Sara Streule, Author at Sara is in Love with…

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Dear Mister Koons…

1st February 2013 29 Comments

Jeff Koons, Fashion, Maison Margiela, Pearls and Swine

Dear Mister Koons, may I apply as an artwork of yours?

Pearls and Swine, Jeff Koons, Disco Ball, Fascinator

I have the best qualifications: I am colourful, bright and happy.

Of course I have a wide experience with metallic shine as well.

Jeff Koons, Pearls and Swine, Fascinator, Disco Ball

A strong pop culture inspiration belongs to my key competences.

So, what do you think: OUI /NON? (Please choose OUI)

If you can’t decide yet: Here is more shine to convince you.

Twinkle, twinkle, I know you can’t say no!

Maison Margiela, Jeff Koons, Fashion, Look

I have already packed my bag. See you in rainbow land!

When it comes to art, Jeff Koons is one of the first artists I mention when asked about my favorites. His work is a dance on the border between cult and kitsch to me, there is humour in it and every artwork of his seems to twinkle with one eye. Koons’ art makes me happy, like a bright outfit does. Most of my other favourite artists, create dark, disturbing or surreal work and I think this has nothing to do with my taste in fashion (expect if I am in the gothic mood, which happens every now and then). Koons’ work on the other hand, walks hand in hand with all the other things I love in life, especially my taste of fashion: It’s like a dream from a world full of rainbows.

Do you remember my Art Inspires Fashion post about Jeff Koons? I wanted to wear the outfit since I posted it and couldn’t get it out of my mind. Now the moment is here and I can finally present you me wearing the Jeff Koon’s inspired outfit. It is not exactly the proposal from that post, but a little bit a changed version. The multi sequin skirt from Asos, the Kate Rohde bangle and the Maison Martin Margiela for HM handbag, follow exactly the inspiration post. I combine them with similar pieces as proposed from my existing wardrobe. There is even a big improvement to the inspiration post: After posting it, Pearls & Swine created this wonderful fascinator, which reminded me of Koons’ shiny tulip sculptures at first sight.

The fascinator is the key piece of the outfit, together with the handbag. The Maison Martin Margiela for HM bag fits very well, because Koons often reproduces everyday’s objects in oversized versions. This giant candy wrap follows a similar idea. The difference between it and a Koons artwork is, that I can use it to carry around my stuff, while Koons’ colossal sculptures are released from a practical use and wait for admiration only.

I just have to say something too about the Kate Rohde bangle: It’s a magical thing and I wear it like a talisman. I can watch again and again how it looks when the sun shines on it. It’s the most amazing bangle I ever had, it looks like it was made in a crystal wonderland, where Koons’ balloon dogs chase each other playing hide and seek. All in all, this outfit is the most colourful one, I showed you for a while and I think all the strong colours have a lot of positive energy. I hope you feel it too and it makes you smile.

So now I want to hear from you: How do you like this look?

My Outfit:

Fascinator: Pearls & Swine, Skirt: Asos, Top: Primark,

Belt: Asos (sold out), Shoes: Bordello at Attitude Clothing,

Handbag; Maison Martin Margiela for HM, Bangle: Kate Rohde at Edition X

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Lovely Label: Rachel’s Wonders

28th January 2013 5 Comments

jewellery, Rachel's Wonders, heart, necklace

Glitter heart pearl necklace and sugar skull hairpiece

Strawberry on black pearls / Bat necklace

A selection of items I especially love from Rachel’s Wonders.

No outfit is perfect without the matching accessories! When it comes to jewellery, what I really love, are colourful, brigtht pieces. Jewelllery made of resin is exactly what I have in mind. It’s possible to have it in all the colours of the rainbow and with sparkling glitter. Today I am introducing a lovely jewellery brand, providing a lot of cool jewellery, most of them made from resin:

Rachel’s Wonders is truly a shop full of wonders, a world full of glitter, cuteness and shiny things. When I discovered this shop, I learned that there is more than mountains and sheep to be found in Cumbria (UK). Rachel’s jewellery is all handmade in her shed in a town called Workington. I like the thought of wearing unique jewellery made by a lovely, English girl, instead of going for mass production from China. If you order something from Rachel, it is possible to have it customized and get your dream piece in exactly the colour you have in mind. This way, your jewellery will perfectly match the colour of your eyes, your favourite dress or your boyfriend’s car, whatever you can imagine.

