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Cynthia October 16, 2016 chic eats

Fly like Paper

American Apparel lightweight Dylan trench in Paperback
Ecru lab Shakepearean Luv silky button-down cami
Zara white wide leg trousers
Yves Saint Laurant Nude Wrap Ankle Block Heels
Sunglasses (Similar here and here)

Perhaps it’s time to acknowledge that I have a brunch addiction. It’s pretty evident and real. And no, I’m not ashamed. Truth is, it’s an actual expense I put aside for…for each and every weekend, if possible. It’s the joyful time I look forward to each weekend while vigorously going over geo-locations and foodie blogger Instagram’s for enticing food photos.

Had the great pleasure of kicking off my brunch adventures at Bar Reyna on Cumberland St. with Darlene of The New Girl. The space was nothing short when it came to interior and exterior decor and the food itself. Impeccable Greek fries with shaved feta, delicious oysters and tasty shakshuka. (If you’re looking for a good Shakshuka— I recommend the one served at the ONE Hazleton restaurant.) Oh, and a nice glass of mimosa of course. In a extremely odd way— it’s almost therapeutic for me when I’m sitting down and eating brunch…after a long period of shooting the untouched food. Maybe it’s just good food in general moves people like that.. Or maybe I developed this love for food through being raised by a chef as a father and stay-home mom that cooks phenonmenal Vietnamese food. Don’t be jealous! x

All in all— I love brunch. I have a shirt that says it. And no— an all day breakfast wouldn’t count!

Photography by: Darlene Anderson

Cynthia July 15, 2016 outfit

White Story x Call it Spring

In Collaboration with Call it Spring

Summer is the season of becoming…rather minimal. And bright for me. Fresh, alluring whites and playing with delicate textures. In attempts to stay cool by wearing lighter shades during the longer days, there’s also something very exciting about wearing all white. Could it be the triumph from staying mess and accident-free? The great achievement of looking luxurious without breaking the bank? Or just all above.

Don’t tell me you haven’t celebrated at least once where you went wearing white all day while remaining squeaky clean. Cleanliness aside, wearing all white has basically become my go-to when I have no idea what to wear. It’s adaptable and presents me in such a way where I always look ready for anything.

Photography by Artiese Studios

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“People are dying from overthinking. They fill their wonderful brain with harsh thoughts and it brings the body down too. Chances are no one thinks as bad about you than you.”

Zara white long waistcoat (similar here)
Zara gold double v-neck top (similar here)
Zara white flowing culottes (similar here + here)
Call it Spring ARALLE Heels in Ice
Call it Spring FLAXTON cross body bag
Call it Spring FRAYWEN sunglasses
Call it Spring BLASDEL earring set
Call it Spring NEELD ring set

For more similar options, see below!

Cynthia June 23, 2016 collaborations

Buckle Up

Club Monaco Simonettah Sweater Dress
Jenny Bird Silver Thick Choker c/o (Similar here)
LuvAJ Crown Hoop Huggies Earrings
Womens Lack Of Color Spencer Boater Natural Straw Hat
Rayban Aviator Sunglasses
Zara Black Strap Heels

Check out more similar options below!

I personally never thought I would ever ride the choker bandwagon but I guess it doesn’t hurt to try. Of course Jenny made it more enticing for me to ease into this trend. I mean..go big or go home, or should I say go thickkk-er? It’s one big, shiny neck party.

Thanks to Instagram for bringing self-documentation to a more “acceptable” level as we known as taking ‘selfies,’ it’s not a subtle catch while mindlessly scrubbing through Instagram to find a bikini clad ladies and young teenagers decked out in the hot 90’s trend, now that it’s gone completely mainstream. Can I say, Throwback Thursday? #TBT? #circa1998? I also died when I landed on a online jewelry site that had their hero banner headline read out ‘Chokers..The New Flower Crown.’ It’s true. These things are making their way back into every girl’s wardrobe, thanks to ITgirls like Olivia Palermo and major fashion bloggers slash social media influencers like Kristina Bazan and Chiara Ferragni. We also can’t forget media’s favourite model of the moment, Kendall Jenner. At first I found it weird that chokers were making a come back but now they’ve taken over the spotlight. First knuckle and armour rings, then arm parties, now the chokers that come in all sorts. Dainty stretchy cord with gold tips which you often see attached to newly purchased clothing to display labels and price tags, velvet ones, gold ones.. even ones that come with little charms attached at the center. Nudge, nudge..someone make interchangeable charms for their line of chokers.. Pandora? But hey, you can wear them everywhere now.

You might not be a choker-kind-of-lady…

However.. I’ll have you know that you can wear chokers with your swim wear, formal attire and night out..in the daytime at office. The creative kind, obviously. Think about it?

