Megan Ann Wilson 8/6/16 Megan Ann Wilson 8/6/16

#shegotstyle - Sporting StaplePigeon for the US Cozy Girls series

Collaboration is a necessary part of the creative process. I'm always open to meeting all kinds of artists and content creators in hopes for being part of a great project. Recently, photographer Jeff Stashbox messaged me about doing a shoot for his US Cozy Girls series. The photography series features women in "cozy" (comfortable, athleisure, casual) wear out and about in New York City. Despite the espnW columns and my Instagram posts - I'm not 100% comfortable in front of the camera "modelling". I almost always prefer to be on video, discussing something I'm passionate or working behind the scenes than posing. I wish I had more "cozy" gear in my luggage that I didn't already shot for images, but the good people Staple Pigeon gave me this great tee to sport. I paired it with my trust Nike Pro 3' Combat shorts, my new adidas Pure Boost X running sneaker that Champs recently sent me (I'm obsessed with the two tone laces) and my trusty Céline sunglasses. Despite the insane heat, I quickly found my comfort zone crawling around the rocks and water by the Brooklyn Bridge. I got a little too cocky, as I slipped on some rocks and ended up with a giant bruise and sprained hand. Ooops. Check out the shots below and let me know what you think! Thanks to Jeff for involving me in the series, be sure to support his work on Instagram.

Wardrobe credits:

Staple Pigeon satellite t-shirt (on sale!)
Nike Pro 3' Combat short
adidas pure boost x sneaker courtesy of Champs Sports (white/silver/metallic grey/clear grey)
Céline sunglasses
Nails by Jessica Tong at Hello Beautiful Salon
Hair by Katie McGuigan

Megan Ann Wilson 5/26/16 Megan Ann Wilson 5/26/16

#shegotfit: Additional images of new Lululemon sports bras for espnW's We Tried It

In this week's edition of my espnW column "We Tried It", I test out two new bras from fellow Canadians Lululemon. I wore the Free Spirit Bra ($68) and the Run with the Sun Bra ($58) are available now. Since the article only has room for a few images, check out a few more below. Please feel free to ignore my incredibly frizzy gym hair - proof that I actually work out in every look! Check out my review and let me know what do you think about the new bras and if you'll be trying them out anytime soon!

Photography: Roger Messi

Shot on location in Brooklyn, NY

All apparel courtesy of Lululemon, shoes courtesy of adidas US and Finishline.

Full outfit details

Outfit 1:

Bra: Free Spirit Bra by Lululemon

Top: Swifly Racerback singlet by Lululemon

Leggings: Align Pants by Lululemon

Sneakers: Pure Boost X Running by adidas

Nails: Kim Nails Salon in Toronto

Outfit 2:

Bra: Run with the Sun Bra by Lululemon

Top: Real Quick Singlet by Lululemon

Leggings: All the right places pant II by Lululemon

Sneakers: Pure Boost X Training by adidas

Nails: Kim Nails Salon in Toronto

Megan Ann Wilson 4/18/16 Megan Ann Wilson 4/18/16

#shegotstyle: My Reebok Classic's #StepForward Custom Marble Sneakers

As a sneaker fan since childhood, I've always dreamed of having my own shoe. I've customized pairs, designed on Nike iD and even went to sneaker design school to learn about sketching silhouettes from scratch and material and textile design. Putting a creative spin on sneakers and other fashion pieces is a great way to flex your artistic muscles but it's often hard to find some time to take a break and paint.

Recently, Reebok sent me a very cool kit to customize a pair of the Reebok Classic white leather sneakers. It's part of their #stepforward project which asks artists and influencers to define what their version of Classic is to them. The kit came in a giant branded paint can which included a blank canvas, paints (white, black and shades of grey), brushes, a tray, a black Krink marker, extra shoelaces and a paint mask.

It took me a little while to decide what I wanted to do with the shoe, as I love a classic white sneaker with a gum sole - it's so clean! I decided to go with a marble print as marble is a classic, natural stone that never goes out of style. I already have a marble laptop case, a marble agenda, marble bookends...so you get my enthusiasm for the stone. I didn't want to do the full shoe in marble so instead I wanted to colourblock it, so it could serve as a compliment to the white leather, gum sold and canvas laces.

