MARIALIA

140 characters on twitter was not enough to say what I am most thankful for today so I brought it over to this journal instead!!! I am bummed that I wasn't able to volunteer at the LA mission today because all spots were full when I applied, but it makes me happy that the rest of this city is so eager to help others that don't have it as well as most of us. I have always always wanted to help out at a shelter for Thanksgiving- next year I know to apply much earlier!

Anyways, I just wanted to share with everyone how THANKFUL i am for everything that I have been BLESSED with. Jesus has been my homeboy for a long time now & he has seriously helped me out with everything that I have accomplished so far, so for that I want to give him a big hug and kiss. I am such a hard working person & all modesty aside for a second- have come a really long way since the high school days when I started doing this whole fashion design thing for real...I have so much determination & passion & will to succeed and even through all the daily bullshit that I deal with to get from point A to point B, all the sleepless nights finishing pieces in time for deadlines, and all the frustrations when trying to make my latest collection the best they can possibly be- when I look past everything and at the overall big picture- I am honestly living my dream right now & I couldn't be more happy, grateful, and thankful for it!

With that said, one of the most important things for me to say THANK YOU to this year, and every year after this, is THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU GUYS. Every single one of you that always supports me and motivates me and gets inspired by me....Reading all your nice emails comments messages etc makes everything worth it & I want to give all of you a giant hug! Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Being able to do something i have always dreamed about since I could remember and having support & fans & people that love my art is the best feeling in the world. I LOVE YOU!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, WHAT ARE YOU MOST THANKFUL FOR???

xo

marialia

It's probably apparent by now that I have really hard feelings against chain clothing retailer FOREVER21. FOREVER21 has come a long way over the years, offering chic style at an almost ridiculously affordable price. What many FOREVER21 shoppers don't realize though, is that handfuls of those "chic affordable" items are legitimate RIP OFFS of other hard working clothing, footwear, and accessory designers. Now, before you get too defensive on me—I understand that almost everything in the sense of originality is a rip off of something else; that designs cannot be copyrighted and that everything has been done before; that knock-offs have existed since forever (ex: LV, Coach, Prada, etc handbags); and last but not least: that FOREVER21 isn't the only chain that "copies" designers' original work. I realize that other places such as H&M, Massimo for Target, & even other high-end designers such as BCBG Max Azria "copy" from other high-end designers as well. BUT no one makes it more apparent than FOREVER21, and no one has had more lawsuits filed against them for stealing patterns and designs than they have. Diane Von Frustenburg, Gwen Stefani, Ana Sui, and most recently EXPRESS, are a few among the many 50+ lawsuits that have been filed against the chain retailer for copyright infringement aka: stealing their original design, manufacturing it, and selling it a much much lower price.

I must hand it to FOREVER21 founders Du Won & Jin Sook Chang—what a genius idea their company has become (especially in time of recession). Who would want to spend $150+ on a pair of shoes when you can just walk into your local FOREVER21 and find the most similar pair possible for just $14.80? As an independent designer & day job styling for BCBG Max Azria, I hate on FOREVER21 for doing this—I have experienced it first hand from seeing designs at BCBG and then going into F21 and seeing the same thing replicated for much much much cheaper. It's annoying, & its really not fair to all of us designers out there. I understand that consumerism is everything in this world and with that being said that most of you will see my point and still disagree with me because forever21 is "more affordable"...but regardless, lets take a look at some of the rip-offs that I have noticed below...

Classic! I know copies of Converse have been around for forever, but it still doesn't make it right!...

They even rip off independent artists!

..back in 2008 Forever21 was seen ripping off a milk&cookies tshirt design from Threadless.com, a site where independent artists sell their work on t-shirts. I love threadless.com & think its a pretty low blow that forever21 would do something like this to an artist!

Some EXACT rip-off's of items that can be found @ your local BCBG Maz Azria:

...zipper headbands that look exactly like the ones above, courtesy of forever21.com, were released in early fall by BCBG Maz Azria

Additional past copy-cat claims, courtesy of various online sites...

To sum everything up: NOT. COOL. I can't stand the fact that after so many lawsuits, FOREVER21 still continues to get away with copying from other designers. I, personally, stopped shopping there a few months ago after learning and researching more about this. It's so blatant that the company does this just to gain more revenue and steer consumerism, and its not fair. Its not difficult for them to have the same price point, but come up with their OWN designs...

