Snow & Leopard

I went out in the snow yesterday in my new faux fur coat and my Jeffrey Campbell Tardy boots. Even though they're five inches tall, they are perfect for trudging through the snow. They're incredibly comfortable; I feel like I could climb Mount Everest in them! And this was the first time I wore this coat, which is the first item I've ever ordered from StyleNanda. I think it's a fantastic coat; It kept me warm, and it looks pricier than it was. Check out StyleNanda for some unique, trendy items at good prices. I'll definitely be ordering again! 

Jeffrey Campbell Boots from Solestruck

H&M Pants

ASOS Scarf

StyleNanda Coat

Sleek & Slippery Strands

The soaked and shining hair trends will soon trickle down from the spring runway shows and onto the streets. The hair was sloppy & sopping-wet at Helmut Lang, slick & saturated at Alexander Wang, and sleek & shiny at Prabal Gurung. Each of these looks is fabulous. Try them all, mix and match, and make it your own. Because the look is messy and uncontrolled, you can have fun with it. You might get weird looks, and the general public might think you haven't washed your hair in a few weeks, but screw them. Tell them you're a fashionista, the look is high-fashion, and you hate normal!

Alexander Wang

 Prabal Gurung

 Helmut Lang

So how can you create this look? 

To achieve the soaking, saturated look at Alexander Wang, hair stylists used Redken Volumizing Mousse from root to end. Then, they created a center part with their finger, because using a comb makes it look too controlled. And to finish off, they applied Redken Glass Serum all over. Simple as that!

Over at Prabal Gurung, hair stylists used Fekkai Extra Control Styling Gel, and then created a center-part and combed the hair back. To finish off, they sprayed Fekkai Sheer Shine Mist on top of the head. The bottom half was left dry and flat-ironed.

The hair stylists at Helmut Lang achieved the sloppy wet look by preparing the hair with Tigi Salt Spray, followed by an unspecified texturizing cream. In my opinion, the best texturizing product for this look is Jonathan Product Dirt Texturizing Paste. It gives hair the dirty, "day after washing" feel, which will make it easier to work with if you want to tie it in a knot, like the models in the Helmut Lang show. To get that knot, hair stylists put the hair in a ponytail using only their fingers, divided it into two sections, and tied each in a knot. Finally, they sprayed Tigi Bed Head Shine Mist all over the hair to give it that extra dewy shimmer.

Remember, if you're going to give it a go, have fun with it! You don't have to stick to any rules. 

Golden Globes Best Dressed List

It's officially awards season and I'm excited to keep my eye on the red carpet! I've put together my own list of the best dressed celebs from last night's Golden Globes. Kate Beckinsale, Charlize Theron, and Elle MacPherson were all on trend in their off-white attire, and I think they all looked lovely. I also had to include my usual red carpet favorites Mila Kunis and Tilda Swinton; they surely did not disappoint me. But I was surprised by who I thought was the best dressed of the night. See who it is below, and let me know who you think was best dressed in the poll to the right!

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Charlize Theron in Dior Couture

Elle MacPherson in Zac Posen

Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann

Sofia Vergara in Custom Vera Wang

Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci

A usual favorite of mine, Mila Kunis, who recently teamed up with Dior, supports the brand wearing this beautiful black gown. I love when she revisits her dark, black swan-esque style.

Mila Kunis in Dior

...but my favorites were the stars of Glee!

Dianna Agron in Giles

My absolute favorite? Lea Michele. She just looks incredibly sexy, but still so classy and outright glamorous in this dress by Marchesa.

Lea Michele in Marchesa

Target Is Down With Down Syndrome

I'm a little late with this post, but it was such good news to me that I just had to include it here on WeHateNormal.


Target has included a six year old boy with Down Syndrome, Ryan, in a recent ad, alongside "typical" children. Ryan captures the essence of WeHateNormal, because here on this blog, I like to stray away from what's "normal." I like to showcase the beauty in what's not considered normal, and Ryan is most certainly a beautiful child. I commend Target because they did not separate him from the other children, and if you weren't looking carefully at the ad, you wouldn't even know he has Down Syndrome. He's the adorable boy in the orange shirt.

I'm aware that Target is not exactly high-fashion, and that most of us are not interested in childrenswear, but there are two reasons why I had to showcase this:
1.) I believe that everyone is beautiful. I think that being different and confident is the highest form of beauty. My two favorite models, Andrej Pejic and Rick Genest, are not the archetypical models. Andrej Pejic is an androgynous male who models both menswear and womenswear. He is a highly effeminate male, which is something that is not typically considered beautiful. Rick Genest is covered in tattoos head to toe. He coined the nickname "Zombie Boy" because his tattoos make him look ghoulish and a bit freaky. Of course, this is not typically considered beautiful either. Despite how different they are from the typical model, both of them are very successful.

Oh... and I have to include this picture of myself and Rick Genest. I met him a few months ago at Nicola Formichetti's Pop-Up Store in Tribeca. It was enchanting to get to speak with him, as he is the poster boy for opposing normality, and a hero of mine. 

