WIND SCULPTURES

I fell in love with the work of Yinka Shonibare MBE during graduate school, when I was writing my Master’s thesis on clothing in contemporary art.  Shonibare’s work is centered around the use of Dutch Wax textiles, exported from the Netherlands for African markets. The fabric is widely accepted as a symbol of African culture, but really signifies colonization and the merging of cultures, which is a very central theme to Shonibare’s work and his persona as an English Nigerian. I’ve followed Shonibare’s career very closely since 2008, and have had the privilege to see his work in person in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and as of this weekend, in Chicago. For his MCA Plaza Project, Shonibare created large scale Wind Sculptures that resemble flowing pieces of Dutch Wax fabric undulating in the breeze of nearby Lake Michigan.

Dutch wax dress: thrifted

Dutch wax sandals: Etsy

Handbag: Marc by Marc Jacobs

Sunglasses: Duane Reade

Photos by Kristen Seay at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

Yinka ShoniBirthday

The Dutch Wax work of Yinka Shonibare MBE, a Nigerian artist who lives and works in the UK, has fascinated me for the past 5 years or so.  Having recently seen his Magic Ladders exhibition at The Barnes Foundation, I decided to allow my love for his work to infiltrate my 28th birthday celebration.  It was a wonderful, colorful evening; thank you to every who came to celebrate!

Fabrics from AKN Fabric in NYC

Flower pins and barrettes: handmade

Flower crown: Handmade

Dress: thrifted/altered

Shoes: Loeffler Randall

Venue: Salvation Taco

Photos by myself, Kathy Paciello, and Lauren Ricciardi.  Shonibare images from yinkashonibarembe.com

STYLELIKEU

A few months ago, I had the privilege of hosting Elisa Goodkind of Stylelikeu.com at my apartment. Stylelikeu.com is a great place to find inspiration and take a peek into the lives of loads of creative people.

For my interview, I picked out a few outfits that I felt reflected my personal style the most, and Elisa chatted with me while snapping photos and video of me, my clothes, and my apartment. I had so much fun talking with her that, after about 2 hours of interviewing, I didn't want her to leave! She has such a distinct personal style that she describes as Edwardian/Romantic, and she was wearing a pair of ponyhair loafers that I loved. We really hit it off!

Check out my Stylelikeu.com profile here, and leave me a comment. I had so much fun interviewing and I'd love to get some feedback.

Thank you so much to Elisa and Stylelikeu.com for the opportunity and for all their hard work on the result. Go check it out!

All photos from Stylelikeu.