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A post shared by Nora (@thenoragharib) on Feb 20, 2019 at 8:07am PST

“All my friends are getting engaged, married, or having babies and I’m over here just GENUINELY HAPPY FOR THEM BECAUSE I DO NOT COMPARE MY JOURNEY TO ANYONE ELSE’S AND YOU SHOULD NOT EITHER.”

— Anna Akana

Not a typical outfit post, but before all the NYFW craziness, my last posts were about my own relationship chapters and Valentine’s Day love. If you read them, then you know that I haven’t really been single since I was 17. While I struggled with my relationship differently than someone who struggled with the ‘single’ aspects of it — it’s the same issue. Love and relationships is one of those things that we, as a society, has romanticized - love, marriage, happily ever after. Our minds can get so contaminated with endless ideas of ‘perfection’. In reality, not many of us openly talk about it — so let’s talk about it.

The Ikonn EXPERIENCE

I share my own stories; the good and the bad, happy and sad, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to sometimes hear someone else’s experiences to remember I’m not the only one. If you don’t know The Ikonns — you don’t know what you’re missing. I’ve followed Mimi Ikonn for what feels like forever, but it wasn’t until recently that' I’ve been able to connect and relate on a different level. She and her husband, Alex, not only share their relationship experiences on Youtube, but have also started a podcast, The Ikonn Experience. Maybe you can relate with some things they say, maybe not. The fact is they’re a part of a movement in breaking down the perfection barrier (it’s 2019, let’s be real now), and I appreciate their honesty. They recently shared a video (albeit a tad bit long to watch), where they openly discuss their reactions to people’s assumptions of them. Assumptions including “I feel like you guys never argue/fight”, “I feel like you’ve never thought of divorce”, “You guys seem like the perfect couple” — and let’s be honest, even I have had those assumptions before, but I remind myself that nothing is perfect. Which does not mean they’re unhappy or I am unhappy, it’s just understanding reality. It’s refreshing watching these two talk and communicate with their followers on a very open and real level. Watch their video here!

he Said What

Moving into the realm of dealing with being single, dating, and life in general. I recently met with Melissa Diamond, creator of He Said What podcast, “an unfiltered source of perspectives on life, love, and dating”. I may not have gone through dating someone who cheated, trying to find ‘the one’, or being broken up with, but I’ve seen others struggle with it. After listening to a few podcasts episodes, I realize this is all unchartered territory for most of us (yet we are somehow supposed to know how to deal with it). The epitome of the show is listening to others opening talk about their experiences, touching on subjects "we are not supposed to be discussing" but we all want to know and wonder about. When Melissa and I sat for our coffee date, she automatically made me feel like I was catching up with a long-time old friend. Her down-to-earth personality and openness is the reason why her “barrier-breaking-conversations” are so relatable.

He Said What recently reached its one year anniversary! Her episodes cover a variety of topics. From discussions on the pressure of first dates, not getting closure, managing expectations; being authentic, living in the moment, the challenges if dating, putting yourself out there; to dealing with the fear of rejection. Read Melissa’s interview here!

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Each day I find more and more people openly talking about, not just relationships but, life itself. We all struggle with different problems, but opening up with each other only brings us all closer together. We, humans, are social beings. It’s natural for us to want to connect with others like us and feel like we’re not alone. When we start to openly talk about our realities and listen to others, we start realizing ‘perfect’ does not exist. Stop comparing and start being happy for those who are able to overcome the struggles, see them as motivation. At the very least, it’s a “hey you’re not alone” reminder and we begin to normalize the fact that there is nothing wrong with us.

Trying not to overdo the NYFW posts (last one, I promise). I’ve mentioned it being my first time at NYFW, so aside from the experience and confusion of trying to figure out where to go, what to do… etc— there was the socializing. I’ve never had a problem making conversation with others, but it was definitely intimidating making conversation with people who are running around to different shows, in the middle of taking photos, or catching up with others who have been to NYFW before. Basically they all had their shit together, but I met a number of women who were so sweet and supportive. This is probably super weird to do, but I have to give a shout-out to the badass women I met during those crazy (fun) three days.

1. Aliska @mademoiselleaia

I met this Bulgarian beauty while waiting for the Noon by Noor show. Literally just struck up random conversation, which turned into a coffee date after the show. She’s the sweetest and has the cutest pug!

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A post shared by Aliska\Blogger (@mademoiselleaia) on Jan 16, 2019 at 12:55pm PST

2. Krystal @krystal_bick

I’ve been following Krystal for a while now. I absolutely love her photos — she makes fashion look so fun & beautiful in the most artistic way. So when I saw her outside after the show I wanted to say hi! Of course the only thing to pop in my head in the moment was to say “hey, are you Krystal?” (lol). She’s as sweet in person as she comes across on her platform, if not more.

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A post shared by Krystal Bick (@krystal_bick) on Feb 10, 2019 at 7:28pm PST

3. Lyn Slater @Iconaccidental

A queen. A professor. An Icon. Lyn is someone I’ve followed for years and never thought I’d meet. Yet, after the Self Portrait show, I just gathered up the courage (don’t judge, I was nervous!) to say hello. Later that night at the R13 show, I ran into her again (and her life partner, Calvin!) as we waited in line to enter the show. They’re real, down-to-earth, and inspirational intellectuals (with great style).

