Happy St Patrick's Day

Happy (early!)St Patrick's Day everyone! It took me a while, but I think I finally figured out what this day is all about: getting drunk on beer and looking green. Since I'm not a fan of beer nor of getting drunk, I think I'll focus on the latter: looking green- stylishly of course. Getting into the spirit of spring, I'm loving these cheerful looking dresses from Tibi (left) and See by Chloe (right).

Since it is not quite warm yet, I think this green coat from FCUK (left) is awesome, the model looks so cool and this season. On the other side of the temperature scale, this paisley dress from J Crew (right) is just the thing for a beach holiday.
And for the night, we have this green Raphael dress, which is my absolute favourite! I love how the gold prints line the dress in absolutely the most flattering way. And for something simpler, we have this plainer, but still very stylishly cut with cute bubble sleeves, dress from 3.1 Phillip Lim (right).
Green eye shadows are also quite the thing this season and are everywhere. This Ponder Four Piece (left) from Bare Escentuals is to-die-for! And for something with a bit more variety, DuWop also has this lovely green eye palette (right), though I'm not so sure exactly how green it really is from this picture.
For more subtle hints of green (or if you're just looking for something to match your green outfits), these green Mawi teardrop earrings are PERFECT. I love them. Its so elegant and sophisticated. For something more casual for the day time, there is this Monica Vinader Luna cluster necklace. Doesn't quite compare to the teardrops, but they'll do for the day.

The great thing about everything on this list is of course that they are all perfectly wearable outside of St. Patrick's day!

Image Source: Sephora, Shopbop, Net a Porter, FCUK and J Crew

S/S08 Trend: Jumpsuits Continued

Last June, I blogged about how I didn't particularly like jumpsuits. And after looking through the S/S08 collections on style.com, I thought jumpsuits have become a thing of 2007. But it seems like my brain was so desperate for this trend to be over that it just missed the jumpsuits in the S/S collections. Vogue.co.uk identifies them:

Stella McCartney designed a few printed, light-weight, long-sleeved jumpsuits. They look like they're for people who are bumming around the countryside, and the one in the middle looks like PJs.
Bottega Veneta and Moschino both had tailored, summery-looking jumpsuits.

Many highstreet retailers have jumped on board and are now selling them:
Urban Outfitters (US) has a few styles. These are very casual and relaxed looking. These are way too casual and PJ-looking for me, but believe me, the models in these jumpsuits look very cool in UO's Spring catalogue images!
Even Lacoste (left) came out with a preppy version of jumpsuit. And the blue jumpsuit on the left (from UO) looks very LA-style.
Jumpsuits like this red, camisole version by Top Shop is one big reason why I don't like this trend. Seriously, does anyone actually just wear this and walk around the streets? Talk about cheap-looking and skimpy!
Although to be fair, Top Shop is also selling these two cute versions. (To my horror,) I actually really like the flower-printed jumpsuit on the left. It probably wouldn't suit me and I certainly won't dish out 45 pounds for something I won't wear often, but I can image it would look cool on certain people (like the people in Nylon magazine and Top Shop ads.)

2 months back, Vogue UK had a page or two featuring around 4 people photographed in different style of jumpsuits. They all looked fantastic of course and there were quotes from them proclaiming their love for jumpsuits. In the following few weeks, a couple of UK newspapers' websites also sang their praises for jumpsuits. But at the end of day, I just don't 'get' jumpsuits. I really don't think jumpsuits are versatile at all. I mean, wouldn't having the pants/shorts and tees/tops seperate be much more versatile to mix-and-match? Oh well, I suspect I'm just very biased towards disliking the fashion from the time period when jumpsuits were popular (-the 80's right?) Let's hope we'll stop seeing jumpsuits around next S/S!

