SUNSHINE STYLE FOR A SKEPTIC

The birds are chirping and the sun has risen. Spring has somehow already arrived and Summer is just around the corner.

 Florals everywhere and the earth is celebrating life, love, and new beginnings!

The problem is, what do you do when your mood is in darkness, pessimism, and ultimate skepticism? You just aren't feeling it, and you rather just crawl back in your moody dark corner with your black yoga pants. The last thing you would ever want  is a bit of sunshine.

Hold on my friend, skeptics can also do well with a bit of sunshine in the their Spring style. There are ways to keep your edgy style while  adding a bit of light and life to your dark aesthetic. 

1.) BE BOLD WITH COLOR: 

As a skeptic, you are naturally opinionated and have no problems questioning the norm. Use that courage, and gamble on a powerful color. Try a bright red/orange with harsh lines, and dare to be seen. It's a statement of power, and it suits you. 

2.) VINTAGE 60's:

If you have never tried vintage shopping, give it a try. Most skeptics detest being like everyone else, and shopping in vintage shops is guaranteed to suit your desire for individuality. The 60's were a very creative, and daring period of fashion. Mod Style, is edgy, bright and fun. 

(The dress I am wearing above, belonged to my mother from the 60's.)

3.) CONTRAST SWEET AND SOUR:

A skeptic, loves nothing more than a good argument, and a playful banter of opposites. If you can't commit to head to toe color, then intermix it, and create irony. A black leather jacket casually worn over a soft floral, is a salty bite to a sweet center. 

From one skeptic to another, don't be so predictable and wear the same style or color every day of the year. There is nothing edgy about a one dimensional style formula.

xo,

Maya

WHY DO WE WEAR CLOTHES?

Have you ever thought about why we wear clothes?

We are the only species that have adopted the art of dressing, and nudists would argue, it's plain unnatural. 

Unnatural for an animal, but not so for a human. 

Humans have an innate ability to multitask multiple ideas, emotions, problem solve, and develop. This complexity, results in the need for creative ways to express life, far beyond our instincts. 

Creativity is a skill that must be practiced and strengthened on a daily basis, and yet it is one of the most neglected tools of life. 

This is wear fashion takes its role in everyones life as a tool to use creativity or not.

If you are a realist, you may dress strictly for practical reasons. If you are a religious person, you may dress strictly for modesty. A materialist, may dress to claim status, and power. 

However, a person who dresses themselves to practice creativity and actively express themselves, is a living art form. 

Why do you dress? 

xo,

Maya 

I FEEL PRETTY.

I Feel Pretty, is an upcoming movie starring Amy Schumer, who is a woman struggling with her own body image, but awakens feeling transformed into a flawless beauty.
What would you do if you  awoke one day without a care in the world and absolute body confidence? Would it be enough to start living your life, or would it lead you to a life of delusion and narcissism?

It is an interesting idea of how we "feel" verses how we are. If you feel beautiful, you are bringing out beauty that you have. A brightness, a smile, a light, you are giving off energy. This is interesting, because we live in a society highly dominated by what we see verses what we feel. The need to be "flawless", and the obsession of all or nothing. It has the majority of us seeing only our flaws, while completely neglecting the positive.
It's like chasing a rainbow without realizing you've already got it.

Beauty is a complex mixture of what we see and how we feel. It will be exciting to see what they will do with this idea of how emotions affect our visions.

I Feel Pretty, Coming Soon... (April 20, 2018)

xo,

Maya

FASHION AS A HUMANIST NOT A FEMINIST

Female empowerment is on a huge rise, and the fashion world has taken notice.

Feminism has taken on it's own identity, and apparently 'she' has clothes to match. 

The problem is, fashion is not a feminist. 

The beauty of what we wear and how we wear it, is the freedom to freely express ourselves without the disruption of genders, politics, or religious practice. It should not be used as a tool to divide, but as a practice to celebrate Humanism.

Humanism- is a progressive lifestance that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead meaningful, ethical lives capable of adding to the greater good of humanity. 

