Category: Columns

SANJANA JON – Following Her Own Footsteps

SANJANA JON
Following Her Own Footsteps

Sure, Sanjana Jon may be known as the adorable sister of creative couture designer Anand Jon. But take note—this vibrant New York based Indian designer is pouncing on the world of fashion to make her own footsteps. With her recent launch of three indepenrdently driven lines of women’s wear, Sanjana is sprouting to stardom.

She showcased her Spring 2006 debut collection during New York’s Fashion Week early September, and with delight, recalls the standing ovation that closed her big night, citing in attendance “very, very important people.” Sanjana’s spring collection is lifestyle-conscious, offering diverse ideas for women to utilize. Her prêt line consists of daily wear for teenaged girls to the 30-something year-old; the diffusion line includes Western and office wear for women; and her beloved platinum line introduces custom-made high-end bridal wear.

“It’s a passion for me, and I want to share that special day in a girl’s life,” Sanjana says about her platinum line, which embraces a time of new beginnings.

It may have been the “girly” rebellious gifts of halter top-like fashion her mother would bring back from London to a “conservative India” or the years spent creating jewelry with her grandmother and Anand growing up—or both—that has inspired Sanjana’s adoration of art and fashion.

Marketing consultant of the Anand Jon brand since 1998, Sanjana has co-designed his fine jewelry line as well as his upcoming men’s AJ Jeans line, admitting that her brother’s push and encouragement helped her creative fashion ideas come to life. And with adoration from all around, Sanjana acknowledges the support from her family, including her grandparents.

Having designed for Hollywood notables like Paris and Nicky Hilton, as well as for models Ivana Trump, Amanda Hearst, and Devon Aoki, Sanjana is busily meeting with buyers for her collection’s US availability—most likely landing in flagship stores first. Yet overseas, stores in her name have opened this October in Delhi, Bombay, and South India.

Backed by IG International, Sanjana has taken part in the Miss Universe campaign for the last three years, designing chic ensembles for each winner, and accompanying their trips on behalf of charitable causes. This year, she kicks off the “Aids Awareness Tour” to India mid-November with Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova.

From first showing off her brand during the Cannes Film Festival in May 2004, prior to her coming out during New York Fashion Week, to being named the “Vancouver International Rising Star 2006,” and now her gusto toward directing a feature film, “Spirits and Spirituality,” set to show in 2007, Sanjana Jon is as humble as they get.

Yet as impressive as can be!

Written by Elana Pruitt

Hope with Feathers

Hope with Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the words,

And never stops at all,

. . .

-Emily Dickinson

Earlier this week as I looked up into the sky, I noticed the clouds were as thick as chowder . . . but the sun peeked out still. Its presence indicated that through this darkness there was hope for a brighter, sunnier cloud-free day. And that takes me into the present state of affairs in which the world finds itself. It’s almost Christmas!

People are struggling as more and more get laid off in America. But throughout the world there is much sadness. The total state of Apartheid the Palestinians are experiencing at the hand of Israel is criminal. The fact that peace-loving Israelis are practically being ignored and forced to take part in a system they don’t believe in is also criminal. But there is hope. Only this week the Israeli government allowed the media and humanitarian aid into the isolated region. Will there continue to be struggles, starvation, and even death? Yes, there will. But will there also be salvation on some level? Yes, as people become more and more aware of the situation, not even a stubborn parliament can stop their ears and continue to do nothing. Hope is like the water that breaks down the stone. It takes forever, but the result is dust; and in this case, there will eventually be a sort of freedom for the people of Palestine and Israel as they begin to unify and put aside their differences.

It has happened in South Africa. The people arose. Both black and white defied a racist and unjust government to protest the inhumane treatment of one part of the population. Although there is still much to be done, the freedoms that were implemented were tantamount to climbing Mount Everest, a seemingly insurmountable feat accomplished by the outrage of the country and the greater outrage of the rest of the world.

