I SPY: La Chateau.

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Last week I was fortunate enough to be able to visit Chateau Grand Castle Liptovsky Hradok in Slovakia as part of my business trip. The castle was absolutely amazing, great mix of vintage, historic and hounted- creepy.

The owner pays special attention to details, rooms are equipped with wireless, fresh fruit and chocolates while the whole castle is decorated with amazing historic pieces and there is indeed a feeling that royalty still resides there. Amazing hospitality, together with great food and wines for leisure time while equipped with full technology needed for any conference and/or business meeting this Chateau is the place to be!

Have a look at the pictures I took darlings! Isn’t it just fabulous? J

Guess where I am spying next lovelies? ;)  

"ALways act as if you are wearing an invisible crown!"

Animalistic.Couturistic.Futuristic.

While preparing a number of exclusive interviews for you which I will post

during next couple of weeks as well as my visual diary from Slovakia titled „I Spy Chatau Grand Castle“ I decided to share one of my favorite editorials with you. 

Apsolutely amazing!

Enjoy lovelies!

Photos: Vogue Italia March 2004. Karen Elson by Steve Klein Mad Magic Maginifant




“Style is primarily a matter of instinct.”

Bill Blass

Who run the world? GIRLS!

               Photo: Aminaka Wilmont FW 2011/12. Source: London FashionWeek

WARNING:! BAM! BAM! A tribe of power glamazons is taking over! Be aware, they attack in herds but each can be fatal on her own!

Photos via www.moda.hr 

Pagan Poetry by FYODOR GOLAN

Wearing these designer's piece bangs out the insecurity out of the women and transforms her into a modern, confident and a bit dangerous siren looking glamazone!

Totem by AMINAKA WILMONT

Tribal print, soft and flattering fit – these two have the ability to make the leather look like cotton which will adore women’s body making her effortlessly fabulous and each look can take you from the morning  paw stretch to night hunt.

Positronyx  by JEAN PIERRE BRAGANZA

Imaculate tayloring and fit, amazingly wearable and strong collection, chic and timeless. 

" My persuasion can build a nation, endless power our love we can devour...

This goes out to all my girls that’s in the club rocking the latest, who could buy it for themselves and get more money later...." 

~Beyonce~

Blogging 101 – 5 lessons by Yvan Rodic the Facehunter

This year at 16^th Dreft Fashion Week Zagreb I was fortunate enough to be a host of my fabulous and always fun to be around friend Yvan Rodic the Facehunter. 

Last year when we met during Milan’s fashion week I told him about Dreft Fashion Week Zagreb and young and developing blogger scene in Croatia and we decided to organize a blogger intro lecture and book signing as part of Dreft Fashion Week Zagreb activities where Yvan could share his inspirations, his personal experience and his view of what blogging is all about. Yvan’s visit and his blogger lecture I thought came at the right time for young and aspiring Croatian bloggers to get the basics from someone who made his hobby into a profession.

Croatian blogger scene is still very young and there are no professional bloggers but it is growing daily. Most of the current Croatian fashion bloggers are photo bloggers who take pictures of themselves or their friends in captivatingly styled outfits and about 90% of them write in Croatian and are women. Croatian blog which I most frequently visit a street style blog Croator.net.

YVAN’S STORY

Yvan blogger story has started in 2005. when he got a quit simple camera as a Christmas gift, at a time he was working as a copywriter in advertising agency. In 2006, he started his blog on Blogspot.com and was contributing at the coolhunter.com with his street style photos. In 2006. The street style became a phenomenon. Yvan got his first big opportunity in late 2006. When he was paid by GQ online to take photos for them on various fashion events. 


In 2008. Yvan has started The Facehunter web TV show, while in August 2009. Inspired by colorfulness during his travel and seeing various cultures Yvan started a new blog  - visual diary: www.yvanrodic.com . This blog is more personal and it contains inspirational imagery from Yvan’s travels – cities, people, festivals, scenery etc.  
In March 2010. Yvan has issued a book called Facehunter which includes more than 300 inspirational street style photographs from his fashion travels. 


