Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas everyone! Wish you all got the presents you wanted! But more than that "it" bag you've been drooling for or the latest cult denim that makes your butt look its best, I hope everyone enjoyed the fun, food, and festivities of the holiday season with your loved ones!

(Jordi Labanda photo courtesy of www.iespana.es/amigosdeltemple/blog/navidad.jpg)

Silver Spangled Slipper

The funniest thing happened on my way to BC. The past couple of days prior to leaving for my vacation, work was super hectic than usual -- I just didn't want to leave anything hanging. Suffice it to say, I waited until the night before my flight to pack my stuff. Last thing on my mind was to pack some warm slippers! Well, it is super cold here and did I suffer from freezing toes? You bet!

Luck was on my side even before I realized it! I bought a pair of black pumps for my sister and there was this "buy one get the 2nd pair at 50% off" thing going on at Nine West. Sayang the discount right? So I ended up getting this silver leather ballet flat for just $15!

I didn't really feel like buying it then but am I glad I did! This has got to be the comfiest, warmest, fabulous house slippers ever! Sigh! =)

Stealing from Little Old Ladies Ain't a Crime

I love old lady looks. I always get inspired by lolas dressed in vintage dresses with prim and proper hand bags to match. So when my sisters tell me that I look like a lola, with that weird look on their faces, I actually take that as a compliment! Mission accomplished! Hahaha!

So ok, I steal from little old ladies. But really, its not that bad! Trust me, there's no guilt feeling afterwards. So I coerce you to do so as well! Here's a granny item to steal (I promise I won't tell!). A long gray cardigan (from Topshop!).


While we are on the subject of lolas, I have to share with you this wonderful website called Lola y Maria. They carry items designed by young Latino designers, whose style would be best described as Lower East Side - indie with a dash of vintage. If you're not up for internet shopping, then visit the brick and mortar entity behind it! The boutique is located where else, but the Lower East side of NY!

Here's a dress I'd like to steal from their store! The Sophia dress by Vanessa Barrantes. Its like a cross breed of a sailor and an angel (if there was such a thing). Ethereal with a bit of edge to it! Nice!

And Speaking of Highs...

Check out my high waisted jeans!!!

FRONT

BACK

I realized though I need a thick, vintage looking belt to go with these jeans to make it look better, more "now". Here are my choices...decisions decisions!!!

Flintridge belt from Anthropologie
American Eagle Rhinestone Leather Belt
American Eagle Bloom Leather Belt
Topshop Vintage Leather Jeans Belt (really this is the name! Like they read my mind!)

Literal High Low

See those Prada knee high socks on Gemma Ward's gams? Those will set you back about Php5500
So if you want the look without the (knee)high price, go to Topshop instead. About Php600

Holiday Highs and Lows

I though of putting together a nice holiday outfit, with just the right mix of high and low! Splurge on the accessories and scrimp on the clothes! That's my philosophy! Hahaha!

Julie Sandlau Onyx Cluster Hoops
Topshop Frill Front Blouse
Topshop Suit Trouser
Jimmy Choo Margot Patent Pumps
Roberto Cavalli Leopard Print Clutch

With such fabulous accessories and up to the minute clothes, you'd be the star of the season! Well, of your office Christmas party maybe?

(photos courtesy of topshop.com and net-a-porter .com)

The Reluctant Designer

Tina Gaudoin of The Sunday Times shares with us an interesting insight about dear MiuMiu, the lady behind Prada and the quirky cult brand named after her:

Some things we already know about Miuccia Prada: that she's a feminist, that she's smart as a whip, and she has a doctorate in political science from the University of Milan to prove it. That, as a former member of the Communist party, she reluctantly embraced fashion, beginning her career in 1978 when she took over the family luggage-making business and began creating humble black nylon backpacks bearing a brand name that many initially confused with Prado, the great Madrid museum. That, steadily and stealthily, without fanfare, celebrity appearances (or giving many interviews), and with her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, she built both a multibillion-dollar business and a reputation as fashion's greatest visionary. And yet, and yet… in 2004, with a level of self-deprecation that seemed to increase exponentially with the success of her business, she told The New Yorker, “I make clothes. It's silly. But it's my job.”