That sun is burning brighter and those clouds still linger but cannot overcome the intensity of the sun’s rays. So it is that hope will triumph because those at war, those suffering through famine and disease, those going through inner struggles hidden from the surface just have to cry out a little louder, protest a little longer, volunteer a little more, and go on another day. Tomorrow is a better day. And wasn’t it just a few more days until the sky cleared and became the brightest blue? The sun stretched to fill the entire sky? It was there all along, and hope is a sign that we may one day live in peace, where there is no war, famine, or disease.

I struggled with hope this year. It has been a rough one for me and the rest of the country. I’ve been slighted and had to forgive. Forgiving is difficult, and unless I had taken that first crucial step, I would have stayed in a cloudy state. No love can enter in a blackened heart. I discovered that the mere desire to forgive could begin to clear up the pain. I discovered by wanting to love and get past all the slights, I could be like that sun peeking through the dismal clouds. In a few days or weeks or months I would find myself feeling joy.

My heart had been broken by a dishonest lover. The saying goes, “Hell hath no fury, than a woman scorned.” And in my case this was very true. I was so angry that I couldn’t even feel the joy that I found from my treks in the mountains, or from witnessing the sunrise, or by listening to the bells ringing at my front door—these things that sustained me in the past. I was so angry I couldn’t get past the tears that became my constant companion. But one day I spoke aloud into the stillness of my misery, “I want to forgive, I want to love, I want to be happy, and I want to get past this.” And I did in a matter of days. And not only did I forgive this dishonest lover, but I forgave all the dishonest lovers that had hurt me before, and I began to experience the joy that was always there waiting for me to notice as I took my walks, listened to the birds singing, worked on a song, or hugged my mother. The mere desire to see the light that was always there was all that I needed to see it.

As it has been for me, so can it be for the rest of us. If we can get past our differences and have the merest desire to move past our anger, we can learn to live together in harmony, a little at a time, and like the slow dripping of that meager drop of water, we can turn the stone of our bitterness into dust. We can make room for love in our hearts and burn away the hopelessness in our lives.

As the song goes,

Let there be peace on earth

and let it begin with me.

Let There be peace on earth

the peace that was meant to be.

With God as our father

brothers all are we.

Let me walk with my brother

in perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me

let this be the moment now.

With ev’ry step I take

let this be my solemn vow

to take each moment and live

each moment in peace eternally.

Let there be peace on earth

and let it begin with me.

-Lyrics by Jill Jackson Miller

http://www.angelfire.com/in/omega2/LetThereBePeaceOnEarth.html

Written by Lisa Trimarchi

Make a Loved One’s Closet Turn Chic With the Help of a Personal Shopper!

So what could be worse than having an empty closet with nothing to wear? Having a closet full of fun fashion that you have no ideahow to wear!

Long before my February 2007 launch ofGood Girl Gone Shopping, an affordable personal shopping and wardrobe consultant business, I had noticed how fearful most people are when it comes to trying out new styles, fun trends, and basically, stepping out of the norm. Here are some of the reasons why men and women turn to a professional for assistance:

They can’t get the help they need from a salesperson

They are not aware of which specific cuts and fabrics are right for their body shape and size

They do not know how to stretch their small budgets to still purchase lavish styles

They are unsure of how to stylize what they already own

They want to feel more attractive

They do not have time to shop for themselves (productively) due to a busy schedule

And no time seems fuller of anxiety and apprehension than now, the holiday season. After all, there are family gatherings, employee luncheons, company dinners, and social parties that offer festive times for most of us. But during these events, gift giving is a key focus and typically, a key frustration.

Just what do you give someone?

Maybe you have a friend, coworker, or loved one who adores hot-off-the-runway styles but admits to being clueless on how to put anything together. Sound like someone you know? If you are tired of buying gift cards to his or her favorite stores, especially because you never see that person actually wear the new items, a gift certificate that allows him or her some time to work with a personal shopper for free is a new gift-giving route you may want to explore. Because really, it’s a win-win situation for both of you: You get rewarded for giving the creative gift of the season, while that person can finally find items that will complement his or her wardrobe…while gaining a boost in self-confidence in the process!

And if you are the person needing personal shopping and wardrobe consulting assistance, well, treating yourself to a Christmas or Chanukah gift might be just what you need to alleviate your own stress of the season.

