Guest Post:Traci interviews designer Tiara Verse
Okay, so when I read that my favorite style guru Daisy Llewellyn mentioned that custom designed pieces were all the rage, I knew I wanted a custom made dress. I fell in love with Calvin Klein’s minimalistic, unified look and knew that I wanted a dress with that vibe, but could not find anything similar in my size in the stores.
My frustration ended when my stylist, Tamika Maria Price, referred me to 27-year-old Tiara Verse. A creative self-starter, this designer hails from my hometown of Chicago and is F-I-E-R-C-E with a needle and thread. I loved my dress so much that I asked my girl, Clandestine Chic, if I could be a guest blogger and interview Tiara for this blog. Graciously she said yes, and Tiara agreed to be interviewed. Keep reading for the dish!
Traci: Congrats on your recent engagement! Are you going to design your own dress?
Tiara: I initially wanted to because I have a vision of what it is I want it to look like, but I may not put myself under the pressure of designing my own wedding dress. I just designed a non-traditional dress that was royal purple! (Yummy)!
Traci: Where did you get your educational foundation?
Tiara: I started at SIU-Carbondale but I eventually transferred to IADT, where I then graduated with a BFA in Fashion Design in 2008.
Traci: Who is your favorite designer?
Tiara:I would have to say my favorite designer is Tracy Reese (tears! love her) because even though her style is different from mine I appreciate her overall come up in this industry as a woman running her own business and continuously building her brand. Tracy is all about the prints and timeless style which above all is something I inspire my brand and my name to be.
Traci: Where did you get your inspiration?
Tiara: My inspiration growing up was that I always wanted to work with my hands. (Lucky for us, she did not take her other passion for carpentry to the next level but used it for our good as a designer). My father is an artist and my Mom is a cosmetologist so I’ve always had a creative eye because of that. I will never forget one day in high school, I was sitting at my desk sketching when one of my classmates saw my sketches and asked me to design her prom dress. From that point I began to get requests from several young ladies to sketch out designs for them as well. Looking back I regret that I did not charge for my designs. I was designing and sketching dresses like crazy, that I don’t even think it mattered that I wasn’t getting money for it because it was so much fun.
Traci: What message do you want your clothes to convey?
Tiara: Sophisticated. Sexy. Classic. Timeless.
Traci: What do you hope to accomplish as a designer?
Tiara:I am a shapely woman and sometimes I feel as though that can go either way depending on what you have on. Bottom line is I want to be able to reach out to all women to be confident enough to embrace their bodies no matter what shape or size they may be. I would also like for my pieces to be pulled out of a closet over 20 years from know and still be relevant.
Traci: What trends are you peeping for spring?
Tiara: The return of bold color! I wanted to showcase it before it was a trend. Spring is all about color and soft feminine prints.
Traci: When will we see your next collection?
Tiara: My F/W 2012 will be showcased May 19th at The 4th Annual Dangerous Curves Ahead fashion show.
Traci: Where can the peeps that want to get FIERCE contact you?
Tiara: My company’s name is Love Verse by Tiara Monique Verse and you can log on to my website at www.lovemyverse.com or email me at tiaramverse@lovemyverse.com for more info. Also come see my showcase May 19th at the Dangerous Curves Ahead fashion show. Buy your tickets at dangerouscurvesahead.org NOW!!!!
Interview conducted by Traci Daniels
Visiting violette
I first met Stephanie (pictured above with her big smile) after a chance walk-in at violette. I’d been searching for boots and remembered that the same person also owns vive la femme, so I decided to stop in. After receiving a warm welcome and an hour later, I didn’t leave with a pair of boots, but I did score a great pair of studded oxfords.
During my last visit to violette, I spent some time with Stephanie and took some pictures of her fabulous, cost-friendly shoes. I also tried on many pairs of shoes and talked with her about everything shoe-related. While I didn’t get the chance to have a formal interview with her due to my misguided focus on finding new shoes, Stephanie was gracious enough to answer some questions after my visit.
