USCFW12

Monday kicked off USC Fashion Week 2012! I'm excited to tell y'all that I'm a part of it this year and couldn't be more excited! Since Columbia has gotten a little bit more of it's own "fashion scene" this year, it's exciting to be a part of such a fun week on campus!

Last night was the student-designer competition! The above photo is from the designer's personal Instagram account. He did ALL OF THOSE designs! They're even more incredible in person. I'm all the way on the far left, and my dress was constructed in less than a week if you could EVER believe that! He scrapped my original look citing, "I just ended up hating it!" and opted for this second dressier look. 

More designers included Ashlyn of Southern Beaus, we had a giveaway with her, and Emma Mahon of Emma Graham Designs, another LBP fave! It was such an action-packed night of hair, makeup, and designer fashion! You can see the fabulous designs and judges' table! That's Emma on the far left!

Thursday is the next night of events that I'm involved with and is the night of sponsor designs! Big on the blogger scene, I'll be wearing an AMAZING LaRoque look that may or may not include the coolest hostess skirt and ruffle top combo that y'all will FLIP over! The above look is one of my most recent favorites from the LaRoque storefront!

I'll be sure to keep everyone updated with USCFW12 happenings!

xxKatie

Cup Dress Week: Emma Graham's Dress

Meet Griffin! One of the newest Emma Graham Designs dresses and one of my newest favorites! 

Jordan from Emma Graham Designs contacted me about teaming up and I couldn't wait to feature such a cute dress! It arrived a few days ago and would make a fabulous Cup dress! I'd add a fun pearl necklace and Jack Rogers for something like this:

It's SO comfortable and made from the softest material, a linen/rayon combo! Look at how cute the top of the dress is too:

I love the ruffles on the shoulders! 

One of the most fun parts though, is the back of the dress:

Look at that sassy low back! I took a picture of myself, but it didn't turn out quite as cute as this model! 

The Griffin could also be styled down, as seen on the Emma Graham Designs website!

I added a brown woven belt and cork wedges for a daytime look! I used this look as inspiration:

You could super easily take this dress from Cup to any number of events like banquets and parties! It is so versatile, and this King Crab Coral is the best color on any number of skin types! Imagine the Griffin with an amazing straw hat and voila, you're ALL set for the Carolina Cup in Camden!

Are y'all Emma Graham Design fans? I sure am!! Be sure to check out all their designs and see if there's an EGD rep (officially titled Design Consultants!) on your campus! 

xxKatie

Carolina Cup Week: The Dress

Well, Carolina Cup is certainly known for the wide variety of dresses. More or less, it's a sea of dresses and bowties. (Is there any better kind...?) The top choice is easily Lilly Pulitzer dresses, they're bright, colorful and eye-catching. I was added semi-last minute to the group, so I had to scramble a little to decide on what I was going to wear. I have quite the backstock in my own closet, so I decided on a dress that I've never worn around this crowd:

Now to all the people that know me, you know what I'm wearing!

However, if you don't really want to wear Lilly or don't have a fab strapless dress just laying around (or neatly hung up in the Lilly section of your closet, double clipped with another Betsey dress, both with outsides facing OUT so you can see them...) in your closet, you definitely need to check out a few other dress vendors that would be PERFECT for Carolina Cup:

1. LaRoque: Click that to check out the entire facebook album of all the Cup 2011 dresses! LaRoque is known for custom dresses, fit and tailored to YOU and YOU only. Getting one of these custom dresses is on my bucket list of things to do before I graduate!!

 

Check out the monogrammed sash!

Love that one shoulder!

2. Emma Graham Designs: EGD is simply taking over college campuses! Keep an eye out for LOTS of EGD at this year's Cup. The designer is even a Gamecock grad too, so obviously I have a soft spot in my heart!!

This style is the Aimee dress, don't you love how they added the corresponding bow to the derby hat? It's like they KNEW I'd be attending...

This skirt is the Dayna skirt, and for anyone who goes to UVA (read: Foxfields) definitely check out this skirt!!

Finally, this style is the Paige dress. I love the bits of blue thrown in with the yellow, what a spring-y pop of color! Think of all the shoe and accessory options that you'd have with this color combo through the spring and EASILY into the summer!!

Now I know that the dress is a MAJOR part of the Cup! What are you wearing!! I MUST know so that I know what to keep any eye out for!!

xxKatie