If you would like to contact Elana Pruitt to discuss the many services of Good Girl Gone Shopping, and gather information about holiday gift certificates, please contact her atelana@talkingchic.com or (909) 997-3216. She is based in Upland, Calif., just over an hour east of Los Angeles.

Insights – Righteous Wars

Righteous Wars

I have been feeling a lot of anger lately over the many conflicts in the world, the many wars. I have been feeling that unless mankind learns to handle our differences civilly and without violence, we will be our own end. The environment is groaning because of our greedy misuse, and with the factor of war added in, it starts to rapidly decline.

I have heard reports of the conflict on the Gaza Strip, and I know there are justifications on both sides for the continued dropping of bombs. One is the occupied, and the other is the occupier. Both are harassing each other. I know how I would feel if my freedom were taken away: I couldn’t feed my family and I couldn’t get proper medical care. I would feel desperate.

I know also how I would feel if I had to run to a shelter every day, my neighbor’s child was killed by a terrorist’s bomb, or the place I go to shop was blown up by a suicide bomber. I would want revenge.

I understand the anger on both sides. However, from the perspective of an outsider, I wonder if there is any other way to solve these problems than by the dropping of bombs and the use of white phosphorous. When you bomb your enemy, you create more enemies for generations to come.

So it is on both sides: hatred and violence fueled by a seeking of retribution for the killing of innocents. The sad thing about that is that when you become the aggressor, you become like the very enemy you detest. You become enmeshed in the tar of distaste by killing innocent children, women . . . ? civilians that appear a lot like the ones you lost. And where is the end to revenge?

It is a faulty premise to assume that if you hit your enemy with an iron fist so severe as to insure your enemy cannot retaliate, your enemy will not retaliate.

I heard an argument recently that intrigued me. Instead of isolating and imprisoning your foes, why not talk to them and include them into your society? That way you could get to know each other and learn to live together. We have the same problem here in America. We want to isolate ourselves from those “others” across the border, across the sea, in our own cities across the tracks and in the ghettos.

Until we realize that those of us that we choose not to see are also our brothers, we will always be in conflict, because that person wants what you want, an equal chance at the resources that provide you with a good quality of life. If this man cannot feed his family, cannot safely educate his children, and cannot safely get needed medical care, this man will more than likely become your enemy. If this woman finds that each of her children dies a violent death, she will not only help your enemy but take up arms herself.

People do not easily accept a lesser status in society while they see others doing well. They begin to think that they should have what you have, and they will seek to obtain it. What are we going to do with that fact?

How can I feel satisfied with my level of comfort when others are suffering so much? We must find a way to include others in our prosperity and well being; and believe me, a warm bed, a dry roof, and plenty of food are prosperity enough for some. Can’t we at least share that much?

Can’t we also provide the same level of safety and education that we enjoy and have access to? Can’t we rise above ourselves and live peacefully by negotiation and dialogue rather than by the use of weapons and bombs?

There are no righteous wars, only a descending into depravity by continuing to kill, murder, and maim innocents in the effort to obtain land, resources, and political advantage. Shame on us until we learn to live in peace and communicate even with those we find the most distasteful; because until we do, we are doomed to extinction at our own hands.

Lisa Trimarchi

Where in the World Would You Go for Inspiration?

I have never been out of the country. Unfortunately, my fear of flying (well, fear of going down is more like it) has hindered my exploration of the world. About five years ago, I could have traveled with a friend, and a group of other Jewish adults, to the motherland – Israel. For the most part, it was a free ticket because it involved committed studies and group activities. Now, I kick myself. My hairdresser, whose homeland is Jamaica, always reminds me that I am welcome to go with her whenever I want to – she goes at least once a season, and says that she can just see my sitting by the clear, blue water writing in my journal. And that I CAN imagine.

So with 2009 here and incredible opportunities that have been finding me, I must overcome all of my “what ifs” so that I can fully enjoy the twists and turns of life – and be ready for anything and everything.

Having attended several LA Fashion Week shows through Agenda, I can only imagine the beauty and excitement of Milan Fashion Week. I also envision how it would feel to stroll and skip on the streets of Paris, and then maybe make a trip from there to Brazil so that I can bask in the sexiness of babes and beaches.

