Joan Marie : Most Promising Personal Style Blog

Meet Joan Marie, the winner of the Most Promising Personal Style Blog in last year's Style Cookie Awards. A personal style blogger from Philadelphia, she has a penchant for bright prints, yet her outfits are chic enough to take you from day to night. I love what she does on her blog DraFashionista because her looks feature a myriad of styles : bohemian, city-chic, summer wear, and this makes her different from other bloggers in her niche. What started out as posting outfits on Instagram as a hobby{where she has a huge following of 11,000+}, became an inspiration to create a blog to chronicle her daily outfits. Find out more about her amazing style below....

1.What made you create DraFashionista?
Before starting the blog, ever since I was a little girl, i was passionate about fashion. Few years (2011) ago, I thought about starting my own blog, but by then I was a medical student, so it was very difficult to update the blog, so I had to abandon the idea.
In 2012 I started an account on Instagram and I started to upload my personal photos, until I uploaded a photo of an outfit and a lot of people liked it, so every day, I uploaded pictures of my outfits and I had more and more attention. I started to know other bloggers and girls who are passionate about fashion like me. So after a few months I decided to start the blog that both wanted, a space to expressed myself and the love for fashion that i have.
So it was that I started my blog and decided to call Dra.Fashionista because the DRA is synonymous with Dr (doctor) in Spanish and i added the Fashionista, because people used to called me Dra.Fashionista, while i was in Medicine School, because of the way i dressed.

paradise city : georgia may jagger + charlotte free

Flipping through the March issue of British Vogue, I stumbled upon this Paradise City editorial shot by Tyron LeBon and as soon I saw the first image in those beautiful sunset hues, I knew I had to get my hands on this month's Vogue. I had to stop myself from squealing in joy because I couldn't believe it : the dream teen editorial had arrived. Starring Georgia May Jagger and Charlotte Free, this shoot is set in glamorous LA where they spend a dazzling night out dancing around town, living the night and all it has to offer. Going to a quiet restaurant for a martini, walking the Walk of Fame like starlets, swimming in a private pool with a devil-may-care 'tude, having impromptu after parties while taking endless Polaroids along the way, in nothing less than the evening wear for summer: glittering Balenciaga and Lanvin metallics, party/prom dresses from Giorgio Armani and Miu Miu, gorgeous Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren taffeta frocks, perfectly embodying the young and free spirit. I utterly love how this editorial is nostalgic yet so fun and fresh, capturing the magic of Los Angeles from dusk to dawn in just camera flashes and hazy Polaroids, effectively leaving me with a huge bout of wanderlust. Live the It Girl life with this light-spirited Paradise City fashion film, and the playlist I made below. {It's the first time I'm doing a playlist, hope you like it!}

dreaming of the marchesa princess.

I swear when I saw the first look of Marchesa's Fall 2014 collection, I completely forgot all about the other collections I had been raving about and could only be stare wide-eyed at the gold {or fiery copper according to Style} and white gown that was the first look. I have always looked forward to their show, but this time I was utterly blown away by the sheer grandeur of it. And after a quick glance at the full show, I can only say that it's by far the most beautiful collection of New York Fashion Week : the pure opulence of each look made the show absulutely unforgettable and the entire time I was just dreaming about what it would be like wearing these gorgeous creations, making an entrance in a grand soirée like a princess....

bold elegance at monique lhuillier.

Since discovering Monique Lhuillier in the Spring 2014 season, I've been utterly obsessed about her collections and her elegant-glamour aesthetic. At #NYFW this season, Monique did what she was good at {making gorgeous eveningwear that sells out in like, seconds}, but with "a bold, dramatic twist", according to the designer. And the result is nothing short of stunning : feminine frocks adorned with architectural details, but at the same time keeping Monique's signature exquisite and ethereal aesthetic evident throughout the collection. Embellishments and embroidery were juxtaposed with delicate lace and tulle, while new materials such as mink and leather brought a bold, sexy vibe.

Valentine's Day Gift Guide

Although I've always been the first to cringe and dismiss cliché teen relationships, I've come to discover that even people like me are romantic at heart. With Valentine's Day coming in just a few days, I can't help but dream about how this wonderful day would turn out this year. One thing's for sure, it would have the same warm spirit as any holiday : people exchanging gifts and chocolates, hugs and kisses on the street, well wishes and kind gestures filling the atmosphere. If you're single, please don't spend such a day to mope around at your fate of staying single forever and watch depressing movies and sniffle and cry into your granola : just because you're single, doesn't mean Valentine's Day can just slip past you like that! Being single can be bliss  because you can spend V Day to splurge and indulge yourself, like me I'm going to have a day out with my girlfriends : going out shopping at our favourite boutiques, grabbing coffee while having our manicure done, spending dinner in a cozy restaurant over candlelight {of course!}, and then sleeping over at my house watching chick flicks on the couch surrounded by the most delightful Laduree macarons, chocolate truffles and popcorn gossiping about anything and everything……

Read on to find out more....

Links à la Mode #148

This week, my post on Chanel's Spring 2014 Haute Couture show was featured in IFB's Links à la Mode and I cannot tell you how happy I am ! I worked really hard on that post and I'm so thrilled to see it in this week's set of links. Read on to see the other lovely posts.....

 

The New Casual

Sneakers at Chanel Couture? Evening dresses to a picnic? Is there really any appropriate occasion to wear anything? Not anymore! Dress it up, dress it down, if you can make it work, all the better! This week we have a great roundup of news from Couture, Stockholm and Mens fashion week, as well as some style tips to put the new trends in action. So kick of your sneakers and pull up your chair, it's going to be a great roundup this week!

Links à la Mode: January 30th

• A la Modest: Pin Up Dresses That Don't Bare
• Attire Club: A Recap of Paris Fashion Week
• Bell Street: Nowhere to Wear that Pretty Dress? Create Your Own Opportunities to Dress UP!
• Burgundy Whispers: Tastemakers: Katy Perry
• Charlotte Lucy: Drape
• Confessions of a Style Cookie: Sporty Pastels at Chanel Haute Couture
• ExtraSmallXS: DIY Saltwater Spray
• Fashioned by Love: Beauty Talk with Adrianna Giotta
• Fashion Lush: Plaid Habits
• Lara Lizard: How to Be a Sarcastic Writer in 2014
• Modly Chic: Am I Pretty or Ugly?
• Privilege: Demystifying the Boyfriend Jean
• Simply Frabulous: Stockholm Fashion Week AW14 Back!
• Stilettos and Tequilla: 5 Ways to Wash Colour Blocked Clothes
• The Dragon Fruit Diaries: 5 Ways to De-Stress Over the Weekend
• The Stylish Butterfly: No More Black Tights
• Trace the Shadows: Who Dressed Laura Palmer? 3 Steps to Twin Peaks Style
• Trend Survivor: The Best Dressed Couple: Justin O'Shea and Veronika Helibrunner
• We Are Ready Made: WARM is in the mood for the emotion of fashion
• Wild Beauty Love: Painted Ladies: Madame X

SPONSOR: East Dane Tumi, MM6, Zac Zac, Mr Kim, Adidas, Men's Carven, LuliFama, Clothing, Red Ear, Jean Machine

Style Cookie Awards 2013 : Winners

After weeks of voting, the nominees have been narrowed down to the finalists, and now the winners of Style Cookie Awards 2013 have been confirmed. Before I announce them, I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made this possible : bloggers who have nominated yourselves in, to the readers who have turned the finalists into winners, thank you for participating in the first ever edition of this awards, the fact that it has received so much positive feedback even in its first stage really makes my day. Thank you so much! But of course, the reason for this post : here are this year's winners....