Image Credits: http://www.vogue.co.uk/, http://www.topshop.com/, http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

An Invitation to meet Nina Garcia

Just when the finale of Project runway was airing last week, I received the following:And such a pretty invite too! How could I resist?!?
So today I went to Costa, the restaurant where this cocktail event was held, at IFC, a mall/office building next to the harbor (this is in Hong Kong fyi). The venue itself was quite small and could barely accommodate the crowd waiting to meet Nina. Luckily, they had a lovely balcony outside, facing the harbor where guests could mingle and breathe in some fresh air. Personally we spent quite a lot of time there drinking fresh orange/champagne and eating hors d'oeuvre (we were especially fond of the parma ham wrapped around the bread stick) and enjoying the view- I do have a penchant for staring into the sea.
But anyways, inside the venue, it was gorgeously decorated with little display sections each representing one of the chapters of Nina's book, The Little Black Book of Style, which is the reason for her presence and the purpose of the event- to promote it. I love the displays, they were so stylishly designed. This one (above), featuring those gorgeous nude Louboutins was my favourite. I especially love the quote from Louboutin himself (right). Haha.
When Nina arrived (around half an hour after the event started), there was immediately a crowd surrounding her, greeting her, getting her to sign their books and, in typical Asian fashion, taking lots of photos of her. I happily whipped out my camera and joined in. Soon, the event became an impromptu book signing and picture taking event and we all lined up for our turn. I daresay, the event was genius. Almost everyone there bought a book or two so they won't miss out on the fun. Naturally I fell in with the crowd, despite the niggling part of my mind telling me that this is all a marketing ploy and I that do I really need this book (especially since a week ago I had no intention of buying it!)??

As for the book itself, I skimmed through it tonight and it seems as good as any how-to-guide can be. It has practical advice, interesting anecdotes, inspiring quotes and gorgeous illustrations. I REALLY must stop buying staples and buy more drama pieces- like a colorful bold winter coat!
Dressed in this studded top and black skinny pants from Givenchy and Balenciaga, Nina looked great if a bit disheveled (either from the hoards of people crowding her or its part of the "imperfection" she mentions in her book). We only exchanged a few words, but she seemed nice (especially considering that she's been smiling and patiently signing books and posing for pictures all night) and was surprised when we asked her why they thought that Rami deserved second place instead of Jillian. Apparently the HK channels were not up to the finale yet.... whoops! And as for the answer to our question, she cleverly returned that it was a question best answered with all the judges present.

Image Source: Amazon

Project Runway Cycle 4

Spoiler Alert: For those Project Runway fans who have still not watched the finale yet, STOP scrolling, because today I am going to ramble on and on about it. So don't say I didn't warn you!
I felt that the talent this season was definitely unprecedented. Most of the designers from the beginning have been good at what they do and stayed pretty consistent throughout. I bet the judges had a hard time each challenge trying to decide the winner- I know I did! The one little glitch for me was that the entertainment value this season was a bit low, a few times, I admit, I even dosed off while watching it on my bed. I think it is because the challenges are starting to get a bit dull and more importantly as Tim pointed out in an interview, the designers this season were all very focused with their work and had a healthy dose of respect for each other and therefore there was not a lot of drama. Oh well, put that way, I guess it cannot be helped.

And the winner this season is... Christian! No surprise there really. He's always been my favourite designer (and the audiences as well!). He consistently produced fierce outfits that were innovative, refreshing, stylish and very flattering to the body. Plus, he was the most vibrant, energetic and confident character in the show. His overconfidence and bitchy blunt comments actually endeared him to me more! Besides, underneath that facade, we can all see his fierce passion for fashion, which he obviously has a talent for. And isn't that what counts?

So, lets start the show!

Christian
Christian's collection was inspired by the romantic gothic. I thought the collection was chic, powerful, innovative and dramatic. Just what one would expect from Christian! Every piece was a very strong look. The dramatic overflowing top cinched at the wrists and waist, paired with skinny pants created a strong silhouette. The only thing was that I thought he repeated this silhouette a bit too much and it got slightly repetitive, especially with the monotonous black color scheme going on.

