ETHICAL BELLA

MY SETS: Red & Nude. So chic! I only recently realized how...

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:00:06 -0500

MY SETS: Red & Nude.

So chic! I only recently realized how fantastic of a color match this is as I have been studying the color wheel to come up with new ways to mix and match my wardrobe.

Full disclosure: I play on Polyvore mostly with pieces from the European e-boutique MISSQA of which I’m a co-partner (the missqa blog also recycles these sets). My goal with these sets is always to think of new color schemes or figure out how to wear new statement pieces. Take this as inspiration if you are not into shopping right now:-)

IT’S A LOVE MATCH: RED & NUDE II by missqa on polyvore.com

BEAUTY: Natural Cure Tips for Winter Dry Skin Dry and sensitive...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:00:00 -0500

BEAUTY: Natural Cure Tips for Winter Dry Skin

Dry and sensitive skin adore organic and natural products like these! My skin gets very dry in the winter and my face tends to get quite red so I’m loving the new sensitive skincare kit by Aveda, moisturizers by Amakai (I use it on my body, hands and face: it makes your skin glow like nothing else) and the perfect blotting paper by Tatcha (powder dries up your skin). To rejuvenate at night, I also love the aloe vera Dream Care pad you put into your pillow. If you have secrets to treating dry and sensitive skin, please let us all know in the comments below!

MY STYLE: Weekend in the Berkshires The Stella McCartney for...

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:00:00 -0500

MY STYLE: Weekend in the Berkshires

The Stella McCartney for Adidas snow boots were perfect for a hike in the snow-covered woods, the organic cotton skinny pants by Prairie Underground are my go-to on the weekends (cool and oh-so-comfortable!) and the Lina Forlino linen scarf from the Parisian Green in the City boutique was warm and kept my look chic enough for a later lunch in Lenox. Even though not eco, the yellow pig necklace from J.Crew was a gift from my hubby (he grabbed this navy vegan crew neck knit for me from there too). It’s the one animal he promised not to eat after we met:-)

NYFW: Behind the Scenes at Ivana Helsinki That’s me, with...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:49:00 -0500

NYFW: Behind the Scenes at Ivana Helsinki

That’s me, with new chic wavy hair-do at the Ivana Helsinki show at New York Fashion Week (video tutorial to come soon! My sister and hair stylist Viola helped me create this look via Skype after we saw many a celebrity sport this look at the Emmy’s). I’m also wearing my current obsession: the leopard print Beyond Skin heels. What’s your current style obsession?

- Annabella, New York

FASHION: Ethical Designers at New York Fashion Week A handful...

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:11:00 -0500

Study

Fall Trend: Socks & Ankle Boots

Study FW2012 dress on designer Tara

Bamboo By

Fall Trend: Socks & Pumps

Luis Valenzuela

Battalion (faux fur)

Coco Rocha for Senhoa

FASHION: Ethical Designers at New York Fashion Week

A handful of eco designers presented their fall collections today at the Lincoln Center. I adore Study and wish I could have bought the organic cotton dress with an uneven hem straight off designer Tara’s back! Worth noticing were also Bamboo By (chic for day), Luis Valenzuela (show-stopping for evening) and Battalion as well as jewels by supermodel Coco Rocha for Senhoa.

hi! when will you post another video? it's been a long time :(

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:15:33 -0500

Next week at the latest, promise! :-) I’m shooting a bunch of new videos and a new series so it will be worth the wait, guaranteed:-)

LIFESTYLE: Swimming Piglets This adorable video by The Today...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:27:00 -0500

LIFESTYLE: Swimming Piglets

This adorable video by The Today Show will put the mayhem of Fashion Week into a perspective. Warning: it will also make you think of SS2012 instead of fall. Puddling with pigs in the turquoise sea wearing a perfect ruffled aqua bikini? Oh my.

FASHION: Vegan Leather I love the new vegan leather collection...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:13:24 -0500

FASHION: Vegan Leather

I love the new vegan leather collection by freepeople. The v. leather jacket is a must-have. It will look sexy and mysterious with distressed AG eco-friendly jeans and is perfect for strolling around Brooklyn or riding the Speed Triple with my new hubby this spring. And the bustier? Well, if I keep up with my cross-fit…

SHOES: My Favorite Heels Right Now. Video of my ethical shoe...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:27:00 -0500

SHOES: My Favorite Heels Right Now.

Video of my ethical shoe closet to come soon! All these are available at missqa.com, the brands are Beyond Skin, Cri de Coeur and Olsen haus. I practically live in the nude ankle boots and the leopard pumps.

STYLE: Just Married! I said “I do” to my love on...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:45:00 -0500

STYLE: Just Married!

I said “I do” to my love on January 14th in sunny, snow-white Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This gorgeous gown was custom made by Minna Hepburn who has a heavenly bridal collection of shorter, vintage inspired dresses. The Scottish lace dress was lined with peace silk and the buttons in the back were vintage: all different! The dress felt perfect for our intimate ceremony at the groom’s parents’ Berkshires country house and reception at the nearby Cranwell Country Club. I’ll be wearing a bridal mini by Minna to our local, New York reception party in early February. Much love and stay tuned for more fashion and bridal updates as I get all of our wedding photos. And, if you haven’t already, subscribe to my YouTube channel here. Besides frequent style videos, I’m launching a bridal series soon!

FASHION: Happy New Year Gorgeous! What’s your resolution?...

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:02:00 -0500

FASHION: Happy New Year Gorgeous!

What’s your resolution? I have many, one of which is “I’ll never again have nothing to wear!” My plan is to invest in chic, versatile outfits that take me from day to night, and casual to fancy. These are my favorites from MISSQA.

