winter beach editorial

January 13, 2017 by Allison Koehler

Since I'm awake with jet lag over here, I figured I'd stop by to share some images from one of my last shoots of 2016!

I was so lucky to team up with Ashley Caroline, my dear friend, colleague, and wedding photographer (!) to style this shoot. Jakkelyn Iris absolutely stunned us with her incredible bouquet (Jakki was the florist for our wedding!), and Upstyle (friends who I work with on Bisou Sessions) made our model even more beautiful than she already is. And our model, Victoria Gloria, who you may know from My Motherhood Story and Bisou Sessions. All around, a veritable dream team of ladies.

Bridal editorial can be challenging because the dress is the focal point; accessories and other pieces play a small part in the aesthetic. The concept of the shoot was the brainchild of Ashley, so my goal was to take her direction - movement, minimal, powerful - and translate that into an inspiring wardrobe. Below is the final product:

Dress, Rebecca Schoneveld. Choker, Kenneth Jay Lane.

We wanted a dress with plenty of movement, and this option from Rebecca Schoneveld was perfect. We didn't want a lot of color, but wanted to play with textures and fabric, so focused on a chunky knit shawl in steel grey.

My work largely revolves around pieces that serve as the entire outfit, or, statement pieces, which means I keep accessories to a minimum. This beaded choker, however, was the perfect way to accessorize our bride, and will hopefully provide some inspiration to brides who are into the choker trend.

Dress: Tara Lauren Choker: Arme De L'amour

This set-up totally took my breath away: I love the way the champagne color of the dress contrasts against the sky, the water, and Jakki's incredible green bouquet.

And here's a little insight on how winter shoots actually work:

Victoria the trooper, balances on a rock while I fix her dress.

Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did; what a way to close out 2016!

Off to Big Sur today, follow along on my Instagram here.

xoxo,

aok

all photos by Ashley Caroline.

flowers by Jakkelyn Iris.

hair and makeup by Upstyle.

wardrobe styling by Allison Koehler.

slow fashion: maintaining your current wardrobe

January 10, 2017 by Allison Koehler

I got an email from someone the other day (Hi K!) in response to this post: sure, slow fashion is great and all, but she wanted to know how to make your clothes last once you have them.

GREAT question, and boy do I have a lot to say about this.

Buying items that mean a lot to you means that you actually have to take the time to maintain them properly. This is very different from throwing your H&M sweater in the wash with everything else and calling it a day.

I'm lucky to have a Mom who, though she is in my top 5 smartest people I know list and is so much more than her laundry abilities, taught me from a young age how to care for my clothes (and that NO stain is permanent). I've picked up quite a few tricks from her along the way. Combine that with lots of weddings and shoots with wardrobe malfunctions of all sorts, and I've got a veritable laundry (hehe) list of tips for you:

- Never hang sweaters: I see this in almost every closet and people don't even realize they're making any mistakes. Sweaters are knit material so hanging them will stretch them to be misshapen over time. if you don't have room in your drawers for your sweaters, do a little rearranging (maybe hang your jeans) to make room.

- Always machine wash items on cold: Another handy tip from Mom. Depending on the item, washing in water can stretch or shrink the piece and weaken fabric or elastics. Plus, hot water is wasteful!

- Wash delicates in a laundry bag to prevent twisting and snagging: This is a new(er) one from me. The older I get, the pickier I get about my unmentionables (read: no more undies from Marshalls), and washing them in a mesh bag means they keep their shape and don't get twisted around Raven's jeans.

- When in doubt, line dry: This goes for the aforementioned unmentionables, jeans, fancy pieces, and cotton that you don't want to shrink. If you aren't cool enough to have a laundry line (me), get a rack for this.

-Hand wash wool, silk, cashmere and dry clean only items items: This is a new one for me. The more I experience the dry cleaners, the less I want to take my stuff there. Between the hangers, the plastic, the twist ties, the entire process is wasteful - not to mention the horrible chemicals associated with dry cleaning. And, at the end of the day, they're running a business, and don't care as much as you do that your favorite dress is ruined. So, I'm trying to avoid having my clothes professionally dry cleaned. That means hand washing pieces using gentle soap like that from The Laundress or The Simply Co, then laying flat to dry.

Quick Fixes:

For pilling, get a sweater shaver or comb.

For stains, try a baby wipe. Weird, I know, but it totally works.

For bigger stains, try this. My go-to stain remover.

Questions? Anything I didn't cover? Let me know!

xoxo,

aok

favorites from the golden globes

January 09, 2017 by Allison Koehler

I've only seen Arrival thus far, so I'm very behind in that regard, but in terms of fashion, I am top of the class. So, a few notes on some of my favorites last night:

You know I have a thing for menswear, so I was thrilled when Octavia rolled up to Ryan Seacrest in this beautiful tux last night. Beautifully tailored, and I love that she paired a big old ring and chandelier earrings with it.

