Just for one day, I proudly became a German today in honor of my children’s heritage, being part German themselves. I eagerly pulled out the only well tailored dirndl I acquired from a top notch boutique during my visit to Salzburg, Austria few years ago. Alas! I finally found the opportunity to wear it!

My little 5 year old princess, looked ever so adorable in her first dirndl. Together we set off to experience our very first Steuben!

We started off by partaking in the annual parade march on 5th Ave, and tapered off to the after party at the Central Park Summer Stage, where the beer and pretzels was abundant. The event did not disappoint at all. I was reminded of my first Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, Germany few years ago. It was nice to see similar effect here stateside, with everyone dressed the part in various styles and color schemes of dirndls and lederhosen, well fashioned on all ages and genders. I could see the pride and passion on reveler’s faces.

Until next year perhaps, prost! 🍺🍻

New York City Mayor Eric Adams proudly took part in the festivities.

My daughter & I with Mayor Eric Adams

The after party on Central Park

Another spin around the sun, and voila… It’s time for the all white out block party… Diner en Blanc time again! After attending and volunteering as a table leader for several years now, I decided to make my carryon a little less cumbersome. Literally, everything was hand carried, having no need to handy carts. This made the navigation through the required subway ride so much easier, a breeze! I kept the dishes and meals to a bare minimum, sushi deluxe neatly transfered to my plate, not needing to schlepp coolers for warm dishes, chopsticks on the ready, opted for sparkling water in order to be fully aware of the event with no alcohol effect. No handbags to worry about. My identifications and credit cards were nicely tucked in my back pocket. As a result, it ended up being the most relaxed and enjoyable experience for me! I had more freedom to move about and network, engage with my fellow revelers like never before. New York City Mayor Eric Adams was definitely on hand for the party of the season. He stopped by in bright white African damask garb to show the boys how it’s done! Bit of course, the screaming ladies barely let the poor man dance or see the floor. He was the star of the night, and they let him know it.

Naturally, wherever the mayor goes, you can expect throves of protesters. Freedom of soeech is still a fiber of our nation afterall. The protesters were nearby chanting to remind the Mayor of political matters at hand. Heavy police guards were quite noticeable, a first at Diner en Blanc. Needless to say, fun was had by all, nothing deflected the festive mood.

And a special thank you to our darling group leader John Sass, who made the best of what would have been a terrible situation by steering the ship in the right direction after we lost our original leader. After all of that, only to have his meal stolen by a wandering homeless man after we were seated! The organizers were kind enough to gift him a bottle of their best champagne! And the goodie bags John himself gifted us… priceless!

Until next year darlings, cheers!🥂🥳🎊

Click on images to enlarge.

Full video coverage is posted on instagram

Mayor Eric Adams

John Sass and me proudly holding my goodie bag.❤️🙏😃🥂🥳

Harlem Fashion Week 12 season took place at the newly opened swanky Rennaisance Hotel, right next door to the iconic Apollo theater yesterday. The organization presented 3 different shows with each comprising of 5 to 6 emerging designers. A winner in each case was selected by panel of judges to be mentored in the business of fashion by the organization.

I had the immense pleasure of being one of the judges! Prior to the show, a day before, a Business of Fashion Symposium took place where I was one of the esteemed panelists. Emmy Award Winning stylist to Beyonce’s Black is King phenomenon, Zerina Akers was the Keynote Speaker. We were all able to share our knowledge and expertise in the fields of fashion, styling and modeling with the audience.

The ultimate goal of the annual event is to help nuture emerging talents in various fields of fashion. Some notable Hip Hop legends, still riding on the success of the ongoing Hip-Hop at 50 celebration, blessed the affair with their presence. Celebrants included Ice T, DJ Hollywood, Doug E. Fresh, and Ralph McDaniels, who was honored as a cultural Icon. With such an event in iconic location as Harlem, it was inevitable for everyone to turn up and show out.

Click the images to enlarge.

SohoMuse, a member only social network for the creative professionals… delivered a riveting fashion event at the iconic Guggenheim Museum yesterday!

Billed as “Latin Ignition”, it really lived up to its name! The event showcased a coterie of designers curated by Consuelo Vanderbilt, and co-hosted by the legendary Emilio Estefan, a pairing not many expected. Emilio Estefan in a fashion space? Yes indeed! The collaboration was in honor of uplifting the Latin community and designers, which included a very diverse bevy of models who showcased collections from a few designers from the SoHo Muse. The after party at the Rotonda was spectacular! Not one person in the building stood idle, everyone was on their feet dancing! A motion Emilio Estefan’s grammy winning spouse Gloria Estefan would approve of!

