Travel Beauty Chronicles – Part 1

It’s new adventures for AGT as I finalize plans to cross off more destinations on my travel list. In 2 weeks I’ll be heading to Europe, making stops in Germany, Paris, and Rome. Then it’s Chicago and DC in November, Mexico in January, and Orlando for the Disney Princess Half Marathon in February. I’ve been looking for more ways to make traveling easier and packing lighter. And the things that will definitely help to make my suitcases lighter are less hair, make-up, and jewelry products, so I’m switching things up a bit. I’ve decided it’s time for a new hairstyle that I won’t have to worry about too much. When I travel I just want to focus on making memories; being active, trying new things, and immersing myself in activities and I don’t want to be worried about what’s going on with my hair, plus beauty products tend to weigh my bags down.  I’ve been rockin my current hair style for almost a year now. Road-trips, jet-setting around the US and Caribbean, work, gym-time, half-marathons, charity events, fashion shows, and just hanging out – it’s been a good run.

As much as I love my long, straight locks fussing with hair, worrying about whether or not my hair looks crazy, dragging along a flat iron, curl wand, and hair products – and feeling stressed out about my hair in anyway is not something that I want to deal with. It’s the ‘plain jane’ and the ‘get up and go’ girl inside me ready to break free – So I’m trading it in for a new style, but I wanted to share with you my hair experience. I purchased 2 bundles of Envy Me Remy Indian Straight in 18inches in December 2012 and had it installed in the same month. I liked the 2 bundles with some “leave out” on the top and sides to have a more natural look, and I like to wear hats so I didn’t want it to be too thick. I am a very low maintenance hair person, and really a hair newbie so to speak. I don’t style my hair daily and washing feels like a daunting task so I usually go to the salon. I like getting my hair washed by someone else it eases my day and feels therapeutic.

I wore the 2 bundles and took care of it just like my own hair, getting it washed, conditioned, and styled at the salon every two weeks. There was no shedding and I didn’t have any issues with the hair at all, not even after I dyed it and tried out an ombre look.  I didn’t do anything extra to it like sealing the weft either. The hair is still soft and manageable, in fact I can and will use it again at some point, but with all the travel plans I have coming up I want to switch to a style that I don’t have to do any extra work. I just want to get up and hit the ground running figuratively and literally speaking.

Behind the Brand:

Of course I would find the hair company that loves to travel too :) Envy Me Remy is a by product of LDJ Premium Hair Importers. Formed in 2012, they have one immediate goal in mind: To provide the women of today with the highest quality virgin hair available. They actually travel to various regions of the world to ensure they are providing consumers with the best of the best. One of the first trips they took was to India to visit the temples, see and feel the hair, understand the rituals, and to gain a better understanding of the process. I thought this was pretty awesome that they traveled all the way to India and learned about the hair and the process that it goes through. Check out this video on their of their trip to India last September – http://www.envymeremy.com/index.php/gallery/8-generalcat – video

Have you ever tried virgin remy hair to change up your look or to create a fuller look using sewn-in extensions or clip-ins? Come back for Part 2 of the Travel Beauty Chronicles Trilogy next Thursday! AGT is getting transformed :)

Wishing you safe and happy travels! -xo AGT

*Note* – This is a not a sponsored post. All opinions expressed are my own. If you have any questions I’m more than happy to answer them via email or in the comments below

Travel Fashionably and Light – Anatomie Travel Wear Review

A little over a month ago I was approached to by Anatomie to check out their line of travel clothing for women, and the timing couldn’t have been better. With a number of upcoming trips; an 8 day cruise, Boston, and a 2 week trip to Europe I was on the hunt for durable, easy to clean, and wrinkle resistant clothing. After browsing their website I managed to narrow down my choices and they sent me the Lucia Lace Dress and the Skyler Skinny Pants to try.

Whenever I travel I usually bring a couple of dresses, skirts, an cute tops because I love getting dressed up. One thing I don’t like to travel with or do is iron, so I  picked out the dress to wear for one of the formal nights on the cruise ship. To test out the wrinkle-resistance in the dress I left the dress in the packaging I received it in and put it in my suitcase for the cruise. I pulled it out the day of one of the formal nights, a couple of hours before diner, and there wasn’t a single wrinkle and it fit perfectly. I love the versatility of this dress and how well it transitions well from the office, to a vacation, and even to dinner and drinks, so it will definitely be a staple in my closet.

Whenever I fly I usually travel in pants and with a blanket and pillow because I tend to get cold during the flight. Since their travel pants are their best sellers I figured I’d give them a try – you can never have too many pairs of pants right? The pants (mine are navy blue -loving nautical colors right now) were really comfy and great to wear for travel to and from the airport. I’m 5’3″ and they were a little long for me, so I’m planning to get them altered before my trip to Europe in 2 weeks. I even hand washed them in the sink and hung them up to dry, and within an hour or so they were ready for me to wear again.

Many of their pieces can be worn year-round, and all of their clothes are light weight, wrinkle-resistant, and ultra-modern. The brainchild of Kate and Shawn Boyer, Anatomie is a fashion brand created with today’s travel women in mind. From the city to the country, the ski slopes to the hiking trails this collection draws inspiration from European fashion houses and keeps you lookin fab and your luggage light during your travels. Looking for inspiration as you pack for your next trip? One of my favorite things about shopping on their site is the videos show of models wearing the clothes so you can really see how they fit from every angle. Check out these great packing guides and explore the fall collection!

Wishing you safe and happy travels! -xo AGT

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend Anatomie Travel Clothing because I have tried their products first-hand and believe it is a great product. I would never recommend anything I don’t personally love. If you would like to try their travel clothes and would like to support this website in some way, using these links and letting them know AGT sent you to their site when you make your purchase will help do exactly that. If you have any questions about the clothes and my experience with them, please e-mail me or message me below. I’m always happy to answer questions!

