Haute Couture FW07 II

Givenchy
Kudos to Riccardo Tisci for a fabulous haute couture collection. It only gets better every season. This collection was modern and stylish, with just the right amount of details to make it haute couture. Hm.... I think I said something similar last time about Tisci's haute couture collection too.....it must be his style.
I was captivated by this collection from the very first outfit (left), with the exquisitely beautiful jacket with the very feminine flutters and the furry poofy skirt- stylish, girly and fun! And then he takes us to stylishly cool, with that stunning (alligator I think) jacket with white fur peeking out.

This grey shirt kind of makes me rethink my position on frills- it actually looks nice here! And outfit on the left- thats just classic.

Tisci's evening collection was just goooooorgeous. I love all the drapings of the fabric and how the dresses manage the models to look elegant and gorgeous without showing much skin at all (as most evening wear are). Sigh, I just ADORE the white dress with the structured top and swirl with the flowy skirts!
One thing I didn't like about this collection was the leopard print bit and the more casual bits that one expects to see in the RTW collection.

Chanel

While I love the idea of how the Chanel Haute Couture show was held outdoors on a garden pathway at the Parc de Saint Cloud (you should check out the video for more on the whole backdrop) I have mix feelings about the collection. At some points, I want to applaud Lagerfeld's genius and at others, I wonder what he's thinking.

The whole collection focused on detailings on the side seams of the outfits, which is probably why the outfits look so flat on picture. But I do like the idea of putting the details elsewhere and I can see how outfits like these two here would look exquisite in reality. Note also how the thigh high boots from last season remains prominent on the runway.
Maybe its the head thingy that is distracting my vision, but these two outfits just don't look very flattering. Although the one on the left is certainly water proof...These are the times when I'm wonder what he's thinking, and that maybe its just me whose being too conservative and not fashion forward thinking enough to see beyond the obvious.
And these are the times when I want to give him a standing ovation, because I just LOVE these two dresses. I can just imagine how the black dress will flow so beautifully in three dimension as the wearer walks and turn. And the white dress is just glamorous!
Again, love the elegant navy blue dress and wondering what is going on with the mesh materials and the feathers.
I can actually imagine some starlet wearing this dress on the left on the red carpet. Without the head thingy, it'll look gorgeous. But that white feathered wedding dress is just beyond me. I can't imagine anyone wearing it willingly to their wedding... even if it IS Chanel!

Photo Credits: www.elle.com

Haute Couture FW07 I

It's the week of the tres grand and fabulous again! Ever since reading The Beautiful Fall, I now really see take haute couture a bit more seriously, although I still think it a bit as a historical art form.

Christian Dior

60th Anniversary! It sounds like we're always throwing events like anniversaries more as pr events than actual meaningful events, but this is Christian Dior. A lot of super/ big models walked for the show, including Gisele, Linda, Helena, Raquel etc. And this is probably one of those shows which looking at the photos (like we are now) is very different from actually being there. The show was held in Versailles -can you imagine how amazing and wonderland feel the show must have been?

Think back to the New Look, one of the looks that revolutionised fashion. OK, the outfit Gisele has on isn't exactly the same as the New Look... And I really like the pink swirl in the middle of the dress. Unlike the typical rose (which lots of other designers like putting in the middle of their dresses,) this swirl is like a blob of paint on a painter's palette.

These two dresses are so glam, etheral and pretty without being overly puffy or exagerated.

I love the outfit Irina's wearing on the right. It's just so pretty and haute-casual (if that makes any sense.)

Dior's super grand dresses.

And even more. I think these dresses are so amazing (think of all the work put into one dress,) but somehow these huge dresses don't seem to connect together as they usually do. Maybe the variety was too large?

These two dresses-fierce!

The dress Lily Cole has on here is probably the one that really caught my eye. I don't know if it's the dress or the shimmery purple eye makeup Lily has on, or the way the different shades of purple seem to create contrast at the perfect areas, but the whole image is just SO captivating. Loves this image!

And if you still can't get the message, the collection was influenced by various painters. OK, I have to admit, I don't think this show was perfect. To me, the SS07 show and collection seemed more perfect and amazing. But still, happy anniversary to Dior!

