Inside Nanette Lepore's Colorful Studio

 Last week I was invited to an incredible brunch at Nanette Lepore's midtown showroom, where there was a customizable Bloody Mary bar (which, by the way, I think all daytime fashion events should now be required to include), delicious eats, one-on-one time with Lepore herself, a fun and fashionable crowd, and a tour of Lepore's design studio and neighboring factories. It's no secret that I love clothes, but perhaps more thrilling to me is the process - from design to production - that is behind the scenes of all the garments and designers we know and love. I love that Nanette Lepore has decided to keep all of its production in New York, where a once thriving garment industry dominated the apparel market. It's nice to know that there are still NYC-based designers that are passionate and focused on keeping production local!

All Pink Everything

Anyone who knows me in real life (or follows me on twitter, which, these days, is practically the same thing), knows that I'm going through a major pink moment. I hinted at it in this post, but the extent to which I'm pink-washing my life is reaching Barbie-like proportions. Like many girls my age, I went through a serious tom-boy phase, where skirts and dresses and anything pink or purple or pastel were as undesirable as a trip to the dentist. Something happened around my entry to adolescence where I ditched the pants, tossed the Adidas Superstars, and begged for a pair of platforms and bright pink lipstick. I definitely come from a feminist mindset, so as I grew older and more conscious of the way our gender identity is socialized, I began questioning my own unabashed femininity. I've now come to a place of very intentional femininity, and relish in all the stereotypically girly things. Put a bow, a heart, a ruffle on just about anything, and you've won me over.
That said, I know that pink can have an incredibly polarizing effect. My sister, for example, absolutely hates it - and we grew up in the same household, so it's not exactly an issue of nurture!

Pink Jeans - ASOS Curve, Skull Candle - D.L. & Co. via Gilt, Perfume - Juliette Has a Gun, Pink Heels - ASOS, Painted Necklace - Spike the Punch, "The Short List" Notepad - Kate Spade, Nail Polish - CND, I Love You Magazine

The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior, Scarf Wrap Watch - Moschino, Metallic Pink Polish & Remover - Butter London, Painted Necklace - Spike the Punch, Bag/Sunglasses/Top/Wallet - Miu Miu

How do you feel about pink? Do you love it? Hate it? Do you find yourself going in and out with specific colors over time?

Baby, It's Cold Outside

The last eleven days through the eyes of Instagram... It may be cold, but I'm doing my best to start the year off right!



Resolving to "Sparkle Harder" this year...

Good Better habits: Starting the day with greek yogurt for breakfast or a green juice!

Amazing care packages from my transatlantic soul sister to bright my days.

Making my space (and my outfits!) a little more colorful.

The Warby Parker Bazaar - where a pair of light blue eyeglasses add pop to an all-black outfit

Pretty things from Butter London and Alexander Wang

Brightening up my beauty routine with pops of bright color! OCC is best

And of course, starting the year in the best city in the world means I already have a head start on doing things right...

2012 is off to a pretty grand start, I must say.

Candy Girl, You Are My World

A recent candy-colored bubblegum pink shopping spree (a pair of cotton candy shoes, a saccharine sweet pair of jeans, and even some rose tinted lenses, and god-forbid we forget that blush feather situation), sent me spinning back to a particularly colorful collection presented for Fall 1994.
 If you haven't seen Unzipped with Isaac Mizrahi, which is undoubtedly one of the best fashion films to have ever been made, well, you should get on that ASAP, (psst, it's on Netflix Instant). It's one of my favorites (ever). Our generation has a habit of waxing poetic about the 1990's, romanticizing the knee highs socks and unabashed love for plaid and maribou-topped pens and tie-dye and hackey-sacks and TLC, but rewinding back to 1994 is a bit of a different experience. The supermodels (Linda Evangelista! Naomi Cambell! Kate Moss! Cindy Crawford!)smiled, and interacted with fashion show attendees, and danced. Photographers sat stageside with A-listers and editors behind them. Spectators were smiling and excited. It makes the all too serious attitudes (piousness, almost) of fashion show attendees today seem a bit ridiculous.
Of course, my nostalgia is a little misplaced. Let's be real, I was all of eight years old at the time, and while fashion certainly had a subliminal impact on my identity, even then, the runway collections of 1994 were not a conscious part of my awareness. After all, at the time, I was still trying to make a case to my mom about the necessity of having real Doc Marten lace-ups as opposed to the (rainbow-in-place-of-yellow-stitching, and therefore a dead giveaway) knock-off version I had. Oh, the things that seem important to a 2nd grader... Doc Martens and Sanrio pencils.
In any case, my bubblegum pink fixation and a bout of insomnia made this all seem all the more relevant, important, influential - everything that I need (er, want) during the cold and slightly stir-crazy inducing month of January.




