NY Fashion Week: Luella

As a Brit, it's almost bittersweet to see big names in London fashion upping sticks and moving to New York the moment the get a sniff of success. As a naïve fashion student, I used to dream of seeing Matthew Williamson showing his stuff in our capital city. Alas he, like many others, has moved on to the Big Apple, where fashion is a business, not a creative industry.

Another Brit designer who now shows in New York is Luella. Her recent line of basics for bargain basement store Target was (despite selling out) lacking the finesse you'd expect of a celebrated designer, so she had a lot to prove. Could she show her real worth with her mainline collection?

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Um, yes and no. The collection takes inspiration from many decades and styles and has a slightly muddled feel as a result. From Vivienne Westwood-style tartan coats and bustier dresses to a solitary little black dress with an interesting cut-out front, it covers all bases, but possibly doesn't pay enough attention to any of them.

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The music-based inspiration of her collection saw Lily Donaldson strutting down the runway as a rockabilly-mod in big shades, skinny jeans, patent shoes, a pussycat bow blouse and a monogrammed cardi, while seconds later another model sported a completely different look in opaque tights, a shorts suit, and a funky animal print handbag. Prim buttoned-up necks were prolific, often topped off with bows, bow ties and pearls. It was Chanel meets The Libertines. Grown up chic for young trendies!

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One thing that did strike me about the collection is how similar it looks to the things we're already seeing on the high street at the moment. Satin pencil skirts, albeit ruched at the front, skinny trousers, 60s shift dresses and puffed sleeves. Obviously that's great for us as it means this is a look that's easy to copy right now. Not so good for Luella, who might just be out of date come September...

See the whole collection at Style.com

Jeannie Belgrave

When you think about beauty, you need to think “beauty from inside out” that is how your beauty will last more than you think.

Every person is different, and each one of us has a unique DNA and genetic inheritance that help define our physical appearance.

Also, it is important that we consider the age and health “status” when we decide to finally improve our overall beauty.

All of us are beautiful, but sometimes it takes time to understand what real beauty is all about, most of all, some of us are not patient enough to let that beauty shine.

Most of us go for the temporary enchantment: makeup, hairstyle, manicure, pedicure, and designer fashion style. But what about when all the illusion is gone? How do we feel about ourselves when we look in the mirror without our favorite beauty products?

Once we start feeling confident from inside-out, there will be no “talking mirror” that will convince us otherwise.

No matter how old you are, you can always improve yourself and advise younger generations to do the same.

I am 30 years old, and, according to my family and friends: I look better than ever, even some acquaintances are surprised when I reveal my age, they always try to guess, and they always go way younger. What they have not realized yet is that I feel better than ever. Last time I went to my doctor he said: “you not only look younger than 30, your organs are 10 years younger too. You have the metabolism of a twenty years old woman.”

Of course, I did not learn everything on my own. My father, mother, and step-mom were the first ones to introduce me to healthy habits. This might sound funny, but my father always had nuts around the house. Every time I visited him, we would watch movies and eat snacks with mixed nuts, like the trail mix bags you find in supermarkets and bending machines.

My mother, the queen of social meetings, would make sure I would always have a cup of mixed fruits every day.

My step-mother, the queen of keeping in touch with everybody in the family, would always make sure I would have a portion of mixed vegetable during the day.

As for my protein intakes, it was hard for all of them to find something I would eat with pleasure. Although I like meat, I was not a meat lover back then when I was 8 years old, so the three of them fed me with black beans, lentils, chick peaks, green beans, an so on.

“There is always an alternative.” That is what my father always said.

Beauty comes from within and it is reinforced with looks, attitude, use of words, posture, and an overall way of interacting with people. It is up to you to decide what kind of beauty you want for yourself: the one that can be washed away, or the one that stays with you regardless of your age. Having both is great, as women we cannot deny we like what we see in stores. As for men, you also have a choice, and there is nothing wrong if you select both too. There are many products out there targeting men, and some of them are very good. Moreover, you guys need to take care of yourselves too. As a woman, I have to say: “ I like men with clean nails and healthy teeth, at least.”

This article is intended for everyone. I believe it is written in a simple manner, so the concept /idea of “Real Beauty” is easy to understand.

I wrote this article with the intention of supporting a better life for each one of us and for those yet to come.

What you are about to read, I did not learn it alone, I read books about nutrition, I took an introduction to nutrition course, my immediate family educated me about it, and my own desire of looking good and feeling better everyday kept me going. Now, I want to share with you in a simple way what I believe all of us should know. I am also answering to many people who has asked me before: What do I do to stay young, healthy, and so energetic?

Taking care of the machine:

Antioxidants:

Why do you think we need antioxidants? Like some of the machines out there, we oxidize, but in a different manner. How to prevent the oxidation is not that difficult if we like fruits and veggies.

To the meat lovers and not so fruit/veggie lovers, there is an alternative.

According to an article in ScienceDaily published online January 15th, 2005, peanuts are high in antioxidants. There you go, eat some peanuts.

What are antioxidants? No more than just quemicals that prevent cells from aging. Antioxidants are all over fruits and vegetables, so, the more variety you eat the better. If you would rather take pills, just make sure you are taking those that a licensed doctor or nutritionist recommended you to take. I am the kind who likes to go natural, so I would rather eat a variety of raw fruits every day.

Organs:

When thinking about beauty, think about your organs. I know, it ‘s not a pretty picture, but you can make it so if you just think of it as if the organs where compartments on a shopping mall. Think of two malls: one that you like and one that you do not like. If I am guessing right, you probably like the one that has the cleanest, organized, and in some cases, expensive selections. Well, your organs should be treated as if they were part of a mall for the elite. Although in reality people can walk into a mall, but not into your body, the sensation of a well-taken care organism is felt in both cases. When each part of your body functions properly, the rest is easier. If for some reason, your health “status” is already affected by other factors, don’t give up. It’s never too late to take care of yourself.

Soul:

Depending on your believes, you can use the time you put in practice your faith to enhance your inner beauty. How? When you are praying, you can use a variety of breathing patterns to relax every muscle in your body while your body and organs are oxygenated. If for some reason, you find this practice hard to do, then, try it during a nap, or right before going to sleep. Sometimes, breathing is taken for granted because we do not need to think about it in order to get the oxygen we need. However, if once in a while you play with it, and create rhythm patterns, you will find new ways to improve yourself.

Why is breathing under the subtitle Soul? Because I believe we connect to our soul by breathing. And because this article is intended to all kind of readers, if you do not believe you have a soul, you still need to breath to survive, and when you create rhythm patterns, your respiratory track and entire body appreciate it making you feel much better.

Liquid:

I read somewhere that our body can survive a month without food, but it can't survive a week without water.

As far as I know, water has a variety of roles inside "The Machine". It transports nutrients to different locations. It lubricates our body. It influences the absorption of proteins and carbohydrates during digestion, and it regulates our body's temperature.

I have learned through observation and education that most live forms, including humans, look for balance. Our body is composed of about 70% of water because almost everything inside us needs water to function properly. Also, we are constantly loosing water. How? Every time we sweat or perspire, when we cry, when we seat on the "Throne", etc.

No matter what, drink water. For those who find drinking water non-appealing, be creative. Do not wait to feel your lips dry, or your skin rough, your hair breakable, or simply dehydrated.

Remember, this is just A Little Bit About "Real Beauty". There are plenty of nutrition books and related information about what you are reading right now. This should be common knowledge to everyone. Pass it along.

Hope you enjoyed it >>> A Little Bit About "Real Beauty."

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