cali #2: norcal

so the 2nd half of the trip was spent in norcal...more sights coming up :)

 

the cathedral/church at stanford university...very majestic, full of stained glass and painstaking mosaic, but i really liked the central dome for its illumination of the church.

 

the entrance to the church from teh courtyard. it was commencement week so the campus was absolutely crawling with tourists/family/etc etc. there was ALOT of photo-taking going on.

 

then, SAN FRANCISCO.

hated the tourist thing but i just HAD TO take a shot with the bridge. i mean, who sees it and doesnt do that!??!?!

the sky was a gorgeous blue that day, and the bridge just looks stunning here. to me, san francisco isnt really about the sights, its about the city and its energy and its quirky vibe.

 

wearing: heritage 1981 knit top. probably with my trusty jeans. (i really needed to up my game, huh...now that i look back on the photos...haha)

 

haha, alcatraz.

 

and who can resist lots of high quality choccies from the bay area's most famous confectionary? all individually wrapped squares...excellent for snacking on, whenever.

 

lori's diner...another one of those institutions. but i think its a sell-out. dont franchise it!!!! and the food was completely middling i must say. disappointed. 

 

i did, however, manage to make a trip to dottie's true blue cafe, the tiny little shop in the tenderloin district (OF ALL places...). after 2 hours, we got our pancakes, italian sausage, fruit, omelettes, french toast, ham and potatoes. 

you want to go to the institutions that only the locals know about, not the chain stores or fast food or anything that's "famous". dottie's is a SF legend, and 2 hours? it was worth the wait. 

 

the bay bridge, unfortunate poorer cousin to the golden gate, which most recently starred in fantastic 4: rise of the silver surfer. and plenty more to come, i'm sure. 

 

SF giants! 

 

ok SERIOUSLY, saks fifth avenue is famous (infamous!!?) for its dedicated shoe departments. i first heard about the zip code thing while watching oprah, and she filmed at the LA location i believe. so, i was extremely heartened to see that in SF, they similarly dedicated a zip code to their cavernous basement of a shoe salon.

 

and there's where i met the latest love of my life...

yea, i caved again!!! the minipass 90 in camel, patent calf leather. -_-

i put them on and john, the guy helping me out, and i, just had a moment of silence to admire the shoes, it was completely surreal, almost like the world righted itself ever so imperceptibly; things went from soft-focus to crystal clear and my smile was genuine again.

 

don't judge me here--i didn't shop much the entire trip (BEING LITERAL HERE), with only one big purchase: these shoes. and a wallet, which was for my MUM. so the love did get shared. and people back home got lots of personalised gifts too, and lovely chocolates all round. 

 

city hall: in in the day, and at night. the uplighting is absolutely spectacular. and in the day, the gilded edges take centrestage. a glamorous city hall that befits such a magnificent city.

 

back where it all first started, wicked!!! ridiculously overpriced merch, but thoroughly enjoyable evening at the historic orpheum. now all i have to conquer is west end.

wearing: michael kors dress. well you HAVE to dress up for the theatre, right?!

  

the highlight of the trip... okay one of them. spent all my time in NYC in the museums, but it wasnt as pronounced this time. had a lovely day to myself jsut having peet's (san franciscans know its the best in teh bay!) and chatting with people about politics and art...then having the day enjoying robert frank, henri matisse and all the other lovely people. sadly there's no hockney amongst their already-extensive contemporary collection, but jasper johns made up for that deficit. lovely!

 

the famous castro district...all rainbow flags and little bars and music. i only drove past, though.

 

and the view of the city from twin peaks. 

that bridge you see? its the bay bridge, which i guess looks alot better at night. it was a long winding drive up, but the view of the whole city made it pretty worth it. and the brightly lit street is market street, one of the main thoroughfares of the city. 

 

i'm just posting the highlights of the trip rather than talking about what i did--which was mainly really boring everyday stuff like crash the couches of people i just met, walk around the city alot, go grocery shopping, and meet new people. i actually enjoyed that part alot more than any "famous" locales or photo ops. 

 

SF really surprised me with how liveable it really is. for the longest time i was a detractor of the west coast--i still find socal WAAAY too laid back for me, and for that matter even the other parts of norcal i stayed in were too. but SF is a great mix of hi-low, fast-slow, culture and cosmopolitan life. but my biggest takeaway from the month was the generosity and genuine niceness of the people of california. i had a pretty awesome time there thanks to them. :)

 

anyone have stories of their favorite cities to share?

