"You Look Like You Could Kill Someone"

To be honest, I'm a little lost on what to write for this look. This is just how I felt like dressing. But I did do a dress in winter. I bought this edgy, skull muscle tank dress from H&M for three dollars (thank you discount). I paired it with tights and over the knee socks for extra warmth, then added tall, sleek boots from DSW's 50% sale! I've been shopping the after Christmas sales for those missing pieces! Also a big cozy cardigan is important. Big sweaters are my new thing. Lastly a beaning of course. You can do dressed in winter! Just go for it!

The title of today's post is what my roommate/best friend/temporary blog photographer told me when she saw my outfit. Not many people know that I have such a dark side to my style. I find it empowering and gives me the confidence to just be myself. I think of it as the opposite of how most "fashionistas" would dress, but who says a they can't dress darker? It doesn't have to be all glam and heels (me and heels aren't friends.) Fashion is what's happening now, it's the industry. Style is freedom of expression and defined by the individual.

Sorry this post isn't too long. I have a lack of words for this week! But more things to come from my break!

- Mik
Photos by Lara Rounds

Trendy Hats: The Outfit Completer

I'm really late on the brimmed hat trend that took over in fall of 2014. That's only because it took me so long to find the perfect one. Personally, I have a narrow head so hats don't fit. But this hat has a few tricks underneath it, literally, and it's perfect for completing any outfit.

Brimmed hats come in a ton of different shapes, sizes, brims, loose or stiff. I've tried so many styles trying to find something that fit and eventually gave up. While exploring the Brooklyn Night Bazaar, the most hipster thing I've done since living in New York, I found a booth with a lot of these hats. What these hats had that none of the major retailer had is an adjustable elastic to tighten or loosen the hat to your head size. I wish the owner had given me a business card so I can share the company with you, these hats were truly awesome.

I find that a hat (aka not a beanie for once) really completes an outfit from head to toe. Especially if you're like me and don't particularly like to accessorize. It's also great if you're one that doesn't have a prominent facial feature, like myself as well, it really brings out your looks and face. They go with any style, which is great. For this post I was going to do a chicer, all black look, but then switched to a wintery boho. I paired my new head piece with a Brandy Melville plaid shirt, Hollister shall and H&M mom jeans. I felt cute, cozy and adorable!

Photos by Laura Rounds (click her name to check out more of her work)

- Mik

New Years 2015

New Year's Eve was an entirely new experience this year. It was my first away from my home town and my first in my new home in NYC. Luckily I was celebrating alone as I had great friends, new and old, to ring in 2015 with. 

I worked 8am to 4pm on New Year's Eve. The store was packed, as I worked the fitting room people came in ready to try on sparkly dresses, skirts and tops for their New Years parties. Last minute of course. On my walk home I experience people lined up from my stop on 50th street to 53rd. Ten blockade away from all the action. The road was blocked for streets and police patted down each person wanting to stand for the next six hours in the cold. I was even stopped on my way home. 

Finally home, I was welcomed by decorations to put up in the new place. Friends arrived and we set up for our little party. We dressed up together just to feel awesome for the night. We set up some bubbly in cute plastic champagne glasses, accompanied by pizza. We watched the New Years show in time square, which was happening only ten blocks away. As I live with a photo major, we set up a photo booth which was a huge hit. We played CAH, of course, and then ten minutes before 12 we grabbed noise makers and headed up to the roof. Counting down to the new year in NYC for the time. I was also lucky enough to have my wonderful boyfriend with my for our sixth New Years. An amazing experience I'll always remember. 

- Mik 

Now because this is a fashion blog primarily, time to talk about my outfit and look! I'm not a huge dress person like my friends and I didn't have enough to purchase a new outfit so I went with a pair of leather pants an a simple yet chic black loose tee. 

Displayed here in my photo booth image where I clearly know how to pose.

As for my beauty look and hair, I did a light grey shadow in my inner eye lid, to about half way across. The other half and into/above the crease I blended in black. I went without eyeliner as I have been doing recently. Finishing off with mascara and MAC lady danger lipstick. For my hair, which was not having it, I tried something new. I pulled it back into a raised poof and put the rest in a low bun. It's sleek, out of your face and was simple to do. 

And lastly a few of my resolutions:

1. Get an internship this summer (hello vogue, I'm right here)

2. Create work when I think of it

3. Try and exercise more (DUH)

4. Write a little everyday ( being Bradshaw)

5. Finishing reading all the Harry Potter books for this first time. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2015 be rad. 

Reasoning Behind the Cut

Has many of you have noticed, I cut a lot of my hair off. And I'm not going to take this post to write about my decision for the change, but to hopefully use it in a broader way. My readers don't care about what I did to my hair, I'm not famous. I do want to share the grand spectrum of what this decision did for me and hope to inspire my audience. Onto the story!

I could give you the "I hated my hair," "new year, new me" excuses, but I think I'll take a cheesier approach by saying I wanted to be myself. Since leaving Syracuse and moving New York, even since I started this new major 15 weeks ago, I've changed. It's extremely obvious. It's my environment, my new friends, old friends and family that choose to accept this about me that allow me to feel comfortable with these changes. My wardrobe to my personality to my career choices have done complete 360's and to be honest I couldn't be happier with who I have become.

