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Sunday, March 30, 2014

Cum a fost la Fashion for Business

This article is all about a conference I got to attend last week here in Bucharest that proved very inspiring. I wasn’t too motivated to go initially, but I’m glad I did, taking a day off from work was well worth it. As you probably guessed from the title, the theme of the event was the way image and fashion can be used to our benefit in a professional environment. I'm not really into business attire as it's understood by most, but I'm all for dressing up as a way to empower and feel good about yourself.   

Recunosc, initial am ezitat sa particip la conferinta Fashion for Business organizata de BizForum, atat din motive obiective (lipsa de timp), cat si subiective (lipsa de chef). Ma bucur ca Sara a insistat sa ma duc, altfel as fi pierdut unul dintre putinele evenimente de unde am plecat incantata si inspirata. Va zic cu mana pe inima ca nu am irosit ziua degeaba (si nu pot spune asta despre multe dintre sindrofiile la care am fost in trecut si care s-au dovedit a total waste of a good outfit).

Tema evenimentului a fost legata de puterea pe care imaginea fiecaruia o are in mediul profesional, despre atitudinea si increderea pe care o anumita tinuta sau un machiaj ti-o ofera si cum poti face ca toate aceste elementele sa lucreze in avantajul tau.

Majoritatea celor care au vorbit in cadrul conferintei au fost grozavi. Preferatele mele au fost: Teodora Migdalovici (fondator Mealchemy.com), Andreia Urzica (PR Manager, H&M), Raluca Kisescu (senior manager commercial marketing, Avon) si Mirela Bucovicean (fondator Molecule F) care au vorbit in prima parte a zilei. Toate aceste doamne au fost o revelatie. Desi pe cateva le cunosteam dinainte, nu avusesem placerea sa le aud vorbind in fata unei audiente. 

 
 
Mi-a placut la nebunie faptul ca s-a discutat si despre partea umana a modei, de ceea ce inseamna de fapt sa ai stil, de cat de importanta este atitudinea si increderea in sine. Eu cred cu tarie ca poti sa arati exceptional si fara sa cheltuiesti enorm si ca nu trebuie sa iti cumperi in fiecare sezon toate colectiile noi ca sa arati minunat. In plus, este crucial sa te simti bine cu tine insati si daca ai asta sub control, orice altceva conteaza mai putin.

Stiu ca partea asta este cea mai dificila pentru ca noi suntem, de cele mai multe ori, cei mai mari critici ai nostrii si tot ce vine negativ din afara doare pentru ca noi insine credem acele lucruri despre noi. Nici eu nu pot sa spun ca sunt in permanenta incantata de mine dar incerc, asa cum Teodora spunea joi, sa-mi iubesc defectele pentru ca, la sfarsitul zilei tot eu sunt persoana pe care trebuie sa o impresionez cel mai tare. 

Un exercitiu extraordinar pe care cu totii ar trebui sa il practicam, este ca, macar uneori, sa uitam si sa iertam exigentele pe care le avem fata de ceilalti si fata de noi insine. Cautarea neincetata a perfectiunii este o sete imposibil de satisfacut si de cele mai multe ori vine la pachet cu multa nemultumire si nefericire. La fel, sa iti faci griji intruna pentru niste lucruri pe care nu le poti schimba, este nebunesc si deloc productiv.

 
Am cunoscut de asemenea o gramada de oameni noi. De data asta am incercat sa ies din zona mea de confort si nu am avut nici o problema sa ma duc la persoane necunoscute, dar care mi s-au parut grozave si sa ma prezint. Chair si in situatia in care cineva se dovedeste a nu fi ceea ce credeai tu initial, nu pierzi nimic daca incerci.