PINK: Acne Beals Cotton-Terry Sweater, Miu Miu Cropped Pants, Karen Walker Sunglasses, ASOS Santo Pumps. PISTACHIO: Acne Lucile Taffeta Dress, See by Chloe Knitted Cotton Sweater, Mulberry Bayswater, ASOS Macabee Patent Loafer.  ORANGE: See By Chloe Knit Sweater Dress, Jil Sander Lagos Double Breasted Coat, ASOS Cowbell Drop Earrings, Reed Krakoff Soft Boxer, Butter London "Minger" Lacquer

New Year, New Wardrobe - Giveaway from SimplyBe!

As a kick-off to celebrate the new year, I've partnered with UK-based plus-size retailer Simply Be to give away 5 gift cards of $100 each -- meaning you could win up to $500 towards a new wardrobe. Do you have any wardrobe based resolutions this year? One of mine is to donate/sell one item of clothing for every new piece of clothing I bring into my wardrobe! Simply Be helped me jump-start my resolution by adding a few lovely pieces to my closet... Does anyone else dream about lounging around their home in pink feathers? Just me?
And, if you're not plus-sized, fear not: alongside clothing (which starts at a size 10), Simply Be has some killer accessories. Not to be missed? Simply Be's amazing selection of lingerie! No photos on my blog, but trust me - the Gok Wan collection is divine.






1. Leather-Like Leggings, Anna Scholz for Simply Be  2.  Feather Jacket, Anna Scholz for Simply Be 3.  Jeffrey & Paula Roll Sleeve Blouse

Photos by Austin Manning

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1. Visit SimplyBe.com and pick a piece that you'd love to introduce to your wardrobe!
2. Comment on this entry with a link to your favorite items and short description of how you'd wear them, your name, and e-mail address. Your e-mail address is essential so that we can contact you!
3. "Like" Simply Be USA and Nicolette Mason on Facebook.
4. For an EXTRA entry, tweet "I'm entering to win up to $500 to @simplybeusa from @nicolettemason! http://tinyurl.com/6rwjhc7" (or something like that. I encourage your use of poetic license).

5. That's it! Winner(s) will be selected at random a week from today, (January 11, 2012).

Looking Back (That Was So Last Year)

This years recap has taken especially long for me as I've tried to wrap my head around how completely life-changing the last twelve months have been. It was only 15 months ago that I set out on a quest to completely turn my life (and career) around, and sometime over the past year, everything I've been dreaming and hoping for has started happening. I can't even begin to articulate how grateful, appreciative, and hopeful I am. 2011 will forever be the year that I knew, for sure, that my life was going in the right direction; I know without a doubt that 2012 will be even better!


JANUARY. Ringing in the new year surrounded by my best friends, a killer playlist, more Prosecco and champagne than we could ever need, sequins, cupcakes, and mylar balloons. Blistering cold blizzards and the boots to pair with the snowflakes. Reminiscing about my December trip to Bali, and my September trip to London.  Three-hour lunches at Del Posto for my SO's birthday. Ice skating in the middle of the Meatpacking District. A new year's promise to actually eat breakfast. Swooning over Dior Couture. Picture perfect sunsets. Cosmetic lusts.

FEBRUARY. The month I put myself to the test: No shopping. An early screening of Bill Cunningham New York, (one of my favorite films of the year). Snow, snow, snow, snowy-snow. Seeing Robyn and visiting a midtown Izakaya with Peppi & Rachel. New York Fashion Week. Putting together my power survival kit. Cozy knits at M. Patmos. Major Americana moments. Being a lady who lunches with Phillip at The Standard Grill. Dying over Christian Siriano's absolutely perfect gowns. The Marc by Marc Jacobs runway show. The absolutely incredible 4-song EP released by Beth Ditto (my spirit animal). Karaoke, plaid parties, and adventures with my BFFs.

