In Spades

Style... in abundance

You’re Invited: Brunch at Vocabulary

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know I’ve been gearing up for a fabulous 60’s inspired shopping party, a la Breakfast at Tiffany’s, at Vocabulary Boutique.  If you’re in the San Diego area on April 19, please join me for brunch bites, champagne cocktails, beauty tips and shopping discounts as we toast fashion icon Audrey Hepburn.

Whether you need a new dress for summer weddings, a great outfit for the office, or an ensemble that can transition from day to night, I’ll be your personal shopper for the afternoon. I’ll also be giving style advice on how to create multiple looks with one item, and give you tips for what to pair with the items already in your closet.  Don’t miss it!

When
Sunday, April 19th
11:00am – 1:00pm
Where
414 W. Cedar Street
San Diego, CA 92101

Behind the Scenes with Vocabulary Boutique

When I first met Cecelia Church, I secretly hoped we would be become friends. Stylish, kind and creative, she curates the most amazing treasures for Vocabulary Boutique, the store she owns in Little Italy, San Diego.  Going on her fifth year of business, I chatted with her about where she finds inspiration, what it takes to run a successful business and what makes her tick.Vocabulary1

Tell me a little bit about Vocabulary.
Vocabulary is a chic boutique in Little Italy, San Diego. Independently owned. We carry men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, paper goods, and home decor. Our mission is to assist people in articulating their style. We are trained stylists who know that when you are wearing just the right thing, you feel a special joy. We want everyone to experience that joy everyday.

How did you come up with the name Vocabulary Boutique?
A lot of brainstorming: I wanted a name that stated that we had many tools for people to use to articulate themselves, a cousin came up with vocabulary and I came up with Articulate Your Style and I’ve never looked back. Together, its just perfect. 🙂
I think there is a big difference between a dress and necklace that are okay and a dress and necklace that are so perfect you can’t wait to wear them again and even if someone brought you 100 new options you liked, you would say, no thank you, I’m good, 🙂 I’ve got this! That is a perfect pairing and there is nothing like it.

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What did you think your dream job was before your dream job found you?
I didn’t know but I dreamed about fashion design, art, styling and interior design. I always thought I would be a leader or entrepreneur.
The best part about owning your own boutique?
1. Building relationships with customers 2. Achieving wonderfully styled images for social media 3. Buying 4. Merchandising 5. Financial reports 6. Building and maintaining/inspiring a team… I love every aspect of my job. 🙂
What was the tipping point in your business that made you feel like it was going to thrive?
The first day we opened we had a good sales day. RELIEF. The first year we were open we exceeded the bottom line for continuance, deep sigh and hope for future. After 4 years I hoped for a 10-year lease. I think the 3rd year I began having confidence, and in year 5 I now think of ways to make it thrive and grow instead of just surviving.

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What is the hardest lesson in business you’ve learned?
Get cash and credit when you don’t need it and staffing is really challenging.
What advice would you give to someone hoping to follow in your footsteps?
Create a plan to succeed in the best possible way. Know your bottom line and then dream up the best-case scenario. Visualize it and realize it.
Where do you see yourself/Vocabulary in 5 years?
I hope to have one or two more locations, a small amazing staff and to personally be focused on the buying, marketing and individual appointments with clients. I hope to have a child and continue to support my husband in his design work.
Favorite quote or personal mantra?
Do it or don’t it.
Try hard!
Show up.

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Favorite item in your wardrobe?
Oooh so many: I LOVE an off white strapless party dress that I bought years ago and get VERY excited to pull out for special occasions. I have several pair of shoes that make anything I wear feel that much more special, in particular a great pair of black/white woven strappy heels from Zara that elevate anything I wear to fabulous. 🙂
Three wardrobe items every woman should own?
Perfect pair of denim (fit, wash, cut all on point).
Perfect white tee and/or tank.
Perfect pump (comfortable so you wear it, fabulous so you wear it with almost anything).
What trend are you most looking forward to this spring?
The floral prints that are traditionally associated with spring are in abundance this year and particularly beautiful.
Favorite places to shop?
Vocabulary, J. Crew, Madewell, Nordstrom, Kate Spade, DSW.

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Anna Wintour invites you to the Met Ball. Who do want to dress you, what does it look like and who do you want sitting at your table?
Rachel Zoe dresses me and sits at my table with Marc Jacobs, Audrey Hepburn, and Bill Cunningham. I’d like some other quality people at the table that care about one another and are good at socializing. I’m wearing a sheath or column dress in silk satin maybe… I will think more about this so maybe it can come true. I’m over the moon about the evening and trying not to spill my champagne. 🙂
Any guilty pleasures?
TV! Bravo reality shows until there is conflict and I have to turn them off. House of Cards, Girlfriends Guide, Sex and the City…
Where do you find inspiration, OR who is your style icon?
Where: Fashion magazines – current and vintage, style bloggers, ladies that shop at my boutique, Pinterest.
Who: Coco Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Rachel Zoe, Tom Ford, you:), Conni Jespersen, Anda Ontiveros. I love real life fashionistas that dress for themselves in a way that is striking and well curated. I often drool over 70s styling.
If I didn’t own Vocabulary, I’d be…
A stylist and/or creative director for a designer or design firm. Or fashion editor for a lifestyle magazine.

