Guess who's bizzack in La Gran Manzana?! This city gal! And happy to report it was a sick-free weekend of celebrating (and day drinking) the latest rounds of weddings, engagements, and baby showers. It was a jam-packed three days of reuniting with old friends and jumping right back into our city routine and I couldn't have been happier. And of course, I got to squeeze in a a very special photo shoot while I was in town with the fabulous Kim Mancuso of Kim Mancuso Photography.
Kim and I go way back, and it's all thanks to my husband, Coco. Now, if you haven't met my husband, Coco, then well, you don't know what you're missing. Coco is straight up sunshine. He loves people, has an infectious personality, and he's your typical Italian New Yorker- loud, funny, and out of this world kind (yes, kind. NYers are one of the kindest folk out there). So it's pretty easy to figure why people love him- and why I married him. It was Coco who first met Kim in the halls of Rockefeller Center and he just knew that Kim and I would click. "You gotta meet my wife!" he would say. And he was right. Kim was also a loud, funny, and vibrant Italiana, who worked at SNL while I was a producer at Access Hollywood. We quickly bonded over our love of fashion, food, and wine. We were a match made in friend heaven, plus I have a thing for Italians! She had also recently traveled to Cuba where she had taken some breathtaking photographs of the island and its people. Her talent blew me away.
When I started my blog, we talked about the possibility of teaming up for a photo shoot during one of my trips back and we were finally able to line this one up! We had several locations in mind (which we will put into play in the next visit) but for this look, we went to one of my favorite spots in the city- The High Line.
The High Line is an elevated urban park that runs along on old railroad tracks on the west side of Manhattan (from 14th street to 34th street) and sits over the bustling city streets. It's a modern day oasis amidst the hustle of the concrete jungle and boasts some of the best views of the Hudson River. The High Line was originally used in the early 1930's to transport goods by avoiding street traffic and delivering directly into buildings. The growth of interstate trucking led to a decrease in rail traffic, thus shutting down the rail track service in 1980.
Thanks to a community of activists and the non-profit, Friends of the High line, the tracks were preserved and repurposed and in 1999, the first section of the High Line opened it's fresh concept to eager locals and tourists alike. Two years later, a second section was opened. The park is now a popular attraction that includes not only an open landscape of greenery and art installations, but also pop-up bars, restaurants, and local street vendors for all visitors to enjoy.
One of my favorite memories of the High Line is walking along the park with Maya and Coco after celebrating my second Mother's Day at the Hotel Americano. The day was gorgeous and we stopped at Terroir Wine Bar for a drink and then we let Maya run up and down the walk while she played with the flowers and we took pictures. It was one of my most memorable afternoons in the city (and thankfully, I have many)!
Now that I've dropped some knowledge and history on you squeezers, it's time to get to the nitty gritty of this post- the outfit. Thank you H&M for this UH-mazing ruffled wonder of a dress. I'm beyond obsessed. I felt like a bad ass edgy flamenco-dancer in this mint green stunner. The ruffles were my favorite part of this look. It was such a simple pattern that packed quite the punch. I love long sleeved dresses and I especially like when they are form-fitting on the top and then open up below the waist. The high neck was also a plus. It allowed for me to showcase this spectacular jeweled necklace.
The weather was absolutely perfect on this fall Saturday so I always have my leather jacket handy. I took this look from day to night (from a baby shower in the West Village to drinks at Cafe Select then a sleepy train ride on the LIRR) with the jacket and my black fedora. These suede booties feel like I'm not wearing any shoes at all and because blisters were not on the agenda this trip (or on any for that matter), they were the best candidates for all day walking around the city. Like the dress sock touch? I'm going through a phase.
I'll tell you my second favorite thing about this look- my vampy lips. I'm big on lip color. For years I owned the smokey eye and nude lip trend and while I still do it from time to time, I've been embracing the colored lip for a while now. Red is my usual go-to hue, but now for fall, I'm loving this deep purple matte shade from MAC called Cyber. How vibrant does it look with this whole outfit? Add some killer ear cuffs (and I mean killer literally- I almost lost blood flow to my ears), and this look is a slam dunk.
I'm so thankful for my NYC adventures- to get to go back home and bring you some of my favorite stories and places! If you find yourself in the city soon, stop by the High Line. Go for a night time stroll after dinner or meet friends for drinks at the wine bar, or if you just need to get away from the madness of it all, take a seat and breathe in the awesomeness this town has to offer.
On Me:
Dress- H&M
Necklace- H&M
Earrings- H&M
Hat- Forever 21
Purse- Forever 21
Shoes- Aldo Shoes
Read more about my photo shoot adventures on Kim Mancuso's blog and give her a ring next time you're in New York! And follow her on Instagram at @kimmancusophotography
Learn more about the High Line http://www.thehighline.org/
In Style,
Kat
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