RVA Fashion Week

Wow, its been a minute since I've blogged, thanks to all my faithful readers who continued to follow and come to my site week after week! I felt uninspired for a while as far as blogging is concerned, so I've been putting my time and energy into other aspects of my life. However, with the warm weather at our heels and Summer knocking at our doors I'm feeling more and more inspired, and what better event to pull me out of my blogging rut than RVAFW. If you've been a follower of BarclayINC for the past few years, you'll know that I've attending RVA Fashion Week the past 4 years! I feel like the fashion and art scene has really grown in RVA, I'm noticing more and more bloggers sprouting up in my city, there's tons of dope musicians, and just an overall growth of creative individuals flourishing! You can catch me Sunday at the Dress for Success 4th annual Recycled Fashion Show- Untailored Elegance which will be held at Diversity Community Center.

 

Dress for Success Central Virginia

Untailored Elegance

Sunday April 24th @ 2pm

1407 Sherwood Ave

Richmond, VA 23220



VA Natural Beauty Expo

Hey Naturals, mark your calendar for Oct 17th, The VA Natural Beauty Expo will by happening at the Richmond Convention Center! This is going to be a huge event with over 50 vendors on board, plus lots of workshops and consultations will be going on throughout day! Guest speakers include Jonna Scott- Blakes from Naturally Glam and Jenell B Stewart from Kinky Curly Coily Me, in addition to all things natural hair expect to walk away with some great fitness, fashion, and make-up tips! Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door, hope to see you there!

VA Natural Beauty Expo

Greater Richmond Convention Center

403 N 3rd St Richmond VA 23219

Oct 17th 2015

11am-7pm

More dets available at:

vanaturalbeauty.com

 



Beauty Wanderlust Brunch

All my RVA make- up artist, make- up lovers, fashion junkies, and those who just want a chance to network with some amazing ladies and enjoy a great brunch- make sure to mark your calendars for June 14th! Renata Lynette of Renata Lynette Makeup and Canvas the Salon will be hosting the Beauty Wanderlust Brunch at Water Coastal Kitchen! The Beauty Wanderlust Brunch is going to be super dope event, that will feature a great panel of women sharing tips about summer trends, fashion, make-up, wellness, travel, and more, and what a better location than Water Coastal Kitchen on Cary St. Yall already know that's my spot! They have an amazing brunch to add to the many reasons that you need to be in attendance. Renata Lynette is based out of DC, and has hosted several events like this in the past in the DC area, and decided to extend the Beauty Wanderlust movement to RVA, being that she has strong roots here. Ladies register now while space is still available, registration is $50 (includes brunch & mimosas), be sure to use the discount code: BARCLAY to receive an additional $10 bucks off!

Register at 

www.beautywanderlustrva.eventbrite.com

Registration: $50 / Includes Brunch and Mimosas

Save an additional $10 using Discount Code: BARCLAY

Check out BeautyWanderlust on Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Beauty-Wanderlust-Brunch/101091653558851

Dress for Success: Red Carpet Runway Recap

I had the pleasure of attending the Dress for Success: Red Carpet Runway fashion show last Friday, it's an annual fashion presented by the organization to help raise money and bring awareness to the cause. This was my second year attending the show and instead of attending as a blogger, I was actually one of the judges on the panel this year along with Clovia Lawrence from 105.7 Kiss FM, Tara Hawkins from Style Weekly, Troy Michel with The CW Network, and Angela Patton from Camp Diva. It was such an honor to meet these ladies and be on the judges panel with them. Every time I attend a Dress for Success event I end up networking with lots of influential women from right here in Richmond, its always nice to meet people who are passionate about what they do! The Dress for Success team including Jonathan Copeland, Shantell Malachi, Melissa Ross and so many other amazing people put on an excellent show every year; and for such a great cause! If you're not already familiar with the Dress for Success mission, it's to assist disadvantaged women by providing them with professional attire, career development, and a network of support to help them have a smooth transition back into the work place! This organization has helped so many disadvantaged women right here in the Richmond area, and you can help too by donating your gently used suits, dresses, and shoes along with volunteering your time. Visit dfscentralvirginia.org for more information on how you can assist this wondering organization. Being that I was a judge on the panel, I didn't have my camera in tow as I usually do, but I still managed to snap a few pics!

Myself along with the other lovely judges!