YUP to this. She looks so HOT! Love the length and cut of her tuxedo pants, and the fact that the jacket is a little long. In an interview she said she wanted to wear a suit to show girls that a dress is not required on the red carpet. Awesome.

Best dressed for me. Every detail on point - this dress is an ethereal dream! The choker is perfection. Nothing else to say, but I knew this would be my favorite as soon as I saw her.

I'm SURE this dress landed her on the worst dressed list, but I cannot disagree more. Such a regal silhouette for a Queen (Foy plays Queen Elizabeth in The Crown), with kind of a disco / rock star feel with the sequins and color.

Another on the worst dressed list, but not for me! She's a work of art. I hope hope hope I am right that it's a black body suit underneath a lace dress - in which case, I love it even more. I also loved all the calf length dresses I saw last night.

Obsessed with Pharrell's "vintage" (circa 2012) Chanel look. Definitely one of my favorites.

JT always wears Tom Ford (remember his song Suit and Tie?); I love all the details of this jacket. I like seeing a tux+, a little something extra, you know? Suit wearing folks that are getting married this year - take note!

YES! YES! YEEEEEEEEEEES! Velvet, 70's, BROWN...EVERYTHING! Flawless. Love the black shoes paired with this brown suit. I'm being very eloquent, but, just take note of this outfit. File it away, know that this is what fashion is all about. If you're getting married and you want to wear something like this - call me. I will style your whole situation for free.

Honorable mentions: Michelle Williams, Tracee Ellis Ross, Mandy Moore, Natalie Portman, Ruth Negga, Kristen Wiig.

And that's all I've got for you today!

xoxo,

aok

current wishlist

January 05, 2017 by Allison Koehler

I spend a lot of time sharing pieces that I source for others, which I love to do...but after Monday's post about slowing down our consumption, I wanted to share where I'm currently at with regards to my wardrobe.

I don't "need" anything right now. I wanted a pair of hiking boots for our trip to Big Sur next week, and I got them over the holidays. Other than that, I have plenty to wear (in fact, I'm trying to get rid of stuff). That doesn't mean I'm exempt from the all too familiar closet-full-of-clothes-nothing-to-wear conundrum, but with a very tight clothing budget for the year, I've got to be strategic about any new additions I make to my closet.

But, looking is definitely not off limits, you hear? So these are the pieces I'm dreaming of lately:

1. Frank & Eileen High / Low Button Down - I actually came across this piece while sourcing for this month's newsletter, and have not been able to stop thinking of it. I've fallen in love with high/low hems over the past year or so, and this one looks to be perfect. Its a little pricy, so I'll wait to see if it goes on sale.

2. Stella McCartney Dog Shirt - When I saw this shirt for the first time I gasped with delight. If Hermoine Granger cast a spell that turned me into a shirt...this would be it. It's me in every way: menswear inspired but decidedly feminine in its silk fabric, cheeky but polished, professional but with a wink. It's perfection. Yeah, I know it's $800+, so I'm waiting and wishing for a sale, but make no mistake about it: if it were the only thing I bought this year, I would be proud. Our closets should be filled with pieces we love, and they become even more special when we save for them.

3. bird x Active Cashmere beanie - My sister in law just made me the perfect hat for Christmas this year (see it here, you can order one for yourself if you like!), and it only worsened my obsession with cute winter hats. I love the colors that this one comes in, but again, I'd wait for a sale before buying.

4. Saint Laurent Pumps - Confession! I don't own a pair of black pumps. Which is silly because while I don't have a ton of social occasions that require them, I have a lot of professional occasions that do. These SL pumps are way out of my budget, but I'm including them here because I love the style: suede, block heel (that isn't too high), round toe. I'm hell bent on manifesting a pair like this under $200.

5. Re/Done Sweatshirt - I actually had this in my cart last week and was about to buy it, but just couldn't justify the price tag. I don't have many vintage pieces, and my family are long time ND football fans, so I thought this would be perfect. Then I searched on etsy and ebay and found similar pieces for $40. So, I'm on the hunt. But I think something like this will happen this year.

That's it! Hit me up with questions, and Happy Thursday!

xoxo,

aok

engagement shoot styling SALE

January 03, 2017 by Allison Koehler

Good afternoon! Or, if you're in New York like me, wet, dreary, stay-inside afternoon.

Last night I was thinking about this time 2 years ago - Raven and I had been engaged a mere couple of weeks, and I was already diving head first into the deep end of the planning pool. I adored planning my wedding, and I loved getting indoctrinated into what I like to call "Club Bride" over the course of the winter months following the holidays.

We're into peak engagement season right now, and I wanted to extend a something special your way if you're newly engaged. I'm offering a deep discount on my engagement styling services to all couples who got engaged between Thanksgiving and now!

My sessions are $500, but with this discount I'm offering my services for $300 (+ cost of travel depending on your location). Read more about my sessions here.

To book, shoot me an email with the date of your engagement and that's it!

Looking forward to working together!

xoxo,

aok