EDUCATE ELEVATE

     Educate the mind, elevate the grind. That's the motto of Educate Elevate, a dope street wear line with a positive message. I was super excited when they reached out to me because I really vibe with the positive energies they put out. It's the same overall idea that I practice and preach. Their message is basically "The more you educate yourself about the world and your surroundings, the higher chance you have of moving up in the world and being successful. Not just successful in terms of money, but at  being the best version of YOU you can possibly be." They gifted me this sporty crop with their exclusive logo on it. It's light weight, breathes, and I love the colors. I've been wearing this top quite a bit, definitely going to be a staple this summer. It's easy to throw on for a comfy outfit and you still come out looking stylish. This top also looks great with a white tennis skirt, or athletic shorts in like colors! 

TOP // EDUCATE ELEVATE

FUR // LA MODA

SHOES // ECHO CLUB HOUSE

CHOKERS // TUNNELVISION

RING // SHOP DESERT MOON

Photos by ❋ Nicholas Valdo (IG: @Valdonicholas)

Check out more of his work at www.valdonicholas.com!

     Geeeeze, has life been crazy lately. I know I haven't updated you guys in a while, but that is literally how crazy it's been. Between trying to figure out what direction to go in schooling and my career I've been so jumbled. I took quite a long time off school exploring the field and seeing what I loved most. To be honest I love a looot of things when it comes to fashion. My overall goal is to do more then just one thing - styling, fashion design, showroom business, etc. Although lately I came to the obvious conclusion that I really need to focus on one thing and perfect it before I can get too crazy. Even though it has been a great experience just trying out a bunch of things, it's made me realize how much I love fashion design and how much I want to be the best at what I do. 

     So here I am again at somewhat of a square one. I'm done with my first year at FIDM and am now headed off to Trade Tech. I'm switching for a number of reasons. First, I don't want to pay that $31,000 loan that would fall into my lap after finishing out FIDM. Second, my major just wasn't quite right. I was taking fashion design and business but there wasn't enough fashion design. I enjoyed learning everything that I did because it prepares me for a wide amount jobs in fashion but I need more focus on design. So instead of starting over at FIDM which would be very costly and a waste of time, I'm going to Trade Tech. See at FIDM, once you pick a major you have a set class course and you can't take others unless you pay $700. Plus credits are non-transferrable. At Trade Tech you can more selectively pick what you want to take and it's very very very much cheaper. So that's war I'm doing!

     One of the things that really put into perspective that I want to be a fashion designer first and foremost is going to Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas a couple months ago. SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. It was such a good time for my career and for partying lol. I'm going to tell you the whole story! 

VEGAS ~

     I knew only a few days before that I could go and I was ecstatic. I went with the designer I intern for, Freddie of Rojas Clothing. We left on a sunday night and arrived at the Excalibur hotel. It's not the classiest but tbh I've always wanted to stay there cause it's a castle lol. Monday morning we had to wake up early for set up. Magic was being held at Mandalay Bay convention center which was convieniently only a hotel away from the Excalibur. It was interesting seeing everyone set up and kind of see what the tradeshow was going to be like. Being in fashion, trade shows are a big part of your life so it was kind of an insight into what I was going to be doing for my profession. Next day was day 1 of Magic! I walked the pool tradeshow and hung with my girlies from Y.R.U. I also met a lot of buyers and people from other booths. I even walked JC's booth and saw all their new and exclusive shoes. 

     That night I went out with my friend Brenda who was luckily in Vegas too for a different tradeshow! WE HAD A BLAST. We chose the Bellagio as a meet up point. As we were walking through the lobby a promoter asked if we were going to the club there and we said no, but then he told us girls were free AND get free drinks till 12 so of course we were like hell yeah lol. I was so nervous because I'm not 21 yet and I had my friends ID but it literally worked everywhere!! So this was my first official time in Vegas as a "21 y/o." We went there to start off and when free drinks ended we went to the casino floor and pretended to gamble to get more free drinks! Quite a few drinks in and we leave the slots to go take selfies in the bathroom. While there, I realized I didn't have my phone! In a panic we ran back to the slots and there was a guy playing where I was sitting with my phone just sitting there.. lol he didnt even give a F! Thank goodness. Next we walked over to Planet Hollywood and went to the club there. It was low-key lame but free drinks + good music so it was chillen'. We danced and tried this drink called a wet pussy... it was delicious to be honest haha. After that we just explored the strip till I had to take Brenda's belligerent ass to her hotel lol. After getting her to her room it was like 4:30am. As I was walking through the lobby of Circus Circus, still pretty wasted, all that was running through my head was, "Vegas baby." I spotted a Krispy Kreme in the lobby, got myself a couple doughnuts, and went out to go catch a cab. In the back of the cab I just watched the strip go by as I literally devoured the doughnuts in the backseat. 