The sooner we see fashion as a humanist, the quicker we can make the appropriate changes to how the fashion world functions and thinks. Humans need to support humans, before the profit line.

 The heart of fashion must be found and practiced. 

Believe it or not, a greater good of humanity can be found in Fashion.

#fashionthinks

love,

Maya

DOES MAKEUP MAKE YOU FAKE?

Caking on makeup verses no makeup at all. Which one is the "real girl"?

Bare faced. Blemishes, discoloration, a bit of shine, we all have them, but like dirty secrets, no one would ever know.

A no makeup face in a cosmopolitan society, is translated as lazy, unhealthy, or unprofessional. While those who believe in the authentic life of a bare face, may deem a full face of makeup as fake, superficial, and manipulative. So, which one is it? Can these two worlds ever collide in a balanced harmony?

Yes. The truest form of balance is to learn the benefits of both worlds. 

Finding comfort in your own skin with no makeup is a valuable lesson of self acceptance, and confidence.  One should be comfortable to show their bare face in front of anyone, and understand the unique beauty of being completely natural. 

However, there is also value in understanding the benefits of wearing makeup and appreciating a different form of beauty. It is a valid tool of professionalism, attraction, expressionism, and artistry.

 Just as one decorates a table for a dinner party, makeup is an artistic exploration of colors, angles, textures, and the effects of aesthetics on human interaction. 

Practice the healthy balance of letting your skin breathe on a daily basis, while challenging yourself to explore the various variables of faces found in the unexpected playground of makeup.

Have fun!

xo,

Maya

CREATE YOURSELF: FASHION EMPOWERMENT

Fashion Empowerment.
We are born into this world with an identity. A name given to us by our parents, and a life predestined by the hopes and circumstances placed by everyone around us. How do you define yourself? A race, a gender, a career, social status, fame or money?

Perhaps, the problem begins by the very fact we spend far too much time defining ourselves rather than creating our own identity. We have the power to mold our lives and ourselves into the shapes and colors we desire, but we lock ourselves into preconceived ideas that have been placed around us. Why?

Fashion. As superficial, meaningless, and vain as many people believe it to be, it is actually one of the most practical ways of discovering your identity on a daily basis. What you wear is a reflection of how you think and feel. This is why your style evolves alongside your experiences, confidence maturity and surroundings. 

Creating yourself neither begins nor ends with what you wear, but it is a progression of limitless ideas   and questions regarding yourself as a work of art. 

Who are you today and how would you express it? What are your limits, fears, and dreams? Break free from the mold of following everyone else around you, and start questioning and creating your own path. 

Mix and match things you like, and break free from the idea you must "fit" into a square that society has placed upon you. 

To be creative, means you no longer see yourself as a creature of attraction, but an ever-changing creation of ideas. Your primary goal is not to be beautiful, but to say something. Strengthen the ability to express ideas, and eliminate the need to conform. 

If you want to wear your skirt as a shirt, and your pants as a scarf, then do it. Challenge yourself by feeling uncomfortable, and push the boundaries to make people THINK.

Stay Tuned !

 In 2018, Talk Fashion Blog, will be exploring new and unique ways to explore the art of fashion expression. Fusing the fashion world with philosophy, psychology  literature, mathematics, music, and art, we will be exploring the limits of personal style. Join us!

xo,

Maya

HOW FASHION CAN HELP YOUR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION BE SUCCESSFUL?

"Do not go to bed until you have gone over the day three times in your mind. 

What wrong did I do? What good did I accomplish? What did I forget to do? "

-Pythagoras

A new year, a new you, but how?

New Year's Resolutions are often created with a mindful goal to attack specific things you would like to change about yourself. Whether it be your weight, your lifestyle, or unrequited passions, a better you is waiting to be born. Unfortunately, every year we spend 10 minutes creating a list that is probably more productively used as a piece of scratch paper.

Why do our resolutions fail and how can fashion help?

New Year's resolutions usually fail, because they are concentrated lists of problems, without any regard to the formula behind these bad habits. Here are 3 examples of how fashion can help your resolutions:

RESOLUTION 1

HEALTH/FITNESS

You want to lose 10 pounds. 