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A post shared by Accidental Icon (@iconaccidental) on Nov 20, 2018 at 10:07am PST

4. Gabriella @gabriellazacche

When I say I was making random conversations — I mean it. I met Gabriella at a photo-booth in the lobby hangout area after the Self Portrait show (can’t get more random than that). I didn’t know her, but I absolutely loved her skirt, so I had to compliment her. When it was my turn to take pictures, I asked if she wanted to join in. Literally a 5-minute encounter, but she was super sweet and after exchanging Instagrams I realized why I loved her skirt — the girl’s got taste.

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A post shared by Gabriella 📍 NYC (@gabriellazacche) on Jan 29, 2019 at 6:36am PST

5. Tamar @fashionbytamar

Miami in NYC! I met Tamar after the Laurence & Chico show. She’s full of love, laughter, and life, and of course we bonded over Miami. Her style is crazy fabulous and she’s 100% herself which only makes you adore her more — plus her Instagram is full of beautiful dresses.

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A post shared by TAMAR TZUBELI | Influencer (@fashionbytamar) on Feb 7, 2019 at 9:02am PST

Wearing: F21 jumpsuit, F21 jacket, Valentino handbag

[Day 3] was my last day of NYFW — reality awaits (aka work), but I’m thankful for the experience. A few things no one really posts during fashion week is 1. all the lines we wait in! I became friends with the front entrance security (lol) so they let me wait inside in the warmth, otherwise most people wait in the cold until doors open. 2. most of the shows started late, so everyone just kinda waits for it to start (this is when I’d randomly start chatting up with anyone). 3. I already covered the ‘standing’ tickets, but recap — not all those seated were given seats (myself included). ‘Standing’ tickets are for guests who still cover the show but are also seat fillers.

My 3rd and last day was definitely my favorite because I covered two shows for brands I absolutely love. Self Portrait, a brand I actually wear, and R13, a brand I should definitely start to wear.

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Self Portrait:

I love self-portrait — designs are always on trend, but can still be worn for seasons to come. This season was a new level of fun sophistication and colorful elegance! See for yourself, the photos don’t lie! The experience of attending a show like Self-Portrait was beyond my imagination. Every. Single. Piece. was a unique approach, but I could still see myself wearing daily.

Self Portrait Fall-Winter 2019

“Plaid dresses, whimsical patterns, lace, and stripes danced down the runway, all while maintaining the classic Self Portrait tailoring. ”

It's clear that Self Portrait is made for the modern woman. The clean black and white silhouettes, animated by layering, ankle-length slits, puffy-sleeves, and embellished seams. The layering ‘second skin’ turtleneck under the dresses was interesting, sort of like a covered-up-sexy look. My favorite pieces were the orange-and-blue checkered pattern, black-and-white floral pattern, and the mixture of patterns. The collection is unique, versatile, but also approachable — I can see myself wearing these pieces to work, happy-hour, or Sunday brunch. A mixture of sexy elegance is a hard combination to achieve, but Self-Portrait S/S 2019 season, you nailed it!

I’m still in awe as I write this. Truly a unique experience to sit (second row) and feel the energy of the show. Almost as if I wanted to sit and see it all, but also be wearing the pieces as they came down the runway — that was the power of the design this season. Once the collection comes out in your local Saks Fifth Ave, shop, shop, shop. Self-Portrait is timeless and well worth it.

R13 Denim:

old is new and exciting again — R13 created layers and layers of chic grunge and cool patterns. The venue itself perfectly matched the show, as it was set in an old building on wall st (leave it to R13 to make an old building look cool). A change from the shows I had attended prior, I loved the experience: the show, the music, and the clothes.

R13 Denim Fall-Winter 2019

“I went to this amazing thrift shop with brooches and things from so many different decades. Just as an idea, [I thought] wouldn’t it be cool if we did a collection out of things only in this thrift shop?”

— Chris Leba

Grunge is back — according to R13 it’s “grandma grunge,” as the runway was filled with tweed, plaid, and rock ‘n’ roll vibes. The creativity of the fall show marked the mixture of high fashion meets grunge elements from different eras. I immediately imagined the cool young girls walking the halls of high school, just as they did before — only much chicer. I’m a huge fan of layering clothes, R13’s layering and seamless Earth-tone-patterns flowed together so easily, decorating the outfits with some beautiful pins and crystal brooches.

Wearing: Theory blazer, Zara pants (similar)

[Day 2] of my first New York Fashion Week (NYFW) was low-key. I spent most of the day hanging out with my best friend in Soho. Aside from a quick presentation for BLDWN, the day was NYFW-free. I dressed more casual — can’t go wrong with a plain white tee and high-waisted mom jeans, which can easily be dressed it up with a blazer and boots.

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BLDWN:

Absolutely beautiful presentation (my first ever) that had all the laid-back yet put-together outfits I wish I owned more of. BLDWN approaches getting dressed with cool & effortless sophistication. Of all the pieces I saw, the orange outfit was my favorite (as most of my followers agreed).

“The whole idea is the late Sixties, early Seventies way of high-low... Artists and poets [were] creating this bohemian glamour that was also aristocratic. ”

— Shayla Guy

The biggest takeaway of the collection was cool modernity with an artful connection to the late 60s, yet customized for today’s generation. Classic and timeless the collection included — contrasting colored sleeves with checkered pants, soft blazer contrasted with leather skirt. The orange sweater and pant set was my favorite, as was the ability to talk to the models (an experience you don’t get on the runway). The clothes feel feminine but not girly, and strong but not masculine: casual, yet composed.