Art Basel Photo Diary.

I’ve always loved art. In school, grades seven through ten were a particularly rough point in my life (awkward, awkward, awkward… bangs, braces, frizzy hair, glasses… I could go on) but my art classes were always what got me through the week. The studio was my sanctuary and one of the only places I did not get teased.

When I got to college, I opted for a more practical major (Finance) but really admire my sister Becca who took a chance (majoring in painting at RISD) and now has found a practical way to earn a living from her art. Loving art and actually knowing about art are two completely different things though, and I’m afraid I’m not as knowledgeable about it as I’d like to be. But one of the great things about art is that it is so subjective. A piece either resonates with you or it does not. So while I may be a little bit ignorant about art history, I love it so, so much.

So when Old Navy asked me to go to Art Basel and write about it here, I jumped for joy. I couldn’t take any time off from the day job as December is our busy time, but I booked a weekend hotel room and brought my sister along (to enjoy the sunshine with me but also to act as a guide and snap some photos for the blog!)

I packed a suitcase full of bikinis (Old Navy has some cute ones right now… loving this striped one) and for the actual exhibit I packed this pretty camisole with an old (sorry, sold out!) Old Navy skirt. This little clutch held all of my essentials perfectly, and while I packed my Rockstuds for photo purposes and general attempts at fitting in + looking fancy, I ended up wearing my flip flops most of the time.

We stayed at the Four Seasons in Downtown Miami, which was amazing – their pool is incredible (hi, hammocks.) I should note that while I loved every minute, if you visit Art Basel I’d recommend staying in South Beach to be a little closer to the action.

I get stopped about this little crossbody every time I wear it. No one can believe it was only $18. The cobalt hue is particularly great.

Standing next to a David Shrigley piece (I’m a big fan of his drawings, which are often sarcastic, and often very colorful.)

This piece, by Xu Zhen, was one of my favorite pieces from the entire exhibit. The flowers are three-dimensional and it felt like something out of Alice & Wonderland. It’s oil + canvas and aluminum. I was blown away by the texture and wish you could see it.

If you attend Art Basel, I’d say dress up… but not too much. I felt like my outfit was perfect for the exhibits… dressed up but not too dressy. People were dressed at every end of the spectrum… from really decked out (think piled on jewelry, short dresses + stilettos) to jeans/flip flops and even swimsuit coverups. I felt presentable and composed but still comfortable, which is important as it was hot!

Loved this piece… as any pet owner would… Tyrion is infatuated with the mirror!

Stopping at The Delano for a snack and a cocktail after an afternoon at the Convention Center! I got back to the city late on Sunday night. Feeling inspired, I (finally) bought a membership to the MoMA… and plan to hit up the Matisse exhibit this weekend!

This post was sponsored by Old Navy. Check out Old Navy’s latest fashion lineup in store or online at oldnavy.com.

​