Inspiration: Harlem

My hood

I live on a relatively quite tree lined block in Harlem, Hamilton Heights to be specific. I love the neighborhood; there are renovated brownstones, a gorgeous college campus, plenty of parks and friendly neighbors (a rarity in New York). Since I commute to Soho five times a week for work I am usually to lazy to go downtown on the weekends. This has forced me to explore Harlem. I've found some awesome hidden gems, chatted with random old people, purchased tons of shea butter from street vendors, and ended up in the projects a few times. For me, the BEST part about hanging out in Harlem is feeling the history of the area as I stroll down famous streets like Lenox Ave.

I know, I know super cheesy. But when I'm walking past a row of brownstones I can't help but imagine legends such as Langston Hughes, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Lena Horne, or Dizzy Gillespie chilling on the stoop.... I have a vivid imagination.

Then my mind wanders off to how fly people were back then. Everyone was so elegant, always dressed to the nines. Sigh. What it must have been like to live in a time when people put on their Sunday's best everyday of the week. When ladies were ladies and men wore their pants above their butts! 

I need to incorporate a full length fur, a cloche hat, and a pair of opera length gloves into my wardrobe.

Definitely feeling Alberta Ferretti's Pre-Fall 2012 collection.

View full collection here.