Hi everyone! Ever since I posted my 2012 Summer Lookbook (filmed in California) on my YouTube Channel, I have been eagerly anticipating my next. I wanted to create another that excites myself and my viewers as much as the first. I was so pleased with the end result of my first lookbook, and loved everything about it. Grinning like a fool each and every time I watched the video, again and again I felt the outfits were simply inspired - everything was perfect. All the variation from the colors, the silhouettes, and locales created a symphony of happiness in my heart. I also felt I never looked better in my life (my makeup and hair were on point throughout that video!).
It's been difficult channeling my creativity into outfits that I feel are as true to my style as those curated in my first video. I set a goal for myself - I wanted to feel that "aha, eureka!" moment after playing with pieces and stumbling upon a combination that was exactly right. I wanted the looks to be on-trend, stylish, fashion-forward, and flattering, and yes, I just wanted to look good. Bone a fide, without a doubt, good. With some of the outfits, I'm extremely happy. With others, I think I may have missed the mark a bit.
However, even before the conception of the looks that were to come in this video, I was, from the start, aware that the greatest challenge of all would be filming in New York City. I had my work cut out for me - I wanted this lookbook to live up to the beautiful backdrops of scenery as those in California and the West Coast. My boyfriend had brought me to historical places, and took me for my very first time, to Las Vegas. I had enough material to even make an alternate lookbook, which I did!
Some may find it difficult to believe that shooting in New York would be challenging, but I knew from the start it would be hard. In NYC, it's difficult to find a corner on which to stand where people won't be gawking behind you, shuffling along and bumping into you. Central Park for instance may seem like a beautiful place to film, but it's difficult to find an area where there aren't a million and one spectators, pedestrians, and tourists watching on or being in the video inadvertently. I wanted my New York Lookbook to be well-styled, filmed with good lighting, have a variety of locations, and most of all, a continuity and consistency throughout the entire film. So I staked out spots in NYC with my friend Kin (who helped me film most of this video) where there weren't huge crowds, and would contribute to the authenticity of this piece. We filmed at:
- The South Street Seaport
- My home in Rego Park, Queens
- Fordham University, Lincoln Center
- Hells Kitchen
- The Lower East Side
- The Mural by Kenmare Street
We really worked hard to film at these places, and while I still feel there is a ton of room for improvement with this lookbook, I am proud of the clips I feel were good shots, and I'm proud of myself for having a vision and going after it. Does this live up to my Cali one? No, I would say not. Those were the outfits I loved the most - I got to try out so many amazing classic pieces: the maxi dress, the skater skirt, the halter bodysuit, the mesh skater dress, retro-inspired sunglasses, and so much more.
My favorite outfits in the lookbook are Downtown Chic, Bold & Barely There, Fresh, Not Fussy, and Properly Prim in Peach. In this video, I get the chance to style a few more staples, such as crop tops, the classic felt hat, and colors I love like peach, neon pink, and royal blue. I regret not experimenting with lip color more, as it would have added another dimension of vibrancy to the shoot, but oh well. Won't you please tell me which outfit you like best in the comments below or on my video? Thanks for sticking around to watch this project - I can't tell you how much it means to me.
The Looks
Product details: Vest - Strawberry, Tank - Brandy Melville, Shorts - Brandy Melville, Pendant Necklace - BaubleBar, Purse - Aldo
Product details: Top - Brandy Melville, Skirt - Forever 21, Purse - Urban Outfitters
Product details: Necklace - BaubleBar, Top - Brandy Melville, Shorts - Brandy Melville, Purse - Aldo
Product details: Top and shorts - Brandy Melville, Purse - Urban Outfitters
Product details: Top - Brandy Melville, Harem Pants - American Eagle, Purse - Aldo
Product details: Dress - Forever 21, Bracelet - BaubleBar, Purse - Urban Outfitters
Product details: Dress - Aritzia, Bracelet and Earrings - BaubleBar, Purse - Aldo
Product details: Crocheted top - Forever 21, Under tank - Brandy Melville, Shorts - Brandy Melville, Bracelet - BaubleBar, Purse - Aldo
Product details: Hat - Brandy Melville, Top - Brandy Melville, Skirt - PacSun, Shoes - Aldo, Purse - Forever 21
The Breakdown
Miscellaneous
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| Me and my camera man |
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| Pictures I like best taken of this outfit - it was a difficult one to pull off, and I actually filmed it three times. Here, I wore hot pink lipstick to match with the neon. |
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| Being a giggle puss at the quad of my alma matter, Fordham University |
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| A look that will soon be coming your way in a Get Ready With Me video |
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| One of the spots we shot at in the LES for this look |
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| Another option. Pretty cool, right? |
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| A look at a newly renovated spot by the South Street Seaport. Old asian people love coming here at night to exercise hehe :) |
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| Pretty cool, right? |
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| For Fresh, Not Fussy, it was between the white halter from Brandy, or this green top from Free People |
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| A couple more pics of Mini Minimalist. I love bodycon skirts. <3 I don't know why, but the camera always makes my eyes look like they're falling off my face... it creates a distortion where my eyes look super slinky and kind of evil. Eep! |
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| One of the attempts made to shot Romantic in Royal Blue. I tried pairing it with Mac Vegas Volt lipstick (a coral orange). I really liked it in person, but it looked lackluster in pictures. Also, this is one of the locations we tried numerous times, since the brick roads are just so historical and truly NYC-feeling. It was in Soho. However, the lighting and all the cars in the background just washed out the images and the video. |
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| Here is a bigger picture of my Romantic in Royal Blue look. I just love the ankle strap sandals (the same ones worn in Mini Minimalist) and I feel like the video isn't shot in a way that you can really see that. |
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| This look is made so much better by the ankle strap shoes... but you don't see that in the thumbnails above, and it looks rather odd in the video. Sigh. |
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| A peek at the gray felt hat from Brandy Melville. I think the hat might have worked best on the crocheted top, as shown above. |
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| I feel like this was so poorly executed in my lookbook. It was actually one of my favorite looks. |
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| For some reason I just feel like I look evil here. The facial expression, body language, and the hair is just so slick and jet black. Eeh! |
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| That's better. Isn't the campus beautiful? |
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