You make a list of how you will exercise more, eat less, and stay away from processed foods. Sounds like a good plan, right? Wrong. This plan is too centralized on the specific problem and lacking in inspiration, and motivation.  If you want to lose 10 pounds, try adding the element of fashion and stay motivated. Invest in an attractive, but comfortable work out gear and enjoy getting ready for your exercise sessions. Buy a fun dress that is 1-2 sizes smaller, and hang it in a place you can see it every morning. Use it to motivate you, and provide you with visual imagery that is a tangible version of the future you are creating. 

RESOLUTION 2

PERSONAL LIFE

 You want to be more outgoing and meet someone new. 

Your plan includes, going out more, downloading a dating app, and being more "social", but most likely you will do none of them. The problem is, improving your personal life, can only happen, if you change on a "personal" level. Often times, this includes what we choose to wear. We fail to realize the impact of how we dress, and its relationship to how it attracts or rejects human interaction.

 The style of clothing, color, and cleanliness, are all factors observed before a smile is exchanged, or a word is spoken. If you want to improve your social life, start by evaluating your current fashion choices. Simple changes such as wearing a softer or brighter color, will immediately make you appear more cheerful and approachable. 

RESOLUTION 3

CAREER

You want to quit your stable job and chase your dream job.

Your plan includes calculating your finances, and mustering up enough courage to quit your stable job. However, most people, never find the courage and live a life of paying bills, and unrequited dreams. 

To "imagine" the reality of a dream, you must realize the discomfort of the unknown. Fear is one of the main reasons we stop ourselves from pursuing our passions, but the lack of positive visual imagery also exacerbate our fears.

One of the most simple ways to boosting positive visual imagery of your dream job, is dressing the part. Adopting the style of the person who has such a job, is a strong foot in the door of imagining yourself as that person.  

Best wishes and may you have a phenomenal 2018! 

xo,

Maya

S. FREUD: HOW TO DRESS ME, MYSELF, AND I

FASHION PSYCHOLOGY 101

Take a look at your closet. What is it like? Is it a chaotic mess filled with multiple personalities? Or is it a small organized capsule collection featuring only the basics? 

According to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of personality, balance is key in all genres of personal taste. Surprisingly, being too chaotic and instinctual with your choices is just as bad as being too organized and predictable.  

Freud theorized that personality contains 3 main elements: id, ego, and super ego.

1.) ID: impulsive, uncontrollable, and primitive. 

Like a baby, it is the unconscious element we are born with that is extremely impulsive. It has a simplistic desire to satisfy our primal instincts, without any regard to its effects on others. This is the part of you that picks clothes based on primitive needs, such as warmth, desire, pleasure, etc. 

An overly dominant id, can lead to impulsive fashion choices, uncontrollable shopping habits, and disorganized sensibility of any type of order, or logic.

2.) Ego: calculated, conservative, narrow-minded.

 Very much like a control center, the ego is the element of rationality. It is able to control one's impulses and manage it's choices with calculations and directions. 

An overly dominant ego, can cause you to be conservative, narrow-minded and predictable. Your choices follow the fashion book and your style can lack spontaneity and understanding.

3.) Super Ego: moralistic, and judgmental

The Super ego behaves as the moral compass, and suppresses all unacceptable behaviors and pushes idealistic standards. It acts to civilize our behaviors and distinguish right from wrong.

An overly dominant Super ego looks to perfect and abolish all unacceptable choices.

Each element of personality is negative, without its equal counterpart to balance them out. Be aware of our natural impulses to forget to be diverse, and embrace contrast. 

 It is easy to fall into one category of mind set, but fashion excellence is achieved though embracing all aspects of our personality.

Always remember to style with a healthy dash of spontaneity, a structure of calculation, and a sprinkle of morality. 

xo,

Maya

A Letter From Maya...

Welcome to TALKFASHION!

Inspired by nature, art, music, and culture, TALKFASHION, covers the evolving force of self discovery. 

The  inner dialogue between you and your heart is the key essence of finding yourself and your style. 