What a shock right? But the good thing is, fashion, like a persistent suitor, has charmed its way into her heart. Says Mrs. P (as Ms. Gaudoin referred to her), “Yes, very recently I have changed my mind about my work. I see now that there are different possibilities of contacting different people and finding out different things from all over the world. In the end I have found that it is not so bad.”

Not bad at all!!! As it is now, we're already blown away by the intelligence and humor evident in her designs. Imagine how else it could have been had her heart been set on fashion to start with! This lady is a genius I tell you! A genius!

Insider Trading

We've always been told that luxury designer goods are investment pieces. This is actually true in a sense. Designer bags, shoes, and clothing tend to last an absurdly long period of time. Such items are the kind that will last you a lifetime, heck maybe even longer!

However, ask any banker or wealth advisor and they'll tell you, that though luxury goods are nice to have, they don't generate income, and hence are not investments.

Well, now you can thumb your nose at them! You can say not at all! A lot of the high fashion companies are publicly listed and according to Forbes.com, the latest to join the list is Salvatore Ferragamo. You may not buy the shoes, but you can always sign up for shares!!! James Hurley, luxury goods analyst for Telsey Advisory Group, an independent research firm based in New York City is confident the Ferragamo family and investors alike will reap the benefits of an IPO*.

"You've got very a strong brand that has iconic products and heritage that can be leveraged on a global basis," he says. "For investors, that's appealing, because there is some value and security in owning a portion of a strong brand--you've got global growth prospects."

While you're at it, save some of your hard earned cash and prepare to splurge on Prada. According to WWD, Prada chief Patrizio Bertelli has pulled the plug on an initial public offering of the group four times, but now says he is looking at 2008 for a potential IPO of the luxury goods group.

While the less forward thinking fashionistas are stocking up their closets with the goodies, you're getting the goodies via stocking up on shares. Not to mention, monitoring your stocks won't be a much of a chore because you'll intuitively know if the current collection bodes well on your stock's performance!

You smart shopper you!

*IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, wherein a company first sells its shares to the public

(photo courtesy of fotosearch.com)

Sister Act

The November 30, 2006 issue of Women's Wear Daily has the dish on the Miller Sisters:

"Sienna Miller has turned from fashion plate to fashion designer. The actress has teamed up with her designer-sister Savannah Miller to create an 80-piece ready-to-wear line, called Twenty8Twelve by s.miller, which will launch for fall 2007. The company plans to make an official announcement today."

The girls are quite close and older sister Savannah has got a lot of insight into Sienna's sartorial secret. In the January 2006 issue of American Vogue, Savannah Miller says of her stylish sister, "There was a Cartier polo match in England, and it was the first time she had been out since the whole Jude episode. She was staying in the country and had no clothes of her own. She borrowed from her friend's closet a black skirt and wore it around her boobs with a cardigan from the dressing-up box and some size 8 shoes with her mom's gold jewelry. And every newspaper in the country was asking how she does it."

Well, now that the muse and the designer in the family has put their pretty heads together, there's no need to dissect the star's outfit. It'll be as easy as getting Sienna's style off the rack!

(photo courtesy of style.com)

Audrey and The Mother of all LBDs

Next week Christie's will auction the iconic little black dress that Audrey Hepburn wore in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Here's what Clare Coulson of The Telegraph has to say about the mother of all little black dresses:

"That simple but instantly recognisable black gown, designed by Hubert de Givenchy, is expected to fetch about £70,000. It is a modest prediction for what is, arguably, the most copied piece of clothing in film history.

When Hepburn appeared in that LBD at the beginning of the film, in the role of Holly Golightly peering into the windows of Tiffany & Co while munching on a croissant from a brown paper bag, she raised the bar on what has become a wardrobe staple.

With her incomparable elegance and poise, she harnessed the power of the LBD. No other actress or model has made such an impact, before or since."

Now for the lucky one who gets this fabulous piece, what can I say! You'll be owning a piece of fashion history right there!

A Little Bird Told Me...

