BRAIN OVER BRONZE

Months ago, I wore this outfit to a spontaneous dinner outing with my bestie Spencer (who later moved to Los Angeles... sad stuff). It was an incredible night. I remember having been trapped at home for two weeks, recovering from surgery and desperate to re-enter the scene, when one night on Facebook chat, Spencer asked if I was up for Noodle Asia. Rhetorical question! The answer is always DUH. I headed over to the Venetian pronto, where amid hordes of tourists, Spencer appeared wearing an outfit almost identical to mine in color scheme. We were decked out in our bronze, brass, and black best. For him, a gorgeous metallic button-up matched with a golden Chanel chain over a vintage tie. For me, a lace bronze dress with gold chains seeping from the collar. Perfect evening ensembles, but little did we know that we'd be wearing them till 9 AM the next morning, when we eventually parted ways. That's how me and Spencer have always rolled... long, drawn out dinners followed by hours of idle chatter at Caesar's Palace while watching the distant sun rise from the haze of the Sierra Nevada.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM:

Bowler hat - ROMWE

Metallic sunglasses - 80s Purple

Bronze dress - ROMWE

Boots - Zigi, Karmaloop

April and May were two of the best months of my life, and I am anxious to recapture the thrills that met me then. It's so important to have a healthy social and physical routine -- I was in my best shape when I exercised every day of the week and made a conscious effort to surround myself with people who made me laugh and think. I find that it's also therapeutic to let yourself be alone. There's no guilt in not seeing and being seen all the time! I used to believe that living in Vegas meant I was missing out on so much that was going on in Los Angeles. But now I realize that living in Vegas, where there isn't a competitive club kid scene and glamorous entertainment industry, is actually a privilege. I have the advantage of respite between fast-paced weekends of partying in Hollywood. When the going gets tough, I get to go home. Sleep in my warm bed, away from the social hierarchies and gossip. There's something so serene about a city without a scene. Visitors come and go from all around the world, implanting their own stories into the hollow architecture. There's no local rules or cultures or lifestyles. There's only a grid of streets and places, an infrastructure, a glittering playground where anybody can build their tale. And me? I, too, get to invent my own meaning, but from the comfort of my bedroom. Just a light in a building that sparkles in the horizon.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

SOLESTRUCK ON THE ROAD S/S 2012!

A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of working with the BEST online shoe retailer that the internet has ever known... Solestruck! They recently released the offical video Lookbook and catalog, featuring dozens of looks from Los Angeles to Portland and everything in between. To capture the campaign's roadtrip theme, they rented out an RV and drove all over the coast, photographing and filming models who represented the aesthetics of different cities. I was invited to rock some platform sneakers and kick the desert dust for the city I rep best: Las Vegas! Here are some screen shots of me and fellow model Emma Sargeant from the official ON THE ROAD Lookbook!

If you haven't spied 'em yet... these are the teasers and official video Lookbook!

Being a part of this project was the most incredible experience ever for me. The crew had high energy, and everyone pulled out all the stops (including a massive straw cape that made me look like a posh scarecrow!) The creative director, Ty McBride, is a genius when it comes to coordinating a shoot... he really knows how to inspire a pose with quips like "give me a snarl like 'you're not my father and I can do whatever I want!'" And I wish I could have our stylist, Anna Branch, on hire for the rest of my life. The club-inspired outfits she pulled together transcend brilliance. Rainbow shorts with leopard tights and a quilted bomber jacket... none of this is stuff I could have thought of myself! She's a lean mean stylin' machine. Our videographer, Matthew Ellis, was one of the funniest people I'd ever met. Within minutes of stepping into the RV and talking to him, I was doubled over with laughter. Nothin' better than working with people with the same sense of humor as you! He also had riveting stories about a near-death experience in Japan (and nonetheless wasn't afraid to film the models while sitting on the hood of our moving RV!) Last but not least... my main girl, Jessica Frieling, the Lookbook photographer. I met Jessica over the summer while filming a music video for my best friend Jessi's band The Ruckus. Jessica does it all - makeup, hair, photography, videography, acting, and singing. She's an artistic powerhouse and I am so unbelievably proud to say that she is not only my collaborator, but she's my friend. Everything about her is awe-inspiring; from the fact that she drove all the way from Arizona to work with our team in the desert, to the insane photos she snapped and how comfortable she made all of us feel behind the camera. Jessica is more than an artist, she's a hero. And I know that you'll be seeing so much more of her and her incredible work over the years! Thanks so much to Solestruck for this AMAZING opportunity!!!! Hope everybody loves the finished product as much as our team enjoyed creating it.

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva

GYPSY DEN

Most people wouldn't say that Vegas is the epicenter of treasurable thrift store finds. Most natives are more interested in rhinestone-encrusted jeans than lacy floor-length wedding dresses from 1909. So for this specific thrift store to exist in such an un-thrift-friendly environment is a genuine miracle. It graces the downtown landscape with its one-of-a-kind bohemian energy. Stepping onto those creaky wood floorboards is like entering an alternate universe, a time warp, a portal into a realm where organic, earthy beauty indisputably trumps all other forms of art. That wonder world is called The Gypsy Den.

The best part about this vintage boutique is that the gypsic charm doesn't end at clothes and accessories- head out back on the First Friday of every month and a fortune teller's wagon functions as a stage for indie bands who come to play shows at night. Even everything outdoors is decorated with an arcane divinity- velvet thrones from the ancient pagan era, old-fashioned lamps, even woven rugs that reek of free-spirited youth. The Gypsy Den proves that a day at the thrift store doesn't have to be a predictable shopping affair, it can be an oracular experience for peregrine palettes.

Website: http://thegypsyden.tumblr.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/thegypsyden

Address: 213 E. Colorado Avenue

Phone: (702) 684-1628

Everything is infinite,

Bebe Zeva