For Lidia

For Lidia by divadebbi 

Lela Rose petite cocktail dress, $740 / Lanvin outerwear / Christian Louboutin sandals / Edie Parker black and gold clutch / Raxevsky leopard bracelet, $19 / Face makeup / Chloé fragrance, $75 / 

One of the nicest things about my Polyvore obsession, is that I have gotten to know fantastic women, from all over the world.  

I "met" the incredibly talented Lidia Solymosi long before I actually saw her. Lidia is one of the most popular creators on Polyvore.  Her eye is impeccable and whether she is creating fashion or art sets, they often, literally, take my breath away. We connected because we liked each other's style and communicated through messages in Poly.

In June, Polyvore sponsored a meet up in NYC.  Lidia flew in from Canada and it was amazing to finally get together.  Knowing my style to a tee, she bought me the lovely Valentino leopard scarf I'm wearing in the set above.

Lidia recently made this charming set for me, so I created this for her.  I think of her often and especially when I wear this pretty scarf.

I'm thankful for Polyvore, because it  allows me to be creative, stay ahead of the fashion curve and sharpen my eye to style my clients.  It also has been the catalyst for creating new friendships.

My mother recently spent a week with us as she recuperated from cataract surgery.  She is convinced that  because of technology, people are going to lose the art of communicating. I can see her point...she saw my family tethered to our iphones and ipads, but on the flip side, if it wasn't for technology, I never would have gotten to know Lidia.

The world is a changing...and I am not the least bit nostalgic for my answering machine.

xox,
DD

NEW YORK POLYVORE MEET UP

NEW YORK POLYVORE MEET UP by lidia-solymosi on Polyvore

It's been a very busy week, and I am way behind on my posts. Apologies!

Last Friday was a really special day.  Those of you who are long time readers know about my Polyvore addiction. Since I discovered this amazing fashion site, (which is also one of the worlds largest retail website), I have found a way to use my brain to create in a way that my hands never could. It is deeply satisfying and very relaxing. It has also helped me hone my eye and stay ahead of the fashion curve.  

I am not alone in my addiction.  Like minded Fashionistas from all over the globe also create sets on Polyvore everyday. It's a sisterhood of sorts and we are kindly supportive of one another. Friendships blossom from all over the world. How spectacular!

On Friday, I had the opportunity to meet some incredibly talented women at the first New York Polyvore Meet Up. Spearheaded by two amazing creators with huge followings, Lidia and Rosina. their idea became a reality. The Polyvore team, headed by Chrystal Chan, who flew in from their San Francisco Headquarters took us to a wonderful lunch at Mercer Kitchen, around the corner from their office on Broadway in SoHo. We had the opportunity to learn how each of us found "Poly" and what it is about it that fuels our shared passion.

We visited stores and designer showrooms, including that of stunning handbag Dareen Hakim.  We toasted the town at the 230 Fifth Avenue, a rooftop bar with panaromic views of the City and dinner at SaraBeth's. It was a blast!

And it continued for two more days!

Thank you for letting me share my fashion passion along with my beauty musings with you.  Girl Power rocks!

xox,

DD

Class Acts

Class Acts by divadebbi 

I created this set for 3 special Polyvore friends, Lidia-Solymosi, Elegance Rules and Emavera.  All three were kind enough to create special sets to commemorate 'DivaDebbi's 5th Birthday'.

I greatly appreciate their time, talents and warm sentiments towards me...3 Class Acts.

xox,
DD

All Wrapped Up With a Red Bow

All Wrapped Up With a Red Bow by divadebbi 

People sometimes ask how I create my Polyvore sets.  Is it the model, a particular fashion design or color, an interior? How does it work?

The answer is all of the above and often in a stream of consciousness. This is how the set above came together:

• I saw the pug first, and thought of my friend Lidia Solymosi, one of the most talented women on Polyvore, who has scores of loyal followers and is crazy about her pug Ramsey.
• I spotted this stunning young woman, wrapped like a precious doll in a red bow on Tumblr and "clipped" the image into my Polyvore treasure chest.
• The pop of red reminded me of charming red Valentino dress that I sold  to one of my lovely clients today at Richards. She's wearing it to a luncheon in the City next month. She too, looked like a precious doll.
• I often liked to pair my fashion sets back to interiors I like.  I was thinking about my friend Q., whose blog Quintessence just won the prestigious Design Bloggers Best Blog of 2013.  It is a daily read for me and my favorite Interior and Lifestyle Blog. I am so proud of my friend and happy for her!!! It's a quite an honor.
• I received a lovely Christmas gift from a fave friend and client this year, Interior Designer Miles Redd's The Big Book of Chic. I could, and often do comb it for inspiration, during fits of insomnia. I remembered a particular "red room" that I loved and wanted to finish this set with it.
• I checked back through Q's blog for a photo, since I knew she attended Miles book launch party and hoped I would find my shot.
• Voila!

The rest, of the set is just little fillers that please my eye.  And of course, Ramsey needed a little zhush too.

And this is how its all done. All wrapped up with a red bow...

xox,
DD

The Trousseau

The Trousseau by divadebbi 

One of the lovely things about Polyvore, is the warmth, camaraderie and sisterhood that evolves among the Fashionista's who enjoy putting these sets together.

We often dedicate them to each other, as gifts for support and friendship.  I created this set for my dear friend Lidia Solymosi.  Lidia lives in Canada and works in the health care field, but I'm sure she was a designer in another life.  Her exquisite sets have won her a staggering following of over 25,000 followers.

This June, a group of "Polypals" are gathering from places near and far in N.Y.C. for a few days. We will also have the opportunity to meet some of the staff from the Polyvore N.Y. office.  It's going to fabulous to put the names and faces together with the talent we have gotten to know so well.

Polyvore selects "members" to interview for The Official Polyvore Blog almost every month.  Lidia was recently chosen, which is an incredible honor.  Here is a link to some of her favorite sets and her interview.  I think she is a treasure!

http://blog.polyvore.com/2012/11/member-spotlight-lidia-solymosi.html
I hope you will too...

xox,
DD

Yay! Top Sets on Polyvore Again!!!

Dora Maar:  Then and Now

Dora Maar: then and now by divadebbi 

Well, this is truly a wonderful week for me on Polyvore.  I was honored to have been chosen for Top Sets today (November 23, 2012) and earlier in this same week on November 18th.

In addition to a creative shopping site for Fashionista's,  Polyvore also fosters strong friendships via its social media platforms.  I have developed friendships with women, literally, all over the world.  Each week Polyvore singles out one member to highlight and interview.

Last week, my incredibly fabulous, talented friend Lidia Solymosi, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada was chosen.  Her sets are truly spectacular and I am so proud of her. (http://blog.polyvore.com/2012/11/member-spotlight-lidia-solymosi.html)

I created the set above, Dora Maar:  Then and Now as a gift to Lidia.  My inspiration was Cubism.  First came Picasso then came the Etro dress...

I love this medium... My Mother, who has always been a talented artist and fostered my love of Impressionist and Modern art, was at my home for Thanksgiving last night.  Her computer has been on the fritz for several months, so she has not seen what I have been up to on Polyvore.  She knows better than anyone, that my artistic skills never advanced beyond age 6.

When she saw on my ipad  what my brain was able to create on Polyvore,   she was genuinely shocked, but delighted!  It was such a nice moment for us...it was like a latent gene finally kicked in.

So, my dear readers, it truly is never too late to cultivate a new hobby, talent or skill.  I know I focus an awful lot on outer beauty and maintaining it, but truly, a beautiful mind is just as important...

xox,
DD