Now for the semester. I switched to the communication design one year program here at FIT to start anew. I've been challenged in mediums, projects and choices that I wasn't before. And I can say I made the right decision. I've met amazing and talented people that I will always be close with that have inspired me in unimaginable ways. I thank them for all they have done for me and continue to do. I got a new job as well at H&M. Not that it's a huge change, but it allows me more in house opportunities and freedom I wasn't given before. It's a place with nice people that accept my red hair and my style. They embrace the individual and their skills. I've had internship interviews and met amazing people this semester also. Lastly I now have my first apartment and permanent New York City address. I've made that move that will help me improve my art, my career and my life style. I found myself very stressed out over the pasted few months, but it was worth it.

The haircut was my version of a "finishing touch." Kind of a reward to myself for all I have accomplished in the big city. It's me embracing the person I have become and seeing who sticks by me and supports me through the challenges. I'm an artist, a nerd, a dork, a fashionista, a designer, the list goes on, but each characteristic is important to me. Overall I love it, I feel myself and it solved my top knot addiction.

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my work from the semester, new projects and of course more fashion. I hope you all enjoy it and continue to follow me in my adventures. I blog to record my journey and practice my craft. Enjoy the new stuff coming!

Photography: Megan Madden

- Mik

Little Machines by LIGHTS

For a little over a third of my semester, I worked on a final book for a typography class. We could chose a topic of our choice, which is great because you can choose something that really inspires you. I picked the lyrics from LIGHTS' new album, Little Machines. I did a cover, track list and lyrics from each song. We were only aloud to use minimal imagery, limiting us to really playing with type.
I took a 2D, Bauhaus design technique style with this piece. I'm extremely happy with the outcome!

I submitted it for the Art Inspired by LIGHTS' Little Machines contest and you can vote and comment on it here.

I'll be posting some more work the semester soon as the finals dwindle down! It's been a busy month so prepare for some artwork!
All work ©MikaylaMadigan

These Mom Jeans

Recently while work I noticed we had a pair of high rise boyfriend jeans in stock. Now the concept of  high rise boyfriend jeans can be easily simplified to the term mom jeans. There's a difference between regular high rise or natural waist jeans and mom jeans. High/natural rise pants are still tighter, either in the form of skinny or super skinny, while boyfriend jeans are loose and baggy adding high rise to that basically translates to the jeans your mom wore in the 90's. I high recommend these because they are extremely comfortable. They are boyfriend jeans on steroids.
There are so many ways to wear these just like styling other high rise pants. You can wear a cropped shirt, regular length tee, you can layer easily and be super comfy. Boyfriend jeans, especially these, are the key to achieving a loose, edgy, 90s look. The style of the 90s is on trend for fall more then ever and I must say it's a fun and creative style. It's loose, comfy, layered and little dark.
Here I chose to style them simply so you can see the jeans more. I paired it with a cropped sweat from Zara and some Steve Madden booties. Of course it's accessorized with a dark fall lip color.
Try these jeans, mine are from Hollister of course, and get cozy for fall!

P.S I highly suggest not getting your boyfriends opinion on them, he will hate them, I promise.

- Mik
Photography by Megan Madden

As of today,  blushmagfit.com is new and improved. With great new articles, videos, interviews and tutorials, Blush Magazines website has stepped up it's game. Thanks to a great team, a lot was accomplished and I thank them all.
I wanted to share the article I took on, which was contacting a friend and designer, Natalya Nyn. Here's my articles about Natalya, her company and some wonderful photos by Megan Madden.
Check out more amazing things from Blush Magazine's website by clicking on the link above!

Meet The Designer: Natalya Nyn of Toysyndrome

By Mikayla Madigan | Photography by Megan Madden

Natalya Nyn is a former FIT fashion design student from Russia. Toysyndrome is her completely original company, which focuses on the nostalgia, individuality, and fun of urban streetwear. Coming from a BFA program with a focus on evening wear and working at J. Mendal, Nyn felt like designing became too serious and she wanted to have fun with her work. Nyn created t-shirts, now sweatshirts and beanies as well, with small, plastic toy bugs, reptiles and aliens sewn on them. She also uses hand dyeing techniques to make colors and textures on some of her shirts.

These aren’t just randomly sewn on bugs; they organized and designed in a way that’s practical and artsy. The pieces are bold, fun and for someone with a young personality, such as Nyn herself. Since starting her own line she has made strides to make her company grow. She now works with a company to mass produce her orders and a freelance seamstress for custom orders. She’s had interviews with Refinery29 and Fashionista and been featured in Nylon. 

But the person who really helped her take off was Lena Dunham. Nyn’s story is that she saw the popular show Girls being filmed while she “casually ate her lunch nearby. Dunham noticed her shirt and Nyn ended up giving one to her, which Dunham then posted on Instagram. What really surprised Nyn was a message from the Fashionista editor with a link to the Season 3 trailer for Girls, which shows Dunham wearing a Toysyndrome shirt in an episode. Nyn calls it one her most exciting moments to date!

Nyn says that in the future, she’s thinking of creating a system for customers to customize their shirts online. And, she’s currently working on making little creatures of her own to find a home on one of her designs.

Nyn has become so successful since the first time we met only a year ago. From FIT to Lena Dunham’s Instagram and even a store in Dubai, Toysyndrome has expanded in a short period of time. It’s inspiring hearing success stories from former FIT students and knowing that there’s something out there for everyone. Her advice to current students is that throughout your career, you will get a lot of “no’s,” but with that will come one amazing “yes.” So never give up, have confidence, and believe in yourself. 

You can see more of Nyn’s collection at toysyndrome.com. Follow her on Instagram @toysyndrome and see her pieces in person at Patricia’s Boutique on Bowery Street.