While I understand that international travel has its own challenges, frustrations, and even dangers, the inspiration from visiting another country would do wonders on my soul; interesting trips and experiences would only inspire me as a writer, a business owner, and as a person who wants to know what it feels like to be a foreigner. I firmly believe that men and women who seek success can only do so by expanding their horizons and creating new friendships and industry relationships at every chance they get.

And what better way to do so than in a new place where you can open your eyes to new styles, new languages, new mannerisms, new senses of humor, a new fashion of politics, and new (tasty!) dishes.

Think I have a thirst to travel? You can bet your Manolos on that.

If you have a great international traveling trip that you would love to share with Elana, please contact her at elana@talkingchic.com. She may even quote you in her next column!

Elana Pruitt

Twitter, Subscriptions, and In-Store Appearances for Amazing Sales

Spring is here and I am gradually stocking up on oversized, costume jewelry, eclectic printed blouses, 80s-inspired skinny jeans, billowy cropped pants, and bright-colored clutches. Yes, my list of must-haves is lengthy. And nope – I don’t pay ridiculous prices. I am not an A-lister, so I don’t have the luxury of scoring hot-off-the-runway pieces at little to no cost. So, I do what all smart shopaholics must do to update their wardrobes: I shop sales.

As a personal shopper and wardrobe consultant, I believe that the biggest way to find exactly what you are looking for is being proactive and actively seeking out the best deals. I spend massive amounts of time social networking with e-commerce businesses, boutique owners, and fashion designers. I also subscribe to the mailing lists of my favorite stores so that I am updated on sales, events, and giveaways. And most importantly, I check in at my local retail stores to see which big-ticketed items have been marked down.

The biggest key to finding the best deals is to create your own strategies. These are mine:

I “Tweet” like crazy: Twitter has become the most powerful and trendiest social networking site to date, simply due to its ease of use and the ability to track what others are doing in real time. This place is perfect to meet people around the world who share your same passion for fashion. I research those that “follow” me, and depending on their niche, ask that they keep me updated on deals, sales, and new merchandise. Not only do I benefit from getting immediate news; I relay the information to my Good Girl Gone Shopping readers, friends, and family. I used to type in such terms as “handbag sales” in Google(TM) to find this, until I realized that I am still stuck at the beginning in finding exactly what I want. Now with Twitter, I receive direct messages regarding this very request. (Facebook and MySpace are other social networking sites that provide bulletins and updates to take notice of if you want to save money and meet stylista shoppers and industry folk that promote savings.)

I receive online mailers from various online and local retail stores. My favorite is from H&M and Urban Outfitters. This is because I love their merchandise and appreciate that the frequency of their messages is bearable. So make sure your subscriptions are to outlets that you TRULY love! Some of the other mailers (which I won’t be crude enough to mention) inundate my inbox. There is such a thing as getting too many, so watch out for that. As much I love getting news regarding sales, deals, and shopping events, I feel bombarded when I get up to three a day. We live in a recession right now, people; and although the deliverance of helpful updates is a positive thing, do businesses think that we all have the tons of money needed to purchase the items promoted in each mailer? Don’t get me wrong, I highly encourage you to subscribe to these. Just be sure to alleviate the pressure that you don’t need!

I show my face often in such retail stores as Macy’s. This is the ultimate shopping spot for shoe sales. I used to believe that I had psychic abilities when it comes to shoes being marked down, until I realized that I have been following a science I created for myself. In order to make sure that you don’t miss the markdown of Betsey Johnson heels (my fave), here are some tips: Ask a salesperson when the shoes went on display and were received; request a call when they get marked down; try them on so you know they fit; and then jot down the date of this visit. These days, customer service is not always that, so don’t 100 percent depend on the salespeople calling you to give you the heads up. (If they do, then treasure that and make nice with them as you continue to shop there.) I usually predict that in about three to four weeks, these shoes will go on sale if they haven’t sold out, and then another week for the additional 40 percent or half off. THAT is when I hit the racks like crazy. Had I never asked questions, consciously considered seasonal styles and merchandise shipments, I would have missed out on many a deal. Another factor to keep in mind: If you purchase shoes for regular price the day before they go on sale, bring your receipt in as soon as possible and ask for the difference. Most places do this, while others provide a fuss. It doesn’t hurt to try, however. It will only improve your attentive shopping skills.