What I especially love about Rachel’s jewellery, it looks happy and makes the word Kawaii pop into my mind. It is exactly the way of kitsch I love. Glitter hearts, cute little bats and sweet cupcakes are just a few of the pretty things Rachel designs. All the Star Wars fans among you will be happy to visit her shop as well, because she has a whole range of jewellery themed on this movie. I have never seen something like this and think it is an ingenious idea.

It seems like Rachel just has the perfect necklace for every opportunity. Of course it is no surprise, she didn’t forget about the approaching Valentine’s Day as well: Pretty heart-shaped necklaces combined with a string of pearls are ready for this special day. You see: One more reason to have a look at.

Visit Rachel’s shop: www.rachelswonders.co.uk

and her page on Facebook: Rachel’s Wonders Jewellery

All pictures belong to Rachel’s Wonders

Pictures 1 to 3: Photographer: Click Click Bang Photography, Model: Peggy Soo, Juliette October

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Colour of the Year 2013: Emerald

24th January 2013 9 Comments

fashion, emerald, colour of the year, 2013

Bangle: Ted Baker at House of Fraser, Lipstick: Lime Crime, Leopard Ring: Z Designs at Pink Mascara,
Scarf: Kurt Geiger, Jelly Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa at Zappos ,
Peacock feather purse: Inspired by Claire Jane at Zappos, Dress: Topshop, Earrings: Liz Law at Bottica,
Multi Stone Ring: Asos, Peacock Bracelet: Indian Bazaar at L-Atitude, Flatform Shoes: Asos

Are you curious year after year, which colour is chosen by Pantone as the colour of the year? I always can’t wait to know and this year I especially love the chosen colour: 2012 was the year of Tangerine Tango, 2013 is the year of Emerald. Pantone says about Emerald: “Lively. Radiant. Lush… A colour of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.” I absolutely agree with this statement!

As you might have noticed, emerald appears again and again in my outfits. I have the feeling that it enhances not just my well-being, but the colour of my complexion as well. I never feel ugly, while wearing emerald. I didn’t know about the colour of the year, when I chose my New Year’s Eve outfit, now it makes me smile that I even called the post “Emerald Fireworks”. What a promising start of the year!

If you don’t wear emerald, I strongly recommend it to you. It’s an absolutely flattering colour and makes you dream about the Emerald City in the Land of Oz, where everything is built of emeralds, other jewels and green glass. I think this colour makes every girl pretty, no matter what skin or hair colour she has.

Do you think Emerald is a good choice as colour of the year and will you wear it?

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Just Hold Me & Never Let Me Go

20th January 2013 13 Comments

Tenderly hold by the hands of my Vivetta blouse.

Red and white, I love this colours together, even if I’m not used to wear white.

This collar is so amazing and reminds me of Schiaparelli.

Elegant, but not without humour.

Sweet vintage earrings, made of tiny bells. They slightly jingle when I move.

Cheetah shoes and knee socks for a little bit of girlishness.

Surrealism in fashion had always some kind of a magical attraction to me. I love all the old pictures of Elsa Schiaparelli and her crazy creations, like the shoe hat or the hand belt. When I first discovered the Italian label Vivetta, I had to think immediately of Schiaparelli. Many of their designs look like a more cute and girly way of things, Elsa could have designed.

I won this amazing blouse from the current Vivetta collection in a competition at Dotti’s, one of my favourite stores in Zurich. Dotti’s started as a vintage store and still sells the most amazing dresses from past times. A few lovely labels such as Bernie Dexter, Vivetta and Frollein von Sofa, joined the shelfs recently. I am very delighted about my luck in the competition, because I secretly admired the blouse for a long time in Dotti’s online store.

The blouse is very smooth and elegant. It is probably the first white blouse I ever owned. I am always a little bit careful about wearing white. With my pale complexion and fair hair, I am afraid it might make me appear too pale. I would never wear white without makeup, but with a bright lipstick the look convinces me. The short skirt and knee socks makes the outfit cheeky, while the blouse is high-necked in a good girl manner. I think the finished look says “I am an elegant lady, but a cute school girl as well”. With this, I already found my perfect outfit for Valentine’s Day.

