Spotlight On: Flatiron District

The Flatiron District is one of my absolute favorite areas of the city. There is so much to see (and eat!) in this area that it is definitely worth checking out.

This small area in Midtown got its name from the iconic Flatiron building. It is located at the intersection of 23rd, Broadway, and Fifth. You literally can't miss it due to the unique triangle shape of the building. There is also a large area in front of the building with tables and chairs which is amazing for people watching.

As cool as the building is, my favorite part of this area is across the street. Madison Square Park is just steps away from the iconic building and it is gorgeous. I love the parks in NYC because they provide such a necessary feeling of suburbia to the concrete jungle. Madison Square Park in particular isn't huge, but it is still beautiful and a perfect place to relax. A small section of the park is even used as a "dog run" space.

What Madison Square Park is probably best known for though is the original Shake Shack and its infamously long lines! Seriously, if you come at lunch, plan to wait for a looooooong time! But, if you've never experienced the little bit of heaven that is a Shake Shack burger, fries, and shake, then it is totally worth it.

If burgers aren't really your thing, you HAVE to go into Eataly. Eataly is basically an amazing slice of Italy smack in the middle of NYC. You can shop in the market for amazing Italian ingredients, eat a meal in one of the many restaurant areas, take a cooking class, or even grab a drink at their rooftop beer garden, Birreria. In other words, you need to go here ASAP!

Lastly, if you're looking for a unique shopping experience, check out Fishs Eddy. This store is located at Broadway and 19th and has really cool housewares items.

The Flatiron District is a really cool area to explore whether you're just visiting or a lifelong New Yorker and is absolutely worth checking out!

Trend I'm Loving: Printed Pants

One of the big trends this season (and next fall!) is printed pants and I have to say, I'm loving it! Naturally, it seems like going bolder up top and more subdued on the bottom is the easier look to pull off, but printed pants are just so much fun.

Bold pants have been all over the runways the past few seasons including these looks from J Crew Fall 2012, Prada Fall 2012, Isabel Marant Spring 2012, and Alexander Wang Spring 2012. I would literally do unspeakable things for a pair of those Isabal Marant's. Celebrities have been all over the look as well.

While the runway looks are incredible, these celebs made printed pants look much more wearable for real life. Kristen Stewart and Olivia Palermo (who I have a major style crush on) demonstrated that adding a black blazer totally tones down the loud print of the pants. Beyonce also added a black top that was a nice contrast from the floral pants. Rihanna proved that the chambray shirt really does go with everything and Victoria Justice added a basic white tee and cardigan to make her look more casual.

Recently, I've been rocking the look myself. If you follow me on Twitter and Instagram (@ashleysantucci) you've seen me use the hashtag #printedpantsfriday. The ridiculously amazing bright floral print pants are from H&M and were literally only like $15. I wore them with a black top and wedges since the pants were already so loud. The black and white pants were a find from Loft and I styled them with a neon yellow, sheer top and the same black wedges. These pants are a linen material and super comfortable!

If you are feeling this trend like I am, you can find great options at ASOS, Zara, Topshop, Forever 21, and ShopBop.

TV Experiences with Seventeen Magazine

For those of you that follow me on Twitter (@ashleysantucci) you probably saw my tweets in April about my experience filming some TV segments with Seventeen Magazine. I have been lucky enough to model for Seventeen a few times in the past and absolutely love working with them! They are the nicest group of people and they always make being on-set so much fun.

The segments were a prom feature that highlighted the some of the trends for prom dresses this season. First, we filmed for Fox's Good Day NY. I was super nervous for this one because it was live and I was so afraid that I was going to trip!!! Thankfully I didn't and everything went smoothly. Then the following week we filmed for Better TV which was nationally syndicated on about 155 stations around the country! I am so thankful to have had this experience and to meet the other girls that I worked with because they were awesome. Check out some behind the scenes pictures below and the link to check out the clip of the segment!

Check out the Better TV segment here: http://better.tv/view/fashion3-fashion-perfect-prom-dress
Unfortunately, the Good Day NY segment is no longer available online.

Thanks for checking it out, guys!

CFDA Awards and Apologies

First, let me start by apologizing for not updating in quite a few months! I was super busy last semester finishing up my undergraduate college career. Now, I am officially a college graduate and have more time to post on all things fashion/intern/NYC/travel related, so get excited! Please also check out the updated "Meet Ashley" and "Features" sections of the blog to see what's been going on in my life recently.

Now, on to your scheduled programming. Last night was one of the big nights in fashion; almost like the fashion industry Oscars. The CFDA Awards were held at Lincoln Center and they're really all about the designers and a celebration of the fashion industry. Being that this is a night all about fashion, it's clear that the red carpet should be AH-MAZING, and trust me, it did not disappoint.

Some of my favorite looks from the night were:

Joan Smalls in Michael Kors. I mean, the white against her gorgeous skin is absolutely breathtaking. She literally looks like a goddess. I also love the gold jewelry and accessories. Plus, the hi/low hem has been huge this season! MK definitely did a fantastic job styling her.

Candice Swanepoel in Valentino. Could she look any more ladylike? To be fair, I think it is impossible for her to actually look bad, but she looks stunning in that Valentino dress. I love the shape of it because it is super classic and flattering. I also am more than slightly obsessed with her hair.

Kate Bosworth in Altuzarra. Kate is in the ridiculously amazing dress from the FW '12 collection and I don't think I have ever been more jealous in my life. Again, she never looks bad, but this dress brought her to a whole new level. Flawless.

The Olsens in The Row. This is probably one of my favorite looks that I have seen them in since their "Brother for Sale" music video in 1998. They look so put together, elegant, and gorgeous. I have loved them since their Full House and VHS tape days, so I am very happy that they won the Womenswear Designer of the Year award last night and are having so much success with The Row.

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung. Her body was literally made for this dress. The sheer cutouts and the deep neckline add the perfect amount of drama to this gorgeous black dress.

Seth Meyers in Comme des Garçons. This might be the best thing that I have ever seen in my life. Host Seth Meyers came out wearing the same (or a replica, whatever) lace dress that Marc Jacobs wore to the 2012 Met Ball! He even said, "This has great ventillation…my nipples have never been so freezing." Well, sometimes fashion is pain, Seth! I already adored this SNL funny-man, but this just made him even better in my eyes and I think he totally pulled this look off!

Also, as a side note, three clients of PR Consulting (one of my former internships) won awards last night which makes me a VERY proud intern! Congrats to Reed Krakoff, Altuzarra, and The Row, as well as all of the other winners.

What were some of your favorite looks from the CFDA Awards?

My NYFW Experience - Round II

We are in the midst of fashion month and I was lucky enough to work some shows during New York Fashion Week again! Last season, I was interning at one of the top fashion PR agencies, PR Consulting. With them, I had my first fashion week experience. I was able to work a bunch of SS '12 shows and even work the Versace x H&M event a few months later! This season, they asked me to come back and help out with some preparation and work some shows again. Of course, I excitedly accepted!

Zero + Maria Cornjeo invite

Stunning color and movement at Zero + Maria Cornjeo

Love the makeup case in the gift bags at Milk Studios

My favorite part of this experience was working the Narciso Rodriguez show because it was part of Mercedez Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center! Somehow, all of the other shows I have worked in the past were all held at Milk Studios and other outside locations. While there is definitely an amazing, unique element to a show at an outside location, I was excited to work one at MBFW because it is the essentially epicenter of NYFW.

Having these will never get old.



Empty theatre at MBFW before Narciso Rodriguez

Final walk at Narciso Rodriguez

Everything at Lincoln Center was amazing and super organized! The entrance and lounge area is a fashion-lover's heaven! Plus, MBFW has select volunteers to help with preshow setup, which makes it a lot easier on the PR staff. A show at The Stage of MBFW is an amazing experience. The venue is huge and the stadium seating creates such a cool effect. While I am so grateful for every fashion show opportunity that I have, this is definitely one that will not be forgotten!

Until next time Fashion Week...

I am so thankful that PR Consulting let me come back and intern with them again for FW '12 New York Fashion Week. I learn so much with every new experience that I get and have so much fun just being in the Fashion Week atmosphere! London Fashion Week has since wrapped up and now we are on to Milan before finishing with Paris! I am really looking forward to seeing what all of the designers show.

Do you have any questions about what it's like to work a fashion show?

Best Dressed At The Grammys

The Grammys are such a fun awards show because you never know what to expect. You never know what the artists are going to do, say, or wear! With nominees like Kanye (who was MIA this year), Lady Gaga, and Nicki Minaj, you know things are certainly not going to be boring! The red carpet fashion was edgy and fun as usual and there was no lack of skin showing. See who I thought stood out from the crowd below!

Fergie in Jean Paul Gaultier Couture. This is probably a controversial pick, but I think she looks HOT! She definitely took a huge risk, but I think there is no better occasion for it than the Grammys. The dress itself is incredible and she is glowing in it! And like they say, if you've got it, flaunt it!

Corrine Bailey Rae worked it in Christian Siriano. He is known for creating over-the-top, ruffled dresses and this is no exception. I love this hemline in particular though, and I think she looks gorgeous. This was such a fun, yet pretty dress for the occasion.

Taylor Swift looked gorgeous in Zuhair Murad. People seem to hate that she always picks sparkly dresses, but I think that she always looks stunning in them. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! I love the high neckline of this dress paired with her hair in a topknot. Taylor looks very elegant, as usual!

I think Adele looked great on the red carpet in her custom Giorgio Armani gown, but I thought she looked absolutely perfect onstage in a polka dot Clements Ribeiro dress. The dress fit her perfectly and really accentuated her figure at the waistline. The dress itself was amazing too. I love the sheer polka dots up top as well as the lacy hemline. Last night was all about Adele and her fabulousness, so it is only fitting that she looked the part too!

Carrie Underwood in Gomez Gracia. Seriously, I don't think I have ever seen her look bad. Carrie looked flawless, like usual, at the Grammys. The dress's embellishments make it incredibly gorgeous. I love that she went for the long sleeves. She looked so elegant from the front, but a cut out back made it sexy from behind!

Rihanna in custom Giogio Armani. Um, hello hotstuff! Could that neckline plunge and further? She left little to the imagination last night, but looked incredible while doing so! The Grammys are the perfect time to show a little skin and RiRi took full advantage! I'm not loving her hair though.

Sophia Grace & Rosie in custom Ellen! If you follow me on Twitter/Facebook, you already know that I am BEYOND obsessed with these two little girls. Not only are they insanely cute and talented, they can really work a red carpet! Any little girls who rock tutus like that get an A+ in my book!

Do you agree with my picks? Did I leave anyone out?

PR Couture

A few weeks ago, a feature was done about me on a wonderful site called PR Couture. They have a section called "Getting IN" where they interview interns who are just starting out in the PR industry about their experiences. I was lucky enough to get asked and love the finished product! I have the link posted in the "Features" section of the blog, but here it is again incase you haven't checked it out yet:

http://www.prcouture.com/2012/01/24/getting-in-fashion-pr-internships-with-prada-pr-consulting/

"There is no “off” switch for PR. Everyone in the industry is basically always working and you always have to be accessible and ready to handle anything at any given moment. -Ashley Santucci"

Jason Wu For Target

As I've mentioned before on here, I love me a good designer collaboration. Two big hits recently have been Missoni for Target and Versace x H&M. I adored both of those collections, and I even got to work the Versace x H&M event during my last internship! But now, my latest obsession is Jason Wu for Target. As I'm sure everyone knows, this designer collab came out on Sunday.

Part of the Jason Wu for Target display at my local Target

All of the accessories were cleaned out after 5 minutes!

The craziness over the collection wasn't quite at Missoni level, but my local Target was still kind of nuts! I got there right at 8 AM when the store opened and thank goodness I did, because all of the accessories and most of the clothes were gone within minutes! Luckily, I was able to snag some amazing items before they were all gone.

