Spring 2011 runway favorites and other ramblings.

Isabel Marant - A French designer I've been less familiar with until this year. I'm starting to fall in love with her line of clothing and shoes. It's definitely got a more wearable "right-off-the rack" vibe and less of the haute couture look that only twiggy models can pull off. For Ms. Marant's Spring line, she was inspired by the laid-back, effortless style of... Californians (!!), during a recent trip.

Balmain - Christophe Decarnin has been nailing down the edgy, highly-sought-after cool girl look. From his military jackets last year to a new version of bleached, studded and safety-pinned jackets...they give inspiration to possible DIY projects.

Chloe - I always find myself falling for the flowy, 70s, boho-chic style that Chloe seems to pull off so well. I especially love the idea of mixing leather with pleated chiffon.

Phillip Lim - After hearing him speak at the LACMA last year, I gained a newfound respect for the guy. His passion for clothing ensures that each piece is carefully crafted and well-tailored. The neutral color palette he chose for Spring is enough to add color without being overly sweet.

Alexander Wang - Do you notice something different about Alexander's look for Spring? There isn't an ounce of black to be found (okay maybe except for the models' hair). It's kind of refreshing to see white for a change-- after all, it is Springwear!

Photos taken from style.com

Fashion Forecast for Spring 2011

(my predictions at least)

• white, white, white!
• sheer chiffon-y material
• unexpected cut-out shapes
• shine, sparkle and sheen
• blue denim
• over-sized tops and baggy bottoms
• drapey clothing
• neutral colors
• cadmium orange
• teal

Call me ridiculous, but I actually enjoy peeking into the future to see what's next when it comes to fashion (or anything in life for the matter). I've always been a futuristic type of person, probably because I tend to get bored easily and long for what's to come.

At this point of my life, I feel as though I am at another crossroad. You would think that in your late 20s you would have moved on from that path, but not for me. Blame it on my ENFP tendencies, but I will have cycled through several different career paths in my lifetime. Since the age of 16, I have had approximately 10 jobs. Filling out past job apps are usually a nightmare, as I always need to narrow it down to the ones that are relevant.

Since education is going down the slopes in America, I am back to the same place I was when I graduated as an undergrad-- unemployed, hopeless and hopeful. I always feel torn between what I want to do or what I should do. The shoulds and wants tend to melt into one, depending on my mood. I've come to the conclusion that there are just too many things I'd like to do that I will never accomplish anything if I keep thinking that way.

Education is a challenge in itself, but is truly rewarding in so many ways...that and I love teaching and building relationships with students. Several of my past jobs have involved teaching and it has been something that comes naturally to me and I enjoy it quite so. The heartbreaking part is not being able to go into this field at this time...but fashion, as superficial as it may be, has been a love of mine since I was able to put on my own clothes. I still remember personalizing my own keds with puffy paint, rainbow shoelaces and glitter. In elementary school, I was made fun of for wearing mis-matched leggings (pictured below) as a tribute to my fashion icon, Claudia from Babysitters Club. When watching movies, the main thing I noticed were the clothes the characters wore. I grew up loving Cher Horiwitz in Clueless, and her desire to make the world a happier place through giving people makeovers.

My inner battle is how can one go into a materialistic industry with a mindset that you're doing it in a way that glorifies the Lord? Is that even possible? I mean, I know there are companies (F21) out there that make it well-known that they're believers, but how can you go beyond that? The fashion world is definitely a dog-eat-dog world, that can be superficial, catty and corrupt. Nevertheless, they still need Christ.

I suppose I am still going through the journey, and maybe there isn't a definite destination here on earth for me.

Me, pictured here at the age of 9 during a trip to Canada.