Fashion Week San Diego 2013 Diary

To say that I didn't get carried away with pictures at FWSD would be an understatement. How can one not take a ridiculous amount of pictures during fashion week? That just seems like an impossible task for this blogger. Unfortunately we (bloggers) didn't have the best spot the first two nights of FWSD so that's why I took video instead, but due to my spot I could only film from the shoulders up. I hope bloggers get better seats for next year's festivities (hopefully ones that will allow us to take head-to-toe outfit pictures) but until then here are some of my favorite pictures I took while at FWSD!

With my friend CY from The Shopaholic 24/7. We met over 2 years ago at a Yelle concert of all places! We instantly bonded due to the fact that we both studied abroad in Paris.

FWSD was held at the beautiful Broadway Pier in Downtown, San Diego. If you've never been here you really have to check it out. It is a very modern looking building right next to the USS Midway. I personally love the contrast between the white and blue windows because it makes the building really stand out to it's counterparts in the area.

This was taken during The Art and Beauty Behind Fashion event on Wednesday. There were live models posing for artists to paint them on site. There was a lot of upbeat music and people cheering on the artists as they unveiled their latest masterpieces.

The runway shows began on Thursday which meant that bloggers and press alike needed to report early to get seated before everyone else. Unfortunately doors were still closed when we arrived but we did get interviewed by the FWSD crew. Here's Amber from Face It Catalog getting interviewed. I also got interviewed and let me tell you I was nervous! I swear I was repeating what I was wearing in my head so I wouldn't mess up. I felt a bit awkward but my interview went well for the most part (I think).

Here's C Venti and her last look. Bloggers were seated in the 3rd row on the 1st night which made it extremely hard to take a decent picture but luckily the lighting was perfect for this end of the runway shot.

Here's Second Star Designs who also makes organic soaps! I bought the honey citrus soap which smells like heaven. I'll be reviewing the soap very soon because I love supporting smaller companies whenever I can.

Designer Dexter from Oakland is going to be in Rihanna's upcoming show Style To Rock. If you like edgy designers with a lot of personality, then Dexter is one to watch out for. I really loved his dramatic headpieces and the cheshire cat mouth on some of the models. His collection was one of my highlights of FWSD, it was just so gothic and edgy that I couldn't help but be inspired by.

My favorite collection hands down belonged to local designers Diestra  With a simple black and white collection focusing on sleek and tailored pieces, I couldn't help but be in awe of this collection. I love how androgynous some of the pieces were and others were just effortlessly beautiful. I could very easily see some of the pieces on my favorite singer Annie Clark of St. Vincent because she tends to rock black and white very often and with her slim figure pretty much everything would look great. Diestra really proved that black and white will never go out of style.

On Thursday I knew I had to represent the blogging community by wearing my "bloggers do it better" t-shirt by fellow San Diego style blogger, Tuyaymya from White Tee Black Dress. She will start selling this shirt and more on her blog very soon!

On Saturday I promised myself that I was going to get a better seat and I didn't care if I had to get moved. I was determined to find a good spot and just stay there and luckily I was allowed to stay in that spot all night. Why couldn't they had placed the bloggers there in the first place? I don't know but at least I was able to take some great pictures on the last day of runway shows. This speckled number is from Victrola's dreamy collection. I loved the pastel colors with the speckled print so much because it was feminine but with an edge. The speckled print also reminded me of the nail polishes that Illamasqua released now too long ago.

If pastel purple isn't your thing then look at this waterfall skirt. The white and gray skirt would be the perfect piece for girls in Southern California looking for an edgy piece that will keep them cool at the same time. I also loved Victrola's take on the crop top.

Here's designer Lauren Cram of Victrola with the final look. Could they had picked a more perfect model for the final look? I don't think so. I love how the model's platinum blond hair appears to be the same color as the dress because of the lighting. It makes me wish that I could dye my hair a pale pink color.

Here's Yuwei Designs which had the most gorgeous gold necklaces. These weren't your typical statement necklaces though, these were intricately designed necklaces that command all of your attention. As a gold jewelry lover these necklaces were right up my alley. I could see them looking amazing with a little black dress or with a simple white tee and jeans.

Maralonzo, an L.A. based designer, presented a very romantic collection filled with lovely floral patterns, pastel colors, and draping. I really loved the floral pattern because to me it looked like a rough sketch that an artist would make before painting on a large canvas. I was also a big fan of the pastel colors featured in the collection because nothing says spring like pastel colors and flowers.

Now for the elegant dresses! SYC Collection created an exquisite collection comprised of dresses for sophisticated ladies and even teens alike. As a fan of bright colors this red dress really caught my eye because of it's simple but elegant design. I also found the cut to be very flattering on women with curves.

This was another beautiful dress but unlike the first one, this would look better on those with a boyish figure because loose dresses on curvy women tend to make them look like they have no shape. Trust me I've tried loose dresses on before and it looks like I'm pregnant with a food baby.

This was a very fun dress which accentuates a woman's hips in a very flattering way. This dress would be such a cute option for any high school girl going to homecoming or prom. Also how great did the ivory dress look on this model? She looked stunning!

This Ashley Raymond dress reminded me something Badgley Mischka would create because of the intricate beadwork in the bust area. It was a beautiful fitted black dress with delicate beadwork in the front. And with a dress like that there's no need to wear a necklace.

When I saw this walk down the runway my jaw fell to the floor. I have no desire to ever get married but I would love to wear something like this someday in the future (preferably in a different color). This is a wedding gown to put all others to shame! I loved how covered this gown was and also how the fabric flares down from the waist. It was such a beautiful gown and it was even more beautiful in person.

I was so happy that this Ashley Raymond gown photographed so well. It was honestly such a beautiful piece that deserved to have a lot of pictures taken.

She was one of my favorite models at FWSD wearing a dress by WM Couture. I swear every time I saw her strut down the catwalk I wanted to yell out fierce! I really hope she gets to model in NYFW because honestly she was the best model at FWSD. Tyra would had been proud of her.

The last day of FWSD consisted of the trunk show where people could get to see the designs up close and chat with the designers. Those lucky enough could even buy some of the pieces shown in the runway. The trunk show made me desperately wish that I wasn't stuck with a post-bachelor degree budget because I would had been so honored to support an up-and-coming designer. How cool would it to own a piece when the designers were just starting out? Ugh, someday I'll be able to afford something like this amazing dress by Wish Now who was named the most innovative designer by the FWSD panel.

Here's Lauren from Victrola once again. She was incredibly lovely in person and can I just point out how beautiful she is? She is as beautiful as her collection.

Here is Denise from Diestra. She is hands down one of the coolest chicks ever. Other than being incredibly down to earth and creating beautiful pieces, she's also a fan of changing up her hair like me. It turns out that she also had a pixie cut not too long ago!

The men of RH Creation were the winning designers of FWSD because of their colorful and flowy designs. I'm not much of a flowy dress type of girl, but the watercolor prints were gorgeous.

All I can say is YOU BETTER WERK! Dexter was one of my favorites at FWSD and after meeting him he is one of my favorite people ever. A guy with this much attitude and edge is sure to become a household name one day. I really hope he wins Style To Rock, I will be cheering him on from the comfort of my own couch the whole season.

And finally we have Denise and Otilia, the lovely ladies over at Diestra. Two of the coolest girls you'll over meet. Can I take a moment to admire their outfits? Both of them are incredibly stylish and definitely very talented. They are making Latinas all over the world very proud and I can't see what they come up with next!

I really hope you all enjoyed all the pictures. Tomorrow marks the end of FWSD 2013 week over at Laura Neuzeth so I hope you're all ready for the last post!