Sarah Charness & her electric Pink Violin

When you've been playing the violin since the age of four and now your musical instrument is electric, well, then so are you - as in HOT! As hot as a pink violin in the hands of an artist, musician and fashionista. Sarah Charness is a wickedly talented artist musician living in New York City. She electrifies us with her violin and personal style. I first introduced you to Sarah this Fall and her new hit single with the Disco Killerz called GRIP. Her collaboration with the Disco Killerz continues with "Beautiful Life" and "Running For Our Lives." Both tracks are awaiting release and though Sarah was enthusiastic about the new music, she didn't say much about them, keeping the suspense high. We did chat about many other fabulous things, including her involvement with NYFW. See below:

Tell me about the transition from classical to electronic? I'd like to say that it was something that happened overnight, but was this gradual thing that started happening when I was 16 at a summer intensive program. A guy named Mark Wood came in and he showed off all of his gorgeous electric violins and I'd never heard of such a thing. And I was so pumped. Slowly but surely I got myself an electric violin.

How does living in New York City inspire and influence you, your music, your style? New York has allowed me to flourish as an artist because NYC is such an accepting place. You can be any color, any race, any gender, any anything - any artist has a place here and it's very unique. That's sort of what's allowed me to grow. To be in a totally wonderful, accepting city.

Tell me about the hot pink violin, it's fabulous. I did not design the instrument but the color I chose. I was only sixteen when I did but I think I would still choose the same thing. (She laughs). I wanted a violin that look like a Barbie violin.

Let's talk fashion... From a very early age I have loved clothes. As a performer I have to be comfortable. I have to be able to move around. Off stage I can wear all sorts of fun things. (...and she's does.) And NYFW? I don't have the schedule just yet because not all the designers have made their schedules, but for sure will let you know once I know which will be a few weeks before fashion week.

You've worked with such a diverse group of artists, from Josh Groban to Flo Rida. It's impressive. When you do something as totally obscure as I do you, really need to be versatile. It's good for your style and it's good overall.

What is your career wishlist? I'd love to work with some of the artists on the Armada label. For sure, Armin van Buuren. He's someone I have enormous respect for and his music is so classically influenced in so many ways that I think it would be really really cool to do that.  

It was such a pleasure chatting with Sarah. Maybe next time it'll be over a bourbon during NYFW?! Lookout for Sarah Charness and make sure and visit her website!

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Cityzen by Azin's Down to Earth Fashion

When genius meets style, the results can be beautiful as in the Citizen by Azin "Down to Earth Fashion" collection. 

Many air passengers gain a new appreciation of the world when viewed from 30,000 feet in the sky. Cityzen by Azin designer Azin Valy uses NASA satellite imagery of cities from around the world printed on the finest fabrics and materials to create women’s and men’s apparel and accessories. The process merges art, culture, geography, fashion and photography into high concept global style.

New York City-based Azin utilizes her award-winning architectural expertise from her previous career to match topographical details in the NASA imagery to specific details on her designs.  The Tiber River curves and forms the neckline of the “Rome” dress. The Zagros mountain range becomes the gathered neckline of the “Teheran” dress. Closer to home, the George Washington Bridge straddles the left and right side of the “New York” dress connecting the New York and New Jersey sides. Other locations include Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Los Angeles. International travelers can experience Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Rio di Janeiro, Cairo, Dhaka, London, Istanbul and many others from an entirely new perspective.

According to Azin, “Cityzen blends the human form with the urban landscape to link people to the places they love the most.” Each item includes a hangtag with a mini-map and travel guide to the hippest places and events in the city represented in the design. In Paris, as an example, the tag recommends visiting the Maison de Verre, one of Corbusier’s greatest houses and hearing Django’s music played at La Chope des Puces.

Cityzen by Azin is available from the Cityzen online shop at www.cityzenbyazin.com and at select specialty stores in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Washington, DC, New York, New Jersey and around the country.

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Planning a NYC Fashion Tour

New York's fashion industry is home to 13,800 fashion establishments with 900 fashion companies calling the city home, according to the New York City Economic Development Corporation. New York also hosts 75 major fashion trade shows and houses thousands of showrooms scattered throughout the boroughs. As a thriving fashion capital, the city is home to Fashion Week, couture museum exhibits and trend-setting boutiques.

New York City’s Fall Fashion Week kicks off September 10. Traditionally held at Bryant Park and Lincoln Center, Fashion Week moves to Soho and West Midtown in two locations called Skylight at Moynihan Station and Skylight Clarkson Square. While tickets to Fashion Week are difficult to score unless you’re an insider or a celebrity; there are other exhibitions, fashion landmarks and tours to enjoy. You can also check in with Time Out New York for updated lists of sample sales to score designer duds at a discount throughout the city.

FIT Museum

Stop by the famed Fashion Institute of Technology's museum for a look at fashion's long history and unique style icons. Upcoming exhibits starting in December 2015 include Denim: Fashion's Frontier. The exhibit Fashion Underground: The World of Susanne Bartsch directly follows Fashion Weekand opens September 18 through December 5. The exhibit looks at the socialite behind the extreme fashion and makeup who took New York City nightlife by storm in the 1980s and continues to do so in the present.

Free Garment District Tours

Mike's NYC Tours hosts Garment District Walking Tours with a look at the apparel industry and its winding history from the development of dress sizes to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire. Mike offers free walking tours throughout the year and shares his insider knowledge about the industry, including the best places to shop. The tour stops at boutiques and fashion landmarks around the city such as the Fashion Walk of Fame.

City Opera Thrift Shop

Head to the City Opera Thrift Shop at 222 E. 23rd Street near Third Avenue to shop while helping support its namesake opera. Explore two floors of carefully curated clothing and furniture from major designers, such as Christian Dior. Proceeds help fund the costumes for the New York City Opera, making this a unique fashion stop for those looking to support a good cause while finding quality clothes at a discount.

Fashion Walk of Fame

A fashion walk through Manhattan isn't complete without a stop at the Fashion Walk of Fame on 7th Avenue. See nearly 30 plaques commemorating some of the industry's great designers including Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Rucci. The walk was established in 1999 and is currently the only monument in the world dedicated to American fashion.

Couture Fashion Week

You may not be able to score access to Fashion Week, but tickets to Couture Fashion Week are as low as $50. From September 11 to the 13th, designers from around the world show off their couture and luxury designs. Events take place in the heart of the city at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in Manhattan. Stop by the TKTS Booth for a discount on same-day Broadway show tickets, suggests The Dig, to see the costumes and set design of Tony award-winning shows.

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