Watch the video on instagram to see highlights from the runway.

You know it’s officially the end of the summer season when masqueraders and titanic proportion speaker enhanced truckers pull through Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn blasting out classic Caribbean hits at the highest decibels! The event featured revelers from all walks of life, age and race! A very celebratory video can be seen on my instagram page. You definitely don’t want to miss watching it.

Below are some of the highlights I captured using my mobile camera. Click to enlarge. 😃

World renowned photography artist Renee Cox’s riveting on going exhibition “A Proof of Being” at the Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY made my summer getaway there extra special. I’ve been to many photography exhibitions but none left my jaws on the gallery’s floor like Renee’s extraordinary work! With AI snapping at the delicate heels of humanity, or whatever is left of it, Renee’s body of work is making steadfast leaps and bounds breaking the usual norm in photography. I don’t think we mere mortals are quite ready for where Ms. Cox is taking photography. Granted we’ve got flying cars about to dominate our airways, Renee is doing just that with photography. Have you ever seen a thought provoking 3d photography play a rollercoaster ride right before your very eyes? Photo trimmed images of subjects in a kaleidoscope montage that’ll leave you craving a taste of Mars and beyond! Her work is futuristic to say the least. The viewer is taken to an out of body experience through photo story telling using self portraits, to a time far flung, yet near in an immersive series.

Renee’s youngest son Tosh, who stars in a few of the photographs was equally in awe of his mother. He saw the exhibition at the Guild Hall for the first time as well. I could only imagine how proud he must be of his mother.

Below are just a taste of what awaits you in East Hampton, on view until Sept. This is an exhibition not to be missed. Click on images to enlarge them, but I must say, it’s better experienced in person, especially the immersive photography projection, which you can preview the video on my instagram page here.

Calling all Swifty fans! A once in a lifetime opportunity just magically appeared in the heart of New York City in the form of Taylor Swift never before seen up close stage wardrobe! The Grammy Award winning songbird and her management company single-handedly chose the avant-garde and always ahead of its time, Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) in New York City to exhibit her concert/stage wardrobe ahead of her upcoming concert in New Jersey.

The music icon, having seen the exquisite exhibition of Machine Dazzle, in previous months, knew perfectly well the MAD would be the undisputed place for her coveted and enviable wardrobe to be shared with the world. You can preview the video on my instagram post here.

Yesterday afternoon, my beloved friend Mrs Barbara Tober hosted an intimate luncheon in celebration of its opening after a private viewing of the exhibition. It offered a great opportunity to see friends and make acquaintance of new ones.

The “Taylor Swift: Storyteller” exhibition is certainly an opportunity not to be missed. Be sure to check it out at the MAD located at Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

Featured below are some of my favorites. 😉

I just got back from my very first Barbie Convention and it was exactly as I had imagined it would be! Yes, there’s actually such a thing, in case you’re wondering. Some of you might not know of my doll collection and doll artistry which can be seen @dolliciouslife on instagram and Facebook (You can see the convention videos on instagram). I’ve been at it for quite sometime now, but it recently reached another height during the covid lockdown when we all had nothing but time and flashbacks. That was when many doll collectors like myself, started unboxing the precious little fellas displayed on shelves to begin what some of us now call a “dollstagram” community. We photograph dolls in fashion, dioramas, lifelike, etc. They helped fill a void for creativity during covid. I for one couldn’t photograph real models/celebrities for Shoeholics magazine at the time due to covid. Alas! The dolls opened my eyes to another life of miniature world of unlimited creativity. I soon found my niche making over dolls, placing them in life like photography. It caught the attention of Longhouse Reserve Museum in East Hampton, where I was invited to photograph on the property. It was featured in the July 2023 edition of Purist magazine, both digital and hardcopy released just in time for the debut of the highly anticipated Barbie movie. (Click on the magazine images below to enlarge it).

Doll collectors alike have since found a “home” on social media, where we share our collection, doll artistry and admiration of one another. Once a year, we gather in person at the convention to celebrate what we all have in common… dolls! Sometimes, dressing up and looking like a favorite doll comes with the territory. Gifts are given and exchanged, lifelong friendships are forged. It’s a joyous occasion many from around the world look forward to. We can’t wait until next year when Barbie celebrates her 65th birthday in Palm Springs! The ageless diva doesn’t look a day over 21! I’ll have whatever she’s having, please!

The highlight of the convention for me was when a beautiful young girl with Down Syndrome, Gigi asked me to be her Barbie and take pictures with her. She made my day! This is why I enjoy doing what I do. Loving life and light one day at a time, making myself and others happy. ❤️🙏