Getting Married at the Same Wedding Venue as Your Cousin? Here's How to Make It Your Own

Getting Married at the Same Wedding Venue as Your Cousin? Here's How to Make It Your Own

While we were extremely excited to find out that another royal wedding is on the horizon—that of Princess Eugenie, who announced her engagement this week—another detail about her big day caught our attention too: She has booked the same chapel as her cousin, Prince Harry. And the two high-profile weddings are to take place only several months apart.

It is somewhat strangely comforting to know that even royals are not immune to the same problems us commoners have to deal with, like, how do you make sure your wedding looks totally different from your friend's/relative's/royal cousin-in-law's when they're both taking place at the same venue?

VIDEO: Meghan Markle Has Chosen Her Wedding Dress Designer

First impressions are everything, so make sure there is a serious floral statement for guests to see upon entering," says Danielle Gonzalez of Blooms by the Box. "Consider placing two large centerpieces on either side of the entrance or having a floral focal point in the form of a lush photo backdrop or bridal table. This will ensure that you’re guiding [your guests] through a different experience from the moment the wedding begins."

She also suggests opting out of the regular table centerpieces and, instead, going for hanging ones. They not only make for absolutely breathtaking decor elements but are also quite practical since they will not take up any of your table space

Picture Perfect

Picture Perfect

(via Pinterest)

Looks for Less - ladies - Tightly Knit

Looks for Less - ladies - Tightly Knit

Warm and cozy knits are a big trend this season. And what’s not to love about that? Both warm and stylish, knits were seen in everything from sweaters to dresses. It’s a trend that can work for anyone and will never go out of style. Opt for an oversized knit sweater or dress for a bolder statement.


1. The Designer Look: Stella McCartney Fall 2014
The Look for Less: 2. Urban Outfitters Silence + Noise cool down v-neck sweater 3.ASOS knitted dress with raglan sleeve and tipping  4. Urban Outfitters Pins and Needles sheer-knit sweater 5. Zara high neck sweater

Curated by: Teresa Espinoza and Layout by: Sammy Sithipong

Gia Ventola: Whispered Beauty- NYFW Highlight

Gia Ventola: Whispered Beauty- NYFW Highlight

Halfstack's NYC based writers: Meaghan Elder & Cindy Arroyo

 bring to you a highlight from New York Fashion Week.

Up and coming designer Gia Ventola showcased her first collection for SS15 this New York Fashion Week. With a flawless mix between hand-crafted jewelry and the luxurious clothing collection, Gia makes a statement. Gia Ventola got her start after attending Parson’s The New School of Design in the late 90’s. Although worldwide success was not immediate for Gia, for years she worked alongside many celebrities such as Britney Spears, Oprah, Cher, and Destiny’s Child. After appearing in magazines, news articles, fashion websites and radio and television shows Gia decided it was time to give it another go. So ,18 months and a lot of hard work later it was time to debut the collection.

When you first walk into the showroom on Spring Street, you’re greeted by the utter elegance of the collection. Gia Ventola, former Olympic trained field hockey athlete, introduces the collection with pride and honor. With a pleasant balance between night and day looks, natural fibers, and black and white shades, the collection has many interchangeable features. Whether it be the unique jewelry, detachable silk collars, or even the garment being reversible, the diversity does not go unnoticed.
“It’s all about individuality,” Gia mentions while admiring her accomplishments that fill the room.

All Images Courtesy of Gia Ventola

Her signature (an O with a slash through it) has been made a statement throughout the collection. Not only in the jewelry but within the clothing as well. Each zipper pull has its own small O dangling from the slider. Even the closures on her blouses and dresses incorporate the O designs. With inspiration from her athletic background, Gia also designed unique, shoelace-like accents on each garment.

Not only does each piece have its own personality, but the versatility is endless. Most garments, as previously mentioned, are reversible (yes reversible!) and can even be worn, so-called, backwards. . Tops can be worn with or without the collar, inside out or even backwards. With a color story of blacks and whites, many of her pieces can be instant classics. What modern day woman doesn’t want a closet full of items that can so easily be mixed up and changed around?

