Water-n-Oxygen

Meet Cassius Clay, the 19 year old Yale University student turned personal stylist and creative consultant to Mr. Kanye West. In case you are wondering, no he is not named after boxer Muhammad Ali. Both Ali and Clay are actually named after Clay’s ancestor, Cassius Marcellus Clay, the 19th century abolitionist and politician.


As fate would have it, Mr. West stumbled upon Clay one day while shopping for high-end Italian leather shoes in Barney’s. Mr. West was intrigued by Clay's style, which prompted him to compliment Clay on his taste in shoes and fashion. From there, the two struck up a convo and exchanged information. I'm not sure what was discussed during the 30 minute convo. But the next day, Mr. West purchased a controlling share in the Italian shoe company and contacted Clay to bring him on board as designer. If my baby like to eat, ima buy a restaurant. I kid!

Any who, Clay is now a member of Kanye's entourage and personally selects most of his garments. Opening Ceremony was the first site to get an official interview with the style maverick. During the interview he mentions where he wants to be in 5 years and what he would be doing now if he could. Click here to read the entire article.


The moral of the story is, sometimes opportunity only knocks once. Be prepared!
Spotted : Heartache...or Couture?

Ho, Ho Ho! Merry Christmas! It’s Mrs. Clause aka H.O.C. here to give you saints and sinners some Christmas gift ideas for your hoes, sidepieces, girls, wives and/ or any combination there of.
I’m going to give it to you simple, girls aren’t ungrateful, men just don’t use their brains when selecting a gift. Women want something sentimental, something that no one else ever got them, something they can remember you by. The price of the gift does not matter, the thought that went into the gift is what counts. For instance, if your girl is complaining about being stressed from work and everyday life, a gift card to the spa is nice. But an overnight stay for the two of you at a quaint boutique hotel where she can use the spa gift card is even better. Hold up! Let me finish before you start counting your coins and complaining. Sites like groupon.com, jetsetter.com and livingsocial.com often have deals for such hotels. Go to the sites and register as a member to receive daily emails for specials.

Click Here to Read More!!!



A typical yet wonderful gift for women is perfume. What woman doesn’t wear perfume? Even women who are allergic to it like me still wear it…don’t judge me. Add something extra to the perfume bottle by having it engraved. Every Nordstrom store has an engraver that comes to the fragrance section during the month of December to engrave bottles purchased at Nordstrom for free. Call your local Nordstrom stores to check the dates and times. Some classic fragrance options include:


Lolita Lempicka



Jean Paul Gaultier


Viktor & Rolf 'Flowerbomb'

Believe it or not a wonderful gift option for women is electronics. We like gadgets too! Apple now offers engraving on iPods and iPads for free also. If you purchase either option, be sure to have it engraved and go the extra mile to add that special someone’s favorite songs, movies or even t.v. shows. I guarantee she will love it!

Women like sparkly gifts! You can’t go wrong with jewelry. A statement necklace, bracelet or watch will let her know that you really care. And when I statement I’m talking about a piece that stands out, not something that looks like you picked it up from a the bubble gum machine on your way to her house. Peep the samples below to get a visual of the statement pieces. Stores like Bebe, Arden B., Nordstrom and even Target have a plethora of affordable jewelry options.



Fallon Victoria Swag Bib



Fallon Stud Spike Comet Earrings



Lanvin Metallic Strand Pearl Necklace

If you happen to be the bomb boyfriend and been there done that with all of these options feel free to hit me up, I have plenty of other gift options. Until next time, yall be cool!

Allow me to introduce myself, my name is HOC. H to the O.C. !
Ha! Just kidding! My name is Karla Smith and it’s a pleasure to make
your acquaintance. I am also known as Ms. Heartache or Couture. Named
so because I suffer frequent heartaches over the couture pieces that I cannot
afford. But it’s ok. Anyone who knows fashion knows that labels have nothing
to do with STYLE! Style is created, transformed, imagined, and executed with
what you have. Not with who made it! And I plan to prove it. My plan is to show
you all how to be stylish without going broke. Because we all know that there
is nothing fashionable about being broke! So takes notes people. And don’t be
afraid to ask questions, I don’t bite. But you can feel free to do so. Imitation is
the highest form of flattery, so feel free to bite me whenever you want.
Hehe… I kid, I kid.
Ok, settle down class, today’s lesson is this fall’s fashion trends.

Click Here to Read More!!!

Coat options at shopnastgal.com and topshop.com