Creative Direction: Cynthia Nguyen | Editorial assistance: Paul Van Winssen
In collaboration with Jenny Bird

Cynthia June 20, 2016 outfit

Little White Dress

Zara poplin collar dress
Aldo Cicci Heels in Bone
Banana Republic Mini Zip Box Crossbody Bag
Rayban Aviators Sunglasses

See below for my little white dress selections!

When the season gives you hot days…what do you do? Well, I like to slip into something easy, chic and visibly adorable. Or what I like to call a little white dress. I can’t even count how many little white dresses I own up to date..at least 7 of them. For those who have opened up the right half of my closet and are blinded by the number of white pieces I own– at least half are dresses and a quarter are dress shirts and tops.

Not that I have a problem against wearing shorts and tanks, but I feel that I personally can only run out in the pair if I’m actually going for a run. That being said, it takes longer for me to find two pieces that go together as oppose to slipping into one piece. Which is why owning a few white dresses for me works for me. Perfect for those work days at the office, summer date or brunch with your ladies and gents.

I’ve compiled a list below to my little white dress picks! The majority are also on sale.

What’s your go-to piece for the summer? Let me know!

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Photos by Paul Van Winssen

Cynthia March 9, 2016 outfit

Elegant Entrance

To point out at the title of this post…I thought it was quite fitting considering I went to brunch looking like this. Wouldn’t tone it down one bit either! #girlboss #alittlebitlame

Le Chateau Double Weave Notch Collar Wrap Coat
Anthropologie Laced Funnelneck Pullover
Urban Outfitters Porter Slouchy Ankle Pants
Zara Leather High Heels (Similar here + here)

Special thanks to Le Chateau for the coat.
/ Check out below for similar options!

Sometimes….Actually most of my evenings.. I find myself spending a lot of time in bed after work. Whether it’s laying on my side scouring Instagram and the interweb for relevant and irrelevant reads on my phone or other than editing… sitting hunch-back hamster-style in my blanket while hovering over my laptop doing the same thing.

I spend a lot of time doing researching and compiling countless mood boards…kickstarting my wonderful budding ideas, planning shoots, feeling out my creative industry and seeing who’s doing what, how they’re doing it and how can I get there in a similar way. I ask myself: ‘How can I fuel this burning desire for creative and success?’ Because how I see it… comparison is the death of creativity and passion. There are times where you really drown in the body of great work accomplished by others— that you forget where you left off. At that moment, you really need to check up on yourself. When you’re halfway through an idea or production of a project, you might find yourself tired or distracted when you view other work that doesn’t belong to you. This is where I try to steer my headspace and ask myself ‘why are you doing this?’ Because no entrepreneur doesn’t feel this way.

Other questions I have the tendency of asking myself are ‘How do I become better blogger? Or a better photographer and UX designer? Or better yet… entrepreneur?’ ‘How can I quantify social interaction other than using online analytics tools?‘

For one… blogging was never glorified before. The fine arts wasn’t as valued as studying medicine or engineering. Today, becoming a successful blogger is much more accessible and easier to get into the tech and fashion industry as long as you can carry the weight of social under your belt. With third party platforms which connect influencers to readers or brands to influencers, or the mere objective to grow a successful following on Instagram rather than your blog, it makes more challenging for others to favour you. What a f*cking mountain to climb, eh? This kind of line of work is competitive and expensive but it also should be truthful. Our job is to make it look glamorous but in reality it’s actually a ton of work… don’t forget the emotionally draining aspect when you’re doing most of the labour.

You have to love your work and the craft that you do to be able to fully complete anything— may it be thoughts, award-winning ideas, or the making of a project. Much like having a relationship with your craft. In this case it would be photography, design, creative directing and writing. When you’re pushing yourself to understand why you’re doing this, you’ll eventually arrive at the peak of creativity and the need of why. These reasons become your supportive rationale. When you choose to push yourself to think about why you are doing that, you arrive back to creativity. You should fuel your curiosity. With that in mind, it’ll eventually push you to practice and reach out. Remember how happy you are when you have fun and the progression you develop. For me, I try to be extremely cautious about how frequently I complain. This usually happens when I’m by myself rather than with others. Reality is, you will miss your weekends and evenings because it’s not just a part-time endeavour. If anything, your creative work is practically integrated in your life. In the choices you make when you dress up, the places you go, the nice furniture you pick up for your home or even the kind of food you want to eat while considering how aesthetic would it look under the iPhone camera. I live in abundance with ample of inspiration and triggers around me; therefore in retrospect, I should never feel sorry about myself.

‘Does the value of your self-worth and happiness spill from your job?’ – Susan Hang

Photography by: Artiese Studios