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Oh, the Monday blues! It always is a struggle to get my butt out of bed on a Monday morning. But it's going to be a short and thankful week! I'm headed to Puerto Rico for the holidays late Wednesday, so I plan on taking things this week super easy. And that goes for this week's outfits as well. I bought this plaid blazer a few years ago for like 5 bucks and never wore it until this fall and now I never take it off. It's just super comfy and lots of fun.

Style Credits: Plaid Blazer, Vintage. Cotton Oxford Shirt, Bitten (rip). Leggings, H&M. Flat Lace Up Oxfords, Via Spiga.

Brulee, for the Beauty and the Boudoir

As the we inch closer to the new year, the fall months are getting colder. And cold weather calls for some major cuddling action to keep warm. So needless to say, some chic lingerie is a must. Loungewear line, Brulee, turns lingerie into a completely indulgent boudoir experience. Brulee has all you need to keep things hot and tempting. With pieces ranging from silk corset bras to boyfriend shirts to teddies to bodysuits, Brulee is the ultimate source for chic women who seek lingerie with a touch of class and the right amount of luxury. Head over to Journelle on 3 East 17th Street to indulge in Brulee to keep things sultry this season. And to find out more about beauty of the boudoir, log onto www.brulee.net.

In Loving Memory of Daul Kim

The fashion industry took a tremendous loss on Thursday, November 21st with the announcement of Daul Kim's death. There was something so special about Daul. Something that she didn't have to verbalize, something that was evident in her photographs. She was lively, personable, full of life and truly a vision. There were so many images I saved of Daul on my desktop because her individuality and freedom of self were so discernible. Its a travesty we have to say this beautiful young woman so soon. RIP DAUL KIM 1989-2009

An Interview with Erika Hendrix

Erika Hendrix, twitter's favorite German designer, released her 50s inspired Spring/Summer 2010 collection with all the glitz and glamour that a girl with international appeal can ask for. The collection has the most beautiful color palette that is soft enough to make a gal's heart melt. Erika has the a savvy ability to fabricate her inspirations and bring them to life with her collections. Her Fall/Winter 2009 collection had some great pieces that my closet was begging me for. Before you can bat an eyelash, Erika will be a household name and home to pieces that women can't get enough of.

There are some great influences stemming from the 1950s in your S/S 2010 collection. What was it about the decade that inspired the collection?
I just love the style of the 50s, the clothes, the hair, the cars. There was something so cool and sexy about it, that is fascinating.
Where there specific fabrics or techniques that you used for this collection?
The whole collection is made out of cotton - jersey, knit and woven fabrics. There are a lot of round collars, bows and circles skirts - typical for the 50s.

The collection is titled 'Baby, you're the ginchiest'. What does the "ginchiest" mean to you?
The ginchiest means the attribute of being cool in the sense that others admire you for your appearance or actions or an object or situation that inspires those feelings.

What is about fashion and design that appeals to you the most?
To put a smile on peoples faces when they try it on and fall in love instantly. Its great how one can tell a story or express a feeling with what they are wearing. We dress how we feel, and I am trying to make everyone feel beautiful.

What is your current creative stimulation?
I am inspired by everything, people, music, art. Everyday life is very inspiring!

Who is the woman that wears you design for?
Anyone, really. I don’t have a certain person in mind when I am designing. Someone that wants to feel and look beautiful in their clothes.

As the label grows, what is one thing that you hope for?
I want to open up a bigger store and have seamstresses that help me make the clothes. So I can completely focus on designing.

Lala Inspiration: Fiona Apple

There's some fairly interesting music on my iPhone that has been keeping my thoughts company when there's much on the mind. It doesn't matter what the shuffle mode will lend me, I always wind up playing the Tidal album by Fiona Apple, time, and time again. Her ability to be so vulnerable in her music makes listening so easy. Fiona was the tumultuous non-conformist that defined the mid nineties. She didn't give a damn what you thought and let you know about it.

Today, we see the nineties resurfacing in fashion and cultural trends, but Fiona was a loose canon before it was cool to be a badass. Leather jackets, ripped jeans, and studded jewelry are making our modern "it" girl essentially a rebel without a cause. What's the point of putting on all this 'armor', if you have nothing to say about it. What was so cool about Fiona Apple in the nineties was her unrepentant way with music, the industry and her life. Her individuality was much more interesting than adhering to common ideas that most couldn't even comprehend in the first place.

Criminal

Yay for Olivier Zahm's First Exhibition!

You know you can't get enough of Mr. Zahm. Well I know I can't. Well, your day is about to get a lot better. Olivier is holding his first art show on the first of December in the Lower East Side at Half Gallery. Blackbook was the first to share the good news. Get ready for all the photos of all the scantily clad models and the shameless eroticism that that only Zahm could capture. Log onto www.halfgallery.com for more info on the exhibition and for daily images taken by Olivier, log onto purple-diary.com.

Lala NYC Trend Report: Bleached Brows

So the bleached eyebrow is nothing new to fashion yet we are seeing this trend come out of editorials and runways and hit the streets more and more. Givenchy released their fall 2009 ad campaign featuring even the prim and sexy Adriana Lima with bleached brows. And our favorite new face, Ranya Mordanova is the Queen of the bleached brow. Yet in the past week, I've come across five New York City gals sporting a bleached eyebrow. Street style has really evolved itself into a new phenomenon that has catapulted the trends have soley graced high fashion magazines and have into our everyday life. Gone are the days that we will say "that's just too much to pull off" and hello to envelope-pushing style that sets those daring girls apart from the rest. Today, when it comes to everyday fashion and personal style, the sky is the limit. And that's pretty liberating.