When I started this blog, I honestly had know idea what I was getting into. I thought I’d just post a few photos and write a few words (which is a big component, don’t get me wrong!) but what I didn’t realize was how important networking would be. Since Closet Luxe’s conception last October 2013, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many driven and motivational women, all with the same shared love for fashion. After attending my second fashion conference — the coveted, invite-only Lucky FABB conference — I’ve walked away with even more new friends, an even stronger appreciation for personal style, and a handful of words to live by.

Lucky FABB Day 1:

Lucky FABB was held at the SLS Beverly Hills and began with an 8:30am check-in time. This is a snap of the line at 8:15am… clearly, fashionably late was not an option, as the line was already wrapped all the way around the block!

Carolina (middle), a blogger I met at Simply Stylist, and I were waiting in line when we met Erin (far right). We three became fast friends and ended up spending the entire day together. It was great to learn about their stories and how they balanced their full-time jobs and blogging. By the end of the day, we were calling ourselves “Team Fab” because we made such a great trio! 🙂

Lucky Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Eva Chen, and Nasty Gal’s founder Sophia Amoruso were such a fun pair to listen to. Eva had many pieces of good advice — too many, in fact, that I had to resort to using bullet points, rather than full quotations. They are simple and basic, but in the daily hustle and bustle, they are incredibly easy to forget when you lose sight of the bigger picture, so it never hurts to be reminded:

• Believe in yourself
• Remove toxic people from your life and ignore negativity
• Success takes positivity; surround yourself with positive and realistic people whom you trust.

Sophia Amoruso may have given the quote of the year when she cautioned, “Don’t act like you’ve arrived if you’ve only just gotten the invitation.”

Next up was Nicole Richie’s keynote. She shared personal stories like how she accidentally shaved off half her eyebrows in the shower when she was 11 years old, and how she then feigned ignorance and told her mother that they just “fell off.” But all jokes aside, she highlighted the point that you can only do what you can do, and you shouldn’t feel bad about that.

In the Personal Style breakout session, Karolina Kurkova shared that her closet must-haves are (1) a white button-down and (2) a cross body bag. Both she and Aimee Song agreed that it’s important to be comfortable and stay true to yourself; don’t let trends wear you. Karolina also advised that you can’t please everyone, so please yourself.

I can’t believe I met my blogger idol, Wendy! I find her style to be the most inspirational as her taste is very similar to my own. Meeting her was the absolute highlight of my day. I chatted with her for a minute and thanked her for replying to a comment I had left her back in October 2013. To my surprise, she exclaimed, “I knew you looked familiar!” My jaw pretty much hit the ground in that moment, and if I wasn’t already fangirling enough, you better believe I was fangirling 10x more after that. (So embarrassing….)

Looking back, what I found most fascinating when comparing Simply Stylist 2014 with Lucky FABB 2014, was that they both underlined the importance of being nice to everyone. At first, I was rather shocked that one of their key points would be something so basic, but taking a step back, I sadly can think of instances where I’ve seen other bloggers be catty, gossipy, and competitive with one another. Nicole Richie said it best when she remarked: “We need to support other women. We have to count on each other… Girls are the best. You can be open to them and talk to them. They understand your work schedule. Girls appreciate each other. Never forget the role they play in your life. It’s all about love.”

Luckily, the girls I’ve met at Simply Stylist and Lucky FABB were incredibly welcoming and supportive, openly sharing their experiences and knowledge with those they just met. As a budding blogger, I can’t tell you how great it was to be surrounded by such positive, inspiring energy. You can bet that I’ll be back for more conferences next year!

Lucky FABB Day 2 pictures:

Jen and I were twinning it with pastel pinks, black jackets and pointy heels.

West Coast meets East Coast! The girls on the right traveled all the way from New York to attend this conference. Talk about dedication!

It’s all about the details. 🙂

Last but not least, the swag bag! Sadly, I had to leave 2/3 of all these full-sized goodies behind because I didn’t have enough space in my luggage to take it all home with me, but I definitely kept the jewelry and La Mer watch! 😀