Hello Hauteness

Hello Hauteness followers!  I have some exciting news to share!  First of all, I have a job!  Three months after leaving Austin, Texas and moving to New York City, I’ve found a new position.  I can’t go into details because I’m not allowed to mention my company via social media, but I will say that I’m working for a well-known fashion & beauty firm that has offered me a great opportunity to learn and grow.  I’m thrilled to take on this new chapter of my professional life and truly think I’ve found a great home where I’ve landed.

Second of all, six weeks after moving into the city I am finally ready to share pictures of our apartment with all of you.  I can’t share every detail and the place is not completely decorated (I’d say we’re at about 90%), but hopefully this will quench the thirst of those of you who have been asking for pictures since we first moved back in July.

Prints of our friends and family in black & white are featured in the living room.  I love the classic look of black & white photos, don’t you?

One of my favorite features of our apartment is the exposed brick wall.  It captures your attention as soon as you walk in.  This is a common element of NYC apartments and I love it!

While we do have a fireplace it is not a working one so I decided to use the space to store our DVD’s.  Believe it or not, I was able to fit all of our movies down to the very last one.  If we get even one more DVD it won’t fit.  Just another reason why we were meant to be in this apartment.

We don’t really have a dining room so I found this great table at Target with collapsible leaves to fit up against the wall.  The print hanging on the wall is one of Rich’s favorites and looks great with the brick.

This is Rodney, our Roomba!  Yes, we named our robot vacuum cleaner.  I highly recommend a Roomba for anyone living in a small space.  Rodney does a great job and saves me from having to vacuum.  Love it!

Our closet space is small, but I’ve made the most of it.  When I moved up here I invested in slim felt-covered hangers that allow for more space on the bar.  We have two closets (both of which Rich surrendered to me) and they don’t have overhead lights.  To fix this problem I purchased touch LED lights from Bed Bath & Beyond.  I must say, they really do the job!

I love our bedroom!  Rich already had the furniture (from Ikea) so I decided to try to soften up the modern feel of his set by accenting with more feminine textiles.  The bedding is from West Elm and the curtain is from Overstock.com.  I really love that curtain.  Thank you to our friend @ericaStanoch for the fabulous lamp!

Our kitchen is small but charming.  We are lucky to have a dishwasher (not common in NYC apartments) and I have enough space to cook comfortably.  Rich tends to steer clear of the kitchen so we don’t have to worry about getting in each other’s way.  The canisters are from Ikea.  Rich’s sister Kim gave me the idea to customize them with press-on letters…which is exactly what I did.  I’m really happy with how they turned out.

Last but not least is our bathroom.  It is definitely smaller than what I had in Texas, but it’s actually bigger than I expected to find in NYC.  The giant mirrored medicine cabinet makes the room feel bigger than it is.  I really like this geometric print shower curtain we got from Target.

So that’s it!  Home sweet Upper West Side home!  Sorry for the delay but hopefully this gives you a good glimpse into our humble abode.

Earlier this week my good friend Kristine (@gloriakt) was in the city so I took her visit as an opportunity to check out some places I’ve been curious to explore.  At the top of my list was just about any restaurant featured in the movie You’ve Got Mail.  As a typical girl, I LOVE romantic comedies and one of the reasons I’ve been so excited to explore my Upper West Side neighborhood is the fact that it’s where the movie took place.  Knowing that Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan walked down to same streets as me and ordered coffee from my local Starbucks brings out my inner tourist.

Tuesday morning Kristine and I ventured out to Cafe Lalo for brunch.  This is where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan’s characters, who are email pen pals, are supposed to meet for the first time.  Remember the scene?  Meg is sitting at a table with a book and a red rose waiting for Tom, who is standing outside trying to decide if he should go in or not because he’s just discovered that the possible love of his life is actually his nemesis in business.  *Sigh*  I love this stuff!

Immediately once I turned the corner onto 83rd Street and saw Cafe Lalo I knew I was at the right place.  The cute tree-lined street.  The steps leading up to the entrance.  The charming wooden framed windows.  And it only got better once we got inside.  You walk past a sinfully delicious pastry case to get to your cute little table, that is conveniently located practically on top of the table next to you (typical for NYC).  There are so many delicious breakfast entrees in the menu that it took Kristine and I 15 minutes just to decide on what to eat.  Cafe Lalo offers up typical breakfasts from around the world, which I found fascinating and delicious all at once.  In the end, Kristine ordered the Dutch Breakfast while I ordered the Italian Breakfast, along with our giant Cappuccino and Viennese Coffee.

