I can't wait to break out the fall wardrobe and accessories! What are your favorite fall pieces that you're looking forward to wearing again?
I am loving that the 90s are coming back in style! That was my jam.
Hi guys!
As promised, here's the first post in the #EthnicEverywear series, where you guys send in pics of how you style your own ethnic pieces for everyday!
Here's broadcast journalist Niala, wearing these awesome embroidered cuff pants with an embroidered belt that she's tied around her waist over a white collared shirt.
(On an added sidenote, check out the gorgeous ethnic textiles in her room!)
What do you guys think of her look?
Remember, you can send in your pics to me here: sanaa.ansari.khan AT
gmail.com, or tag on Instagram with #EthnicEverywear, and I'll post them
here on the blog!
#EthnicEverywear
As promised, here's the first post in the #EthnicEverywear series, where you guys send in pics of how you style your own ethnic pieces for everyday!
Here's broadcast journalist Niala, wearing these awesome embroidered cuff pants with an embroidered belt that she's tied around her waist over a white collared shirt.
What do you think of her look?
And this is Dr. Henna - as her kiddo patients call her :) Here she's
wearing a red embellished tunic tucked into black skinny jeans with her
signature Ruby Woo lipstick. Her chic look is complete with hipster
glasses.
What do you guys think of her look?
#EthnicEverywear
It's Wednesday, which means it's time for some style inspiration to get you through the rest of your week :)
This time, in honor of New York Fashion Week that's going on right now, I'm sharing some of my favorite streetstyle shots. Because what's Fashion Week without the creative dressing that's going on outside the shows?
If you like the inspiration you see here, you can check out my Pinterest page here, and follow for more posts.
xoxo
This time, in honor of New York Fashion Week that's going on right now, I'm sharing some of my favorite streetstyle shots. Because what's Fashion Week without the creative dressing that's going on outside the shows?
If you like the inspiration you see here, you can check out my Pinterest page here, and follow for more posts.
xoxo
If you've been following this blog, you know I try to find beautiful ethnic pieces and incorporate them into an everyday look for a unique style. You can check out more posts in this series here!
I think the reason I'm drawn to ethnic pieces is because they're so bold and colorful. I love that hand embroidery and embellishment have been practiced for hundreds of years. It amazes me that indigenous embroideries throughout the world - whether in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, or South America - all have styles in common, without the communities having any actual contact with each other. It reminds you how small this world really is, and how we are all so much more alike than we sometimes think.
Mixing and matching these pieces into an everyday look is also a small way of celebrating my own ethnic heritage. I came across the front embroidery for this top when visiting the Middle East a few years ago. It was sourced from the northern areas of Pakistan, and I made it into a shirt for Haute Heritage. Here, I paired it with denim shorts and bold red chunky tie-up heels for an added pop of color.
I know some of you have started mixing your own ethnic pieces into your everyday looks too. Please share them with us! (You can post them on The Style Matrix Facebook page here) or share them on Instagram with #EthnicEverywear! I will start sharing all your looks on the blog here, so keep posting and check back often!
Let me know what you think of this look, and if you would like to see anything in particular featured on the blog here. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and having a conversation about how to wear beautiful ethnic pieces! #EthnicEverywear
xoxo
I think the reason I'm drawn to ethnic pieces is because they're so bold and colorful. I love that hand embroidery and embellishment have been practiced for hundreds of years. It amazes me that indigenous embroideries throughout the world - whether in South Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, or South America - all have styles in common, without the communities having any actual contact with each other. It reminds you how small this world really is, and how we are all so much more alike than we sometimes think.
Mixing and matching these pieces into an everyday look is also a small way of celebrating my own ethnic heritage. I came across the front embroidery for this top when visiting the Middle East a few years ago. It was sourced from the northern areas of Pakistan, and I made it into a shirt for Haute Heritage. Here, I paired it with denim shorts and bold red chunky tie-up heels for an added pop of color.
I know some of you have started mixing your own ethnic pieces into your everyday looks too. Please share them with us! (You can post them on The Style Matrix Facebook page here) or share them on Instagram with #EthnicEverywear! I will start sharing all your looks on the blog here, so keep posting and check back often!
Let me know what you think of this look, and if you would like to see anything in particular featured on the blog here. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts and having a conversation about how to wear beautiful ethnic pieces! #EthnicEverywear
xoxo
I wanted to share with you these beautiful photos of a custom bridesmaid order we worked on this summer for Haute Heritage. The wedding was a fusion affair, blending the bride's Indian heritage and Western culture. You can check out the pics of the gorgeous wedding here!
So many times, we have an event like a wedding come up, and have no idea what to wear. Add to that a "fusion" element, where different cultures are represented, and that can just lead to utter confusion.
I designed the maid-of-honor dress in a fusion style to complement the bride's burgundy-red gown with sage-green and gold and pearl embellishments.
The bride wanted the dresses for each of the girls in her procession to represent their individual personalities. The maid-of-honor wanted a boho-chic vibe, complete with braided crown and dangly earrings. I selected sage green for her to complement her green eyes, and a long, flowy cut for the boho vibe. We finished the piece with a gorgeous gold and pearl embellished neckline and waist.
So many times, we have an event like a wedding come up, and have no idea what to wear. Add to that a "fusion" element, where different cultures are represented, and that can just lead to utter confusion.