Bellow I highlighted a number of most interesting points from Yvan’s lecture.

Lesson #1: IF YOUR MAIN GOAL IS TO BECOME RICH, DON’T START BLOGGING.

Lesson#2: BLOG(GER) AS A BRAND

I liked the way Yvan described growth and development of his blog and expending his area of interest, going from just taking photos as a hobby to making it into a paid, full time, life long journey including: working on 2 blogs, issuing a book, organizing photo exhibitions, doing a web TV show, speaking at conferences and collaborating with well known fashion brands. 
Talking about living a dream and doing what you love to do! J

               

                                                   Photos by Matija Habljak (dalje.hr)

Yvan on bloggers impact on fashion industry: “Fashion used to be a dictature and now it is a democratic game.”

Lesson#3: HOW TO EARN MONEY?

There are obviously numerous ways a blogger can earn income by placing various ads on his/hers site. Some of the most popular/obvious ones are:adNetworks (GlamMedia, Indie Click and BlogAds), affiliate sales – you recommend a product from the site, someone buys it and you get a pre-set percentage for recommending it (Google Adsense, Shopzilla, Amazon  Associates, Commission Junction etc), collaborations - with clothing, accessories and/or beauty brands (ex. Rumy & Forever 21, Scott Schuman and Burberry and Facehunter & Armani).

Lesson#4: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EDITORIAL AND COMMERCIAL

While talking to Yvan before the blogger conference I have mentioned that this is the area which would be good to clarify to start up bloggers. My primary concern was transparency with what bloggers declare to their readers as a paid commercial work and what as an actual editorial creative work. So, editorial is work/post/shoot you are not doing as ordered by a third party and for which you are not being paid while commercial or advertorial work is something you got offered to do by a third party and you are getting some sort of compensation for it – not always money.

Rightfully so, Yvan said that as a blogger, you are in position to be your own editor, web designer, journalist and agent so all these “departments” in one person may interfere and indeed we all know there are a corrupted bloggers as there are people in any other profession.

Lesson#5: GETTING AN AGENT

Although the specialty of being an agent to a blogger is still undeveloped, there is a first specialized agency for this kind of work DBA www.thedigitalbrandarchitects.com . Yvan mentioned that he does not uses their services but he does have an agent whose job is to get him commercial, paid jobs.

I thank Yvan for being our guest and I encourage those who haven’t already to check out his work on: www.facehunter.com  and www.yvanrodic.com . Follow Yvan on Facebook & Twitter!

Hvala Yvane! J

7 Manly sins.

Car key spinner.

Dear boys with expensive (father’s) cars, spinning and/or placing you BMW car keys on the table by ladie's drink is not one of the most recommended seduction methods. Sure, it may get you a certain type of a girl for a one-nighter but after she meets your father you might soon take upon a role of her stepson. So, just keep the keys in your pocket and try with regular verbal communication.

High school vibe.

Trust me when I say this, because I think I am speaking in the name of most of the ladies when I say that hoodies, jeans and sneakers cannot be your day to night outfit on a regular basics even if you are a professional athlete or unemployed working from home. Dress your age honey! There is a proper attire for each occasion and every age.

Branded head to toe.

Ok, you got money to spend and like designer clothes but please try not to be a walking billboard with CK underwear showing from your pants, D&G hanging from your belt, DSquared written in all caps on your T-shirt, LV pasted all over your sneakers and wrist watch of the size of my head. This type is usually guilty of the key spinning sin as well. Just don’t do it, ok? Fashion aside, it simply looks like you have raped a designer multi-brand store window.

Cologne junky.

You like to smell well and like good perfumes, fine. We like it when our man smells good but when I need to air out my apartment two weeks after you have left it, then it means you should go by the less is more rule. Spray the perfume and/or body spray just on the couple of body spots where your body is the warmest like: back of the neck, chest and inner side of your elbows. Let us have to come closer to you to smell your perfume. ;)

Philosopher.