Arnhem Mode Biennale 2009

The Arnhem Mode Biënnale is being celebrated this year until 6 july, with a series of fashion events in Arnhem’s Klarendal neighbourhood, where many specialist businesses are based. you can check it out at: Klarendal Fashion Quarter 

 

This installment of the fashion event’s connecting thread is: SHAPE. 

Over 80 fashion labels are taking part, including Lanvin, Raf Simons, Hussein Chalayan, Jil Sander, Martin Margiela and Viktor & Rolf. 

i've just posted some images from the various exhibits...lovely!

i think the lighted mannequins just highlight the drapery of the fabrics, exposing their exact placement on the human form. very clever way to showcase the architectural aspect of clothing! here its really just about the shape and form, with the colors, bright as they are, merely second fiddle. 

 

extremely creative, accentuating the empire line of the gown with the waterscape; the bodice protectively enveloped, then the form-fitting, slim, train part of the dress being contrasted with the flare of the fountain jets. i love it, its so smart.

 

look closely and you'll see the previous picture in the background...fluoro-neon mannequins...

 

this is conceptually either too crazy or too complex for my mind to handle...either ways it is quite a sight to behold, if nothing else. =S

 

By invitation of the Biënnale, the photog-stylist team of Carmen Freudenthal and Elle Verhagen have created an exhibition of their vision of fashion. Within a huge space at the Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem, they have built a house filled with installations inspired by fashion clothing and photography, and optical illusion.

. The artistic duo mark 20 years of collaborating in fashion and publicity photography with this exhibition. WOW! check out some of their stuff below...

i absolutely love this--almost as if she's descending from the ceiling in her world and about to crash, feet first, into ours. its a photo and therefore static, yet there's an energy and movement to the way its been captured that the full force of gravity's effect comes through. 

i guess you could see it conversely too--that she's being pulled away, almost, away from teh world she knows and into the unknown.

 

a raf simons piece, deconstructed photographically. very cool. 

HOLY HOUSE

Museum voor Moderne Kunst Arnhem

Utrechtseweg 87

6812 AA Arnhem, The Netherlands

Tuesday – Friday 10.00 – 17.00

Saturday, Sunday, and holidays 11.00 – 17.00

www.mmkarnhem.nl

cali #1: socal

so, its basically been FOREVER since i posted anything, and a month away from everything, really, i think has done me some good. the AIM of it all was really to just live like a regular local, not a tourist--thumbs down to the glamor, none of that hotel-in-the-city nonsense, no guidebooks, no companions, no concrete plans. nothing but an open heart, a wide smile and wisecracks to keep me going. 

i'm happy to report it worked like a charm. 

 i demur from lengthy ruminations here, lest i reveal too much depth (OH, the horror!) for a fashion blog--just kidding. 

so the first half of the trip was spent in socal. unfortunately i didnt take many photos on the trip in general, so i have little to show for the month, but many MANY memories i can happily assure you. i wont post the boring personal bits, dont worry. you may read on in peace.

 

prop 8 signs still displayed from dorm rooms--this was my view every morning. just reminds you that you're in california. LA was the first stop...

 

of course i had to hit up venice beach and santa monica, soak in all that LA beachiness...i think this shot was for myself to remember the location, or something. 

 

venice beach is an eclectic blend of everything you'd expect from LA, except the glamor. hippies trying to tell you the sky is falling, skateboarders weaving in and out, girls in bikinis laughing, street vendors hawking their wares, cyclists and joggers with the occasional dog, the odd tourist, every hairstyle imaginable, the list goes on.

 

not on miami ink or la ink, but a pretty famous tattoo shop anyways. friends wanted to hit it up and they were satisfied with their end results. 

 

i, on the other hand, made no bodily modifications, although i did meet 2 new friends. i forget her name, but she was warm and heavy and substantial (and quite moody)--so i'm not sure why we call reptiles cold-blooded. 

 

then rodeo drive of course...not bothered with the picture taking, as you already know, but the FAMOUS PRADA FLAGSHIP STORE, i had to snap. designed by rem koolhaas, it made headlines in 2004 when it opened, with its open concept and seemingly-counterintuitive lack of flashy advertising. 

personally? i think its smart. on one of the most ostentatious boulevards in the world, sometimes less is more, and the extended storefront, anonymous mannequins, and imposing staircase of iconic luggage have combined to make this store a standout on the street, in a quiet classy way that truly says LUXURY.

 

 and the worldfamous sprinkles cupcakes a block down. the line stretched out the door, but that's what happens all the time anyways. strangely enough, there was no line at all at stanford shopping centre when i went to that branch. hmmm.

 

that was afternoon tea, supper and breakfast the next morning. waaaaay too sweet for my liking, i must say, but once i scraped off some of the frosting i was good to go.  

