Cause sometimes, you just need to be told- the secret to life and happiness is to have fun and find joy. This video gives you eight irresistible principles for having fun. Go out there and get it!
(via thesquink)
How Nowness.
An essential reference point and resource, setting a new standard for experiencing high-end fashion, culture and global events digitally, Nowness is a new site dedicated to an evolving online experience.
Curated by an international team of contributors and editors, Nowness is an exciting new way to experience luxury lifestyle online, featuring daily content from the most respected and innovative creatives working today.
From Lili Donaldson swinging her hair in slow motion to designer sketches, art installations and artistic short films, Nowness is an online destination that satisfies a creative thirst with a daily dose that is very now. Love or don’t love the daily selection and Nowness will better curate to your taste. Now that, I love.
Think. Act. Vote. Now.
Think Act Vote is a campaign recently launched to inspire people to think about what they believe in and how they use their vote. Bridging politics, ethics and creativity this newly appointed campaign is searching for a winning design for its carbon-neutral t-shirt, to help support and bring awareness to the initiative.
“Thousands of people have died and are dying all over the world for the right to vote. It is one of our most precious possessions. Use it before we loose it, ” advises Katharine Hamnett.
So, start the voting process now and either get in on the voting for the winning design or put your creative juices to use and make a submission. Submissions are accepted on the Think Act Vote website now until 12 noon on Sunday the 7th of March. A public vote will determine the shortlist of 10 designs that will then be presented to a judging panel consisting of some of the best known faces in ethical fashion, including Katharine Hamnett, Daisy de Villenueve and Cyndi Rhoades.
The winning design will be announced at a launch party in April. Go. Create. Now.
Blogger beta: keywords, tagging and SEO.
For those of you who weren’t able to attend the Independent Fashion Blogger’s Evolving Influence Conference this past Monday in NYC, I will be rehashing some of the crucial points that I found very helpful in pulling together a bunch of savvy bloggers to discuss the business of blogging.
Today, I focus on the importance of using keywords, tagging and paying attention to your Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
All of these things actually flow together- the better use of keywords (which you also use in your tagging), the better your SEO. This is going to become increasingly important when Google releases its new search engine Google Caffeine- where the reliance on a strong string of keywords will produce better results and basically a new algorithm.
Translation: identify what your blog is about and start simply stating it. Of course you should continue to write eloquently and with as many poetic analogies as you like, but do make sure the topic you are speaking on is clearly identifiable.
Not sure where to start? Have a look at your Google Analytics under the ‘Content’ heading in the left sidebar. There you can select ‘Top Content’ and see ‘Entrance Keywords’ to have a look at what is driving readers to your site and getting the most hits. From there you can see how people are categorizing your content and where you may want to focus. That said, don’t let this run your content- write what you feel and it will attract the right readers. This is just a good tool to check in on where your site is being positioned out in the WWW.
Okay, so keep all of that in mind when you write your posts. Use those keywords either directly in your titles and post, and certainly in your tagging. I always feel like tagging is a pain, but it should be the first thing you do when you are fresh with excitement for your new post because it leaves the longest tail, and that tail becomes very valuable as you build your presence online. Add other tags when you’ve finished writing your post that you may not have included initially.
I hope you find this useful. Putting a little energy here can go a long way, so develop good habits for forming keywords and proper tagging and watch your SEO rise.
Pull yourself together!
Today the average person spends at least two hours managing two email accounts, two social networks and one instant messenger. Um, sounds about right. Vital tools for living in our digital world, but it does become a bit overwhelming…
Someone should create an online tool to help integrate all these feeds and monetize the data associated with your contacts! Well, someone has- Threadsy, and now it is coming to your computer soon.
I have had the pleasure of experiencing Treadsy and I have to say, it is awesome. It integrates information in a very useful and friendly way that allows me to keep up on things I may have overlooked. Plus there is the option to do quick responses right within my feed! The site is not yet open to the public, so you have to receive an invite to gain access. I have 10 invites to give, so the first ten people to leave a comment below will receive an invite. Good luck- the way you work online will never be the same!
QualiTea.
Yesterday, I stumbled into a place that caused such bewilderment and excitement all at the same time- the barista read my face, smile and then talked me through the menu of a cafe devoted solely to tea called Argo Tea. This is not your average tea house either! Not only do they have a vast variety of teas on offer, they prepare them in the most titillating of ways.
Care for a Tea-ccino? Or an Earl Grey Creme? For a non-coffee drinker and tea fanatic (like myself) it is a little slice of heaven! So, here is the scoop- they are a company based out of Chicago, and they only have one location in New York- 949 Broadway on the corner of 22nd and Broadway- that is currently open. Keep your eye out for them or make a special trip the next time you are meeting someone for a ‘tea’.
The show of all vintage shows...
If you are in New York City this weekend, you MUST attend the Manhattan Vintage Clothing Show! One of the best in the world with 90 different vendors, this show leaves nothing behind. So, make your list and bring it along to start scoring some unique pieces to update your wardrobe for spring.
It is this Friday (1pm- 8pm) and Saturday (11am- 6pm) at the Metropolitan Pavillion- 125 West 18th St, NY.
Click here to get on the VIP list and receive $5 off the $20 admission.
The Key To ‘Shift’- a sustainable fashion conference in Berlin (January 2010). Awesome collaboration, amazing designs, inspiring individuals… check it out and join in next time!
This month a DJ saved my life.
I love how music- introduced at various points in your life- can capture emotions and encapsulate a period of time forever. I have spent the past month in a variety of places, meeting with really special people and adding life’s amazing experiences one by one. Here is my playlist which registers this period of time for me. Hope you enjoy it too!
Golden Silvers with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble- Arrows of Eros
The Noisettes- Don’t Upset the Rhythym
Janelle Monae- Sincerely, Jane
For the past 4-5 months I have been engrossed in all of the hard work that goes into writing a dissertation. Today was the day I revealed and defended all my work. Above is the video I produced to showcase the key facts, opinions and practices surrounding sustainable fashion that I discovered through interviews and reading lots and I mean LOTS of literature.
If you are wondering what sustainable fashion actually is, why people are talking about it and whether or not it is just a trend or a movement… this film will quench all of your queries!
Many thanks once again to all of the people who gave their time, thoughts, energy and enthusiasm towards contributing to something that is bigger than all of us. Enjoy!
