::I have what it takes::

pictures by Francesca Gambino for

Il Viaggio della Farfalla

This last month have been super challenging for me, and I love challenges. Keeping up with my full time job as a designer and also preparing this Style Portfolio has been a test for me... and I have to say that I loved every step of the way. These last couple of weeks, it made me realize how much I love blogging, sharing my thoughts, writing about what inspires me and specially talking about fashion... I got really into the Style Correspondent duties that I know I can still keep doing this job even after this contest!

I have the passion, the knowledge and most of all the desire to learn even more. Going to New York Fashion Week, has been one of my biggest dreams, and I have always believed that sooner or later I will be there. Now I have the chance, and I feel so grateful and excited by simply by the idea of being considered. Thanks to Nokia and ELLE Magazine, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to prove that I have what it takes to be a Style Correspondent during fashion week. I will assure you I will be prepared, I'll work hard and most of all, I will give it my best .

A special thanks to all my family, friends and followers for voting for me, for you kind words and for believing in me. I feel so blessed!

Let's hope for the best!

xx,

Nathalia

::New York, New York::

picture take by me

"Gonna quit my job and move to New York, 'Cause somebody told me that's where Dreamers should go....." .thats what Sara Bareillles says in her song, Vegas... and I think it might be true.

Two years ago, I went to the wonderful city of new York and fell in love. Maybe it sounds cheesy but it was love at first sight! After living and traveling through Europe for 2 years I, truly, needed to witness New York. And the first day there, I knew why it is considered one of the Fashion Capitals of the world. New York inspired me in so many ways; the mix of cultures, the people, the architecture, the social subcultures, the museums, but also the little things, like a ride in the subway, getting lost in the subway (... been there!!!), an afternoon in the park, watching the young artists in Union Square, the lights of Time Square, a sunday breakfast, eating a pizza or a hot dog on the street, doing window shopping, checking out the street style of the people ...for me it is all magical and it has a special allure.

But if we need to talk about fashion, New York is the first city to present during the fashion season, so it gives everyone a fresh start. It's the first peek we have to knowing the upcoming trends and what will be IN in the next season.

The list of great designers is enormous, however the thing I love the most is the opportunity for the new imminent designers; thanks to the CDFA and other organizations, young talent gets a chance to show what they have to offers, making the fashion system grow with fresh new ideas. Also, the city gets you on the right path to accomplish something in the fashion world;it provides you with internship and freelance opportunities that will prepare you for future jobs.

Many people say that New York can be a stressful, hard and cold city.... And it may be true. But I believe that it can teach you a lot, because when you want to achieve something good in life and be great at it; you have to go through big obstacles, stand up, learn from them and keep on going until you find what makes you happy

::PINK N8 Photo-Diary::

Pictures taken with the PINK N8 from Nokia.

I have so much fun with it. 

If I win, I would have the opportunity to play with it during Fashion Week!!!!

Yeay!

Thanks to everybody who voted for me!! ♥

Let's keep up praying !

::NYFW::

Only two more days left. The competition comes to an end this Wednesday. I'm one step closer to New York Fashion Week, and I still can't believe it. These last couple of days, I've been doing some research about everything that goes on during that week. I want to be prepared; I'm learning about all the designers, reviewing their past collections and taking notes on the things that Elle's readers would like to see from me as a Style Correspondent.

Then, I started thinking of what I would want to cover the most during Fashion Week. Everything sounds so amazing, from watching the shows from the front-row to meeting the designers and being invited to the after-parties. However, the thing that really catches my attention is the backstage. As a fashion designer, I know what those four hours before a runway show mean: the anxiety, the adrenalin, the crew behind the show that makes everything possible, from the organization of the runway to the hair and make up for the models, the "stress" that everything causes you, which in some kind of way you love, the line-up 10 minutes before the show, the satisfaction every time an outfit goes out to the catwalk , and then ... the enjoyment of the applause, lights off, and then in 15 minutes the show is over. And at the end, the hugs, kisses and tears that come from the happiness that you carry inside your heart, because all the time and effort of the last six months finally paid off and it was all worth it.

I'm dying to witness those moments during fashion week, capture them with pictures and write my own story of a dream come true.

PS. If you still haven't voted for me, click on the image below!

Thanks!

::Blast From the Past::

If you have the opportunity to travel in time and be someone else, who would

you be or at least which time period would you like to visit?! This weekend

I played a little "dress up", taking inspiration from 4 different fashion

eras. These 4 subcultures are defining moments in fashion history, and today

they are coming back thanks to the designers and stylists that try to

recreate and transform these styles' aesthetics in some way.

My 4 fashion moments are:

THE TEDDY BOY

Does Elvis Priestly and the birth of Rock and Roll ring a bell? This stile

was born in the 1950's, and the idea is to wear a tailored minimal

silhouette; tuxedo suits, oxford flats and white shirt, androgynous hair and

make-up and a little rock-edgy attitude. Definitely, it will be a trend for

this upcoming season, if you need more modern inspiration check out Dolce

and Gabbana's, Jason Wu's, or Givenchy's Fall collections.

