welcome back kid


REMEMBER THAT TIME I was a style blogger and then didn't post for a year? That did happen. But what really happened is that I moved to Colombia and saved children from a burning building... and then a drowning school bus... and then.... OK. What really happened is that I was working intensely and my time/attention/energy/will-to-blog was zapped.

But now, the kid is back. Welcome.

Love,
JaKenna

jakenna + nike


When all is said and done, we have a lot of living to do. I think it's natural for mid-twenty-somethings to go through mini-mid-twenties-something crises and start with questions. Am I doing the right thing? Is this how I imagined my life to be at this point? Am I working at the right job? Am I happy? Is there enough champagne in my mimosa? But I had a moment during this Nike shoot. I was standing on top of my rooftop, the Manhattan skyline was glimmering in the distance and a crew of the dopest Nike folks in the world worked around me as a photographer snapped pics. Of me? This little mid-western girl. And I realized that I'm making some pretty awesome life decisions. No need for a mid-twenties-something crisis here. I've got plenty of champagne in my mimosa. And lots to celebrate :) Thanks to everyone who made this day as awesome at it was.

Love,
JaKenna

pop ice cream: pinky otto polka dot dress

WHEN YOU'RE SURROUNDED by ice cream you can't eat, several thoughts run through your head: Who am I? Do I have the self control to not lick the snozzberries?

But most importantly, what do I wear? I think this super sweet Pinky Otto polka dot dress (w/ adorbs lace collar!) does the trick. And! Thanks to a delicious summer sale, I bought this dress... for free. Yummy, yummy in my tummy :)

Love,
JaKenna

the designers who got the most social media buzz during new york fashion week

CURIOSITY LEADS TO fun times. My coworker, Amy Gershkoff (aka analytics GENIUS) and I thought: So... everyone is using social media. But which designers are using it well, connecting with their fans and actually gaining traction? We followed 30 designers, analyzed their activity, created a super cute infographic and seeded the piece in Business Insider. Doesn't it feel good when professional and personal lives collide in the best possible way? YES!

the designers who got the most social media buzz during new york fashion week

stylelist + jakenna changing: 1 turtleneck, 6 looks

IS IT CHEESY to say that I almost teared up while reading and clicking through my Stylelist feature? Christina Anderson, the Fashion Editor, writes beautifully and somehow makes me sound... well, like me. Or the me I hope to live up to someday :) And Raydene Salinas takes the most stellar pictures. Thank you both so much, for a fun- and fashion-filled day!

Full Feature: 6 Ways A Turtleneck Crop Top Can Take Your Wardrobe From Summer To Fall

Love,
JaKenna

mango jackets: under $100

I JUST BOOKED a trip to Peru (aaaaahhyayayayy) and I'm moving to Brooklyn in October. Read: I have a very teeny tiny budget for anything fashion/clothes related. So, I went on a mission: Operation Find Fall Jackets That Rock Your Face But Not Your Bank Account. Observe. 3 Mango jackets for day/night/anytimeyouwanttolookawesome.

Gold Hardware Biker Jacket: Pair w/skinny jeans. Zip it up. Exclamation point with bright pumps.
Smoking Suit Jacket in Orange: Matching shorts! I can look like the Kate Moss of oranges!?
Zipper Jacket in White: Resist the urge to zip up. Leave open, pair w/a cobalt blue tank, be happy.

Love,
JaKenna

snoozerloser + jakenna changing















SECRETLY, I'VE ALWAYS wanted to be a witch. From ages 6-11, I was a witch for Halloween. Hocus Pocus might as well play as background music to my life. Sabrina? My role model--wait, you flick your wrist and your room is clean? Jeal.So, when Sonia Tay, the design mind behind SnoozerLoser, asked me to work with her on a witch-themed fall collection, my nose twitched and my mind conjured up the glorious scene of Jack, the pumpkin king, singing to the moon from a curled mountaintop.And in reality, the shoot was more than I could have imagined. Sonia has an incredible eye and her taste for skeleton themed, silk-screened dresses and blouses goes right along my addiction to biological anthropology. Skull, don't be jealous. I'll be posting separate looks of my favorite pieces in the coming weeks. Be on the lookout, my friends :)

collaborations: designer/photographer, yan shur

YOU'VE SEEN ME wear Red jeans. Pink jeans. Blue jeans. And yes, even Holy Jeans. But when Yan Shur showed me these Gold Metallic jeans, I swear they felt like the very first time (like a viiiiiirririigin). And right then, I knew this would be the beginning of a glorious, glorious friendship.

