2013 New Inspirations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tips on how to wear a scarf or a shawl by Leyla Navab

Wearing a scarf with any outfit will add color, fun, elegance, uniqueness, and flair. A pair of jeans with a plain top immediately looks chic by adding a scarf or a shawl. The always fashionable French people love silk scarves and shawls and know how easily one can pull an outfit together to make it simply sophisticated.

Any simple outfit with a scarf can become an entirely new outfit. People will think you have a new wardrobe by simply adding a couple of scarves to compliment the items you already own.

A scarf can be used as a pocket accent on your favorite blazer or jacket. It can be used as a hair accessory to keep your hair pulled back on a hot summer day, and it can become a fun sash to wrap around your waist.

There's nothing tricky or difficult about wearing a scarf or a shawl. A scarf with a simple bow is already very Parisian and fashionable. Simply draping a shawl around your shoulders is enough to make your outfit elegant and original.

There is no one way to wear your scarf or shawl. Have fun with it and enjoy it forever because it will never go out of style and you will always be chic.

Santa Monica, California - City of Shocking Fashion

A simple morning trip to Lazy Daisy and to RiteAid produced the pictures below. It appears to be that Walmart isn't the only place that is frequented by people who like making shocking fashion statements.

If you go to Macy's right now, it is difficult to find a chic, elegant, simple, outfit for a person who wants to look well put together without sending a bold statement. Manufacturer's shape the way society dresses. I recently observed many clothing items that are age inappropriate. Manufacturer's make clothes for children that look like they belong on a young adult, and they make clothes for older women that look like they belong on a teenager.

Every designer has his or her own touch for presenting their design, color, and texture to the world.  Designers don't only make clothes; they actually distribute a point-of-view. Each design has a message and ALL fashion makes a statement.

Fashion signals the time that we are living in and what is happening around us. The way we dress sends messages about our lifestyle, our problems, our insecurities, even our level of anxiety. It talks about obesity, it talks about wanting to blend in the crowd or attempting to standout, it even talks about our political views. It can also sends a message about our state of mind regarding richness; meaning richness of the soul and how capable we consider ourselves.

Today's predominant message of fashion is, "I don't care what people think about me." This is a blatant statement of denial. It says, "I don't matter so I cannot make a fashion statement; I cannot make a statement about me; I cannot get the attention I desire; I cannot make an impact on people; I am invisible; I cannot be as beautiful as I want to be so I just won't try."

"I don't care what people think about me" is a statement of self-negligence. It is not a statement of self-confidence and it is actually far from it.

 He had a white feather on his top-hat and a long feather as an earring.

His outfit is saying to me, "I am different than the rest of the people, but I am clueless about fashion."

This lady is wearing her sports-bra on top of her gym shirt.

Her selection in layering order is saying to me, "I don't care about anyone else, and I definitely don't care about myself."

It takes effort and discipline to look presentable and the amount of effort you put into the way you look always shows.

We need to stand by our skills

Silk painting is very critical but many people do it.

The gracefulness of silk allows for mistakes and low skills to look presentable because it is so generous and lets paint spread beautifully. When people take silk painting lightly their technique remains very basic. Their silks look like they let a cat walk over them with paint on its paws. When Andy Warhol painted naked women and let them crawl on his canvas the idea was fresh and original, but he had a strong art background.

Of course, I'm old school, I appreciate refined skills. I don't believe in praising work that does not deserve praise. Being politically correct holds us back from giving clear criticism and the praises that are given hold artists back from improving their art.

As artists we need the guts to give our opinion to each other instead of giving each other hollow words.  

Leyla Navab ArtSilk

Shawl Collection

May 22, 2012

Leyla Navab ArtSilk Meditation Cushions

Today, I had the idea of writing a blog about meditation, but as I was getting ready to begin typing something told me that a blog on meditation had already been posted. I searched through the archive and found the post Meditation Cushion, which is almost a year old. However, I do want to revisit the subject and share my opinion about it a bit more.

It seems to be that meditation is seen by many people as something "spooky" and "cult-like". Some people feel that practicing meditation will change their lifestyle, which is scary because change itself can be terrifying for some. One person shared with me that they practiced meditation for a long period of time but then quit. I think this is the result of not knowing the true meaning of meditation which results in unfulfilled expectations.

I try to define meditation in the most simple terms as a "stage of complete presence". This means that through meditation you enter a place of mental silence and stillness that results in total vitality; you don't feel fatigue, depression,  anxiety, nor boredom. Even though you do nothing, the mind is free, and it does not navigate through one's past nor future.

One of my personal experiences with meditation was when I decided to meditate next to the ocean for a month straight. I would sit next to the ocean and feel its energy and at the same time follow the flow of my breath. After the month passed I was able to release an emotion I didn't know how to face. Every time this emotion arose I felt powerless but meditation created strength within me to deal with it.

Meditation is being recommended by many physicians as a way to improve one's physical, emotional, and mental health. The Hammer Museum holds meditation sessions, which are free and open to the public, and even Dr. Oz says that meditation is one of the most powerful ways to release stress.

The most simple way to enter meditation is to follow the in-and-out of your breath. The breath is the only sign of life that is always with you and is ALWAYS readily accessible.

Meditation Cushions on LeylaNavab.com