how Browne sent the models out wearing all black, a look I feel like people avoid. The gold pieces in this line were some of the most sparkly pieces I’ve ever seen and It was almost blinding under the lights, in a good way of course!   Salome Autolino was next with Salome Styles. I was actually sitting next to Salome the whole time without knowing, until she walked down the runway herself (like the other designers) to show the crowd who was behind the beautiful clothing. Autolino used many beautiful warm colors as well as deep blues and greens and purples. She had a variety of color in her line. She also used really prepossessing embroidery in mostly all of her designs.  Up next was a new designer to RVA’s Fashion Week and her name was Amanda Welch with her Collection X line. Leather was prominent part of this line. Welch’s inspiration was straight structure and power, and leather is definitely a great way of showing structure and power. Her designs also had very beautiful gold accents. Welch also presented the first male look of the night, which was exciting to say the least.    House of Laposh by India Laposh was next with her beautiful sequin designs. These designs were very elegant and very modern. The last dress in this line had people going absolutely crazy. The model walked out looking like cinderella in her big, beautiful, white dress . It was a dress straight out of a fairy tale, happily ever after included.   ToFreeyouStyle by Charissa George was next and this line consisted of bold patterns and clean lines. All the designs can be mixed and matched for a variety of styles and can be custom made in the color of your choice. George used the colors red and white for all of her designs in the show. The line definitely had a lot of bold, geometric patterns. Some of the designs were very casual, while others were very elegant, and I liked that balance.   Next was Angelia’s Couture by Angelia Cooper. Cooper used neutral colors with yellow and gold shades throughout her line. Cooper also presented men fashion, the second line of the night to do so. Through the end of her show, she brought out some beautiful black dresses, some of which were exceptionally sparkly under the lights.    VII walked down the runway next and it was all men’s fashion. This line consisted of very classy suits and ties. Seeing this line was definitely a shift in what had been seen all night.   Last but not least was Travian Vann with her new gown collection. Her line brought out the softness and boldness of a woman, with electric colors. The first two designs were beautiful black, and elegant dresses. The third dress was a neon green, silky dress, which was definitely electrifying. Vann showed off the boldness and softness