by The Perennial Style | Aug 14, 2014 | Events, Style, Uncategorized
One of my favorite aspects of being a Dallas fashion blogger is all of the wonderful people I get to meet in the industry! This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to interview one of my favorite TV hosts, George Kotsiopoulos, from E Fashion Police. George has partnered with Gap Factory this year to host fashion shows and styling events to help showcase all of the trendy clothes, as well as to help shoppers understand that you don’t have to spend a fortune to look chic. Courtney Kerr co-hosted the fashion show with George at the Grand Prairie Premium Outlets, which of course this duo led to ultimate entertainment! I had so much fun at the event and definitely found a lot of affordable pieces I need to add to my closet. Check out my interview with the fabulous George below:
So how long have you been working with Gap Factory?
Has it been a year? Yes, I think about a year now!
I love that you have partnered with the factory store. One of our favorite things to do is to show our readers how they can look fabulous, without breaking the bank.
I think a lot of people think factory stores are just castoffs from stores, but it’s not. It’s a completely different collection made exclusively for the factory store. It’s the same great quality, it’s just at a lower price. The jeans are great, and jeans can be tricky! I love the jeans. The white distressed ones are my favorite!
So tell us about this fashion show. Have y’all been to a lot of cities?
The collection is Summer and Fall. It’s mostly Fall actually. We were in DC, Jersey, and next we are heading to Houston and Chicago
I saw that you recently wrote a book! Tell me about that:
My book, Glamorous by George, is all about how to get to the movie star style on a regular gal’s budget. It’s just all about incorporating glamour into every element of your life, not just fashion, but there’s also hair and makeup. and entertaining and etiquette. I also talked about lighting, Lighting is very, very important. Lighting, packaging and presentation- It’s really all about presentation. It’s really not that hard, just put some lipstick on, like you did! I think it’s really all about just putting a little bit of effort in towards anything. Even on Fashion Police we can rag on people for dressing crazy, but ultimately it’s like, yes it may not be the most flattering choice on them, but at least they tried! If someone tries, I can’t fault them too badly. I mean, I can fault them for lacking refined taste, but you tried and put a nice little dress on. I appreciate that.
How long have you been on E Fashion Police? I love watching that show!
It will be four years in… Actually this month! This month is four years.
Congratulations!
Thank you, it’s so crazy. It feels like… well it kind of feels like four years haha! And not in a bad way. It’s just, you know, I started out different than I am now.
How did you end up in LA from Chicago?
Well I moved to LA in 1990, and I started working in fashion. The TV thing just kind of happened. I didn’t move to LA to be an actor- that was not my goal. Shows like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” were on, and I kept thinking “what are they talking about?”, so every TV opportunity I could take on, I did. And I thought there was another voice that needed to be heard. I just thought there were so many stereotypes of what a gay man in fashion was or what a gay man is, so I just thought I’m not that and I thought there was a different voice that needed to be heard. People would always say about me, “Are you sure he works in fashion, he’s not flamboyant enough?” because I wasn’t wearing all pink and throwing my hands up in the air saying “girrrl”, which I can do because that’s fun, but that’s just not me. I think that happens with any group of people, getting stereotyped.
Lastly, we hope you are enjoying Dallas! Did y’all do anything fun last night in the city?
No, we got in too late. I mean, I wanted to go out but thought nooo, I’m going to be responsible. I went to the Round Up last time I was here.
Oh the Round Up is so fun! Did you do any of the dances?
I tried, I can’t do any of that choreographed dance stuff. I mean, I try but then I just mess everyone else up. Like if I take any classes where they have any of those routines… I’m more of a free spirit! I like to free style! If you tell me how to do a move, I’m just like well… You move too fast, I gotta go!
Well I had so much fun getting to sit down and talk to you today about everything. Hopefully you will be back sometime again soon in Dallas!
I’m sure I will!
Visit The Gap to shop the collection
Get My Look:
Romper (similar) // Horn Earrings // Statement Necklace // YSL Handbag
Photography by: Kaitlynn McConville | Edited by: The Perennial Style
by The Perennial Style | Aug 4, 2014 | Beauty, Uncategorized
Finding a way to balance my beauty routine with my busy schedule is often a challenge, since I work from home and spend my days juggling meetings before my evening events. As much as I would love to run by a salon for a fresh blowout, I often run short on time at the end of my day. Thanks to my new favorite app, Blownaway, I am now able to have my beauty services delivered to my own home!
