Modelina Michelle

San Francisco isn’t known to be a fashion capital, nor is it often visited for it’s sunny weather. Every now and then,  it’s beautiful and there are clothes made here in this city that’s not supposed to have style.

Well hello spring, didn’t you come along quite quickly? It’s been raining and kittens are being born and looking down at your tattered winter body is a sad thought. Fear not! Self Magazine is here for you. Literally. Check out Self’s Work Out in the Park on little marina green on May 5th. Oh and just for being good, you’ll also snag a one-year SELFMagazine subscription along with your ticket.I will see you lovely ladies then! 

• · Fly Girls— Stay super fly by counting down to your favorite 90s pop hits with easy-to-follow dance routines.
• · POUND Rockout Workout— Fuse pilates-inspired movement with the art of making music at this trendy new class that uses Ripstix™, weighted drumsticks, to work the core, upper, and lower body.
• · Hippie Yoga— i.e. yoga that focuses on opening up the hips! Leaves you feeling restored and renewed like no other.

I’ve seen a lot of so called “fake fashion bloggers” out there and I’m not here to rag on them. It’s not about whose the “best” but if you really love what you’re doing. As I get ready to set up my shoots for May, I am asking myself many questions. What types of designers do I want to feature? What types of outfits? How many outfit posts a week? All of these ideas come rushing to my head, when all I really need to do is listen to my heart. I’m not doing this for money, I’m not doing this to impress you, I do it to play like I’m dreaming, even when I’m awake.

dress by Ikohl designs

It’s no secret that I’ve fallen off the ol’ modeling horse so to speak but there’s no better time to pick yourself up and get back on it than now. Today I sent my modeling agent an email with my current measurements and you know what happened? A small miracle! She has a client who is looking for a Fit Model with nearly my exact measurements! Crazy!!!! Fit modeling is a completely competitive form of modeling in which you work with a designer while they engineer clothing. I’ve done it before and it’s a lot of fun, a lot of standing and fairly lucrative. I’ve been lazing about for about a year mulling on whether or not this whole modeling thing is actually worth the time and energy. You know what I decided? It is. It’s always important to look and feel your best no matter what your profession, and that’s what modeling does for me. I will let you know if I get the job, but I just want to encourage anyone who may be thinking of doing something and not, to try.

Photo by Marcie Franich, Dress by Ashton Miyako

outfit by gloe palmers

Bell skirts have been on my style radar for a while now, and what better time to practice being the living embodiment of a pumpkin than fall. Above I am wearing an outfit by gloe palmers and bellow I give you my tips on how to turn a summer skirt into a fall outfit.

Bettina, one of my favorite San Francisco shops is having a sale this week, and I highly recommend you high tail it in there to swoop up some warm and cozy pieces for this delightfully rainy weather. If you’re looking for a cute collection for your wardrobe, stop by Grant and Green for 30-70% off selected merch. I hope to see you there!

Dress by Bettina; 1400 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, CA; Hair and Make up by Sadaya Senior; Photo By Wendy Moya; Modeled by Michelle Ruiz

      Pasting anything- be it semi permanent or stick on has never been something I’d thought I’d do. There’s a first for everything, and having extra long lashes from Lash Lab for close to a month made twenty minutes of a little discomfort worth it. They lasted well through my trip to Malibu, swimming, eating and falling down some stairs after an ill fated attempt to sing “your mama don’t dance and your daddy don’t rock and roll”. Everything sounds better when you’ve had a few, well at least to you. I laughed after a bitter VHI behind the music drummer loudly proclaimed “THAT WAS TERRIBLE” after my solo. I batted my lashes and walked away. When I think of my experience at Lash Lab in sleepy little cow hollow (a place near and dear to my heart as was my former home), I’ll not think of the twenty minutes I spent under a hot light with a slight amount of discomfort keeping my eyes open, I will instead think of the night I sang my heart out, swam my make up off and kept my lashes long.

If you like my super cute scorpio necklace, shop Mark My Words; If you like my picture ask Moja Ma’at; If you like my make up ask Sadaya Senior

A back room in Sloane lounge paired with nostalgic music from the 80′s and a fashion savvy crowd welcomed the launch of Refinery 29 in San Francisco last night. It was the kind of party that made you wish your prom would have been that cool. The absence of Jersey Shore esq bridge and tunnel people made it ok to revel in a dorky glory of letting loose on the dance floor. A photo shoot was set up with random trinkets lining the floor such as a black phone ala Clarissa Explains it All and a red tennis racket and big red 45 Record Case. Somehow after a few drinks it made sense to pose with these items. The energy was better than New Year’s but we were celebrating something different all together; the acknowledgment that we San Franciscans have a style all our own.  This is the dress I wore to the party.

Dress by New York Collection at Marmalade Boutique; 2059 Union Street, San Francisco, CA; Photo by Marcie Franich

Earlier this year, my friend Doug Birnbaum and I thought it would be a good time to go walking through Golden Gate Park while wearing this Dino T-shirt and making funny faces. Yes we are adults who like to play pretend. It’s fun, you should try it sometime. For the longest time I was against wearing T-shirts with mythical creatures (eh-hem unicorns aren’t really real, right?) chasing pre-historic death machines. I thought that I would look too much like the female counter part to Napoleon Dynamite and that just wasn’t cool because I don’t have the rad-tastic afro to compliment such a shirt. Inhibitions to the wind, I say this T-shirt looks even better when you decide to laugh just a little at the absurdity of it all.

Dino T-shirt by Kevin Best; Photo By Doug Birnbaum, Modeled by Moi (Michelle Ruiz)