SHOPATVELVET X MKOESNADI

I have worked with shopatvelvet for a couple years, styling their campaigns & catalogs while also getting to know them as a brand & what their visions are. Designing my very first collection from scratch has been a fun, unforgettable, yet a difficult task for me.

My style changes from year to year and I wanted to reflect these feelings in the clothes I produced. The older I get, the less trendy I wanted my closet to be. So two keywords I kept in my mind was : timeless & effortless. Some of the pieces I designed were inspired from clothing articles that I can always count on when I have exactly 5 minutes to walk out of the door... And the rest of the collection? Simply things you can mix & match, create day-to-night looks with... All in a mix of neutral color palette & a dash of abstract floral prints for a wee bit (or a big bit depending on how you wear it!) of feminine vibe.

Here I am posting the full lookbook of the collection with myself as the model. You might have already seen some of the photos on Instagram, but a full view is always better right? Plus, perhaps you can pick an extra or two styling ideas from MY own version instead of the catalog version online.. Well, they are both styled by myself I hope you all will love my collection as much as I do.

shop my collection on www.shopatvelvet.com or at The Goods Dept, Happy Go Lucky Bandung, or Widely Project Bandung.
and do not forget to tag me to your ootd/purchases with #shopatvelvetXmkoesnadi. I would be happy to check out what you got !

WHERE ARE YOU?

I can't say enough thanks for my first few clients who trusted me in taking over their campaign and catalog stylings. I mean, back then... I haven't quite graduated from uni.. I had ZERO portfolio work. ZERO real-life sighting on how a stylist/photographer works (let alone being a stylist/photographer myself).. and Instagram might have existed but it was still the Blackberry age in Indonesia.. So, it was only my blog that existed. But yet again, a handful of clients believed in me.

SHOPATVELVET was one of those peeps (see my first work for them here!). I still remembered how awkward and nerve racking it was for me to meet them after I was recommended (yes !!! recommended !! such a 'jackpot' word and moment for me). Truthfully, I was scared. Thoughts scrambled through my head : "what if I sucked? what if they regret hiring me? what if I screwed up and everything looks shit? this is their promotional material girl !!! it's not school grades where you can retake any failed classes"... Yes, I am one of those panic peeps. But, I still took the plunge. and Guess what? Fast forward three years now, I am still rummaging through piles of their clothes before each photosession and dear Lord, I can't imagine having another job...

While I may only blog every couple of months, Glisters and Blisters is still my baby. I am not as excited to be infront of the camera as I used to be. However, this blog has bridged myself to the things I now do for a living. Blogging only started off as a fun thing but I never expected this. I do like to dream big but I never expected big things.. because, when you expect the rain to simply stop but you got sunshine and rainbow instead, you will be thankful instead of disappointed. slight pessimism? well, depends on your point of view.

So my 'lesson' for you all today (and tomorrow and whenever you read this), take that plunge. Believe in yourself. Work your ass off, have confidence and patience !! Remember that Nothing great comes for free. and if you feel like you're failing, take a look at babies and count how many times they fall and tumble while trying to walk/stand.

*ps dont forget to check the rest of the pics of the lookbook I style and photographed for shopatvelvet last month*

ANOTHER BLACK DRESS

another blog post, another black dress..I think I might have covered all sorts of black dresses in this blog.. from the bandage, the low back-long sleeved, the flowy mini.. the more recent asymmetrical midi.. these are only some the only ones I could remember going up on the blog. I still got a whole section in my wardrobe that I've never photographed.. Today's LBD edition features a maxi piece complete with features that I adore : a slit around the legs and right at my back.. It's from one of my favorite local brands : Velvet ! my son is craving for milk as I write this.. gotta go !!

MAXI ADDICTION

I've always liked seeing passerby strut effortlessly in their floor sweeping numbers but I don't think that I've enjoyed the comfort and ease of maxidresses THIS much myself until my pregnancy. No tight-ness discomfort.. or not even the need to worry that the bump will make the front of my dresses ride up (making it impossible to not wear something underneath). Now I am on the hunt for more maxidresses! basic tank styles like this one from Velvet's Days line are my favorite..