Forever looking to what inspires you, fight the gravity of normality.

Be brave enough to make  mistakes, and have courage to walk the path alone.

What you wear is equally simplistic and complex. They say, " Never judge a book by its' cover, but how introspective to create the perfect cover for a specified book!

You are a what you wear and within that equation is art.  

The greater the art the greater the message.

What do you feel, and how will you arrange your image today?

Sincerely,

Maya Horikawa

(Creator of TALKFASHION)

What is 箱入り娘 ?

箱入り娘 (hako-iri-musume), is a Japanese proverb describing a metaphorical "box" that surrounds a girl who was raised in an overprotected family, and given very little freedom. 

                                                                   
 At the heart of TALKFASHION, is a Girl in a Box (箱入り娘). For her, fashion is an inspirational  tool to discovering herself, and finding her voice. Breaking free from her mental prison, requires cutting the need to impress, and the importance of her heart. Observations of nature, art, music, color, and emotions, are all used as guides to push her senses of expression.
 What she wears is no longer just garments to keep her warm, nor are they tools to impress her peers. Clothes, are now a self discovery tool, of creating an image that reflects the person inside.

Join TALKFASHION 箱入り娘 Girl in a Box, and follow her artistic journey of introspection, inspiration, and self projection.

                                                        xo,
                                                      Maya

ARE YOU FASHION PIGEONHOLING?

What in the world is fashion pigeonholing?

Pigeonholing is any process that attempts to classify disparate entities into a small number of categories (usually, mutually exclusive ones).

Fashion Pigeonholing is when you classify yourself into a particular style group. 

A lot of how we dress, is a direct representation of who we think we are, and how we see ourselves. Factors like, social circles, work, school, hobbies, etc., can find us stuck on a limited variation of self awareness and style. 

This is your comfort zone, and it feels safe. You know it well, and chances are you've dressed that way for years. You shop at the same stores, gravitate to the same colors, and basically, buy the same outfit in slightly different shades and lengths. 

The problem is, life is an ever evolving force. You are evolving and your style should be as well. Staying fresh means trying something new. This does not mean you should make a 180 degree fashion flip and abandon everything you know. Fashion is a collection of ideas, and keeping the essence of your style aesthetic will stay relatively unharmed. The challenge lies only in your own mental stereotypes of who you think you were, are, and will be. 

"Oh no.. that's not YOU!" -(My mom) 

To this day, every time I go shopping I can still hear my mother's infamous words, "Oh no.. that's not YOU!" . Funny enough, those exact words are still preventing myself from stepping out of my little pigeon hole. 

Don't be afraid to grab a style completely different from anything you know. You may surprise yourself and actually like it.

Take care and lots of love.

xo,

Maya

BEAUTY CHAT: ARE YOU UGLY OR ARE YOU LAZY?

The truth of the matter is, laziness is ugly. YOU are not  Ugly. 

Like anything in life, "effort" does make a difference. Those extra 5 minutes of attention, will make a world of difference in your appearance, mental health, mood, and self image. 

Beauty is defined in the work you apply to take care of yourself. Just like a plant needs proper nutrients, sunlight, and water, your attractiveness depends on factors of maintenance.

This includes: skincare, hygiene, exercise, personal maintenance and wisdom. I hate to break it to you, but you are not just born beautiful. No one is. 

It is a daily effort that fluctuates based on will power. I personally,  struggle with my skin and weight  during stressful or hard moments in my life. This is a result of poor food choices, lack of sleep, and exercise. 

Just like any skill, you must learn the techniques to maneuver your actions for the desired reactions. Learning from your mistakes, looking for solutions and striving to be better on a consistent basis, is not an easy task. It is okay to fail, we all do; but,  personal beauty can only be achieved with humility and acceptance of those mistakes, and the commitment to try again. 

The way you live your life, and the effort you put into yourself, is your personal canvas. 

The clothes you wear, match your personal aesthetic. The books you read, represent the shape and directions of your thoughts. The food you eat, symbolizes your desire to live.  The art you love represents your soul.