When did you open Violette?
Tell me about some of the brands that you carry.
What kind of store do you want Violette to be for women who shop there?
Oh, this is a great question! I grew up in Chicago, so I could talk about this for like a week! Our museum are absolutely world-class. The Modern Wing at the Art Institute is superlative, and our MCA is always full of thought-provoking pieces. For nightlife, dancers should not miss Berlin or the Smart Bar, and music lovers will thrill to our thriving record shops including Reckless, Laurie’s Planet of Sound, and Logan Hardware, which has a FREE old-school arcade in the back! Cinema consumers should take in a screening at the Siskel or the Music Box, and theatre patrons have their pick of polished productions at the Goodman to raw improv at the Annoyance. Our public green areas are gorgeous — the Garfield Park Conservatory or Lincoln Park Conservatory are perfect for those who gotta get their flower on, and Millenium Park is a hot spot for people-watching and tons of free outdoor concerts. That should keep visitors busy!
violette| 2031 N Damen Ave (between Mclean & Armitage ) |Chicago , IL| 60647
Neighborhood Friendly: Caffe De Luca
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t really venture out into my own neighborhood as much as I’m exploring other. However, recently I visited this nice little Italian restaurant, Caffe de Luca, for dinner. I loved the cozy atmosphere and the seemingly endless menu.
Between my friend and I, we ordered fettuccine with Italian sausage, pear and goat cheese salad, ceviche, smoked mozzarella and garlic shrimp. With the generous portion sizes, we were definitely full by the end of the evening.
Now I know there is somewhere relatively close to suggest meeting up for dinner in my hood–and I hear they throw a great brunch, too. Plus, this gives me more incentive to check out other undiscovered neighborhood gems.
Caffe de Luca| 7427 W Madison Ave (between Thomas Ave & Burkhardt Ct) | Forest Park, IL| 60130
Winter Playlist
It’s been awhile since I’ve made a playlist of my favorite songs at the moment, and I’ve been playing a lot of the same songs on a continuous loop in these past few weeks. I discovered Aloe Blacc ‘s “I Need a Dollar” after a non-stop How to Make It In America (R.I.P.) marathon a couple of weeks ago; and I finally found out who in the hell The Weeknd is. Etta James has been in rotation since her passing and Amy Winehouse’s posthumous Lioness: Hidden Treasures is wonderful for a chill afternoon.
I’m still using Spotify as my main mode of listening to music. I’ve added the link to the playlist below. If you decide to download, then happy listening!
2012 So Far
My sincere apologies for disappearing again for the last few weeks. Once the new year began, school and work kicked into full gear again and I haven’t really had the the chance to breathe since.
So please excuse the fact that this is long overdue, but I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season! And happy new year (yeah, I know).
In the midst of all of the hoopla, I have been taking pictures on Instagram whenever the mood strikes. All of these pictures were taken this month and pretty much sum up what I’ve been up to so far: food, self-reflection and planning listening to great music and more food.
While this year has gotten off to more of a slow start, I do have a great feeling about 2012 and I’m looking forward to the rest of this year. And while I know that I say this often and I sometimes can’t keep this promise, I really do hope to blog much more this year. And that is the truth.
So how has the start of the year been so far for you?
Ruby Woo
I admit that I am a bit skeptical whenever I hear how amazing a product is, how it works for everyone and that you will never find another alternative. I felt like MAC’s Ruby Woo lipstick was one such product that always popped up whenever I went on my mission to find the perfect red lipstick. It felt like every beauty blog, makeup professional and magazine was raving about this color, but I thought there had to be some comparable alternative, right?
Well, after trying many other brands and variations of red, I started to realize that maybe I should give Ruby Woo a chance. The other reds were always lacking in some way–the finish was too shiny or the red was too vibrant or wasn’t vibrant enough. I just couldn’t find one that worked for me. And so after years of avoiding the MAC store like it was a disease (my dermatologist convinced me that MAC makeup was the cause of all of my skin woes), I bought a tube of Ruby Woo.