...that after Roland Mouret, its Phoebe Philo's turn to collaborate with The Gap. Oooooh! Sounds like a dream come true!

They may be late riding on the masstige wave, but The Gap executives sure are making up for it!

He Said What?

"Competition keeps you on your toes. Bench's main competitor at the moment, Chan says, is Zara." - page Q7 of the November 26, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

Today is a sad day for Business Majors and MBA degree holders. You can market map and position your company or products accurately, but can you grow a retail empire comprised of "7 franchise outlets in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Guam, Riyadh, China, the United States, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Canada and Palau, on top of 270 company-owned stores, 30 franchisees and 218 concessionaires in the Philippines." even without knowing a basic thing such as positioning your company based on customer segmentation and product line?

Bench founder Ben Chan believes that "Hard work pays, but you must also have luck". What can I say! He was definitely born lucky! Mr. Chan is proof that street smart business sense outclasses textbook theory hands down.

Drool Baby Drool

First came the babydoll dresses, now come the bibs! What next? A revival of the pacifier (bet you forgot all about that 90's craze!)? In the meantime, drool all you want on these:

Topshop sequined bib front top

Diane von Furstenberg Maylea shirt dress (Left, $325), actually the designer's famous jersey wrap with a pin tuck shirt and cuff inserts and the Viktor & Rolf version (Right, $1,640) a silk crepe bib on a shift.

(photos courtesy of topshop.com and the stylephile.com)

Kimono Lee

Here's something pretty and Asian inspired to wear for the holidays! I'm loving how comfortable yet exotic it can be at the same time. (With that empire waist, you can eat all you want without worrying about a bulging tummy after a sumptuous meal!) Wear it with heels and you're all glammed up for the night. Pair it with flip flops and its casual as casual can be! In short, a versatile style that will get a lot of mileage in your wardrobe. Trust me!

(photo courtesy of delias.com)

Shoe-aholic

After all the shoes I posted the last time, comes a book that may just answer why I, and the rest of the the female population, are crazy about shoes!!!

Here's the review from amazon.co.uk: 'Shoes possess magic powers,' writes journalist and shoe obsessive Paola Jacobbi as she totters her way through the history of women's footwear and wonders why it is that women (from Imelda Marcos to Carrie Bradshaw) love their shoes so, so much. Jacobbi pontificates (sandals are the bikini of footwear); psychoanalyses (the relationship between shoes and sex); and has fiery opinions (ankle boots are quite simply a no-no). She also has plenty of good advice: choosing the right heel for your physique, how to keep shoes lasting long and how to judge a man by his footwear. Witty, charming and stylish, "I Want Those Shoes" is an irresistible little book, almost as irresistible as buying that one last pair.

The 12 Shoes of Christmas

Dear Santa, I've been very good this year! Here's my grown-up Christmas list! =) Hehehe
Marc Jacobs Mouse shoes in gold
Alexander McQueen Maryjanes
Tod's Cindy ballerina
Tod's patent pumps
Tod's Gommini patent loafer
Manolo Blahnik Maryjanes "The Urban Legend"
Manolo Blahnik d'orsay pumps
Louboutin leopard print mules
Louboutin booties
Louboutin classic stilettos
Louboutin patent peep toe pumps
Miu Miu sandals

(photos courtesy of net-a-porter.com, eluxury.com, ebay and naturalgasgirl)

Tux for Chicks

Victoria Traina balanced a feminine dress with a manly tux and and it was quite an elegant mix!

Now, here's the lady who brought the tux back into the style scene! As early as May 2006, she rocked the jacket with skinny leather pants!

(photos courtesy of style.com)

Moc Me

I am obsessed with these Minnetonka Moccasin knee high suede fringe boots! Often seen on Kate, Sienna, and Lindsay, its definitely got loads of style! Good news is, it comes without the A-list price. Just about $60 thereabouts for a pair! Not bad huh!



These come in a rainbow of colors, so go ahead take your pick! There's plenty to go around! (although personally, I'd go for black or brown)

These can go with skinny jeans, minis, shorts, gauchos, well actually anything...One thing's for sure, these won't be relegated to the fringes of fashion!

