STYLE DATE WITH HASANI

Meet Hasani!

Where do I begin when talking about Hasani?! I met Hasani back in 2012 when I first started at SCAD. At the time, I was his academic adviser. He was one of the first students that I met. In comes this young, mild-mannered, soft soften guy with dreads. He opened his mouth and I heard the accent and when he told me he was from St. Thomas, I just instantly knew I would like him! It has been such a pleasure to watch him grow into the young man he is today. He first started off as an illustration major. He reminded me the other day of how he came to change his major to painting. He came to see me one day and expressed his interest in painting and he was a little hesitant about what to do. I told him to just take the painting class and see how things go and then we will take it from there. Well, he took that class and fell in love! Hasani hasn't put down the paint brush since! What I love most about his work is the color, he is so intentional with his color. I had the best time chatting with Hasani about his work and I can't wait to see what else the future hold for him. He has an awesome project happening this week so check out a little more about Hasani!

WHY PAINTING?

Making art comes natural for me. It’s like my second language. The more I create the more fluent I become in speaking this language.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR STYLE OF WORK?

It’s very difficult for me to put my work into a stylistic category. Mainly because my work changes constantly and also because there are so many ideas that I want to explore. Maybe one day I’ll be able to look back and say “my work fits in this category” but for now I just focus on doing what feels right.

WHO/ WHAT INSPIRES YOU AS A CREATIVE?

I’m inspired by basically everything. Recently, I’ve been inspired by Jazz and Hip Hop. Also, the way people interpret religious texts and themes have always been pretty interesting to me. I love watching 90’s pro wrestling so that has been an influence on my work as well.

photo credit: Valheria Rocha

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT ATL?

I love how easy it is to get to know everyone. During my time here I have gained so many new family members.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

I would describe my style similarly to how I would describe myself; comfortable, confident and laid-back.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PIECE IN YOUR WARDROBE?

I love any piece that has paint splattered. That makes me feel at home. My “Lost in the Mood” shirt is also a favorite. It is a piece of exclusive memorabilia from the collection that Nigel Xavier and I created.

IS THERE A MESSAGE YOU WANT TO CONVEY IN YOUR WORK?

Sometimes messages get in the way of the work so I try not to think about them too much. However, as an artist it is important for me to always create work from a real place. I believe that the audience is able to gauge sincerity. I look for that in other artists’ work so I assume that others do as well.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING PROJECT?

I have a few projects in the works. I will be participating in a “work-week performance” with Amanda Grae Platner entitled, “Biparisan”. We will live and work in a gallery space for 5 consecutive days. We will paint with one another for 16 hours a day while being completely silent. We will take turns choosing materials for each other as we work towards creating a successful piece. I am also excited about preparing for my solo exhibition later on this year.

The Power of the P!

In honor of the beautiful outpour of women uniting last weekend, I decided to feature the Power of the P, and today, P stands for PANTSUIT!

Every woman should have a nice pantsuit! I think some people think a woman in a suit is some ultra-feminist badass, and well why not, she probably is! I got this suit back in September and I first wore it to celebrate my 35th birthday. I found the designer Mae Otti on IG. And can I say IG is the best and worst thing ever! It is way too easy to discover amazing things to buy!

Ok...back to this pantsuit. Isn’t she the prettiest thing you've ever seen?! I mean the fit is amazing and it’s PLAID! HELLO! PLAID! This talented designer is based in Lagos, Nigeria. I didn't let something silly like another continent stop me from buying this! I sent my measurements and a few weeks later my custom made suit was at my front door.

I paired it with a simple black cami and threw on my fav blue pumps; it is the perfect look for work or for going on partying!

ABOUT THE LOOK:

Suit (contact Mae Otti via Instagram @mae_otti) // Black Cami (this or this) // Shoes (here is a cute alternative!)

photo credit: Valheria Rocha

Fur-Real!

ABOUT THE LOOK

Camo Jacket (here's a cute alternative! and here's another one!) // Fur Stole // Converse Sneakers // Wide Brim Hat // Bodysuit // Purse (or this one!)

photo credit: Valheria Rocha

I love a good DIY project. When I can't find something I envision, I try to recreate it. I love taking different items and putting them together to create a new look.

