#girlboss

0  A girlboss is someone who's in charge of her own life. She gets what she wants because she works for it. As a #girlboss, you take control and accept responsibility. You're a fighter— you know when to throw punches and when to roll with them. Sometimes you break the rules, sometimes you follow them, but always on your own terms. You know where you're going, but cant do it without having some fun along the way. You value honesty over perfection. You ask questions. You take your life seriously, but you dont take yourself too seriously. You're going to take over the world, and change it in the process. You're a badass.   girlboss   I was super excited for Sophia Amoruso's new book, #GIRLBOSS, and so far it hasn't disappointed. Not a memoir or a feminist manifesto, just a story about what happened to her and the explosion of Nasty Gal. Her carefree, straight forward, ballsy writing style definitely reminds me of Kelly Cutrone's books. While it hasn't inspired me as much in a dreamy way like the alchemist, it is a true story about an under 30-something female that created her dream job without following societies guidelines. It's fascinating. Here are a few of my favorite quotes...   "I don't want you to look up, because all that looking up can keep you down. The energy you'll expend focusing on someone else's life is better spent working on your own. just be your own idol."   "I always suspected that I was destined for, and that i was capable of something bigger. that something turned out to be Nasty Gal, but you know what? I didn't find Nasty Gal. I created it."   "Who cares if a tree falls in a forest and no one hears it? The tree still falls. If you believe that what you're doing will have positive results, it will— even if it's not immediately obvious. When you hold yourself to the same standard in your work that you do as a friend, girlfriend, student or otherwise, it pays off."

there are secret opportunities hidden in every failure. -all quotes by Sophia Amoruso, Founder, CEO and Creative Director of Nasty Gal   My overall opinion on #GIRLBOSS is that it's the same success story and advice we've heard and been fed over and over just in a different setting. I don't mean that in a bad way at all. I think that it just further proves the mantra we all repin regularly— good things come to those who hustle.   Extras! A few of my favorite spreads from The WILD Magazine.   2   1   4   3

high+southernplayalisticadillacmuzik.

ATL1  Last weekend I went to the Counterpoint Music Festival near Atlanta, Georgia.   I haven't been down to GA (my hometown) in a few years so it was great to be back. The highlight of the trip was obviously getting to see Outkast perform their 3rd epic performance together in almost 10 years—the first 2 being at Coachella the weekends prior.   Other than that I didn't have time for much, although I did squeeze in a trip to Lennox and The High Museum of Art (that i ran through with about as much grace as a person stranded in the desert running towards an oasis), but overall the entire trip reminded me how much I love being from Georgia... and just HOW different it really is from North Carolina.   checkout the full lineup from the weekend here.   ATL2 ATL3   Please forgive my lovely iphone photos and the fact that I didn't record any of the artist's names. I'm pretty sure a google image search of any of these would pull up all of the credits. All photos taken at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

I realize the fact that this entire post is about the festival, but the imagery is only of the museum (which gave me a creativity boost i was starved for) because all of my festival photos are blurry crazed concert images from the center of a bagillion people — an experience I will forever remember, but rather not share here.

thatkindofwoman.

DSC00848  I finally got around to purchasing Irreverent by Carine Roitfeld after watching her documentary, Mademoiselle C, which details the production of her first issue of the CR Fashion Book.   Honestly, I haven't been hit with a girl crush / icon / inspirational obsession / etc. in a long long time. I realize I'm a bit late to the game learning about her (especially since i have two copies of CR) but after watching the movie it was like a compulsion i HAD to have the book immediately and learn as much about her as I could. When it arrived earlier this week I was completely blown away. It's sublime.   DSC00870   DSC00864   Interestingly enough I've been shying away from fashion— (completely inspired by this Phoebe Philo for Céline post HERE and this trend post from the Manrepeller HERE) sticking to black, white and neutrals (which i realize is a trend right now, but i digress) and focusing more on art, design and interiors. BUT I literally devoured this book. I read every page (which I rarely actually do with magazines/coffee table books) but it was so clean. chic, interesting and erotic.   DSC00872   DSC00887   These are my favorite quotes:

"I don't know if I'm a Yves Saint Laurent woman or not, but I hate when people compliment me on what I'm wearing. It was Saint Laurent who said that you should compliment a woman for her beauty and not for her clothes, which are only supposed to set off her beauty."

Q: What do you attribute your success to? Can you define it, or is it a mystery to you? "There's certainly something mysterious about it. It's not my place to say whether I have any talent or not, but success is a mix of hard work and good luck. I met the right people at the right time, but I also knocked on the doors that I knew were the hardest to enter. I never chose the easy option. I have always gone after the most interesting things, even if they are the most difficult. Always!"

