bkindcity
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Over spring break while home in Buffalo, I had the pleasure of shooting with Katie Monacelli, an entrepreneur-designer-photographer-cool-girl extraordinaire. Katie is one of those people who basically does it all. She's the founder of bkindcity, an incredible clothing brand that provides a meal for someone in need at the Buffalo City Mission with every item sold. So yeah, add humanitarian to that list.
Skirt: F 21 Leotard: Bloch Dancewear
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I met Katie at Modern Nostalgia, the boutique on Hertel Ave where I interned during my senior year of high school. I was instantly drawn to her brand's minimal graphics and relaxed fits.Katie describes the style of her clothing as "East Coast streetwear meets West Coast vibes" and that's exactly the feeling you embody when wearing her clothing. With its muted color schemes and sleek design quality, bkindcity gives you the swagger of a New Yorker and the effortless nonchalance of a San Franciscan.For my shoot, Katie let me style myself, using pieces from her line as the focal point of each look. To match the vibe of her designs, I opted for neutral items from my own closet for easy coordination with a few statement pieces like these pants (which I call my "Beetlejuice jeans") to add some interest.[gallery ids="3658,3659" type="rectangular"]
Jeans: Tinsel Demin
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I absolutely loved shooting with Katie because I had total freedom over how I wanted to look and pose in the photographs. All the looks that I chose are things that I'd wear on any given day. At the end of the shoot, I had to get a few pieces to add to my wardrobe.I got two t-shirts, two cropped sweatshirts and the light blue hoodie from the first picture. The hoodies are the softest things in the world; I wear them to bed, wake up and throw them over my leotards to head to dance classes. The coziness level is ridiculous.
Jeans: American Eagle
It's very exciting that I've been able to merge my love of fashion with my interest in social awareness. It's become very clear to me that I need to pay more attention to the things that I'm buying and that it doesn't have to be a complicated endeavor. It can be as simple as doing a little research and purchasing items from brands that you believe in.Huge thank you to Katie, bkindcity and Modern Nostalgia for such a fun shoot. I have a few more looks to share with you that will be coming in another post. In the meantime, shop the pieces from my shoot below![gallery ids="3662,3663,3664" type="slideshow"]