:)

2.) I love children, and I think they should all be told that they are beautiful and that their dreams are possible, no matter what. I've worked closely with two kids who have Down Syndrome, and they are just like all the other kids. They should never be seen as inferior. I believe that people are people, simple as that. We are all equal and nobody should ever be left out. If a kid with Down Syndrome wants to become a model, nobody should tell him he can't. Who knows, maybe little Ryan will follow in the footsteps of Andrej Pejic and Rick Genest. 

Abnormality is beauty. 

Skeletal Statement Pieces

I recently came across Os Accessories and was immediately intrigued. The pieces are all so beautiful, yet they give off a feeling of darkness and dreariness; it's quite compelling. Os Accessories is a very raw, edgy brand based in the Philippines. They design accessories from necklaces to hats to harnesses, all made with synthetic skeleton. Every beautiful bone they design is made from polyurethane, but each one looks hauntingly close to the real thing. So far the brand has three collections, all of which are available to purchase from their online shop. I'm currently lusting after the Rib Cage Harness and Spinal Cord Harness from the third collection, which is the best collection yet, in my opinion. Here's a closer look. 
OS Vol. 2 from Matthew Valeriano on Vimeo.

Nicola Formichetti Styles Gaga And... Bieber?

For their most recent magazine covers, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber were styled by Nicola Formichetti, and photographed by Inez & Vinoodh. It's no surprise that Formichetti styled Gaga for her L'Uomo Vogue cover, as the two are great friends and work together constantly, but Justin Bieber's V Magazine cover is a bit unexpected. I'm glad Nicola is now working with other big celebrities, because he is usually seen as Gaga's stylist and that's it, but in reality, he is so much more than that. He is a talented stylist, creative director, fashion director, and designer. He pushes boundaries, and I am a huge fan of all of his work, not just his work with Gaga, and it's time for him to get some more recognition for it.

The photos of Lady Gaga, looking a bit bionic, are beautiful. Formichetti's styling is fabulous. This issue of L'Uomo is out now. 

On the other hand, Justin Bieber's styling for V Magazine is a bit toned down for Nicola Formichetti. The photos are good, but a bit of a let down. I'm still glad that the two worked together, and I hope they continue to in the future. For the cover, Justin Bieber is styled in Dolce & Gabbana. The rest of the photos? Head to toe Mugler. But of course, none of the most exciting pieces were selected for Bieber. This music issue of V will be available January 12th.

Pretty In Punk

This post is just to show you guys what I wore today. I went to the local lake with my friend Cheryl, who is a fantastic photographer, and she took a few pictures of me. 

ASOS Vest

ASOS Boots

Galian New York Bag

H&M Shirt

Zara Leggings

Ugly Shoes Are A Global Issue

says Solestruck Shoes, and I completely agree! Luckily, this site offers the best selection of trendy, new wave shoes "to rid the world of ugly shoes one pair at a time." Solestruck offers contemporary brands like Jeffrey Campbell, Dolce Vita, Irregular Choice, Finsk, Unif, Senso, and tons more. They also offer cutting-edge designer collaborations such as Iris Van Herpen x United Nude, Gareth Pugh x Melissa, and Stolen Girlfriend's Club x Jeffrey Campbell. They offer very edgy, fashion-forward mens shoes as well. (And they said they'll be expanding the mens selection in 2012) But it gets even better; the prices are some of the best on the web. They even put shoes on sale all the time; they have the most amazing Black Friday sale too! (I got the Jeffrey Campbell Tardy for 80 bucks... can you say huge discount!? I can't wait for Black Friday 2012!) And I must mention, I'm a size 11, and everyone who is a size 11 knows the shoes we want most never come in our size. Well, Solestruck has changed that for me! They offer so many fierce styles in special sizes, which, in addition to their perfect selection, is why I'm a huge fan of the site. I encourage everyone to take a look! Below I've chosen 10 of my favorite shoes available from Solestruck to show everyone just how damn hot this site is. (And it was so hard to choose just 10!) Check them out!

Jeffrey Campbell Clinic - Fetish Fashion at its Finest. These look hot from every angle.

Finsk 116-97 - 6.5 inches. The colors. The shapes. Need I say more?

Jeffrey Campbell Blyke - Totally Gaga chic.

Haus Of Price The Neptune - Show stoppers. You could wear these with a T-shirt and jeans and still make a statement!

Jeffrey Campbell Judas Spike - Spring is just around the corner. Ditch the boring sandals.

Finsk 116-107 - Incredible structure and incredibly unique.

Melissa Feeling - Fresh, fun, and funky. What could make you feel better?

Jeffrey Campbell Skate - Perfect to finish out this winter. And they're on sale!

Iris Van Herpen x United Nude Iris Shoe Laced - Get 'em before Iris Van Herpen is the next big thing! Did you know she's worked with Alexander McQueen?

Unif Hellraiser - Raise hell in these fierce flats. They also double as a weapon.