     The next morning I got up and got ready for the trade show. Luckily Freddie let me sleep in a bit so I was at least half alive when I woke up lol. I grabbed myself a bagel with cream cheese and a passion tea lemonade form Starbucks and started walking over to the convention center. The Magic Tradeshow is made up of a number of shows. I walked the Project and Womens show that day and saw a bunch of companies I knew like For love and Lemons and Wildfox. It was super cool to see all the lines before everyone else! One of my favorite parts of the tradeshow was just walking up and down the aisles and hearing everyone talk, throwing fashion terms back and forth. Never before have I ever felt such a strong sense of belonging and happiness. I also met a few people to collab with for my blog from other booths. Back at the Rojas booth I learned tons on how buying works and what to do as the designer. I also got a few orders placed for MY shorts design!! Which will soon be available on Dollskill and a store in Japan!!!!! I had such a great experience.

     That night was the Project party for everyone at the trade show. Me and Freddie headed over to the Mandalay Bay to meet up with Chuy and Franco at their suite. This is the first time I've actually been in a hotel suite and it was too cool. It overlooked the whole strip! We drank some cutie mixed drinks and headed down to the club. I got there and was feeling so weird cause I was dressed in my usual street wear garb and everyone was in their Vegas uniform (body-con and stilettos). Once inside we got some drinks and all hit the dance floor. The music was bumping and I was getting hella unexpected compliments on my fit and dance moves. Not to toot my own horn but I GET DOWN, and everyone was drawn in to come dance with me and it was awesome!! I felt so so so good. Then all of a sudden girls started to drop down from the ceiling in these hoops doing acrobatics! I pulled my phone out of my backpack to take some snapchats and put it in my pocket in case I wanted to take more. We started dancing hard again and when I checked my pocket my phone was gone! I looked around but my phone was gone for good this time! So I was like "F it" and just kept dancing. All my friends had left at this point so I just kept making new ones to dance with. After a while it was time for the surprise guest to come on, low and behold it was T PAIN!! He played all the jams and I was like throooowbaaack!!?$%$*%&((!!!!!!!! It was soo cool to see him live and so randomly. It was a blast from the past. I wasn't paying attention to the time because I had lost my phone so after a couple hours I finally asked the time and it was 4am! So I was like ok, I should probably go haha. I walked to the Excalibur in search of food before I went back up to my hotel room but no luck. So I walked over to New York New York hoping to find some pizza. There was one restaurant open and I was literally the only one in there lol. I sat at the bar and ate a whole plate of chicken wings before heading back to my room for the night.

     The next morning before heading to the tradeshow I stopped by lost and found in hope that my phone had been turned in, no dice. I called my phone a couple times with no answer when all of a sudden my phone was calling back! When I answered it was a girl who had found it on the floor and wanted to return it to the owner so she kept it. Just my luck! She was a buyer also there for Magic so we set a time later to meet up. I had to travel all the way to downtown LV to meet them up where they were having dinner at the Heart Attack Grill. When I got there it ended up being some people I was dancing with last night at the Project party! I went there just to meet up and grab my phone but they ended up inviting me in to sit with them. If you haven't heard of The Heart Attack Grill here is a little insight ~ It's hospital themed where all the waitresses wear nurse outfits and you have to wear hospital gowns to eat! If you don't finish your food you get spanked by a wooden paddle lol. So we sat and talked and ended up getting shots! They came in these syringes shaped like well.. a... "male genitalia" and shot out Pina Colada jelly shots lol! Some of the people in the group didn't finish their food so I got to watch them get spanked!(; That was a great way to end my time in Vegas. I can't wait to go back!