Dress Up

I’ve been a long-time fan of Amina of Studio Mucci. Ever since she came up in my suggested photos on Instagram years ago (fellow pastel people tend to pop up for me- who would’ve thought?) I’ve been swooning over her incredible tassel creations, her magical life, and her super inspiring stance on compassionate living and self love. When we finally met in person last September she was just as sparkly, friendly and fabulous as I has imagined, and we instantly hit it off over berry lemonade and sweets at Bottega Louie.

Since our meeting we’ve stayed in touch- she’s sent me a few packages with tassel surprises and product previews, and I have sent her little notes and some cotton candy tea to try. When she texted to thank me for the tea, we got to talking, and she told me all about a special summer look book project she’d just wrapped with ModCloth. We chatted a bit about the shoot, her new blog, what she had chosen to wear and make for the look book, and in the end we decided it probably made sense to run a little writeup here on RAOP!

Scroll down for the full interview!

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What was your inspiration for this collaboration? //

I was inspired to do this project with ModCloth because I’ve been a longtime customer of theirs, and I feel like our brands are a natural fit. Like Studio Mucci, they sell fun playful items that have a sense of humor. I was also really encouraged by their inclusive approach to fashion- they carry clothing from sizes 0-30.

You mentioned earlier that you haven’t worn a swimsuit in a very long time when we spoke earlier- can you tell me a bit more about that? //

I have owned maybe 2 swimsuits in the last 15 years (one of which remains in my drawer with the tags still on). I guess you could say that I’ve been in hiding for a long time. Until recently, I had internalized all of the messages I’ve received throughout the years… the ones that told me that I should remain in hiding until my body was “swimsuit ready”, until I had lost weight or changed myself enough to be acceptable to society. All of this, coupled with the fact that I’d been dealing with major body image issues and an eating disorder my entire adult life, made it pretty easy to avoid swimwear or even going to the beach or pool parties.

How did it feel getting into that sweet little ice cream suit? What made you decide to do it for this shoot? //

I’ll admit that I was terrified at first… I knew these pictures would be online and people on the internet can be really mean! So even though the swimsuit was my idea, when I received all of the clothes from ModCloth for my initial fitting, I almost chickened out! But then I thought about the excitement I had originally felt when I was choosing the looks. I had seen the Ice-cream suit and thought, “I really wish I could wear something like that. Other women were swimsuits, so why not me!?”

It was a struggle, but ultimately I feel like I finally put an end to 15 years of hiding myself.

What’s your favourite clothing piece from the shoot, and your favourite complementary Mucci decor item? //

I fell in love with the “Flavour Fave” Dress the minute that I saw it! It’s pure ice cream minty perfection, and it’s extremely well made. Naturally I also love the garland Vintage Ice-cream tassel garland that it inspired. It was probably the easiest one to design, because I knew the exact vibe I was going for: Sweet and pastel with a vintage vibe.

And finally… how did you decide which hair colour to have for the shoot? (this is something I always struggle with!) //

Oh my gosh me too! I went back and forth between all pink, and a peach-pink or lilac-pink combo for awhile. Ultimately the pink-lilac won because I wasn’t ready to part with lilac yet, but I think I’m definitely doing all pink next!

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Clothing and decor styled and modelled by Amina Mucciolo

All decor can be found here at the Studio Mucci shop

All clothing can be found on ModCloth here.

Photography by Lauren Comes, Makeup by Amanda Bourne

Dress Up

I’ve had a pretty serious crush on Fortnight for years now.

A local company (their studio is down the street from me) with impeccable designs, this lingerie company makes the prettiest underthings with great support and minimal underwire. One of the only brands I know of that actually does all of their manufacturing right here in the city, it’s very clear these skivvies are made with love down to the very last stitch.

I’m always excited to see what dusty colours and exquisite lace patterns Fortnight will release each new season, but Spring 2015 might just be my favourite so far. Showcased in a gorgeous botanical conservatory, the delicate blue lace and peachy silk perfectly contrasts with the lush green surroundings in the photos.

I’m already longing for the Ara Peach Romper and the baby blue long line set, and with Valentine’s day right around the corner, I might just have to get my paws in a piece or two!

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All images courtesy of Fortnight

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A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of playing dress up with the Bicyclette team for their final look book shoot. We got all dolled up in lace and sequins, and played around with tinsel, balloons and champagne while rocking out to Taylor Swift. It was an inspiring and magical day, and I can’t wait to be a part of whatever Paige dreams up next!

Reposted from my dear friends at Bicyclette:

“She’s an explorer, a daydreamer, and never turns down an excuse to wear flowers in her hair. She believes in magic, likes the challenge in finding the perfect dress, and always mixes her favourite vintage tee with a dash of delicate sequins. There’s no problem a swipe of lipstick can’t fix, and she’s always up for a midnight adventure.”

Our final holiday lookbook, XO, Bicyclette’, is dedicated to all of our Bicyclette Girls who have made this adventure such a magical one. We wanted to capture the essence of our quintessential Bicyclette Girl, the dreamers with stars in their eyes and love in their hearts, and celebrate the end of this particular fairy tale. So with an abundance of star confetti, glittery balloons and party-perfect outfits that are begging to be taken for a spin on the dance floor, this one’s for everyone who has been along for the ride, thank you for inspiring us and making our dream a reality.

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Photographer: Scarlet O’Neill
Hair/Makeup: Ashley Readings
Models: Emily, Ana and Alyssa
Assistant Stylists: Marjory McClean and Katelyn Comeau
Shoes: Heel Boy

Looking for more? XO, Bicyclette // Behind the Scenes

Dress Up

I have a lot of favourite brands that I get super excited about, but it’s not often that something new catches my attention and earns my devotion. But of course, there are always exceptions.

I discovered Datura a few weeks ago, and I’ve been completely smitten ever since. A online-only brand designed in New York and made in Barcelona, Datura’s clothing is both classic and adventurous, formal and informal. Created with a spirited, adventurous, independent woman in mind, Datura is for those who love well-crafted clothing vs. trends and fashion.

One of my favourite elements to this brand is their dedication to quality and ethical manufacturing. They frequently embark on artist collaborations, closely monitor the creation of their line, and release limited runs of collections made entirely of specialty natural fabrics. The result is an effortlessly breathtaking wardrobe of buttery silk, delicate wool, luxurious velvet, and most recently, fluffy mohair (the look book for which you’ll see in this post.)

From the oversized cotton candy sweaters to the delicate black astrology scarves, I can’t get enough of Datura, and I can promise you’ll see more from them around here very soon.

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Dress Up

Like every other girl that loves all things pretty, I’m always totally in awe of everything that Samantha Pleet creates, and the newest collection really took my obsession to new heights.

Pink, pastel, and perfect, Samantha Pleet’s Spring 2015 lookbook is almost overwhelmingly swoon-worthy. Seriously, choosing which images to include in this post was unbearable because I adore them all so much! In the end, I was able to narrow it down slightly, but get ready to scroll for quite awhile, most likely filled with strong feelings of total delight and wonder!

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