{IFBCON} Celebrity Sightings & Industry Insight
Last September’s IFB Conference was a spectacular experience – Amazing speakers, inspirational speeches, more information than I could absorb, and the chance to rub elbows with passionate men & women who love fashion just as much as I do. Within moments of the tickets going on sale for this February’s conference I had bought the two-day pass and booked a plane ticket.
Excited, who, me?
I was lucky enough to assist the IFB team with some of the behind-the-scenes activities that help make an amazing event like this come together. Talk about a learning experience! Not only did I get to spend some time with IFB founder & The Coveted blogger Jeannine and IFB editor & Shut Up I Love That Shirt blogger Taylor Davies, I also got the chance to spend two days getting to know the other volunteers and got the opportunity to meet some of the speakers, sponsors, and panelists.
In other words – I was in heaven.
Celebrity Sightings:
While to some “celebrity sightings” might be limited to the Beyonces and Julia Roberts of the world, for us fashion lovers celebrity sightings can include our favorite bloggers and industry insiders whose work we read, Instagrams we <3, and whose photos we view daily. During IFBCON not only did I have a number of wide-eyed moments of mind blanking “omgomgomg” excitement, I also got some handshakes, hugs, and sweet words from some of my idols & unofficial mentors.
Laura Ellner of OnTheRacks – I’m a HUGE fan of On The Racks! I followed Laura’s adventures in San Francisco and while I hated to see her leave the Bay Area, I was excited for her New York City dreams to come true when she moved to the Big Apple last year. Needless to say I was worried that I’d have a fan girl moment if I got a chance to meet her. Luckily I kept my excitement under wraps when I said hello & introduced myself {nerdy happy dance} and I have to say, she’s even more stylish and striking in person than she appears online.
Aimee Song of Song of Style – Not only is Aimee stylish & beautiful, she’s also incredibly sweet. Her affiliate marketing panel was interesting & informative and she was beyond nice as she waited to go on stage and while she hung around for pictures afterwards.
{There’s a reason they’re the best – Just look at them, utterly flawless!}
Justin Livingston of Scout 16 – While IFBCON was primarily filled with female fashion bloggers there were a few proud male fashion bloggers in the crowd and quite a few speakers & panelists of the male persuasion. One of the arrivals that I was greatly anticipating was the blogger known as Scout 16 – A New York staple who showed up in fabulous shoes, moderated his panel like a pro, and was really genuine & nice if you were lucky enough to meet him.
Liz Cherkasova of Late Afternoon – Striking is the first word that comes to mind when I picture Liz’s entrance, she strode into the conference in head-to-toe brilliant pink. A shade that few mortal dare to wear, but was utter perfection on her. Her Evolution of the Industry panel may have been the last of the day but everyone was glued to their seats and hung on her every word.
Hilary Rushford of Dean Street Society – Not only do I adore her site {which I’m sad to say that I only recently discovered} but I was blown away by how inspirational & captivating she was on stage at IFBCON. And off the stage? Wow. Just wow. Beautiful & chic – Wearing the perfect little white dress with a fabulous statement necklace and a too-perfect-for-words fur shrug.
Lydia Hudgens & I SPY DIY – One of my favorite parts of the conference was the photography workshop put on by Lydia Hudgens – Photographer to some of NYC’s most popular fashion bloggers – And DIY master I Spy DIY. It was funny, easy to follow, and FILLED with great tips & ideas. I definitely have a girl crush on Miss Hudgens now! 🙂
There were SO many speakers & so much information being passed on that I’m sorry I couldn’t meet everyone and hear everything!
Volunteer Love:
I couldn’t have been happier to get a chance to get to know this group of smart, fun, talented ladies – From bloggers to photographers to fashion lovers this was a great group.