That is why it was good to see some beige here. It went really well with the look. And the beige overflowing neck piece Tim was worrying about before turned out great (right)!
I thought this outfit (left) looked exactly what I imagined the three musketeers would wear (down to the hat!). But I can appreciate the workmanship here. And the contrast created here (right) by pairing this soft flowing chiffon skirt with this structured (is it leather?) shirt is striking.

I love this two toned dress here (left). But I'm not so sure about this second piece..... she looks like a very elegantly shaped vulture......I guess feathers is an acquired taste.

All in all I thought Christian put on a great show. It had flare and drama, which I appreciated. Wearability-wise though, this collection is definitely not something that makes me want to reach into my screen and grab these outfits off the models for myself. As Victoria Beckham said, these clothes were very her. And I'm afraid that my taste of clothing does not run paraellel to her's.

Jillian
My taste definitely runs alongside Jillian's taste though. Besides a few pieces which I thought were a bit disjointed, I really liked her collection inspired by the Master of Argonauts. It was very detailed oriented, feminine and very wearable.
I wear these straight off the runway!

She just does trench coats SO well! And I love how she always puts a colorful lining inside.
And these dresses are just GORGEOUS. I want them! The blue velvet is elegant, slinky and sexy. And the black one is innovative, fun and flirty.

These two were the anomalies that I didn't like. Maybe if she took those gauzy sleeves from the gold dress.....But yes, if it was against last season's Jeffrey and Jillian, I think she'd definitely had won.

Personality wise, I thought Jillian was nice. Just that she seems to be in a cloud most of the time and it always came to the last minute. (Another point in favor of Christian- he was always quick AND good at his work).

Rami

Rami's collection was inspired by Joan of Arc and I thought it was very sophisticated and feminine. I was great to see him step out of his draping mode. I was getting bored of seeing Greek goddese after another.

But yes, I can see what the judges mean by color scheme.
Though I LOVED these two looks. Very power woman.

His evening dresses were just divine. Love the criss cross weaving detail. And you should see that dress (right), jacket off!

Genius!

Character-wise, I thought Rami was a really nice, wise and mature guy. He was very focused with his work and really listened to suggestions.

Overall looking at the final runway shows alone, I felt that the winner is still a tough call. All three shows blew me away, but in very different ways. And at the end of the day, I think it just depended on what taste one was looking for. If they wanted fierce, innovative designs: Christian is the obvious winner. But if they wanted details, femininity and something all girls would just love to wear right up: then Jillian is the winner. And if they wanted sophisticated and flattering on women: then Rami is the guy. --- I guess they were looking for someone fierce!

Random Thoughts I was surprised to see Victoria Beckham as the guest judge for the finale. For one thing, I wouldn't describe her as a Style & Pop icon. Pop icon yes, but style... I think it depends. She has a very unique taste that walks a thin line between a hit or miss. Also, I thought that for the finale, it was more appropriate to simply have the regular judges since they knew the contestants best (a la ANTM). Lucky for Christian though, the two of them definitely clicked!
Chris's final pieces was very dramatic and very Chris. I thought it was very clever of him to use human hair and made it not even LOOK like human hair. But at the end of the day.... that is just too creepy *shiver*!

I could not BELIEVE that Ricky and especially Sweet Pea lasted that long. With a few rare exceptions by Sweet Pea, they were both just consistently weak! There were so many more talented designers in the bunch that should've been there instead of them.

Like Victorya for example. She was brilliant and I totally thought that she'd make it to the final 3! I loved her sense of aesthetics. I'd have even bought that outfit she designed for Steve and Barry's (right) if it was not sold out so quickly! Just ONE small mistake with a denim trench coat......