Chrisette Michelle Interview

So, a few weeks ago I blogged that I would be attending the Pose 'N Post Symposium presented by Chrisette Michele & Rich Hipster. Of course I was looking forward to the event, but due to heavy rains the venue flooded and the event was cancelled; all my Richmond folks know how certain parts of this city flood with heavy rains. Well, a few days ago Chrisette's PR folks reached out to me letting me know that Chrisette would be given all the Richmond bloggers who couldn't attend, the opportunity to do a phone interview with her! Yall know I hopped on that opportunity right away, I selected the first time slot available to conduct my interview with Miss Chrisette. My mouth dropped when that phone rang, and I heard her voice on the other line. I was already a fan of her's prior to doing my interview, but I must say I'm even more of a fan now! I'm still in awe that this woman took time out of her day to call me and allow me to pick her brain. I got the opportunity to ask about upcoming dates for the Pose 'N Post Symposium, her new album, and the Rich Hipster label/ brand. For those of you that don't know I've recently become a Blogger Contributor for Natura Magazine, you can check out my full interview at www.naturamagazineusa.com/chrisette-michele-interview-recap.

RVA Fashion Week

Richmonder's its that time of year again, RVAFW starts tomorrow! This will be my third year attending and I'm so looking forward to this years festivities, lots of exciting things will be happening throughout the week. This is the perfect opportunity to network with other fashion lovers, bloggers, vloggers, photographers, designers, and small business owners from the Richmond area. There will be a few networking socials at various locations throughout the week, fashion shows, and jewelry showcases. Please don't miss this opportunity to support some of our local designers, I recommend anyone who loves fashion, art, or just being around creative individuals to attend at least one RVAFW event. I've met so many amazing people throughout the years by attending these types of events, and we all know how important networking is when you're trying to build your brand. On top of that its always exciting to see new designers, and fresh faces bringing something new to the scene! If you spot me out and about during RVAFW don't hesitate to come up and say hello, I love meeting my readers and other creative souls from my city!

For more info visit:

rvafashionweek.com

Pose N Post Symposium presented by Chrisette Michele

All my RVA bloggers, vloggers, and small business owners please mark your calenders for this Friday's Pose N Post Symposium presented by Chrisette Michele and Rich Hipster. You definitely don't want to miss this event, come out and learn how to build your social media presence organically with Chrisette Michele and a couple of your favorite vloggers and bloggers from the YouTube and Instagram world. During her 8 city tour Chrisette Michele will be discussing topics such as natural hair in the workplace and how to achieve success through social media. There will also be an intimate performance by Miss Chrisette of course, which I'm so looking forward to! I had the privilege of attending one of her concerts here last summer at The Hipp; to say the least her voice is absolutely amazing, she's a great live performer, and when she started scatting I about lost my mind! I'm so excited that the tour is making a stop in Richmond and that I'll be covering the event for BarclayINC, I cant wait to re cap this event for those of you that cant attend! For those interested in attending, its definitely a great way to network with like minded individuals right here in the Richmond area. As I always say the art scene here is really flourishing and if we want it to continue to thrive we have to support events like this along with supporting each other. I hope to see lots of familiar faces at the Pose N Post Symposium, for more details visit richhipster.myshopify.com/collections/pose-n-post-symposium.

Pose N Post Symposium

Friday April 10th 2015 from 6-9:00 pm

Vanquish 1005 E Main Street

Grand Opening: Soul.Eil

RVA First Friday's April installment is right around the corner, and thank goodness the weather here in RVA will be in 70's, so it should be a beautiful night! With such a brutal Winter I haven't been to any First Friday's festivities in months, so I'm really looking forward to getting back on the scene this week! With that being said the Grand Opening of Soul.Eil will be taking place this Friday from 6-10 pm during RVA First Friday's, come out and network with other fashion lovers in the city. The boutique is located on Broad St. right in the heart of the Arts District, so you cant miss it. In the meantime you can check out their website to get a glimpse of the type of pieces they will be selling. There will be 2 DJ's all night, so it's going to be a pretty live event, of course I'll be there so if you spot me don't hesitate to come over and say hey!