This camo/fur jacket is one of my favorite DIY projects. I love anything fur and I love camo. I got this camo jacket from a thrift shop and I wore it all the time. I stumbled across another camo jacket and added it to my collection. I decided to repurpose this jacket and I thought a fur stole would look amazing on it. I did a quick search on eBay and found a faux fur stole for under $30 bucks and purchased it! I pulled out a needle and thread and brushed up on my sewing skills. There you have it, a whole new piece to add to the wardrobe. Why give up an item that you love when you can make it look like something new?!

I can’t go without mentioning this amazingly cute jeweled metal purse from ASOS! This item is no longer available on ASOS but I found a few similar items being sold on eBay. This purse is like a piece of ART! I absolutely love it. It is such a statement piece I like to wear it with just jeans and t-shirt.

This is pretty much my version of a casual weekend look. Check out the outfit details below!

Style Date with Melissa

MEET MELISSA!

The first creative to be featured is Melissa West! Melissa is a super talented young lady that I have grown to adore! She is a freelance stylist, photographer, and decorative painter. I met Melissa a little over a year ago when she joined my team at work. When she started, I told myself, I will train her up real good but I’m not getting attached (no new friends)! Well, a whole year later, we are attached at the hip at work.

We started chasing walls together here in Atlanta. As you can check out on both of our IG pages, we love colorful murals/walls. This has really become our thing, so I thought it was a great idea to not only feature Melissa and her work but to check out our new favorite mural in Atlanta by Molly Rose Freeman . So check out my conversation with Melissa, and to see more of her, follow her on IG @melissabwest.

photo credit: Valheria Rocha

STYLE DATE WITH MELISSA WEST

I am really excited to feature my first Style Date! A Style Date is an opportunity for me to feature some amazing creatives in Atlanta. I started this blog to not only share my personal style but to also inspire people by the awesome talent in this city. They will share their creative craft and talk a little style on the side.

What do you love about ATL?

The variety! There is so much to do in Atlanta and the surrounding areas. Some of my favorite things to do in Atlanta are hiking at Sweetwater Creek, shopping and eating at Ponce City Market, riding bikes on the beltline, and dancing the night away on Edgewood. Each part of city is uniquely different and has something special to offer. I love that Atlanta is a large metropolitan city but surrounded by nature.

How would you describe your style?

Quirky, free-spirited, bohemian! I think it is really hard to narrow down exactly how to describe my style. I’m casual but like to dress up, I love wearing black but also love color. I like a little bit of everything!

What’s your favorite piece in your wardrobe?

A good pair of jeans! My current favorite pair are a skinny high-waist light denim jean from Anthropologie. I can’t get enough of a comfortable pair of jeans!

How did you get into decorative painting?

I grew up crafting with my mom and working on rental houses my parents owned. Even though the painting and laying wood floor as a kid wasn’t the most fun and creative thing to do, it taught me how to use my hands to build and create things. In high school, I took photography, ceramics, and graphic design classes. I always had a love for art. My love for fashion brought me to SCAD to study Fashion Marketing and Management. After graduating from SCAD, I started my first job running a small women’s apparel and home boutique. This is where I was introduced to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. From there I worked on finding furniture and decorative pieces to paint and sell in the shop, teaching workshops on how to use the paint, and custom painting client’s pieces. I’ve painted everything from a ceramic planter to a king size bed to kitchen cabinets. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint can truly paint anything!

Tell me about your style of work.

I typically like to make things look old when I’m painting. I can take a new IKEA dresser and make it look like it is 60 years old. Layering, dry brushing, distressing, crackling, these are all techniques I do quite often.

Who/what inspires you as a creative?

I get inspired by my surroundings. I can honestly say I can be inspired by anything. Buildings, nature, people, food, anything can spark inspiration for me. Specifically for my decorative painting, I really get inspired by old things. The older the better. An old rusty bike, a French chateau, a house that has been painted over a million times. I love laying colors when I’m painting so when I see something that has years of paint layered on I get really inspired to paint.

Forever I Love Atlanta

Winter Wonderland Gear

Well, it’s the first of the year and the weather is quickly changing here in Atlanta. I can’t believe I’ve lived in Atlanta for almost 8 years now! I love where I’m from (Delaware) but Atlanta has really become my home. I lightweight love it here but I'll never admit that to Sid because he'll take all the credit for me being here. One of the things I love most about Atlanta, besides all the great restaurants, is the weather. I don’t know how I lived my whole life up north with the snow! My favorite season in Atlanta is fall because it really just feels like spring. We have way more warmer days here than cold. The weird things about me is, I love the warmer weather but I like to dress for colder days (but not too cold). I like to layer up; I love hats, coats, boots, sweaters…you name it, I love it! So, now that we are in our colder season I’m trying to get good use out of all my winter gear. I started off the year with a cute and casual look while I hung out over at Jackson Street Bridge, which by the way has one of my favorite views of the city!

