Q&A – Fashion Inspiration, Photography, Posing, and more!

Ciao Loves!

I want to get to know you and share more about my journey and how I started this platform! These photos were taken when I started out with the goal of sharing my fashion and style with the world.  That goal took me on a long, sometimes challenging, but very rewarding journey of becoming my own self-taught photographer and entrepreneur.  Along the way I realized that my true passion lies in serving others, and teaching amazing people like you how to develop into your full potential.   I’m infinitely grateful for creating a community where we can have stimulating discourse and learn how to have the most joy in life while pursuing our dreams.  

Q:  Why did I start my Blog and Instagram @mscoffeeandcream?

Self expression and creativity are in my DNA.  Growing up my parents were shocked to find me changing my outfit five times a day and giving them runway shows down the hallways of our house.  They asked themselves, “Where did she get this DNA?  Not from us???”.  Literally this need to play dress up and express different part of myself as my moods shift throughout the day has not changed one bit as I have grown up (LOL).  As a teenager and adult people would always come up to me and be very interested in where I bought certain pieces or how I styled certain pieces.  So I eventually thought why not document my favorite pieces in an artful way and perhaps help others find their inner self expression and confidence as well?

Q:  Who are your favorite fashion bloggers?

Certain fashion influencers have truly made an impact on my life and take my breath away every time I open Instagram. Here are my top favorite female fashion bloggers:

– Aki of @thesleekavenue is an art director from Australia that kills every outfit and every shot.  I seriously am in awe of her work!

– Doina Ciobanu of @Doina is one of the most creative fashion bloggers today, and I love her flair, intelligence, and witty humor!

– Sara of @runwaybysara will SLAY you with every shot and is one of the kindest people I know!

– Monique of @dillondelacroix is too cool for school and beyond amazing in every way on the inside and out.

– Shini Park of @parkncube pushes the visual boundaries to a new limit!  She is the master of shape, color, composition creating emotions on the viewer.  SO IN LOVE with her work!

– Lotta of @lottaliinalove has that Jurgen Teller ultra chic yet superrrrr raw vibe, with an underlying hint of Scandinavian design quality that cannot be beat anywhere else on IG!

– Holly of @petiteflowerpresents is the most fashionable and stylish person ever as well as being a Mom!  She has such confidence and can pull off any look!

– There is something so seductive and intriguing about Martha’s images of @marthaevemaruna – I love how her aesthetics pay tribe to an old Hollywood feel while being so fresh and modern.

– Giovanna Battaglia of @bat_gio is just the most expressive Italian fashionista and fashion editor and I adore her pure joyful, fun-loving way of wearing fashion.

I also have to add that many of these amazing creative women are my friends and I am honored by their constant support, community and generosity of spirit.  They inspire me everyday to share and grow together as a creative community.

Q: Where do you find inspiration?

Oh where to begin??  I’m inspired by so many areas of life!  Everything from psychological and emotional experiences like seduction, to the visual beauty of a freshly grilled filet mignon (my favorite food).  Both the dark and light sides of life give my creativity a lot of fuel.  I always look to performing arts, music and architecture within their historical contexts for inspiration.  I love traveling and seeing how architecture, history, religion and art have shaped the way people dress in different parts of the world.

I love finding visual inspiration in art forms like painting and ballet, and often will try to replicate those visuals within my own outfits of poses.  I also love the elevated quality of certain movie directors like David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino, and try my best to infuse my content with a cinematic air.

I could literally spend days falling in love over the pages of magazines like Vogue Italia and Vogue Paris because the images are so dynamic, extravagant, experimental, and innovative.  I am always interested in fashion photography that pushes the boundaries of emotion, spectacle, and storytelling.

One theme you will always notice in my content is that of being an empowered woman through the use of fashion. I am always inspired by strong female figures throughout different periods in history – from the cunning and seduction of Cleopatra to the strategy and Machiavellian tactics of Queen Elizabeth I. Often I don’t feel like the strongest person on the inside, so bold fashion inspires me to bring out my inner confidence and Queen.

Q:  Who take all of your photos?

Unless credited, I take all of my photos with my iphone 7, a tripod, and Bluetooth camera button.

Q: Who are your favorite photographers?

Just to name a few current favorites: Margaret Zhang, Steven Meisel, Patrick Demarchelier, Jurgen Teller, Jamie Beck,

Q:  How tall are you?  

I am 5’7″ but often I love appearing taller in my photos and my trick is to shoot from below!!

Q:  Where do you come up with your poses?

I have a background in ballet and have a passion for dance.  The human body can bend and stretch in the most interesting visual ways, so I try my best to channel my inner ballerina while posing for the camera.  I also study a lot of high end fashion photography images and then practice those poses in front of the mirror.  Jumping and spontaneous movement also helps a lot!

Q: Who are your favorite designers?  

Nicolas Ghesquière, Raf Simons and Riccardo Tisci are some of my favorite designers because they are such visionaries!

Q:  What is your favorite color?

 All shades of RED: