Julie Newsome

Originally from a small town in Rhode Island, I moved to Los Angeles when I was 18 chasing my dreams and the sunshine.  I can only say it has been quite the whirlwind adventure, nothing short of amazing. After taking a two-year gap I am back in school and happy to have had the time and freedom to really decide what I want in life.  Fashion and writing have always been a big part of my life so to combine them is truly a labor of love.

Throughout the years my style has always evolved but I can say that at this point in my life, I know exactly what makes my style–mine.   I like to take a little from the conservative yet classic east coast style and mix it with the chic and sassy west coast. Give me some pearls, an off the shoulder tee, good pair of jeans paired with YSL pumps and I am good to go. While the fashion world is always evolving and growing a classic taste can never go wrong.

A true love for everything vintage, I die for pieces no one else has.  Perhaps an aspiring clothing designer I have recently started to design and make my own pieces.  And last but not least Fashion Week is better than Christmas for me.

Designers I admire as well as take from include but are not limited to Marc Jacobs, Coco Chanel, Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham.

Read Julie’s articles at http://stylecheckupla.com!

Shukura Taylor

I fell in love with fashion in the 1980‘s when fashion was fun and funky.  Madonna was everyone’s material girl and sported lace cut out gloves like nobody else could.  Janet Jackson asked men, “What have you done for me lately”, while showing the world that it was trendy to only wear one hoop earring.  Prince was on his rise to stardom, gracing the stage in his bolero sequence jacket and his unforgettable harem pants.  Fashion was taking the world by storm and I got swept up in the whirlwind at a young age.  Before I knew it, I was adamantly requesting that my parents find the same exact ruffle blouse that Prince wore in Purple Rain.  I simply had to wear it on picture day!  Ever since,  I have been a fashion and beauty junkie!

I have always been off the beaten path when it comes to my wardrobe. It is for this reason, that the New York fashion scene is  the perfect realm for me to dwell!  I salivate over many designers clothing lines, adore many industry big wigs, and respect and learn from my colleagues.  I appreciate and respect what the fashion industry has to offer and love doing my part in this fast pace ever changing industry.

I am currently a student of fashion journalism at the Fashion Institute of Technology and will be completing my degree this year. I write for several other fashion forward web sites and am always on the look out for the newest and best trendy boutiques and great places to shop.  I will be sure to keep you updated on the best fashion and beauty news in New York.  I have interned at Kenneth Cole as a assistant style consultant and loved every minute of it!  Based out of Brooklyn, I emerse myself in all things that this city’s fashion industry has to offer. As a native New Yorker, I not only love the energy of this city, but its that same energy that drives me to follow my dreams.  Join me as I explore all that this city has to offer.  Stay with me as I bring you the latest fashion and beauty news!

Read Shukura’s articles at http://stylecheckupny.com!

Iiesha Jordan

Hey readers!

I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to write for StylecheckupLA.com! I was born and raised in Pasadena, California and now reside on the Westside of Los Angeles. After working in retail for over seven years, I finally took the opportunity to begin my dream job as a freelance Fashion Writer and haven’t looked back since. In addition to this amazing site, I am also the Fashion/Shopping Editor for Kouturemagazine.com, a writer for Tyra Banks’ upcoming Fashion and Beauty website, and a fashion and music blogger for various other sites, including my own pinkietown.blogspot.com.

My other interests include traveling (I dream of one day visiting Dubai), reading classic novels (I am currently enjoying The People of the Mist), and of course shopping (online is my favorite). I love meeting new people who share my interests and passion for fashion so feel free to introduce yourself to me through the wonderful world of social media!

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/iiesharenee

TWITTER: www.twitter.com/MissIieshaJ

Read Iiesha’s articles at http://stylecheckupla.com!

Kosha Patel

Whattup party people of Los Angeles!  So you like fashion, huh?  Just like an ambiguous facebook relationship, I’ve had a complicated relationship with style and fashion.  As a small town Indian girl from Colorado who wore a uniform to school for all of her education, I had a hard time fitting in and dressing well did not come naturally to me.  As I got older, I found fashion culture to be pretentious and exclusive until I realized that fashion is just like any other art form.  It’s a form of expression and you can tell the world who you are and what you want to say simply by wrapping a scarf in a different way, or pairing colors together so that they express YOU and where YOU fit in in today’s world.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re ghetto fabulous, an apathetic hipster, a budding fashionista, or Beyonce, style and fashion allow you to define yourself in your personal and professional lives.  It’s up to you to expose your personality and identity using the clothes that you wear.  When I learned to accept that, I fell in love!

When I’m over shopping on Melrose, you can find me hunting for deals on convenient websites like Renttherunway, Hautelook, and Justfab.com, as well as hitting up Los Angeles’ fashion district where you can find unique clothes, jewelry, accessories, and shoes for great prices.  I also like to steal my mom’s old sari tops from the 70s and pair them with modern fabrics and patterns.

When I’m not writing, I’m making videos that make fun of pop culture because I can.  You can check them out at http://www.youtube.com/user/KoshaDelhi.  Oh!  And feel free to leave a comment, even if it’s obnoxious.

Read Kosha’s articles at http://stylecheckupla.com!

Candice Cooper

Hello Readers!!

I would like to start out by saying I am so excited to be apart of the stylecheckup.com family!

I am a designer/stylist/painter and self-professed rolling stone, based in Brooklyn, where I live with my husband and our two rascally pups Iggy and Jake. Growing up I always knew I wanted out of small town NJ and set my sights on a career in modeling and acting.  By the time I was 15, I had been working with FORD Models for 5 years, and was traveling non-stop around Manhattan being lucky enough to do nearly 20 national commercials. The only thing my young brain knew was this: I wanted to be around fashion, fun, and international culture. I have driven across the country twice, stopping off in remote places to soak up the interesting colors, designs and landscapes before settling in Los Angeles for a while.  Now I’m back in NYC and loving all of the great art and fashion uprisings around me!

I can feel the creative energy pulsing through the city. In addition to writing, styling and editing my fashion blog, www.kittandlux.com, I am working with Kaviar; Cigarettes developing a graphic tee line, as well as building a body of reworked vintage pieces that will be in our pop up stores. When I’m not painting, designing, sewing or breaking up puppy brawls (they’re little and feisty!), I curate and contribute pieces to various art spaces and galleries. If you are ever on the LES pop into Spina where you can see some of my current pieces! I look forward to sharing the wonderful treasures I come across with all of you fabulous fashion loving women!!

Read Candice’s articles at http://stylecheckupny.com!

Heather Higgins

Hello Readers,

I am so excited to be a contributor to this unique fashion site. I grew up in Northern California and didn’t have much fashion freedom since I went to a private school. I learned to be creative with the dress code rules to incorporate my fashion identity and individual style. Once out of school, I explored my “fashionista” side and found many different avenues to make my own statement. My personal style tends to blur the lines between “hippie” and “rocker” wear. I am also an artist and enjoy meshing my artistic eye into my daily fashion. I love playing with color, lines, and a bit of shimmer.

I spent a couple years in Rome studying art history and at the same time discovered a lot about the fashion world. I enjoy learning about fashion trends from all around the globe and incorporating what I find into my daily wear. As a plus size girl, it’s not always easy to find those one-of-a-kind “runway” looks. My contribution to stylecheckup.com  is to bring trendy style suggestion to “fashionistas” big and small through my “Daily Style” posts.

When I am not creating “Daily Style” posts, I can be found in my studio painting or out and about booking local musicians for ProVintage Entertainment. I love being involved in the artistic worlds of fashion, art, and music. I feel that they all go hand-in-hand and I am so happy to be a part of stylecheckup.com!

Thanks for finding a bit more about me and my ideas!!

Chelsea Looby

Hi Readers!

I love everything about the fashion world. I love experimenting with my own style as well as getting inspiration from designer’s runway shows and from everyday looks on the street. I will be entering into my second year at the Academy of Art University as a fashion merchandising major. I am interested in working in the fashion industry as possibly a buyer or a marketing director for a fashion company. The two classes that I am looking forward to the most this semester are fashion trend analysis and fundamentals of management. In my fashion trend analysis class I will be learning about trends and how they are predicted and forecasted. In my fundamentals of management class I will be learning about how to successfully manage and run a retail store. I am extremely excited for this class because my teacher is a former manager of sales in a Chanel Boutique. All of my teachers have or are currently working in the industry which gives me the opportunity to get real world information pertaining to the fashion industry.

Last year I was an active member of our on-campus fashion club, Beyond the Front Row. In this club I participated in several events, such as fashion shows and fashion fundraisers.

Some of the classes that I took last year were history of fashion, fashion illustration 1&2, consumer motivation, fashion marketing, and visual merchandising. My professors for these classes buyers, internation traders, visual directors, etc. for companies such as Bebe, Lacoste, Louis Vuitton, and Wilkes Bashford.

I believe I will bring a lot to Stylecheckup.com because of my passion and adventurous attitude for the fashion industry.

Julia Gleason

Hello Readers!

I grew up in Modesto, California but if you ask me where I’m from I’ll truthfully tell you that I was born in San Francisco and leave it that. I’ve called The Foggy City home for 7 years and have tirelessly meandered through urban living with too many credit cards, too few heavy sweaters to keep me warm, and a passion to shop, style and write.

I live and work in downtown San Francisco with my English Bulldog, Rufus, never far from my side. I’ve been known to shamelessly talk about him as if he were my own child but I draw the line at dressing him up; fashion is my hobby, not his.

After graduating from California State University, Chico, with a degree in Communication and Journalism, I worked hard to chip away towards my dream career in fashion and writing. Today, I’m a fashion columnist for AND Magazine and contribute fashion content for SF Magazine, Novo. I’m also a SF Fashion writer for the Examiner online. In addition to that I write for a multitude of blogs including shoe designer, Jessica Pritchett and start-up, Bridebround.

I’m a social networking junkie and self proclaimed foodie, having reviewed hundreds of restaurants on Yelp. You couldn’t pry me away from Facebook or Gmail for just about anything…except maybe a new Gucci handbag and some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

When I’m not manically clicking away at the keyboard you’ll find me spending time with friends and family, popping in to boutiques, restaurants and bars, hopping around my closet while experimenting with my latest fashion finds, and avidly reading, Vogue.

You can read Julia’s articles on http://stylecheckup.com and on http://stylecheckupsf.com.