Who inspires your style? Or better question, WHAT inspires your style? Many of us use movie characters (like Penny Lane) or celebrities (like Khloe Kardashian) as style inspiration, even though, most of the time, they are being dressed from head to toe by the best stylists. Which we don’t have. And sometimes it’s damn near impossible to work their Hollywood looks into our not-so-Hollywood lives. I’ve made it my mission to tap into the mind of a fashion stylist and show you how to take your style inspiration – whatever it may be – and make it more you!

I’m just going to start this off by saying I would have absolutely no qualms switching lives with Leigh Lezark for a day, or a month, or longer.

I don’t remember how or when I first heard her name, but I immediately wished my name was an alliteration that easily rolled off the tongue like hers. Too bad we can’t always get what we want (thanks, parents!). On the bright side, something we can achieve is her effortlessly bad-ass sense of style.

For those of you still wondering, Leigh Lezark is a DJ in the trio Misshapes in New York City.  Oh yeah, and she’s a model.  Yes, a DJ and a model.  Très, très jaloux (which is French for, I’m mad envious).

DJ Leigh and her Misshapes posse like to bump electronica and indie rock.  They are also known to attract the Hispter crowd, but I try to stay open-minded to the boundary-pushing that she, and her party-mates, tend to inspire people with. I just love their sound. I also find Leigh Lezark incredibly chic, cool and mysterious with her all-black ensembles, signature jet-black bob and aversion to ever smiling in a photograph. And while The Misshapes tend to dress in some brands that are a bit out of my league (Alexandre Herchcovitch, House of Holland, Imitation of Christ, Jeremy Scott, Obesity and Speed, Pleasure Principle, to name a few), I’m going to toss some more affordable options in your general direction.

Because you don’t have to spend like a DJ/model to dress like one. Read More »

Living in the dorms is one of the most essential college experiences. Years from now, you’ll tell your friends and family of all your adventures and mishaps. You’ll never forget those obnoxious fire-drills at 3 am, the industrial blue carpeting, how hard it was for you to climb up into your bed…whilst drunk.

Most of all, when you look back you’ll remember the people you spent these times with, and all the friends you made. But when it comes to dorm buddies, there are the good friends (they don’t steal your shampoo and they grasp the concept of hygiene) and then there are your dorm BFF’s…

The Aspiring DJ: As annoying as his incessant Facebook messaging may be, the DJ is a good dorm friend to have. Not only does he have vast knowledge of the hottest clubs in town, he knows the cheapest best nights to go. His iTunes shared library is effing awesome and he’s always happy to demo his spinning skillz at whatever event you’re hosting (AKA whatever themed pre-party you’re having in your room, he’s happy to bring an equally festive mastermix). Not only is he the life of the party with his hilarious and entertaining personality, but he has a special place in his heart for nightly AYCD party buses. He wants as many of his friends at all his gigs as possible, so you’re always on the V.I.P. list when he MC’s at da club. Read More »

[It's the first full week of December, and while the rest of the world gears up for The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, I still need to take a break from the constant holiday cheer. The following is this week’s Pissed List, so if you’ve got to vent, too, just holla atcha girl!]

1. The Full House Remake

You weren’t a child of the ’90s unless you watched “Full House” (and if you didn’t, you seriously missed out on some major TGIF action). You knew the Tanner family. You still catch reruns when you stumble upon them flipping through the channels. You pause, you catch a Kimmy Gibbler cameo and laugh, and you remember how things were. And that’s how it should be. Now that John “Uncle Jesse” Stamos is proposing a Full House remake show, all our classic memories may be tainted. Seeing the aged DJ and Steph and the rest of the gang is just going to make me feel like an old fart. And the next thing you know, people are going to start making covers of good ’90s songs, and I’m going to start thinking to myself, “the original ‘Quit Playin Games With My Heart’ was so much better,” and then I will have turned into my mother, and this can’t happen during my 20s.

2. The Obama Citizenship Scandal

I don’t quite follow why this is happening (for all practical purposes, the presidential transition is already underway, and the last thing this country needs is more divisive action), but someone is suing Barack Obama, disputing his US citizenship and thus his claim to the presidency. For the record, Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Hawaii, which became a member of the Union in 1959. Now what’s the problem? (And let’s not forget that former-rival John McCain was born in Panama on US-zoned territory). Read More »

The other night, I was listening to the radio (yeah, I heard I was the last one on earth who still does this) and the DJ was discussing a new ailment claiming pretty much anyone under the age of 25. This new disease: The Hills Syndrome.

No, it’s not what you would think, not an obsession with trashy TV, trying to keep up on the latest fashions, or incestuous dating, but instead a nearly non-existent work ethic. That’s right, watching The Hills is making you a bad employee.

Initially, I scoffed at the woman’s assertions (I will give her the Spencer points though, since he has no job – unless he considers being Heidi’s boyfriend/ “manager” a full time gig.) I have been known to watch The Hills from time to time, and am still capable of holding down a job. And, for whatever points it’s worth, I’ve even commented to my friends during a Hills viewing about the amazing yet easy seeming jobs the cast snags. How the hell they manage to get them with no degrees or really any intelligence, and how they hold on to them considering the better part of their day is spent out around town, texting, partying , chatting, or twirling their hair, is beyond me. I think it is safe to assume if it wasn’t for MTV, LC and the gals would be living solely off their Laguna Beach allowances.

But I digress. After taking a moment to ponder the work ethic of early twenty-somethings such as myself, I have to admit I don’t think I have the same desire to “get my hands dirty” as say, my parents or grandparents did in their early twenties. Rather than it being a result of “The Hills” though, I think it has a little something to do with a sense of entitlement from being what I like to call, a Millennial. (Millennial is great word huh? I wish I could take credit for that little catch phrase, but it was actually a friend of mine who mentioned it.) Read More »

Oh Lindsay Lohan, will you ever learn?

How many times will hackers expose personal celebrity information before they get an external hard drive? Apparently everyone’s favorite rehabbed starlet’s MySpace has been allegedly hacked yet again and this time Lilo’s love letters have been revealed addressed to none other than DJ and club kid Samantha Ronson. But the question remains: Who the hell is Samantha Ronson and where did she come from?

Ronson’s mother is Ann Jones, a British party loving socialite/rock star wife and, of all things, a philanthropist, who supports youth rehabilitation charities. The mother of five is married to Rick Jones from the band Foreigner. Other famous offspring include son Mark, a New York DJ and daughter Charlotte (Samantha‘s twin) of the Charlotte Ronson Fashion line .

Born into a world of limos and high society, the Ronson clan only seems to be climbing higher atop the social scene. Their lovely mother was quoted in New York Magazine saying; “I am known as Mummy Dearest, I changed the locks when Mark snuck out to Sean Lennon’s because Pearl Jam was coming over. I told the nanny — I was away at the time — he will not sneak in the back door.” Read More »