#OOTD: Perfect Poncho (Feat. StyleWe, Rocksbox, & Marc Jacobs Beauty)

December 29, 2016 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

I have to say, the weather this past Monday here is the 'Burgh was a bit strange to say the least. Considering traditionally the day after Christmas we wake up to large amounts of snow and and ice, this year we awoke to rather warm (but kinda rainy) 60 degree weather. With that being said, I took this opportunity to pop into the city and do a photo shoot for my CollegeFashionista Style Guru "What To Wear" article that is due on the 15th, (deets on that coming next month!) as well as taking the time to stop and photograph this gorgeous poncho I received compliments of my sponsor and affiliate, StyleWe. (I also have to mention that I received some more goodies from Influenster recently, which would be the gorgeous Marc Jacobs Beauty, Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in "Yours To Try" and (Nude)ist Lip Liner that I am donning in this post-- but more on that later!)

Delightfully Draped

After photographing a gorgeous fashionista in the heart of downtown, I had some style inspiration of my own and decided to go ahead and photograph this outfit before grabbing lunch with my mum, and of course before the sky decided to open up and pour.

Firstly, I have to say that this poncho is super soft and pretty warm too. Even though it was warm for the day after Christmas, in my opinion though 60 is still a little chilly so this poncho was the perfect choice to keep comfortably warm and while still looking stylish. This poncho is also very well made and drapes and moves beautifully while walking in it. To style this poncho, I paired it with a maroon sweater that I thrifted via Goodwill, a pair of dark wash Levi skinnies, and my Bare Traps combat boots. The reason I chose a maroon sweater was simply to add a pop of color to this otherwise neutral outfit.

To further style this beautiful poncho, I decided to pair it with some gorgeous jewelry from my sponsor Rocksbox. I'm sure many of you recognize my House of Harlow 1960 Triangle Theorem Ring in Black from many previous posts, however I'm sure you are not familiar with the two other pieces from my most recent set! First I want to talk about this awesome House of Harlow 1960 Hymn to Selene Pendant Necklace in Lapis and Malachite necklace. This necklace is definitely my favorite piece from my current set. This lovely House of Harlow necklace is perfect for so many occasions, you can dress it up with a v-neck dress, or you can style it for a casual look like I did for this post! The reason I chose this necklace was because I felt the gold went perfectly with my poncho and that the blue and green center complimented my maroon sweater beautifully. Lastly to top off this look, I chose to wear this Gorjana, Lola Cuff, just to add some extra sparkle.

Le Marc Lip Creme + Lip Liner by Marc Jacobs Beauty (Compliments of Influenster)

In my most recent VoxBox from Influenster, I was lucky enough to receive Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in the color "Your's to Try" by Marc Jacobs Beauty along with the Marc Jacobs Beauty Lip Liner in (Nude)ist! I have to say that even though I normally go for lipsticks in bolder colors, Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme in Yours To Try is an absolutely perfect color for everyday wear and has become a favorite lip color of mine. The reason I chose to use this duo with this outfit of the day, is because this color is sweet and laid back much like my poncho, which made it a wonderful choice! I also have to say that Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Liquid Lip Creme as well as Lip Liner applies easily and smoothly. This liquid lip creme and lip liner also last all day and are in fact kiss proof!

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite makeup looks and casual outfits for a day of school work? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic. Have a look that you just need to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic! Later dolls!

Xx, Bree

P.S. Psssssst! If you love the jewelry I styled in this post as much as I do, you can try Rocksbox for a whole month 100% free when you sign up using my promo code "starkravingchicxoxo". Don't know what Rocksbox is or how it works? You can learn more here!

Fashion Alley: My Night as a Runway Model

December 28, 2016 by Bree Fesh in Events

For those of you who have been reading my blog for sometime, you know that earlier this year I attended Pittsburgh's "Fashion Week Downtown" as well as the "Complex Runway Show". At both of these events, I attended as a member of the press and got to sit in the front row and snap photographs of gorgeous clothing and beautiful models. At the former show though, I'm sure many of you remember that I met fashion designer, Brian David, and collaborated with him for this section of my portfolio, as well as bought one of his gorgeous dresses.

Well, at the beginning of this month, I had the opportunity to once again work with Brian and attend another runway show, however this one was with a bit of a twist: I would be attending this show as a model. The reason Brian invited me to walk in this show was due to the fact the dress I purchased from him was one of the dresses that he wanted to showcase. The show itself, titled "Fashion Alley", took place at Hollywood Lanes in Dormont and also doubled as a benefit to help raise money for Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. Naturally, the show was focused on clothing reminiscent of old Hollywood with hints of rock n' roll, and I have to say that I was honored to have the opportunity to dress up as one of my favorite Hollywood starlets, Marilyn Monroe.

Pre Show Primping

Prior to the show, as every model would, I was granted the opportunity to have my hair and makeup done by the incredibly talented stylists at La Pomponnee, located in Mt. Lebanon. The atmosphere of the salon was sophisticated and fun, and the staff was incredibly nice and easy to work with. The makeup artist I was scheduled with, Lauren, did an excellent job transforming me into Ms. Monroe and was very patient with me due the fact I had never had makeup done for a runway show before.

If you follow me on Instagram you may recognize this photo from my story.

