There’s a girl on the road, coasting down the highway

Music is on her mind and adventure is in her heart

When she sees the sign, all wooden and weathered

She stops and peers down—there’s stairs and more stairs

A bridge, sandy lanes, and cottages that creak hello

Suddenly—shim shimmery—the sea beckons below

Ocean cliffs, crowns of palm, come closer with each step

Messy hair in her lashes, windblown, misty and wet

A defiant toss, a line of sight

As far as her eyes can see…

Umbrella spokes, a spacious bench, both open invitations

Even ...

Let’s take orange and blue.  They are a pair of complementary colors and when placed next to each other, the resulting contrast is eye-catching, memorable and unexpected.

Artists like Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) have used this color play to dramatize their paintings, as illustrated in the iconic example, Van Gogh’s famous Night Café.  In fashion, designers have also used the perceptual effect of contrasting colors to their advantage.  Juxtaposed, these colors look even brighter—think of the visual stimulation created from seeing red with green, purple next to yellow or, designer Paula Hermanny’s favorite combination of the ...

Known as the “Brazilian Caribbean,” Fernando de Noronha is an exotic archipelago of islands off the northeastern shores of the country.  It’s a tranquil mix of azure ocean, white beaches and verdant backdrops.  The perfect place to get back in touch with nature, these islands are the ideal setting for a different kind of experience in Brazil.  Here’s why:

Beaches

Fernando de Noronha is easily recognized as having the most beautiful and pristine beaches of Brazil.  Sancho Beach, in particular, is famous for its level of seclusion and unspoiled charm.  Part of a bay enclosed by natural walls ...

“The Caribbean was an amazing inspiration for our summer collection,” ViX designer Paula Hermanny says, “the islands, the blue water and white sand—I can never get tired of it.”

Can anyone ever get tired of it?  A dreamscape come to life, the Caribbean is a destination of beauty, wonder and magic.  It’s the kind of place where imagination is set free and our connection with nature is restored.  Capturing the simple pleasures of the islands felt like a vacation—not work:

This floating marvel

All briny, life and laughter,

Is seascape’s embrace

Tradition meets eye

The islands ...

Kate Moss is known as one of the most iconic of supermodels.  Her quiet confidence and chameleon-like adaptability is recognized, sought-after and admired by many.  Perhaps even more striking is Kate’s personal sense of unabashed style.  From portraying the “waifish anti-supermodel” in the 90’s to one of the world’s sexiest models at the turn of the century and later, inadvertently coining “boho-chic” with Sienna Miller, Kate is the poster child of reinvention.

Her sartorial flair has earned accolades in magazines such as Vanity Fair, Vogue, W and even an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of ...

We are a few months into the New Year and now would be an opportune time to check in with yourself and see how you’re doing.  Resolutions aside, is there anything else flitting across your radar?  The coming of spring often sparks the inspiration to make a change, transform or try something new.  Nothing is more energizing then a fresh beginning and for many, a change in season brings on that special kind of daring.

If you need a jumpstart, ViX designer Paula Hermanny has a list of five things for you to try this spring—all of which ...

One quintessential aspect of the ViX woman is her propensity to give back and inspire others to do the same.  A passion for charitable causes may best be channeled into fundraising, volunteering or servicing the community.  Others may find that they have the gusto and charisma to make a difference through grander means:

Imagine playing powder puff football in 20°C weather.  Not many women would be able to handle that but Andrea Rodgers can—especially if it benefits a charity like the one she co-founded, “Blondes vs. Brunettes for the Alzheimer’s Association”—which to date has raised $2 ...

Paula’s selection of easy reading for those afternoons in the sun…

To pour over the conquest of beauty:

Kate Moss: The Making of an Icon

By Christian Salmon

To cultivate an appreciation for the multi-faceted muse:

Vogue Women

By Georgina Howel

To come back to center and possess a moment of stillness:

Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga

By Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison

To nourish, sustain and invigorate:

Superfood Kitchen: Cooking with Nature’s Most Amazing Foods

By Julie Morris

To inspire and be grateful for the blessings we have:

Desert Flower: The ...

Winter whites are melting away, giving over to a crisp, sun-bleached brightness.   The earth’s a-stirring, fresh and anew.  Spring is coming with the thrill of summer just ahead—the thought alone puts a bounce in everyone’s step. You can’t help but echo the same optimism, wanting to greet the world with your own celebration of renewal!  A change in dress, some statement pieces and a dazzling smile announces that, you too, are ready for new beginnings.

Sunshine and balmy winds instantly makes ViX designer Paula Hermanny feel at home.  In anticipation of the warm weather ahead, she ...