The Balenciaga Bag FW05

So the much coveted Balenciaga motorcycle bag is not on the Balenciaga FW05 bag collection anymore. Instead, we have the box, the shopping and the twiggy. But would Balenciaga's "it" bag status be preserved for the next season?

My verdict? I don't think so. Frankly, after seeing it absolutely everywhere for the past year or so, I've just had about enough of it. Besides, they don't even sell the original "it" motorcycle bag anymore. I have personally come into contact with the box and the twiggy-in exactly these colors too-and the twiggy is too small while the box is too fat. It just lacks the "just right" quality of the original. It is time fashion moved on to the next "it" bag.

Haute Couture FW05 Day 2

Wow, the Haute Couture shows are truly amazing. Each piece is just so intricately beautiful that it fully shows the creativity and skill of the artists of the fashion world. And the Givenchy and Christian Lacroix shows this season is an excellent example of this quality.

To start off with, the Givenchy show. I LOVED how Riccardo Tisci, their new artistic director, made the show not in the form of a runway, but as if one was walking through a museum and viewers are just surrounded by models wearing clothes in different settings-very artsy! And the pictures are very artsy as well. Definitely very innovative! As for the clothes, Tisci used a mostly a pallette of black and a creamish white color vogue.co.uk calls oyster. And the effect? Elegance and style.

That has got to be one of the most stylishly modern poofy jackets I've seen so far. So poofy yet so chic. And I LOVE the black dresses. So sleek. Their pose is just soo graceful too! And is that an asian model I see wearing couture?

These oyster pieces are beeeeeautiful as well. Combined with their very graceful and natural looking poses (although I am sure a LOT of throught has gone into these poses) and the background, it is just oh-so-romantic!

While Tisci focused on black and oyster, Lacroix used a vast array of colors and along with the rich details of beads, laces, corsets, flounces and satin. The result was a very vibrant and irresistibly delicious show.

Hm. . doesn't the volume, the fur, the hat and rich coloring give it a bit of a russian flair as well?

Sleek black, poofy black, both are just as gorgeous and fascinating with lacroix.

Wow, I'm in awe of the intricate detail and skill involved in the creation of these two magnificient pieces.

I usually prefer the sleek and chic, but these two are just SO amazingly brilliant and colorful that I can't help but love them. In fact I LOVE this whole collection. One can just see russian princesses dressed in these stunningly vibrant and rich pieces to balls and wherever russian princesses go. You simply must check out the rest of the collection here!

Haute Couture FW05 Day 1

Hurrah! The beautiful days of haute couture has started! The collections this season is looking very gorgeous indeed.

First let's start with the Valentino show. I was not so impressed by it even though the critics were. The couture featured were mediocre -the whole collection didn't have a strong central theme.

These two are just ugh. No comment.

The collection is however slightly redeemed by these two very elegant and slinky dresses.

Next came Armani Prive. His first ever collection last Spring must have been a big seller, because this collection is much larger and more commercialised than last time. Perhaps it has lost its fresh feeling, but I can't gush too much about it this season, except it is of course, typically Armani-slick and sleek. (It could also be due to our lack of sleep in the past few days.)

Prive had a wide selection of ready-to-wear this season. Can't you just imagine a really rich successful European lady waiting for her ride outside the Ritz?

It's these sleek pieces that make this Armani show a couture show. Black dominated the show, but there were a few gorgeous white pieces at the end.

Lastly, the Dior show: THE most beautiful and elaborate affair of all. John Galliano celebrated the 100th anniversary of Christian Dior's birth by recreating a lot the old looks, such as the looks from the New Look circa 1947. The show started with a real grand horse carriage pulling out of the iron gates of Granville, the old home of Christian Dior. The whole show was an outstanding work of art, in the Dior fashion of course. The pieces were so fabulous that we could not pick which ones to show you:

Go to style.com to take a look at the whole Dior show. The art and creativity will stun you.