Ann Valerie Hash

The clothes seem casual and trend-influenced, but it's still worth taking a look at them. The message? White, black and bold colours all the way!

Photo credit: www.style.com

Crocs

Lately walking on the streets, I've seen an uncomfortable amount of people wearing these:

Yes, by "these," I mean Crocs. There is even a whole colorful store in the best shopping district in Hong Kong devoted to the distribution of these Crocs.
I know that Bush has been seen sporting these recently, but he's hardly the icon of fashion and trends now. So WHY would the general population be seen in public wearing these, when they are not boating or doing outdoorsy things as they were originally designed for? They are certainly not flattering no matter what angle you're looking from.

But according to the Crocs site, these are the reasons why:

1. Really soft, super comfortable, molds to your feet: well people are certainly not wearing them because they look good


2. Barely there, weighing only 6 ounces: flip flops are barely there either...


3. Vented so air passes through, keeping feet cool: again, so are flip flops


4. Non-marking slip-resistant soles: a valid point


5. Bacteria and odor resistant: thats certainly a plus seeing as how it looks plastic


6. Ultra-hip Italian styling: It may possibly be Italian styling, but ultra hip?


7. Port holes allow water and sand to pass through: and thats a good point because?


8. Can be sterilized in water and bleach: well if it allows water and sand through, it'll obviously allow water and bleach through.....


9. Easy maintenance, just wipe clean: it does look plastic...


10. Orthotic molded foot bed for ultimate comfort and support: Is this the same as #1?

Basically, comfort, support and practicality are their selling points. So unless you are boating and doing outdoorsy things in which case these shoes may be practical, please, do NOT wear them around in public. There are just as comfortable and more easy on the eye options out there, like flats, sneakers, flip flops and *gasp* (even) birkenstocks!

Photo Credits: Crocs

Rock the Black Blazer

I love love love blazers. My very first staple outerwear was a black blazer. Although I now realise it was a bit too big on me, my love for blazers never died. I now own other blazers, like a washed-out yellow one and a purple velvet one. But the one I really want is THE perfect black blazer, so I'm on a hunt.

Meanwhile, I thought I would share my recent favourite way to wear it. Actually, it was the only outfit I wore during my last Christmas holidays: Skinny/straight leg jeans, a flowy long top with a blazer. It's simple yet looks so cool (love Sienna's outfit here). The blazer adds structure to the not-so-structured flowy top. And if you only wear black, grey and white, then you achieve a rock chick look like Lindsay here.

Blazers are also great for casual outfits, (for some reasons, people seem to be stuck with the idea that blazers are formal,) which is why I love it when Ashley wears it. Here are a few styling ideas from Ashley's outfits: you can try rolling up the sleeves and adding a colourful scarf to make the outfit look more casual (and warm). Blue jeans will of course, get you the more casual look, but black jeans feel cooler and edgier.

OK, I should stop blabbering about how much I love blazers and spend more time looking for my perfect black one, (or ideally many many ones).

Chloe Shades SS07

Ever since I saw the latest Chloe shades at Nordstrom back in March, I've been in LOVE with them. They are flattering, girly, fun and most of all different from all the other shades on the streets. And it seems that the stars think so too, as many of them have been spotted wearing them.Ex-OC stars, Mischa Barton and Rachel Bilson wearing the Myrte. Ooo and I LOVE Mischa's jacket.
Lindsay Lohan and Cameron Diaz also sporting the Myrte.
And I must say, I agree with most of the stars here and prefer the second rounder one better, the design combined with the shape which is just so much more flattering, makes it perfect.The one Rachel has on is different, but definitely not as flattering. The aviator style sloping down thing makes it look more masculine and a bit sad- should shades have personalities that is.
For the longest time I was lusting after these hexagonal ones. Because I thought, well, I already have squarish ones, why not have a hexagon one? And these look great. And I also liked the off-white color too. But alas, after trying them on several times, I had to finally admit that they are not for me. Maybe I've become so accustomed to large frames now that I just can't accept smaller frames anymore...
Then at the store I tried on these ones (the lower rounder ones) in purple and it looked awesome. This shape is flattering and yet still different with its large round metal frame, half silver, half purple. Now THIS is fashion. But alas after MUCH debating, I finally decided that I'd like to wear them for more than one season and with that half silver and half purple rim thing, it was too trendy for me

