Today I am pulling from IG Stories a few of your questions to answer! You can see my last Q&A here (this one was super long as I pulled together all of my most asked questions from the last 10 years) and as always, I am posting some of my FAQ below with answers and links…
How do you achieve your low bun hair? See my tutorial here.
What is your everyday make up routine? See it here.
What are your favorite locations to photograph in NYC? See them all here.
How do you edit your photos? My tips and tricks here.
How did you start blogging? Read about it here.
How and when did you get into the fashion industry? You can read all about that here.
Question: How was NYC? What are your plans from here?
Answer: I had an amazing time in NYC, but I. AM. SO. TIRED. After not socializing much for over a year it was a lot. Between work meetings, projects, reuniting with friends, and trying to hit every spot in the city that I missed, I was exhausted after a month of just go, go, go. The city was lovely and seeing friends I hadn’t seen in over a year felt like a dream. I went with the intention to work and play but also to figure out what our next steps may be. Back to NYC full time? Get a permanent place in the city but still split time? Just go back for long stretches of time a few times a year but call Florida home? I consider myself a pretty decisive person, but I left more confused than when I got there. For now I am going to take some time and really figure out what our priorities are over the next 3-5 years. Regardless, I will be spending time in NYC throughout the year, just how much time is the question!
Question: Any collections or collaborations in the works?
Answer: Yes, very exciting! We have something coming in Spring 2022, but it will be a bit different than my previous Nordstrom collection. I will be thrilled to share more as we finalize everything. I’m not trying to do the influencer ‘tease’ move here – we are simply working through dates and details at the moment!
Question: How is Penny doing?
Answer: IT IS HER GOTCHA DAY ON 7/12!! She is thriving. We have been getting her a bit of training for her dog anxiety (she has trouble socializing with other dogs) and she is improving daily. We plan on celebrating her this weekend and making a donation to the SPCA to mark what a wonderful year this has been (we adopted her from the SPCA in Tampa).
Question: Did you get married?
Answer: I addressed this in my last Q&A, but since so many of you asked I wanted to address it again! Yes, we are married! I won’t be sharing anything from our wedding, as I try stay away from sharing personal information especially as it pertains to the relationships in my life. I think to each their own, but I have found that I feel most comfortable focusing my attention on fashion and style. I believe that next to time, privacy is one of the most precious things that I have.
Question: What do you want to do more of in the next year?
Answer: What a great question! Like so many others, I feel that the past 15 months have made me really think about my priorities and how I want to spend my time and live my life. In the next year I want to focus on finding a better work life balance and redefining my 1, 5 and 10 year goals. So, more to come I suppose!
Question: Favorite Meal?
Answer: Easy. The spinach and artichoke dip at Hillstone followed by the ribs and paired with a glass of red wine.
Question: Do you find all these colored walls or are they photoshopped?
Answer: Okay this question seems random, but it was asked A LOT so I guess people want to know! I do not photoshop any of the walls. Years ago I photoshopped a wall or two in NYC (to add stripes I think) but in FL I scout locations to try a d find fun colored walls for shooting. I have a pretty extensive packet of locations broken out by color and the optimal time of day to shoot given what direction they face. When I started spending more time down in Florida, I found shooting to be more difficult. Many of the ‘street style’ backdrops didn’t fit my aesthetic or match what I was wearing, so I just decided to pivot. The more solid backdrops allow the outfits themselves to be the focus, and that has always been the goal.
Question: What camera do you use? Do you take photos on your iPhone? What apps do you use to edit? How do you make your collages?
Answer: I shoot on a Canon 5D Mark IV camera with 50mm f/1.2 and 35 mm f/1.4 lenses. There was a time I was constantly experimenting and buying new equipment, but I have been really happy with this set up over the past 3+ years. I do have the newest iPhone and shoot with it frequently, but I would say roughly 90% of my photos are taken on the DSLR. I don’t use any apps to edit my photos but do use photoshop to lighten, take down shadows, edit out trash, etc. I try to have my photos be as close a representation as possible to the real coloring and look of what I am shooting. To make collages I use BeFunky. I pay the $8 a month to have premium access (unlocks additional tools) and next to dropbox this is one of my most used programs/tools for Atlantic-Pacific. It is worth every penny and is so easy to use.
Question: After doing this for such a long time what still excites you?
Answer: I have been running Atlantic-Pacific for over 11 years and there are so many things that still excite me. One of the most motivating and exciting things is when I hear from all of you that I inspired you to try something new or step outside your comfort zone and take a risk. I am not going to lie, the industry has changed a lot over the last decade (so has fashion), and at times it can feel a bit daunting (I’m old and tired, stop creating new apps plz). Fashion has always been at the core of what motivates me, even outside of Atlantic-Pacific, so to be able to have a job in an industry that inspires me so much is a dream. This doesn’t mean I don’t have bad days, or feel the pressure to always perform, always post, etc. but when I step back and look at my career I am eternally grateful.
Question: Do you have insecurities?
Answer: Of course! Probably too many to list. Lately, as I have started to see people again for social get togethers, I have been going through the fun exercise in my head of questioning everything I did and said. Was I nice enough? Interesting enough? Did I talk too much? Not enough? Overall, I have found as I get older and surround myself with loving friends who are truly invested in our relationship, my insecurities fade. I also have found the more realistic I am with myself about what I can and want to achieve, and the more I show gratitude for the things I have and am able to accomplish, the happier and less insecure I become.
Question: Pet Peeves?
Answer: I am typically bothered when people are inconsiderate of others. People talking loudly in a public place on speaker phone. People who don’t let riders off the subway before entering. People who are generally disrespectful. People who don’t return their shopping carts. I once read an obituary (you may have seen it as it made the rounds on the web) and it said: “In lieu of flowers, please return your shopping carts to the store. Don’t leave them all over the parking lot. That drove Larry crazy and it was his one wish for humanity.” That spoke to me.