FIRST LOOK

So you wake up and you're thinking about wearing this one tee, that you finally ordered from this super cool blog site : ). And then there's this bag that you bought from this super chic handbag designer : ). In the words of Tim Gunn, "MAKE IT WORK!"

DAY:
*Hello Nobody Tee
*Lynette clutch - Nneka Hurley handbags
Nobody Cult high-waisted jeans
Miss Sixty "Vaila" Boots
EVENING:

Ashley Capelet

LUX High-waisted tweed pencil skirt

Miss Sixty "Ester" Boots

*same on both looks

WORK IT B#$@!

Jessica wears it, but Mary serves it.

Oscar de la Renta....one gown, two muses.
It's quite apparent that the gown flows like an angel with Jessica's frame and stature, almost Roman goddess like. But Mary's caramel skin and sharp Moe haircut with blond and caramel tresses, along with the jewels around her neck, keeps our eyes fixated on the right pic! She serves the complete look and almost makes Jessica look like a mannequin wearing this Oscar de la Renta gown.

I'll steal the jacket off of your back, Rihanna! This beautiful, form-fitted, Jean Paul Gaultier plaid number is just the right pick for the jetsetter in all of us. Whether it's London, Paris, New York, DC, the ATL, Dallas, Miami, LA....this jacket is definitely convenient for any weather pattern....oh yeah, and it's super stylish! You could have on a Haynes white-tee and wear the jacket as your icing on top! I'm so inspired to lose 15 lbs to get that waist line!

It's about to be a girl-fight!!!

Last, but certainly not least....Mrs. Jada P-Smith....I think this is the only one I'd fight for the complete look. This chick looks like perfection in this black tafeta dress. But check out the pink trim at the bottom of the dress....take a deep breath....annndd....exhale! Simply breath taking...this Baltimore goddess is a long shot from her hay-days with childhood best friend Tupac Shakur...

A Girl with ALOT of BAGgage!

Don't let the hand on her hip fool you! This girl has a closet full of bag~gage!


Let me reminisce for a moment...

I remember in undergrad we were getting ready for one of so many cabarets. Myself and a mutual friend were standing around, maybe near the cafe' (the memory is fading, but you get the picture). Of course discussing what most young 20~somethings stressed-out about~what to wear? And this chick says, "Oh I'm piecing something together ." Or something close to that. I shrugged it off as a trip to the mall, probaby Express or Arden B, for something that somebody else may repeat on the day of the extravaganza. But then I learned she was actually making it...no, not getting it made, she was threading the needle. I couldn't believe it! On the night of the cab', I saw her ensemble and was immediately speechless. The girl was definitely a pre-Project Runway candidate!


Now, some odd years later, we're still friends. She transferred to another school, but we had mutual friends and stayed in touch. I ran into her at a fashion show in Richmond, Virginia, where she was showcasing her bags. Models accessorized each designers' label with Nneka Hurley handbags. I was impressed. She did all the manufacturing herself. As the daughter of a seamstress I do consider myself a connoisseur of fashion construction, and as I reviewed each bag, the stitching was absolutely stunning. After the fashion show, she went back to Philly and I went home, back to my nine to five. I prayed that she didn't give up on her destiny. Well, full speed to present day, she didn't. Nneka has a catalog of oooohs and ahhhhs, I'm just disappointed that a boutique buyer, or major department store buyer hasn't jumped on the bandwagon...yet. I know it's coming for her. She's well within her rite of passage to crossover into consumer heaven and make a black Friday out of it! Her bags are some adjective that pushes it beyond expectation. This bag lady is young, hip, down-to-earth, committed and more importantly, creatively blessed. A woman with baggage that doesn't add stress lines... gotta love that!
*Visit www.myspace.com/bagsbynneka for more!