Submit up to three photographs with different looks to SMUStyle via email, Facebook or Twitter. We will be accepting submissions throughout the month of February and will announce the top ten during the SMU Retail Club Fashion Show on March 30. Stay tuned for updates, we are looking forward to your submissions!

While I got my books signed, I chatted with Simon about style.  I love to ask people about their style icons, because their answers always reflect their personalities.  Simon Doonan says, “I divide them all up into different categories,” a style icon for every occasion!  Simon’s “High Fashion” style icon is Daphne Guinness, “Pop” is Katy Perry, and “Red Carpet” is Tilda Swinton.  Wearing his signature floral shirt, he described his style as “Carnaby Street Mod.”

Meeting Simon Doonan at Barney’s New York at Northpark was such a treat.  I couldn’t have thought of a better way to kick off the New Year.  Remember to pick up a copy of Gay Men Don’t Get Fat at Barney’s or at bookstores, you won’t stop laughing.

Working at J. Crew seasonally, while studying Marketing at Texas A&M, was the start of Angela’s retail career.  She loved putting together outfits, especially creating back to school wardrobes for her customers.  At A&M, she took retail marketing and buying classes, all the while knowing that she would like to be a buyer.

Angela is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.  You can tell she loves what she does, and that her priority is making her customers happy.  I asked her what her favorite part about her job is, and she responded “There’s so many!”  She added, “I love interacting with customers, but really I love working with the team.”  And trust me, her team is lovely to work with.  She got into management at Nordstrom because she wants to become a buyer, but also because she loves helping her team “Learn and grow, help them sell more, and help them to reach their dreams and goals too.”  Obviously, she’s a real people-person.

Since she’s so passionate about her job, Angela has some great advice for those of us that want to work in retail.  First of all, “get ready for long hours!” and working during the holidays.  More importantly, “keep a positive attitude.”  In her job as Manager, Angela deals with frustrating situations.  She stressed the importance of keeping the customer at the center of everything, also a famous Nordstrom value.

According to Angela, the biggest trend for shoes this year is bright colors like fuchsia, turquoise, and orange.  At Nordstrom, brands like Pele Moda, Vince Camuto, and Nine West are featuring brights, as well as color-blocking.  Very high heels are also “in,” Angela says, “they’re not getting any lower.”  Angela describes her style as “accessorized, current, and classic but not basic.”  Her style icon is Diane von Furstenberg.  “I love her colors, I love her fabrics, very flowy and feminine.”  She also likes the Trina Turk collection, also sold at Nordstrom.

When you need new shoes, remember to stop by Nordstrom at the Galleria Women’s Shoes department and ask for Angela, or any of her outstanding team.

Amy Schroeder, owner of Simply Chic

Who doesn’t want to look Simply Chic?  Well, lucky for us, there is a Dallas-based online jeweler that offers Simply Chic pieces at reasonable prices.  Amy Schroeder is the brain behind this gem; Simply Chic is for anyone who wants to accessorize without spending a lot, which is something we can all appreciate! After graduating from Mississippi State, specializing in Fashion Merchandising, Amy worked in New York honing her skills for the fashion industry. I got a chance to talk to Amy about how she started Simply Chic.

Fashion runs in Amy’s family, her cousin and two aunts work in the industry as well. Amy always wanted to start her own business, so it was easy to combine that with her passion for jewelry. She says “People can change an entire outfit just by accessorizing and Simply Chic is a great way to achieve that without spending a lot of money!” Every week, Amy features “statement pieces as well as some everyday pieces.” She makes sure “that each item is not limited to one outfit or occasion.” After receiving my own Simply Chic jewelry, I saw that the quality is incredible, and her pieces are so unique.

Amy Schroeder cleverly utilizes Facebook to sell Simply Chic’s fixed-price jewelry during auctions every Monday night at 8PM.  She posts pictures of available items on her wall, and customers comment on their favorite pieces including “SOLD” and their email address to purchase the item. So when people comment and “like” the page, their friends will find out about Simply Chic as well.  PayPal makes it easy to pay; plus, there is free shipping on every order.

As I always like to find out, Amy’s style is “classic and trendy”.  Her style icons are Katie Holmes and Kate Middleton. Her advice for those of us that want to work in the fashion industry is “never be afraid to take chances. The ‘fashion world’ can be scary, you have to be willing to take risks to achieve your goals and succeed!”

Look out for another post tomorrow with some of our favorite pieces and remember to check out Simply Chic’s next auction Monday December 19 at 8:00 PM central time.  Purchases from Monday’s auction will arrive in time for Christmas, so pick up your last minute gifts from Simply Chic!  Like Simply Chic on Facebook, and follow Simply Chic on Twitter @Simply__Chic.

