FashionHap: Bella 'Shoots, Etc

The Bellas have been tearing it up with photoshoots lately! They've given us BTS snaps from the latest, one done for an un-named mag and one for  for Pacific San Diego in support of the soon-to-debut Total Bellas series. For the first, Brie looks ultra chic in a black ruffled halter top, paired with an asymmetrical hemlined midi skirt. The look finishes with a simple pair of strappy sandals - a perfect foil to the varied and complex lines of the skirt and top. I love the modern-femme vibe of this look! Nikki wears a classic tea length sheath in an entrancing shade of mallard blue that matches Brie's skirt. Nikki's look is completed by black platform peeptoe pumps. The simplicity of Nikki's outfit contrasts nicely with Brie's, but the two are tied together by the color, which looks fantastic in the shot, where the two walk away from a helicopter, making me think of them as two very seductive spies ;). The Pacific San Diego 'shoot's first look involves two navy lace dresses. Nikki's McQ lace mini gets a modern twist from the exposed zipper, while Brie's Chloe shift is accented with lace at the edges, giving it a wonderful, soft elegance. Her look is completed by white strappy heels from Giuseppe Zanotti, while Nikki's finishes with pointy-toe platform pumps (the St. Laurent Janis). It's fun to see the super-trendy pointy toe pump done as a platform, instead of the more common single sole! We also get a peek at Brie's next combo- a flowy, feminine white blouse paired with black crochet shorts (both from Maje) . Those two pieces are as classic as it gets - and have a wonderful combination of textures, but Brie also throws a couple of cool spins into the styling via her black fedora, massive statement ring and...black pointy toe ankle booties (from Valentino). I always love when the ladies try the unexpected and this pairing has a fab modern-boho-quirky vibe. Nikki's next ensemble is a pale gray dress coat that she tosses over a black blouse from Maje and black leather shorts. As with Brie's look, the textural pairing is fantastic - flowy silk with smooth, structured leather and cozy wool (props to 'shoot stylist Kristi Brooks <3).  We got just a hint of Look 3 from both ladies. Nikki's is a black slipdress with floral print added at the skirt  for a femme-meets-fatale vibe. Minimal strappy sandals (The Ted Baker Rynne) again complete this pairing. Brie's outfit includes a white lace camisole from Maje, paired with Ted Baker Ruthee floral shorts and topped with a gorgeous lilac cape - that color is so amazing! We only seem to see it in bits and whispers in fashion (remember Mila Kunis' heavenly Elie Saab dress at the 2011 Oscars? *heart eyes*), but I go head-over-stilettos for it every time! I'm a massive fan of how Brie's daring plum suede ankle booties bring out the luscious fruitiness of the color. Sounds like I'm describing a fine wine. How fitting ;)...and also ...wine. What an excellent idea! If you're swooning over those boots, they're the Ridley from Rebecca Minkoff.
Nikki's next outfit is a monochromatic coord set from A.L.C. with a subtle pattern and fringe at the hem of the top. Those two details, along with the lovely color, make this set incredibly attractive. Nikki spikes it with a matching wide-brimmed hat and suede pointy-toe pumps (the Saviy from Ted Baker). These choices, along with the hue, texture and movement of the piece help monochrome be far from bland! Brie's set by Sandro is done in a stylized floral with a modern-retro vibe. I love the fitted-but-forgiving cut. I'm also a fan of the magnificent mix of reds, oxblood and cerulean - so luxe! But my favorite aspect of the look is  her choice to pair it with fierce strappy suede heels (by Dior, the Petale) in plum. It's a flawless example of mixing, without matching. The reds, spiked with blue, create a purple-ish cast, so even though it's only alluded to in the print, the plum shade coordinates gloriously. It's a sophisticated and brilliant use of color!
Check out the interview HERE for all the pics and info!

Maryse caught our attention with this sexy black romper. It gets a bit of added edge from the zipper and hardware details. Maryse plays up the gold - and the luxury! - with her CL Cataclou pumps and this fabulous horn pendant necklace by Sam Edelman. Black spiked with gold always carries power and the wild grandeur of this statement collar makes an inescapable statement. Then again, so does latex ;). Maryse paired this shining black dress with an on-trend choker necklace and spiked red Louboutin pumps. There's nothing subtle or demure about this outfit; it's straight up, no holds barred sexy! While it could easily feel like too much on someone else (me, for instance ;), Maryse's bold attitude and confidence makes it look fierce and completely amazing. *admiring sigh*. Brandi has been out and about this month as well, on one occasion wearing this gorgeous sky blue strapless dress. It gets a little extra touch of seduction from the notch front, but it's mostly classic Brandi: classy and chic, with a little twist - the color, in this case. I love that she paired it with almond-hued pumps, instead of the harsher black, or white. The softness of the color creates a subtle contrast with the dress with is lovely...and works nicely with the elegant backdrop as well :).
Bayley and Asuka's throwdown on NXT created a nice op for some fashion discussion while the fighting words were being slung. Bayley tends to be a fan of slightly offbeat pieces and lots of color and this plaid top is a great example of how well her style preferences can work. I'm a huge fan of how she completed the outfit with colored sneakers; it pulls the look together perfectly. While the leggings work as a pairing, I feel like they make the outfit a shade casual and bland. I would have loved to see her just tweak the bottom just a smidge to add one more dimension to the outfit - a motorcycle version or distressed denim. Alternatively, topping the ensemble with a cropped jacket would have done the trick nicely also. We see something similar with Asuka: the slight shimmer of her top is attractive, but the silhouette is quite basic. Paired with a black pencil skirt, it's just kind of meh. Her tan sandals aren't helping either; they're great shoes, but fierce black sandals would have upgraded this look. Alternatively, keeping the shoes but going for a tan top, with a modern, sculptural vibe, something like this would have added some extra visual interest and impact. I love seeing the ladies experiment though and come up with what rocks and feels like themselves; it's so much fun to share the journey!