January 13 
Hi everyone! I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend so far! We flew back a couple of days ago and are currently battling a mild cold. My nose is waging war against me and hasn’t stopped running in the past two days. MM is in a better state but still fighting overall body aches. Lots of soups, water, orange juice, blankets, and tissue paper for now =)
:: Rome ::
Before leaving Florence, we took a quick trip to Rome (we’ll do Venice next time!). Thank you so much for all of your suggestions! Since we were limited on time, we just focused on the Colosseum and Vatican Museums. Both amazing structures with so much history.
There’s so much inspiration in the Vatican Museums. From the use of primary colors in paintings to the patterns on the ceiling, I couldn’t help but take notes and pictures.
:: Behind the scenes at Style Lab ::
Twice a year, Luisa Via Rome, a boutique in Florence, hosts Firenze4Ever events where designers and bloggers come together to celebrate next season’s collection. I almost fell off my chair when we got the invitation last year (I read the invitation at least a dozen time before believing it was true) and am ever so grateful that we were invited to the 6th Edition this year. What an amazing way to start 2013!
As part of Firenze4Ever, bloggers participate in a Style Lab event where we have about 4 hours to complete two or more looks. Working with the hair and make-up team, planning shoots with the photographers (in our case, MM and I were a team), coordinating with the boutique assistants to pick out items that we want to style (I worked with Francesca last year and was so happy to get paired up with her again this year)… all of this breathes life into my day! The actual day of Style Lab is extremely chaotic. More of a controlled chaos. People gathered around in teams, clothes being prep for shoots, music echoing the excitement, anxiety, and creativity in the air. It’s really a fashion playground where our imagination can go wild.
With this edition of Style Lab, we really wanted to do three looks but unfortunately ran out of time. For all of the looks, I wanted to experiment with colors and prints. For me, the first look was about juxtaposition and the second look was about whimsy. I wanted to complement the soft tulle with the feather details, and contrast them with the metal points on the necklace and clutch. For the second look, it was a dash of Alice in Wonderland mixed with a pinch of Beetlejuice. Wearing and shooting a sapphire gown overlooking the Duomo and a geo-print train skirt on a merry-go-round was an opportunity of a lifetime. Absolutely unforgettable memories!
We started with me on the ground first, but then quickly realized that the view of the Duomo was obstructed by the balcony wall (picture above with balcony wall, picture below without). Without a second thought, I suggested to MM if I could stand on the ledge. I’m actually not afraid of heights but MM is, so it was quite charming to see the reaction on his face. It was a mix of fear plus excitement and a heavy dose of trust. I looked around and thoroughly assessed the situation to make sure that everything was safe and proceed to climb on the ledge barefooted. I tried not to move too much while standing up there so it wouldn’t give MM a heart attack.
We had so much fun shooting this look! The lighting was right, there was a children’s choir group singing holiday songs at the steps of the Duomo that reverberated all the way up to where we were… all that was missing was a flock of doves flying overhead for it to be a perfect scene straight out of a movie.
Even though we’re styling with the Spring collection, the weather itself was very cold. And it’s the reverse for the summer event where the styling is for Fall/Winter but the weather is very hot. Francesca graciously covered me at every break to help keep me warm. Both MM and I were on such an adrenaline rush from the shoot that we didn’t feel the cold at all.
On the flight back home, MM and I chatted about our Firenze4Ever experience and an overwhelming feeling of appreciation consumed our hearts. The experience, the events, the people, the fashion playground, and the shoots were beyond priceless. Thank you so much for being on this journey with us. Thank you for visiting this blog. We’re forever grateful for your support.
Luisa Via Roma, thank you for the unforgettable memories. The whole experience was a dream come true for us. Thank you.
As always, thank you so much for reading!
:: Rome Outfit ::
Top :: AllSaints leather jacket (old) (similar here), SOYER wrap vest
Bottom :: So Low
Shoes :: Stuart Weitzman
Bag :: Mulberry
:: Style Lab blue dress ::
‘Luisa Via Roma – Style Lab first look‘ blog post
:: Style Lab geo print outfit ::
‘Luisa Via Roma – Style Lab second look‘ blog post
Thank you so much for reading!
