THIS.

Bianca Brondolini killing it in Giambatistta Valli last week. Do you see that waistline? Exactly, it doesn't exist.

High Fashion UK: Backpack Trend

High Fashion UK: Activewear Trend

High Fashion UK: Gatsby Trend

TBF: Instagram Post

Eagle & Lyre UK: Market Shopping

High Fashion UK: Visual Prints

TBF: How to Tackle Tangerine Tango

Eagle & Lyre UK: Day in the Park

High Fashion UK: Printed Trousers

TBF: Desert Beauty Survival Guide

FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS

It's officially festival season, kids. And though I couldn't need it more, I myself have a long while to wait, isn't that how it always goes? Unfortunately, Dani and I passed on Coachella this year. (Unfortunate because of my FOMO, fortunate however, for my bank account). And since I don't regularly allot funding for flights to Austin or Miami, I won't be revving up my festival engines til June for EDC.

I do, however, understand the need of my fellow hautegeeks, and have compiled a list of my favorite essentials to keep you fab throughout the heat, the beats and the daze that are festival weekends. (Alright, so its partly to keep my sanity while I wait out the ones I can't attend.) Whatever. You're not judging.

Given the nature of this blog, it's safe to assume many of my essentials will be clothing and gadget based- shocker. But over the years I've compiled a few tricks of the trade to keep you from hating life during what's supposed to be the best days of it. So let's get started.

1. Mophie Juice Pack 2. Someday's Lovin Outfit 3. Evian Spray 4. Moo Cards

Universal Charger and/or Spare Battery
Spare power cords work too, so make sure to map out the tents and lounges with charging stations. This will be essential to covering the bands/sets/after party gossip and anything else you plan to live blog or tweet while your phone is in a constant state of searching for service. Oh and, you know, finding your missing compadres, because even when you set an ultra-specific time and meeting location, you won't actually find them without it.

Low-Fuss Wardrobe
Not to be confused with low-effort wardrobe or low-style wardrobe. The "low" factor is strictly concerned with maintenance. This means no rompers, no heels, no running-between-set-hindering accessories, including but not limited to large cameras and purses. Stick with something chic and easy-going like a cropped top and maxi skirt.

Evian Spray
I guarentee you're only laughing if you've never tried it. We discovered this little miracle during Kaskade's Coachella set two years ago when, even after dark the day was still scorching. Luckily for us, a few friendly ravers were willing to share the wealth. The refreshing mist hydrates skin, revives makeup and keeps you cool. It's called The Sahara Tent for a reason, people.

Business Cards
No, seriously. If you're a blogger, a musician, a fashionista or any combination of the three, why aren't you traveling with them already? Besides the hordes of trend spotters and taste makers in the crowd, you're liable to literally bump into your dream connection. Standing behind Tim Smith in the beer garden for almost an hour last year before realizing it, was a bit of a "doh" moment to say the least.... If nothing else, at least you'll get accurate credit on street style blogs.

Besides an open mind and a great crew, that about sums it up!
What are your favorite festival tips or rituals?

TUNE IN. TURN ON. DROP OUT. #3

So while everyone else has been really busy covering (and then re-covering) Gotye's 'Somebody That I Use To Know,'  it looks like Jennifer Chung & Bryan Keith Malolot decided to cover a different band that, well, isn't really a band at all: Kaskade. The medley combines 4AM (one of my favorite tracks in LIFE) and Eyes, off the DJ's newest Fire & Ice album. They're kind of perfect together...the tracks...the duo; the idea in it's entirety. Enjoy!

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YOUR KLOUT CAN EARN YOU GILT- THE GOOD KIND

Finally a Klout Perk I'm giddy to get! Klout's partnership with Gilt launches this week, where your influence score correlates to a major discount on, well, Gilt Groupe's already discounted designer duds. *Insert fashion-girl squeal here*

If you're not already a member of Klout or Gilt, I suggest signing up pronto to ensure you won't miss out on cashing-in on your social media influence. Users with a score of 1-20 can claim their perk today, and word to the wise for my higher influencers: flash sales going live this week include DVF shoes (Wednesday), Free People (Thursday) and Missoni (Friday).

Along with the e-commerce site's regular flash sales, Gilt will be running special Klout sales curated by four top-Influencers. Get to networking and rack up those scores, you know you want the bigger discount!