 

beverly hills. nice residential area, really close by where i was living, so it was nice to see that much greenery, especially when stuck in traffic which was a daily occurrence. 

 

and the nearby cedars-sinai medical centre, which if you read anything gossipy, you'll know about. the facility of choice for most celebs, probably due to its proximity to their homes.

 

i just had to. i'm still a fan after all these years, YES!

 

i just had to #2. seriously, if you're standing there having a conversation with 2 guys just dressed up like that, you're probably not gonna resist a photo op. especially not if they volunteer to orchestrate it for you. 

 

yes, kitson was a stop. and i've really liked nicole richie's house of harlow 1960 stuff, so i checked it out. weirdly enough, the piece i liked the best, the black necklace, was super light despite it looking pretty substantial in photos. it felt flimsy and thus very cheap, and i just didnt feel the price was right. $125 just wasnt worth it.

 

these earrings on the other hand, were properly gold plated, and bold enough to make a statement without breaking the bank. they also come in a bunch of other colors (blue, green purple, white), with the same black stones. whatever, i have a piece of her jewelry now!

 and a nice blue kitson box. -_-

 

next was san diego, which i took the train to just completely on a whim. 

a new friend so kindly opened his pacific beach condo, and thankfully he had 2 big couches. (ooh, choice!) visited the various neighbourhoods there, and SD is just gorgeous really, but unfortunately it RAINED while i was there. 

imagine: rain, in socal, in summer.

 

but the pacific ocean made it completely worth it--the coastline, the breeze, the rocky outcrops, the stretch of cliff, the white waves, the penguins and crabs...

it was so stupid taking a photo but i couldnt NOT take one, it was pretty amazing to have the world's largest ocean at your feet pretty much. my friend acquiesced to take the photo, but having spent his life in SD, he just didnt get my fascination. :)

 

and then i had my flight to san francisco.

 

ps: southwest airlines are the BEST. i switched my flights 3x with no hassle, the last of which being 12 hours before i was due to fly. fabulous.

 

pps: thank you everyone for still reading my sketchy posts, and for all your lovely comments. i will get down to replying EACH ONE of them in the coming week when i'm done with being jet-lagged. have a good father's day! :)

 

ppps: wearing-- silence + noise blazer, ck top, levi's.

dolci pair of dolces

in the absence of any verbal capacity at 4am in the morning, i will simply let the pictures speak. i dont think they do justice to the shoe, but its better than nothing.

btw, if you're interested in a great rainbow brite coral summer shade, the nail color in the pictures = Mod-ern Girl from the mod about brights collection

the shoes also come in a 1-inch platform version, with a buckle closure rather than tie. 

 

ps: i'm not sure how the pictures ended up like that, but my legs ARE NOT such a horrendously  burnished shade, nor are they as luminescent as the camera flash misleads one to think. tsk!

 

brevity is the soul of wit. xx

goldmember

shot by markus jans for deutsche Vogue, this jewelry special Realy caught my eye. i'm not sure if i've blogged about my abysmal accessorizing skills, but other bloggers can definitely tell you that i've divulged it to them on the occasions that they display an extraordinary flair as such.

additionally, the makeup was done by renowned artist thorsten weiss and i LOVE the strong brows--they really make a statement in an imperceptibly masculine way that is so sorely overlooked these days with everyone trying to be either floaty and saccharine pretty or the pendulum swing of liquid-liner-indie. 

 

but the star is all that heavyduty gold stuff. 

i need me some heavy chains and cuffs in 24K. or whatever can pass for it! thoughts!?

 

also, by the time you read this i will be mere hours away from my flight to LA (flying thurs morning!). i'm not sure how updating will work while i'm there, seeing as i wont be bringing my laptop along. BOO! 

i guess i will still have TWITTER where i can post blurbs...but sometimes that doesnt cut it. i will definitely be keeping up with my favorite blogs (see side!) while i'm there...but as for anyone who bothers to read this, patience is advised. 

much love, see u all soon! xx

ps: anyone in LA/SF right now? comment me!

cocktail dress + Q&A

'spotlight' by warehouse  toga dress, stainless steel bangle from hongkong, stuart weitzman jet mirror alto platform pumps.

 

excuse the weird facial expressions...i get like that sometimes. i smile plenty normally, just not when im alone and facing my small camera.

wore this to a dinner party over the weekend... it was specified "dresses or nothing at all for the ladies", so i chose the former. haha. the photo was taken POST-dinner...and mind you this wasn't just your typical fare of hors d'oeuvrs and canapes...NO. it was a fullblown 7course individually plated Cantonese dinner.

lovely food, washed down with copious amounts of chinese tea, champagne and white wine.  