Whether you have a formal cocktail party or are just headed into the office for work, this collection holds everything you need for a day-to-day basis. With mixes of silks, chiffons, satins and charmeuse fabrics, this collection radiates elegance. Double-sided, hand pleated silk accenting garments, and hand fraying amongst the collection really accentuates that the beauty is in the details. Gia, having 20 years of experience in the industry, knew exactly what she wanted from this collection; timelessness. As she explained how she wanted each garment to be something her customer would keep in her closet forever, never going out of date or style, you could look around and fully understand and relate.

Having worked with Destiny’s Child, Britney Spears, Nicole Kidman, Pink, and many others, her years of experience have paid off.  Gia gave us some insight on what it took to bring this collection to life, explaining that all the prints were hand drawn by her and the jewelry pieces were hand made. Little things such as that is really what makes you appreciate fashion and why we are crazy enough to pay the prices we do. We are paying for quality, such as the finest fabrics that Gia used, we are paying for one of a kind pieces and we are paying for appreciation.

For this collection, Gia really wanted to do something that was perfect for her. Something she truly understood and appreciated herself.

Customers in the past have repeatedly told her they were only interested in her designs, so she really strives for something that is 100% her own. Finally being able to show her collection for fashion week, was a dream come true for Gia. And one much earned. Whispered Beauty explains who I AM. Each customer, each consumer, each lover of fashion can experience who they are through her outstanding designs.  “I AM who I am meant to be.” Gia Ventola has climbed to the top. Without hesitation, she has made her mark. Watch out, because we have a fierce, and empowering new designer on the market.

About Meghan:

About Cindy: 

New Industry Rising Stars: Chicago Playground "The Varsity Collection"

New Industry Rising Stars: Chicago Playground "The Varsity Collection"

Many fashion designers come from Chicago, but not many incorporate Chicago into their brand. With Rodnell Harris, it is different story. His designs are all about Chicago and even the name, Chicago Playground; the Varsity Collection, incorporates the heart of Chicago into it. So, who this designer that loves Chicago so much that the city is the main source of creativity behind his designs?

Rodnell Harris was born on the West side of Chicago and was a graduate from Farragut High school in 2004. A true Chicagoan from the start he decided to launch the Chicago Playground clothing line in 2008. Many of his inspirations came from when he played basketball in college (in Jacksonville Florida, but hey the line isn’t called Florida Playground). This is where his interest in the designer of the Letterman and varsity jackets grew. Considering himself a visual artist, Rodnell hopes to instill a sense of pride and unity in local communities here in Chicago through fashion.

During Atlanta’s fashion week in 2008, with only a few samples from a previous brand Rodnell created, he realized that becoming a designer was what he wanted to do. After the event, he knew that he could be an asset to the fashion industry by introducing a brand with a positive message and mission behind its designs. Thus, Chicago Playground was created. Rodnell wanted a name that came with significance and a sense of tradition. Chicago is considered a playground in of itself, with all of its attractions and talent in the city. Also, playgrounds bring children together and he wanted a brand to represent unity among the city’s youth and beyond.

Chicago Playground clothing is a brand for all ages and genders. Childrens clothing can be obtained though custom orders. The brand is also looking to collaborate with student athletes and local high schools for an ambassador program in the near future in which students get involved with the brand and Chicago Playground educates them on the fashion industry and the mission behind Chicago Playground; so keep an eye out students!!

Currently, Chicago Playground only offers custom made orders to give clients the opportunity to customize their garments to meet their individual needs. They also present capsule collections of collegiate garments including hooded sweat shirts, signature t-shirts, and baseball calls (all offered in limited quantities). The brand is still in the early stages of creating an e-commerce site and is scheduled to be available in September 2014. Fall seasonal garments are available for order and purchase! Also email rharris@cpg1963.com for a digital catalog! 

At the moment Chicago Playground is focusing on its upcoming student ambassador program and e-commerce launch for the fall. The brand is currently working with local show producers to be featured in upcoming fall runway shows this Fall 2014 season in addition to internal brand representations. So keep an eye out on http://www.cpg1963.com that has many great things happening for a brand that holds Chicago so dear to its heart.

Written by Stella Quimby - Fashion & Lifestyle Editor

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Blooming of Sararose

Halfstack Fall Issue Sneak Peek: Blooming of Sararose

Written by: Thom Olson as featured in Halfstack's Fall Issue
Visit Sarah Rose online: http://sararoseonoak.com

Chicago ranks as kind of an interesting spot in the history of fashion. It’s not exactly a style less backwater. Marshall Field was one of the first to make Paris couture and designer garments accessible to the masses. Charles James’s childhood roots are tied to Chicago. Halston was a student of the School of the Art Institute. True, Chicago doesn’t have a fashion week. Trust me, it’s a bummer, but it is no slouch either way.

