019: I ❤️ NY

The Wonder of Wander 🏙️ + Art Soup 🖼️ + My Fav Fits 💖 + Wear All Your Beautiful Clothes.

*Cover credits:* *Avery/Crawford Models New York; photo and collage,* *@amyluxox.*

Happy October, Everyone!

Hope you are living your best life with a pumpkin spice latte in hand. I must admit that October feels a bit in between for me. The back-to-school excitement (September issue, fall shows, new boots, and closet changeover) has worn off, and the holiday season has not yet arrived, so it’s an in-between time. Don’t tell anyone, but I am also not a big fan of Halloween, which many people live and love October for. My neighbor decorates her house like Clark Griswold, except Halloween-themed, on the 1st of the month. I barely get a pumpkin together for the 31st. I know it’s a bit weird, too, because I’m a fashion stylist, so everyone assumes I must LOVE getting dressed up. And I do love getting dressed up, but ‘up’ more like sequins and Manolos rather than spiders and masks. Anyways, the great news about October is that I feel back in the flow of work, school, activities, and routine, plus all my favorite TV shows are back to regular programming. (I love me some 48 Hours and Dateline, not even kidding.) Structure and routine give me the headspace to be creative and get really focused.

As far as fall shopping goes, I am on a hiatus for the time being, but as always, I have a few things in carts (Ulla Johnson sweater, Veronica Beard leather jacket, Khaite denim). It’s just that everything is so expensive these days-when did $700 become the new $300?!). That, and the fact that my closet is full, means I am really making measured shopping decisions. What I notice is that I keep wanting the same things over and over and then have to remind myself that I have several versions of the same thing, so it can all stay in the cart, for now…

This issue is all about NYC and my love of it. My daughter went to camp upstate, and I wanted to be a drivable distance away from her, so I decided to stay in the city. I had three whole weeks to soak it in, and I loved every minute of it. In a way, it feels like home to me, even though I’ve never lived there. The first time I went, I was probably 20, and I have gone back at least once a year since then for girls’ trips, work trips, visits, and scheduled stopovers—it’s like I need a dose of the city to balance myself out. Normally, my trips are three or four days-I generally find that’s enough time to get my city-fix, so three weeks was a totally different experience. It felt very luxurious for my creative self, so much style to check out. I suppose my comfort stems from the fact that I am a creature of habit, even when I travel. I usually do all of my favorite things, eat at my favorite spots, sip at my favorite bars, shop at my favorite boutiques, and walk my favorite routes—so it always feels familiar. This trip was much needed confirmation that I am indeed a city girl.

I am a big-city person who also needs quiet time in nature to function. That’s why I ended up in Los Angeles. I mean, apart from the big dreams and the glitz and the glam, I wanted big-city energy and beach-town chill rolled into one. The truth is that LA is all of that; it’s extraordinarily beautiful, the beaches are breathtaking, the hiking trails are plentiful, and when you live in the hills, you can enjoy a lovely view. It’s the city part that I struggle with here. I mean, it is big and has everything you can imagine; it’s just not always accessible. If I want to check out a cool restaurant downtown, for instance, I need to carve out an hour on the freeways each way to do that. Same for the beaches and same for the city, depending on traffic. So primarily, I end up staying in my little alcove of Studio City, Sherman Oaks, and occasionally West Hollywood. New York has transit, plus it’s extremely walkable, and worst case, you can grab a taxi. Getting around is not a problem, and that makes exploring very easy. So I got to explore in a big-apple way—it felt like heaven!

Love & Style,

amyluxox

P.S. I stayed in Midtown (which can get overwhelming), but close enough to the park that I could stroll in nature everyday. It was the perfect spot in my opinion. Anywhere there are tourists (basically all of Manhattan), Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ anthem, “Empire State of Mind,” is blaring from photo booths and rickshaws. Most times, it is overwhelming to hear the same song over and over, 100 times a day, but in this particular case, it is also a constant reminder that NY is absolutely a place where dreams are made and there’s nothing you can’t do. It was my mantra.

“In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do. Now you’re in New York, these streets will make you feel brand new. The lights will inspire you, lets hear it for New York, New York, New York.”

🍎

The Shoot: Empire State of Mind

*Credits:* *Avery/Crawford Models New York; photos and collage,* *@amyluxox.*

This shoot was my version of a perfect day in the city — I wanted every look to feel like a love letter to NYC, not just a girl in pretty clothes. Avery was the perfect muse for it — she has this effortless, unbothered energy that is New York.

For the full story and more images, visit my Instagram.

Wandering: Big Apple Love ❤️ A little of this and a little of that.

I walked and wandered for three straight weeks—a Gemini’s definition of heaven! Good clothes and great food were at the epicenter of most outings, of course, but all the wandering in between allowed me to discover wonderful new things. I have to say that, in general, the freedom I felt to be able to walk anywhere, at any time, was incredibly liberating! In LA, you have to drive to go for a hike and plan your drive around traffic. I walked to the cinema, shops, cute little restaurants, and chic little martini bars whenever I wanted, without having to make a plan. ❤️

By Column, From Left to Right:

7th Avenue at sunset.

Lace camisoles by Sea New York. I love the brand—all of the beautiful lace and feminine silhouettes. So pretty.

Hats in Central Park.