INSTAPRINTS

I'll admit, I'm late to the Instagram train, but I'm not exaggerating when I say it was the very first app to be downloaded on my new iPhone.

And now that Breakfast's Instaprint has gone up for pre-order on Kickstarter (slash gone up for backing, and if you pledge enough you can be one of the first owners), I can't help but think of all the amazing gifts/crafts/DIY extravaganzas I can get my little hautegeek hands on with this bad-ass printer.

Wondering what all the hoopla is about? We're talking location-based printing, people. Anything instagrammed (that's a verb now, right?) with a specific location or hashtag that matches those set ot the printer is automatically printed on inkless paper.


How much fun could you have with these at an event? *cough* Fashion Week *cough*
Hiii. Free photo booth. Except, you know, the price of the actual Instaprint :/ ($399)

TUNE IN.TURN ON. DROP OUT. #2

...With Treasure Fingers & Malente, Crusaders. It's like a fashion and music video in one...

and it's one of my all-time favorite producers, what's not to love?

MAD HATTER

It's no secret that I love a great hat. And in all honesty, I'm happiest when wearing one. It gives me just enough mystery and personal space to give me a sense of security...and sass.

They've become my favorite accessory for shopping trips and dinners out, but I've recently been rocking them indoors at work. An unexpected environment seems to make headwear all the more unique. As with my entire aesthetic as of late, I'm drawn to anything witchy or bohemian. Since January has been unusually warm here on the West Coast, my wool, wide-brimmed styles have been in heavy rotation. 

I love pairing my Nixon floppy hat with a maxi skirt or dress for a Coachella-esque look.

The Mossimo Indiana Jones-style fedora (similar)  I got from Target a few months back has been the perfect topper to rock-inspired ensembles.

Even if you're indoors most days like me, if you're a hat girl, give some a whirl to shake-up your accessory routine!

FABULOUSLY FASHIONABLE FEBRUARY

It's no secret that February is my favorite month. Not only is it the time of year we celebrate my glorious birthday (25 this year, can you believe it!?) but it's also a time for celebrating fashion. Between #NYFW, StyleCaster's #StateofStyle Summit, Independent Fashion Bloggers #IFBCON, StyleCoalition's #Fashion20 Awards and more...you can do the math.

Hautegeek Heaven!

Twitter seems to be the main social media hub for catching all the action, so be sure to check out the hashtags above for some MAJOR insight into 2012's fashion and technology directions.

I wish I had the time (and money) to attend all the AMAZING conferences, shows, etc that are going on this month, but thanks to facebook livestreams and twitter chats (I know, right?), I've been able to keep up on all the East Coast happenings from here in California. I'll leave you with some of my favorite intel from this week o' info...

Speakers Rebecca Minkoff and brother, @UriMinkoff spoke on molding a truly socially-dialed in brand. Rebecca engages with consumers herself, and uses social media as the ultimate focus group to determine what customers want and like. Uri touched on facebook's "hacker mentality" and the idea of constantly pumping ideas out to the masses (whether good or bad) to push the envelope of innovation.

IFBCon reiterated what a lot of fashion bloggers have been picking up on...the rise of micro-blogging. Instagram and Pinterest (with 10 million monthly unique visits) have become essential tools to brands and bloggers, as a means of curating both consumer insight and interest. "Authentic" and "organic" were the buzz words of the week, proving that nothing sells and succeeds as greatly as originality and realness, i.e. posting when you legitimately have something to say, and staying true to your OWN voice and style.

TECH TOY TUESDAY

Eww...not like that.

When you're as dependent on technology as I am, the great Blackberry/iPhone debate is a serious, drawn-out affair. I've weighed the pros and cons, considered my obsession with the iPad, and researched who my favorite digital darlings are carrying and why.

Then, like any love-struck fashionista, I threw it all out the window when I saw this:

Needless to say I'll be getting the 4s at the end of the month and badgering P-Tran to make me a black one so my new toy can withstand the drops and tumbles of celebratory birthday drinks and, you know, double as a weapon if anybody gets too crazy. Cheers.

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLAINED

SM explained via @ThreeShipsMedia



DIGITAL GIRL DIGITS

From web design to personal dressing, #hautegeeks know that style is all in the details. A true fashionista keeps a polished persona from head to toe, and that means keeping your digits in tip-top shape. Between typing, tapping and swipping on the regular, if you're a digital darling, you probably notice some chipping by the second or third day of your fresh mani. Talk about #fashiongirlproblems. 

