Down in Eighties Town

Wow, it's been awhile. Sorry guys! ...To make up for this hiatus, I took advantage of spring break by finishing up a post we've all been waiting for-- Esther Lin's photo shoot won from the giveaway! 

One of our goals at Crush is to show others that girls can be beautiful in many ways that may be considered unconventional or unexpected. Thus, we decided to do an eighties (school girl?) theme to bring out a new side to Esther. With the combined effort of Wakana's beauty/hair skills, Rachel's and my styling, and Esther's cute and bubbly complex, we produced a successful shoot. Hopefully you guys will be just as surprised as us! 

On top of the amazing pictures, the team absolutely loved working with Esther! We definitely plan to have more giveaways in the future, so stay updated with us. Following with your Google account would make us more motivated to do more photo shoots like this! We'd also be very happy. :) Alright, enough of this self-promotion... Enjoy the photos!

Urban Outfitters jacket, Forever 21 skirt, Urban Outfitters backpack, thrifted brogues

H&M varsity jacket, Target tights, Forever 21 skirt, Keds sneakers

Levi's shorts, thrifted turtleneck, Dr. Marten's boots, J. Crew belt

Photography: Yaoyao Pei

Styling: Rachel Tu, Yaoyao Pei

Beauty & Hair: Wakana Ishihara, Rachel Tu

Model: Esther Lin

New York Fashion Week

Even though we as high schoolers can't fly all the way to New York for its iconic Fashion Week Spring 2013, thanks to the magic of the internet, we can find out what's hot on the runway! Just by looking through various blogs and websites, we were able to stay updated. Here are just five of the many prominent trends that even high schoolers can try out!

1. 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2013 - mixing sweet florals with grunge. This look works well at school, too, because you can dress down a sweet summer dress.

2. Proenza Schouler Spring 2013 - the collared shirt is still in, and it's anything but basic! Play with colors, textures, patterns 

3. 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2013 - structured patchwork in different shades of denim can be paired it with printed pants.

4. Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring 2013 - be unconventional with turbans and obi belts! Mixing patterns works well when you have lots of light layers to play with.

5. BCBG Spring 2013 - Delicate lace and sheer pieces work well with tough jackets. Don't be afraid to go all out.

All pictures from Harper's Bazaar

Try these looks out as the weather warms!

She's Got The Moves Like Moss

In case you don't understand the title of this post, it's a reference to the ultra famous supermodel, Kate Moss. In other words, Jennifer is a great model. Which is a pretty good reason for you to keep scrolling!

You may also be asking as to why I'm posting this three months later than when I actually shot this on Lynbrook's very own football field in late October. That's because I was waiting for the spring sports season to almost start! ... Duh. Aside from the hustle and bustle of this upcoming season of sports, I'd also like to point out that the looks on the track or in the pool can most definitely be worn outside as well! Many celebrities sport (ha, see what I did there) trends such as mesh, color-blocking, and brights even on the red carpet.

These following looks were not only inspired by different sports, but also by vibrant color and pattern mixing of gym fashion from the 1980's. Erm, minus the legwarmers though. But seriously, along with exercising your abs for this new year, I encourage you to exercise your style with these sports trends as well. Okay, enough of my dumb puns. Have a KICKIN' new semester! ... Sorry, couldn't help it.

Urban Outfitters dress, H&M sneaker, GAP socks, Nike bag

Vero Moda hoodie, Charlotte Russe monokini, Reebok sneakers

H&M sneakers, Victoria's Secret leggings, vintage Esprit crewneck, fake Raybans

Thrifted zip-up, Reebok sneakers, watch from Korea, Old Navy sports bra

Photography: Yaoyao Pei

Styling & Makeup: Yaoyao Pei

Model: Jennifer Lee

Bohemian Rhapsody

Although summer has already come to a close, the "boho" trend is still very prevalent in cities across the world. That includes Sydney, Rio de Janeiro, the Caribbean islands, Hawaii.... If you didn't just think of a warm winter vacation, then school's stress really is getting to you! Hit these tropical cities with your best bohemian embodiment instead of the usual tourist tees, and you'll definitely turn heads. Don't forget to pay your dues to the original boho-chic queens of each era, Kate Moss, Sienna Miller, and Vanessa Hudgens. 2012 could really use a flashback to the 70's!

Bonus tip: The shorts model Alissa is wearing were hand-cut from white jeans and dip-dyed, all by ourselves! In comparison to Urban Outfitter's price of over $50, this is pretty worth it. Just find an old pair of denim jeans and purchase Rit Dye at your local Michael's craft store, and you can wind up with hipster shorts in less than two hours. Also, you can take an old T-shirt and cut lines along the bottom to make a cute fringe cropped tee. Here we used Alissa's mom's vintage Aeropostale tee from 1986.