So, who are the new names of Chicago fashion?  Yeah – Maria Pinto. That’s an easy guess as she has been around for some time and has popped back up after a Kickstarter investment. Boris Powell, who is a dishy and handsome designer and has been on the scene for about 8 years, also comes to mind. Yet, there is another person whose name keeps percolating to the top — Sara Rose Krenger. Her line Stixs and Roses fills a niche where only a few have tread, but many would like to be a part of.  She sits comfortably in a balance between fashion and anti-fashion. Her work is not “out there” or “conceptual”, nor is it “ground breaking”. She is not Comme Des Garcons’s Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, Yohi Yamamoto or Vivienne Westwood.

Her work is more likely to connect with the every day consumer. Yet, it is important to note, that she is VERY similar to those aforementioned designers in their philosophy of social consciousness. She is breaking new ground from that sense; virtually trailblazing as many design companies are starting to forge the ground of sustainability. It is similar to anti-fashion in the sense that the wearer doesn’t care about fashion, as much as they have higher priorities in mind like the world and it’s environment. Her fashion priorities center around economy, function, usability and having a garment that is sustainably made without creating an impact that lasts forever on the environment.

The fashion industry works hard to make instant fashion a reality to get the consumer to buy more.  Sara Rose is a designer who is about buying less. Stores like Zara and H&M build clothing with the idea that the garment will be worn for a couple of seasons and then be discarded— planned obsolescence. Their shoppers want the latest trend and are those people who constantly are actively searching out the next trend. The instant fashion shopper looks to the designer to be constantly developing new ideas to fill the insatiable appetite for something new and to fill the void of what they don’t have. These stores turn over the merchandise quickly like finely turned machines. In the case of Zara, the concept to sales floor manufacturing cycle can take as little as three weeks where others take a year and a half.

The trend ideas get refined with sale information providing the background information on what the shoppers are looking for. A pair of cranberry red skinny jeans may change in color to a brighter fire engine red before they go into a softer coral red. The jeans may then morph into a raspberry red if the trends and social media seem to point in that direction. These tweaks of color change incrementally to match shopper profiles and are projected to increase sales. Much of how the store is merchandised is directed toward the market that goes for the impulse buy. If the buyer doesn’t buy, the garment is a flop and is put on clearance quickly so a new concept can be brought in to inspire a shopper to crank open their wallet.

Sustainable or long-range ideas
Sustainability is not a factor in the equation of fashion – or hasn’t been. Only lately it has been in forefront of company’s minds as the result of economy causing people to respond and rethink how they buy. As consumers tighten their wallets from the downturn, there is more thought put into the economy of the garment. These thoughts started to develop from the standpoint of the economy of fabric and cutting out multiple garments that waste less fabric. A typical factory may have 85% usage, but that translates into 15% waste. Some retailers demand 92% usage from the manufacturer as a means of controlling costs. The focus point comes to the fibers and materials of the garment itself. A great example of this is cotton: it is horrible on the environment as it sucks up water and requires enormous amounts of pesticides to produce the final product. Cotton accounts for roughly 24% of the world’s insecticide market and 11% of the sale of global pesticides. It can take up to 2,900 liters of water to product a T-shirt. 70% of all water used globally is in the form of irrigation. In 2008, 2,890 billion litres of water was used in Pakistan to grow the cotton needed just to make products sold by Ikea – equivalent to the volume of drinking water consumed in Sweden over 176 years. Unrecycled clothing amounts about 5% of landfills use with Americans throwing out approximately 70lbs per person.

Some companies are experimenting with recycled cotton. Much like recycled paper; cotton can be used in a variety of ways. Sometimes this is in the form of pre-consumer and other times, post-consumer waste. Yet, it is important to note that fashion still is about getting a consumer to buy. Sometimes the economics play into the idea of paying less to the manufacturer so profit margins are the same or keeping a garment within a certain price point enticing consumers to buy it. Not buying, however, is not in question.