Incidentally, according to an interview with Tim Gunn (which is very interesting and you should check it out), she was very sour and temperamental throughout the show. Once she even demanded that he count the money in each envelop he was giving out when they were buying fabric in Mood! Its interesting for someone to so publicly lash out at someone like that. Victorya even posted a reply to this where she said that she didn't feel that Tim was qualified to give all the suggestions that he did. *gasp* And we thought this was a drama-less season.....

Image Source: Bravo TV

SS08 Prada: Nappa Stripes Multicolor

Since I have been dressed in dull safe colors for a few months now (with the exception of Chinese New Year, but that's another story), it was completely refreshing when I stepped into the Prada store the other day and was immediately struck by a vibrant bold rainbow of colors coming at me!
I immediately rushed (very dignified-ly of course) to get a better look at them. My first reaction? LOVE. They are the perfect vibrant eye candies to brighten up my wardrobe this SS!
My second reaction was: Which COLOR?? They're all soo darling! I just want to gobble them up like candy!

Then I qualified: Most of them anyway, with the exception of this lime green and maroon color combo here (left). Or maybe its just too murky compared to the rest. Style-wise, I think the regular size hobos in this multicolor print is just a bit too much, too loud. You'd have to match it with a REALLY plain monotonous outfit for it to look decent. The smaller bags, like the small/mini hobos (right) on the other hand strike the perfect balance, bring in a just the right amount of WHAM without being too loud. Plus, since the clash will be less, you'll have a wider wardrobe choice.But the thing about the small/mini hobos is that they're a bit too small. First the strap is so short that one cannot carry it comfortably on the shoulder. Even with the longer extra strap, it takes away from the hobo look. But then, if you carry it, its just so small that it looks like you are carrying a little girl's bag (especially with the bright colors). And so I personally think that the clutch (left) is the best way to carry this multicolor pattern. Its small enough not to be too loud but still have the WHAM effect, and the style is just right to carry. Its just perfect!
And after THAT in depth analysis I of course started seeing these gorgeous ads everywhere. I love how they just pop out at you!
And I really like the gold/black combination as well. They are sharp and bold, but unlike the other ones which are very pretty and girly, these ones are edgy and cool! This combo works as a regular size hobo too.
But alas, my mom sensibly pointed out that these bags will be very dated in a few months and is totally not worth it. So another stylish option would be this plain purple version of the Nappa Stripes bag, which still has the vibrant color effect, albeit in a more sophisticated way. This one, you can even very comfortably carry on your shoulders- I tried! Its stunning! If only it wasn't so pricey! Another very cute bag at Prada I'd like to point to is this Botegga Venetta-esque weave tote. Its cute!

Image Source: Saks Fifth

Paris Fashion Week F/W08 Wrapup II

Chanel
The Chanel collection was as usual, very standard. Besides a few exceptions, none of the looks made me think, "Wow, I really really want that!" It was more like, "Hmm... they're ok, I guess I'd wear them if someone gave it to me..... maybe"
I thought the whole collection had a little bit of something for every age. The few outfits at the beginning, above, were clearly for more sophisticated ladies than I. Maybe the Cashmere Mafia gang age or older.
I feel like I've seen this look on the left before- minus the glasses, which are interesting. And this outfit here on the right is one of the few looks that reminds me of why I love Chanel. Its just so perfectly prim, elegant and chic!
These are the perfect example of the "Hmm... they're ok, I guess I'd wear them if someone gave it to me.... maybe."
The whole overly laced and designed lingerie look is simply not my thing... maybe without the train..... Now to the other pieces I liked. Loved this soft grey feminine dress (left). And this satin grey dress (right) just blasted me away. The almost fishnet stockings, which I'd usually find trampy, totally works here.
The use of the classic Chanel contrast, beige and black is genius here. The focus on the beige gives our eyes something else to feast on besides the standard black, but at the same time it maintains the timeless quality of black. These dresses are just to-die-for!
The runway was apparently circular and the models ended up on a merry go around thing in the center so the audience can have a better look at the outfits. Very innovative. And as for the accessories:

a) I KNEW I should've kept those contrasting chunky Marc by MJ mary janes I bought on sale this season. Now they're coming back to haunt me!
b) The fishnet-like stockings and beige/black contrasting stockings are AWESOME. The contrasting beige/black has the added benefit of elongating the legs and making it appear slimmer!
c) I wonder how those head wear would look on me. The embroidered brooch on the hat is especially darling.
d) What is with Karl and UFOs lately? First he has a mobile exhibit in the shape of a UFO, and now he has mini UFOs floating down the runway.