Grand Opening:

Soul.Eil 

April 3rd from 6-10pm

  212 West Broad St. Richmond VA 23220

www.soul-eil.com

Gardein- Beefless Strips

So, I'm typically ride or die for Morning Star products, being a Pescatarian I've found ways to get really creative with my meals. I swear by Morning Star Crumbles I use them in my pastas and in tacos its a great meat substitute and basically takes on the flavor or whatever seasoning or sauces you're cooking it in. I was in the mood for stir- fry the other day, which in most cases I would've just made it with veggies (as Morning Star doesn't really offer any type of Beefless Strips), but while browsing the grocery store I decided to pick up a pack of Gardein- Beefless Strips. I've tried a few other Gardein products over the years and figured I might as well give them a try. I'm a fan already, I like the fact that there are multiple ways that you can cook the Beefless Strips either in a pan a little oil, or they can be baked in the over, also it came with a little package of a Terriyaki like sauce/ marinade to toss them in once they were done cooking. It truly made for some great stir fry, I paired it with some Mahatma yellow rice and what a delicious, quick, and healthy meal it was if I do say so myself. If you're vegan, pescatarian, or just into healthy eating definitely give the Gardein brand a try they have lots of vegan options available! If you have any great meatless recipes please feel free to leave a comment and share them with me! 

Gardein Beefless Strips

Meat Free

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year, I so cant believe its 2015 already! I must say I had an amazing 2014 I turned 30, my nephew was born (who is the absolute love of my life), I did a soft launch for the Barclay Boutique along with so many exciting milestones. Creative juices were definitely flowing in 2014 and its only getting better, I'll be making a few changes to the blog this year so bare with me over the next few months while I freshen things up a bit. I plan on covering a lot more music showcases this year, in addition to giving you guys more insight into my personal wardrobe and style by doing a lot more OOTD post, shopping hauls etc. As I mentioned a few post ago I'm also a Pescatarian, so I'll be sharing some of my favorite spots to eat at in RVA, and some of my personal recipes! Thank you guys so much for being faithful readers, wishing you a wonderful New Year!

A few of my Fav Looks from 2014!!

Current 2014

So, as some of you know I attended Raw:natural born artist / Current 2014 showcase last Thursday at The Hippodrome right here in RVA. It was a great event, I got a chance to meet some super dope artist, listened to some live entertainment (which was very eccentric to say the least), enjoyed a few cocktails and got a chance to catch up with a good friend of mine who was also in attendance! I know you all get sick of me saying this but I cant stress enough how important it is to support local events like this, by attending you not only support the artist but the venue as well, which we definitely need to see more of in Richmond! I truly was blown away by some of the pieces that were showcased during Current 2014, most of the artist were from RVA, they were young and full of creativity which was easily displayed through their pieces. I talked to several artist who blew me away when they informed me that they had only been painting for a few years! One of my favorite artist of the evening was Addie Rawr of Art and Ambition, her pieces caught my eye the second I walked into the venue! Her paintings were so colorful, bright, and full of life as you can see from the pics I captured below which truly do her pieces no justice! Hoping they bring Current back to Richmond next year and the event continues to grow!

Paintings by: Addie Rawr of Art and Ambition

Dopeness!

Instagram: @AddieRawrrr

Instagram: @blockzart

Paintings by: Brandon Mabry of BlockzsArt

An artist named Yemi did this piece she's orginally from Chicago, her paintings were amazing and she was super sweet! 

Painting by: Yemi 

Instagram:@tequil3sunrise

RAW:natural born artist

My Pescatarian Diet: You are what you eat!

