Its Good To Be Pham

REDIRECT YOURSELF!

2010-02-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

Hello my fellow followers!

If you haven't noticed... I have switched over to wordpress. Sorry for the inconevience. I havent set up the google follow but you can follow me by bloglovin' or book marking the site.

Heres the address http://itsgoodtobepham.wordpress.com! Sorry again.

Love Always
Stephen Pham / ItsGoodToBePham

I've Got Sunshine

2010-02-02T01:13:00.000-08:00

*Complex Geometries shirt
*Joe Fresh cardigan
*American Apparel leggings
*Forever21 hat
*Ports 1961 tote bag
*Gram shoes

photos by mitzi figueroa

Head Over Heals

2010-01-29T20:16:00.000-08:00

*Zara sweater
*H&M button down shirt
*Vintage coat
*Cheap Monday jeans
*Surface To Air bag & ring

photos by mitzi figueroa

Vacations for me are never exactly a vacation to relax and spend time in the sun. It's more like a shopping trip out of Vancouver and that's exactly how I like it. Quite honestly, shopping for me is forever relaxing and thrilling. If it isn't clothes, it's food.

While in Toronto in September, I figured that Queen Street is probaly the best area to go shopping in Toronto. You get your commercial stores, local boutiques and vintage shopes all on one strip. I've also come to the realization of how cheap it is to shop vintage in Toronto. Nothing was ever too over priced or it was nevertheless a steal. My friend Rudy Lee & I stumbled across a vintage store where everything was ten dollars. Wait... Say that again, right?! Well Rudy got two amazing blazers and I decided to stumble out with a heavy wool coat which made me feel a bit crazy, only because it was quite warm in Toronto during that time. What I love about the coat were the exagerated dolman sleeves and the fact it has double buttons below. To top that, for the price of ten dollars, who wouldn't?

Speaking of vacation, I had a lovely five days left of vacation from work for 2009 that I was force to take this coming week. I'm a bit excited to get away from work and work on sexier things!

A Candid Look

2010-01-25T00:19:00.000-08:00

photos by sarah ellis

A little peak at what Mitzi and I do. It was after work and we invited our friend Sarah Ellis out to join us. She was excited to see what really went on and decided to take out her own little camera to snap photos of us. It was like having a paparazzi in the background. Which in my case I couldn't help but giggle here and there. What I loved most was the fact that she called these photos "professional stalking."

Partners In Crime

2010-01-22T00:11:00.000-08:00

*Wilfred silk button up
*Zara jeans
*Tiffany & Co. necklace & own
*Surface To Air ring
*Louis Vuitton wristlet clutch

*H&M Trend blouse
*American Apparel skirt
*Pyrrah necklace
*Marc by Marc Jacobs watch & bag

photos by mitzi figueroa

Just A Walk in the Park

2010-01-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

*Wilfred shirt
*Zara jeans, jacket & boots
*Pyrrah necklace & own
*H&M/UNICEF tote bag

photos by mitzi figueroa

Oh Vancouver! Will the rain ever stop? Luckily it does, here and there. I was so happy when Mitzi and I got outside to see that there was actually a bit of sun after an afternoon full of heavy rain. Weather and timing were definatly on our side.

In those photos is an achievement that i'm absolutly proud of. It was a collaboration between H&M, Unicef and myself! Who would've thought that one of my drawings would be on an organic cotton tote bag sold in selected H&M stores across Canada with 25% of each sale donating to UNICEF's Kenya Girls Scholarship Programme. It was an open competition across H&M Canada for employees. The only thing they requested was a piece of art (drawn, painted, or digitally done) that best represented the company. I thought i'd give it a go and who would've known that I, out of all submissions, would've won. I recieved the phone call from Emily Scarlett in June that I won and that in September they were going to fly me to Toronto for the launch of the bag. What a major plus; paid flight, paid hotel to a city I didn't really have a clue about or been before. The only thing I had to pay for was food and shopping.

Well of course I couldn't help but to googled myself about the bag and found out that the bag was an "item of the week" on flare.com. The bag was also featured on SoundBeatRadio.com, MamanPourLavie.com, FashWeekly.com, Dose.ca, StyleHog.com, NowToronto.com, BestHealthMag.ca, Blog.en.Chatelaine.com, LifestyleOntario.ca and Slice.ca.

On September 2nd 2009 the launch of the bag was held at H&M on Bloor. It was a lovely meet & mingle with breakfast (not really breakfast, all the catered food was dessert.) I also brought my portfolio just in case! I was interviewed by Verve Girl and met people from Unicef. Emily and Karen loved my portfolio so much, I honestly didn't even have to mention that I brought it. Christopher Sherman of Fashion Television looked at my portfolio and "loved it" that he invited me back to Fashion Television Studio to meet Jeanne Beker that evening. My heart stopped right there and I wanted to scream.

So that evening I strolled along Queen Street, went to the studio, met Jeanne Beker and she looked at my portfolio. I honestly didn't really listen to what she said only because I was in complete awe that she was sitting in front of me. I just kept saying inside my head "Oh... my... god."