{Claire & Madison of Bare Bones: Fashion Is Dead}
{Sarah Haile of Sara Haile Photography}
{Francisca of Fancy-Francy}
{Karina of Beach & Dress}
{Destiny of Fate, Love & Destiny – Coming soon!}
{The lovely Sarah Mekhail – Blog to be launched sooooon}
And of course my partner-in-crime the lovely Brittany of The Subtle Statement who I met at IFBCON last September and spent this past week exploring New York with – From vegan restaurants in Chelsea to shopping in Soho to Barre classes in the Financial District. 🙂
{Brittany Shick of The Subtle Statement}
I can’t wait for September so that I can head back out to New York for the next conference! 🙂
My sincerest apologies for the quality of the phone pictures – There were tons of fabulous photographers there but clearly I was not one of them. If you want to see more pictures from the conference head over to my Facebook page for Day One & Day Two albums.
Travel Time: NYC & IFBCON
At the beginning of last September I headed to sweltering New York City to attend my first IFB Conference and Fashion’s Night Out – The conference was such an amazing experience that I’ve decided to further my fashion blogger education with another once-in-a-lifetime trip back East.
{You can read about my trip & enjoy some fabulous Summer fashion from September here: IFBCON Preparation, IFBCON – Trends, Styles & Inspiration, MCLV Style: New York City, MCLV Style: IFBCON Day One, MCLV Style: IFBCON Day Two, and New York Fashion Diary}
As with my trip in September a huge part of the fun – And the stress – Is deciding what to bring for the trip. Not only is New York City a fashion capital whose streets beg for killer footwear & fun, one-of-a-kind looks, the conference is also a chance to meet inspirational people within the industry and connect with other fashion bloggers – Some of whom may have been instrumental in you decision to start a blog in the first place.
Nerve-wracking.
I was right on the edge of beginning to panic when I read this amazing article from Hilary Rushford at Dean Street Society about similar anxieties & a solution to her own fashion crisis prior to attending the Alt Summit Conference in Salt Lake City – Why I’m Not Going To Win Best Dressed at Alt Summit. After reading it – And quickly becoming enthralled by her blog – I realized that she’s one of the speakers at IFBCON this week. How serendipitous!
With Hilary’s permission to not win best dressed I decided that I needed a better way to approach the packing conundrum. Ultimately I know that for me picking out each piece & styling it in advance is the best way to go – That way I can relax and enjoy myself once I arrive. The other thing that I love is getting inspired by fashion magazines, other bloggers, and all the beautiful pictures I can find online.
Enter Pinterest. 🙂
The other thing that’s fun when you’re packing is to get inspired by the professionals. And by professionals I mean the fabulous fashion set who have been gracing New York Fashion Week {or IFBCON} with their presence for years – Jetset Style Guide – NYFW February 2013 from Hitha On The Go, Fashion Week Beauty Essentials from Late Afternoon, {What to Wear} To A Fashion Blogging Conference from Beautify My Life, 8 Looks Inspiring Our NYFW Wardrobe from Glittery Guide, and of course Bigger, Better, Bolder: What To Bring To IFB Con from IFB.
Have you ever gotten stressed out by the notion of getting packed for a trip? How did you calm yourself done & get yourself packed?
Be sure to follow my New York City adventures on these platforms for pictures & updates:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moicontrelavie
- Twitter: @moicontrelavie
- Instagram: @moicontrelavie
2012 Highlights & A Little About Moi
In honor of either (1) the impending apocalypse or (2) the end of 2012, I’d like to share some of my favorite posts from the year and a few things that you might not know about me.
In no particular order these are my favorite MCLV posts during 2012:
- Styling 101: Holiday Dressing – This collaboration has been one of my favorite to date, it was such a fun to brainstorm what we wanted to do, find inspiration, browse for dresses at Mystery Mister, and figure out the styling.
- MCLV Mange: Farmer’s Market Fare – This post marked the beginning of my MCLV Mange series and I’m really enjoying the chance to share my favorite healthy, easy recipes with you all a few times a month.
- 10 Day Style Challenge: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV & Part V – This fashion challenge at the beginning of 2012 was the first time I shared photographs of my personal style on the blog – I’ve come a long way since then and am happy that I now have the opportunity to feature a MCLV Style post once a week!
