Paint The Town Red

Okay so I know I have been off the blogging radar for a while to say the least, but I think moving to Williamsburg, starting a new job, visiting London twice, are pretty good enough reasons. Anyhoo, enough of me making excuses. 

My free time is very limited but that means when I do get that small window I have to use it wisely. And by wisely I really mean shopping and eating with my nearest and dearest. For those of you who follow me on Instagram (@georgiabenj) you'll notice that I eat, all the time, and its more often then not documented on Instagram, but it's also the perfect platform to flaunt some of my new purchases. This little number from Opening Ceremony had been on my radar for a while and it has literally not left my back since day one. And of course I had to get my initials monogrammed on the jacket, adding my own little touch of Great Britain to this rather American staple. 

As I previously mentioned I now reside in Williamsburg, Brooklyn which is a somewhat "edgy/hipster" area. Sadly I do not have an edgy bone in my body as pointed out by my dear friend Lucy when I was back in university but hey ho at least I can dress the part. Donning my brown paper package from Brooklyn Denim Co. and heading off to my favourite coffee shop of the moment, Toby's Estate Coffee, its pretty safe to say that today I fit in wonderfully in my new neighbourhood, which was perfectly captured by my roommate and fantastic photographer Anna Ritsch. Be back soon, promise!

Here's Looking At You, Kid

Its safe to say eyes were on me in this Zara number. The sun is shining here in New York and that means it's time for little dresses to come out. After a winter of extreme temperatures and insane amounts of snow, being able to get my pasty pins out couldn't have come soon enough. So now fashion has always been the cause for a conversation starter and this dress is no exception. I heard them all yesterday from "quit staring at me" picking up coffee in Starbucks, "that dress is quite a looker" in the elevator at work, and my favourite "LOOK AT YOU" by some friendly suit in FiDi. That's what I love about clothes. The way they enable you to engage with others and them with you in other ways than just normal small talk. The floor is yours guys, what would be your best pun for this eye-catching dress?

Pieboy

There are two simple rules to style in New York. 

1. Always wear black
2. Layers layers layers

So on those rare occasions where I want to throw a bit of colour into the mix I end up looking like a total boy. Sneakers, oversized tees, check shirts. It's almost as if I'm reverting back to my childhood days of being a complete tomboy. Recently Pieboy reached out to me and sent me one of their iconic bobble hats. Now I'm partial to a bobble or two with the bobble hat being my absolute go to item whenever I hit the slopes, and with this guy being one of their limited edition original hats. Yeah you can't win me over more than that. Starting as an urban street wear brand in 2011, Pieboy have now grown to have a cult following at university towns across England creating a unique line of varsity bobble hats in a certain special groups of universities signature colours - of course Leeds is one of the select few. 

With the sun shining in New York and spring looking like it might be here to stay, I can't wait to wear this hat with a teenie pair of Daisy Dukes and black swing tank. How would you style your Pieboy?

Donna Karan Fall 2014 #NYFW

30 years in the business clearly leads to a whopper of a show. With Donna Karan celebrating her 30th year anniversary at the top of the New York fashion scene, it's not surprised she had one of the best #FROW's this fashion week so far; Katie Holmes, Hugh Jackman, Rita Ora, Trudie Styler and Bernadette Peters to name a few.

Using her New York roots as the inspiration of the collection, Karan presented the perfect balance of soft and structured, reflecting the electricity of the New York skyline. “I have the honor of looking at the city lights from my apartment every night,” said Karan, "this place is so, so beautiful, and I wanted to capture that."

Showing at a somewhat draughty cue shivering guests down on Wall Street the designer was enabled to have a large show space which would accentuate her designs; think exposed beams, rugged brick walls; that authentic New York City vibe. The huge LED screen at the start of the runway sparkled and shimmered in complementary hues which not only reflected off the mirrored runway but matched each look as models including Karen Elson, Karlie Kloss and 19-year-old British beauty Malaika Firth.

Boasting a collection in black, dark grey, white and ruby, Karan and her team created combination of masterful tailored jackets and blazers teamed with sumptuous sheer skirts showing off the over-the-knee boots worn underneath a great substitute for trousers indeed.

Fabrics included silks and chiffon's draped impeccably, devoré velvets, black viscose, ivory shearling and shaggy fur, some of which were embellished and beaded to depict the twinkling New York night sky.

The womanly focus of this collection was undeniable with belted waists, illusion bodysuits, sheer gowns exposing large areas of skin- it's safe to say sex appeal was at a maximum. "It's all about the body", said Karan. "The movement of the body and the expression of the woman and how she is so core in her strength."

With a jubilant tear from Karan as she did her victory lap down the runway, the audience applauded in celebration of this fantastic mark on the companies 30th year anniversary.

"New York is what I stand for — the past, the present, the future."

A fashion moment in history. 

This was no regular Fall 2014 collection, this was a tribute to the city that made Donna Karan who she is. New York.

Polyvore

Homies London Sweater - £30 (click here)

Celine Me Alone Tee - £20 (click here)

Chanel Drip Tee - £20 (click here)

I do apologise for the lack of outfit posts recently, apart from being glued to my sketchbook and popping out for the occasional bite to eat at my favourite Italian, Carluccio, I have been absolutely inundated with uni work. 5 collections to design and a whole photography project to complete, not particularly fun to say the least. I've recently rediscovered Polyvore and have found it to be a rather enjoyable form of procrastination, so I thought I would show you a few sets I designed styling the Chanel Drip Tee, Homies London Sweater & Celine Me Alone Tee - all from my online store (click here). The tee's are so perfect to dress up and down and the super soft fabric makes you want to just live in them all the time. For all my UK customers, make sure to use you're promo code FREEUKSHIP for free UK delivery, before it runs out! Happy shopping y'all!

Oh La La

What I'm Wearing: Zadig & Voltaire Striped Sweater, Abercrombie Super Skinny Jeans, Club Monaco Scarf, Zara Bag, Michael Kors Watch, Louis Vuitton Perspex Bangle.

Channelling my inner frenchman today in my striped Zadig & Voltaire knit. Zadig & Voltaire is such a wonderful brand oozing all aspects of what Parisian Chic is about. Simple garments in luxurious fabrics, with a Rock'n'Roll meets James Dean smoking on his motorbike type of feel. Unfortunately I do not ride a motorbike nor smoke so I've just to go with the baguette and flowers in the basket on my vintage bicycle sort of vibe instead. Works for me. With stores all over the world now, the French brand has hugely grown since it first hit the streets of Paris in 1995, but we always knew it would be a winner. Founded by Thierry Giller who is the grandson of André Giller who founded Lacoste, well you cant really go wrong with those genes can you now?! I have a sort of image in the back of my mind of me and some gorgeous Parisian man walking hand in hand down the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré sipping on expresso's, wearing only Zadig & Voltaire - well who knows? A girl can dream.