Many moons ago I decided to stop eating meat, it truly was a combination of things including the horrible stomach pains I would get after consuming certain meats, the knowledge I gained from taking a Health and Nutrition class, the in depth look Food INC gave me as too what process most animals go through before making it to the dinner table. No one thing is to attribute with the decision for me to stop eating meat, my diet now consist of veggies, fruits, and various types of seafood. The saying you are what you eat couldn't be more fitting, after ridding my diet of toxic low vibration foods I began to feel more energized, my hair starting growing like a weed, stomach cramping and pain after eating stopped, and that heavy feeling most of us know as the "itis" is none existent. When you tell people you don't eat meat, one of two things comes to mind the first is they think you don't eat anything, the second is they think you don't eat good, or that you're always hungry, neither of which is true. The Pescatarian diet leaves you open to a wide variety of meals/ recipes I mean who wouldn't want to eat salmon, lobster, and shrimp all week, honestly I feel bad for folks who don't eat like that on a regular basis. I wouldn't know what to do without my weekly dosage of Omega 3 that I get from my salmon dishes, or all the protein my body gets from the different variations of seafood I consume throughout the week. Now I wont lie this diet is not cheap but well worth it, if you spend money on anything it might as well be on the food you put in your body. I've seen people wear the most expensive clothes but yet eat the cheapest unhealthiest food out there, when it should really be the other way around, don't cheat your body, besides you only get one. There's so many bonuses to the Pescatarian diet one being that  hair is made of protein so of course following a Pescatarian diet will help to ensure that your hair and nails get what they need to continue to grow and be healthy. Also, lets not forget all the Omega 3 fats that are found in oily fish like salmon, Omega 3 provides oils that keep your hair and scalp hydrated. Cutting meat out of my diet was the best thing I could've done for my body, I don't miss it at all, even if you have no intentions of becoming a Pescatarian I challenge  you to reduce your meat intake throughout the week, incorporate more seafood and veggies and after a few weeks your body will feel different, it takes time to rid all the toxins out of your body but believe me you will begin to feel more energized and "light" in  a sense. Everyone seems to be on a healthy kick lately, I mean seriously I cant even scroll through my IG timeline without seeing  #cleaneating,  #teamhealthy, or some other hashtag in reference to healthy living. Which is great I just hope its not a fad, and that people are really taking the necessary steps to live a healthy lifestyle and not just doing it for the gram!

Be good to your body, we only get one. You can eat healthy without depriving yourself of tasty food!

Alexander Wang for H&M

November 6th cant get here soon enough, I've been waiting on this collaboration since the Spring when I first got wind that the legendary Alexander Wang would be creating a line for H&M, he's one of my favorite designers, I've always been a huge fan of Wang and this line doesn't disappoint. The scuba inspired highly textured collection is perfect for the Fall, I love the muted color pallet that Wang chose to go with consisting primarily of white, black, and various shades of gray. The simplicity of this collection is what I truly love, the line features leggings, crop tops, and sweatshirts, essentials every women should have in her closet. Yall already know I will be on online at midnight filling my shopping cart on November 6th, reminder is already set in my phone! The sweatshirt and two-piece crop top and legging set are a must for my fall wardrobe! 

Love this set!!

Pure Dopeness!

Repeat Offender!

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in previous post, but I'm definitely not that chick whose afraid to repeat/ recycle the same piece or pieces. I try to buy timeless pieces that I can wear for years to come, and that can be mixed and matched with other items to keep it fresh. I'm also not afraid to be photographed in the same outfit/ pieces twice because 9 times out of 10 I've created a completely different look, almost to the point where you may not even notice if you've seen me in it before! I'm not a millionaire just yet, so buying cloths just to wear once or twice isn't happening. I have some friends that cringe at the thought of posting a pic on Insta or any social media for that matter, wearing a repeat outfit, it makes me chuckle just at the thought of it! So, I just wanted to share with you guys a few of my looks based around one piece, I love this Leopard Print dress that I got from H&M a few years back, I've paired it with everything from my over the knee boots, to my vintage Motorcycle Boots. It truly looks good with just about anything and its always an easy go to outfit when I'm pressed for time, or just cant figure out what to wear.

State-Fair Fall 2014

VA Fashion Week Fall 2013

RVAFW Spring 2014

I would love to know what pieces you guys recycle within your wardrobe, and what your go to items are, so do share!

VAFW 2014

I cant believe its almost time again for VA Fashion Week, I remember attending one of the VAFW showcases this same time last year, it was a rainy cool Fall evening. Despite the cool weather and rain my fit was dope that night, I wore my leopard print H&M dress, with my Moto boots, and black Fedora. Doesn't seem like a whole year has passed, anyway I'm super excited to be attending this years festivities, the wheels are already turning in my head as to what look I want to go for this year. Over 25 new designers will be showcased during VAFW this year, including Lizzi London a Fashion Designer from London, England whose collection will be shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach. I love how fashion changes and evolves even over just a short period of time, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what this years up and coming designers bring to the show! Its so refreshing attending events like this especially in VA, I love connecting and networking with others who have the same passion and love for the fashion culture as I do. I've met so many amazingly interesting people over the past few years, especially since I've been blogging. If any of my readers live in VA and plan on attending VAFW please leave me a comment I would love to meet some of you!

