EARTH & BEAUTY

I WAS ASKED BY STEPHANIE LIM of the new online shop Earth & Beauty to curate a personal mini collection from the new line for my blog/IG followers. I was more than happy to oblige, and even though I was way behind in putting it together, I'm glad I was able to get it up for you all in time for the holiday shopping to commence. There are so many great coats and holiday (or every day) dresses, as well as scarves and other accessories. My collection consists of simple silhouettes in neutrals, blacks, and whites (of course), including the amazing Ourea Colorblock dress you see here! 

Definitely check out the collection here AND if you see something you like-- and it's not restricted to just my curated collection-- just used the code MELISSASONICO at checkout to receive 20% anything on the site! The code lasts until 11/30 so get shopping!

Photos by Erin of Calivintage

WE TELL OURSELVES STORIES IN ORDER TO LIVE

I WENT TO UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE in 2000 with an undeclared major, but that summer, before classes started I was paralyzed with anxiety over going in without a purpose, so I emailed some people and was able to start freshman year with a major in biology of all things even though I was an editor on the newspaper staff at Cajon High and was just naturally proficient in writing-- at least technically (due to a lifetime of reading every single day). From there, I remember loving my college English courses-- although I was getting A's in calculus and having fun in chem lab. I had an amazing TA in one of my very first writing classes, and he encouraged me to explore writing beyond academia and hone those technical writing aspects into a way of writing that was my own, which led me to switching my major to literary journalism-- a brand new major at the campus that year. And from literary journalism came writing gigs with various OC and LA music and lifestyle publications until I made my way over to the fiction side, which I'm stuck on now-- especially in short form. 

But the text assigned for my first quarter as a lit journ major was Joan Didion's Slouching Towards Bethlehem. This book of essays changed my life. You hear about that happening, but to experience it is another thing entirely. She pretty much is the reason I chose to pursue writing. Her essay "On Keeping a Notebook" really spoke to me, made me want to explore and investigate the human condition to better understand myself as well. I think what draws me to Didion is her unsentimental prose, even when covering sentimental topics-- no flowery language or pretty words, but somehow it's still lyric and compelling. She's a realist, depicting an LA that's raw and devoid of that sense of glamour and predictability. She's also proof positive that you can be both a writer AND stylish (there's also Miranda July for that, too!). I teach English at the college level, for those of you who are new to this blog here, and when I teach 101, I now use Slouching as the text. It makes it easier to teach things I love to talk about.

Anyway, the whole point here was to talk about Joan Didion's documentary and how excited I am to see it. It's being produced by her niece and nephew Annabelle and Griffin Dunne, and in her niece's words will "show Joan's life through her words and put those words to images." They funded it by way of a Kickstarter campaign, which I was too late on participating in. I was really hoping to contribute. In any case, though, I'm glad it's in production!

PARC BOUTIQUE WINTER '14 LOOKBOOK

AS IF YOU DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW, Minneapolis is the place for everything amazing in fashion and creativity right now. I don't think it was ever really on my radar (I'm pretty sheltered), but now I'm really hoping to make a trip out there very very soon. From Lisa at Hackwith Design House, Wing of Canary Grey, to Madelynn of Wide Eyed Legless, I've made some great connections and real-life friendships with the most talented Minnesotans. Included in that list is Thao who owns Parc Boutique, the most beautifully curated-- and affordable-- shop. I was lucky enough to recently meet Thao and Wing, who shot the beautiful photos you see here, in LA when they were visiting. They just released this Winter 2014 lookbook and asked me to share the perfection! It all clean lines and crisp black and white. You can see more here.

lookbook CREDITS
wardrobe PARC BOUTIQUE
creative art direction THAO NGUYEN & WING TA
photography WING TA OF CANARY GREY
hair/makeup JULIE LAM
model CATHERINE BRAUNSCHWEIG & SAMANTHA HIRSHFIELD

ALI GOLDEN AW 2014 & GIVEAWAY

I WAS SO EXCITED TO BE ASKED by the lovely and talented San Francisco designer Ali Golden to feature her collection. Everything out of SF is pretty much perfection and this definitely holds true for her pieces this fall. I was in love with everything and couldn't quite decide right away, but I fell in love with this Shawl Collar Coat in Navy. The silhouette is right up my alley, and it's just the right amount of warmth for these mild southern California winters. (For those of you in colder climes, the roomy interior is great for layering. It really is perfect.