Din cele doua workshop-uri care au avut loc, eu am decis sa particip la cel sustinut de Carmen Dinca, make-up artist AVON Romania, intitulat Makeup 4 business. Am ales bine si de data aceasta si m-am simtit bine (mai ales ca am fost norocoasa si m-am autoinvitat am fost aleasa ca model pentru machiajul pe care Carmen l-a realizat ca demonstratie). Carmen este una dintre cele mai dragute persoane pe care le-am cunoscut vreodata, foarte calda si cu picioarele pe pamant! Mi-a explicat o gramada de lucruri de care nu aveam habar. Acum sper sa reusesc sa si aplic cateva dintre sfaturile pe care mi le-a dat – in special sa-mi fac sprancenele asa cum mi-a aratat! For the record Carmen, daca mai ai vreodata nevoie de un model pentru machiaj, I’m your girl!:))))  Si bineinteles ca a trebuie sa ies in oras in seara aceea, doar nu puteam sa las machiajul sa se iroseasca!

Sper ca cei de la Biz sa mai organizeze acest eveniment, prima editie a iesit bine si as fi incantata sa ne mai vedem si la alta editie (fara ezitari de aceasta data).   

  I’m wearing: 
leather skirt, pumps / fusta piele, pantofi - random brand
crop top / bluza scurta - OMG Fashion (here)
earrings /cercei - Romwe
  

Thursday, March 27, 2014

New Giveaway

Here's a another fast giveaway courtesy of Romwe for all of you! One lucky winner gets to win this super chic black, lace blouse that can be worn lots of different ways depending on your mood!

All you have to do for a chance to win is (all 3 conditions are mandatory): 
Please follow all the steps, otherwise your entry will not be valid:
 
  ♥ LIKE  Pop Culture&Fashion Magic on Facebook 
  ♥ Add a comment on the product page using your Facebook account to show your love for the dress
   ♥ Don't forget to leave your email in a comment bellow this article


 For extra chances to win you can also (these are not mandatory and each one will count as an extra entry):
 ♥ Share the giveaway on facebook with a @Pop Culture&Fashion Magic tag
♥ Follow Pop Culture&Fashion Magic via Bloglovin, Twitter, GFC, Tumblr, Instagram, Google+ and/or Pinterest  (mention which of them in a comment so that I can check and count them as extra entries).

  The giveaway ends March 31st 2014. The winner will be sorted out randomly. This is an international giveaway – anybody can join in!
The Winner

 I  want to thank you all for taking the time to enter this giveaway! I have to rely on the Gods of chance to choose the winner. This is the list I made with all the entries (the mandatory one and the extra entries):

 …and the winner is... 
No. 44 - that's Geraldyne! Congratulations! 

Monday, March 17, 2014

Made in Romania

I’m super happy spring is finally here! I took advantage of the first sunny day to wear a new dress that I’m really into right now. I love it because it fits wonderfully and looks so much like a signature Missoni knitted piece.

The chevron print has always been a favorite of mine, but it’s really very hard to find something in a good color combination. Not to mention it’s a dress made in Romania under the Sense label. I like to support Romanian fashion whenever it’s possible, so this dress gets extra points for just that.

 
I plan to wear it without the slip as well, it’s going to be see-through, but I’m thinking high-waisted pinup lingerie underneath (an Anna Dello Russo moment if you want) for the sake of decency.

In the meantime I paired it with a classic biker boots - leather jacket combo and I think it looks damn good. I love versatility in a dress and this one certainly has that to spare.

 I'm sure many of you remember this - so imagine the above piece worn similarly!:)

Sunt foarte fericita ca a venit in sfarsit primavara. Am profitat de prima zi cu soare ca sa port o rochie noua care-mi place foarte tare. In primul rand este o rochie facuta in Romania si face parte din colectia de primavara-vara Sense. In al doilea rand imi aminteste de tricotajele semnatura ale casei Missoni cu print chevron clasic. Si nu in ultimul rand, imi vine perfect ca marime, desi am ales-o online si nu a fost probata in magazin. 