Budgeting should never be an embarrassing thing to do. It is the smartest thing to do! Even if you have a huge amount to spend with no care in the world, why not take on new practices to save a little? For $200, you can buy a big designer or, for the same amount, you can buy three outfits and two pairs of shoes to match.

Now you tell me: Which one is worth tweeting about?

By Elana Pruitt, ‘Good Girl Gone Shopping’http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com

Heal the Body . . . Heal the Mind . . . Heal the World!

Healing begins in the mind. An individual releases illness by first surrendering to the present moment and then experiencing relief. The healer acts as a conduit to allow that energy to flow to others. The patient permits that healing, and the energy is cleansed. Love and warmth are the healing agents that heal others as well as the healer.

I have discovered that the body reveals the source of its pain. We emit frequencies that change, depending on where our sickness lies.

Reiki is one particular healing medium that works in concert with the healer’s and the patient’s energy. Everyone can heal. We all have light within ourselves to help one another mentally as well as physically. We only have to become aware.

I am a healer. When the body becomes unbalanced, I work with the individual to bring the body and the mind into equilibrium. Compassion is the greatest tool in my medicine bag; for when people feel loved and accepted, they can then accept the healing, blocks are released, and loving energy is allowed to enter. To practice as a healer is to share empathy and compassion.

Have you heard that the cook should not prepare the meal in anger? The same goes for energy work. I cannot remain angry when practicing healing because soon my own illness of mind begins to fade. When compassion is shared with others, it expands and illuminates areas within us where darkness resides.

Whoever you experience God to be, universally, God is expressed as light. Light is love and love is light. I’ve experienced the light as yellow in hue, and in the past when I’ve sensed healing of the heart and of the body, I’ve felt the temperature grow a few degrees warmer. I really believe that someday when doctors have a better understanding of how energy and frequencies are experienced in the body, they will no longer need lasers and knives to perform surgery. The surgeon will use instruments that correct imbalances in the energy field by using sound and light at different frequencies and wavelengths.

When I place my hands on or above the body, I sense darkness where there is illness and hear a change in the sound of the energy flow. Not all are sensitive as I am to this, but one can learn how to increase his or her sensitivity because with the desire to heal comes the ability. It is a matter of one’s intention.

As the individual goes, so goes the world. There is an individual mind and an individual body, so there is a group mind and body. Potentially we can heal the world with first experiencing healing within ourselves. Hope is the salve that heals, and if I become awakened to the misery of others, I could help to alleviate that misery by offering assistance borne from empathy and compassion.

Have you ever traveled to an area and felt ill and couldn’t tell why? It happened to me a few years ago when I visited Nuremburg, Germany. I felt heaviness in my chest (the region of the heartchakra ) the whole time I was there and couldn’t quite eliminate the sadness I experienced. This was the place where thousands of Jews were sent on the long journey to their slow deaths. A place maintains a memory, for darkness never really leaves an area until it is illuminated. I believe that I sensed the sorrow of the people who were driven to their deaths.

We can illuminate the world in mind and in body by empathizing with others and showing them compassion. Until we stop despising others, we will continue to experience darkness within ourselves. This will cause disease of the mind and the body, and by extension cause disease to the collective mind and body. Cities, countries, and the world represent the collective. Love is the universal salve that heals the collective.

Stevie Wonder has so eloquently stated that our world is truly in need of love today. Mata Amritanandamayi (Ammachi), a holy woman from India who embraces people around the world in order to take on their karma and heal the mind, body, and spirit has stated that with compassion and empathy, you can heal the world.

Healing starts within; and once our hearts are opened, we can develop empathy, and in turn help others to heal. As the late Michael Jackson said so well in his song “Heal the World,”

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Lisa Trimarchi

lisaantoinettetr@yahoo.com

I Talk Chic: The Only Way I Know How

I developed my “Talking Chic” column in 2004. This was just after I received my bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in speech communications from California State University, Fullerton (CSUF). Yes, I had a lot to say to the world—I mean a lot. So imagine the rush I felt when Kaylene Peoples, the publisher and editor in chief ofAgenda Magazine, offered me the platform to just, well, talk. And talk about fashion; puh-lease add more cherries to that pie!