Fabric: Same as Zara's gold, but the hand-feel is softer
Design: Unique back pocket design, distinctive front pocket/out seam stitching, "baby" nipple rivets

Love,
JaKenna

blues-ie: think closet dress + topshop wedges

SOMETIMES I FEEL like the blue power ranger. Billy. I've got blue dresses for dayyyyyys and ya know what? Blue toes, too...


But the blue power ranger def wouldn't wear these shades. Or these shoes. Actually, maybe he would. Who am I to say?

I digress. One of my favorite features of this dress (obvi the short hemline hehe) is how the collar camouflages into the floral print. Big ups to Think Closet for this one :)

♥
JaKenna

happy: bcbg max azria maxi dress + lilly pulitzer bangle

JUST TO BE CLEAR, it's definitely Spring in NYC right now... right? Sunshiny and warm with a slight chill in the air. Aaaahhh, you can almost see the lightning bugs :) And don't even think about locking them in a mason jar for a live nightlight, you jerk. 



This BCBG MAXI AZRIA maxi dress actually makes my heart sing. And it sounds like cherubs. And it makes me happy.

Find something colorful that makes you happy and wear it until the seams rip. Advice taken.

♥
JaKenna
Blazer: Express
Dragon Bangle: Lily Pulitzer
Maxi Dress: BCBG MAX AZRIA

double take: a little wicked top + cheap monday skirt

I WORE THIS top yesterday. What of it?



And I was all like nu-huh, I love that crop top thiiiiiiiiis much. And she was all like no way, you love that top at least thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much. And I was like, yeah you're probably right.

♥
JaKenna
Red Vintage Crop Top: A Little Wicked
Black Sheer Skirt: Cheap Monday
Flats: Topshop

bright red: a little wicked top + converse kicks

RAISE YOUR HAND if one shirt has ever happily dominated your wardrobe.☝Guilty. 



Play dates. Vintage fashion fun was had. And Sammy Davis, Jess and JaKenna walked away happily every after. Pics from our adventure to come soon...

In the meantime, a bright purchase from the aforementioned adventure, was this crop top. I love it so much, I'm posting it twice. Tomorrow, you'll see the same top in a different look. Because. I have a wardrobe that is not Carrie Bradshaw's and I wear things more than once :)

♥
JaKenna
Red Floral Crop Top: A Little Wicked
Shoes: Converse

just lovely: topshop china floral dress + dolce vita wedges


BLUE FLORAL DRESS + brightly graffitied van = the most winningest combination to date. Thank you, East Village, for your endless attractions.

Short dress anyone?  If it's going to be humid + sticky, I might as well have built-in ventilation, a short hemline and a pretty print to keep me company. Can I getta Amen.

Topshop has, by actual count, 1 bajillion fit & flare style dresses. I dig this one, the China Floral Dress, but other bombdiggitys are the Check Floral Lattice Sun Dress and the Embroidered Organza Dress. I think I can actually hear you google mapping your closest Topshop...

♥
JaKenna

naughty nun: topshop dress + american apparel chiffon

NAUGHTY.NUN. I mean, right? Black on black on black WITH SKULLS! Somewhere my mother is quietly muttering, Oh Child. 




You might be thinking, good bejesus it's too hot to wear all that black. You have a valid point. But I shall say that these doubled-up blacks are both sheer and therefore, both breezy. Plus, I'm wearing this TONIGHT, when the sun is set, the moon is risen and the summer night is perfect. Duh.

So, in conclusion: BE BOLD. WEAR BLACK. IN THE SUMMER. DON'T WORRY. THERE WILL BE. PLENTY OF TIMES. TO WEAR. COLOR.

♥
JaKenna
(jesus TS, what kind of name is that?)

grey days: topshop midi






HAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAHAHA. Trying to balance on a fire hydrant is surprisingly difficult. Also, it's hilarious. Also, always never trust a photographer to help you because the shot is never always more important than your safety.

Love this dress. Easy. Breezy. Sexy. Cool. It's an: "Aaaahhh what do I wear today. Oh right, that dress I can wear anywhere!" type of dress. Perf.

♥
JaKenna
Midi Dress: Topshop
Wedge Platforms: 80%20
Mint Snake Mini Belt: Topshop
Sunglasses: Pixie Market

P.S. Do you set your iPhone to random & let the music play? #NowPlaying: STRFKR: Bury Us Alive Aimer :)