What do you think about this look and especially the blouse?

My Outfit:

Blouse: Vivetta at Dotti’s, Skirt: Vintage,
Earrings: Eclectic Deb’s Vintage at Etsy, Tights: HM,
Knee socks: From my mother’s wardrobe, Shoes: Bordello at Attitude Clothing

Thanks a lot to Dotti’s for letting me win this beautiful Vivetta blouse.

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One Year in Love With

16th January 2013 16 Comments

This is the first birthday of “Sara is in Love with….” One year full of quirky, colourful fashion. When I started this blog, I didn’t know a lot about blogging and during the year I made a lot of new experiences. First, I started to write in German, but changed to English after a few posts, because I feel more comfortable this way and to connect the blog with international readers is very important to me. At the moment, this blog has nearly 200 followers on Facebook and 170 on Google Friend Connect. I want to say a big, big thank you to every single one of you. A few of you write lots of charming comments and have become something like good friends even if we never met. Others are silently following and I just know their name from the blog list. Whoever you are, all of you are very welcome and I hope to bring a little bit of joy into your life with my posts. I received mails from lovely readers telling me, that my blog cheers them up when they are sad and inspires them to wear more colours. To hear things like this makes me very, very happy, because it’s exactly what I wish to. If just one of you gets a little bit happier by reading or seeing one of my posts, it was worth the time writing it.

One of my biggest goal is to stay true to the style of fashion I really love from the bottom of my heart. Everything I show here is truly what “Sara is in Love with…” and nothing else will ever make it to this blog. This is my promise to you and I think what makes this blog unique.

An increase of the number of readers means as well that I am confronted more often with offers from labels who want me to show something from their range. This is exciting, but it also means for me to make decisions. I already had to refuse a few offers which didn’t fit in, but I also got amazing opportunities. I wanna say thank you again to the fantastic labels and shops I collaborated with in the first year of “Sara is in Love with…”: Pearls & Swine, Collectif, Yiddish Chutzpah and Mirapodo, I loved to show your amazing fashion and hope we will have the chance do work together again.

I am very excited, what year two will bring for Sara is in Love with…” and hope this blog will grow and evolve. I can’t say where the journey will lead, but I assure you, it will be a journey on a rainbow, full of fancy fashion in all the colours of the world. Thank you all so very much for supporting this blog and I am happy to have such wonderful readers as you!

Sara is in Love with all of you!

Pictures: This is an overview of all the outfits I showed you during the first year of “Sara is in Love with…”. Do you have any favorites?

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Candy Coloured Shoes with Transparent Heels

14th January 2013 10 Comments

Top left corner: Miss Sixty at Zalando, Bottom left corner: Hotel at Asos, Middle: B Store at Farfetch,
Top right corner: Stelle McCartney at The Outnet, Bottom left corner: Irregular Choice at Schuh

Since seeing the perspex heeled shoes from the Maison Martin Margiela Collection for H&M, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I admired the pretty, transparent heel very much, but wished they were more playful and in a bright colour. After a little bit of research, I am happy to present you a choice of shoes with this desirable kind of heel from other labels and exactly to my taste. Lovely candy colours and vibrant pink and red make them true eye catchers for warmer days. The heels are either in one colour, with a colour gradient or even with a little pattern. Imagine how beautiful the heels will look, when the sun shines on them…

I can’t decide which shoes are my favourite yet, but I tend to like the ones from Irregular Choice with the purple heels and the attached flowers (bottom right corner) a lot. They are the most fancy ones.

So what are you waiting for? Prepare yourself for spring and brighten up your shoe closet with a pair of these transparent heeled shoes! They will be the trendy thing to walk around when the weather gets warmer, I assure you.

Which shoes from my choice do you love best?

Shop my favourites and other cool shoes with transparent heels:

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Girl with Curves Loves Cake and Collectif

10th January 2013 14 Comments

Today I’m a 50s girl ready for mischief.

Collectif, petticoat, fifties, retro, fashion

Dressed in a skirt like a beautiful flower.

