The last day of NYFW calls for my favorite look and favorite show: Anna Sui. The colors she uses are just so rich. It’s like walking out of a different time period, or should I say a different time zone. I always feel a 70’s inspiration from her designs, but this time there was  a bit of 1920’s flapper influence combined with a Victorian twist thanks to the added ruffled necklines and fluffy cuffs. Like most of Anna’s shows, it’s never one point of inspiration that goes into each piece. It seems each design comes from a mix of decades, to be interpreted anyway you choose. The way she mixes styles and inspiration look seamless and effortless. Dresses in prints with matching printed tights and sparkling platform sandals. Belts cinched so perfectly around the waists of iridescent green and red dresses. Iridescence was a huge theme in this show in particular. A perfect mix of bold color, metallics, and flowing fabrics that were pleasing on the eyes. Her vintage inspired hemlines, necklines, and ruffled sleeves are so eclectic rock n’ roll. I feel proud wearing her pieces every single season. They just make me want to dance, sing, and move with the wind! Pieces where I can let my personality shine without saying a word. Now that’s art.

// Anna Sui look, Vintage coat, Dear Frances boots, Gucci handbag //

The post NYFW DAY 7: THE ART OF ANNA SUI first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

Sister! Hey, sister! Some of the best moments of fashion week are captured with your buddy. Why would you want to experience this wild ride alone? The stressful last minute call times. Changing outfits in the back of your uber. Disrupting the local pizza parlor with our high energy. We make every season fun with memories to look back on. Dylana and I are basically attached at the hip and even if we’re out either shopping or pulling for a shoot, we always reach for the same piece at the same time. We laugh at the same jokes. We read each other’s minds. It’s a sister thing I guess. This time, we fell in love with the Alice + Olivia bright colored trousers for the presentation this season. Red and blue. They’re so bold and such a statement that I kept the rest of my look pretty minimal with a Cher Horowitz inspired fuzzy tank and classic white blouse. The houndstooth coat is an old Miu Miu find from seasons ago, yet it never seems to have gone out of style. I topped it off with a beret taken from Dylana’s closet. Luckily, she lets me share her clothes.

// Staud Clothing tank, Cinq a Sept blouse, Miu Miu coat, Alice + Olivia pants, AGL shoes //

The post NYFW DAY 6: TWO OF A KIND first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

This is the first time Zadig et Voltaire brought their runway from Paris to NYC, and it absolutely rocked. I paired my Zadig look with an oversized coat and some really smokey eye-makeup, thanks to my team at NARS. I dressed down a wild pair of navy blue sequin trousers with a silk tank, bomber, and cowboy boots. Eclectic, yet so easy. When it comes to rock n’ roll, anything goes. It’s how you carry yourself. The Fall ’17 runway show was so much the ultimate NYC downtown wardrobe. Bringing their touch of Parisian chic to NYC just made sense. Bright pink and yellow beanies mixed with cargo, nubby knits, and tailored blazers. They’ve mastered slinky silk dresses and leather pants. But it was these additional pops of color that got me really excited. Mick Jagger approved, of course.

// Zadig & Voltaire sequin pants + silk bomber + tank + scarf+ + boots + sunglasses, Staud Clothing coat, Bally handbag, White + Warren cashmere beanie //

The post NYFW DAY 5: ZADIG ROCKS NY first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

I’m in love with my Fendi Spring ’17 look, straight off the runway. Amazing knitted sock booties with a beautiful flowing dress, and nude bag. Check out the heels on these Fendi bad boys! They’re striped! I threw on some leather leggings, and voila, I made my Fendi Spring ’17 look fully prepped for these cold weeks in NYC. The collection is extra quirky and cheeky. It’s an unexpected take on luxurious neutrals. Do a play on textures in neutral palettes as a way to make a statement this season without having to walk out of the house dressed like a rainbow. But trust me, I do love my rainbows.

But as always, fashion week gets me thinking beyond just the outfits. We’re so “go, go go” that sometimes it’s nice to talk amongst ourselves about how much fashion week is actually changing. Bloggers are taking over the front row, and it’s amazing that our perspectives really do matter. Even in what feels like a saturated space, it’s amazing seeing my OG girls killing it in our industry…from walking the catwalk to taking over backstage. I’m talking about the girls from 2010 who made something out of nothing…creating careers and jobs with longevity that never existed 5 or 10 years ago. It’s exciting to be a huge part of this change and evolving with it. There’s room for everyone in this space. Designers are a lot more selective with how they’re doing their shows, who is going to their shows, and they’ve become a lot more wise on who their customer is thanks to bloggers and social media. Lately, I have been stressing the importance of quality versus quantity. I don’t care if you have a million instagram followers or the best seat at a fashion show. The blogging community is about daring to be you and using your voice to inspire and be inspired through everything you put out there. Even if that means making the world your literal runway for a day.