THE PREPPY

Originated in the 1950's but became popular in the 80's. The word "prep"

referred to the young students that used to attend the Northeastern American

private universities or schools, the "Ivy League" club. The Preppies are

associated with a high social class stereotype; do you remember Carlton from

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air? Rich boy, with a snobby attitude living in a

mansion in LA... well, you get the picture! Nowdays you can go to public

school and opt for a Preppy style, just remember to wear an oxford button

down shirt with a sweater (argyle will get you very close), cuffed chinos

pants (or kaki shorts as I wore in my pictures) and boat shoes, moccasins

or, if you want to be cool as me, Converse all-star with stripes socks.

THE 70's SHOW

Talking about the 70's could take me the whole week; I mean, we have the

Disco Glam, the Hippies, the Gypsy, the Afro Look, Charlie's Angels, the

early Punks, platforms, tie dye shirts, Wood stock, love-sex and rock&roll

and so on... I think this is why, in the last couple of years, the re-birth

of this decade (some way, some how) always comes back; there are so many

inspirations and different styles to draw from. For my own interpretation,

I decided to pay tribute to Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver mixed with Farrah

Fawcett's wavy-hair style, combined with a disco-jumpsuit silhouette and

platforms. And remember, "Peace and Love"!

EARLY MADONNA

Following the 70's, the next decade had a wide selection of fashion moments.

The launch of MTV came in the 1981 and since then, our lives haven't been

the same. Music, art and fashion started work together and it was an

explosion of creativity. It was difficult to choose an 80's style but I

couldn't resist interpreting Madonna as in the movie "Desperately Seeking

Susan", meaning: over-excess of jewelry, lace showing the underwear, chains,

hair-bows, strong make up ... and of course, as a final touch, the Ray

Ban's. Getting Into the Groove? ... I know I am.

Ph. Francesca Gambino for 

Il Viaggio della Farfalla.

::Street Icons::

Thanks to all the street style photographers and their websites (these are my favorites; Citizen Couture, The Sartorialist, StreetFSN, Street Chic from ELLE, Jak and Jil, 21Arrondissement, Street Peeper....), you can get a taste of how people are showing their style around the globe. For me, the streets are the perfect place to go when you need to look for inspiration; you can see the latest trends, take note on how people are interpreting a style aesthetic and learn different ways to wear an item. I have to confess that I have spent countless hours searching through all the streetstyle's blogs and taking time to appreciate what people are wearing. While walking down the street, I look at what others are wearing and it helps me to improve and to experiment more with my personal style. 

So for me, those beautiful people rocking the streets and expressing their sense of style and creativity without fear are, definitely, my fashion icons.

PS. If you haven't voted for me, please click on the image below! 

thanks for your support!

::Packing for NYFW::

I've been thinking a lot about NYFW, and one of the first questions that comes to my mind is "What on earth am I going to wear!?!?!" Today, I took a tour inside my closet and chose my favorite 10 items that I would love to take with me to the Big Apple. I picked them because they have a very special meaning to me and I consider them my "fashion treasures".

So, let's begin!

1. My super colorful pair of sneaker - I painted them myself.

2. My ELA's jewelry collection - Made by my talented little Sis, you can visit her site HERE.

3. The two color block dress -- It is my mom's from the 90's which I've borrowed permanently. It's Simple, classic, and I can pair it with anything.

4.The Elastic belt with the golden buckle-I bought it last year at a flea market back home.

5. My two everyday necklaces -- The one with the cross I got it from my godmother 

and the one with heart I got it from my mom when I was younger, I rarely take them off!

6. The bag made of wood-It's a craft handmade work from Dominican Republic.

7. The bright clutch--I found it at a flea market like 5 years ago, and love it. 

It's perfect to give a touch of color to any outfit.

8. Animal print-dress - Also my mom's, from the late 80's..

I pair it with a black velvet ribbon

9. The metal zip vest -- This piece I designed. It was for my runway show collection 

when I graduated from Fashion School 3 years ago.

10. The amethyst ring-- At last but not least, this ring is very special to me; 

when I turned 15 (In Latin-American, the 15th birthday is like the Sweet Sixteen), 

my grandmother gave me this ring, I love it ... it belonged to her and it has my favorite stone on it.

ps. all the pictures were taken with the N8 from Nokia!

::Style Philosophy::

When I have to talk about my personal style, the first word that comes to my mind is COLOR, and I think is because of my cultural background. I was born and raised in an island where "seasons" don't exist and summer days last all year long.

