I entered the Valencia Technical School of Architecture five years ago, aiming to change the world, design spectacular buildings and without any specific route to follow, both in my career or my personal life. I just wanted everything to flow. To everything get into place at the right time and moment. But, what I didn't know is that nothing flows and nothing comes to you out of nothing. I didn't know I would have to work my ass out so, so hard to pass exams, obtain enough grades to apply for grants and academic programs and that this Grade, at the very end would change my life and my point of view about life in general so slowly but steadily. Life's a challenge we must overcome. Five years later into this, there are some useful things I've learned thanks to studying Architecture, and that I think will be very useful for you although you aren't even interested on technical or design stuff. There we go!

1. Differentiate yourself. Don't be a number
Distinguish yourself from the crowd. You are the best in being you, with your own opinions and point of view in things. Talk and expose what you think, give ideas, don't be ashamed! If anything, I've learned that being different and not a sheep in the flock is the key to be a high value in anything you are into. For example, this blog is one of the very few Spanish fashion blogs written in English, which might be different, but is an added value as it's something that makes it unique.

2. Always carry your notebook with you
It doesn't have to be a huge 42 x 30 notebook with expensive 120gr watercolor paper. Or even a Moleskine. I have two random spiral notebooks which are no bigger than a DIN-A5 and where I write everything when I'm on the go.

One has a thicker paper on which I can draw or paint with markers, and which I mostly use for class projects and work revisions. The other one has a thinner paper and it's where I write everything I come up with talking about the blog: interview ideas or candidates, outfit combinations, posting times... Once you get used to writing down everything, you'll live happier, I promise. You won't lose track of your ideas anymore. You might even find yourself having an inspiration boost!


3. Get moving. Do things. Get involved in everything
I didn't know the importance of being literally everywhere when I started studying Architecture. But it is. Get yourself out of the box and get to know the people surrounding you and what they're up to. Get involved in your community, your neighborhood, your school or class committee. Be willing to know new things and help others as best as you can.

During this five years, I've got the chance to know how the School I study at works, and thanks to getting involved and being interested I've got the chance on participating on amazing things there, whether they're related to festivals and other students initiatives, to being an active member of the University Student's council. Every chance is a nice way to get out of your comfort zone or meet new people, to learn even the slightest skill as being diplomatic as hell with people I don't get on with, or deal with paperwork I didn't even know existed.

During this five years of university, I've met all sorts of people. Nice people. Nasty people. Inspiring people. People I've got the luck to cherish not only as friends but also as amazing professionals with outstanding ideas. Amazing teachers and professors, and not as great ones.

But, if there's something I've learned from all these people surrounding me is that every one of them is different, and if I've had the chance on working on amazing projects or having crazy ideas which eventually turned real is thanks to those who think differently than me. Who has a completely 180-degree view on things and are not afraid to share it. People who thank that different view helped me be more open-minded, and not to take anything for granted. And that's something I really think you should embrace!

Whenever I'm meeting my friends, I feel like at the lottery of life I got gifted with the most Viking ones of them all, as they love to spend whole evenings chatting around a table of emptied beer bottles and a bowl with snacks. And sometimes, I have the feeling like that best ideas are the ones which came out of those informal meetings grabbing a couple of beers at the nearest pub (okay, I'm not a beer drinker but I like sweet mead. Looks like I'm the most Viking one after all). Unexpected ideas. Crazy ideas. But all of them as great as the one before that.

It's as if everything flowed on those moments. Hours pass and you get to talk about so many things! Time to go back to #2 and grab your notebook, isn't it?

I can't believe the last inspiration post was so long ago! As we're suffering this extreme, siberian cold wave in Europe (yes, Valencia is having very cold temperatures as well. Colder than usual temperatures, at least) I decided it was the right time to post an inspiration post all about fluffy, cozy and warm clothing. Besides, I've finally applied for my Erasmus grant this past week (yay! Obtained my C1 Advanced English certificate, so I applied right on time), and next year by this time I'll probably be at TU Delft (Netherlands), or Louvain University (Belgium), which have pretty freezing temperatures in Winter as I've been told. So, what better than start getting prepared with some wool clothing inspirational images?