I'm also excited to be hosting a giveaway with Ali for this coat! It comes in navy, gray, and black. (I want it in gray, too!) Starting today until Saturday 11/22 when Ali will select the winner, all you have to do is go onto my Instagram and repost any of the images of the coat you see here! Tag @aligolden and use the hashtag #aligoldenxmelissa. An added bonus: If you aren't the lucky winner, starting Saturday the 22nd, enter the code MELISSA at checkout on aligoden.com for a 15% discount on all purchases. Good luck!

LAUREN WINTER A/W 2014

I'VE KNOWN LAUREN THROUGH THE EARLIER BLOGGING days of years past and have always always admired her work, even when she was mostly peddling a finely curated selection of vintage goods. Now she's gone even further to impress me with her amazing clothing designs and ceramics work. I love all the materials she works with and the fact that she uses natural dyes in beautiful colors you don't normally see. Her current Japanese-inspired collection has some great indigos and yellows, along with my standard color: white. I'm very much coveting her slouchy Olive pullover with a wide, perfect turtleneck. And here you see the Wraparound Top paired with a handcrafted ceramic necklace (also from Lauren Winter), black (lint-covered) pants and a beautiful bag from San Francisco based Joshu+Vela. 

Also, from now until Friday 11/21, enjoy a 15% discount on the Lauren Winter website with the coupon code MELISSASONICO at checkout! 

Read on to find out more about Nashville designer Lauren Winter and her wares!

How did you get started in design? 
After graduating from college, I was given a sewing machine as a graduation present. In the beginning I learned how to sew by altering thrifted clothes. I was terrible. Slowly I got better at sewing and designing, and my style evolved as I grew older. Learning through your own is a blessing and a curse in so many ways, but I wouldn't change a thing about the process. You are always growing.

What, if any, are your design inspirations? 
It's probably no secret, but this past season was very inspired by Japanese style - and most especially the 1980s movement that fused traditional Japanese wear with something more western and avant garde-- designers like Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo. And street style from that time too, minimalism mixed in with crazy shapes and patterns. Lately I've been discovering Sonia Delaunay's designs, whose use of color puts my nearly all-black wardrobe to shame. There are so many great independent designers out there today too, it's hard to not be inspired! Shaina Mote, Willow Knows, No. 6, and Electric Feathers are some of my favorites.

What other creative outlets do you have?
I like to throw clay on the wheel every now and then, and I do some hand building as well-- including hand-formed clay beads for necklaces. I've been dreaming up Christmas presents I can make for my family this year, like a coffee pour over for my sister and a lantern with cut-out shapes for my niece and nephew. I also teach video game development classes to kids and teens at a local museum. Video games have been a passion of mine since I was little, and today I design games for the fun of it and play video games constantly.

Describe a typical day at work and also a day off.
I think anyone who is self-employed will tell you that there is no typical day at work, it's always changing! A day of work usually consists of ironing, a lot of cutting and sewing, packaging, a little photo taking and editing, and dyeing once or twice a week. Right now I dye fabric on our stovetop at home (which can be extremely messy), but next month I'm moving into a different studio that has concrete floors and a space for dyeing, meaning I can get everything done right there. I'm excited for more room and more possibilities.

As for days off, Neil and I love to explore the islands along the coast-- Cumberland Island being our favorite-- for hikes and the occasional camping trip. Those are my favorite days off. There are other historic sites around the area that we love to visit, places like Drayton Hall, Wormsloe Plantation, Bonaventure Cemetery. There's a dog-friendly beach at Fort Pulaski that we take our crazy little terrier to on occasion. And of course, burgers at Green Truck Pub and cocktails at the Florence.

What's next for your line?
This fall/winter is all about filling orders, plus I'm working on some exclusive collaborations with a few shops that I'm excited about sharing. And stay tuned for new spring/summer styles early next year!