MARCH. The transformation from raven-haired to my-little-pony. Discovering what would quickly become a favorite California-Mexican haunt. Photo booths with my BFFs. Trans-continental interludes to the West Coast. Sister bonding. Tea parties with the ladies in my family at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Finally visiting Ten Over Six. Winter strolls in Prospect Park. Bare trees. The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. JD Samson and MEN (and again just a few weeks later). Being picked up as the contributing fashion editor to Brooklyn Magazine.

APRIL. McCarren Park with a puppy. Ramps season, (fresh from a farm upstate). The beginning of spring. Fresh flowers. The royal wedding, (somehow, my invitation got lost). My 25th birthday. Shoes, shoes, shoes. and more shoes. Miu Miu petals. Abstaining from black in my wardrobe with an unexpected burst of pastel. Peonies. Midnight strolls in my neighborhood.

MAY. Wanderlusting. Jet-setting back to Los Angeles. Christopher Kane cosmic prints. Studded oxfords. Charm bracelets. Gorgeous weather. Swooning over Cast of Vices at Royal-T. More tea parties. Shooting editorials for Brooklyn Magazine. Puppies. Kittens. Baby animals. Flora. Blooming manicures.

JUNE. Putting my styling skills to the test with Brooklyn Magazine. Summer nights on a Brooklyn rooftop, on a picnic blanket, with a chilled glass of white wine. Oyster happy hours in Williamsburg. Beirut at the Northside Festival. The earth shattering, mind-blowing McQueen retrospective at The Met. Full on color. McQuuen tees and Prada baroque glasses.

JULY.Photoshoots at Fort Tilden, (my favorite beach in New York). Fireworks from a Soho Penthouse. Bushwick pool parties. Sassy magazine tribute. Midnight in Paris at Nitehawk Cinema. Breaking my own rules with a maxi. Loving Lula, (always). BUGS!

AUGUST. A visit to the Farmacy. A love affair with shoes. Pre-fall pattern mixing. A stormy day made better by pink glitter. Minor home improvements. Crushing on Charlotte Olympia. New tattoos with Jeremy. Chanel in print. Prepping for fall with pink feathers and leopard print leather. Ladurée takes Manhattan.

SEPTEMBER. Non-stop fashion week grind (my busiest show season yet!) Contributing to Marie Claire!!! Falling in love at Chris Benz's spring presentations. Meeting so many of my blogging favorites & making new friends. Becoming a redhead, (a long, painful 7-hour process that was TOTALLY worth it). Upper east side jaunts with my Transatlantic soul sister, Briony. Stealing Sergio's Chanel lab glasses at MC headquarters. My best friends wedding in rural Illinois; two of my favorite people in the world committing themselves to each other in one of the most beautiful ceremonies and receptions I've ever witnessed... It came with many tears, (all were tears of joy).

OCTOBER. Pumpkins and squash and Brussels sprouts and kale and all of autumns amazing produce. The Culinary Council's incredible Catalan feast. Dozens of market appointments and a wish list of accessories to follow. Participating in Rafaella's Style Council. Makeup roundups and fall cleaning. Seeing Stars at Music Hall of Williamsburg, (with major college nostalgia to follow).

NOVEMBER. My favorite new indie cosmetics brand, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. Remembering the 30-year fight against AIDS. November material favorites. Thanksgiving in California. Late nights & early mornings at Chateau Marmont. Lusting after pink Miu Miu madras. Holiday season prep with my gift guides. Chanel's "Peridot." Autumn leaves.

DECEMBER. Being on the cover of Plus Model Magazine with BFF Gabi Fresh. Miu Miu glitter x 2. Discovering DUMBO. Lots of sparkle. Family visiting for the holidays. The art of the three-hour lunch at Jean Georges. Being featured on xoJane.com. Window shopping 5th avenue. Spectacular, sweeping views of Manhattan from the 39th floor at Trump Soho. Unseasonal leather weather. A mini-staycation in the Meatpacking District. Breakfast and lunch at Pastis. Bejeweled shoes. A hope for a beautiful new year.

With all the tremendous chaos throughout the world, I've managed to come out a bit stronger. Thank you for joining me on an incredible year and CHEERS to a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2012.