But let's be real, the only thing worse than un-polished nails, are half-polished nails. If you can't get to the salon on the regular, try using a sealing top coat (like OPI or Sally Hansen Insta-Dri) with your at-home mani to keep color and shine on your nails for an extended period.

Quick-Tip: If you're re-polishing with the same color, no need to take the entire color off your nail. Use your polish remover to break through the top coat and first layer of the color. From there, re-polish using the original color, and seal with a top coat for an even finish.

Currently Obsessing: Deborah Lippmann Edge of Glory Holographic Nail Lacquer discovered via Erica @ Fashionlushxx. The two-step polish was made exclusively for Gaga's Workshop and is now on sale for $29.00 @ Barney's.

THE UNIFORM

It's no shocker that the black boyfriend blazer/skinny jean combo has become the unofficial #hautegeek uniform. You'll see it as a go-to for conferences, meetings, and interviews, and for good reason: it says 'I'm chic...and smart.' It's dressy enough to match our killer stacked heels, but comfy enough for us to run the gammet of our jam-packed days. Not to mention it means extra pockets for all our gadgets and the uber-ease of seamlessly matching any office-cas outfit to instantly up the professionalism level.

While I too am guilty of the look, I challenge my fellow #hautegeeks to spice it up for Spring. A lightweight trench, breezy kimono, or spunky novelty jacket is the perfect way to stir the fashion pot. Don't let tried and true, turn into tired. We're leaders, and if we're the first to know about new tech and trends, we should be the first to rock innovation in our wardrobe as well. Leave the pocket space to your handbag.

TUNE IN.TURN ON. DROP OUT. #1

Since Day 1, the web has been a Drizzy Drake world, and The Hautegeek is no exception y'all. As a fan of Aubrey since his Degrassi days (oh yeah, I said it!) it makes my heart happy to see his continued success. His recent album Take Care is nothing short of amazing, and this medley by youtubers TOTALLY does it justice.

SH*T THE INTERNET SAYS

The fashion and internet meme stars have aligned to present us all with this gem. #SOAMAZE

BACK WITH A VENGENCE

While it was super difficult to stay away from my new blog baby (along with all my other social networking mediums) for the last 24 hours, I'm happy to report that the blackout is over. Did you join me in protest? Do you think Congress got the message?

All this talk about potential censorship has really got me thinking about the future (and past) of my regularly used applications. I mean, no pinterest? Who would we be kidding...talk about a nightmare. But what did we do before pinterest? Tumbled? Hearted? Does weheartit even still exist? How quick we are to jump on the beta bandwagons of new social obsessions...I'm an early adapter, I admit it. When I find a new source that does what my old one did more effectively and efficiently, why wouldn't I drop the other altogether? But if none of these outlets were available at all...I shudder at the thought! What sites/apps do you use or need in your social toolbox?

Like most of my fashionista friends, pinterest, facebook, twitter, and blogger run the show, with supporting roles from spotify, hypemachine, and tumblr.

STOP SOPA

Wikipedia, along with thousands of other sites and blogs, will be blacked out tomorrow in protest of Congress' SOPA and Protect IP censorship bills. The blackout will serve as an unfortunate sneek peak if the initiatives pass.

What does this mean for you and your blogs? Congress is attempting to block Americans from visiting sites that have as little as one infringing link (think pirated or downloadable material) and is the same type of censorship used in China, Iran and Syria.

Besides obvious music blogs and sites that may be using copyrighted music tracks, videos, and more, email providers and social networks will also be affected. Yep, that means tumblr, Blogger, facebook, twitter, even our beloved pinterest could be under attack.


Learn more and show your support here. Follow hastags #wikipediablackout #sopastrike and #censorshipeverywhere for updates.

“When ideas are blocked, information deleted, conversations stifled and people constrained in their choices, the Internet is diminished for all of us.. There isn’t an economic Internet and a social Internet and a political Internet. There’s just the Internet.” - Hillary Clinton, United States Secretary of State

2012: YEAR OF THE #HAUTEGEEK

They say you don't know how much you love something til you've lost it. On NYE that something was technology, and it brought the realization that I'm part of a new breed of fashionistas who love being able to share their passions almost as much as the passions themselves.

They call me a blogger, media maven, and digital darling. I call myself a #hautegeek.