[DIY] High Waisted Pencil Skirt with Ruffle Hem

High Waisted Pencil Skirt with Ruffle Hem 

[Tutorial for sewing machine]

After two years of showing you how to make accessories, embellish your shoes and revamp your old clothing I thought that it's time for me to show you how to make a clothing piece from scratch. A custom made skirt to be exact. This is an absolutely simple skirt (baby steps) but still a custom made one. That means you are in control of the quality, color and shape of your piece.

[Style] Pink Lace

Pink Lace

[Personal Style]

I remember when I was 13 I completely ruined a beautiful tank top because it was too vulgar for my taste. The top had deep armholes so you could see about 2 cm of my bra. Shocking! It sounds exaggerated but in a small town in the 90s those 2 cm were like the scarlet "A" letter on your chest. So in the name my good reputation I decided to fix this little "mistake" in design. I cut, I sewed, I cut again and at the end the beautiful tank wasn't that beautiful anymore.

Now in my 30s lingerie became a significant part of my daywear. After graduation I worked for a high-end lingerie company and it changed completely my approach to intimate apparel.  I am still a little bit prude when it comes to my wardrobe but now I prefer to "correct the mistakes" in design with lace and silk of high end lingerie instead of scissors and needles. And thanks to the constant fashion evolution it is possible to show some intimates without feeling exposed.

[Event] Breakfast Market in Markthalle 9

Breakfast Market in Markthalle 9

[Berlin cuisine]

What is the saying says? Breakfast is the most important meal of day? I couldn't care less, since I never feel particularly hungry in the morning. Probably has something to do with me being a "I don't do mornings" person. When it comes to morning decisions I choose extra sleep over breakfast. But regardless my morning moods I do love good breakfast food- French, Russian, vegan, kosher... As long there is no seafood involved or early hours- I am in!

[DIY] Beads Embellished Ribbon Necklace

Beads Embellished Ribbon Necklace

[Trend inspired tutorial]

This is what I call a STATEMENT necklace! Inspired by the Marni SS14 accessory collection this statement piece is trendy, unique and pretty easy on the pocket. And since I've recycled some old necklaces this accessory is also sustainable. Some of the beads I used were "wasted" in my atelier for over 10 years. 

Surely you can buy new gems for this project but I encourage/dare you to use only embellishment you already have. Beads, crystals, buttons, spikes, chains- everything works! 

[Before/After] Felt Clutch with Strap

Felt Clutch with Strap

[Table mat repurposing]

Have you noticed that placemats have the perfect size to create statement clutches? I mean all you have to do is to fold them, close the edges and attach a zipper. So simple! And by the variety of materials and colors I am sure you can come up with some cool ideas for great statement pieces. Especially after Chanel's supermarket collection repurposing kitchen items is something all the cool kids do.

[Event] World Cup 2014

World Cup 2014

[Final Match]

When I first came to USA  I was a little surprised to see so many national flags on the buildings. And not just on the buildings- they were on cars, bridges, trains, clothing. To have such high national pride was something I didn't know in Germany. For the last 70 years the only German flags you would see in the city were the flags on the government buildings. It wasn't' forbidden to hang a flag, but people were afraid that every attempt to show national pride would be seen as nationalism. Patriotism was something Germany couldn't afford, not with such dark history. That started slowly to change in 2006 when Germany hosted the FIFA World Cup. Being host nation for such gigantic event helped the country to overcome the fear of judgement. I remember how Berlin went nuts after the German team beat Portugal to be placed third in the tournament. For the first time since the WWII people were proud to show their national flags.

[Style] Cat in a Hat

Cat in a Hat

[Berlin Street Style]

Hi, my name is Xenia and I am a dedicated and proud shirt collector! I am talking about classic T-shaped tops with artistic statement graphics. Wherever I travel, whichever event I attend, first thing I do is to look for a t-shirt stand or men's department. Why men' department? Because Designers do much better job creating prints for men's than for women's collections. Even the shapes are much better than the too short and too tight shapes of the women's collections. 

In Fashion industry like everywhere else trends and previous bestsellers define the next product/collection. But are we (women) really that into flowers, hearts and polka dots? Do we really love to show everyone how much we love perfume, selfies and macarons? Do we really love to have random words from a French dictionary all over our chest? Yes we do love cats, but does it have to be a fluffy kitten with Bambi eyes? Are the men's shirt collections really better or is it just the grass being greener on the other side of the fence?

[Style] Cocktail

Cocktail

[Personal Style]

Have you ever got an invitation to engagement party that says "Dress code: cocktail attire, please no black" ? My friends decided that they don't want to see the "mourning color" at their celebration and warned everyone to take the "no black" policy very seriously :). The invitation made me realize how much I tend to wear black to official events. I don't even like black so much, but I sure do have a lot of little blacks. When it comes to public appearance somehow black makes me feel confident more than any color. But new trends come, traditions change and at some point you realize that the "not black" is the new "black", if it makes any sense. 

[Gourmet] Healthy Toast Toppers

Healthy Toast Toppers

[Simple recipes]

I have many talents, but cooking is not one of them. From time to time I love to try new exotic dishes, because I guess my designer's heart sees it less as cooking and more as designing :). But to cook on daily basis, to cook for friends and family is beyond my cooking skills. Unless somebody asks me to make a healthy toast or small appetizer. This is something I can do for sure. Most of my college time I lived of toasts and sandwiches. Here are some of my favorite recipes for healthy between-meal treats. Quick and uncomplicated.

[Style] Tropical Fever

Tropical Fever

[Berlin Street Style] 

Once my mom turned 50-something she discovered her love for bright colors and animal prints. I am sure you know what I am talking about. It's like an unspoken rule for all seniors to go brighter and "wilder" at certain stage of their lives. From my Designer days in New York I remember that the animal printed lines were the bestsellers among the seniors.

Now at the age of 65 my mom changed her style completely. No more "animals", she thinks they make her look trashy. And no more paradise colors, since they make her look like a clown (her words). Instead she wears a lot of white and very light sorbet colors. And the only print she accepted is the striped one.

And what happened to my style? Suddenly I discovered MY love for bright colors and tropical prints (with a little help of Designers of course). Now everything my mom thinks makes her look old, I think makes me look young. Like this printed bomber jacket she bought sometime in Spain. My mom was pretty surprised when I said I want to have-wear it. It is a little bit too big on me but with rolled up sleeves it has it's "tropical" charm.