  

i realise you cant see...but the toga side of the dress is actually a big satin bow! very SJP if i say so myself, and that's actually why i bought the dress in teh first place. its from warehouse's line for special occasions, spotlight. this dress is no longer in stock but many similar styles are still up for grabs. check it out! :)

-

**EDIT//

ok facebook has yielded a photo of the big blue bow!

what's a girl to do with champagne and wine? why, have both of course! :) xx

-

so...i was tagged by the lovely honeybunny to do a Q&A, so here it is!

What is your current obsession ?

my new silver and tan leather Dolces, green tea, squats, anything woolly, yoghurt.

What are you wearing today ?

richard nicoll top, white shorts, big earrings, no makeup.

What's for dinner ?

fruit salad, grilled fish with lemon honey sauce, mash, and ice cream for dessert.

What are you listening to right now ?

After Dark by Le Tigre

What do you think about the person who tagged you ?

she's lovely and porcelain and very perfectly girly.

What's your must have piece for summer ?

nice cut-out sleeveless tops, fierce sandals, and heavy accessorizing.

If you could go anywhere in the world for next hour, where would you go ?

any where in Italy or Spain for the best homecooked native meal they offer.

Which language do you want to learn ?

currently abysmal, but I've already started Spanish and French. (for a number of years now..that's how slow i am!)

What's your favorite quote ?

"it is the spectacular, and not life, that art truly mirrors." -Oscar Wilde

What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet ?

probably my sheer CK blazer at the moment--it goes with anything.

What is your dream job ?

mogul.

Any favorite model ?

mostly the males? KIDDING!!! anja rubik and ai tominaga.

Favorite designer ?

NICHOLAS GHESQUIRE, dries van noten, phillip lim.

What do you consider a fashion faux pas ?

wearing too many trends at once, and wearing designer top-to-toe; there's no personal stamp in either of those cases.

Describe your personal style ?

Clean lines, lots of mix-and-match, embraces color, accented with fabulous accessories.

What's the most expensive fashion item you've ever purchased?

probably a bag...the Balenciaga Lune.

The rules :

1. Respond and rework; answer the question on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention, add more one question of your own.

2. Tag eight other people.

SO...i tag: (all these blogs are on my sidebar--so take a visit! :))

• Ashford from ashford gets dressed
  
• Zoe from Graciously Zoe
• Janet from Janetteria
• Kira from Kira Fashion
• Tina from Luphia Loves...
• Stella from Stella Wants to Die
• V from The Valentine Journals
• Lynnette from tis serendipity

if you guys have any other questions (cant imagine THAT being the case!), just ask away by commenting. i dont want to paint myself as more interesting than i may be....

nor less so, by the same token! :)

cheers all xxxxx

fierce spring denim

this evening at dinner my friend asked, "what's the next big thing for spring?" 

and that really got me thinking. i guess i could be all forward-looking and trendy, but i must say my personal style eschews what's "HOT" (stuff that got passed over include: gladiators, fringe, cross-body 'vintage' bags) for what i feel i can pull off appropriately.

 

that being said, this editorial by john scarisbrick for bon magazine sparked a veritable fire in my imagination: FIERCE SPRING DENIM sums it up, i suppose. now where is that jean jacket when you need it most...

denim clearly comes in all sizes, color, textures and shapes--and you can pair them with anything! dress them up, dress them down, ripped, patchworked, shredded, dipdyed...it just never ends!

 

ridiculously inspirational, i hope this gives us all some ideas as to how to welcome spring BESIDES a walk down a flowery garden path. 

to quote:

 

"florals? for spring? ground-breaking."

-Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada

and if you need FURTHER assurance that denim is back with a vengeance, (at least this season), barneys is in on the whole denim thing too. this time, its recycling to the rescue, as old jeans get a new lease on life, thanks to the 8 lovely designers named above.

 

random news alert... i got:

1. a haircut
2. a ridiculously amazing pair of Dolce & Gabbana tan and mirrored leather strappys. photos to come soon i promise, xx

candyshop

by the way everyone, LINKS have been updated on teh sidebar...and now there are more great selections of lovely people from the blogosphere. happy perusing! xx

 

AA tank, asos striped skirt, stuart weitzman magenta honorroll pumps, marc jacobs eugenie clutch, tiffany heart tag bracelet, swarovski crystal locket (mom's)

and HUGE props to my dear friend evangeline for carting back my load of asos goodies from (gloomy??) edinburgh! i had no idea i bought THAT MUCH STUFF until she passed me a paper bag that was way heavier than i had imagined in my small mind. tsk. hopefully i'll get to put up some more of the stuff in time to come.

she blogs about lifestyle in general, so you can check out the link above.