In plus, mi-am dat seama ca-i chiar mai versatila decat credeam initial: are o a doua rochie-dublura, simpla, din jerse negru pe sub, care-i detasabila (era prinsa in cateva locuri, dar a fost foarte usor de desprins) asa ca sunt de fapt doua rochii. Perspectiva de a o purta fara dublura, doar dantela crosetata, transparenta cu lenjerie neagra, cu talie inalta, ma incanta mai mult decat ar fi cazul (nu stiu unde as putea sa o fac in deplina siguranta, dar posibilitatea exista si asta-i important). Nu mai vorbesc de combinatia de culori extrem de reusita: clasica, dar nu plictisitoare.

In ziua repectiva am purtat-o cu o geaca de piele si bocanci pentru un stil mai relaxat, dar poate fi dusa usor si in zona mai eleganta cu pantofi cu toc si un trench clasic. Din fericire nu am dress cod strict la serviciu, asa ca pot sa ma imbrac cum am chef in orice zi (privilegiu de care profit cu varf si indesat).
 
  I’m wearing: 
   dress / rochie - Sense
biker boots, bag / bocanci, geanta - random brand
leather jacket / geaca piele - Romwe
 earrings / cercei - random brand
rings / inele - Forever 21
 


Thursday, March 13, 2014

Say my name

Fashion blogging is a uniquely narcissistic endeavor that I enjoy a lot, but don’t take all the serious. I do realize I’m not saving lives here so I’m trying to have fun with it. It’s about appreciating the little moments of joy that come with dressing up, wearing beautiful jewelry and accessories and feeling good in your own skin.

All of that being said, you won’t be surprised I’m super excited to finally have a name necklace of my own. I won’t bore you with the Sex and the City references, but rather skip on to showing it to you. It was sent to me by Onecklace and it’s better than I expected: dainty, gold plated and customized to my specifications. 

 
They can do pretty much anything you want: names, small quotes, initials, even add colorful stones. And something very important - it arrived pretty fast for an overseas order! 

I’m actually a bit bummed I wasn’t more creative with it – I really want more of these (I have lots of funny ideas now that I got the taste), in fact I’m dying for a double ring branded #PopCulture or something similar.

Besides being super cute, the name necklace also doubles as a conversation starter! Random people will ask you if that’s your name and many other things after that! Talking about things that speak about you without saying anything!:)))

 Would you ever wear something like this?



Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Cristhelen B. by Musette spring-summer 2014

When I woke up last Thursday and saw the rain and the gloomy clouds outside, I thought for sure the day was going to be ruined, especially since I couldn’t wear my new pair of heels. These are the true tragedies in life! :)))  Finally I settled for another pair and  I was on my way.

I did had a moment of panic when I realized that I only had a short window  of time between my two jobs to also go to the Musette showroom to see the new S/S 2014 collection!
 
Not wanting to be late for work, I had to go to the showroom at the exact moment they opened the doors. At first I thought, OMG I can’t believe it, I’m the first one here, what I’m I going to do all alone? As it turns out it was actually really fun to be the first, I had the place all to myself and everyone there was so nice and welcoming! I got to talk with Cristina Batlan who’s the brand creator – she was super nice and took the time to explain to me the inspiration behind the collection – from Roman times to African tribes, you can travel the world one pair of shoes at a time. 

She showed me around and was extremely gracious about everything. She was kind enough to take me to the Depot 96 showroom which is in the same building, one floor up! You guys have to go visit because you won’t regret it. Both brands have huge spaces here (Splaiul Unirii, nr. 96), and you can be sure you'll find some amazing things! I also got to meet Laura Luca (super nice as well), so yeah, the visit at Musette made my day!

These shoes!!! LOVE!
Me in the showroom surrounded by shoes and bags!

On top of that, some of the Cristhelen B. shoes made my heart skip a beat! I especially adored the sandals – they had this exotic vibe that really put me in a summer adventure mood. I absolutely loved the wedges with the architectural heel, as well as the brilliantly colored stilettos. 

