Shan Keith’s “In My Lane” Runway Show Was A Whole Vibe

I can’t think of a better way to set off the perfect fall weekend in St. Louis than with a fall fashion show. Shan Keith’s “In My Lane” runway event went down last Sunday. You’d recognize Shan Keith from his splashing appearance on Project Runway in 2014. Perhaps you know him from his work with Zendaya and Rachel Roy. No question, he’s one of the best designers to emerge from the Lou, and we’re lucky to have him here.

Keith’s runway event aptly dubbed “In My Lane,” took his runway outside to the track of North Technical High School. That detail was a surprise for attendees. It was a pleasant surprise when we saw how the theme, the looks, and the entire vibe came together.

One thing is always guaranteed in a Shan Keith experience. You’re going to see exquisite designs, impeccable styling, and leave inspired to step up your style game. I also left with a wish list of about 20 designs I was ready to rip straight from the runway. Keith has a special ability for juxtaposing edgy and sweet, hard and soft, all in one look. I’m so here for it. See what I mean in the highlights below.

Fashion Meets Culture in My Fashion Week Style

Last week, I attended the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition, the closing event of Saint Louis Fashion Week 2016. When I first talked about the event, I couldn’t stop raving about the bold, standout pieces by Beltshazzar Jewels, one of the finalists. Well, y’all, I got to rock some jewelry from the line, and I’m now an even bigger fan. See how the jewelry perfectly accented my fashion week style.

Saint Louis Fashion week style

Dress | Booties | Necklace c/o | Earrings c/o | Bag

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Mixing and matching is signature to my style. From mixing prints to mixing items that fall into widely different price categories, my style brings different things together. I’m not surprised, then, that I adore Beltshazzar Jewels because Theresa, the designer and owner, is a master mixer.

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A Brass necklace that combines two chain link styles. Cream leather tassels. And, get this. A conch shell pendant anchoring it all. A conch shell!

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Conchs are native to the coasts of the Caribbean, and the shells are assigned varied symbolic meanings throughout the Caribbean. So, I felt a homely connection to this necklace.

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Furthermore, how amazing does this one-of-a-kind necklace make my $22 mock neck sweater dress look? Just so you know, I bought the dress in a size medium because I didn’t want it to be too clingy. To make sure the necklace was the star of my fashion week style, I wore a monochrome outfit with varied shades of wine.

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By the way, my earrings are by Beltshazzar Jewels as well. They are horn hoops hanging from the coolest hook I’ve ever seen. I’ll be wearing this pair again and again.

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Styling in a Cozy Sweater Vest for Under $20

What’s olive green, cozy, stylish, and under $20? This sweater vest, y’all! Vests are such stylish choices for layers this fall. You’ve seen me rock them here, here, here, and here. So, when I spotted today’s featured sweater vest with its right-on-trend color, shawl color, and angled pockets, I was an instant fan. When I saw the price, though, I became its owner. How this luxe-looking olive sweater vest is only $19.99 is a puzzle I don’t even want to understand.

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Tee | Sweater vest | Joggers | Bag | Pumps (option) | Sunglasses | Earrings

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I wore my olive sweater vest to a networking event during my recent Marriott St. Louis Grand stay. The sweater vest was the perfect topper to tie together a simple combination of a white tee and black joggers. Don’t you also love the beautiful color synergy among white, black, and olive? This color mix might be a new favorite of mine.

Olive sweater vest

To dress up the look, I wore some J.Crew Elsie pumps. I love this particular pair of Elsie pumps so much because of its colorful woven fabric. It makes the shoes an easy choice for many outfits. I’ll continue to shop J.Crew shoes as long as the retailer keeps offering this style.

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I did a What’s in My Bag (the small crossbody bag edition) post recently. Today, you see that suede crossbody bag in action. The bag’s wine color really popped against that combination of white, black, and olive.

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Shark Tank Style Competition Coming to STL + Win 2 Tickets

This post is sponsored by Saint Louis Fashion Week

Every year I’ve attended Saint Louis Fashion Week (STLFW) has been a unique experience. Remember the events in 2015, 2014, and 2013? Epic! This year, thanks to a Shark Tank style competition, STLFW promises to be the most innovative one ever. The main event, the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition, will feature five St. Louis fashion makers vying for a grand prize of $10,000! It’s all going down on November 10th at 6:30 pm at Majorette. And, I’m giving away two tickets. Enter to win at the end of this post.

Saint Louis Fashion Week

You can read about all five artists competing for the grand prize on this page. You can even participate right now by voting your favorite as the People’s Choice Winner. Just so you know, voting is open through November 8.

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On the night of the actual competition, don’t look for your typical runway show. No, no, no. This event is bringing interactive fashion presentations, video exhibits, and get this, LIVE PITCHES by the finalists. Can you imagine all the fashion energy and ingenuity that’ll permeate Majorette on November 1oth? This event is not to be missed, y’all. I’m giving away two tickets, but you can also purchase tickets for $10 right here. This is the kind of event, after all, that you attend with your entire squad.

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Because I know you all love statement jewelry as much as I do, I thought you’d be especially interested in Theresa Wangia of Beltshazzar Jewels, one of the five fashion makers competing. If you’re in the St. Louis area, you may have seen Beltshazzar Jewels in stores like The Vault and The Heirloom Room. The pieces are easily identifiable, too, because they’re rich with a certain global flavor. Theresa draws inspiration from her world travels. And, the pieces? Each is one of a kind, usually made with natural elements like bone, leather, horn, stone, and metal.

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Photo via Beltshazzar Jewels

I’m excited to see and experience Theresa’s presentation and also her pitch at the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition. Judging by her bold pieces of jewelry, she’s going to make quite a splash and a strong case for that $10,000 prize.

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Photo via Beltshazzar Jewels

I’ll see you on November 10 at Majorette for the Caleres Fashion Entrepreneur Competition. Want a chance to win two free tickets to the event? Enter using the widget below.

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Styling the Banana Republic Pieced Jacquard Top

You may have glimpsed today’s featured outfit in my recap of the blogger experience during Saint Louis Fashion Week (STLFW). I wore this look for the day activities on the second day of STLFW. It was actually warm enough to wear a sleeveless top, no additional layers required.

Top—Banana Republic

Jeans—Target ℅ Denizen (under $30)

Shoes—J.Crew (old) | option

Bag—Rebecca Minkoff | this color on sale

Earrings—J.Crew (old) | option

Rings—Kendra ScottKendra Scott

Watch—Movado | Skagen option

This entire look is centered around the belted top, a top I instantly fell for because of its striking print. Actually, I was torn between the pieced jacquard top and the pieced jacquard dress. The top ultimately won because it was a more flattering fit for me than the drop waist dress. I figured I would be able to wear the top more often too.

I paired the pieced jacquard top with my current favorite jeans that just happen to retail for under $30.  A new curvy version of these jeans (also in medium wash) recently released, and I’m eager to try them on to compare the fit.

An old favorite pair of earrings, the J.Crew mixed media earrings, were perfect for accessorizing this casual look. I haven’t been drawn to the J.Crew jewelry collections this year. That was until the store launched this fabulous feather collar necklace earlier this week. I can’t wait to see that in person.

I packed all my essentials in my everyday tote, the Rebecca Minkoff unlined tote. Getting the bag in this port color was a good move because it goes with everything. If you’ve been watching the emerald color, it’s now 50% off! If you’re a fan of Rebecca Minkoff bags, you should check out the online sample sale, offering up to 75% off some popular styles.

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

The Entire Collection: