mellow | part I

Denim is not affected by age (wish we all could say that). On the contrary, the fabric will show its best side only after years and that is a certitude. Dry clean only please, absolutely the best way to treat your precious jeans! 

So I cannot say goodbye to a good old pair of jeans. Maybe I'll put them away for a few seasons, but they will always see the light of day again! 

jeans Iceberg/ sweater vintage Isabelle Bajart/ shoes Sergio Rossi Brussels/ coat Thakoon Icon/ socks Forever 21 Brussels

What a week

How volatile can one week be? Let me say that last week was the most 'manic depressive' week of the year so far. I have seen both karma sides of the continuum: From a broken camera to being a guest editor at one of my beloved fashion web hotspots Belmodo (will tell you all about it)! To keep me balanced in this whirlpool of lifestyle emotions I went to our capital Brussels with Stéphanie from Stylelab. We all know that only shopping can save us when times are rough. 

Lately I realized that I'm thinking in monochrome colors! And this week was mustard (or rust, ochre, ...) week to me. It all started when I found this divine Ungaro quilted skirt at Isabelle Bajart. Of course I could not go home without a complete outfit. And if I have something in mind but don't know exactly how to specify it yet, I go to Icon at the Dansaert area. The store always fulfils my needs/wants! 

Ps This is the message from my gnome to bad karma! 

new in jacket Acne Icon Brussels/ skirt Ungaro and vintage sweater  Isabelle Bajart/ Bobbi Brown eye cream/ candle Baobab Dijkdrie/ AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G 

interview Mrs. K | Steve and Charlie

How Do I feel about blogging and blogs? Want to know a little bit more about me? There is only one way to find out, read the interview at Steve and Charlie! Thanks for having me. 

bright tiger

The eclectic that I am, I couldn't restrict myself! Sometimes you get to a point where you want to wear certain items, all at once! The fun part: the outcome will be a surprise. You are standing in front of your closet and asking yourself: could I? Yes I should! Be who you want to be and above all that, dare to be yourself. There is simply one thing that you have to keep in mind: create a common theme throughout your look. This way 1+1 will become 3. 

I had to make sure that the grey skirt/dress and the big bold boots would not become too dominant. So bright colors became the focus of my outfit. And we all know that it is all about the accessories (Yes I know, I am repeating myself)! A state of the art necklace and a pop up clutch are the ideal way to finish the look.

jacket D&G/ dress Alexander Wang Soho/ boots Marc Jacobs My Theresa/ blouse Iceberg/ gloves and necklace Christophe Coppens/ clutch Kirilove by Vero Moda 

pastel spring | DIY

NYFW is the official beginning of a new era a.k.a. spring! So there is no way I could control my spring vibes anymore. The best way to start a new season is by changing the details in your interior. Bring in new colors and let the world of fashion be your guide! We all know that SS12 will be dominated by pastel. So these shades will invade my home sweet home in the next couple of months. 

First let's be clear about one thing: I don't like DIY and I hate the term. But because of spring I could feel a "Do It Myself experiment" bubbling up. All I needed was some Acrylic paint, old ugly flower pots and cute little spring flowers. And let your imagination take over. 

something old something new | camera addiction

Once every now and then you create a new addiction. And I am not talking about little delights in life, I am talking about a hard core gathering addiction: cameras. Those little devices enable you to see the world in a different way and they change your point of view completely. But above all that, they can manipulate the world!  

So it is time to explore the world of cameras and to expand my collection. Don't get me wrong, I cannot live without my Nikon D90, but it is time for something new, something different. I introduce you to the new members of the family: the "Old Laughing Lady" and the "Big Boy". My old lady is almost 50 years old and belonged to my grandfather. Unfortunately she is currently under construction. But Big Boy a.k.a. Fuji Instax 210 is alive and kicking! Pictures coming soon.  

With a little help from my friends Nathalie The Merrymakers & Elisabeth Ouni. Yes ladies I stole your ideas. 

red-ish | Valentine

Let's not talk about the day that is filled with love (and hopefully with way too expensive presents), let's talk about the different shades of red. I must say that I am not into cheesy red-ish colors because it is just not me. But Valentine's day is the ideal excuse to step out of my comfort zone. 

