This is the last in a series of three sets of photos I shot with Lydia Hudgens back in September. What I love about these sets is that although they were all shot within three days of one another, they are so incredibly different. There was the punk rock back-to-school look in The Bowery with Amelia Arsenic, the early morning East Village stoop loitering with Gala and now, this.

You’re probably wondering about the mouse ears. Gala and I have been to Disneyland twice together and I’ve been to Disney Wold four times on my own (and I never plan on growing up) so I’ll wear mouse ears any change I get. Sequined ears paired with more sequins? Why not! A group was gathered on the sidewalk for church as we walked by at 9:30 in the morning and literally stopped what they were doing and started singing the Mickey Mouse Club song to us…ears cheer everyone up!

These photos were shot in a very special place; a private garden that Gala & I had our birthday in two years ago. This is a quiet, magical refuge in the middle of the East Village and feels straight out of a fairytale.

I Wore:

Gryphon Sequin Dress, Tokio 7
Ears, Disneyland
Belt, Vintage
Tights, H&M
Wedges, Camilla Skovgaard
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow

Gala Wore:

White irridescent mouse ears
Vintage turquoise beaded dress
Vintage bed jacket
Rings by Dyrberg/Kern
Betsey Johnson starburst Pollys

With all the sequins, it was only natural to finish up with a Michael Jackson-inspired dance-off.

After this shoot wrapped, I grabbed my bags, said goodbye to Gala, Hank & Dolly and headed towards the subway….back to Wall Street, then JFK, then home. It was a long day but so worth it. Thanks once again to Lydia Hudgens for the wonderful shoot!

On September 16th, my last morning in New York, I woke up bright and early to catch a cab over to Gala’s apartment in the East Village. We had a shoot with Lydia Hudgens booked for 8 a.m. (this meant that the streets were very empty) and when I showed up five minutes early, in true Virgo fashion, they were both ready to roll.

I really wanted to get some photos in my special birthday dress, a vintage Marimekko number that I’d worn to my party a few days earlier. I paired it with a Kate Spade newspaper clutch that I’d spotted in Gala’s office (the print is of a vintage New York paper!) I’d really like to find one of my own and I know that a number of brands have produced these in the past; do you have any suggestions?

My streamlined look was balanced out by Gala’s punch of pink and yes, a petticoat. Needless to say, we were slightly overdressed compared to the locals.

I Wore:

Leather Jacket, Rick Owens
Vintage Marimekko dress, Etsy
Headband, Forever 21
Tights, H&M
Wedges, Camilla Skovgaard
Kate Spade Newspaper clutch, borrowed from Gala
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow

Gala Wore:

Vintage pink bowler hat

218W Perfecto leather jacket by Schott

Diamond necklace (a wedding gift from my mother — I haven’t taken it off since)

Angora heart sweater from ASOS

Betsey Johnson belt

Vintage pink crinoline (I also wore this under my wedding dress!)

Betsey Johnson over-the-knee socks

Matiko Ai For Ai boots (so comfortable, & I love the suede/patent leather/perforated leather combo!)

It just seemed appropriate to try jumping. In five inch wedges. At 9 AM.

Once the shoot ended, we weren’t quite done. There was one more outfit change still in store…but you’ll have to wait a little longer for that one. Thank you to Lydia Hudgens for shooting the photos! We had such an awesome time!

I’ve always loved Amelia Arsenic’s style but it’s been nearly impossible to meet up in the last two years. She’s based in London, I’m in Portland and though we both travel all the time, we never seem to be in the same place at once! When we found out that we’d both be in New York at the same time in September, I arranged a shoot with photographer Lydia Hudgens.

The real fun was in scouting a location. I asked Bianca for some recommendations and she immediately mentioned the corner of Bowery and Spring. I distinctly remembered the spot from past trips as being a great graffiti mecca and after some googling, I was astounded. Get this: The building previously housed Germania Bank which was built in 1898 and is now the home of a photographer and his wife and daughter. Yes, one family shares this building featuring 72 rooms! He purchased the building for a mere $102,000.00 over 40 years ago (no, that’s not a typo) and has lived there ever since. Amazing! Read more about the building’s history here.

We spent Tuesday afternoon shooting around the edges of Soho and though we hadn’t coordinated what we’d be wearing, I loved the contrast of the green in Amelia’s hair paired with my red accents. What I’ve realized is that sometimes the best shoots aren’t overly planned.

I Wore:

Vintage plaid skirt, Etsy
Sonia Rykiel for H&M Sweater, Ebay
Bow Headband, Forever 21
Tights, H&M
Avant Garde Necklace, Plastique (Etsy)
Patent Wedges, Cheap Monday
Bag, Miu Miu
Nail Polish, Pop Nail Glam in Yellow.

Thank you to Amelia for posing with me and to Lydia for doing such a great job. And FYI, Lydia is now based in New York so if you’d like to shoot with her, get in touch!