Word on the street is, it’s going to snow in Atlanta this weekend! I really don’t think that is going to happen but it looks like I’m ready for some snow! I have on my new fav go-to bomber from Target (Who What Wear) line. I am also rocking my favorite jeans, I can’t go wrong with a little high waist and wide-legged jeans. I feel very ‘70s when I wear them and I wear them a lot!
Style tip: find “the” pair of jeans and wear them every which way you can!

ABOUT THE LOOK

ALDO Boots // H&M Jeans // Forever 21 Tank // Target Bomber // Atlanta Braves Hat

photo credit: Valheria Rocha

New Year, Who Dis?

I cannot believe 2016 has come and gone! I remember last New Year's Eve like it was yesterday.

I have never been one to do a lot on this particular holiday. This year will be like years past; I plan to keep it pretty low-key, just good food, and fun with friends...oh and course champagne! But no matter what I plan to do on New Year's Eve, I always like to dress up, as if I need a reason. I could be staying home walking around the house with sequins and fur on. The look I went for this year is pretty '80s, channeling the '80s baby I am. I love tulle, so when I found this dress on ASOS, I had to have it! I think throwing on a leather jacket with anything can change the whole look of an outfit, and I thought this was the perfect combination. This leather jacket is a staple in my closet! I refuse to get rid of it even though I can't even zipper that bad boy anymore. What pieces in your closet do you refuse to get rid of?

Along with dressing up for every New Year's Eve, I also like to set new goals to work towards in the upcoming year. This year, I made my new goals back in November to get a head start on things, hence, why I started my blog before the end of 2016! High-five to myself for marking one thing off the list already!

Oh! How awesome is this mural by Felipe Pantone?! Edgewood would be a great neighborhood to hangout in for NYE! You guys should check out this wall at The Sound Table!

Happy New Year!

ABOUT THE LOOK

ASOS Tulle Dress // ASOS Flat Patented Boots (mine are a year old but these are the closest I could find! Also: a cute alternative.) // Necklace (this was a DIY project!) // Bebe Leather Jacket (mine is ten years old - here is a cute alternative.) // SojoS Sunglasses

photo credit: Melissa West

Have A Very Jazzy Christmas!

Well, I finally did it! A blog! I’ve asked, requested, and demanded by many to start a blog. My first reaction has always been, hmm no! I love blogs and I love sharing my style with others but I never thought to have one myself. But here am I today... blogging! This is just a peek into my world through what I wear and how I wear it. It’s me dancing around the city discovering and sharing all the things I love in fashion and all things/people creative.

I have so many friends/family I could thank for encouraging me to start a blog but I can’t name them all because that could take forever. But I do have to mention just a few! I am very fortunate to be surrounded by creative people every day, young creative people…almost 10 plus years my junior type of people. I work for a creative university and I am inspired daily. I had 4 students in particular that would continuously tell me I needed to start a blog and of course I wasn’t checking for them! Last month I met with one of my former students (Valheria, my photographer) and she turned the tables on me! I’m usually the one giving out all the good advice but she started schooling me. She said some things that pulled at my heart and by the end of the convo, I was starting a blog!

I wanted to have this up and running by Christmas as a present to myself. I told one of my other former students (Vania, my brand/graphic designer) that I was finally doing this and she immediately stepped in to help me with branding and putting together this beautiful site!

Before I had even thought about starting a blog, my colleague, and now gal pal, Melissa helped me get my insta popping. She is full of creative ideas and she helped me fall in love with utilizing social media. We also have this fun obsession with colorful walls, you’ll see more of that later!

So thank you so much Hasani, Melissa, Peppers, Valheria, and Vania! Their encouragement and help means the world to me! You should check them out!

Now let’s talk about this holiday look! Christmas is my favorite time of year! It makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. This is how I plan to style my Christmas day look! Although I will be in the kitchen with my mom all day cooking doesn’t mean I can’t look good doing it!

What are your holiday plans? What will you be wearing?

ABOUT THE LOOK

Zara White Bodysuit // ASOS Pleated Skirt // Sam Edelman Pumps

photo credit: Valheria Rocha