Just like the furniture in your home, your efforts should bring you joy, and comfort. 

A sense of home.

Live Beautifully!

xo,

Maya

4 WEIRD THINGS I DO ON INSTAGRAM: @mayahorikawa

Hi Guys!

It has been awhile since I have updated TALKFASHION, and from today all that will change. 

Look forward to new layouts, fashion articles, ootd, and much much more!! 

Join me on a whole new journey with TALKFASHION Blog.

Life Update: Where have I been? 

Lately, my new obsession has been INSTAGRAM @mayahorikawa, and I have adopted rather weird social habits, and thought I 'd share them with you. DO you have any weird social habits on IG? Please follow me on IG and lets be friends! #talkfashionfam

4 Weird things I do on IG:

1.) EMOJI Memory Game. 

🍕

As a child, I loved playing the memory card game. It was a game where you have to remember where the matching pairs are, and collect them. Anyways, I seem to have carried on this weird obsession of collecting like pairs on IG. I scroll through photos daily, commenting emojis that match photographs.  Weird. 

2.) STALKING CATS

I always thought I was a dog person, but lately I have grown a love for cute adorable cats. Scrolling through countless funny, cute, beautiful cats is undeniably therapeutic. Weird.

My most favorite cat is a british shorthair @mammisej , that lives in Sweden. 

3.) SENDING VIRTUAL GIFTS

I'm not sure if any of my followers realize I do this, but whenever someone comments on my photos, I will respond with a message and send them virtual gifts ( usually food emojis) , as a token of my appreciation. Yes, I am very weird.

4.) MAKING FRIENDS ALL OVER THE WORLD

To be honest, I am rather anti-social, and I never thought I could make so many friends from all over the world. It is a whole new concept of social interaction and a constant system of support and inspiration. 

Please follow me on IG @mayahorikawa  and lets get to know each other. #talkfashionfam

xo,

Maya

BEING ANTI-SOCIAL AND HOW FASHION TRENDS CAN HELP

Are you Anti-Social? If you said, "Yes", how do you feel about fashion trends? 

Most likely, if you are anything like my anti-social self, you will detest any inclination of following any type of "popular" idea. I value individualism and have always pushed the importance of remaining pure to your thoughts and creativity, despite the popular pull of the majority.  

However, lately I catch myself getting more and more reclusive, and deeper into my isolated ideology, and it made me think. 

How beneficial can you be, without a decent understanding of popular social instincts?

Anti-social people, often feel like they don't belong anywhere, and the natural response is to isolate. Instead of living in a comfortable cave, why not use fashion trends for a bit of help. Think of it as extending an olive branch back into society. 

Anti-Social: 

Antagonistic to sociable instincts. 

  Fashion Trends: 

   A popular social habit found in the practice of what people wear at a given time. 

The thing is, fashion trends represent the "popular" mindset of society and its reaction to the current state of the world. Just as Art is the most honest description of all historical time periods, there is no denying fashion trends are equally representative to the expressive summary of its given moment. 

This does not mean you should copy a fashion trend like a brainless zombie and start looking like everyone else.  It simply means to be "inspired" by a fashion trend and make it your  own. For example, chokers have made a huge come back as one of the biggest fashion trends of 2016. Everyone was rocking them 90's style with ripped boyfriends jean, white Tee, and Dior sunnies. Instead of picking the same fashion algorithm, keep a LOT of you while adding a bit of everyone else. 

Take care and much Love.

Maya

GOLDEN GLOBES MURDERS HAUTE COUTURE!

Janelle Monae "collaborates" with Armani for a custom Golden Globes gown?! 

2014-2015 Armani Privé Collection

Like knives to my heart, master designer of fashion art, has be transformed into a master seamstress.

As a long time lover of Armani Privé, one can immediately spot the use of identical textiles from his 2014-2015 Fall Collection, minus the haute couture.

Beyond the use of the innovative textiles, nothing else remains of "Armani ". 

Clearly this dress is more accurately a Janelle Monae.

Jessica Biel in Elie Saab minus the accessories. 

