Street Shots

I am very excited and pleased to announce the addition of a new section on my blog today called: Street Shots. This was long in the making and I am very proud to see it fully come to fruition. Within this section of my site I will be posting photos of fashionable people that I find on the streets of New York City. Sometimes I will just take photos for inspiration and general trend reporting, and other times I will try to specifically document a few major pieces that people are wearing.

Today we start off with a diverse collection of fashion forward people that I stumbled upon down in SoHo. I spent all Sunday afternoon walking the boutique-filled, cobblestone streets of one of Manhattan's most fashionable parts of town, seeking out well-dressed men and women. I am delighted with the shots and great outfits I found and am excited to share them with you and read all of your feedback. I hope these photos will inspire you as much as they have inspired me!

Street Shots will become a weekly regular at AmandaVogt.com. As such, I will travel to different parts of the city to spot trends and fashion savvy people that I come across and post them within this new section -- So be on the lookout!

All the best,

ALV

Pinterest

Of course you are all most likely aware of Pinterest by now, but I just finally got an account started for myself. Although I knew about the site since spring 2010, I didn't feel like setting up my own page just yet. Plus no one else I knew was really into it at the time. However, I've found that it's a great way to collect all of your inspirational images and display them in one place. Not to mention you might lend some inspiration to other people in the process. Whether you are looking at the latest fashion trends, admiring fashion editorials or just browsing through art, there's really nothing quite like it. So, since I've decided to take this on, I'm going to change up the layout of AmandaVogt.com. Since I have Pinterest page based solely on inspirational (mainly fashion) images, I am going to get rid of that section on my website and instead have a portfolio page with examples of my work, writings and other published articles. This way I can make the most out of the space I have here, and also see what inspires you all. I linked my blog to my Pinterest account from the main page of AmandaVogt.com for easy access. So in case you are wondering where my inspirational images went, now you know! And be sure to check out my Pinterest page, and follow me if you have an account of your own. [If you don't, I highly suggest you start one up!]

Q&A with Maria Teresa Sampedro

Maria Teresa Sampedro is currently a senior at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She will be graduating in December 2010 with her BA in International Trade and Marketing. However, Maria is a very busy person outside of school. She is a Consultant in Training and Coordinator at the New York office for a prominent fashion forecasting company based in Paris and is the Managing Editor for Serial Magazine - which will debut its first issue in January 2011. Maria spoke with me via Skype last evening as I interviewed her about her work, her future and the fashion trends for Spring 2011.

ALV: So Maria, what all does your job entail?

MTS: I specialize in youth culture fashion and beauty trends, specifically what's going on within youth subcultures. I have to be aware of and up to date on trends related to fashion, design, music etc. and then relay and interpret those trends to our clients. Each client needs to use those trends in different ways, so I help to tailor specific trends to all of our different customers. I also speak fluent Spanish, so I sometimes work with clients specifically from South America and Central America as well.

ALV: What do you see happening with the Spring 2011 fashion trends?

MTS: We will be seeing more of the 'return to basic/heritage' story that we have been, along with a mix of late 90s 'raver' glam but with less grunge. There will be a lot of futuristic shapes and silhouettes with natural fabrications and tones; and poppy will be a major color for the season.

ALV: What about street style?

MTS: The 'dandy' look will continue but with a softer, more minimal touch. Think: thin oxfords and penny loafers, pastel cardigans, pony-tails, wooden clogs, high-water pants (for men and women), mismatched patterns, happy socks and cat eye sunglasses. There will also be a counter trend that involves late 90s grunge.

ALV: After you graduate, where and what do you think you will be doing?

MTS: I will be staying at my current company and will continue to grow with the company and with Serial Magazine. Later on I also see myself taking a break and moving to Paris for a while. In the future I will probably be doing branding for record labels or working more with youth trends... I have lots of ideas!

Follow Maria on Twitter and check out her blog.

Maria described her 'dream outfit' for Spring 2011 to me. My illustration of that outfit is below.

Maria's wish list:

 - white cat eye glasses

- blue and poppy floral cardigan

- smiley face 90s T-shirt

- pink, green, yellow striped skirt

- happy ruffle socks

- brown leather peep toe wooden clogs