Chloe
I don't think Melim Andersson is understanding Chloe very well, because I do NOT feel Chloe here. What happened to the effortlessly cool Chloe girl who we all aspired to be?
In fact, this girl is the antithesis of Chloe. She is clearly trying too hard. And what is with the short sleeves winter coat (left)? Creative? Yes. But practical? I think not. Though I'm sure some enterprising member of the team will come up with a long sleeved version for in store purchase. It IS a business after all, and besides the sleeves, the design in the middle is cute!Maybe Melim Andersson is trying to expand into the single season climate markets, like Singapore. Because that is the only reason I can come up with to explain crazy mix of FW and SS elements all over the runway. The result is.......... not optimal.
Many find hidden jewels digging through their grandma's wardrobe, but these were clearly meant to STAY inside her wardrobe. No matter how I look at it the dress on the left cannot in anyway be considered flattering. The outfit on the right.... has hopes, if the two prints would just go their separate ways.
One of the things I DID liked though was his play softness and structure, making the look both feminine and strong.
This dress was also OK. The only problem with it is that this is supposed to be the FINAL look of the collection. Its cute, but final look of a collection it does not make.
I loved the loose braid hairstyle on this runway- now that is casual chic! As for the rest of the accessories, I thought they were really young, innovative, vibrant and rockin'- especially the footwear. The patterned stockings were also genius, they give just the right amount of edge to the boring ol' black tights we've been seeing everywhere. Now the million dollar question is, while the footwear worked on the runway, will it translate to sales? Personally, while I think they're awesome, I wouldn't spent a small fortune on footwear that looks more like art work.

Image Source: Elle

New SS08 Layout

Hey people, it's that time of the year again for a new layout! BG and I were totally panicking about making a new banner. On one hand, as those of you who have read our blog long enough would know, we always try to update the S/S banner on March 1st. On the other hand, we have been more uninspired than usual about this S/S season, (perhaps because the F/W08 fashion shows are currently showing) and it's the end of the school term ( i.e. lots and lots of work!) The nerdy side of my brain has convinced me that this layout is our optimal layout: the MC of personal time spent photoshopping= MB of this blog. For those who don't do econ, we mean that this is the best we could have done given our circumstances.

Let's admit it, this season is confusing -too many trends; too many 'in' colours; together with a lot of loud accessories. With prints, there are the sort-of-tacky-looking stars and the spring-friendly flowers. As you can see, we favoured the flower prints. But the trend of black, white and grey is still very 'in', (think black skinny jeans + tee + blazer combo.) OK, so this isn't really the reason why we have half the flower picture in black & white and half in colour. We just think it's cool. Plus, we love how the Balenciaga model seems to pop out on the b&w side and the Prada model looks like an edgy fairy stomping around in a garden. But it all works out in the end! Neat huh?

This oh-so-artistically taken flower photo was shot by me at the LA Getty Center Central Garden last summer. If you haven't been there, then you must next time you're in LA. It's such a gorgeously designed garden. There are so many types of flowers there and they're designed in a really organised, pretty way. I'm not the type to enjoy nature, but this is as one of the few gardens that I actually loved. (Yes, I know, I'm such a city bumpkin that I even consider an immaculately-designed garden to be nature.)

Credit to style.com for the runway model photos. As usual, if something is technically wrong with this layout on your browser, please let us know. We hope you like the layout and get some S/S vibes from it!