In the end, I bought a similarly styled paired sans the dual colored rims, from Marc Jacobs in brown (I know, it doesn't quite look brown here, but it is. I considered the purple ones and they're much pinker than this). While the metal frames and round shape style is still the same, this design is much simpler, more feminine and much more classic. The only downside is that this design is not very condusive to sticking it on my head like a hairband cause the nose thing gets in the way. But I'll live ;)

Photo Credits: Chloe, Mischa Style, CoutureCandy and Life & Style.

Eye Lash Perming

Yesterday evening, BG and I went to do something really girly together -we got our eye lashes permed. For those of you who have never heard people getting their lashes, it's basically getting your eye lashes curled permenantly. Well, permenant for maybe a bit more than one month, but really, that's permenant enough since it's likely your lashes will fall off naturally around that time.

The procedure takes around forty-five minutes to an hour. Now I can't describe the whole, exact procedure because my eyes were closed the whole time but from what I understand, the facialist curled and glued the lashes around a small, round piece of plastic thing. The facialist also applied some perming chemicals onto the lashes. After 20 minutes, the facialist applied more chemicals. After another 20 minutes, the facialist used oil to remove the checials and glue and that plastic strip thing. Voila -you've got curled lashes.

OK, so the newly permed lashes look a bit clumped together (because not all the glue could be removed without the facialist scrubbing too hard,) but give it a few days and you'll look like you've got naturally curled lashes. This wasn't my first lash perm, but it was BG's. BG forgot to keep her eyes completely shut during the procedure so the chemicals stung her lashes a bit. So if you're planning to get your lashes permed, remember to keep your eyes shut tight!

Perming our lashes only cost us around HK$80 each, that's around US$10 each. It's totally worth it because curled lashes make one's eyes look so much more awake. Plus, now I don't have to curl my lashes or apply mascara on for my normal days. If anyone is trying to decide whether to get their lashes permed -do it! Anyone else had their lashes permed before?

SS07 Trend: Printed Shorts

I've never been much of a shorts fan growing up, but I'm currently LOVING my white shiny short shorts from Express. While it is easy to wear and looks awesome though, sometimes I do feel the urge to spice it up a bit. And therein comes the printed shorts!

My two favourite printed shorts look from Luella and Biba. These printed shorts adds just the perfect touch to the otherwise very standard tops.

Some more prints from Alice + Olivia (left), DVF (top right) and Forever 21 (bottom right). And the trick to making them not look like those printed beach surf shorts? Make sure they are of a structured cut and that you wear it with something of a simple style in a solid color that compliments the print of the short. Yes I know, its a very challenging thing to wear.

Something slightly more easier would be plaid prints, as on the Max Sports(left) and Luella (right)(well, its kind of plaid) runway. It makes an outfit instantly preppy and cute. Pair with slim sneakers for a more down to earth look.

Here are some selections from Abercrombie (top left), American Eagle (bottom left) and Juicy Couture (right). I daresay, you've probably seens a LOT of these about in the stores lately. One of my friends was also considering getting the ones from A&F, but alas it was $50 back then and didn't seem really worth it. Now its a very thin line between wearing these shorts and wearing your boyfriend's shrunken plaid boxers. Remember to wear something very clean cut and solid on top. You can even style it up with a pair of heels.For something a little more subtle (which I prefer more), try more subtly printed plaids, like this one from Abercrombie (left). But I am especially loving this one from Forever 21 (right) with its plaid cuffs.

Then there are the more or less classic striped shorts. The stripes from the D Squared (left) and Derek Lam (right) runway are more boldly and sharply contrasted than we are used to. Again match it with something simple and solid (like a white top). And for some extra oomph, throw on something of the same color as the colored stripes of your shorts. i.e. red striped shorts with the red bag (left).

To achieve the same casual look there are these striped shorts from Mulberry (left). And a bit less sharp, striped shorts from Abercrombie (right). Have fun with printed shorts!

Photo Credits: Elle.com, Net-a-Porter, Abercrombie, Forever 21 and American Eagle.