The Invite at AMC Lincoln Square. So good! If you haven’t watched it yet, do yourself a favor. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

Fashion serendipity on 57th. I love when this happens. 💚

Beautiful mint-colored door in Nolita.

Fashion Institute of Technology. There was a point in time when FIT was my plan, but I got busy styling instead.

Lower East Side building. So much beauty and history! We went to the Tenement Museum, which gives tours of some historical homes and shares the experiences of working-class immigrants and refugees. It was really incredible to put some context to the area. I’ve been there to shop and sip for many years but never really gave thought to the history of the neighborhood. You can’t unsee the stories.

A corset shop in the L.E.S. There is a store for everything fashion-related you can imagine in NY.

Karla’s reflection. She has the best style and always keeps Chanel in the mix.

Felice. Really, really good Italian food on the Upper West Side.

The Baccarat Hotel. I went to the Spa de La Mer for a glorious facial. The whole hotel is magnificent and covered in crystal.

Stylish man in the Flatiron District. On closer inspection, I suspect he might be unhoused. Regardless, he knows his style and is rocking those white Wayfarers.

Rings for sale in SoHo.

I wonder what will be waiting for me… Art is everywhere.

Imagine. Central Park.

Hotel Chelsea. My friend and I went for a cocktail. It’s really beautiful inside.

Celine flats. They are so good… and in my basket.

I always get a pretzel, and they are never as good as I want them to be. But like I said, I’m a creature of habit.

We went to the Empire State Building, as I haven’t been in approximately 20 years or so. It’s really beautiful, and the views are epic, obvi. I bought the little sparkly statue because that’s how I roll. I am a proud tourist-shop shopper.

Costume Art

Costume Art is an extraordinary exhibit currently on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. It pairs thoughtfully curated garments—both historical and contemporary—with fine art, like paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. The exhibit is executed extremely well. The vast space, vertical displays, and edited themes allow you to take in a lot of art without feeling overwhelmed. I also loved the mirrored faces of the mannequins, although it was challenging to see my reflection in them—I’m a tad short.

I’ve shared some of my favorite details from the exhibit above.

Clockwise from left to right:

“Irises” jacket by Yves Saint Laurent from the S/S 1988 haute couture collection.

“Martyr to Love” corset jacket by Vivienne Westwood from the F/W 1996 collection.

“Eupheme” gown by Dolce & Gabbana from the F/W 2019 collection.

“Bon Ton” skeleton corset by the Worcester Corset Company, made in 1876.

Corset and bustle cage ensemble by the Worcester Skirt Company, made in 1872.

Gown by John Galliano for Maison Margiela from the F/W 2020 collection.

Art Soup

One of the wonderful things about big cities is all of the art. It’s like soul food for my mind. During my stay, I visited The Met, The Guggenheim, The Frick, The Morgan Library, and MoMA. I loved everything except Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan (the duct-taped banana) because as if-so dumb.

Lulala

NYC is the best city to dress up for. You can literally wear anything (from rags to robes) and fly under the radar if you choose because nobody is paying any attention to you. It’s not that they’re being rude; it’s just the way the city rolls—everybody is on a mission. This provides a certain type of freedom: you can play dress-up with low stakes. Here are a few of my most-loved looks.

Wise Words

When it comes to good quotes on Instagram, I am a screen-cap legend. I absolutely love them, especially when they are artfully rendered into save-worthy posts. Here are a few of my favorites from lately.

“The muse won’t compete with the algorithm.”

— Rainier Wylde

Author and teacher Rainier Wylde is one of my favorites. His quotes speak to the importance and challenges of being a creative person. With the overwhelming amount of noise on social media, it’s easy to feel pressure to post. But creativity and true art, good style, and the best fashion don’t stem from pumping out pick-me content. Muse energy comes from going inward and allowing the space it takes to make magic.

“Dress like you already won.”

— Instagram find, artist unknown

Dream, believe, achieve… or something like that.

What you wear makes you feel, then think, then act and exude a certain kind of way. If you want to be a rock star, you’ve got to dress the part to get the meeting.

“Please, wear all your beautiful clothes every day. The special occasion is being alive.”

— Instagram find, artist unknown

This is what I preach and everything I believe to be true about fashion. The whole point of choosing clothes is to make yourself feel a bit better, brighter, lighter in your day. We have these ‘special’ outfits that we save for worthy moments, when the reality is that the special moment can be right now.

“An artful life does not require photographic evidence.”

— Instagram find, artist unknown

I take a lot of photos, so I don’t want to seem hypocritical, but this rings true and speaks to a larger problem in 2026. People are so busy taking selfies that they are forgetting to enjoy their lives. I choose mindfulness and the experience over a post-worthy photo every time.

“You’re born. You watch pants go from baggy to skinny back to baggy every 10 years.

You die.”

— @raheemweed

This is hilarious and also depressing because it is mostly true. I drew a line in the sand a few years ago when it came to purchasing denim because every season, there was some small tweak that made the old denim seem out of date. I just think that when you feel good, you look good, no matter what cut and wash you have on.

Trends are for kids. Style is for grown-ups.

✨🍎✨

NOTES

Thanks for reading!

Know someone who’d love this issue? Forward it along-that’s how this title corner of the internet grows. ❤️

Next month, I’m looking into holiday party dresses and getting shiny for the season. I am planning a shoot in the desert which I am very excited about. See you in November. 🌵