Lead Image by Locale Magazine, Cecelia Photos by Krisnoff Photography, Close-ups by In Spades

Kithe Brewster Collection RTW Fall 2015

To spend an hour with Kithe Brewster is akin to spending an hour at fashion fantasy camp.

A few days after debuting his Fall 2015 RTW line, I met with the designer to talk about his creative process and walk through the collection. Brewster had set up shop at Industry DTLA, a stunning space in downtown Los Angeles that houses a salon, retail boutique and concept studio. In between meetings and fittings with clients, we talked about his 15-year career as a celebrity stylist, his early love of fashion and his incredible ability to “make it work”.
The Fall 2015 collection is Brewster’s sixth season designing and features an impressive array of transformative pieces. Almost every garment can be worn multiple ways – a boyfriend blazer belted and worn in reverse transforms into a minidress, a silk-gazar blouse inverts to form a shawl, a billowing dress made of three “kites” sewn together re-wraps to feature a floor length cape. This level of design is not only ingenious – every stitch, seam and cut is deliberate – but also advantageous for the wearer who can achieve three looks in one piece.
As with most F/W collections, Brewster kept his color palette mostly dark, featuring black and shimmering gold, reminiscent of the New York City skyline where he designs and manufactures. To infuse a dramatic flair, he added pops of vibrant blue and canary yellow using luxurious lambskin and delicate lace. One of my favorites is his yellow lambskin dress shown with a reptilian embossed blue belt. To touch, the leather is so supple it practically melts through your fingers.
The Kithe Brewster Fall 2015 collection is as interesting and multifaceted as the man behind it.
Growing up, Brewster was drawn to vintage pieces rather than contemporary ones. He recollects never wanting to wear the polo shirts his mother bought him and preferring to search for treasures thrifting instead of shopping. This discerning eye would go on to serve him well as a stylist. With an encyclopedic mind for eras, the famed make-up artist Kevyn Aucoin asked him to style 60% of the looks in his book, Face Forward. In it, Brewster transformed Julianne Moore, Celine Dion and Gwyneth Paltrow into icons of decades past. The book would go on to become a best seller and is still considered to be a fashion and beauty bible today.
One of his first celebrity clients was Julianne Moore, during her indie queen days. It was a time before stylists were the phenomenon they are today and the two made a fantastic pair. Prior to the 2000 Oscars in which Moore was nominated for Best Actress, the two travelled to Paris to meet with Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino and Tom Ford. Moore would eventually decide on Chanel, but Brewster recalls the frenzy of meetings and secret fittings that sometimes included disguising the designers to maintain anonymity before the big reveal.
One thing that becomes abundantly clear after spending an afternoon with Brewster is that his relationship to clothing is visceral. Like the great designers of our time, he has an innate understanding of the way a woman’s body moves. Known for his expert draping, I believe the ingenuity and tailoring of his multifunctional pieces will become his signature. They celebrate what it means to be a woman, allowing for a personalized interpretation, ensuring she always stands out from the crowd as an individual.
So what’s next for Kithe Brewster? His line will soon be carried in Atlantis Resorts’ Escape boutiques around the world, and he’s gearing up to show a resort presentation in June and a runway show of his A/W15 couture collection in July. Below are some of my favorite looks from his Fall 2015 RTW collection. For the entire collection, click here.
Photos by Katie Jones

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70’s Stripes

Stripes5 Stripes11 Stripes10 Stripes1 Stripes2 Stripes3 Stripes4 Stripes6 Stripes8 I have no idea what possessed me to buy this top considering my aversion to exposed midriffs. It was just too fun to pass up. The 70’s vibe transports me to seaports or roller rinks but since I haven’t skated in years, the nearest slip won out. We were only able to capture a few images before the wind nearly blew me off the dock and we retreated behind two buildings. There’s something a little glamorous but also a little messy about the winded look. I like it.

Torn by Ronny Kobo top // Citizens of Humanity bell bottoms // Manolo Blahnik pumps

Pop of Pink

PinkClutch7 PinkClutch2 PinkClutch4 PinkClutch3 PinkClutch1 PinkClutch5 PinkClutch10 PinkClutch9 There’s nothing quite as classic as a crisp, button-down shirt. As I’ve grown older so has my collection. Refined and elegant, it seems to be the signature piece of many (think Carolina Herrera) and rightly so. It pulls any outfit together – ball skirts, dress pants, denim or shorts – and looks good at any age. I love this one with it’s transparent overlay paired with high waisted skinnies and a shocking pink clutch. Made from scuba material and faux leather, I absolutely couldn’t resist it’s fun colors for spring.

COS shirt // Mother Denim skinnies // Jimmy Choo pumps // 
Triple7 clutch from Vocabulary Boutique