(True Religion leather jacket, Vintage tee, American Apparel sunflower shorts, original Hunter Boots, Jenny Bird “netted bucket” bag, Vanessa Mooney necklaces and ring)

See those crazy clouds hovering behind me…yep, a thunderstorm was underway! My friends and I were huddled on the roof, all dressed like some crazy British rock girl band, and we felt like we were high in in the dark deep clouds. We panicked as it started raining just above the neighbor’s roof, until seconds later, we were soaked once it made it’s way to us. I don’t think there’s been a girl running in wellies so fast! And it’s actually quite fun to see the storm making it’s way across the city. Fun, but quite dangerous. We luckily found shelter in the stairwell…with rain drops hard as rocks knocking on the ceiling. We were literally squeuling inside like little girls. The windows in the apartment were open, wetting the lit candles on the ledge. Shutting everything from the outdoor world, the only thing we could do was watch the Flood Warnings from our phones, and turn on the TV. We were antsy and with no patience to wait it out, we were outside walking in the rain 10 minutes later. There’s always that excitement with the NYC rain. You never really know what you’re going to get. Thank goodness for these navy blue wellies..I love them on hot rainy afternoons with nothing but some short, shorts, and a band tee. I brought the sunflowers out this day, you know, only to give the dreary East Village some life. Someone’s gotta do it. 

Dolce & Gabbana shot by Mark Iantosca

Take a peek inside my latest shoot for Dolce &Gabbana, just in time for their Dolce & Gabbana flagship store opening here in NYC! This is one iconic fashion house in Italy I’ve only dreamt of working with. Can you say #DGNYC?! The new store is absolutely beautiful! Giant glass windows, lush vevlet cushionings, and of course, some of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I’ve ever seen lining the walls. I got to meet with the Milano Dolce & Gabbana team just the other week for our fitting and I  fell in love with the Sicilian inspired looks. The stripes, the prints, the extra large earrings. Even the stilettos felt good on. I tried on everything from a super tiny floral mini, to a stripe on stripe matching bustier and skirt. I ended up falling in love with blue ensemble…it’s very Italian, very colorful, and most of all, it fit like a glove. The minute I had it on, the whole team knew this is what we’d shoot in. They wanted me to share my NYC story…and lord know, lots of crazy things happen in a short amount of time here.

We ended up shooting by the Brooklyn Bridge, a place that holds so much meaning to me. Fresh faced from LA, I moved to DUMBO, Brooklyn…living in an artist’s loft with 5 other people. Everyone in the house wasn’t originally a New Yorker, yet was here to make something of themselves…whether it be making art, or becoming an actor. Yoga happened in the living rooms, and the brick walls were covered in beautiful splashed paintings. I’m happy I had somewhat of a family to introduce me to this crazy place. I was just moving my modeling career to NYC, and was just adjusting to the humid summer heat. It wasn’t until I crossed the bridge over to the place to where it’d all happen, to the place I’d soon fall in love with, MANHATTAN. I remember walking from the West to the East Village and thinking…”how can this place be real?” It felt like a movie set. The energy, the beauty, sucked me in. The parks so picture-perfect always was so calmingly alluring, a place to stop and breathe in the midst of the neverending go, go, go. I never wanted to stop moving, and I couldn’t close my eyes. I craved to learn more about this beautiful place. To this day I remember this feeling, and I never ever wanted it to go away. When you’re so excited and visually stimulated you don’t know what to do! NYC suddenly wasn’t that scary and intimidating place I thought it was, but rather a place full of beauty and love. There were endless possibilites and doors just waiting to be opened. My sister and I would spend morning till night in the city on the weekends, before we ended up walking the Brooklyn Bridge back home late at night. We’d get ice cream to cool us down as we got back to the loft, just to laugh over our full day’s adventures. I never knew how quickly I’d be over that bridge, living in the city full time. I think I’ve moved 5 times since I’ve been here, but it’s worth it. All the little baby steps have led me to where I am now, and I couldn’t feel stronger or happier. I’ve met so many interesting people here, and people I’ll spend the rest of my live with. I’m so thankful for how everything’s worked out. It’s almost like a fairytale now that I think of it. It was at first just a summer in NYC for work…now it looks like NYC for life.

Read my entire Dolce & Gabbana story, and see more images, here on Swide.com

It’s Mother’s Day and there’s nothing more I want than to be with both my mom and my dad! I know they’re in LA together, probably having the time of their lives together, just missing their two daughters, both stuck on the East Coast. I’ve gone back and looked through the photos I have of my mom…and the more I look, the more I see her beauty, and still to this day, she looks exactly the same. My father was clearly obsessed with her, and took hundreds, thousands of photos of her, and of Dylana and I when we were kids. Beautiful photos that’ll last a lifetime. He was always the one behind the lens, capturing everything in sight. I guess I’m in love with photography because of him. She’s Chinese…grew up in Malaysia, before moving to London, then LA, where she met my father. Her beauty is timeless and she always has a serene look to her. As a child, I’d wanted nothing more than to be held and to play with her hair. She’s a woman unlike any other. She lives by Feng Shui and always told me she has a “sixth sense” (so oddly true!) Her style is impeccable, and I trust her opinion on anything I wear. Growing up, I’d sneak into her bathroom to try the lipsticks on her counter, and splash on her countless perfumes, before getting caught and carried out of the room before I made a mess. She was a glamorous woman. Ferragamo flats were her go-to, and little Chanel bags still to this day, hang in her wardrobe. Tall for an Asian woman, like the rest of her family, she’d float about in long beautiful maxi dresses, or sport a bustier and high waisted shorts on Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica as a young mom. She’s talkative and not really afraid of anything…and she’ll always fight for her family and what’s right. I mean, she has definitely put up with Dylana and I, and made a beautiful home to grow up in…filled with delicious curry soups and gorgeous gardens. My mom’s the perfectionist…and I love every little thing about her. Just writing this post makes me miss her even more. I love you Mom with all my heart! This is one woman to admire.