This dress was one of the most popular items from the collection and it's easy to see why. I love its girly shape and colors! I already wore this dress to work with tights and ankle boots, but plan on wearing it again in the Spring and Summer with some nude heels.

I also picked up this adorable, nautical inspired dress. It's a teeny bit large on me, as I found all of the items ran pretty big. I was obsessed with it though and bought it anyway knowing I could make it work. I'm glad I did, because once I got it home and added a brown belt to cinch the waist, it couldn't look cuter! I can't wait to wear this to plenty of summer BBQs with some brown sandals and an armful of gold bracelets.

Lastly, my favorite purchase is this incredible straw, classic flap bag. Pictures on the internet of it really don't even do it justice. The shape of it is absolutely timeless and the quality of it is so nice. I love how you can carry it using the top handle, or make it a crossbody bag. Plus, anyone who knows me knows that I carry around my life in my pocketbook, and this bag is big enough for me to fit all of my things!

Unfortunately, I really wanted the black pleated skirt, but it was way to big on me. I also fell in love with the white flared dress with the black belt, but they didn't have it at my local Target. Overall though, I'm super happy with my purchases and loved this Jason Wu for Target collection!

Did you take part in any of the Jason Wu for Target madness?

Best Dressed At The SAG Awards

In my opinion, the fashion at the SAG Awards has blown the rest of the awards season away so far! There were some major fashion risks taken and I loved it. The stars pulled out all the stops and for most it definitely paid off. I loved most of the looks last night, even the ones that most people seemed to hate such as Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga (I didn't totally despise that choker), and Shailene Woodley in L'Wren Scott. However, my absolute favorites included:

Rose Byrne looked MAJOR in an Elie Saab sparkle jumpsuit. She took a huge fashion risk and it totally paid off for her. She has the perfect figure for an outfit like this and she really rocked it. I also love the look of her haircut with the deep v-neck of the jumpsuit. Huge fashion moment!

Emily Blunt in Oscar de la Renta. In another sea of neutrals, Emily really stood out in this gorgeous one-shoulder dress. The color is exquisite ("Oscar does the best greens") and she looks stunning from head-to-toe. Her hubby John Krasinski looks so gorgeous in a midnight blue Prada suit as well. Best dressed couple of the night for me!

Viola Davis in Marchesa. Seriously, all I can say is WOW! The white dress really popped against her amazing skin. She looked flawless and I love how confident she looks in this Grecian-inspired dress. I cannot wait to see what she wears to the Oscars!

Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen. Girlfriend has been killing it on the red carpet this year. This McQueen dress is amazing and I am obsessed with the detail up top. I love that she is rocking a shorter hemline since the SAG Awards are a little less formal. Once again, Emma Stone is a total standout.

Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Haute Couture. Zoe looks incredible (as usual), but what is most amazing is that this dress was shown in Europe literally like two days before she wore it! She looks stellar in a dress that is literally fresh off the runway.

Ummm, holy hotness: Amber Heard in Zac Posen! This black dress was anything but boring! This dress was definitely edgy with the cutouts and unusual neckline. I also really think her hairstlye completed this look. She totally nailed the edgy glam vibe!

Kyra Sedgwick looks smokin' in Emilio Pucci. Can we talk about the fact that she is 46 years old for a second? She absolutely OWNED girls who are half her age on the red carpet. She looks super sexy in this cutout, backless dress.

Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klein Collection. I am obsessed with the color of this dress against her skin tone and hair color. She has worn other bright colors before and I absolutely love them on her. The dress is simple, but it really looks so classic and beautiful. I also love how she matched her sapphire earrings to the color of her dress.

Lea Michele showed some serious leg in Versace! You have to be seriously daring to wear a slit that high, but Lea is totally owning it! The grey color of the dress was really different and I love the detail on the bodice. As annoying as some people thing she is on the red carpet, you have to admit, she always looks fabulous!

What are some of your best and worst dressed from the SAG Awards?