  

closeups: candystriped skirt/magenta pumps (my ankles look weird!!!)/crystal locket.

 those shoes are SERIOUSLY shiny in real life. i remember when i was trying them on, the lady next to me remarked that i liked attention-grabbing shoes. 

 

how wry.

the shoes came in really handy cos the skirt was a bit long, in my opinion. do you guys think i need to shorten it? it really is Quite Long!!! 

 

but what i did/do like is how all the colors means that the skirt can be matched with any pair of shoes/any top/etc. its quite a fun piece to wear, but VERY UNFORGIVING. hehe

 

in the meantime, i'm SOOOO behind on current movies no amount of keeping up with online gossip and the news will save me from social suicide. just some movies i have yet to see but want to: (feel free to tell me its not worth my time...):

• the curious case of benjamin button
• frost/nixon
• revolutionary road
• milk
• xmen origins
• anything playing in cinemas now, to be honest. 

so all i'm crossing my fingers for is inflight entertainment. cheers all! ONE WEEK TO LA. not sure how i feel about the whole thing.

feeling green in marni

oh joy, the camera's back...and along with it, the cuffed trews! i'm certainly glad to have higher res photos for my own sake...instead of my poor photobooth laptop webcam of a substitute.

marni knit/cotton top, robinson pants (mom's), pedder red leather platforms, balenciaga wool/leather city, tiffany heart tag bracelet.

 

 my mom also made me wear that black tube inside so that no wardrobe malfunction would occur...

thou i personally feel that a deep v-neck is no problem if consuelo castiglioni intended for it to be that way, haha.

this particular city was a seasonal one (i think it was fw07!?), that's why it came in a gray wool combination rather than the usual cracked leather. eitherways, you can't find it anymore and another interesting feature is the metallic hardware that's shiny instead of the usual matte. 

 

and close up.

 

in a moment of shopping folly enticed by a discount, my mom bought it-- for herself actually, but i borrowed it cos i thought i could wear it differently than she would.  

 

but i think sometimes the $$ may be worth it in the light of clothes = investment. its just a paradigm shift i had a few years back. any thoughts? there's alot of discussion as to teh relevance of "luxury goods" in the current economic situation. 

UHU GARETH PUGH

anatomy of a fashion show:

i'm just gonna let the pictures do the talking. minimal captions provided. ENJOY!!!

 

while gareth pugh showed even in paris in video form, to be the first IN THE WORLD to see his creations being worn down the runway was nothing short of a privilege.

the tent

the hallowed inner sanctum of fashion gets an ethereal, otherworldly glow...weirdly enough the gothic-camp darkness of the collection to come is a fitting complement to this icy blue swathe.

  

and the countdown begins:

(YES I KNOW everyone out there has already seen th video but just bear with the screenshots ok!?!? its a different experience on your laptop screen and on a huge projection one complete with surround sound and thumping beats.)

and then the video ends and everyone is nearly jumping out of their seats with the frenzy--the energy level in the stands reaches fever pitch; the entire mass of people are almost quivering as a giant entity ready to swallow whatever is to come next. 

and the screen splits in half, monstrously moving apart to reveal its innermost gems...

the thumping beats start up again, and everyone goes wild for the first runway stomp.

it was genius after genius after genius piece, all earthy and elemental-inspired, heavyduty hardware and boots and ripped shreds with cozy/spiky glittering coats, mesh, platforms...

the look was complemented with wisps of hair across the models' faces, and dark dark makeup and a nude lip. 

i really liked his menswear. 

then, just as it started and we had the wind knocked out of us, the full blast of lights came on and the proverbial curtain was dropped then raised, and a whole line of his beings paraded out for one last time. 

 

that's when the coherence of his aesthetic hit--elemental hematite, oxidized metal, superior craftsmanship in shaping the darkness he sought to wield. it all clicked...then before anyone could focus their cameras, 

BOOM

out comes The Man Himself, to raucous, thunderous applause and plenty of catcalling.

2 seconds, a shy smile and the slightest of bows, then like a jack-in-the-box, he bounds backstage while the frenzied crowd covers his person in the luminescence of flashbulbs and digicams. 

(as you can see--all i got was his back.)

then, just as soon as it all started, and before we can process the magnitude of it all, all we are left with is to ponder is how he did what he did, while his name in lights teases us.

ashley isham-designed coke light commemorative bottles. 

i was lucky to get one as i entered the Tent. only 100, 000 of these were made, and i suppose its hard to resist a bottle that's festooned with jewels!

 

i greatly enjoyed the experience...

more outfit shots to come, but for now this is what i leave you with.