GOOD GOLD

My dog constantly barked at me, begging to come out, as I stepped to my backyard to shoot my usual outfit photo. Since I can't resist his poor beggar facial expressions, I took him with me anyway despite the fact that Hugo is one lazy arse (shitzus aren't made for walks, they're born to sleep). Then I realized how useful dogs were to ward off any irritating construction workers that usually sit and stare :P (sorry Hugo for making extra use of you...)

I wore this dress to 3 functions last weekend. All I did was switch up accessories, add jacket or switch shoes for the different occasions. and speaking of shoes.. I've been getting memos that I shouldn't wear heels when I am pregnant, I'd like to clarify again that I don't wear heels 24/7. I mostly sit while I work.. I wear Havaianas when I have photoshoots.. either that or I switch back and forth with flats/heels throughout the day.

LaFLEUR // RED GARNET

I've always disliked how men associate women as gaptek (an indonesian slang that stands for 'gagap teknologi' or technology failure) creatures. But moreover, I dislike it even more when they apply the theory to me. You see, my relationship with gadgets has always been good ever since I was young. When the other girls turn up to their daddies to get the newest pretty phone, I am the one who’d ask for the smartest phone out there (my -6 myopic degree didn't just magically appear you know...) And up till' today, my main priority for gadgets is still it's technological features. But it doesn't hurt when a 'brainy' gadget comes with 'beauty' perks. One of those gadget would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 LaFleur Collection.

With the great features and it’s sleek “Red Garnet” glossy coating, what's not to love about this tablet? I can not only complete my daily tasks but its “Red Garnet” color also makes a great fashion statement. It’s even better because red garnet is one of my favorite colors of the moment and just by carrying the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, I can incorporate my favorite shade into my looks effortlessly.

TIME MANAGEMENT

I actually wanted to write "no time for photos, been busy" for the opening sentence of this post but I hit backspace because that's really boring even when that's the fact. *ps. I am so glad that I found these photos from July lurking in one of folders as I am short of photo stocks*. What's more funny is when I read my favorite blogs and I find that most bloggers write somekind of phrase that resembles "I've been busy lately.. got exciting projects.. or sorry I've been on hiatus". I couldn't help but scroll through my own posts and I've been writing that phrase for a long time as well (my to-do list only gets longer, no kidding.)

Lately, I've been disappointed by certain companies who don't take bloggers seriously. I am not sure how the system works overseas but over here, I feel like we are the "free promoters". I understand that we may not have a company or fancy smancy offices but we are humans who put effort into our blog posts just like how news/fashion/etc reporters would in their articles. Blogs don't just poof out of a cloud.. Layouting takes time, emails take time.. building a twitter audience is also another thing.. I don't reply comments as diligent as I used to but I give kuddos to those who can reply the 100th comments on a single post (try blog walking with Indonesia's slow connection).. and for myself, I spend a total amount of 4-5 hours (sometimes more) for just a single post. Not to mention that most of us also have a day job or are still dealing with assignments from our teachers. Anyway, my point is : blogging takes time.

From that amount of time we bloggers put into, we do want a better reward and compensation than just an item/exposure. We're not always after some money but offering a more mutually beneficial collaboration scheme would be much more appreciated. Through conversations, I've learned that many bloggers don't have the guts to say no. I know what it was like because I felt bad when I rejected a company during my early days as a blogger. But now, I have learned to say no when offers aren't up to my bartering standards (note : saying no is not a bad thing as long as you're polite - see here for info). Perhaps most bloggers coming from Indonesia haven't spoken out about this issue out of their head. But I feel that it's time that our work gets appreciated and rewarded in a more appropriate way.

SOMERSET

I guess one of the best things I got from blogging is to be able to have friends from different corners of the world. That includes people from countries I've never even been to, and all thanks to technology we are able to be connected to each other. As you might have reckoned from Instagram and Twitter, I met up with Qin, Fhenny, and Catherine on a Sunday noon for brunch. I had fun giggling so I didn't bother taking photos (other than my iphone ones) during that.. But we took a bunch during our walk to the nearby skatepark ! special thanks to fhenny and catherine for my outfit photos