Q: Do you see yourself as an artist? "I don't see myself as an artist. In a way, I envy the freedom artists have. Artists can push themselves beyond their limits, in pursuit of their ideas and their vision, even if they are inhabited by demons that can also play tricks on them. I would love to have that purely creative side. But fashion has allowed me to collaborate with artists of all difference kinds—writers, filmmakers, as well as genius hair stylists and make-up artists."   DSC00878   Q: How do you manage to preserve your creativity? "Although I've very diplomatic, I've learned not to back down when it comes to my own vision. I stay inside a bubble so I can focus on my own creativity and not feel burdened by outside influences or pressure. I don't live in a fairy tale— anything but. But I remain inside my private, insulated space where I find my inspiration and my freedom."

Q: Do you think that real fashion has been absorbed by fashion photography? "Street fashion is real fashion now. Ultimately, that's what is driving the industry. The kind of fashion that I love exists only in images, where it becomes part of a world of dreams and fantasies. Only a few great eccentrics can wear it. But chasm doesn't bother me, because I think there's a tension– or a continual dialogue— going on between street fashion and the fashion depicted in photographs, which very few woman can afford to wear for obvious financial reasons, as well as certain social pressures."

"But luxury isn't an easy thing to do these days. Luxury has become so vulgar. Luxury items have become the symbol of nouveaux riches, of new fortunes made out of IT and the dot-com industry, and by people who don't have experience with this kind of culture appropriating historically luxury items."   DSC00884   DSC00867   Have I contradicted myself? Not too long ago I told my mom that I think my goal in life is to be an elegantly aged woman. After learning more about Carine, I think that's true.

letthemeatcake.

DSC_0675  DSC_0717   DSC_0734   DSC_0740   DSC_0750   DSC_0891b   This past friday was the release party for our final volume of FOUR. It was certainly a bittersweet evening but incredibly special nonetheless. I was overwhelmed and deeply humbled (and have been throughout the entire experience) by how much support and praise we’ve received from the city, across the country and throughout the world. I mean we don’t know what we’re doing; we’ve just been pulling together things we like and whatever phase we’d been going through at the time (hence “can i live?”), and hoping that people like it and aren’t offended. But just seeing how excited and grateful everyone (and this is a very diverse “everyone”) was to be involved was really affirming and somewhat emotional but (sigh) just something I can’t put into words.

I’ve always said the magazine was created to showcase the amazing creatives that live in and around Charlotte. We just wanted to create opportunities for people (like us) who needed an outlet to work on something beautiful that will be kept on a coffee table or bookshelf, not flipped through and thrown out after a couple days. and that’s happened! Everything I wanted and more happened and was successful. FOUR could have easily been a drop in the ocean of new publications started every year, but we were blessed and highly favored to have gained a supportive loyal diverse following that is saddened to see us take a hiatus.

One of the guys I talked to understood my reasoning for leaving and he brought up the fact that people get complacent in Charlotte because it isn’t that huge of a city so it’s easy to settle when you’re at the top because once you find your niche there’s no competition. So the work starts to slack and become less remarkable. I never want that to happen. I will never settle with being “amazing” by Charlotte standards because I know better. Take it to a big city and then tell me what you think. I need time to get re-inspired to the point where its just pouring out of my hands, not just going through the motions. I want to crave life and experiences again. So don’t worry… I have B I G secret plans in the works for when I return to charlotte; I’m coming back on my worst behavior. and I'm hoping that there will be some friendly competition by then...

Sidebar: I was especially happy about the fact my beau was there and able to really see what I do, because he (who does not work anywhere near the design field), like my parents don’t really get it. All they see is me neurotic, always working, always stressing, always on the computer, super critical and freaking out about things that would seem ridiculous to anyone other than a designer. So the fact he got to witness the final outcome and actually hear what people were saying and how touched they were by our work was truly amazing.

PARTY MIX Reasonable Doubt — Jay-Z Saint Heron — Solange Knowles and Friends G I R L – Pharrell Williams Cupid Deluxe — Blood Orange

Photography captured by my lovely sister, Les Artise.

newstuff.

DSC00556  DSC00568   DSC00573   DSC00585   DSC00597   DSC00605   DSC00598   DSC00609   Getting new magazines/books in the mail is literally as good as christmas to me. I recently picked up Man Repeller by Leandra Medine, The WAH Nails Book of Downtown Girls, MUUSE, and the Rookie Yearbook Two. Four COMPLETELY different publications, but delicious design goodness nonetheless. I especially love the rookie yearbook. I have the first one (of course) and wish these had been around when I was 13-16. I would have poured over pages (a la Amelia's Notebook anyone?). Reading them now is definitely nostalgic– and in the back of my mind I'd love to hold on to them until my hypothetical daughter/niece hits her preteen years. HA.