Enter Sara Rose
Her clothing designs focus on a philosophy that starts with the ideals of need and function. Part stylist, part designer, part manufacturer and 100% entrepreneur make up the whole of Sarah Rose. Sara Rose clients are mindful about looking good and also cognizant about keeping a wardrobe that is practical, cost efficient and has longevity. They are, as she puts it, “similar to myself. They are professional women.  They are extremely busy and extremely stylish. They care less about trend and are more concerned about style. They want to do more with less. They are often times vegan or vegetarian by choice and a little bit quirky, much like myself. ”

True to herself, she has learned to do more with less. Her former store and workroom was over 2000 square feet with half devoted to manufacturing. It was located on the Northwest side of Chicago. It was a large space but as she puts it “not exactly convenient or easy to shop at. It wasn’t unusual to have my customers parking their Bentleys in the funeral parlor parking lot next door.”

Her new space on Oak Street – while there is no parking — is a much more tiny and affluent neighborhood. Across the street from Tom Ford and Carolina Herrera, her new location is half the size, but is an efficient and economical use of space. Where she used to show at New York fashion week and was on a fashion circuit train of churning out collection after collection, she now has changed that cycle as well. “My collections reflect the needs of my clients and I center around what they need. Their needs dictate what I put in a collection and also my timeline. When I have a have a majority of my clients having the same wardrobe challenges, it guides me to put in what is essential and I react to it. Now, I turn out about a collection and a half or two collections a year.”

For the full article, check back Wednesday Sept. 17, 2014 to read the complete story in Halfstack’s Fall 2014 Issue. You can download the latest copy of the magazine at: www.issuu.com/halfstackmag

I can’t hear a word you say ...

I can’t hear a word you say ...

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                                                                                                ankle boots: stradivarius,
                                                                                                tights: calzedonia,
                                                                                                skirt: thanks to Jovana Markovic,
                                                                                                turtle neck: non branded,
                                                                                                cardigan: non branded,
                                                                                                scarf: h&m,
                                                                                                gloves: accessorize,
                                                                                                bag: primark,
                                                                                                sunglasses: zara,
                                                                                                ph. Masa


In one of the "new in ... " posts I showed you a sneak peek of the gift i received, and today im showing you finally how it looks like! Gorgeous silk skirt with golden spikes has a special place in my wardrobe, right next to the black studded coat, from the same designer. Two unique pieces, isnt that great? :)
Another great thing about this skirt is that it can be worn on tights, but also on a bare legs! This time i paired it with Stradivarius ankle boots, big chunky cardigan ( you could see the gray one in this post) ,leopard scarf and leather gloves.
Hope you will like it!

MSGM AW 2012/13 .....

MSGM AW 2012/13 .....

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                                                                                                photos via vogue.fr

If you follow theblondesalad.com then you probably heard about MSGM brand. Their first collection was for SS 2010, and from that point they have become really special brand. Designer of MSGM Massimo Giorgetti has a strong passion about indie music and contemporary art and he is showing that through their collections. His skills for mix and match are almost magical!
After i saw this new collection for AW 2012/13, i was more than thrilled and i needed to share it with you so i immediately made this "collages" from their lookbook. Floral and geometrical patterns mixed with girly cuts which are spiced up with some neon details. Gloves made half from leather and half from floral fabric, how genius is that? I will admit, im totally in love with this collection! Do you like it?

Snow Patrol ...

Snow Patrol ...

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                                                                                                coat: jovana markovic (young designer),
                                                                                                boots: zara,
                                                                                                pants: pull&bear,
                                                                                                t-shirt: primark,
                                                                                                cardigan: non branded,
                                                                                                scarf: pashmina,
                                                                                                bag: parfois,
                                                                                                gloves: terranova,
                                                                                                sunglasses: accessorize,
                                                                                                watch: michael kors,
                                                                                                ph. Jovana Tomasevic



Photos arrived last night, and i as i promised you yesterday, here they are! ;)
Im showing you finally my new coat which i bought two weeks ago at Jovana Markovic store ( she is a young and talented designer, you can check her collection Here) , woolen with lots of studs and golden zippers, how not to love it?! This will be probably my new favorite piece for the upcoming months! ;)
I  wanted to ask you about designer sunglasses , do you have any suggestion which one i should get? Aviator, oversized or cat eye?
Huge thanks to Jovana Tomasevic again and these wonderful photos that she made!
Hope you will like it!