To paint the shoe I decided to opt for nail polish instead of regular paint to ensure that the design could stay on the sneaker and dry properly. I wanted to make sure that I could not only create my own custom piece of art, but also wear it in the streets. After a ton of research on Pinterest, DIY blogs, Tumblr and a trip to both the Dollar Store and the art supply store, I was ready to go. I decided to use nail polish colors that were closed to the paints that Reebok sent me - black, white, light grey, graphite - and also added a few of my own colours using silver, mint green and gold. I've seen all three colours created in nature on marble in the past and I thought it would add a personal touch. I also picked up a gold textile medium marker to add my own touches of gold to the sneaker to compliment the gum sole.

Once I had all my supplies, I planned out my design and taped the show accordingly. To get the marbling effect for your sneakers, first make sure your taped up tightly. Then get a large bowl or tin and fill it with water - I used a foil turkey container from the Dollar Store. I added droplets of paint to the water and quickly swirl it around so it looks kind of like marble. The nail polish will dry fast so work quickly. Dip the untaped portions of the shoe in the paint, do one coat and see how it looks. I recommend doing one coat the cover the entire taped portion at a time. Then add more layers as it dries. Do both shoes and dunk as needed. Then once you're happy with the pattern, set it to dry.

After, I removed all the tape and touched up, adding more nail polish with a paint brush or sponge where necessary. You can remove excess paint from the edges with your finger or nail polish, but you won't be able to clean off entire sections - that paint is more or less permanent. I then went in with my gold marker to add touches to the tongue, Reebok branding and in the marble pattern itself, giving a little shine. Once I was happy with the design, I went over all the nail polish sections with an essie gel top coat to give it a subtle sheen.

After I washed my hands, arms and nails (this is a messy project no matter what) and the shoe had tried I was able to lace up the shoe and shoot it. While the shoes aren't quite perfect, I'm pretty happy with the outcome. Much like a piece of salvaged marble, they're a little rough but still a work for art for some. Let me know what you think of the sneakers and enjoy a few beauty shots below. Thanks to Reebok Classics for involving me in the #stepforward project. This is what classic is to me.

Photos by Pierre Richardson. Shot on location at the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal.

Megan Ann Wilson 4/11/16 Megan Ann Wilson 4/11/16

#shegotfit: Additional images of adidas PureBOOST X for espnW's We Tried It

Today marked the debut of my new column for espnW called We Tried It, in which I wear items from the fitness, athletic wear and athleisure space. Given that I love to stay active and always up trying new gear or sports, it's right up my alley. In the debut article, I try out the new adidas Running PureBOOST X - the first female-specific performance shoe from adidas. Since there's only room for two photos in the post, I figure I should share the rest of the shoot that was done for the piece. Check out the images below and let me know if you've tried out the PureBOOST X yet.

Credits:

Photos: Pierre Richardson

Sneakers: adidas PureBOOST X - courtesy of Finishline

Leggings: Mission I’m Possible by Fruition

Tee: UNIQLO hyperwarm long sleeve t-shirt

Bra: Under Armour

Sunglasses: Celine from Native Ken Eyewear

Megan Ann Wilson 4/10/16 Megan Ann Wilson 4/10/16

#shegotstyle: Elements of Personal Style with @nikelab x @sacaiofficial and @champssports

Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, a bit outcast when it comes to what generates likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?

Fashion and style are often looked at as two different entities - fashion is the business, while style is more a question of personal taste. As my style continuously evolves, it always remains intrinsically different. In the age of blogging and social media, I've often felt both a sense of kinship with fellow fashion weirdos but also, still a bit of an outcast when it comes to generating likes, hearts and emojis. Prevailing trends have become somewhat homogenous, across Instagram, Pinterest and influencers. Can there be early adoption in the style world anymore thanks to the internet? Is personal style still personal, or is it all for public display?