- IFBCON – Trends, Styles & Inspirations & MCLV Style: IFBCON Day One – Attending IFBCON {Independent Fashion Bloggers Conference} in New York City this September was one of the highlights of my year. Not only do I adore New York – yes, even during the sweaty Summer – but I was thrilled to meet so many amazing, creative, like-minded women at the conference. I definitely made some cyber-friends for life!
- MCLV Style: Lady of the Night – This is one of my favorite personal style posts of the year – I’m living for pants this Fall/Winter but somehow I rarely seem to get those looks photographed – I was thrilled how great these shots turned out.
Les Confessions – Quartre
Sometimes I wake up and go to the gym, only to look around at the empty room & the dark morning outside and head straight to the shower!
I can’t watch horror movies because I get awful, vivid nightmares. Or read murder mysteries. Or read the newspaper if the topic is serial killers, ritualistic murders, or school shootings. Or read the PETA website.
I love brussels sprouts. I know it’s not cool. I know that it makes me weird. And I’m 100% ok with that.
I’ve started half a dozen novels since I was a teenage and have yet to let anyone read them.
I once had a nightmare about my kitten being sent by the bad guys to watch me and I avoided her for a month.
{Want to know more? Read: Les Confessions – Une, Les Confessions – Deux & Les Confessions – Trois}
MCLV Style: New York City
New York City BABY!
As I’m sure you picked up, I was beyond excited for this trip – Seeing my best friend, attending IFBCON, and getting the chance to spend some quality time in NYC, a city that I’ve been having a love affaire with for years now.
{You can shop similar pieces by clicking these hyperlinks: Embellished Striped Top – Zara, Zipper Detail Shorts – Zara, Ankle Strap Heels – Fendi, Oversized Crocodile Clutch – Express, Silver Art Deco Bracelet – JewelMint, Silver Bow Bracelet – Forever 21, Silver Chainlink Watch – Vintage & Ring – Tiffany’s}
{You can HYPE this look on Lookbook.nu}
Check out more outtakes from this shoot here – just log into Facebook to view
When I was packing for my trip to New York I found myself in a quandary – it was going to be extremely hot and humid but I’m a fairly formal dresser. Luckily for my internal body temperature this was the first Summer that I’ve worn shorts since Junior High, so I packed a few pairs for the trip. But how to style them? Shorts & a tank might be an appropriate bathing suit coverup, but for walking down the streets of New York City? Definitely not!
So with that in mind I paired my exposed zipper shorts from Zara with a striped tee with a rhinestone embellished collar, tons of chunky silver jewelry, ankle strap heels, and an oversized envelope clutch. I was comfortable temperature-wise, but still felt stylish enough to strut my stuff all over Manhattan! 🙂
Interesting in more fashion from my September trip to New York City? Check out these previous posts:
Did you have fun wearing shorts over the Summer? What’s your favorite style of shorts to wear when the weather heats up?
New York Fashion Diary
While I didn’t have the honor of attending any of the New York Fashion Week Spring 2013 shows – SOB – I was lucky enough to spend four days in the city that never sleeps right before the shows, parties, and FNO kicked off, and it gave me a unique chance to witness the city amping up to the fashionable frenzy that is Fashion Month.
And please believe me when I say that four days of glorious walking , exploring, shopping, eating, drinking, and aimless wandering are this city were four days very well spent!
{A little jewelry shopping at the MET – We definitely got some funny looks!}
{Yes, we are complete and utter nerds. Since 7th grade.}
{Lincoln Center, Far West Chelsea, Meatpacking District}
We also ate at three vegan restaurants, walked through Central Park twice, sprinted through Central Park once, and had a little quality retail therapy in Soho.
Check out my previous NYC posts to see what else I was up to during this trip: Weekends Away – Styling, Deciding & Packing, IFBCON Preparation, MCLV Style: IFBCON Day One, IFBCON – Trends, Styles & Inspiration, and MCLV Style: IFBCON Day Two.
When you travel to a city during a trip do you like to do “touristy” things like go to museums? Do you like to walk around a new city to get to know it and familiarize yourself with the neighborhoods?
Moi Contre La Vie 