Now for the big question, what do you prefer: FOREVER21 Knock-offs or Designer Original? What are your thoughts on FOREVER21 copy cat pieces?

xo

marialia

I was told recently that I should make more videos more often...I never really know what to make video media about, & I usually prefer photos and writing! BUT I thought this could be a good start...a q&a video! Its been done, I know. But I get a lot of emails and questions on here about my work and sometimes I forget to reply to ever single one of them (sorry!) :(

SO...post your questions below...later in the week I will make a video response to answer as many as I can!

Happy asking!

xoxo

FASHION plays the starring role in pop-culture.

I am not a huge fan of trends, but sometimes there's no escaping them. In honor of the new Twilight series movie New Moon & its release right around the corner, I thought it was appropriate to focus on a look that has been taking the runways by storm since the entire "vampire" phenomenon has become a huge thing in current pop culture. Whether you are a twi-hard or not (I'm not! But I do enjoy the movies and am admittedly sort of looking forward to seeing New Moon, shh...), the vampire-inspired look can be very chic & sexy... depending on how you put it together. Think lots of lace, textured blacks, and subtle accents of white and deep red... you don't need to be an Edward&Bella obsessed freak to rock it! 

Take a look at a few villain inspired looks I put together below...

LOOK 1:

Stud gloss leggings $55 @ topshop.com, lace top $98 @ bcbg.com, metallic lace trim bandeau $19 @ ardenb.com, multi cross necklace $38 @ bebe.com, DV by dolce vita "carly" bootie $99 @ nordstrom.com, O.P.I. nail polish in malaga wine $12 @ opi.com

LOOK 2:

Lace tier skirt $58 @ urbanoutfitters.com, Jeffrey Campbell boot $160 @ lorisshoes.com, paisley fishnets $5.80 @ forever21.com, sheer lace black tunic $78 @ freepeople.com, NARS lipstick in sephora flame $24 @ sephora.com, bow clutch $29 @ speigel.com

LOOK 3:

Tiered lace bubble top $48 @ ardenb.com, ruffled military jacket $148 @ bloomingdales.com, point knit lace legging $71 @ nordstrom.com, spike stud bracelet $14 @ bebe.com, charm ribbon bangle $39 @ bebe.com, dsquared bootie $390 @ yoox.com

WHICH LOOK IS YOUR FAVORITE? ARE YOU INTO 'VAMPIRE-CHIC'? COMMENT BELOW & LET ME KNOW!

xo

marialia

Do not expect people to tell you the truth because they also lie to themselves. Why I decided to sit here and waste time and write a journal right now is beyond me, but sometimes I get in those moods? weird i know. In high school when I took my favorite class ever aka creative writing, we did this thing called free writes every single day. Its where you open your journal, set a timer for 5 minutes, and just keep writing...we would get in trouble for stopping "the pen needs to keep moving!"...none of it ever was supposed to make sense- you would get the words out on paper before you had time to think of how to make sense of them. Afterwards, we had to highlight our favorite phrase and circle three words, and then we went around the class and everyone would pick one of the words they circled to say. That class was seriously my therapy. I loved it, and i had the journal somewhere up in my closet for years and right now its in my lap, along with my binder from senior year. Everything is exactly how it was when I left it...I was an amazing writer if I do say so myself, I loved writing- I still do, I would assume, but fashion design has eaten my soul....flipping through it...not much has changed...its important to never forget who you used to be; i did for a second and then I started reading what i used to write...here's a free write right now...for old times sakes...