I worked in the TBD department at Nordstrom when I first started my column. And I clearly recall when I gave my acceptance speech to Kaylene. By myself, standing next to the “holds” in the back office, I felt that this moment was supposed to come my way. I knew that my interest in fashion and style would exceed merchandising racks of new trends and getting sizes for customers (even though I loved it all and still personally shop with women!). I desired the chance to sit with an actual designer and pick his or her brain, asking such as questions, Why this fabric? Why only these sizes? Have you always wanted to do this?

Thanks to Agenda Magazine, those days eventually arrived.

So for the last five years, I have been able to chat about the chic things in life—designer collections, Los Angeles fashion shows, my celebrity fashion inspirations, helping women clean out their closets, social networking, family heirlooms, thrift-store shopping, finding the right jeans—my values of what I consider chic topics to address.

I grew up with this magazine and have gone through numerous life changes! But the one thing that has been constant amongst joyful as well as heartbreaking experiences is my “Talking Chic” column. It has helped me stay strong, become more confident, and accept exactly who I am.

By Elana Pruitt, ‘Good Girl Gone Shopping’http://www.diaryofapersonalshopper.blogspot.com

Elana Pruitt – 5 Years of Talking Chic

“I think having the insight to connect with a woman is built off of how I feel inside. Having a pear-shaped body, it was difficult finding pieces.”—Elana Pruitt—

Since the third issue of Agenda Magazine , Elana Pruitt has been writing the fashion column “Talking Chic.” The column has touched on almost every subject related to fashion with Elana’s perspective and reflects what many of us are thinking. But no one can tell it quite like Elana. Since that Winter 2004 issue, the column, the webzine, and its author have evolved.

“Aaah, the leisurely luxury of online browsing. What was once a pastime for me—you know, like checking a couple of favorite websites to see what’s new—has turned into a scheduled, relaxing activity”

—Elana Pruitt’s first Agenda article, “The Leisurely Luxury of Online Browsing”—

Talking Chic’s topics have ranged from cleaning out your closet to finding the right teeny weeny bikini for every sized woman. Elana has managed to make us feel comfortable about our bodies and think outside the box when it comes to fashion. So after almost five years with Agenda, it was my pleasure to put Elana in front of the camera and ask her a few key questions about “Talking Chic,” and the direction she has taken her career.

Elana is also the owner of “Good Girl Gone Shopping,” which is a personal shopping, wardrobe consulting and styling business. She is also the senior editor of PlasticSurgery.com and Beautychatblog.com. In addition to being a fashion blogger, Elana has a website, which is an extension of “Good Girl Gone Shopping,” formerly known as “Diary of a Personal Shopper.”

How did you get started?

I actually got started with fashion writing . . . you (Kaylene Peoples, editor in chief of Agenda Magazine) invited me on when I was in college. I was at Nordstrom in the TBD and Savvy department. And I started building up a clientele of women who were looking for trendy and modern fashion. So inkeeping contact with her, it just started. So five years I’ve been with Agenda Magazine and that really branched off into other opportunities with various online publications. I felt confident enough to start my own blog, which is an extension of “Good Girl Gone Shopping.” I then moved on to PlasticSurgery.com, where I am the senior editor and writer. I say moved on, but I am still doing various projects at once. So really it started off with Agenda Magazine .

How did you know you had a special eye for fashion?

I don’t know if I ever knew I had a special eye. I just love color! I loved playing dress-up. My mom always tells me that when I was a child, I put a skirt on my head because it was pink and I just wanted to go out in public and feel fabulous, and she let me. I was about five then. Because fashion really expresses your personality, I’ve never seen a limit to that. I never thought there were boundaries and I always believed there shouldn’t be. So it just innately developed.

Tell me about “Good Girl Gone Shopping.”