Wearing braces makes me feel a little bit reckless.

Pearly buttons on the antique green shirt – like a dream from deep under the sea.

Matching earrings make the top even shine brighter and of course a hat can’t be missed.

The sweetest jelly booties ever with a golden bow.

Frilled Socks are a big love of mine. They make you feel instantly girly, you all should try!

Let’s talk about something we never did before: Body shapes. When I was a teenager, I was very thin and lived with the sweet illusion to have a body not unlike the ladies in the glossy magazines. Then I grew into a woman with bold curves, a very tiny waist and wide hips. I always accepted myself the way I am and believe that every body shape has it’s own beauty. But let’s face it: Your shape is responsible for what you wear to a good part. A girl like me for example just doesn’t look good in skinny jeans, while not all my clothes might look well on someone with a completely different shape.

I started talking about this now for a special reason: My outfit from Collectif. I am not a 50s girl from head to toe as you all know, but there has always been a strong influence of the 50s in my style. A lot of the clothes from this time are very flattering for curvy girls and that’s one reason why I love them. To my delight, nowadays there are a lot of beautiful shops selling 50s inspired clothes. Collectif is one of my very favourite ones and has an amazing selection of feminine, flattering clothes. I love the skirt called Liesel, I’m wearing on the picture. It’s a circle skirt with detachable braces. You can believe me, there is nothing as beautiful as a circle skirt for a curvy body! It shows a tiny waist in the best light and doesn’t interfere with wide hips. You can wear it with a petticoat or without. If you leave out the petticoat, it will look less dramatic. I think I’ll wear it that way for work.

My top is from Collectif too and called Freddie. It’s a classic 50s style knitted top and a perfect match for the skirt. It has an adorable floral knit pattern and the pearl buttons add elegance to the look. The colour is so pretty. It’s a little bit like mint, but darker. It makes me dream of mermaids, deep under the sea. Collectif gave this colour the beautiful name “antique green”.

Maybe because my thoughts about King Neptun and his beautiful daughters, I didn’t wear high heels but waterproof, cheeky jelly booties from Mel. I feel very well dressed like this. I catch a lot of people staring at my skirt with shining eyes. I think this look is elegant, but not over the top. It’s just perfect for having a cup of tea with my girlfriends and a big piece of cake to please my curves.

What are your thoughts about this look and did you know Collectif already?
How do you feel about your body shape and what suits it best?

My Outfit:

Top: Collectif, Skirt with braces: Collectif, Lace Top: Vintage,
Petticoat: Vivien of Holloway, Hat: Vintage, Shoes: Mel, Socks: Topshop,
Tights: HM, Earrings: Claires, Lipstick: Cosmopop by Lime Crime,

Thank you a lot Collectif for providing Top and Skirt. Thank you Mel for letting me win the shoes in your Facebook competition.

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Longing for Hyacinths, Lilacs and Hydrangeas

6th January 2013 8 Comments

Cardigan: Zalando, Bangles: Forever 21, Shoes: Asos, Dress: Mod Cloth, Sunglasses: Oasap, Coat: Oasap, Flower Crown: Lavish Alice, Necklace: Alter Ego

The new year is just a few days old and I feel so bored of the grey sky. My desire for colours as sweet as candy is very strong and one particular is on my mind the whole time: Lilac. This colour is full of romance, tenderness and grace. Lilac is a little bit similar to light pink, just cooler and less girly. It’s said that lilac is very unique and special, but without the deeper mystery of purple.

Imagine yourself wearing the outfit from above, all dressed in this truly feminine colour with glitter and roses: You would look like you just stepped out of a wonderful dream. I choose a coat and cardigan, because the weather is not warm yet, but nevertheless the outfit is promising springtime tea time parties to come soon.

Lilac is my personal springtime favourite this year and I hope there will be a lot of beautiful things in this colour to be found to brighten up the wardrobe. I already told you that metallic colours will be very trendy in spring and lilac is a perfect match for them. It goes well with silver, gold, metallic pink or green. What do you think about lilac and the pieces above, do they make you dream of a garden full of hydrangeas?