Inspired by Africa – Interview with Designer: Chivonne Moschiano

Designers often find inspiration for new lines during their travels and the travels they dream to take, so I reached out to a few designers for a special travel fashion series since September is the biggest fashion month of the year. If you’ve been following my twitter or Instagram you’ve seen me wearing a new fabulous, printed dress created by designer, Chivonne Moschiano. She has an amazing new line inspired by Africa that exudes femininity, poise, and grace.

*Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?

Im a 27 year old army brat! Originally from San Bernardino, CA, but I grew up in Germany. I attended The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles where I studied Fashion Design, and will complete the Bachelors program at the Art Institute of Atlanta in September 2013 majoring in Fashion Retail Management

*What does fashion mean to you?

Fashion means expressing yourself in any way you want! Fashion is fun, sexy, flirty and can be very powerful!

*When did you realize you wanted to become a fashion designer?

When I was Five years old I knew that I wanted to be in the fashion industry! I either wanted to be a model or make clothes! For a long time I just wanted to be a model, but since that never happened I made the decision in the 12th grade that I would be a fashion designer.

Chivonne Moschiano

*What was the first article of clothing you ever designed?

The first article of clothing I made was a bright orange halter dress with a full skirt. It was so hard to make, but it got me into college! Lol

*How long does it usually take you to construct a piece?

Recently I have been working with a new production company in Atlanta to produce my garments. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks for small quantity goods or for single items about 2 weeks.

*Describe the general process you go through to design and realize a piece of clothing.

If Im at the grocery store or out and about and suddenly get a design thought, I usually make a note of it and will sketch it out later. When designing a collection I find different prints, colors and fabrics that relates to the season, I research trend forecasting sites, and I design at least 15-20 pieces that are ideal for my target customer. From that 15-20 pieces I narrow it down to about 10-12 and I begin to edit them in Photoshop. I then use Illustrator to draw my technical flat sketches.

*Who are some of your favorite designers?

Marc Jacobs is my number one! I want to work for him!!

Diane Von Furstenberg

Lanvin

*Where can readers buy your clothes?

My website is under construction at the moment, but I can be contacted through email  at moschiano.c@gmail.com and I’m even taking custom orders.

*What are some of your favorite clothing stores/catalogs/websites?

Zara and Nasty Gal. Those are my top two. I don’t really shop anywhere else. They cater to my personal style.

*What do you believe makes a quality article of clothing?

Fabric/trim durability! This is very important to me. The fabric must not be ruined after one wash and have buttons that are properly secure on the garment. If the garment has great durability, great color, great prints, and fits perfectly it will make me interested to make the purchase.

*What matters to you most as a fashion designer?

What matters the most to me as a fashion designer is to make women feel confident, and sexy. I want to be able to make a difference in young women’s lives when it comes to their wardrobe.

 *What’s your favorite part about conceptualizing a design?

I love coming up with different themes for my collections. It is my absolute favorite part of starting the design process. When I have a theme I have so many images of prints and colors and textures and silhouettes that form in my head which makes it very interesting to see how things come out on paper.

*How do you prepare for a fashion shoot or show?

For a photo shoot I make sure I have my models, photographer and garments ready. I have to make sure that I know what I want as far as poses, the look Im going for and the concept of the shoot.

 *What advice do you have for aspiring fashion designers?

PUSH YOURSELF!!! There will be so many discouraging times in your life and when you have that feeling of giving up, push through and keep going! If designing is your dream, reach for the stars!! Most importantly, always stay humble!!!

*What do you like best about designing clothes?

I like knowing that someone out there in this world is wearing something that started out as a thought, was drawn onto paper and then made just for them. Designing clothes for me, is a rewarding experience!

*What do you dislike about designing clothes?

There is nothing I don’t like about designing clothes.

*How would you define your personal style?

I love simplicity. Give me some high waist jeans, a printed button down blouse and some heels, flats, or Toms and Im a happy girl!

*How would you define the style your line exemplifies?

Chivonne Moschiano exudes the meaning of femininity.  Each style is an attention grabber. Our customer will have all eyes focused on her when she enters the room!

*What are some of your fashion goals?

To launch my eCommerce site to the public, and to be one of the leaders in eCommerce based businesses. I want to be able to change the way we shop online. By redefining social shopping!!

*Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from everywhere. Television, people watching, traveling, magazines, movies (especially Turner Classic Movies) and trend forecasting websites.

*What are some of your favorite fashion websites, magazines, or books?

Websites- Nastygal.com, theglamourai.com, cupcakesandcashmere.com, agirltravels.com, style.com, and stylesight.com

Magazines- Vogue, Nylon, Cosmo, Harper’s Bazaar and W

*What are your favorite colors to work with and why?

I love all colors. Depending on the season is how I choose my colors. I rarely like to use solid colors though. My love for prints is very strong! I once heard someone say that they see me as a young DVF! I was very flattered

*What are your favorite fabrics to work with and why?

I love fabrics that have a good stretch to them. Jersey knits, scuba, denim, cotton sateen and chiffon are amongst my favorite.

*What are your favorite patterns [prints] to work with and why?

Tribal prints are my favorite right now. I love the idea of taking traditional African prints and using them to make a garment that is more Western and fashionable. I hope to go to Africa one day just to experience the culture and of course go fabric shopping!

*If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you go to find design inspiration?

Africa would be one, South America would be second lastly I would want to go to Japan. Japanese girls have great style

 Follow her design journey and see more of her amazing clothes to add to your personal collection!

 Wishing you happy Travels! –xo AGT