trendspotting: slip-on sneakers

It's no news that sneakers have become an essential form of footwear for the fashion set. Street style snaps from the past year reveal tastemakers pairing lace-up trainers with leather leggings, tailored trousers and even feminine dresses. While I've been a fan of the look from the get-go, Nikes and New Balances are just not my jam. I'm no gym rat and frankly, throwing on a pair of running shoes feels unnatural.

Now skater shoes, those are a different story. Having grown up ogling over my local skater boys and making countless attempts at nailing an ollie, Vans have always held a special place in my heart. Needless to say, when I started spying this slip-on style on the feet of various show-goers and fashion bloggers, I immediate dug out my enlarged pink-and-white checkerboard Vans (swag from my Teen Vogue days) from the back of my closet. My collection has since grown to three pairs, including the quilted tie-dyes from the Isabel Marant x H&M collection and this winter appropriate black pony pair by Steve Madden. Here are just a few (and by a few I mean 15!) images that have inspired and perpetuated this obsession.

[photos from style.com, ascot friday, fashion grunge, harper's bazaar, sincerely jules, 

style caster, sarastrand.no, style seeker, and lelook.eu. rest are unknown.]

If you're lucky enough to wear a size 8, these by Superga x The Row are on super sale at Neiman's. I'm also pretty into this holographic pair from Joshua Sanders. They totally take me back to my Spice Girl-obsessed elementary school days. The next on my radar are these and these from the upcoming Peter Pilotto for Target collection, out February 9th. And for only $29.99? HOLD. ME. BACK!

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

trendspotting: tropical prints

With images of surfers and palm trees constantly dancing through my daydreams these days, it's clear I've got a tropical story on the brain. Maybe it was my trip to Miami last month where I couldn't stop snapping photos of naturally lit green palms and reflections of them in my mirrored sunglasses. Or maybe it was the test shoot I did recently which featured tons of mismatched, gypset-inspired swimwear and an experiment with palm leaf shadows. More likely, this infatuation goes back to September when tropical prints began manifesting on the sidewalks outside fashion week. Whatever the reason, I've been on a ferocious hunt for pieces in hibiscus and palm patterns as of late and I cannot get enough! Here are some photos that have been perpetuating my obsession.

[images: honestly...wtf, refinery 29, they all hate us, how two live,
luella & june, the man repeller, song of style and style.com]

To shop some of my favorite tropical prints of the season, check out H&M's Conscious collection, Joie, and Juicy Couture. Aloha!

 

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa

style icon: viviana volpicella

Italian style is often stereotyped as being gaudy and ostentatious with a hefty load of sex appeal à la designers like Versace, Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana. More recently, a new breed of Italian taste-makers has invaded the street style scene decked out in fresher, more playful ensembles that leave more to the imagination than a D&G micro dress. 

Sartorially leading the pack (which includes fellow fashion editors/stylists like Elisa Nalin and Aurora Sansone), is, in my opinion, stylist and fashion consultant Viviana Volpicella whose cheeky aesthetic has me continually craving snaps of her every look. 

This woman seriously knows how to have fun with fashion. She is the master of wearing and mixing color and can rock a quirky print like it's nobody's business. Despite her loud fashion choices, she always looks chic and totally put together. I'll credit that success to her barely-there makeup, vivid white smile and Mediterranean skin that anchor the commotion in her clothing. 

I easily see my own style in hers and am forever taking cues from her ability to balance the bold with the, well, beautiful.

 

 

 

[images: gastrochic, portraits of elegance, emillana, harper's bazaar, the sartorialist, catching instants, refinery29, the sartorialist, stylish starlets, unidentified, and silvia olsen]

For a closer look into Viviana's style, check out this fun list of her most beloved fashion essentials on Garance Doré.

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

trendspotting: that's so clutch

Paris fashion week came to a close Wednesday, wrapping up another season of shows and another month of poring through countless street style photos. One of the most salient trends from the month's tour of New York, London, Milan and Paris is playful accessories. I love these wacky clutches resembling everything from a book to a Lego block to a domino. My favorite are the bananas!

 [images: style.com, marieclaire.com, the cut, refinery 29, elle.com, and vogue.com]

Peace, Love and Neon,
Marisa

trendspotting: mirrored sunnies

It all started with this picture.

The "it" that I am referring to is my obsession with colored reflective sunglasses, which has now established itself as a full-blown trend for spring. (See just about every fashion week street style round up and this post on Refinery29.) I posted this photo by Garance Doré about two years ago in reference to the white blazers, but it turns out that it was those orange mirrored aviators that left a lasting impression on me. I picked up my first pair of mirrored sunnies at a street fair last summer: clear wayfarers with blue lenses, and when those sadly broke, I snagged a set of cobalt blue wayfarers with orange lenses from Aldo. Cute as they may be, they're pretty bold for every day and not the greatest quality, so now I'm jonesing for mirrored Ray-Ban aviators just like the ones above. (Birthday money purchase, perhaps?)

Here are just a handful of the many photos that have been perpetuating my obsession:

[images: garance doré, song of style, style.com, viva luxury, and the cut]

A bunch of really cool sunglasses brands, like Spektre, Westward Leaning, and Wildfox, are featuring plenty mirrored styles. Not to mention you'll be sure to find them at every fast fashion retailer this spring.

You think you'll give them a shot, too?

Peace, Love and Neon,

Marisa