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Emerald Fireworks

31st December 2012 17 Comments

Where is the best place to see the fireworks?

Dressed in an emerald green dress from HM and a vintage fake fur cape, I am ready.

A golden hand with a pearl from Azumi and David sits on the collar of my Vivien Of Holloway bolero.

Feeling coquettish with the veiled hat from Collectif.

From above, the skirt looks like the big sister of the flower on the hat.

Anna Dello Russo, crocodile, bangle, H&M

A crocodile bangle with a lot of glamour from the Anna Dello Russo for HM collection.

The petticoat from American Apparel puts me into the mood for dancing to songs of Billie Holiday.

The highest pair of shoes I own from Bordello.

I wish you all a wonderful New Year’s Eve ! I do have a little story about this special day just for you: Once, there was a girl, she dreamed of New Year’s Eve. She longed to wear an opulent outfit and have her darling take her out to an opulent party with all the luxury in the world. He would hold open the door for her and help her out of her fur cape. They would drink Champagne from crystal glasses and dance tight to the song “I’ll be seeing you” from Billie Holiday (just click play on the video at the bottom of the post and you will hear this song while you read). Later, they would watch the fireworks together and kiss each other while saying hello to the new year. They would look deep into each others eyes and promise to love each other forever.

I present you the outfit I imagine this girl could wear. It is a mix of new, old and vintage pieces: This beautiful dress I found at HM a few years ago. I think it would be perfect for this occasion with it’s elegant emerald green colour. If I combine it with the bolero from Viven of Holloway, I feel dressed well. The white vintage fake fur cape keeps warm and the beautiful hat from Collectif completes the look. Of course I am wearing the highest heels I own to make my legs as long as possible. This Bordello shoes are surprisingly comfortable if you consider their hight.

The brooch is a special piece from my beloved friends and fabulous designers Azumi and David from London. They are an incredibly lovely and charming couple and their designs often have a surprising or surreal touch. If you ever look for a special handbag, you should have a look at their heeled handbags. The bangle is from the Anna Dello Russo for HM collection to show my adoration for amazing Anna. The necklace is from my mother with a lot more adoration donated to this special woman.

I wish the girl in the story was me, but it is not this year. Maybe next year? The beauty of unfulfilled dreams is, you can continue dreaming. Unfortunately I am sick at home. I am glad that we took this pictures already last week, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to show you this look. So I go back and hide under my blankets and wish you all the best, have a lot of love and joy this night and in 2013! Thank you for reading my posts and all your lovely comments!

My Outfit:

Dress: HM (not recent), Petticoat: American Apparel, Bolero: Vivien of Holloway, Fur Cape: Vintage, Shoes: Bordello at Attitude Clothing, Hat: Collectif, Bangle: Anna Dello Russo for HM, Brooch: Azumi and David, Necklace: Vintage, Tights: Primark

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Spread Your Wings

27th December 2012 9 Comments

Ring: Wildfox at Jades24, Necklace: Tatty Devine, Backpack: Lostmannequin, Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa at Asos, Fascinator: Pearls & Swine*

Christmas is the time of the angels and as well the opportunity for you to become one! All you need to spread your wings are the right accessories. There is a heavenly touch for every kind of outfit: A winged backpack for your casual outfits (Lostmannequin), an elegant fascinator for going out in the evening (Pearls & Swine), jelly shoes for dancing like a disco angel (Vivienne Westwood for Melissa at Asos) and jewellery for everyday (Ring from Wildfox at Jades24, Necklace from Tatty Devine).

As a little girl, I played an angel in the Christmas play at our school. I had long blond hair and my mother curled it for me. My halo was made of golden cardboard and I wore a long white dress (probably made of curtain fabric). Our lovely teacher was the makeup artist and used a lot of glitter and light pink lipstick to finish the look. I always loved to dress up, to act and to sing. Doing all this things while being dressed up as an angel was a lot of excitement for a little girl.

This accessories remind me of that moment and give me a warm feeling. I just can’t decide which of this wings shall be mine… What do you like best?

* Pearls & Swine Fascinator: Model: Alexandra Robb and Jacq Boulton, MUA: Ria Yvonne,
Clothing: Chloe Kent, Photographed by Rekha Garton Photography