The plunging neckline minus the ornate choker  and matching cuffs, left me feeling a large chunk of Elie Saab's vision was deleted. 

The dress simply does not make sense without the accessories that mimics and flirts with embroidered flowers on the dress. 

The problem with the merger of "Hollywood" and "fashion" is the need to be relatable.

 Renowned stylists will edit or dumb-ify fashion masterpieces, in order to be like-able. 

The end result, is a display of glorified mediocrity, and rather ordinary fashion. 

xo,

Maya

MERRY CHRISTMAS FRIENDS! "HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!"

TALK FASHION TV 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

My heart felt wishes to all of you on this very special day. May your holidays be filled with warmth, love, and positivity.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is one of my most favorite holiday songs and something I hold dear to my heart. Immortalized by the iconic Judy Garland it reminds us of life that reflects the bitter sweetness of golden moments.

Much love to you all

-Maya

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Lyrics)
Music composed by Hugh Martin, lyrics by Ralph Blane
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our troubles will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now. 

HOLIDAY LOOKBOOK 2016! (Jingle all the Way!)

TFTV: WHAT'S IN MY HOLIDAY MAKE UP BAG?

TALKFASHION TV

WHAT'S IN MY HOLIDAY BEAUTY BAG?

-Christmas Tree Beauty Bag: Lisbeth Dahl
-Make-up Brush Holder: Lisbeth Dahl
-Travel Size Make-Up Brushes: Aerin

-Physicians Formula Mineral Liquid Foundation: Natural Beige
-Physicians Formula Concealer Stick: Light
-Jane Iredale: Transluscent powder
-Too Faced: Candle light translucent Powder
-Physicians Formula Organic Mascara
-CHANEL Mascara Volume
-Hourglass: Incandescent Strobe Light
-Marc Jacobs Eyeliner: black
-Stila Eyeliner: Nude
-CHANEL: brow pencil: black
-LANCOME: Creme Highlighter: Rose gold lights 03
-LANCOME: Lip oil, "Piece of Cake"
-LANCOME: Lip liner, "Fraichelle"
-MILANI: "Chanpagne Toast"
-Marc Jacobs: Lipstick "kiss kiss bang bang"
-COVERGIRL: Lipstick "Seduce"
-CHANEL: Lipstick, Rouge Allure, "Emotion"
-LANCOME: pipe lover, 355
-NARS: "cruella"
-CHANEL: Travel Palette

SUBSCRIBE TO TALKFASHION TV! 


HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

xo,
Maya

CHRISTMAS PAST, PRESENT: DO YOU SEE UGLY OR FESTIVE?

Is this sweater ugly or festive to you?

What do you see?

😄festive: cheerful, joyful, jovially cheerful.

😖ugly: unpleasant, repulsive in appearance.

CHRISTMAS PAST

During Christmas past, holiday sweaters use to be described as festive. I can remember as a child wearing them to school, and pretty much everyone else wore them too. Adults, teachers, children,  we all proudly wore them while wishing merriment to everyone and anyone who would listen.

These sweaters were more than a fashion statement but a process of celebrating and sharing joy with others.  

We would all wish each other a merry christmas and jingle all around the neighborhood. It was these sweaters that signaled our Christmas spirit! There was no shame or idea of "disgust" for being too sparkly, or overly embellished.  

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Not to get all Charles Dickens on you, but have we all become a bunch of Scrooges?!

Why is it that we now make fun of Christmas sweaters? We intentionally make them as ugly as possible, get together, and make fun of each others ugliness.  If that doesn't spell out a dysfunctional society, I'm not really sure what does. 

Have we as a society become so pessimistic,  that we view the active display of joy, as a form of disgust? 

Or are we all a bunch of cowards, who are too scared to show that we have an honest need to be happy?

Christmas is a beautiful time of the year and it is the one month in a year, we can give ourselves a break from our pessimistic ways, and be genuinely optimistic!

Take care and Happy Holidays! :)

xo,

Maya

FALL FAVORITES! SHOES AND BAGS

TFTV

SUBSCRIBE!

xo,
Maya