It’s still a personal venture and is still growing, but it started off by helping girls in the office. At PlasticSurgery.com I always played around with footwear, and gradually girls would come up to me and say, “Elana, I’m going to a wedding. What do you think I should wear?” And I’d throw something out like, “Wear a black dress, wear colored shoes, but throw a clutch on.” Word started to spread, and on our breaks I offered to go with my co-workers to Target and Macy’s. It was then that I started realizing that not only was I helping them, but we did it within an hour, under their budget. Everything we found was on sale. I started to realize that women desired my services. Instead of just helping them in the store, I started going into their rooms and their closets. My biggest focus now is helping them stylize with what they already have, and they don’t need to spend a penny. It’s very exciting now because they now realize that all of their clothes are versatile. Basically go into your closet and play dress up. “Good Girl Gone Shopping” is really to bring out the inner fashionista with no limits.

Let’s say I’m a woman slightly overweight, 185 lbs., and 5’4″. I’m going to a class reunion, haven’t seen my fellow classmates in 10 years. And I’m nervous because I put on this weight. What can I wear that is going to make me look fabulous?

I think for a woman who could be self-conscious about being overweight and she’s going to her reunion, black (to me) is always everyone’s best friend because it is slimming. Of course, it matters what she’s wearing. I would suggest a nice slack and some kind of black blouse and then focus color elsewhere—a fabulous shoe, a fabulous clutch, a cardigan, a necklace—something that can bring the eye elsewhere. So if she’s self-conscious abouther stomach or her arms, play around with other parts of the body. Fancy footwear is so exciting because you can play around with it. And again it brings the eyes elsewhere. I would suggest starting with the basics, a black, maybe a charcoal, a chocolate brown. Once she has her basics, then she can play around with accessories. So I would think a woman who is overweight going to her class reunion should focus on the accessories and the outer aspects of fashion.

You always hear people talking about how you might not be accessorizing an outfit correctly. Would you say that color plays a big role in accessorizing an outfit?

Color and accessories depend on the person’s personality. If a woman lives in black and she loves it, that’s her style. However, a great necklace with some turquoise can really make it pop. I think accessories offer a great opportunity to play with color. It’s trial and error. Someone who doesn’t usually wear accessories shouldn’t just wear a bright pink necklace and just throw anything on. It really takes a lot to find pieces that match who a person really is.

What do you term yourself as?

I call myself a fashion writer because of my perspective of fashion. From that perspective, I have thoughts and opinions, and that’s when I express them.

Highest High

Fashion Week 2006, interviewing a designer backstage. There were a few different situations where I was interviewing Kevan Hall and his closet of clothes before the show started, being on the runway afterwards and speaking to the designer of Single [Galina Sobolev], and when I realized I was among other professionals who are doing what I’ve always wanted to do. I realized it couldn’t get much better than this. I am now speaking to those who also have a passion. Sitting at the shows, sitting in the 2 nd row—I remember there was a time when I was sitting behind Wesley Snipes. He turned around and I gave him my card. I remember thinking to myself, “In college I never would have dreamt that I’d be in a situation where I would be just as important as the A-listers, as the celebrities.” My role was needed there. A writer was needed, and I was there to serve that purpose. I believe Fashion Week during that year was my highest high.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Five years from now I would love to eventually have “Good Girl Gone Shopping” as a corporation. I live in the Inland Empire in Upland, California. I would love to be the “go-to” person for all women’s needs and men’s needs. I have helped some male clients look for suits and look for sweaters. I really want to build that business. That would be my goal to make it thrive. Eventually branch off into the LA and Orange County area. But I’m always going to be a writer. I would like to have a book out where I notate all of my experiences thus far. I have grown quite a lot.

You said you help men with their fashion, too. What’s that like?

Women are a little more self-conscious and a little more insecure with their bodies. One male client I had was leaving for an unexpected trip and told me what he wanted, suits and casual jackets. He gave me the color scheme. I went to JC Penny, found everything within an hour or two. It is an easier purchase because men don’t like to fuss. With women, you have to pay a little more attention to what they’re feeling inside.

What do you do when people are stuck on one color? What advice could you give to help them choose more of a variety?