Urban Outfitters tank, Urban Outfitters skirt, De Masqe bandeau

Vintage Aeropostale DIY tee, DIY shorts

Urban Outfitters dress, thrifted earrings, GAP hat

Photography: Yaoyao Pei
Styling: Yaoyao Pei & Alissa Valentine
Model: Alissa Valentine
Makeup: Yaoyao Pei
Hair: Christina Daniels
Editing: Yaoyao Pei

Monochromatica

This season, colors took over the runway. Pastels, neons, and prints exploded on the streets. But behind all that, black and white remained! And will remain. These two basic colors will always be in style and are simply chic. They're the go-to colors for easy outfit pairings you will never have to worry about. At Crush, we took a tomboy yet mod twist to the clean color palette, and completed the look with the beautiful Cantor Arts Center as our location. The classical black and white has never looked so refreshing!

Vintage leather jacket, Corpus shirt, De Masqe dress, Dr. Martens boots

Vero Moda jumpsuit, Converse sneakers

H&M baseball cap, Zara tee

Photography: Yaoyao Pei
Styling: Yaoyao Pei & Rachel Tu
Model: Rachel Tu
Makeup: Diana Zhao
Hair: Rachel Tu
Editing: Yaoyao Pei

3 (Amazing) Days of Fashion!

Rachel here! I just got back from an amazing program called 3 Days of Fashion, hosted by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco.This experience gave me a chance to meet and work with awesome people who were all fashion-minded like me. These three days were a blast, so I hope you guys will enjoy reading what I learned and who I saw. 

Here are some highlights from the 3 days, along with a style diary. (Click photos for high-res!)

In the city, it's all about comfort and function (and still trying to look cute!).
H&M Jacket // Charlotte Russe Top // Hollister Jeans // dEliA's Boots // Forever 21 Necklace // Pacsun Bag

In the first workshop called “Concept to Consumer,” I used a collection of photographs as an inspiration for a Fall 2013 clothing collection. My team presented colors, textiles, sketches, and the inspiration pictures as a “concept,” or an idea. I loved working with my teammates to create a collaborative collection that was original, creative, and wearable.

Creating our concept - our table was a mess!

Next, I attended a “Draping” class where my team created three dresses with three yards of fabric, a mannequin, and lots of pins. My team’s first dress was a partial disaster; the fabric was fringy and hard to work with. But we pulled off a dress that ended up looking great! (bottom left) 

For our second dress on the top right, we used a sequined burgundy sheer fabric. Our challenge was to drape the dress on the bias, which made the drapes flow well. We shaped a cowl-neck, a V back, and lots of gorgeous drapes on the sides and back. It was a challenge to work with unusual fabric – but it was a good challenge!

In my last workshop called “Footwear Design,” I saw how shoes are made. I even got to design my own heels, which were a summery wedge with geometric print:

Watch out Steve Madden! (just kidding.)

Basic black with a pop of pink to make it interesting!
Split Coat // Gap Cami // Rockstar Pants // Dollhouse Oxfords // Forever 21 Necklace // Pacsun Bag

Next, in “Promo Campaigning” we simulated a promotion campaign for a clothing line. We designed a studio for a promotional photo shoot as well as an event to promote the collection, focusing on neon, edgy, and geometric shapes. We planned out all the details for the event - from the dinner to the runway to the lighting!

Our photo shoot studio & the event plan!

“Sketching the Fashion Figure” was a fast-paced class where I learned how to sketch figures, outfits, faces, shoes, and hair. Using the 9-headed technique, I developed a sketch that somewhat resembled a model:

With and without an outfit

 It is said that these models are simply "pretty hangers for your clothing." To make them "pretty," the key things to keep in mind are proportions! As you can see from my sketch, I need lots of practice!

Combining cold weather clothing (long pants, sweaters, and scarves) with bright, summery colors!
Old Navy Dolman // Century 21 Pants // Airwalk Shoes // F21 Belt & Shades // Hollister Scarf // Pacsun Bag

On the last day, we had the famous “Trends Tour.” We talked about spotting and predicting new trends and how these trends end up in stores like H&M of Forever 21. Then, we created an inspiration board of a trend:

Our trend was Metallic (Magnetism!)

We headed out to the stylish streets of San Francisco (Union Square, baby!) to check out window displays and to watch for trends. After three days of learning about marketing and retail, it was amazing to see it all come to life in the stores we shop at!

Left, clockwise: Zara; Diesel; Juicy Ombre Shorts; Levi's; Zara studs; Chanel; Inside Juicy; Walking the streets.

But the part everyone had been looking forward to was at the very end: a visit from Nick Verreos, the Project Runway season 2 winner! He’s so funny! :)

It was inspiring listening to his personal story and we even got to see some of his dresses – ones he designed for Beyoncé and Katy Perry:

Yes, the celebrities actually wore these dresses!

I’m so glad I attended 3 Days of Fashion at FIDM. It was an eye-opening experience that was fun and educational. Maybe you can attend this program next summer and experience it for yourself. Because in the words of Nick Ferreos, "No shoulda, woulda, coulda. Just do it!"