I designed the maid-of-honor dress in a fusion style to complement the bride's burgundy-red gown with sage-green and gold and pearl embellishments.
The bride wanted the dresses for each of the girls in her procession to represent their individual personalities. The maid-of-honor wanted a boho-chic vibe, complete with braided crown and dangly earrings. I selected sage green for her to complement her green eyes, and a long, flowy cut for the boho vibe. We finished the piece with a gorgeous gold and pearl embellished neckline and waist.
I find that deciding what to wear to weddings - especially fusion ones - can be a real challenge. Do you just wear a traditional, cultural dress? Is there a way to be cultural and modern/chic at the same time?
Let me know how you solve this dilemma! What is your go-to look for weddings and fusion events? Also, what do you think of this look we created here? Is there a particular look you'd like to see more? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below, I'd love to hear them!
xoxo
Sanaa
It's Wednesday! So that means it's time for some style inspiration. If you're new to the blog, you'll find that every Wednesday, I like to share work from some of my favorite designers or artists, who have inspired my own style and aesthetic.
Stella Jean is an Italian-Haitian designer who blends her cultural heritages phenomenally. Her design aesthetic has been described by Vogue as a "multicultural, eccentric mix-and-match." She tries to travel to a different place each season, and then reflects that local culture on the runway. In her Spring 2015 collection, she went to Haiti.
My favorite looks from this collection were the ones that paired sports jersey t's with bold African print skirts. I think it's a style that will come to be identified with the mid 2010s, so it will probably end up dating itself. Still, the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine in bold, bright colors leaves a memorable look that's fun and funky at the same time.
Stella Jean is an Italian-Haitian designer who blends her cultural heritages phenomenally. Her design aesthetic has been described by Vogue as a "multicultural, eccentric mix-and-match." She tries to travel to a different place each season, and then reflects that local culture on the runway. In her Spring 2015 collection, she went to Haiti.
My favorite looks from this collection were the ones that paired sports jersey t's with bold African print skirts. I think it's a style that will come to be identified with the mid 2010s, so it will probably end up dating itself. Still, the juxtaposition of masculine and feminine in bold, bright colors leaves a memorable look that's fun and funky at the same time.
I hope you all had a nice long weekend!
We stayed in the area and had nice kid outings like swimming with friends, visiting the farm, hiking, and going to the playground :)
We had some time to take some pics though! Here, I'm wearing a black and gold suit from Haute Heritage. The fabric is actually traditional jamewar, which is a South Asian style of weaving silk! I loved the pattern and thought it would make a great bold statement suit. I paired it with a simple, boxy black crop top and heels, and finished the look with just a few statement pieces like a sharp necklace and punk-looking ear cuff.
Suit: Haute Heritage | Top: Forever 21 | Sunglasses: Dita
Happy Labor Day everyone! Because of course it's "no white after labor day", let's try a white outfit as a last hurrah for this summer (though I will probably wear white until it gets chilly out) :)
I wanted to share with you these gorgeous photos of the bridal I worked on for Haute Heritage this summer.
Ameera is not your typical Desi (i.e. South Asian) bride. Having lived in New York for almost 10 years, she wanted her wedding to represent both her Indian cultural heritage as well as her American/New York style. She wore a traditional white dress for her civil ceremony, and wanted an East-meets-West dress for the evening reception. So she approached me to design her evening dress.
Ameera was a great bride to work with. She's fun and she likes taking risks, which was evident throughout her wedding style. My favorite part was hearing how happy she was with the dress, and how she felt so beautiful.
We also created her maid-of-honor's dress - stay tuned for photos of that piece, coming soon.
Congratulations Ameera!
Ameera is not your typical Desi (i.e. South Asian) bride. Having lived in New York for almost 10 years, she wanted her wedding to represent both her Indian cultural heritage as well as her American/New York style. She wore a traditional white dress for her civil ceremony, and wanted an East-meets-West dress for the evening reception. So she approached me to design her evening dress.
We talked about what her favorite runway styles were, what colors she
likes, and what jewelry she would be wearing.
When we discussed her jewelry, I understood that the Hyderabadi heirloom
piece that was handed down to her from her mother represented a central part of
her cultural identity, and that she was keen on showcasing it during
her wedding. So we designed her dress with her jewelry as the central
source of inspiration in mind.
The gorgeous emerald green stones and pearls that made up the choker necklace were
what I wanted to bring out.
 |
| Sketch of the dress before going to production |
So to mix the traditional Desi and Western styles, we did a beautiful
burgundy red silk to complement the emerald green, with subtle sage green hand embellishments throughout. We also included pearl hand embellishments, and then did a
gorgeous gold cream veil with an embellished border that carried the
bold colors of the dress.
We made the dress a two-piece with a fully embellished top and a full,
pleated skirt that billowed out to give volume to her petite frame. What
I loved about the dress was how versatile it is: it can easily be worn
even after her wedding. She can wear both the top and skirt again
separately. The best part is that both pieces can be worn in traditional
Desi or American settings.
Ameera was a great bride to work with. She's fun and she likes taking risks, which was evident throughout her wedding style. My favorite part was hearing how happy she was with the dress, and how she felt so beautiful.
We also created her maid-of-honor's dress - stay tuned for photos of that piece, coming soon.
Congratulations Ameera!
