Just Mariklo: LAFW Part 1 - New Friends x Random Pics

This weekend I slept a total of 24 hours! It was like a vacation. I had mid-terms and was still sleepy from my California trip. Besides a cool thrifting trip, I sipped wine and went to sleep. So I will admit that I wasn't able to go through all of the hundreds of pics from L.A., but I did go through the personal ones, that doesn't show the designers. I will share the designer/runway pics tomorrow.

So here are a few pics between my phone, camera, and Instagram. I also tried to post in order. I only went for two days and I did a lot. The first day events were hosted by L.A. Council, featuring numerous designers.

Vest: Calvin Klein; Top: Thrift; Skirt: Express; Wedges: Prada; Glasses: Versace

For the day I tied to go casual. Wedges to keep my feet from hurting all throughout the day and my nerd frames lol. My wedges were sequin to help give some flare.

Oh, there was also open bar...five hours of open bar. By the end of the day all you heard was loud laughter and glasses breaking. My type of party. I linked up with a few of my older friends as soon I arrived, after getting my drink of course.

The night events were hosted by Project Ethos and Art Hearts Fashion. Their events was more for socialites, than people in the fashion industry. I was expecting to network more and see more high quality fashion. But I have to remind myself it is L.A. and not New York, so I will digress.

If it wasn't for the "VIP" pass that I purchased the day of, I would've had to stand in a line wrapped around the corner and not have seats. I had a media pass, but I wanted to be more in tune with the show. If you have a general ticket, then you had to stand and wait in a long ass line. I rarely do clubs and what not just because of this issue, I felt like it was a fashion club...

There was a nice lady who worked for Nicole Miller and after talking to her, she had me walk to "red carpet". I have walked a lot of "red carpets" before, but this one was just a different vibe...I just can't put my finger on it.

Anyway, my seat was the second row, right on the side where I am standing. Which I feel was the 2nd best seat because I was able to capture a lot of behind the scenes action and catch the models right before the walk.

The venue was actually nice, but I hate that carpet!!!!!! I hate the presentation! Hate is a bad word, but I am really anal about the little things and that made a difference. Not to mention if I see a damn model with another sticker on their shoe walking the runway....I will get more into that tomorrow.

Day Two:

Day two I made this look up, I didn't put too much thought into my day looks. Mainly because I didn't have time. I packed a bin full of shoes and half my wardrobe. Then I actually thought about skipping out on the shows to go hit up thrift stores, so I threw this on. But half-way there I decided to pop in for the other shows and glad I did.

I didn't intend to wear the blue trench either. I left it in the trunk and it was rainy, so I threw it on and it actually completed the look.

I am happy I went the second day because I met the beautiful Paris of www.wheresexymeetsclassy.net.

Quick story: There was another chick who needed a phone charger who I met the day prior. Paris had her phone charging while watching the show. Before even meeting Paris, I took her phone off the charger and replaced it with the other girls phone. I am a ride or die person and about that life.

So, she sort of saw us and I played it off enough for us to exchange information, hang out during the remaining of the shows, meet other people, go to dinner, discuss business, life, and goals. Now we text daily, have future business plans, and she is coming to Vegas with me in May. This is why I network and do what I do people! Go check out her blog and she sells amazing sunglasses!

I knew the two beauties on each side of me from the last shows. I met the others while attending other shows. But Kelly Brown on the left is a blog that I love and follow. www.lulaandsailor.com. She is amazing and her style is so girly and fun.

So this guy works with an App called Luxe. It is a on call valet service. Say you park your car in a scary ass location, they will come get your keys and pull your car up for you at any location in L.A. It was pretty weird for me at first, but Paris used the service and they were really nice guys.

The two guys I met a little bit after Paris. The world is so small because Paris went to college with the guy on the right and her roommate braided his hair back in the day. They didn't even know it. We all went to dinner and talked about life. They were gentleman and I plan to link us up together in the future.

Met this beautiful soul as soon as I walked in the second day. She helped me a lot with my seating arrangement for the shows.

Then Leon Robinson walked in after my 3rd drink. Need I say more...

Lauren met last year and we had dinner and drinks on the first night. I loved her metallic shoes.

Connie and Norman! They were the first people I met the first day and Connie is the girl whose phone I put on Paris charger. Do people read what I am writing? LOL Anyway that is the story. These two were my favorite! We laughed the entire time.

I skipped out on the second night of shows for Project Ethos, because my cousin came into town last minute. I made a choice, go to see "Fashion" and network with socialites that have no idea what Avant Garde means or go see my cousin from Chicago. That sounds messed up, but the people there were not trying to network, they were trying to be seen. I just can't...

Not to mention hearing my mother calling to tell me my priorities are f*cked up because I chose fashion over family. I made the right choice. He took me to a bar named Dime Bar and that DJ played everything from Mystikal, Killer Cam, ODB, Total, and Juvenile. I danced til 1am and realized I had to be on the road back at 5am...that didn't happen by the way.