To really convince a person that a color isn’t that flattering, or maybe they’re always wearing the same color and it’s in all their pictures, I would ask what is it about the color they like? For instance, purple. If someone is wearing that a lot, I’d like to know what is it about that color that appeals to them? How does it make them feel? They can still wear that color by wearing accents of that same color.

You’ve written some really interesting columns for “Talking Chic”: Tattoos, Brittney Spears bald, the teeny-weeny bikini . . . . What has been your inspiration for “Talking Chic”?

At seven years old, I always had a journal. Talking Chic is me talking, but talking about it in a chic manner. That’s where the name came from. I’m assuming everyone’s listening, but it’s more of me getting my thoughts out because I am sure it’s something people can relate to.

Any Lows?

I’ve learned to always do my research before I go to events, interview anyone, or write anything. One time I went to an event and I wasn’t the most appropriately dressed and I actually didn’t know who would be there. I once was interviewing one celebrity and there was a celebrity next to that person and I didn’t know her name. I knew she was a fan of that designer, but I should have researched all the celebs that were fans. Doing your research is number one because you want to show people that you know what you’re doing. You need to make sure that you are doing your all to prove that you deserve to be there. So doing your research is number one.

Interviewed by Kaylene Peoples

Tomorrow Is Another Day

For too long we have been a country that has had too much, so much that whole government agencies have gotten together to decide how to dispose of our excess. That excess has been useable produce, overproduced goods, and even an excess of money when we were as a nation free of debt. From the first immigrants who came to this country, the English, Spanish, and so on, to now, we have had the attitude, “Expand, expand, expand.” With this attitude we have wasted and polluted our land, run through our resources, and have found it impossible to live with the native inhabitants as well as each other. The big wide America has become a place somewhat filled with despairing people who have lost their homes, their jobs and their hopes, causing us to take pause and assess our expansive approach.

We have been members at a feast. Our tables have been filled with a variety of delicacies to choose from. We have had man and beast. We have had mountains and deserts. We have had land and sea. We have expanded our borders imperialistically and with the same attitude of expansion to incorporate other countries and their resources. Our table is spoiling and we cannot stand to put the meal to our lips. We can no longer engorge ourselves on a rotting meal, causing some to open our eyes and take pause and others to unsuccessfully revive the feast. What can we preserve? What do we need to toss? We can preserve nothing forever. We need to ration and allow what is fallow to breathe and replenish.

Individuals have taken limited dollars to buy unnecessary items packaged in commodities that will be discarded. Not even 100 years ago would people dream of buying packaged meals but would cook their own from scratch. Not even 50 years before that would people dream of buying clothing from the store. They would sew their own. We have had so much money that we’ve forgotten how wasteful it is to purchase items we could make ourselves, given the expertise. It takes less for me to bake my own bread and prepare my own meals than it does to purchase these items in the store. I begin to take breath in slowly during the few minutes of kneading bread. As I breathe in the aroma, I forget to run here and there to accomplish nothing while expending time. My car is allowed to rest, and I can put up my feet.

We need to realize that time is also a resource that we waste because we believe we will live forever. We waste our health, believing that the vitality we experience today will carry on into the future no matter what we do. We deceive ourselves when we do not recognize that everyone will age and will need the help of another. Some of us blindly carry on our lives as if no one else exists until we end up being forced to depend on others.

There is a natural law of the universe that nothing is permanent and nothing is lost. Animals live to procreate and die. Their flesh and bones decay and turn to dust, and new life springs forth from that dust. Whatever is lost ultimately returns to earth in some form or another. However, we have found a way to discard materials that do not break down and therefore scar the land; but everything will ultimately come to an end, even heavy duty plastic. This earth will come to an end some day, a few billion years in the future. Life as we know it will not exist within a few million years. Even microbes will not exist much beyond that, but the earth will go on until it is absorbed by the sun, which will also fade away.

The God that we believe in may appear as the light we experience upon arising only to diminish some day. We could understand that while we live, we pass away. What will we leave for others? What will we leave for another day? What can we salvage from our table? What must we allow to decay?

Whatever you are experiencing today—whether it is prosperity or the lack thereof—take a breath. Life as we experience it is only temporal. Therefore, this too shall pass and tomorrow is another day.

By Lisa Trimarchi