Last week, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Blownaway App for their Fox 4 News segment, which aired in Dallas last night. Though I was familiar with the app, it was my first experience ordering a service, and let’s just say I am hoping to make this part of my weekly routine. The entire process was extremely easy, thanks to the sleek and simple beauty app. By logging into my account, I was able to choose my hairstyle, time, and beauty application add-on to arrive at my apartment at 9AM.
The adorable Shyla Ryan, who is a favorite among the Miss Texas contestants, arrived at my house bright and early with products and tools galore. Within an hour, I went from barefaced and wet hair to glamorous curls and glowing skin! What impressed me the most was how my hair and makeup stayed fresh and perfect ALL day, without having to add any touchups before dinner with friends! Shyla and I had so much fun chatting and dancing to music, and the overall experience was such a blast!
Blownaway App is dedicated to finding the highest quality hair and makeup artists throughout the area, and guarantees a professional, yet easy, experience to all customers. By offering a variety of blowout styles from “CEO” to “Nightclub”, with makeup application and hair braiding or updo add-ons, Blownaway is my new go-to for event prep makeovers or a fun excuse for a group glam session with my girlfriends. Blownaway is also the perfect service to book for wedding makeovers for a bridal party! By offering $10 off blowouts and makeup with the code “PRNLSTYL” at checkout, this is one beauty service you definitely need to try out!
Take a look at some the behind the scenes shots from the shoot and be sure to download the app or book your appointment online to experience this VIP beauty treatment:
Click here to book your appointment online or download the Blownaway App to schedule your next beauty session!
Don’t forget to use our codes below for $10 off your next appointment from now until August 10!
by The Perennial Style | Jul 22, 2014 | Events, Style, Uncategorized
Last week we attended the Baubles & Blouses event at the Prashe Showroom in the design district to celebrate fashion, jewelry, and design. Designer Shona Gilbert debuted her newest collections, Shambhala and BollyRocks, from her line SHONA. The colorful pieces were inspired by Prashe Shah’s colorful collections, as well as from her extensive traveling experiences.
As we sipped champagne and mingled through the showroom, we had so much fun trying on the beautiful, vibrant jewelry pieces! Blair left with a pair of gorgeous gold statement earrings that were just to DIE for, and I had a hard time leaving without one of the elaborate hand chains. Apart from learning about the jewelry collections and the clothing sample sale, we also enjoyed exploring the event space. From the hundreds of beautiful flowers to the fabric draped ceilings and elaborate table settings, we were in awe of the elegant showroom!
Take a look at some of our pictures from the event and be sure to visit the SHONA website and the Prashe Showroom website to learn more!
by The Perennial Style | Jul 21, 2014 | Style, Uncategorized
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with Ese Azenabor (thanks, Allison Volk!) at her showroom in the Dallas Market Center. I had so much fun getting to know Ese and learning more about the inspiration behind her amazing designs. We were so sad to miss her Phantom of the Runway fashion show in June due to traveling, so getting a one-on-one with the designer was so exciting! I have to say I was completely blown away with her pieces, and can’t stop dreaming about all of her hand-beaded dresses that I would just love to have in my closet!
The Nigerian-born designer’s collections are heavily influenced by her culture, and her extravagant beading showcases her artistic ability through her attention to detail and one-of-kind designs. I was head over heels for everything from her gorgeous evening gowns to her feathered minis and beaded jumpsuits. I also found the perfect little colorblock mini to take home with me, so be on the lookout for that outfit post coming soon! What I found most inspiring about Ese Azenabor was that prior to launching her collection in 2011, she was studying her masters in accounting at SMU (a fellow mustang!), which shows that taking a risk and following your passion can lead to great success!
Take a look at some of the shots I took from the Ese Azenabor showroom in Dallas, and stay tuned for more trunk shows and events featuring her work! Also, don’t forget to check out her website to learn more about her collections.
Get My Look:
Ark & Co Ruffle Blouse (similar) // Serfontaine Zip Skinny Jeans (similar) // Pearl Choker // Christian Louboutin Heels (similar) // Judith Ripka Ring
by The Perennial Style | Jul 9, 2014 | Style, Uncategorized
With our Tootsies Top Blogger fashion show and finale coming up in just over two weeks, we are giving away a $50 Tootsies gift card to one lucky reader! Based in Dallas, Houston, and Atlanta, Tootsies carries tons of our favorite brands like Alice + Olivia, Elizabeth and James, Clover Canyon, Citizens, Haute Hippie, Rag and Bone, and plenty more! Be sure to enter our giveaway below for your chance to win. We hope to see you all at the Top Blogger Finale on July 24th. For more information on the event and to vote for your favorite Dallas blogger, click here. Good luck!
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