So surround yourself with all kinds of red at least one day a year. I assure you, the effect is divine. It makes you smile, it makes you happy, it makes you glow from the inside out. 

sunday | brunch

I don’t cook, I don’t bake and my kitchen is there purely for decoration! Completely inherited my mother’s sense of fashion and I definitely inherited her cooking aspirations too. So I can assure you: you will not find one single cooking gene in my DNA. 

But for everything there is a solution and recently I discovered the brunch shizzle (thanks to Nathalie). I am walking on this earth for more then a quarter of a century now and I had never ever brunched before. But now I totally get it: that is why god rested on the 7^th day, so we ladies could have brunch. 

It seems like you don't have to respect the natural menu order. The 'eat whatever you want whenever you want' brunch principle definitely works for me. All I can say: enjoy the glory of a good sunday brunch! It is like the cherry on your weekend-cake. 

1~2 Simon Says/ 3~5 vintage china/ 4 The Greenwich hotel NYC/ 6 The Hotel/ 7 Louis Vuitton Brussels 

Tiany Kirilove By Vero Moda

Imagine this: a rainy Tuesday morning in May. It is 7AM and I am standing in front of my closet half asleep. The always returning fashion question is echoing in my head: what to wear? My everyday fashion mission is as simple as can be: make a fashion statement in the most professional way. But the circumstances of the day completely define my outfit.

For instance I absolutely know that those white jeans are not rainproof. You definitely do not want to stand in front of your boss with mud stains in de most awkward places. Another variable is my business lunch. I completely want to avoid a professional blunder.  So dress to impress, but don’t impress too much (yes, we all have to know our limits). And at the end of the day you have to look appropriate for an after work cappuccino with the lady friends. This is the time to unwind, but in the most fashionable way ever. Believe me, a cappuccino always tastes better when you are looking to die for.

Fortunately for us (and now my patriot feelings are taking over) we have an uber fashionista who’s fashion sense is overly developed: Tiany Kiriloff. Her love for high-end fashion and vintage always becomes one. But her “mix match and clash” principle characterizes her even better. 

There are some smart fashion brands in this world who recognize such rare talents. Vero Moda did not want to let this lady slip away and they gave her the opportunity to create her own fashion line: Kirilove. The main theme of the collection is an overdose of prints and colors. Finished off with a little bit of an 80’s vibe. And you have to admit it, exotic prints make you glow and put an instant smile on your face. This is the absolute foundation of fashion: clothing and accessories that are created to give you an instant boost. So the Kirilove collection perfectly represents this fashion statement. 

Imagine that: a rainy Tuesday morning in May and I absolutely know what I am going to wear. This bright green Kirilove dress will be perfect, every minute of the day. Combine it with even more colorful tights, state of the art jewelry, killer heels and you will look like a million bucks. (PS don't forget those cute ballerina's as a back-up). 

Illustration of Mrs. K by Ilse Heylen/ Lady Tiany Kiriloff/ Tiany Kirilove by Vero Moda/ photo taken by Paulien

wool supremacy | Acne

You have to admit it: a snowy landscape generates the most magnificent light. So I had to go outside and the cold couldn't stop me. I mean have you seen my skirt? This Acne oversized wool masterpiece was created by geniuses living in the chilliest part of Europe. They know how to protect your body from the winter wind and to make you look cool (yes I know, my humor is not the most original).

As much as I love to wear the skirt, you have to be careful that the piece doesn't consume you. Believe me: fashion can eat you alive. So make sure that you create some height. I prefer boots because they are bold, tough and solid enough to stand their ground against the supremacy of the skirt. And don't forget to add some color, just a little touch of color will do!

boots Alexander Wang Antonioli/ socks Marc By Marc Jacobs Bleecker St/ skirt Acne Icon/ top D&G/ boa vintage/ gloves and bag Delvaux