SMUStyle Blogger Alex Small and Lauren Scruggs

I met Lauren Scruggs at the Jean Paul Gaultier press event in November.  Not really knowing what to do at such an important event, I was standing alone when Lauren introduced herself.   Lauren came up to me and had said had read some my blogs on SMUStyle.  Lauren was also a SMUStyle blogger at one time.  She put me at ease right away with her outgoing and friendly personality.  We hung out together at the event and even tried to get a picture with Jean Paul, but, of course, his handlers shut us down.

I was so struck with how gracious and kind Lauren was to me.  It was so impressive that someone in her position in the fashion industry would approach me and be so genuine.  I mean, I’m just a freshman and she has her own online magazine, LOLO Magazine.  This is something that I will never forget even after spending just a few hours with her.  She had made such an impression on me.

I was so shocked to hear what had happened to her.  I felt compelled to share her story with you.  From all the news stories and her website, it sounds like she is handling this like she would handle anything else in her life: with determination, courage, and grace.   If you would like to learn more about Lauren and make a donation to help with medical expenses, please go to LOLOMag.com or her CaringBridge site.   Please keep her in your prayers.

A new website currently obsessed, a compilation of style bloggers favorite items, has just launched. Access to the site allows you to “stalk” your favorite bloggers and even create your own list of obsessions. This website is the ultimate answer to transforming bloggers outfit inspirations into reality. Right now the site is only offering limited access; you can request an invitation by visiting the site. I first heard about the site from Merritt Beck’s blog, The Style Scribe. Her blog is featured on currently obsessed and I was lucky enough to gain access from her private code. The site lets you search for the hottest products by categories such as: Top Ten, the most highly stalked blogs on the site, Fresh Meat, the rising stars, and All Bloggers, a complete list of bloggers on the site.  While browsing the different products on the site, you can click on the pictures and find out the company who sells the product and the price. There is even a buy button that links you to the company’s webpage. What a great way to help with the upcoming holiday shopping! Another great thing about the blog is that three SMU students’ style blogs are available for stalking; Krystal Schlegel, Grace Davis, and Shelby Foster are all featured on the site. My advice to fellow SMU stylists: request an invitation and let the style stalking begin.

On Monday December 5, anyone can be a fashion insider for the launch of The Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum.  I think we can all say we’ve dreamed about Valentino’s exquisite Italian couture gowns, and have been obsessed with Valentino: The Last Emperor the documentary.  Now you don’t need to fly to Italy to experience Valentino’s legacy, you just need to open your laptop. The virtual 3-D exhibition features fashion shows, photos, clothing, and interviews with Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti.  Valentino wanted his archives to be displayed virtually for a wider audience, but he also wanted his fans to get the museum experience, so the pieces are organized into wings and rooms.  There’s so much to take in, if this exhibit were displayed in a real museum it would take up 107,500 square feet.

To see the preview video and to learn more, visit the virtual museum’s website.

Monique Erickson

Erickson Beamon is the fashion forward design team that has ornamented notables from the likes of Lady Gaga to First Lady Michelle Obama. With edgy yet refined baubles and distinctive designs, Erickson Beamon has an unparalleled flair. The Erickson Beamon collection was showcased at SWAG, and I spoke to Monique Erickson, designer Karen Erickson’s daughter. Fashion holds great meaning to Monique, as to her it is “the opportunity to make people more beautiful” and “push the envelope in design”. Monique, who helps with the business side of Erickson Beamon, advises those aspiring to work in the fashion industry to “get ready to work really hard” because “you have to really want it because it’s a very, very fast-paced industry”. Monique reveals that her mother, Karen, is “inspired by beauty, life, art, architecture” and that they plan to do “a full range” soon. Karen and Monique’s relationship is touching, as they “work very closely together” and Monique claims that working with her mom is “very, very rewarding”. When asked about Fall trends, Monique answered, “We set the trends, we try to be ahead of the trends”. From collaborations with design houses like Donna Karan to Zac Posen, Erickson Beamon possesses an artistic ingenuity that stuns.

Style.com

Basically everything you love about the site including thousands of photos from runway shows past and present. Great for killing time in class (but don’t blame me if you get caught.

ShopStyle

Its got all the great features of the website and more. Need a Pleasure Doing Business bandage skirt before Homebar Thursday? This app will tell you everywhere you can buy one online.

Gilt

This app gives you the ability to quickly access all the amazing sales (hopefully) before your friends do.

Vogue Stylist

Not only does the app give you a glimpse of the editorials in Vogue’s current issue, but it also will create different outfit options based on a piece you choose from the list of designers.