Growing up, I was always most happy when I was taking style risks. Within the risks, there are always a few elements that I take into account when selecting pieces and creating looks to the pieces that I select still fit into my overall signature look. The "athleisure" trends is something that was always organic to me, mixing skate shoes and sneakers with dresses, long before Vogue and Chanel followed suit. Sporty spice elements and comfort are necessary in all almost all of my ensembles. "High and low" dressing, wearing high fashion brands and more accessible labels, is now de rigueur. As Zara outfits and Nike sneakers are oft paired with Chanel bags and Celine glasses (guilty). Finally, I like special pieces and texture. The mark of an interesting outfit is always in the mix of textiles as wearing the same fabric head to toe, even in different colors and patterns, seems a bit safe. Adding a fur, leather or suede elements to say, neoprene or cotton adds dimension and interest that I love.

Keeping all these elements in mind, I was ecstatic when I heard that Japanese brand Sacai was collaborating with Nike Lab, Nike's most progressive and fashion forward label. Chitose Abe, Sacai's founder and designer, used to work for Comme des Garçons, under one of my idols - the legend Rei Kawakubo. Abe's designs are often made with interesting and unique textiles, incorporating cool details and plenty of movement. It's a much more progressive brand choice than other athletic wear collaborations as of late. The first iterations of collection caught my eye, but I didn't have a chance (or at the time, the $$$) to invest in a few pieces. Naturally, I was over the moon when a package from Nike Lab showed up on my doorstep a few weeks ago.

The packaging itself is special, as my jacket came in a large, cloth garment bag and hanger that was branded with the collaboration's logos (Nike always remembers these small touches). Inside was Abe's unique take on the infamous windrunner, Nike's marquee lightweight jacket. The hood and body of the jacket is completely covered in faux fur made from acrylic and polyester, while the arms made of ripstop fabric feature prominent Nike branding.

The actual shape of windrunner is different too, as it's loose fitting with a trapeze coat type of cut similar to the swinging jackets of the 1960's. There is a elastic cord with toggles along the bottom hem of the jacket that allows you to adjust the flare of the trapeze shape, but it's most fun to wear the jacket unbunched at the hem so it flounces as you walk (or spin - you definitely need to spin in this jacket). The loose fit coupled with the heavier weight of the faux fur means that when the jacket is worn open, it hangs off the shoulders, allowing for more movement, rather than a snug fit.

Styling the jacket, especially given the volt (neon lime green) and midnight blue colorway, was a bit of a challenge. I wanted the rest of the outfit to echo the three main elements of the Nike Lab x Sacai jacket - high fashion, sporty styling, and a textural melange. I decided to pair the bright jacket neutral colors and relatively basic silhouettes rendered in interesting fabrics. My top is a black Elizabeth and James crop top with a mesh insert between the bust. Since the jacket is so detailed and covered up, I wanted to show a little skin to balance it out and wear black so the colors popped against the top. The shorts are by Rick Owens and are made of cream silk with a drop crotch silhouette. They're simple, but interesting and not always the easiest to wear when you're thicker in the thigh department like me. Much like the top there is a sheer element as the shorts are somewhat see-thru and the length also allows me to not be so swallowed up by fabric - long, wide pants felt too heavy paired with the jacket. To add a little more interested and cover myself up a tad, I wore Pretty Polly tights under the shorts. They tie the top with the shorts as the tights are both black and sheer and give a bit of a graphic, streetwear element to the look.

The shoes are the Nike Roshe Run Print and are courtesy of the fine people at Champs Sports. The sneakers, like the rest of the outfit besides the jacket, are black and white with some visual interest thanks to the print. I was originally planned to wear black and white block heels, which also works for the look, but decided against it to show that even a short girl can wear such a voluminous piece like the windrunner without having to add extra inches. Since we shot in daytime on an overcast day, I kept my Celine sunglasses handy.

Personally, I love the jacket. It allows me to make a personal style statement without having to even open my mouth. It's impossible to be a bad mood when you wear the windrunner because it's so unique and equal parts utilitarian and ostentatious. Fashion should be fun, and personal style should make you feel happy, empowered and most importantly, like the very best version of yourself. After all, who doesn't want to look like an high fashion muppet? Grover wishes he could be this chic!

The jacket retails for $800 US but is unfortunately completely sold out on Nike.com. However there are a few popping up on eBay if you're so inclined. The shoes are available at Champs now for $80 US. More outfit images and the Polyvore shopping guide for the rest of my look is below, using a mix of exact and similar items. Thanks for reading and let me know how you would style the Nike Lab x Sacai windrunner or if you'd be daring enough to wear it yourself!