I've found that wool is quite the versatile fabric. Although is a fabric we don't see nor use very often in Valencia, I own a pair of interesting and super warm pieces (as this wool vintage skirt by Spanish brand Yono Taola) I've been collecting from here and there. Now that I think about them, they'll be useful next year. For sure! Wool is the perfect ally to keep warm and stay fashionable by layering. Wool knit sweaters and cardigans always add that kind of unexpected, old-fashioned touch to any outfit that makes it unique and super personal.

As stated above, layering is an interesting thing to pair your winter outfits successfully by adding sweaters and medium jackets or blazers under your warmest coats and scarves. You just have to put on a bit of imagination and creativity, play with the different available textures and colors and accessorize a bit. Wool and cozy accessories can also be worn in dresses as apliques in collars and sleeves.

So... How do you pair your winter outfits? Do you wear wool?

Three Wise Men/Three Kings Day. In Spain, Christmas aren't officially over until 6th January. Here, both child and adults are excited to find their gifts on the 6th January morning. It's a huge tradition for Spanish families to go have lunch together usually at a restaurant more than at home. After giving our presents to each other at home, we usually get dressed in our best clothes and if there are child in the house, it's pretty common to go "on tour" to your relatives' to get the rest of the gifts and then head for lunch. There are no child at my house, and as I have only one older cousin and my family is pretty small, we just take the day off to meet, get our classy, event-proof outfits out of the closet (and I get to wear tons of makeup because #YOLO) and we just have fun around some Spanish dishes, paella and tapas.

I think this is a nice outfit for family events. Although it is Winter, Valencia has that mediterranean weather I'll miss for sure if I'm granted with the Erasmus at the very north of Europe next course. It's the kind of weather that allows you to wear light crepe dresses and short sleeves at the very beginning of January. I think this outfit is great because it's classy, but not too formal and it is also appropriate for other family events as baby showers or birthdays. I always like to add a blazer to complete any outfit. Is my go-to piece to balance any outfit assemble: it can add a hint of sophistication to the plainest jean, and take off a lot of seriousness on this kind of more formal outfits. Also, I find this baby blue quite the interesting color for this events, specially for daylight! It reminds me of Spring, and the sky when it's sunny and clear at the city, and you get to stroll downtown as you're eating a slice of pizza.

I've spent this whole week dealing with my wisdom teeth removed, so, eating at this family event was quite the tricky thing but I at least managed to get a whole bowl of ice-cream for myself! *happy* I shared a hint of this day and the outfit at my Instagram account, where I always upload crazy selfies, silly stuff, and I also would love to get your answers to the following question...

What's your go-to outfit for family events?

I was walking my way to a café near home to meet a friend. I wouldn't say is very significant (and you'll know why later) to say that it was a sunny Tuesday morning, with lots of people walking their dogs and picking their groceries at the corner shop. I was wearing a super comfortable outfit consisting on a pair of wool culottes with my knee-length boots and coat, and the lightest makeup, as we were just meeting for a brief snack-recap in our lives as she was heading to work later on and I had chores to do.

Vintage shopping is somehow tricky. You must see further than the piece you are getting, and foremost, be ready for the unexpected. You might not find that dress for New Year's Eve you have been looking for but, instead, find an ah-wesome two piece suit that may be ready for you to wear on that event. You must be open-minded and be ready to do a pair of fixes and customizations for your new vintage garment to be ready. That's what we did with this lovely 70's-80's dress-coat from La Sra Henderson vintage shop, which has a detachable neck you can lace up and which we got all wrinkled, with two huge buttons which didn't match at all the coat style and with the linen stretching all the outer fabric. Not a mess at all: I've seen worse, but as I said, it was a piece full of opportunities.

So. Once we were at home, mum and I decided the best we could do to this vintage white coat was to put it on a hanger, iron it and lastly, get a pair of new buttons and replace them. I wish I had taken some pictures of it before the whole revamping process for you to see the differences between both. But it's OK, I think. You'll have to trust me and have a bit of faith when I'm telling you how the piece was originally. Just a bit of imagination, as everything related to fashion and design is.

Fashion is about imagination, about having vision and looking further than what you have in front of you. I always encourage people to see the many possibilities of a garment, the lots (billions, zillions) of possible combinations you can make by playing with different shapes, textures and colors. Vintage is for me the ultimate way of playing with fashion, and a way to express ourselves as legit as sculpture, painting, music or photography. By just changing a pair of buttons, I add a tiny bit of my personality to an unique piece. Others might design a garment from scratch, but for me, vintage is the key and as odd as it may sound, the future of fashion.