After my makeup was completed, I switched over to the hair salon side of the shop and actually had my hair styled by the owner of La Pomponnee, Kristen. While Kristen was styling my hair, her and I got to chatting about La Pomponnee and it's 25 year anniversary approaching next year. Of course this is a huge mile stone for any business, so (spoiler alert) I will actually be interviewing Kristen and doing a story on the salon early next year.

Want to see my full transformation? Check it out here, here, and here!

The My Experience on the Runway

Lastly, I have to talk about my wonderful experience both backstage as well as walking in my first runway show. To be quite honest, the whole affair from start to finish was incredibly surreal to me. Though I am a confident person, I have never been one to think of myself as overly attractive, let alone attractive enough to be a model. However, due to the styling of the ladies at La Pomponnee and Brian's gorgeous dress, I felt absolutely radiant.

Divauna Taravella and I backstage prior to the show.

Models Left to Right: Malori Bailes, Bree Fesh (aka ME!), Cheryl Mills, Bianca Camille Clark, Divauna Taravella, Joanna Wentling, and Kimberly Stubblefield (Lapsley)

But don't think those are the only two things that gave me a bit more confidence that evening at Fashion Alley. It was also the support I received and time I got to spend with the lovely women (and men that are not pictured with us backstage, sorry Brian and Dallas!) in the photos above. Though I have worked with (mostly) all of these ladies before, I was always behind the camera when I did. However, each and every one of them was so kind and welcoming to me, that it made an already dazzling evening even more enjoyable! And now the moment I'm sure most of you have been anticipating throughout this article, here are some photos caught of myself and the other lovely ladies that walked for Brian David in the Fashion Alley show!

Image courtesy of Penn Live, Photographer, Lisa Wardle

Image courtesy of William Pittman Photography

Final Thoughts

In closing, I have to say that my experience as a model in a runway show was incredibly enjoyable and exciting! If I ever had the opportunity to participate as a model again I definitely would, what can I say I loved being pampered at La Pomponnee and all the cameras flashing at me while on the runway was quite thrilling as well. However, this experience also gave me a greater appreciation for what the models do to prep for a show and in some ways has given me a whole new prospective on how I personally will photograph runway shows from here on out.

Which dress by Brian is your favorite? Tell me about it in the comments below or tweet me at @StarkRavingChic!

Xx, Bree

#OOTD: Lovely Layers (Feat. SheIn)

December 23, 2016 by Bree Fesh in Personal Style

As many of us here in the 'Burgh know, it's that time of year again where the temperature is dropping rapidly, leaving us with frigid cold weather. The most recent weather happenings have been tons of snow, freezing rain, and a below zero windchill factor. For some ungodly reason though, this is the type of weather that John likes best. So of course while he was here visiting, I sucked it up and (attempted to enjoy) enjoyed the cold weather with him. However, I have to admit it's not all bad because even though I find the winters here to be my own personal Hell, I have to say at least I get to have fun with my wardrobe by dressing in layers.

To beat the cold this past week was quite the task honestly, from dodging freezing rain and bone chilling winds, most people would have probably would have preferred to stay indoors. Though I am normally one of those people, while out gallivanting with John I didn't get to stay in much. Luckily for me I thrifted this incredibly warm wool coat by Ralph Lauren during my last trip to the Red, White, and Blue Store and also received this adorable blanket scarf from my sponsor SheIn!

All Wrapped Up

While my beau and I were out in Sewickley this past weekend enjoying some dinner and coffee afterwards, the one thing I was dreading was the walk to and from the car, and then from the Sewickley Hotel to Crazy Mocha. And I've decided the weather man was not kidding when he described the weather as an "arctic blast"! However, to be prepared and keep warm on this dreaded walk around town, I decided to pair my new scarf and thrifted coat with an L.L. Bean cable knit sweater, leather gloves from my new affiliate/partner Saks Fifth Avenue (more coming about this December 31st!), some Levi skinnies and Bare Traps Combat Boots (and of course an extra warm pair of socks!).

However, to layer for the freezing cold and remain looking stylish wasn't quite an easy task for this shoot. Normally when I'm not doing and outfit of the day article, I don't worry as much about matching my coat, scarf and sweater and simply focus on how to keep warm. But obviously for this shot that wasn't the case. To style this coat I decided to pair it with a cream colored sweater just to break up the dark colors of the coat, scarf, and gloves. In my opinion this light color sweater really gave this outfit the pop it needed.

Then to actually style my scarf, I honestly spent about 10 minutes strategically wrapping it just right so the sweater would show. But I also decided to add a little more detail and pair this extra warm and cozy scarf with my Hermes Pop H Necklace. I just though the red lacquer of the necklace stood out great against the cream colored sweater and complimented the reds and burgundys in the scarf perfectly.

Lastly, since you know I hardly go anywhere with out a pair of over sized shades, I just feel like my new sunnies from Forever 21 deserve an honorable mention in this post. The reason I loved these sunglasses isn't only because I scored them on sale for five dollars, but because I loved the unique shape of the frame and the rose colored lenses.

One Last Look

What are some of your favorite ways to look stylish when the weather outside is frightful? Let's chat about it in the comments below or you can tweet me at @StarkRavingChic! Have a photo you want to show off? Feel free to tag me on Instagram at @StarkRavingChic. Keep warm babes!

Xx, Bree