(photos courtesy of minnetonnka-by-mail.com and iamfashion.blogspot.com)

Slim Pickings

Lookie Lookie at the new Havaianas with slim straps! Called Havaianas Slim, these are perfect for dainty, girly chicks! According to the Havaianas website, Slims are works of art and are "super delicate, with a slim shape, thinner straps, and high fashion colors, in golden, silver, and chrome hues". They also have a "golden floral print to match the straps".

Now imagine wearing a pair with dresses and bikinis! Flip flops can't get any more feminine than these!

In Our Galaxy

There was a time when Roland Mouret dresses were only worn by the rich and famous. But thank God for the concept called masstige! Mere earthlings such as us now have the chance to be dressed by Roland Mouret. Here's the report from style.com:

"You remember the dress: It turned waifs like Sienna Miller into vamps, and vamps like Scarlett Johansson into goddesses—no wonder designer Roland Mouret dubbed it the Galaxy. Well, now you don't have to be an A-lister to be transformed by his creations. The London-based French frock maker, whose new label is called 19RM, has designed a five-dress line for Gap that hits the chain's U.S. stores later this month. The little black shifts, belted tunics, and red shirtdresses (the latter benefit Gap's RED initiative) may not have the dramatic corseting and cantilevering that the Galaxy did, but that just means they're a lot easier to slip into. The $108 top price tag helps, too."

Roland Mouret for Gap long-sleeve V-neck ruffle dress, $108, available December 1 at select NYC Gap stores: 1 Astor Pl., (212) 253-0145; 657 Third Ave. at 42nd St., (212) 697-3590; 734 Lexington Ave. at 59th St., (212) 751-1543; 60 W. 34th St. at Broadway, (212) 760-1268; 680 Fifth Ave. at 54th St., (212) 977-7023; 1466 Broadway at 42nd St., (212) 382-4500; 122 Fifth Ave. at 18th St., (917) 408-5580.

(photo courtesy of style.com)

Mod Make-up Brushes

I'm no make-up maven but I know a great looking make-up brush set when I see one! Love the houndstooth print of the handles! This is a limited edition set from Smashbox. The Brush Boutique Deluxe Tool Collection includes an Angled Blush Brush, Foundation Brush, Fan Brush, Blending Brush, Definer Brush, Arced Liner Brush, Angle Brow Brush, and a Deluxe Makeup Brush Case. Available at Beauty Bar for Php5,000.

Fashionspeak 101

First things first, get the names of the fashion folks right! If you speak the lingo and speak it well, then that shows you've got the makings of a true blue fashionista! Now on to the lesson from the experts!

Here's how you should pronounce the names according to Cruz and Robinovitz of The Fashionista Files:

French names ending with "on" should be pronounced as "uuuhhh" as in "Louis Vuituuuhhh" and "Martine Sitbuuuhhh"

French words that end in "ier" are pronounced "eee-ay" with a strong a sound.

Issey Miyake is said like this: "i-(soft i as in "it")-sey mee-yah-ke...

Versace: "Verr-sah-chie" not "Ver-says" or "Ver-say-sss"...

The design label Loewe is not "low", but rather "low-ev-ay".

Designer Moschino is pronounced "mo-ski-no", not "mo-shee-no"

Hermes is not "her-meeez". It's "air-mez" with a hard si that sounds like a z.

Gaultier is "go-tee-ay". Not "gaul-teer"

...Zegna is said like this:"zen-yuh"

Byblos is "bee-blow-s"

Gianfranco Ferre is said with a heavy accent over the last e such that is sounds like "ferr-ay"

Etro is pronounced "ay-tro"

Cesare Paciotti, the shoe designer is said like this:"chay-sa-ray pah-chee-oh-tee"

Nicolas Ghesquiere is "nee-ko-lah ges-queer" (other quarters say gas-kee-ay some say guess-key-air)


You can also take some tips from Marie Claire's Maureen Dempsey:

ANDREW GN \jen\
This Singapore-born designer's name rhymes with "Zen" -- the antithesis of his opulently embellished clothes.