monday novemebr 11, 2009 7:48pm

nothing short amazing not much has changed photoshop makes anyone look good, you have to be good at what you do in order to succeed, i will not succumb to anyone you can come along for the ride or get the fuck out of my life, i don't have much time for drama or idiodcy, i live for me and you can love it or hate it, maybe people don't understand that i will stop at nothing to achieve what i have always wanted i wonder if my meal on cafeworld has spoiled yet or is ready to be served? i should probably check on it ..my head itches and my mouth itches but i have to free write for the next 5 minutes and i cant stop the pen must keep moving! so grateful for everything that has been given to me i am so incredibly blessed and lucky sometimes you just have to keep your mouth shut, its not about always needing to defend yourself, sometimes its just not worth it. my arm kind if hurts right now from the constant typing, i dont really know why i am doing this but its pretty refreshing and theraputic i suggest everyone try it! gotta keep writing now my ear itches? gah so weird jdksjdksjdjsi blah blah blah no thoughts are really forming in my empty head its amazing what comes out of your head when you are not thinking about making it make sense some of the best things in life dont make sense, they just are..mi mancha l'italia, mi sempre manch e non vedo l'ora che ci posso andare un altra volta, un sacrifico e perche il sogni nascono qui, certe volte sometimes spero che avrei un cuore freddo non mi devo fregarre di nessuno il mondo e mio. one more moar minute left i took a long walk last night and prayed to god that everything was going to work out for myself i do believe in god and alot of the times i find myself rambling like a crazy person to him, he and my mom and the only people in my life worth being her for i cant even explain how amazing it feels to have a sense of support that really cant even be explained to begin with, this is where i start contradicitng myself, sometimes i wish i were even a bigger bitch than i already am i dont think i am because im not malicious i just dont put up with bullshit and my feelings towards almost everyone is  cold and causal i dont expect anything out of anyone except myself its all just a let down, i pity those without a mind of their own, get out of my way i put everything out in the open im never ashamed. arrivederci, time is up, questo mi serviva. 7:54pm.

i LOL'd at the dgaf part below...haha...oh, past.

one of my favorites...

poem book..

not much has changed?...

do you free write? journal? i should start making time again...just got a major blast from the past...good to know i had the same attitude three years ago that i do today. Its weird hitting the "publish" button right now...

xo marialia

It's getting close to winter! Cold weather, long nights, the spirit of the holidays...time for you fashion bunnys to get cozy and wrap yourself up in...fur coats?

Oh, the great fur debate. We all know where I stand on this—I do consider myself somewhat of an animal rights activist & I shudder at the thought that in this year 2009, there are still people and designers ESPECIALLY that think its okay to still wear and use real fur in their collections. Animal fur looks better on the animal, simple as that—and not to get too controversial in such a hot subject already, but do you know where most new fur comes from and how its collected? Google it if you have the guts and prepare to have your heart broken.

Personally, "vintage" fur is just as bad and it really saddens me to see people and runways sport any sort of authentic fuzz—and although I have been called a hypocrite for being so against real fur and loving FAUX fur, I most definitley do not see it that way. The point of this weeks fashion feature is to focus on FAKING IT. Faux is the only acceptable way to rock the fuzzy look by my standards. Feel free to disagree, complain, & voice all your arguments in the comment box below...

Here are a few of my personal favorite faux fur pieces that I would rock any day of the week!

Vintage style faux fur coat $250 @ topshop.com

Love love love the length. pair with leggings and ankle boots and you're set!

Jeremy Scott Faux Furry FLINSTONES dress, available spring2010 @ jeremyscott.com

Posted about this before and posting about it again! GENIUS!

LOVE THIS ONE! Calbourne faux fur jacket lauren by Ralph Lauren $499 @ bloomingdales.com

(Considering this is a RL piece, I'm pretty surprised this model isn't photoshopped to have a 10inch waist. But i also assume RL fired her after this shoot for being "overweight" yeah?)

Handmade faux fur skirt @ weardrobe.com  

...loving the where the wild things are take on this photo! such a cute skirt.

Krok the blue furry monster backpack $60 @ etsy.com

...Okay maybe I'm the only one crazy enough to sport this, but hooowww cuuuute! I would totally wear this out. MUST HAVE! Taking faux fur to the cutest level ever!

Furry animal ring $8 @ etsy.com

Rein Peppard TAKE NOTES! THIS is the way to rock animal heads as accessories...recycled craft feathers, googley eyes, and recycled wood. I think these are way cute!

Bombshell faux fur jacket $120 @ karmaloop.com

MaryKate and Ashley need to get some of this in their closets!! Super cute with a party dress and tights =]

Yeti boots by Roxy $39 @ roxy.com

...FAVORITE!! I have loved the polar bear feet look for so long, but its been hard to find a pair that is 100% faux. I'm typically not a fan of Roxy clothing but they get a giant gold star for putting these out. Must order asap!! Way better than the Koolaburra ones!

What are some of your favorite furry items??? My only tip is- don't wear faux fur all at once! You'll look like a wookie ;)

And now for the big question...Real fur ( :[ ) , or FAUX fur ( :D ) ??  Comment & let me know!

xo

marialia