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THE MEGA BABE

by Chloe Xiang

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Criss Cross

The Look: Top– H&M, Jeans– Hollister, Shoes– Macy’s, Glasses– Amazon

Spring days are approaching, from cherry blossoms to clear blue skies and best of all, temperatures above 60. Because it is not warm enough yet to bring out shorts or skirts, this outfit was perfectly light with the breezy bell sleeves and cutouts in the loose boyfriend jeans. I love these clear aviator glasses, which I’ve been seeing a lot of these days, as they add a vintage accessorized feel to any look. I incorporated a layering of my favorite necklaces to create more statement and coordinate with the earrings and glasses. With pieces such as this loose blouse, I am still able to keep a spring style within the monochromatic realm. During spring, I feel like the whole atmosphere is a lot brighter and happier. Finally able to leave the house and explore the outdoors, I managed to stumble across beautiful pastel and vintage architecture in my neighborhood, as seen in the pink and purple backgrounds as well as the retro Oldsmobile car.

Burgundy

This look features many cutouts, from the ones in my sweater to the fishnets. Despite all of the holes, this look is still great for a dressed up but not too fancy winter look. I wore this outfit to an art museum, where my photography was being displayed, and it was an appropriately classy outfit. Sandwiching the burgundy corduroy skirt in between the blacks of my boots and my sweater gave the look a pop of color, yet not too bright of a color that would throw the outfit off. I love wearing knee high or thigh high boots with a shorter skirt so that there are different lengths and spaces, while I’m still kept warm, rather than being engulfed in fabric as I would be in a typical winter outfit.

Photos by Sunny Yoon

Postcard from Turks and Caicos

iPhone photo gallery 

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Turks and Caicos was one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on and I know— everyone says that with each new place they visit, but this Carribean island was truly paradise. For starters, Trip Advisor declared Turks and Caicos to have the best beaches in the world, and boy are they right. The water was so calm and tinted with the most beautiful blues, from the brightest blue water I have ever seen to the clear sparkling waters of the inlet creeks. The streets were decorated with foliage such as tropical palm trees, hibiscus flowers, and plants like aloe. One of the highlights of this island were the dogs that roamed the island, as everywhere we drove or walked there would be dogs and puppies following us or gazing up at us. We lived in a cute, pink AirBnb, which I think I prefer to a hotel or resort because it truly made me feel as if I was at home as a resident of Turks and Caicos. Our neighbors had four puppies and a mother dog, so every night I’d fall asleep to the sound of dogs howling and every morning I would go up to the fence to watch the puppies try to rush to me while they scratched the sides of the fence, trying to escape. Another unique bit about Turks and Caicos, is the conch (pronounced like conc not con-ch). This is actually one of their most popular foods, yes, I’m talking about the creature living inside the huge pink shell. I saw conch farms, conch piles on the beach and ate from conch salad to conch fritters, so basically conch is like the chicken of the island.

One of my favorite nights was Thursday, because this is the night of Fish Fry, a weekly street fair with a lot of vendors and a DJ and host. Once I got there, I couldn’t resist but rush up in front of the stage and dance with the crowd. There was something absolutely magical dancing underneath the glistening stars in an island where everyone around you was equally free and happy. The positive energy was running wild and I lost myself in the music. Soon, it began raining, but I thought it would just be a drizzle, since the weather had always been so clear and sunny for the past few days; however, it just got worse and worse. Suddenly, I had to stop dancing in the rain and find shelter under a tent, but the rain just keep growing and the roads began to flood. In the midst of the chaos of people cluttered under these tents, I heard the sounds of drums and other precessional noises and I looked up to see a procession of Turks and Caicos islanders wildly creating music in the middle of the street fair, getting absolutely drenched, but indifferent. I saw other vacationers whipping their shirts in air behind the procession, too getting drenched, and that’s when I realized that these islanders know how to turn everything into a positive situation. The entire island was filled with good vibes and such pure and beautiful scenes. It was in this week that I completely disconnected with the society centered, over social, over pressured city in which I live in. It was in this week that I felt absolutely free- from disregarding what I wore or if I put on makeup to not caring if I was dancing terribly in front of a lot of people.

Catwoman

// The Look // Sweater- Brandy Melville, Pants- Boohoo, Boots- Macy’s, Earrings- Luv AJ, Necklace- Asos, Sunglasses- Urban Outfitters and Forever 21, Bag- Louis Vuitton

This is the outfit I wore for my birthday and since I was spending the day roaming the city, it was more practical than wearing a tight dress or skirt, especially because it was so cold. This outfit is again pretty classic Mega Babe, lacking colors and enhanced with silver. This leather jacket is one of my favorites because of it’s length, flare at the end, as well as its unique detailing at the shoulders. I also love these velvet pants, because although you probably can’t tell from these photos, they give the outfit another unique texture that stands out. These pants are also extremely comfortable and are my version of sweatpants. My birthday was spent well, with some of the best people, going from Times Square to Soho and finally the restaurant Ninja Sushi. Also, I had Pietro Nolita for lunch- which was a lovely and extremely pink Italian restaurant that I highly recommend. I hope that you guys enjoy these photos with backgrounds from all over the city and maybe, just maybe, since I am a year older I’ll be a little wiser.

Photos by Larry Yu and Sunny Yoon.

Houndstooth

    

// The Look // Top and Leather Jacket- H & M, Jeans- Topshop, Houndstooth Jacket- Vintage, Earrings- Missguided, Shoes- Macy’s, Bag- Louis Vuitton

This is the look I wore to my first day to New York Fashion Week, and is one of my favorite looks that I have worn, because it is so put together with just the perfect amount of monochrome vs. color. Since it was very cold this February day in New York, it was pretty necessary for lots of layers. Rather than drowning myself in a huge coat, I feel that the perfect way to combat low temperatures is having a few layers. My base was a black blouse and on top was a leather jacket, and finally my houndstooth coat. The key to layering is having a different cut and neckline for each piece, so that the pieces are not blended into one another and rather each have a say in the outfit. I am also really digging these flare pants, because they add another dimension to the outfit, compared to skinny jeans which feel and look restricting. And of course as always I have my silver accessories to complete my look- with my earrings, choker, and sunglasses.

Photos by Sunny Yoon

Francesca Liberatore NYFW F/W 2017

photos by Chloe Xiang

Francesca Liberatore’s Fall/Winter 2017 collection was absolutely stunning. The color palette which she used was not extremely bright nor dark, but rather a pure and classic selection of pastels and rich tones. Her use of textures was really what stood out, especially the flowing and soft velvets, as well as the detailed lace, floral appliqué, and additions of fur and knit. Like many shows during this fashion week, it carried a political message, but unlike the other shows, Francesca Liberatore was influenced by the particular figure of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This is evident in her pieces with phrases shouting “Freedom of want, speech, worship, want, fear, power, and promises”. With the figure Franklin D. Roosevelt in mind, she hoped to “make a parallel between what was then and what is now”. Franklin D. Roosevelt was able to bring America out of the Recession and succeed in World War II, and from the powerful silhouettes and figures wearing each look, this collection is able to model the same strength and resilience of FDR through a fashionable outlet. Currently, we may be in domestic turmoil, with repressions in our voice, repressions in the freedom and diversity of Americans, but this collection is representative of an overarching power of the people that gives us the hope and reminder that things will become better. Her show was also inspired by the two famous Hyde Parks, one being in London and the other in New York. London’s Hyde Park for the band Oasis and New York’s being the location of the library and FDR’s home. This collection successfully incorporated social messages with art and fashion and created a empowering, feminine image.

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photos from nyfw.com