STYLE: How to Style a Bold Winter Coat To brighten my days this...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 09:35:00 -0500

STYLE: How to Style a Bold Winter Coat

To brighten my days this my winter, I chose a bright red coat instead of the typical black or beige. If you invest in such a bold colored essential, can you style it from casual to fancy, from morning to night? See the video for options and a peek of the new DUMBO, Brooklyn carousel.

STYLE: Bright Colored Winter Coats I adore this trend, spotted...

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 08:49:00 -0500

STYLE: Bright Colored Winter Coats

I adore this trend, spotted in Vogue and on stylish celebrities like Kate Middleton, Taylor Swift and Stella McCartney. Perfect for brightening up short, dark days and spicing up the winter wardrobe. If you are uncertain how to style such a bold piece, see the video on “Winter Coat Trends: How to Style a Bright Colored Coat” and my options for eco- and animal-friendly pieces. (Video is uploading!)

How to cut & wear bangs.

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:36:35 -0500

How to cut & wear bangs.

SHOES: Bridal Heels Trying to decide on the perfect shoe for my...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:40:00 -0500

SHOES: Bridal Heels

Trying to decide on the perfect shoe for my winter wedding, I have been researching wedding shoe trends. White seems no longer the go-to, especially in 2012, and blues, purples and creams are popping up in every bridal magazines. Brides, like me, want to wear something they can slip on also after the wedding, which is much more sensible and ethical than wearing your shoes only once. These are the heels I’m considering (yes, even the all-white pumps). They all would work perfectly with winter whites at a cocktail party, and with gorgeous vintage dresses in the summer. The nude patent pump is by Stella McCartney, others by Beyond Skin.

ETHICALBELLA FASHION: The Ethical Bride I have been waiting...

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:56:00 -0500

ETHICALBELLA FASHION: The Ethical Bride

I have been waiting you tell you the big news until I could share some love-filled fashion inspiration with you. I’m engaged!

I can’t wait for my intimate January winter wedding in Massachusetts. (We might have another one in Europe in the summer so both of our families can make it as my family is in Finland).

These are some of the most gorgeous ethical pieces I have found, most of which I have already ordered for my wedding day.

Minna Hepburn Dress, £220, Ivanka Trump Ethical Bridal Jewelry,

Stella mccartney corset, $340, Stella McCartney lace panty, $36,

Beyond Skin bridal shoes, £184

xxx

PS. This is my very first Polyvore set, so if you are there too, let me know and let’s follow each other.

ETHICALBELLA HANDBAGS: Luxe Arm Candy Can I request these as...

Sat, 03 Dec 2011 09:10:00 -0500

ETHICALBELLA HANDBAGS: Luxe Arm Candy

Can I request these as stocking stuffers or am I dreaming? This is definitely on the list.

Stella McCartney Shaggy Deer Fold-Over Tote ($995); Cornelia Guest Willow Messanger Clutch ($145); Matt & Nat Clint (149e).

ETHICALBELLA FASHION: IVANAhelsinki Bamboo Dresses The designer behind IVANAhelsinki, Paola Suhonen,...

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:30:00 -0500

ETHICALBELLA FASHION: IVANAhelsinki Bamboo Dresses

The designer behind IVANAhelsinki, Paola Suhonen, could be described as a mystical blonde visionary. She is not just the most notable fashion designer to come out of Finland (where I’m originally from); she is also a filmmaker who tells beautiful stories. I recently collaborated with her for MISSQA, creating eco-friendly versions of her best-selling dresses for MISSQA. We recreated them out of bamboo, which is oh-so-soft and doesn’t wrinkle: perfect piece for a busy woman, who needs to look amazing 24-7.

My sister Viola filmed a fun video modeling them for our MISSQA YouTube channel, see it below:

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ETHICALBELLA FASHION: Stylish Shopping Haul As promised, here is the fashion haul video of my Black...

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:43:00 -0500

ETHICALBELLA FASHION: Stylish Shopping Haul

As promised, here is the fashion haul video of my Black Friday shopping trip. Please enjoy! I’d love to hear what your favorite item was and if you think I did well. This video also shows how easy it is to shop ethically without sacrificing your style, even at the mall. Below, you can see the items I bought in pictures.

ETHICALBELLA JEWELRY: TIRANA - Black Friday Sale! Have you...

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:57:00 -0500

ETHICALBELLA JEWELRY: TIRANA - Black Friday Sale!

Have you enjoyed Black Friday shopping? This year was my first (I tend to look for ethical pieces online) as my love’s family has a tradition of going to the outdoor mall by their weekend home each year at 6am. I joined and discovered several cruelty-free pieces on sale to keep me warm this winter. Excited about my discoveries, I’ll be filming my first eco-chic haul video of my finds today; keep a look out for it next week!

In the meanwhile, I want to share a sale of my own with you. As you might know, I recently founded an Ethical Luxury Online Boutique MISSQA with my sister and as we are taking baby steps with the business, we are only sharing our absolute favorite brands.

One of them is TIRANA Jewelry. As there’s nothing better than treating yourself to a gem, I wanted to extend a -20% discount to you (from now till 12/30).

Jewelry has the magical power of enhancing any outfit we wear and making it memorable. Each TIRANA piece is dark and romantic, handmade of antique and recycled metals. They are edgy yet elegantly simple and made for a sexy, confident woman who loves buying jewelry for herself.

Before making her mark as a jewelry designer, Graciela Fuentes rocked it as a DJ under the name “Tirana Del Amore” which means “Tyrant of Love,” playing dramatically romantic Mexican tunes. This makes me want to wear all her gems and go dancing with her!

See the photos to get a taste for her gems and select your statement piece here by adding the discount code “mygem” for euros and “mygemUK” for Pounds.

Have a beautiful weekend.