When I went to OKLAHOMA!

Little did I know that life was going to take me to Oklahoma but there I was, last week, to support my brother as he graduated from boot camp for the Army. As any proud brother who is also a blogger would do I went scouting for a cool spot to take pictures while he was getting debriefed. Driving around the area this beautiful building turned up. It used to be a high school and is now used as a municipal building. If you ever find yourself in those neck of the woods do not dismay there are a few things you should do and local places you should eat at. Let's start with dessert, do go to Braum's. This place has cheap and delicious desserts and is kind of like a bodega too. For an actual meal go to Back Porch Draft House, everything we got there was delicious. Lastly, make sure to go to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. This city slicker was in awe of the majestic bison and the beautiful landscape. All in all, I had a great time and will not lie when I tell you that I also went to Outback and Chuck E. Cheese because, family. I'll do anything for family. 

I like to pack light and this Fjall Raven duffle was ideal for this short trip.

Sunglasses were a must during this trip! Sunglasses- RAEN

This shirt was perfect for the dry 80 degrees in Oklahoma. Shirt- Life/After/Denim

Timo's Picks at the CFDA Retail Lab

Timo Weiland known for his updated take on American classics partnered with online eyewear brand Zenni Optical and created a curated collection called Timo's Picks and is part of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Retail Lab in NYC. Timo took the time to answer a few of my questions about his picks and his experience at the retail lab.

Designer- Timo Weiland

What made the styles you selected stick out from all the different styles available at Zenni?

The whole concept of Timo's Picks center around the styles from Zenni's plentiful range that Donna, Alan and I covet the most for every occasion. The assortment is an authentic reflection of our combined personality and our multifaceted lives in New York City- architecturally inspired with a fun colorful and textural twist.

Which ones are your favorite out of all your picks?

My personal favorite are the woodacre sunnies for a day at the beach and the tortoise browline frames for day to night adventures in the city.

The Woodacre Sunnies

Do you see yourself delving in to designing eyewear in the near future?

Optical is definitely a category Timo Weiland would like to explore with our designs. Zenni has been a phenomenal partner to us as a brand, so naturally we look forward to exploring other ways to collaborate in the future.

How was your experience having your collection available in the CFDA's Retail Lab in NYC?

The CFDA Retail Lab has been an unparalleled learning experience for us as a brand- not only was it successful financially, but we faced a new challenge everyday while being able to experiment with different activation strategies throughout the 10-week term. We are honored to have had this opportunity and thankful that Zenni was on-board with us. We collectively gained a tremendous amount of exposure + new fans & clientele. 

The Zenni Optical - Timo's Picks

Classic American Sunglasses Michael Bastian Style

Randolph Engineering by Michael Bastian

Having lived in SoCal for a couple of years my appreciation for sunglasses has quadrupled. So when I was invited to the Randolph Engineering by Michael Bastian Spring/Summer 2013 eyewear launch I felt like two of my favorite things finally came together. I had a few minutes to talk to the man of the hour, Michael Bastian about his eyewear collection. He explained that he went in to the archives and updated and tweaked some of their classic designs by using different materials or shapes but still keeping true to the Randolph Engineering spirit but with the MB touch. As you can see the end product speaks for itself, these designs are timeless and both men and women will love to wear them.

Después de haber vivido en el sur de California por par de años mi apreciación por gafas de sol a aumentado grandemente. Así que cuando fui invitado al lanzamiento de la colección de primavera/verano 2013 de Randolph Engineering por Michael Bastian senti que finalmente dos de mis cosas favoritas se unieron. Tuvo la oportunidad de hablar con el hombre del momento y me explicó que él entró a los archivos y actualizo y ajusto algunos de sus diseños clásicos pero manteniendose fiel a la esencia de Randolph Engineering pero con el toque MB. Como se puede ver el producto final habla por sí mismo, estos diseños son atemporales y los hombres y las mujeres les encantaran usarlos.

In addition to showcasing the eyewear collection, the Michael Bastian's Spring/Summer 2013 collection was also shown.

Ademas de presentar la colección de lentes y gafas de sol también presentaron la colección de primavera/verano 2013 de Michael Bastian.