May I just say, that this was one of my favorite experiences to date in New York. I got to enjoy good conversation with a good friend over delicious food and coffee in an absolutely charming environment.  From the exposed brick walls to the vintage posters to the fresh lavender plants hanging above the bar, I loved everything about Cafe Lalo.  Not to mention that the food was beyond delicious and actually rather healthy.  The ingredients tasted truly fresh and the menu offerings were unlike anything I’ve seen anywhere else.  I know I don’t typically critique restaurants on this, my fashion blog, but I just had to share with all of you this little gem in the heart of the Upper West Side.

Whether you live in the city or are just visiting, I highly recommend you make it a point to visit Cafe Lalo…especially if you’re a hopeless romantic and a fan of You’ve Got Mail.  Cheers!

Three days after I landed in NYC I was invited to participate in a fashion show.  While I’m used to working behind the scenes at shows doing stylist or production work, this invitation came as a surprise because I was asked to model this time around.  As a size 8, this is not exactly the norm for me.

As it turns out, Katie Behnke, Creative Director of Elegantees, wanted me because of my curves.  Katie herself has more of the typical model physique, but she wants her designs to appeal to women who come in different packages.  As part of the charity fashion show she put on to benefit Freedom Forth on June 16th, Ms. Behnke brought together beautiful ladies of all shapes, colors and sizes to show off her fabulous designs.  I applaud her for this move not only because it allowed me to be a model for an evening, but also because it celebrates beauty in all forms.  The result was a fun fashion show featuring real women in flattering styles.  Well done Katie!

In addition to modeling the uber comfortable styles in the fashion show, Katie also asked me to participate in a photo shoot for the Elegantees website.  Honored and flattered, I accepted and now you can see me on their website showing off the Pamela and Lori styles.  May I just say, it’s totally surreal to see myself modeling.  Like, woah.

Doing my best model pose. What do you think?

So just what is Elegantees?  This is a stylish line of cotton jersey t-shirts that Katie launched in 2010 to feed two of her passions: fashion and philanthropy.  As the company grows and the initial start-up costs are recovered, eventually 100% of Elegantees’ dividends will go towards fighting sex and human trafficking.  In addition to this, Ms. Behnke is currently establishing relationships with factories in Peru and Nepal that are transforming communities by teaching sewing skills to those rescued from trafficking, therefore helping the fight against this horrible practice.

I recently sat down with the lovely (inside and out) Katie Behnke to hear more about her company and her mission to give back.

Where are you from?  What is your NYC story?

I’m a Midwestern girl from a farm in Iowa.  I always wanted to move to a big city, and after attending a local college I applied to the Fashion Institute of Technology and got in!  I moved to NYC in 2005, spent 3 years at FIT while taking on a series of internships and jobs before launching Elegantees in 2010.

What led you to start your own line?

It’s been a dream of mine since I was little and at my last job as a Production Manager I gained a lot of the knowledge I needed to start my own company.  Once I learned more about human and sex trafficking in a World Affairs class at FIT, I promised myself that if I ever started a company I would bring awareness to this issue.  I’m excited to say that I kept this promise and am currently working on establishing relationships with manufacturers that give back to their communities and help fight sex trafficking.  It’s my hope that the Spring 2012 collection will be produced exclusively by these factories.

What is the target market for Elegantees?

The majority of our customers are in their 20s and 30s that want to be fashionable but don’t want to work hard at it.  Elegantees are all about effortless and affordable style.

Do you have a signature piece/style that you will always carry?

It’s still a little too early to designate a signature piece, but I will always design styles that drape and are accented with trends.

Do you have a favorite style?

I’d have to say that the Lacy tee is my favorite.  It accentuates my shoulders and has nice sleeve detailing.

What is your favorite piece in your own closet?

I love my high-waisted boys uniform pants that I bought at a thrift shop.  I actually wore them at the fashion show.  They fit my proportions perfectly.  I just love wearing them!

Katie, wearing her fav pants, at the fashion show alongside her boyfriend Israel

Do you have any upcoming projects/events that you want to share with Hello Hauteness readers?

We’re having a fashion show in Dubuque, Iowa on August 14^th to benefit the Nepali Rescue Project.  I’m also excited to announce that I’m partnering with Whitney Fields, Austin, Texas based Stella & Dot Stylist, to design a line that will be photographed and featured in a fashion show in Austin hopefully around February of next year.

Where do you like to shop?

I actually love to go to the 5^th floor of Bergdorf’s in Manhattan not so much to shop but to snap pictures of items that inspire me for my own line.  I don’t shop too much because I know I can make anything I see in the stores, but I must admit that jewelry is my weakness.  I’m a huge fan of Prima Donna (5^th & 37^th), Forever 21, and if I could afford it, I’d get Stella and Dot often.