Some men get stuck in a phase in between college and real life and superficial vs. real meaningful relationship and build up a whole philosophy of excuses why everything in their life is better to remain in the "status Quo stage"   for a while. This type of men can grow into those creepers who go clubbing on a regular until they are 50+, continue wearing light jeans and to much hairgel , they stay behind their generation and fail in maintaining  romantic relationships and even though often successful at work they do, they do not feel happy with their life overall. Note for these kind of men – just grow up will ya?

          

 Workaholic.

God knows I used to fear I might become a female version of this type but thankfully I reflected on time and changed my ways. This is the type of a guy I used to date! Hint. Hint. This guy is at work morning to night, offten stops taking care of his body and health and continues to chase money with no tangible goal or end to it. Often they lose sense or reality, become less social, can’t maintain real friendships or  start drinking a lot and become real jerks in romantic relationships. I got two pieces of advice for this kind of men – #1 Money can’t buy you love. #2 Once you start speaking and acting in your private life as you do at work – it’s time for a career change honey. No matter how scared of failing you might be. Do it.

Looser.

Often called a male gold-digger. This guy has an excuse for everything that went wrong in his life. He barely completed college or didn’t even manage to, he still lives with his parents and doesn’t work because he still can’t figure out what exactly he wants to do with his life and he is pushing 30. If he manages to get a girl, he tries to move into her place asap and hopes she will be his new mommy. Note for Mr. Looser – get a job! Any job! Note for Mr. Loosers mother – kick him out. 

Do you know any men that have commited any of the above sins lovelies? Dare to share! ;)

Madrid mágico.

One would think I would have more photos to share after a week long vacation spent in beautiful Madrid. This was my first and last photo marking start of my vacation on Prague's airport, this was the moment where I took that “deep finally vacation breath” and tried to understand the articles I was reading in latest edition of Spanish Vogue.

Ahh the things we do for love….of fashion J Language is no barrier, and indeed, I understood most of it (thank you Marisol – 5th grade elementary school!). Other three and a half days I have spent detoxing from all of the daily noise of internet, iPhone, Twitter, Facebook, junk food, not sleeping and even blogging....and I tell ya it was short but magical!

At the same time I finally had time to hear myself think (not in a weirdo kind of way) and I had a chance to rethink how I go about what I want and don’t want in life and about the warp speed I am living at. 


Yes, I did all that couple of hours each day during my three day stay, on a sunny terrace in Madrid with my new Amigo mowing the lawn by the pool and occasionally curiously looking at me stretch in yoga poses in between my  Spanish Vogue and chic-lit pages.

Another magical thing happened in Madrid actually, it caught me totally of guard and I am still not sure how to go about it…all I know is that I am enjoying the journey. J

Power shift: What is it about men?

The truth is it gives me great pleasure to be able to do everything on my own.

I am able to make money on my own, much more than an average guy my age. I can put together a furniture piece and do type of work “men are suppose to do around the house” with my manicured nails and I am successful in most of the things I do, that is just the fact. Indeed I am far from your average girl both career wise and relationship wise. I don’t nag much; I don’t have bad PMS crises nor am I a control freak, I do have y bitch moods but they are reserved for moments when I am deprived of essentials – like sex or quality time with you. One would say I don’t need a man for traditional things, men are being used for J but there is a room for you, not in front of me, not behind me but by my side.

What is the problem you ask?

Not many men can handle women who they don’t think needs them for something essential, being money or housing or just a lifestyle they strive to have or project they have. Seems like most men are coded to be providers and hunters, most don’t admit it, but sooner or later it comes up in a relationship.

Now, what is a woman to do? Do we act stupid and let them feel superior or should we not settle for such guys and look for a “new age”, totally open minded guy who is so confident and strong minded that he will not feel threaten or less of a man next to a successful women?

How rare is it today for women to find a man beside of who women can feel like a women lovelies?

“Love is not about to people competing with each other,

it is about completing each other.”