The opening show "Fashion For a Cause" will be held right here in RVA on Sunday October 5th, 2014 from 3-6pm at Celebrate Downtown located at 103 E Broad St. Super excited that one of the VAFW showcases is being held right here this year! Hope all my Richmond fashion lovers will be in attendance supporting this event! 

Purchase your tickets at www.vafashionweek.com

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A Few New Fall Pieces

I absolutely love the Summer, so I'm sad that it has come to an end I swear this year seems to be going by so fast! However as much as I love Summer weather I absolutely am a stan for Fall Fashion, lots of layers, boots, hats and scarves are definitely my thing. I'm so excited that in another few weeks I can pull out my Moto Jacket with my boots and really get creative with my looks. I love the colors that come with the Fall wardrobe like mustard, ox blood, and my all time fav lots of black. I picked up a few new pieces from H&M a few weeks ago, I'm in process of building up my Fall wardrobe and will be taking you guys on the journey with me, sharing my latest finds, and showing you how I incorporate them into my everyday looks, mixing old with the new.

Love the texture and color of this top, and its nice and thick! 

Mustard is one of my fav colors it really compliments my complexion so you will be seeing me in this color a ton this Fall/Winter.

(P.S this is the actual color of this top, 1st pic was without the flash)

Love this shirt dress, I plan on pairing this with a pair of tights and my over the knee boots or a cute pair of booties.

This piece is lined on the inside which is really nice.

Happy Fall Ladies, stay tuned to BarclayINC to see more of my Fall wardrobe and looks! 

Warby Parker: Beacon Collection

I'm super excited that Warby Parker choose BarclayINC as one of the blogs to help assist in spreading the word about the launch of their new collection of glasses and sunglasses, the Beacon Collection. If you've been living under a rock for the past few years and have no idea about the Warby Parker brand, I'll just say they're one of the dopest eye wear companies out there! I remember some time ago going to a launch Warby Parker had at Need Supply Co. right here in RVA, I completely fell in love with the brand at that time, so its crazy now that I'm helping to announce the launch of the Beacon Collection. The glasses and sunglasses from this collection are unique and original with a bit of a vintage feel! Warby Parker makes sure they have something for everyone, they offer tons of different styles and frames to choose from, which can be purchased with or without a prescription! If you're in the market for some new specs, or just need another pair of sunnies to add to your Summer collection make sure to check out the Beacon Collection from Warby Parker! Here a few of my fav looks from the newly launched Beacon Collection, which ones are your favs?!

Models wearing: Nancy in Lemon and Ingram in Revolver Black 

Models wearing: McKee in Moonstone and Garrett in Oak Barrel

Shop these looks at:

www.warbyparker.com/sunglasses

www.warbyparker.com/eyeglasses

The Warby Parker Beacon Collection Launches today July 24th!!

P.S When you purchase a pair or Warby Parker glasses,

 a pair is also donated to a person in need!

RVA Grooves: Chrisette Michele

 Last Friday kicked off the start of this Summers RVA Grooves concert series, Ms. Chrisette Michele was the first artist to grace The Hippodrome Stage, all I can say is that this woman put on a hell of a show! Of course I was already a fan of her music, the unique tone of her voice is simply beautiful! Her energy and aura are absolutely amazing, she has such a personable demeanor, which is one of the things I love about her. She sang lots of her classic hits like "Girlfriend", a snippet of "Aston Martin Music" and lots of other material from her previous albums. Throughout her entire set she interacted with the audience, told a few personal stories, and right when we thought the show was over she came back to the stage and began singing classic Jazz melodies like "God Bless the Child" then she began scatting, which at that point she blew me away! Chrisette Michele puts on such a great live show, this woman can truly sang, yes sang! The ambiance of The Hippodrome (which is one of RVA's most popular and historic theater's) makes it the perfect venue to host artist such as her, its intimate feel and classic vibe provide a great backdrop for musicians like Chrisette. Folks if you live in the Richmond area or surrounding cities please make sure you come out this Summer and support the RVA Grooves concert series! Artist such as El Dabarge, Raekwon of the Wu- Tang Clan, and Kelly Price will also be gracing The Hippodrome Stage. So come out enjoy some great food, a cocktail, and unwind its the perfect way to kick start your weekend.

Yours truly! 

Photos by: David Lowell

For more info on the RVA Grooves concert series check out rvagrooves.com