The Wrap Polo

The other day, when I was browsing at my favourite store- Ralph Lauren (of course)- I came across this lovely wrap polo!

Is it not just sooo lovely? It is classically preppy, but girly with its ballerina-like twist of a wrap! I mean, we all love the polo shirt for being the epitome of preppiness, but one can only have so many skinny polo shirts in multiple colors right? So of course, I HAD to have it. Luckily for me, it was on a 30% off sale! But even MORE lucky for those of you in the states, they're currently $38 on the RL site! So go check it out!

And might I add that the RL model is SO right, and that the pink mesh wrap polo looks especially lovely with white pants! For myself, I matched it the other day with my new white pants by Lux from UO. These are amazing white pants btw, and puuurfect for summer!

Duty Free Shopping at Heathrow

Hi people, I'm finally back home and not very much enjoying the terribly humid and hot weather here. Not to mention that my computer is, oh horror of horrors, NOT working *shrieks in fustration and hits the computer pointlessly*. (I'm using my sister's comp at the moment, thus being forced to listen to her Japanese learning tapes.)

Anyways, so remember a few days ago I was talking about suitcases and mentioned I was going to Heathrow (London)? Here's what I managed to snag up from the Duty Free at Heathrow:

Yuppie, one of my must-have cult products, the lovely YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch. It does everything its description says. It's brilliant at lightening dark or 'shady' areas on your face. I esp love using it under my eyes to cover black circles. This is the third tube I have purchased in the short time frame I had started to wear makeup. Plus, there is a reason why all makeup artists love this golden wand.

This is a new try of mine recommended by a makeup-loving friend and loads of makeup review raves, the Lancome Cils Booster XL Super Enhancing Mascara Base. It claims its meant to 'protect your lashes from the damaging ingredients of mascara', (which I don't believe in.) But I had heard that it helps put volume into the lashes so I decided to try it. I am so desperate for beeeautiful long, thick 60s lashes, and am willing layer on the products to achieve it. My quest of finding the ultimate mascara continues... ...

Urban Outfitters Early Fall 2005 Catalog

Wow, it seems like only a while ago that I wrote about my excitement at receiving the Spring/Summer 2005 UO catalog. And now, I'm annoucing the arrival of the Early Fall 2005 catalog (although I know I am slow in this already since I am out of the country at the moment and cannot recieve the catalog asap). Time flies. I'm just getting into the spirit of summer and we're already considering fall!! LOL.

The catalog gives off a very victorian aura what with the flowers and all and of . . well travelling-the gypsy way. And as for the fashion, like the catalog, seems to be a mix of the elegance of the victorians and the vintage of the boho's, with lots and lots of layering. Looks like another very fun season of mix and matching ahead!

Celebrate Independence Day!

Celebrate the July 4th holiday with the very patriotic reds, whites and blues!! And in case you are like me and are unsure of what this holiday is all about, let me save you the trouble of googling it up and ending up on a kid's site explaining this: July 4th is Independence Day, the day when the US became independent from the Brits after a long battle. This is basically all one needs to know. And now to celebrate . .

With this fabulous blue denim and red Dior bag.

Gorgeeeous red Dior pumps.

Or if your on holiday and need to walk a lot, these very comfy red Prada flats, which looks remarkably Gucci/Tods like.

White Maya ruffle bag from girlshop.com. Is it not soo supremely trendy in a rocker chic way?

Very funky white Marc Jacob mary jane pumps.

Or for something more dressy, these simply divine white Manolo satin slides.

Again blue denim with red bag, this time by Vuitton with a more "ragged" look. Hm. . just who is copying who?

These blue heels with that adorable lady bird by Moschino Cheap & Chic is just SO cute!!!

And blue mary janes by Lacoste. Again, like the prada flats, perfect if your holiday involves a lot of walking . .

Happy Independence (holi)day everyone! Are there any special sales going on? If so, shop loads and report back!