exciting – Sapphires in Paradise

Summer in all of its anticipated glory is the time of the year we make concerted efforts to explore, traverse, and adventure hoping that we can accumulate a collection of memories that will last a lifetime.

You never know what experiences will be memorable. Last summer, while planning my trip to Italy, I initially thought that Venice would be an overhyped destination. I was more excited to see the less well known regions of Italy such as the Cinque Terre.

To my surprise, out of all of the extraordinarily beautiful cities that I visited in Italy, Venice is my favorite.

Venice is essentially a luminous labyrinth of bridges and canals interconnected in the most uncanny yet majestic way. Below the countless bridges, reveal centuries old water from the Adriatic Sea that was diverted into creating the Venice Lagoon.

Me, Shiza, enjoying the Gondola ride

Opulent & Ornate | St. Mark’s Basilica

Inside the Gold laden Basilica

Where to Stay | NH Collection Palazzo Barocio

One of the most daunting aspects about visiting Venice is knowing where to stay. If you don’t choose wisely, you will have to haul your luggages around through cobblestone roads and bridges.

Therefore, it is vital that your hotel has its own water taxi dock. Once exiting the train station and fashionably enjoying a water taxi ride ride along the Grand Canal, our hotel had its own private dock, making it so easy for us! We stayed at the NH Collection Palazzo Barocio hotel.

The rooms are of stellar quality, the staff are wonderful, and the lobby always had a warm welcome of Pelligrino and fruit infused waters.

Hotel’s private water dock entrance

View from our Hotel’s private dock

XOXO,

Shiza

Hey guys! So yesterday I went to my first fashion show. It was at Style Fashion Week in LA. I viewed shows by Ophelia Song, Coco Johnson, and Tatiana Shabelnik. Unfortunately , I couldn’t stay for the grand finale which was a Red Dress show with dresses by designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Monique Lhuillier. However, I did get to see the dresses backstage and was stunned. Everything felt so surreal. I think the best part about it was that I go to experience both perspectives of a fashion show ; The ramp walk and Backstage where all the action happens. Backstage was so chaotic and productive. Every inch of space was being put to use and everyone was busy. There were hairdressers, make-up artists, designers, photographers, models all preparing for the show. Its astonishing how it takes hours and days to prepare for a 1 hour or less show. You truly gain a sense of respect for all the people who work backstage to make the show possible. However, My favorite aspect of the evening was the ramp walk. It felt like dream come true. I was so honored to be a part of such an event. It was such an exhilarating experience. To sit there, amongst designers and such affluent people to the fashion industry, was an unforgettable experience.

Backstage:

In the pink is designer Tatiana Shabelnik.

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Ophelia Song
This show showcased clothing that were very soft and elegant. There were many aqua/blue shades, whites, and specks of black in the collection. It gave me a mermaid-y vibe .

(This picture is not mine)

Coco Johnson
This show was very edgy and outgoing, The collection was bold and dark colors such as red and black were prominent throughout the show. I love the cuts and eccentric styles of the jumpsuits and dresses that were a part of this collection.

Tatiana Shabelnik:
This show was the most whimsical and fun . The collection was colorful and vibrant . It began with a model dancing onto the stage wearing a stunning dress. Then, a man model joined her and they performed a lovely dance/walk. The music was energizing yet traditional. This collection had ensembles with different textures, patterns, and colors. All of it coherently worked well with each other. Some of the looks were a little bit medieval/fairytale looking. Overall, I loved the uniqueness to this show.