December Outtakes...Ciao 2014!

As the world focuses its eye and goals to 2015, I'm taking one more look back on our year of blogging. Take a journey with me as I revisit 8 of my favorite posts. (Of course there were so many that I loved, but considering the time it takes to get glittered up for NYE festivities, I narrowed!)

The year started off with a cover story featuring Joan Smalls. I was thrilled to feature Joan not only because she's gorgeous, but because of her resilience to rise to where she is today. Although Joan is no longer holding the #1 spot, she's still as present in the industry as ever. Read more.

Now, I can't talk about the #1 spot without mentioning the back-to-back NFC Champions! Earlier in the year we showed the 12th woman how to get game-ready, and then we cheered our Hawks to a Superbowl victory! Working in the nation's capital, I crave the west coast. So, if you're like me and missing home-field advantage, then revisit the post for style tips + music video to get you pumped.

If there's one thing you would have gathered this year, it's that we love the sun. Even home-field advantage couldn't tamper with our incessant craving for warm weather. Especially if that craving meant going all the way to Dominica to satisfy--which dré did in March! Read more.

That wasn't the only major move dré did this year. Can we talk about the many hair transformations? Just take a look at the chop that happened in May below. She straight up said, "Cut My Hair Don't Care", and it was one of the best looks all year! Revisit dré's hair journey here.

One thing that I loved this year was playing with light. If you look back through our posts, you can see how our various discoveries of radiance transformed our images and overall post themes. One of these was "Georgetown" (above). Rediscover this look in historic Georgetown here.

Speaking of light, I found it again in "Love, Now Trending". This look was created for my two friends' wedding reception in July. The theme was garden party, and I couldn't resist adding this flirty back-slit top to my ensemble. Love was definitely in the air; catch it again here.

Oh, and remember that time when dré made VOGUE.COM? Yah, that happened a few times this year, too. It was crazy and so much fun! Relive the backstage moments here.

And to round it out, one of my favorite reds of all-time was found this year! Such a classic that I hope OPI never lets it go! Although I'm not a soda drinker, I must say that sharing this beautiful lacquer with your bff is worth popping a bottle for! Cheers to my favorite red again here.

These were my favorite 8 of 2014. Now let's take a look at what your top 3* were this year:

1. Marita
2. Cut My Hair Don't Care
3. My Personal Canvas
*Top trending posts as calculated via the buzz.

Thanks for reading in 2014!

xo | din

See You In The New Year!!

Met Gala 2014

My oh my! So many stars at this year's Met Gala were to die for! At most events lately, I've found myself only loving up to 5 looks. Not this time! These celebs pulled out all the stops! All of the dresses that really caught my eye had a color palet of black, white, gray (silver), and neutral. Doesn't seem like the most exciting array of colors, but when you see the gowns, you'll know why I fell for them! Here are my favorite looks from the evening...count 'em...there're 12!!

Blake Lively in Gucci Première

Lily Aldridge in Michael Kors

Rihanna in Stella McCartney

Gisele Bündchen in Balenciaga

Cara Delevingne in Stella McCartney

Beyoncé in Givenchy Couture and veil by Philip Treacy

Lily Donaldson in Burberry

Victoria Beckham in Victoria Beckham

Nicole Richie in Donna Karan

Suki Waterhouse in Burberry 

Joan Smalls in Vera Wang

Stella Tennant in Burberry 

Which is your fav?

xo | dré 

Cover Story | January 2014

Happy New Year, Everybody!! What better way to bring in the new year than to shout out the world's top model, Joan Smalls?!

Joan's elegance and striking beauty grace the cover of Elle Magazine this month. I had my mail forwarded to WA and hadn't received my subscriber copy yet, so when I saw this cover in Safeway, I just HAD to pick it up. (Hey, I'm a part of the "now" generation-- I couldn't wait!)

Can you blame me? The number one model in the world. Overall stunning photo. AND a person of color! This doesn't happen often. Even the 25 year old mentions the lack of diversity in the fashion industry as, campaign after campaign, designers choose the monochromatic "aesthetic" to send down the runway. But thanks to several multi-cultural visionaries, including the genius that is Riccardo Tisci, Smalls went from the low-end to the high-end almost overnight. A night, however, that wasn't necessarily storm-free.

Joan had to use her book smarts and her street smarts to navigate her way through the trenches of the model world. Early on she was told that she needed to fix her teeth otherwise it'd be difficult to get gigs because "you're a black model. And it's already a challenge." So, she accepted the advice graciously, went back home to Puerto Rico, and visited an orthodontist. All while earning a degree-- magna cum laude. And, yes, she's only 25.

She's got the look and talent, the number one spot, and a gracious spirit to not only knock down the doors to the most sought after runways, but open and close the show. That right there is star power, folks.

Here are a few shots from Joan's Elle spread. For the full spread, be sure to pick up your January copy of Elle on newsstands now. [Isn't she stunning?!]

xo | din

PxSx 2013 was a great year for code name: drédin, and we're so grateful to all of our readers! Looking forward to sharing our 2014 fashion adventures with you! Cheers!

Newsstand cover - Elle January 2014

joan wears:

top | Jacquard jumpsuit
bottom | Chanel
cover | (newsstand) Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, (subscriber) Céline
stylist | Joe Zee
original article | Molly Young
photos | elle.com, Michael Thompson

Subscriber cover - Elle January 2014