I liked that the materials weren’t always leather, some pieces are a mix of different fabrics and prints that give them an extra bit of cool! The summer pumps were also a hit with me – rich colors and elegant cuts make for a great combo. The color palette is spot on and so fun: from vibrant green to red, yellow, orange, gold, metallic and holographic prints, they all looked incredible! The bags were just how I like them: sharp silhouettes, solid colors or funky prints and the right sizes too – not too big but big enough to hold all my things! 


Joia trecuta am avut placerea sa particip la lansarea noii colectii Musette. Din cauza job-ului am fost nevoita sa ajung la eveniment  foarte devreme. Atat de devreme, incat am fost prima persoana de acolo, in afara de organizatori. N-am regretat insa pentru ca-i genial sa ai tot showroom-ul la dispozitie. In plus, am avut ocazia sa vorbesc mai mult cu Cristina Batlan, creatoarea bradului, care a fost extrem de draguta si mi-a povestit despre colectie, surse de inspiratie si  materialele folosite. 

Colectia contine de la sandale gladiator de inspiratie romana pana la pantofi creati cu gandul la triburile africane. Piesele sunt suficient de variate incat  sa fie pe gustul unei audiente largi, cu varste si stiluri de viata diferite.

Am fost placut impresionata de paleta cromatica vibranta si materiale: verde intens, rosu, galben, portocaliu, printuri holografice, auriu si argintiu, imprimeuri artistice, piele si impletituri in combinatii exotice si versatile.

 
Sandalele au fost preferatele mele, dar nu as spune nu nici catorva perechi de stilettos. Colectia include atat piese basic, usor de purtat cu aproape orice: balerini cu funde si barete, pantofi de inspiratie masculina, sandale si pantofi cu toc gros, de inaltime medie, pana la piese spectaculoase: stilettos intens colorati cu decupaje delicate, saboti cu printuri artistice, sandale si platforme cu tocuri arhitecturale si combinatii indraznete de culori si materiale. Gentile au fost o alta surpriza placuta: dimensiuni bine gandite, culori vesele si forme moderne. Tot ce pot spune este ca noua colectie Musette nu dezamageste!

Am ramas cu gandul la multe dintre piesele din colectie – ramane de vazut care sunt cele fara de care nu pot sa traiesc.

Am avut de asemenea ocazia sa merg sa vizitez showroomul Depot 96, care este in aceeasi cladire din Splaiul Unirii nr. 96. Va recomand sa mergeti la ambele magazine de aici, spatiul este generos si exista o mare varietate de produse, deci sansele sa gasiti ceva cu adevarat superb, sunt extrem de mari!

See anything you like? Any Musette fans out there?



Monday, March 3, 2014

The portrait dress meets peplum belt

This dress is something my sister picked for me and I wasn’t very convinced with initially, but actually loved once it arrived and I got to try it on! And to think that I was calling it the creepy dress before seeing the error of my ways! The Russian doll cameo portrait print at the front combined with the quilted fabric and the white Peter Pan collar make it super adorable, right? 

It’s a bit short, but Sara had this idea to add a few inches of lace at the bottom and make it longer so that I can wear it more. I think it could look great, so now I’m looking for some lace that would work for this DIY project. Let me know if you’re interested in documenting the process and showing it to you. 
 
 
And how about my PVC peplum belt? It’s something I wanted for ages so I’m beyond excited to have it in my possession. I don’t know if you remember this epic outfit worn by Ulyana Sergeenko at Paris Fashion Week a few seasons ago, but that’s the moment I started lusting for something similar at a smaller scale. Come to think about it, this belt could double as a really fancy collar for an injured puppy. :))))) It could even be used as a small umbrella in case of emergency! Scored!!!

See what I'm talking about here?:)))
 I’m wearing:
spiked pumps / pantofi - random brand
  snake box clutch/ geanta - random brand
portrait dress / rochie - 6ks (here)
cross earrings / cercei - Asos
peplum belt/ curea peplum -  choies (here)
bracelets / bratari - Stradivarius
 

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