Flashback

2010-01-10T13:01:00.000-08:00

*Vintage silk jacket
*Cheap Monday t-shirt & jeans
*Forever21 hat
*H&M shoes
*Marc by Marc Jacobs bag

photos by mitzi figueroa

So this jacket was a complete surprise. Usually when I go through a vintage/thrift shop I'm usually not on a hunt for anything. Which makes shopping for me alot easier because i'm not expecting anything. That's my note for everyone about shopping; is to be not on the hunt but to browse. Trust me, you will find alot more and better things. Otherwise your setting yourself up for disappointment.

Sometimes I feel like I don't have the patience to go through every rack of a store and having this be the second garment that I looked at, I knew it was meant to be and love at first site. I've always wanted a silk Hermes scarf with an equestrian print but a jacket will definatly do. I thought it was fun, with a bit of a quirk and definatly channeling "grandmas jacket."

Gotta Go

2010-01-06T21:42:00.000-08:00

*Wilfred shirt
*H&M Trend chambray
*3.1 Phillip Lim blazer
*Garage treggings
*M0851 bag

photos by mitzi figueroa

A Break from the Rain

2010-01-03T01:04:00.000-08:00

*Of Vice and Virtue henley
*Zara cardigan
*H&M pants, tuque & shoes
*Gap scarf
*Gucci wallet
*Pyrrah necklace & own

photos by mitzi figueroa

Well I hope everyone had a good welcoming to the new year and didn't party too hard but enough! The weather in Vancouver of course has been grey, cloudy and rainy. When it isn't raining I try to get out and get as much fresh air as I can! Holding an umbrella can get seriously tiring.

So I must say that I have been so unsuccessful with my "trying to shop on a budget and only sale" that instead, my very feet and heart leads me to everything new production and full price. Not a surprise for me but I do try. Though I can proudly say that the henley that I am wearing I bought for $9.99 at Urban Outfitters and the scarf at $19 on sale last year at the Gap. Of course it's one of my favourite scarves I own. I'm quite picky about how some knit scarves are but the thing I like about this one is the different weaves, one way that is woven vertically and the other horizontal. It keeps me all warm and it doesn't shed on black!

A Pop Of Gold

2009-12-25T01:28:00.000-08:00

*Gap sweater
*Shank jeans
*H&M denim jacket & tuque
*Pieces shoes
*Prada clutch
*Surface To Air ring

photos by mitzi figueroa

I've been having this new colour obsession over anything "camel coloured." I honestly don't really know where it's coming from but try it, it's a good neutral. The best thing about shopping around this time of the year, minus all the crazy christmas shoppers, are the amazing priced sale items! I recently purchased this sweater from Gap for $14.95 and the same time around last year I found these shoes for $40. Prices are probaly going to get better after Boxing Day but beware, you will probaly have to dig.

Usually when i'm throwing items on, I usually think about what might be the pop of the outfit and that could be a shirt, jacket or in this case my shoes! So I made sure the rest of my outfit was in softer tones which in the end will make that shoe POP!

Grey Day

2009-12-21T02:22:00.000-08:00

*Gap button down shirt
*Joe Fresh cardigan
*Cheap Monday jeans
*Zara jacket
*H&M leather belt & flower pin
*Prada clutch

photos by mitzi figueroa

Granville St. Stairwell

2009-12-17T23:03:00.000-08:00

*Wilfred shirt
*H&M cardigan & jeans
*JNBY coat
*M0851 duffle bag
*Jump boots

photos by mitzi figueroa

I'm dearly in love with this coat; in fact I'm crazy for it. It was a find I wasn't expecting (and a jacket that fits perfectly in my wardrobe) I didn't exactly need a new coat but I had to. What I love about it is the fact that it gives the illusion of it being oversize but not really (looks hobo chic) I usually like to play with proporations so with the jacket being voluminous I like to make sure the rest of the silouhette of the outfit is slimmer underneath. And it doesn't hurt to layer with knits underneath during weather like this!

Basic Tee

2009-12-13T23:12:00.000-08:00

*BDG t-shirt

Granville & Georgia

2009-12-11T21:46:00.000-08:00

*Wilfred sweater
*American Apparel leggings
*EMC jacket
*Forever21 hat
*Marc by Marc Jacobs tote bag
*Giordano shoes

photos by mitzi figueroa

In Black & Beige

2009-12-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

*H&M Trend sweater

Abbott & Hastings

2009-12-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

*UrbanOutfitters tank
*H&M Trend blazer & jeans
*Pyrrha necklace & own
*Louis Vuitton wristlet clutch
*S***R shoes

Its Good To Be Pham

REDIRECT YOURSELF!

I've Got Sunshine

photos by mitzi figueroa

Head Over Heals

photos by mitzi figueroa

A Candid Look

photos by sarah ellis

Partners In Crime

photos by mitzi figueroa

Just A Walk in the Park

photos by mitzi figueroa

Flashback

photos by mitzi figueroa

Gotta Go

photos by mitzi figueroa

A Break from the Rain

photos by mitzi figueroa

A Pop Of Gold

photos by mitzi figueroa

Grey Day

photos by mitzi figueroa

Granville St. Stairwell

photos by mitzi figueroa

Basic Tee

Granville & Georgia

photos by mitzi figueroa

In Black & Beige

Abbott & Hastings

photos by dana zamzul