anchors away

       Being an aspiring fashion guru, the question gets asked all the time, "What inspires you, Windom?"  The list goes on and on.  My answer would vary from my quirky family to the overly talkative produce attendant at the local market to Milk's Favorite Cookie, the all powerful Oreo.  However, when forced to sum up my answer with one word, I would be able to confidently respond with"travel."  Whether it's a spot of where I've already ventured, or somewhere I've yet to mark off my bucket list, I'm constantly being energized by the allure of our world.  
        My earliest travel memories take me back to places such as the beach, Big Cedar Lodge (Branson, MO), and to my mother's old stomping grounds in tiny town Carrolton, Mississippi.  These recollections provoke emotions of happiness and many, many smiles.  The laid back, haphazard feeling of the ocean makes for a cool toned, relaxed ensemble.  Big Cedar Lodge radiates coziness and warmth.  There I remember falling in love with horses and emerald green and rust hues as well.  My Mississippi memories are flooded with slices of watermelon and my Aunt Mary Winnie (no joke, there) getting tickled by her own stories.  From my maternal roots I've developed a love for floral prints, red lipstick, and peanut butter pie.  All of these early expedition memories inspire the fashion choices I make today.  
        In 2011 I was lucky enough to land a spot on a school trip to Italy.  We flew into Milan and roamed (pun intended) all over the entire nation.  Being the future art history major that I was, I tried my hardest to take in every detail:  every brush stroke, every stone carving, every flora aspect that I could.  If the surroundings weren't enough, the people and the language were the cherry on top.  Italians have such a casual way of dressing, yet it says, "I could take the world by storm while riding my moped in my McQueen.  Watch it."  They were super glam with perfect, dark manes.   While the majority of Italian I used was asking where I could find the bathroom, (Dovè il bagno?) I was surrounded by tongues that spouted off the beautiful language.  I truly believe that the best way to learn about a culture is to be planted within the culture; have the art, the people, the language poured into you.  Needless to say that I owe majority of my fashion inspiration to that Italy trip.  I hope to return one day very soon.  And there are many, many places to mark off of my bucket list!  
       I don't limit my inspiration and ideas to places I've already seen.  In many cases I'll pick out an outfit and dream up a scenario when the ensemble would be absolutely "perfetto."  Even if I'm taking a trip to a simple grocery store, there is no problem pretending that I'm about to jet set off to the northern shores of Greece.  "Travel" can take you to Paris, Rome, Turkey...but it can also take you to the town over for a day.  With fashion, physical traveling is fun and very inspiring, but don't forget to let your mind travel as well.  You'll never know where you, your mind, and your favorite hand bag will wind up.  Bon Voyage!  

trevi fountain, rome

southern italy, take me back

literally traveling in style.  safety first, buckle up! 

jet lag at its finest

clash of the (fashion) titans

    "Delta who?  Delta Nu!"  I hope you're lying if you say that you don't remember the scene in Legally Blonde 2 when Elle and an uptight Congresswoman meet and realize that they both belong to the same Greek sorority.  They were strangers with a gigantic bond.   Today I had a similar instance.  (Minus the screaming and secret handshake, of course.)  I had the privilege of introducing two strangers.  Strangers who happen to be two of my very best friends in the entire world.  Carter, my forever friend, is an aspiring designer who continually turns heads at the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC.  Five feet ten inches of talent and wit.  The second stranger, Morgan, I met during my Freshmen year of college but I feel as though we've been friends since the crib.  She too desires a career in the fashion industry.  Not designing, but more of a stylist or creative director position.  I've been meaning to collaborate the two for quite some time.  I knew that when they finally met, the creative juices would start flowing and that a beautiful friendship would blossom.  So Carter and I grabbed our favorite sunglasses, some mint tea, the latest Vogue, and decided to hit the road to Memphis, TN.  "What's the dress code?," Carter asked as I was literally en route to his house.  "Imagine that we're going to a picnic in Moscow.  That's my idea."  Now that the technicalities were taken care of, we were off.

       I can't put into words how happy I was to have these two together.  They are both so special to me, and now they're friends as well!  Like I predicted the two began swapping stories and aspirations.  I've never heard the words "glamorous" or "dying" used more in my entire life.  It was fantastic.  The evening consisted of laughing, eating, shopping, dancing, and spontaneous photo shoots.  We were all in our element.

        The uniting of people with a common passion is such a beautiful thing!  No matter what you find joy in, be it fashion, movies, sports, whatever, I encourage you to seek out those who share your passion.  Network, make friends, and let your creative juices start a'flowin'.  I once read that you shouldn't look to other people's inspirations to find your happy, but rather you should trust what inspires YOU.  And it's beyond safe to say that these two inspire me.  They're a large part of my happy!  Go find your happy.             

                                                                      

XOXO

                                                                 will work for shoes

                                                                     so much happy

                                                                   & so much love

maiden voyage

Hi Y'all!  It's only appropriate to begin my blog in the same way I begin most conversations, right?  It's true... I was born and raised in the South, and wouldn't change a thing.  While my home is found below the Mason Dixon line, my dreams will hopefully take me to places all over the world.  I am a former art history major who is about to begin her second year of college as an Advertisement/ Public Relations major.  My ideal career would fall under the category of "fashion PR."  I love fashion.  I love working with people.  A gig in the fashion PR industry would be the perfect blend of the two.  This blog will be focused around all things fashion and finding the beauty in the everyday ordinaries.  Thank you all for reading!  Enjoy!


This picture encompasses so many of my favorite things:  My first trip to NYC, my best friend and FIT Student, Carter Kidd, and cupcakes! xoxo