FEATURED DESIGNER: CHANTÉ GOSSETT

As many of you may know or have figured out (because I failed to tell you), I have been living in the Kansas City area after my move back from Chicago.  There are a lot of beautiful and creative people I know here in Kansas City, and I feel as though my blog could be a lovely place to share these splendid people with you.

The first girl on my mind was none other than-- Chanté Gossett

1st off, she's a total babe

2ndly, she's mega talented

About a week ago I sat down over coffee to chat with Chanté about life things and Kansas City things and it honestly felt so great to just soak in all of her positive vibes-- as we both find ourselves trying to flourish in a city that's in (what seems like) beginning stages of rapid growth and development within its artistic endeavors.

We talked about her upcoming plans and what's in store in the near future for her--

AND LET ME TELL U

Chante is bringing the fire

AND I FEEL THE HEAT

Being the con-artist I am, and Chanté being the sweetest human ever, I found myself blessed by the presence of the pieces from her most previous collection hanging in my closet this past week.

So with that,  I decided to saunter (yes, I've actually been practicing my sauntering) around the house  in Chanté's designs.  I couldn't have felt more like a modern-day princess if I tried.

I decided to try my hand at mixing up her pieces for this post because it is so incredible how well her separate pieces work with each other.  (be sure to check out her website for the original looks from her presentation show and more!)

^^^ hiiii, stealing this ^^^

Chanté gets my vibe and I get hers.  She designs with her models in mind..with real people she knows or has in mind, and I think that's a big key in how her work is to be understood and read.  I actually came to know Chanté as she worked on an outfit designed for me to wear for her first collection in the 18th Street Fashion Show.

  Her stuff is modern, youthful, and has that certain something about it in a level of interest that keeps you hooked. I think this is why I feel very at home with her clothing

...it's seriously stuff  I WANT TO WEAR 

and  MAN, I FEEL LIKE FIRE IN IT

Subtle; sometimes with beautifully hand-dyed gradated flowing fabrics,

it's equally as bold with the incorporation of leather, geometric cut-outs, and strong silhouettes.  

and oh, her prints? SET TO KILL

This look actually combines a top from the latest collection, with the shorts I wore for 18th Street from Chanté's first collection!

I honestly cannot wait to see more from this lady, and I hope she'll keep letting me wear her stuff.

I'll be posting a second installment of looks within the next week that incorporate pieces of Chanté's designs with some pieces I already have in my closet, so stay tuned!  

In the meantime please check out her amazing website for more pics & info: 

CHANTÉ GOSSETT

<3

BLACK MAGIC

I've always done weird things, and those weird things generally make it full circle...making my appearance  ~ "a little weird" ~

MY FAVORITE.

So the other day when I was being weird (looking for an eye patch....just, ya know, because i might want it for photos or something) I came across a cute lil...

S   N   A   K   E

A black and white striped rubber snake...nice and fake. I didn't know what I would do with it, but I knew...like an eye patch I would need it for something.

DEAR LORD, I'M A MESS.

But I found something to do with it----

wEiRd?

I

LIKE

IT

DO U LYK IT?

& because it's rubbery it's pretty comfortable

 .... for having a huge thing on your neck.

I honestly can't wait to wear this IRL

U SHOULD TRY IT 2

R U TRENDING?

R U THE TRENDIEST BITCH THAT U KNOW?

no, that's me
<3

But you can be the trendiest bitch that other people know (if they don't know me)

HOW?

~* TreNdY mAkEuP iS tHe KeY *~

You know I have been on that orange lipstick grind forever now (with no intent to stop even if it stops being trendy, i love it so) but I am always still trying to find something new and exciting.  I mean GAWWD, looking at my same face every day is such a bore I can't do it.

So when I saw images the day following the Chanel Couture S/S 14 show, I about cried.  Then I fixed my makeup.

hello.

um.

hi.

yes.

So I put it off recreating this look for a while because (strangely) I did not pack glitter in the suitcase I still live out of.  Finally, after being emotionally scarred-- realizing the shade of foundation I've been using for 2+ years is no longer in production...I BOUGHT MYSELF A FEW NICE THINGS-- LIKE--

You know what's great?  NYX brand is actually pretty great.  Now that its at most Targets too, that is great 4 us rural folk who don't have Sephoras/Ultas/etc but wanna be bEaUtiFuL, too!

SO WHEN I GOT HOME I WAS LIKE

NOW WHAT

~ because to be honest-- I look pretty plain without dark eyeliner on my top lids, and for 3 seconds I began to regret my purchase ~

then i remembered the Chanel Couture makeup look 

then i failed a few times and burned my eyes with glitter

then i cried happy tears when i looked in the mirror

I LOOKED LIKE A BOSS

I FELT LIKE A BOSS

I BECAME THE BOSS AND TOOK ALL YOUR $$$

My version is a lot more subtle than the Chanel couture version, obviously!  But I think it still works well and isn't overwhelming in the slighest...maybe still too wild to wear in the business office...but we all know I'll probably try :P

To get the vibe right:

1. Begin with a base of eyeshadow.  I like a crisp white or light cream color (matte if you have it!) on the whole of the lid

2. Slap on your favorite black eyeliner.  I run a pencil first, and then set and define things better with a felt tip eyeliner marker.  It can be pretty heavy, so go for it!

3. Begin, in dabs, to apply the liquid crystal gold liner just below your lower lash line.  Let dry and continue to build up in layers, smoothing it out into more of line as you go.  Follow the wing of your black liner when you get to the corners

My lower lashes are stupid long for some reason, so I just went with it and let them be glittery, too!

4. Add some mascara to the tops

5. EASY

6. DONE

also consider lining your lower waterline with white to make your eyes reflect light even more...it is crazy how bright your eyes will twinkle with this look!

<3

Alex