// Fendi Spring ’17 dress, Fendi handbag, Fendi shoes, Cinq a Sept coat, Zadig et Voltaire leather legging //

The post NYFW DAY 4: FENDI NEUTRALS first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

This beautiful pink twin set is by Laurence & Chico. It’s play on luxurious textures really stood out to me. It’s a a bit like Chanel meets Brooklyn. I took this stunning get-up out in the rain at my sister’s local bodega in Bushwick, and simply threw over a poncho. Any contrasting texture is perfect for this type of layering. I swear by the ponchos at Woolrich. I wear them on the airplane. I wear them to the gym. Even here during fashion week, over my tweed. It’s my blanket that I can’t live without. Quality, baby. Fashion week is all about celebrating designs and pieces of quality. Learning the story of how it’s made. The way it feels. It’s all in the tiny details. The fabrics. Getting to see it all up close. Seeing the way a piece moves. It gives me the feels…seriously. For me, it’s all about discovering new designers, but also getting in touch with the brands I’ve grown to love year after year. Like mixing something classic and oldschool like Woolrich with the new…Laurence + Chico. Team Suarez has been real troopers so far this month. We’re always shooting our regular campaign projects back to back, yet still managing to wrap just in time for me to squeeze into the front row at all of these shows. But before we get into that, let me bang these looks out. Day 3 in pink accomplished. Shop it below.

// Laurence & Chico jacket + skirt, Woolrich poncho, DKNY tights, Nike sneakers //

The post NYFW DAY 3: DISCOVERING THE NEW first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

I’m currently writing from Tulum, Mexico and though I’m physically sipping a Corona and sitting in a metallic bikini with sand between my toes, I’m mentally still catching up on everything FASHION WEEK. It’s this time of year that I begin to crave a seaside destination to fully decompress with my girl tribe before jumping right back into fashion month. I’m savoring every moment here in Mexico to be completely out of my normal element and NYC routine. This NYFW was non-stop. The city has a buzz to it. Head anywhere near the West Side Highway and you’ll spot some kooky characters and a sea of photographers on every corner. It’s all about “getting the shot.” Breaking the internet one outfit at a time, and still trying to arrive on time to back-to-back shows. Like every single season, I have so much fun with it. It’s that time of year to hit up your designer friends to create some really sick looks. Sure it’s freezing, but I say just whip out those bold coats, colors, and pile on the layers! Boy did it feel amazing to slip on a pair of sneakers. These are from the new Nike collection, and I love that they’re completely a new take on their oldschool design. I gave them a modern twist with a fit n’ flare dress, striped turtleneck, and parka. With every fashion week, getting dressed just starts getting easier. It’s far more low-key this year. You don’t need to wear stilettos everywhere you go. It’s totally ok to show up to a show with a gigantic parka over your wild outfit. Be practical first, then take it from there.

// Elizabeth + James sunglasses, Woolrich parka, STAUD turtleneck, Fashion Bunker dress, Nike sneakers, Gucci bag //

The post NYFW DAY 2: COLOR BLOCK first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.

NYFW has always pretty intense yet exciting, especially come February with it’s cold, gusty winds. This one was no different. After one giant snow storm, and multiple cancelled flights, I luckily make it back home just in time! Phew! My fashion week days begin early. At 7am I’m already unzipping garment bags, staring at my packages piled high up to my ceilings, and finally taking a peek at my my schedule on my iphone as I’m still waking up. In my mind all I can think about is “coffee, coffee, coffee!” This week I’ve been working with NARS Cosmetics who I just love, in creating my dream makeup looks, along with heading backstage to get in on all the action at their shows. And they were MAJOR shows: Alexander Wang, Creatures of the Wind, and 3.1 Philip Lim! Every girl’s dream NYFW schedule. NARS masters clean skin, and of course the smokey eye and really beautiful dark lip. I swear by their concealer and their new line of Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. I worked with my makeup artist, Niko, to create a rosy, glowing look for day. He’s a genius. We used a shimmering pink eye shadow, a swipe of black KohLiner, and finished it off with an amazing lip gloss in “Istria.” At night, I got a quick touchup backstage at Alexander Wang. A really beautiful matte lip in NARS “Pussy Control.” The name fits this sexy shade that literally stays on all night long. For NYFW Day 1, I looked at my makeup artist in my closet and pulled out this amazing Anna Sui velvet dress with black roses. Immediately, we knew it was THE look. I threw it on over a great pair of leather leggings and boots. In this weather, I can’t go a day without leather leggings. I layer them under just about every dress I own.This was a look of velvet, leather, and studs. It’s old school rock n’ roll with a little bit of goth punk. I love pairing something so dark with such fresh, and pretty pinks in my makeup.

// Karen Walker sunglasses, Anna Sui dress + cardigan, Kenneth Cole coat, Zadig et Voltaire leather legging + boots, Bally handbag //

The post NYFW DAY 1 // Backstage with NARS first appeared on NATALIE OFF DUTY.