Getting personal with Cocktail Chic's Ashley Tschudin

I made some great personal and professional connections on Twitter. One of my fashion obsessed Twitter friends is Ashley Tschudin aka @CocktailChic, creator and editor of two very popular blogs "Coctail Chic" and "Vintage Vanity". I got a chance to ask her some questions about what inspired her to enter the blogosphere.

Sabina Les: The premise of your blogs is combining fashion, dating and cocktails. What inspired you to pick those themes besides Sex and The City?:)

Ashley Tschudin: I began Cocktail Chic as a simple dating and relationship blog with a twist, comparing every day to a cocktail. As a result of exposure on Twitter, the website grew a following from fashionistas and beauty experts and I expanded my genre to include a fashion website. Hopefully, in the next few months the two will merge on to one platform.

SL: Have you ever worked in fashion, dating or beverage industries? If yes, in what capacity, how long, company names (if you can) Did you like it?

AT: I have worked for a few fashion websites including Glamour Nerd and Vogue Vintage LA but other than that it is just a passion that has increased over the past few years. I have grown in my knowledge of the fashion industry though studying it and working along side other industry professionals.

SL: Are the drink recipes your creations or you consult a bartender guide?

AT: I usually do a search on Google, Bing, or use my iPhone (I'm sickly obsessed) to find cocktails that relate to the blog entry theme. Sometimes it is easy to find cocktails starting with say Ex Boyfriends but when you get specific it begins to get tricky to find just the right one. 

SL:What is you vision behind Vintage Vanity blog?

AT: My original vision behind Vintage Vanity was a vintage fashion inspired site but in the past year it has expanded to be an all-encompassing fashion and beauty blog. I want a section to fit every fashionistas interest and lifestyle.

SL: Was it a business decision to separate Cocktail Chic as a dating blog and Vintage Vanity as a fashion blog?

AT: No, as I stated in question one, Cocktail Chic was created prior to Vintage Vanity and soon they will be merging into one uber blog and then Cocktail Chic will take over the world... ok maybe that's a slight exaggeration.

Bespoke Maura Coscia Italian handbags

As the bespoke trend is in a full swing i'm always on the look out for the next special item. My newest discovery comes out of Milan, Italy and is "Maura Coscia" handmade handbags. "Maura Coscia" handbags' style is a classic, upscale European with a design twist of having a client make the final concept decisions such as picking colors, lining and hardware. After that each bag is entirely handmade by local artisans in the tradition that was passed down from generation to generation. A"Maura Coscia" bag can be recognized by the embossed "The Three Flower" logo. No wonder such attention to details and craftsmanship made "Maura Coscia" bags the darlings of Italian ELLE and Glamour magazines. Recently I had a chance to interview the visionary behind the brand, designer Maura Coscia. 

Sabina Les:  Who is the designer behind the brand?
Maura Coscia: "Maura Coscia" was created in 2006 by me. I trained at the Accademia di Brera in Milan and started with designs mainly executed in fabric then developed a penchant for strong designs coupled with vibrant colours in leather. In 2009 i showed my Spring Summer 2010 collection at the Paris Zip Zone and Milan’s White Show.

Gilda Scarlet

Material: Textured calf leather

SL: What inspires you?
MC: My emotions are fundamental to any inspiration. They are born from my attention to small details, insignificant to many but not to me: a walk in the park, an object seen in a shop window when I am cycling through Milan. An idea sometimes is born from a fundamental necessity, the project takes shape and changes according to other requirements. Mood and atmosphere are fundamental.  I develop my color palette and choice of fabrics around these. I am constantly inspired by the 1940s, and not only by the fashion but also, the architecture, art, and color which has always been the true protagonist of every choice.

Regina Noor 

Material: Python

SL: What is your woman/customer like?
MC: Our clients are strong independent women who are absolutely not fashion victims. They are, generally, well travelled women that have developed a taste for the refined and exclusive. Women that wish to invest in a bag which combines style, functionality, exclusivity and refined workmanship in one.

Stella Ceres

Material: Black glossy python

SL: How long does it take on the average to produce a bag?
MC: There are several stages in the development of a bag when the bag has precise recquisites above all quality:
a) The design goes through various stages. The first sketch which I usually do whilst travelling on a scrap book.  If the idea is good it goes to the next phase.
b) Project phase – where one thinks about the volume, its final use, and all the small details.  It’s the most important phase since it will determine the whole mood of the bag.
c) At this point we start making the cardboard model, then we make a model in ‘nappa’’ which will be modified several times:  The proportions and details are decided at this stage. The next passage is that which we call ‘first model’ which is made of leather or fabric which will help us determine whether it has turned out as I had imagined it before putting it down on paper.  Once that is confirmed we pass to the first prototype.
In this business time is money, however at Maura Coscia we believe that all the necessary time MUST to be taken to ensure that the product is 100% satisfactory both to us and to the person who will eventually wear it and this is why it can take up to 3 months for each creation!
For more information and order please go to "Maura Coscia" site and happy designing.

"Maura Coscia" collection