Who is your favorite fashion icon, male or female?

Jeanette Scott Thwing of jseverydayfashion.com. I love how she is so down-to-earth and inspires a lot of American women to dress with ease and affordability.

Are you a coffee or tea drinker?

I’m a hot tea drinker all the way!  I’m all about flavored teas.

Are you a flip-flops or heels girl?

Heels.  But, since I’m a New Yorker, I need to walk a lot and go for the shorter ones then. They can be comfortable yet sassy at the same time.  Plus, they just look and feel more special.

Are you a Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda or Samantha?

My friends tell me I’m a Charlotte…maybe because I seem to be the purest of our bunch.  I would definitely say that my style is more Carrie though.

Ladies, if you’re looking for comfortable yet stylish t-shirts, I can honestly say that Elegantees is the way to go.  You will not only be supporting a young entrepreneur, you’ll be supporting the bigger mission of raising awareness of human and sex trafficking.

Sorry for being radio silent the past two weeks, but I have the best excuse. Rich and I officially moved to the Upper West Side on July 1st! After spending a few weeks living on Staten Island, it was Rich, me, and a U-Haul filled with all of our earthly possessions off to Manhattan.

Since we moved on a Friday it was just the two of us moving into our 4th floor walk up apartment, but at least we didn’t have to move furniture because it was delivered to us a few days later. Word to the wise though, if you are moving anywhere in the city that doesn’t have an elevator, hire movers! Carrying boxes up three flights of stairs in the middle of summer is a bit tougher than Rich and I anticipated. Nough said.

But, after a week plus of settling in, we’re finally here! May I just say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE our new hood! It’s so cute and charming that I feel like I’m walking around in a movie when I come and go everyday. We’re a block and a half away from the gym, two blocks from Central Park and three blocks from the nearest subway stop. Not to mention that we have every market and clothing store known to man within a few blocks of us.  Life is good!

I don’t have apartment pics to share just yet because we don’t have curtains, rugs or wall decor.  I can’t show you guys the apartment without it being properly accessorized afterall.

In the meantime, I walked around the hood and snapped a few pics so that you all could share in my delight of the Upper West Side.

Our street

Another view of our street

Yup, Magnolia Bakery is a few blocks away

Trader Joe's, need I say more?

Gray's Papaya

72nd Street subway stop

Citarella gourmet market

Beacon Theater

I started off my time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art meandering through the Greek and Roman galleries and I have to say that they took my breath away.  I’ve always been intrigued by the era in which the Greek and Romans lived (history nerd much?), but I’m especially in love with the draped fashions of the time.  I’ve always loved draped styles on women and those styles originated in this era.  Being able to view the exquisite marble and stone figures from the Greek and Roman times firsthand was such a study in design for me.  Every woman wants to look and feel like a goddess and each of these figures looked every bit the goddess.

I remember when I was a fashion student I looked forward to my draping class more than any other course I took because we literally got to take a piece of fabric and let it fall on a form naturally, creating a pattern from that natural drape.  I’m a huge proponent of letting fabric do what it wants to and fall where it wants to, so I will always be a student of draping.  This is exactly what the Greek and Romans based their fashions off of.  It’s so simple yet creates such a striking look, even on a statue.

Interestingly, I found myself being reminded of recent runway fashions as I made my way through the galleries.  It just goes to show that fashion is a cycle and everything comes back into style…and some fashions just never go out of style.  I think the Greek and Romans created some of the most timeless styles of all the ages.  I even found dresses from the 2012 Resort shows to prove my point.

Greek or Roman statue at the Met

Lanvin Resort 2012

Stone facade from the Met

Vionnet Resort 2012

Marble statue in the atrium of the Met

Lanvin Resort 2012

Considering the consistency in these looks, I took it upon myself to research past runway fashions that took their cue from the Greeks and Romans.

Charles Worth circa 1921

Jean Harlow circa early 1930's

Mary McFadden circa 1970's

Halston circa 1970s- the late designer with Bianca Jagger in one of his draped designs

A Halston design from the Spring 2011 collection

Ralph Lauren Spring 2004 RTW

Vera Wang Fall 2006 RTW

Monique Lhuillier Fall 2011 RTW

Amazing how these gowns mirror each other, right?!  Just goes to show, don’t make fun of what your parents wore back in the day because you could be wearing it in 5 years!

Of course, I would never be embarrassed by any of the above looks.  They’re timeless, classic pieces that have an effortless style about them you can never go wrong with.