chi-town

the famous chicago. fashion capital of the midwest and a kick ass city. ill let the pictures do the talking.

billy rood

chris rucker

 tiffany nicholson

xoxo ana cristina

the big cherry

the one and only minnesnowta. ask anyone living in la, miami, or nyc whats there and the answer will inevitably be snow and farmland. but any minnesotan will cordially disagree. ive loved growing up in minnesota. but it wasnt until i started spending more time in minneapolis until i truly understood the real energy behind the place. the city has a vibe, like electricity in the 

air, you can just feel it. 

minneapolis gets its vibe from   the people who live there. its   overflowing with creativity, with   art and beauty. there are   bands   of "creatives" that  collaborate   with eachother. they know about   life, theyve  been places. yet   they choose to   stay in   minneapolis because they   understand how precious it really   is. ive never seen more beautiful   people than in the city. ive   never seen happier people than on   the lake. ive never felt scared,   lost or small there. because youre   not just in the city, youre a part of it. and ive never felt that way in any other city. 

so heres to minnesnowta. to lake minnetonka and calhoun. to uptown and downtown. heres to moa. to caribou coffee. dowtown wayzata. big island. hot summers and freezing winters. to highland. to atmosphere. to the cherry and the spoon. to the people who love that place as much as i do. stay nice minnesota.

xoxo ana cristina

 photography by drew krason^

its really simple

in the overwhelming world that we live in it seems impossible to escape extravagance. it seems that our society has gotten the notion that bigger is better, more is more, adding to the clutter of our lives will improve it. simplicity is looked down upon, simple has been done, simple is old news. but is more really more?

madison dube proved to me that simplicity is beauty. she eliminated the clutter and it was stunning. when i showed up at location i expected preparation, complication, additions and all other matters to improve my raw self.

 but there was none of that, and i was doubtful because i thought fashion did not coexist with simplicity. but madison knew that life is better without the complications. she also knew how to take a damn good photo. so i spent the day in a ravishing world of minimal. and with the clutter gone there was more room for connection and friendship. yes, it sounds cheesy but i bonded with madison. i was intrigued by her approach, amazed by her persona, and we shared more than time together that day. 

simplicity has always been beautiful, and it will remain more beautiful than any overproduced work in my mind.  in the process of enormously refining art, the passion behind the work is destroyed. madison did not refine but rather effortlessly utilized the magic of simple. she did not seek to complicate, she did not seek to perfect. because perfecting is work, and art isnt work. madison is an artist, and a briliant one at that. meow.

xoxo ana cristina 

the big bang

every once in a while there is a big bang

the fashion industry is like no other and my job as a model is unlike any job that i have had or will ever have. the obvious reason is that no other job stresses beauty like modeling. the less obvious reason is the people who i work with. 

my first taste at modeling was   with a photographer whom i   consider to be a friend today. i   can credit much of my success to   him, for without his talent and   energy im not sure if i would   have loved my job from the start.   i was unsure of the industry. i   didnt think i was good enough, i   didnt think i could make it.   because getting into the industry   is hard enough, and youre only   going to succeed if you enter   with a big bang. we shot to cinema>>>

taylor tupy is one of the most talented fashion photographers in minnesota. i walked into his studio unsure, timid, and frankly scared out of my mind. but taylor kept it simple, he kept it sexy. and all of the sudden, it clicked with me when he clicked the shutter. i went through a metamorphosis, a drastic change caused by a surge of creative energy pouring from this guys lens. taylor tupy kicks ass. and that alone is enough said.

xoxo  ana cristina