Fashion Week Global Style: 6 Brands, 6 Countries, 3 Continents

Getting ready for Fashion Week is always a busy and exciting time! But prepping for New York Fashion Week this season took on epic proportions as I’ve had the immense privilege of collaborating with six fabulous luxury international brands I truly adore: Korean fashion designer Son Jung Wan, Japanese jewelry designer Ayaka Nishi, Hong Kong designer Michelle Lee for SILK New york, Canadian jewelry designer Shannon Mikolas for Maison Antonym, LA-based luxury eyewear retailer The Guise Archives, and Nigerian-born and LA-based accessory designer Onna Ehrlich.

I was (happily) forced to take a temporary leave of absence from theglobalgirl.com during the days leading to my departure for the Big Apple as I feverishly styled my looks, flipped through lookbooks, got custom bags made to match my daily outfits (a dozen no less ;), texted pics of swatches, coordinated pick-ups, drop offs and messenger deliveries.

It’s been the most incredible year ever since starting theglobalgirl.com. Seated front row at some of the most exclusive shows. Strutting straight off-the-runway designer gear. Sporting custom-made luxury accessories and the most exquisite jewelry brands from around the world. And capping it off with this amazing line up of brand collaborations has taken the fashion week extravaganza to new heights.

Here’s a peek at my New York Fashion Week day 1 kick-off look. Arguably one of my personal favorites. I spotted this fabulous burgundy feathered shorts ensemble at the Son Jung Wan Fall 2013 show last season and it was love at first sight! That fabulous deep red color, the fun fishtail feathered top and those cute matching ruffle shorts. I knew I had to have it 😉

In the handbags department, I teamed up with the fabulous Onna Ehrlich. Together we designed custom bags based on her new luxury collection to match each of my fashion week looks. Onna’s gorge bags are a Hollywood favorite, routinely spotted on Cameron Diaz, Halle Berry, Mila Kunis and Eva Longoria, to name a few. For this outfit, I thought Onna’s embossed lamb Maya Dotted tote was the bomb but it only came in black, blue and sienna. Not quite the right match for the full-on monochromatic look I had in mind. Could I please have it in burgundy? I ventured over a phone call with the fabulous Onna herself. All I had to do was email her team the Son Jung Wan runway pic and within hours my custom Maya Dotted tote was being handcrafted at her Los Angeles studio. I was floored when this beauty was delivered to my doorstep less than a week later. Matched to perfection!

For the final touch, I turned to Ayaka Nishi’s fabulous statement jewelry. There’s a timeless elegance to Son Jung Wan’s designs which I felt would be wonderfully complemented by Ayaka’s edgy and defiantly feminine aesthetic. I’m so in love with her spine and bones inspired pieces, that styling her stunning seven-rib gold bracelet and matching necklace was pure joy.

I’ll be sharing more detail pics of these gorge pieces in an upcoming post. But if you can’t wait :), you can see this look in action through the talented eye of photographer Youngjun Koo for The Cut, Steve Eichner for Women’s Wear Daily, Jonathan Paciullo aka FrenchyStyle for Glamour Paris, Maria Santana for CNN Español, Dario Calmese for Fashion Bomb Daily and Keith Morrison for Stylelist.

Burgundy feathered fishtail top with matching ruffle shorts from Son Jung Wan Fall 2013 Collection | Custom-made Dotted Maya leather tote by Onna Ehrlich | Seven rib spine bracelet and matching necklace by Ayaka Nishi | Topshop Boutique copper metallic stilettos.