I remember, 3 years ago, my first winter season here in Milan. Gray days came and people's clothes started to change. I couldn't bring myself to wear only dark monochromatic outfits; I ran to the first shop I found and bought a turquoise scarf, a bright yellow sweater and a purple jacket (but don' t worry.. I did wear them all together; I just needed some piece with color!!!) . One day, one of my classmates told me "Only you can pull off those kinds of colors during winter", I laughed and responded "Maybe it's because I'm not afraid to wear them", she smiled and said "yes.. you can tell ".

But, don't get me wrong.. There is nothing wrong with wearing neutral shades, in fact it can be very sophisticated, refined and tasteful... it's just that if I only wear those kinds of colors I feel like something is missing. Of course as the years passed by, I eventually, started to get the European vibe of black, gray and beige inside my closet, using them with at least one touch of color, this gave me the opportunity to play with my personal style and force myself to experiment more. In the end, what really matters is that you find something that expresses your personality and that suits you well. For me, the key is to create contrast between colors, textures, silhouettes and styles aesthetics. 

I know that I've been evolving my style philosophy for the last couple of years. .And who knows how it will be in 30 years! ... However, my love for patterns and color will last forever.

Cuando tengo que hablar sobre mi estilo personal, la primera palabra que me viene a la mente es COLOR, y creo que todo se debe a mis raíces culturales.

Nací y crecí en una isla donde no existen las “estaciones del año”, y siempre son días de verano.

Recuerdo, hace 3 años, mi primer invierno aquí en Milán. Aparecieron los días grises y con si la ropa de las personas comenzaron a cambiar. No quería vestirme solo de colores oscuros; así que corrí a la primera tienda que encontré y me compré una bufanda turquesa, un suéter amarillo y una chaqueta violeta. (no se preocupen no utilicé todas las prendas juntas, solo necesitaba tener algunas piezas de color) . Un día, unas de mis compañeras de clases me dijo “Solo tu puedes ponerte esos colores en invierno”, me reí y le respondí: “Será porque no les tengo miedo a usarlos”, ella igual sonrió y contestó “si me doy cuenta!” Aunque no me mal interpreten, no hay nada malo en usar colores neutrales, es mas estos pueden lucir muy sofisticados, refinado y con muy buen gusto, es solo que yo personalmente me sentirá que me falta algo.

Claro mientras el tiempo fue pasando, eventualmente comencé a integrar los colores negro, gris, y beige en mi guardarropa.. solo que les agrego algún toque de color que me hacen sentir mucho mejor, esto me ha dado la oportunidad de jugar con mi estilo personal y me reta a seguir experimentando mas y mas. Porque al final lo importantes es expresar tu personalidad y usar cosas que te favorezcan.

Para mi, la clave esta en crear contraste ya sea de colores, texturas, siluetas y estilos estético.

Se que mi filosofía ha ido cambiando en los últimos años .. y quien sabe como será en 30 años. Sin embargo, el amor por los estampado y el color duraran para siempre.

white shirt/ camisa: tommy hilfiger

pants/pantalones: zara

bag/bolsa: vintage

shoes/zapatos: Seven store

sunnies/lentes de sol: h&M

golden bracelets/ pulseras doradas: h&m

bangles/ pulseras de colores: Ela Design Studio 

cell: Nokia PiNk N8

::EDITORIAL: Rule Breaker::

Inspired by the "Smells like Teen Spirit" post, this is the final result of my secret project! 

As you may know, I'm a stylist, however this time I decided to play the role of the photographer as well.

Every single day, I'm searching for inspiration through books, magazines, fashion editorials and photos in general, and I don't know how but a fascination in taking pictures started growing inside of me. I don't have a lot of experience in that area yet and still have a lot to learn but I can say it was a very fun

project to do. It always feels so good when I expand my creativity and push myself to do new things.

Despite the fact that it was my first time as a "fashion photographer wannabe",

I'm very proud of the upshot.

Hope you like it as much as we loved doing it!

*Thanks to my fabulous model and best friend....Tika, you're the best! xx

Inspirado en el post "Smells Like Teen Spirit", este es el resultado final de mi proyecto secreto del fin de semana pasado. Como muchos ya sabe, soy una Stylist … sin embargo, esta vez decidí jugar el papel del fotógrafo también. 

Todos los días me la paso buscando inspiración en libros, revistas, editoriales de modas y fotografía en general, y no se cómo, cuando y donde comenzó a nacer dentro de mi una fascinación de tomar fotos. Todavía no tengo mucha experiencia en el área y me falta un mundo por aprender, sin embargo puedo decirles que me divertí mucho haciéndolo. Me encanta siempre expandir mi creatividad y empujarme a mi misma a experimentar nuevas cosas. 

A pesar de que este fue mi primer projecto como “fotografa wannabe” … estoy muy feliz con el resultado final. 

Espero que lo disfruten! 

*Mil gracias a mi fabulosa modelo y mi mejor amiga, .... Tika, eres la mejor! xx

CREDIDTS:
Photography & Styling: Nathalia Medina
Model: Martha Rodriguez
Special Thanks to:
Francesca Gambino
Martha Cuesta
Julissa Roa