Now this has become my favorite lipstick. I love the richness of the red, the matte finish and how it stays on no matter what. It was everything that I was looking for. While i don’t wear it everyday, Ruby Woo has definitely become the quintessential “pick me up”.
Do you have a favorite red? Or favorite lip color in general?
Dose Market
It’s taken me awhile to write about Dose Market, but it’s fast become one of my favorite things to do on a lazy Sunday. For those of you outside of Chicago, Dose market is a once-a-month event featuring local Chicago vendors selling food, fashion and housewares. While I haven’t made it to the market every month, I knew that I had to go this month because of the Honey Butter Fried Chicken. And I also wanted to get some Christmas shopping out of the way as well…but it was mostly for the fried chicken.
While I didn’t shop much for clothing this time around, there was plenty of food and items from other vendors to peruse. Chicagoans? If you haven’t been to this market, definitely try to make it to the next market. Visitors, this would be a great way to sample some of Chicago’s great local businesses all under one roof. I only took a few pictures with my cell phone during my journey as I was mostly concerned with…yep, finding the fried chicken!
1. Lovely pastries everywhere you turned. 2. The eggnog meringue cookies from Lottie+Doof were delicious. 3. Ran into the ever stylish Nikia of ChiTown Fashionista and her gorgeous Celine bag.
1. Browsing the menu while waiting for the Honey Butter Fried Chicken (can you tell it was my highlight?). 2. I ended up buying a few pastries for some people at Truffle Truffle.
Office Style
Above is a picture of my newest office shoes that I bought at Violette (hopefully more to share about that store later). I was hesitant to buy them at first because they’re not your typical office shoes with the studs and all. However, I went ahead and took the plunge to add a smidgen of excitement to work outfits.
I haven’t really invested in a new office wardrobe in a long time since I’m coming off of a long break and my previous job was pretty casual. I mostly wear what I have now and make it look a bit more polished while slowly adding in an item here and there. I’ve been trying to see how I can keep elements from my personal style and incorporate them into the office environment (plus, it saves $$$). So, on my morning walks to work and during my lunch break, I have been comparing my outfits with the other ladies and came up with a few observations:
- Shift dresses = much easier to throw on and look put together in a matter of minutes.
- Leggings as pants? I’ve seen that a few times and I always thought that leggings were to be worn with a dress or maybe a long sweater? Are they legit as pants these days (I’m honestly asking).
- I still haven’t warmed up to the idea of wearing gym shoes to work and then changing into work shoes once I’m there. I feel like it’s just easier to wear a comfortable pair of shoes that can work throughout the entire day. No?
- I’m mourning not being able to wear anything with skulls. This means no Wendy Brandes skull necklace or Alexander McQueen skull scarf.
- Skinny trousers that hit right above the ankle the best. Always.
- I like to defer to wearing all black, but I’ve found that it can make me look a bit depressed. I mean, when the guy at Starbucks keeps asking if you’re okay, geez. So, I’ve compromised with wearing more gray and brown with a pop of color here and there.
- Menswear-like looks are so easy and work so well for the office. Blazers+trousers+oxfords is the best combo.
So, what’s your professional style like? I’m still observing and learning how to put my own twist things over here, but I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks!
Long Lost Hobby
When I first began knitting, I declared to everyone that I knew that I’d make a scarf for them for the holidays. But you know what?
Not one person has received a scarf in the four years that I learned how to knit.
I keep this stash in hopes that I’ll pick up the needles and knit a simple scarf, hat or blanket, but I haven’t had the time to sit down and concentrate on a pattern long enough.
So I’ll keep the stash here, in an unimposing place in my room that barely gets a second glance unless I’m cleaning. I’m hoping that someday I’ll get a jolt to pick up the needles again and fall in love with knitting again.
Do you have any hobbies that you have abandoned? Or any hobbies that you’ve recently rediscovered?
My Instagram