ANNA SUI \swee\
Maybe it was her cowgirl collection, but her surname did elicit the pig call "sueeee!!!" Think "sweet" sans the T.

AQUASCUTUM \ah-kwa-skew-tum\
As you'll remember from Latin class, this name merges aqua (water) and scutum (shield) -- and these British raincoats have lived up to it for well over a century.

BALENCIAGA \ba-len-see-ah-ga\
Today's head designer, Nicolas Ghesquiere \nee-coh-la guess-kee-air\, is also a mouthful. Rather delicious, he is, too!

BEHNAZ SARAFPOUR \ben-oz sah-rafpoor\
This A-list designer is simply "Behnaz'; her clientele -- mostly rich-girls in- a-hurry -- rarely have time to manage both her first and last name.

CESARE PACIOTTI \che-sah-ray pa-chotee\
We say ciao and get all choked up over his gorgeous footwear.

CHLOE SEVIGNY \sev-en-ee\
This actress/designer's muse is seven times a style icon.

DRIES VAN NOTEN \dreez van no-ten\
The first name rhymes with "trees", which is easy to remember: The Belgian scattered gold leaf through his fall collection.

HERMES \er-mez\
So, who's going to tell Tony Soprano that the formidable French house ne pronounce pas the "h"? The second syllable rhymes with "fez".

INEZ VAN LAMSWEERDE \in-ez van lams-veerd\ & VINOODH MATADIN \vihnood mat-a din\
Even seasoned fashionistas need travel guides to navigate the bumpy road through these photographers' multisyllabic monikers.

MARCHESA \mar-kay-sah\
Hollywood actresses are more than okay with what this London house offers.

MIU MIU \mew-mew\
No need to get into a catfight over it: Miuccia Prada's nickname is as easy to love as her funky secondary line.

MONIQUE LHUILLIER \mo-neek loo-leeyay\
Rumor is a lot of young actresses send their stylists over to pick up her glam gowns: Her name is a line many of them just can't learn.

NATALIA VODIANOVA \vo-dee-ah-no-vah\
She sounds like a prima ballerina and is grace personified on the catwalk.

PETER SOM \sahm\
Many a psalm has been sung to this young designer's heavenly clothes.

PROENZA SCHOULER \pro-en-za skooler\
"Schoul" rhymes with "drool" -- and you might over their fabulous fall 2006 collection.

RODARTE \ro-dar-tay\
This exquisite label's hand-stitching and beading attest to the art of fashion (but pronounce all three syllables).

SCARLETT JOHANSSON \joe-hansen\
She looks Scandinavian -- but doesn’t go by "yo". It's Jo-hansson.

SONIA RYKIEL \ree-kee-el\
We're really keen on her resort collection.

THAKOON \ta-koon\
Suppress the urge to pronounce this onenamer "tha-koon'. You wouldn't go out for "thigh food', would you?

TIIU KUIK \tee-you kweek\
Estonia exports models with impossibly long legs and impossibly short names.

TRASTEVERINE \tras-te-ve-reen-eh\
Italians believe all vowels are created equal: Give them their due.

NOW DEARIES, FEEL FREE TO PRINT THIS OUT! PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT! ;-)

The Kylie Collection

I love Kylie! The Locomotion was great, but it was Spinning Around and Can't Get You Out Of My Head that sealed the deal for me. Hearing her music just makes you want to stand up and dance! She isn't exactly my style icon since her sexy look is not my kind of thing (I'm quite conservative, so hotpants will never find their way to my closet), but hey it works for her! One thing's for sure though! I want to look like that when I get to her age! I mean, how does she do it? How can she look this good right after chemo?(If this was me, I'd probably look like i just got out of Auschwitz.)

It seems that the folks at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London are enamored as well. According to the Telegraph, "She has been a soap star, a pop princess and, for much of her career, the quintessence of a manufactured entertainer. Somewhat surprisingly, the Victoria & Albert Museum has decided to dedicate an entire exhibition next year to Kylie Minogue. Kylie: The Exhibition will feature 200 of the performer's costumes, accessories, photographs and awards, including the gold-coloured hotpants she wore in the video for her first No 1 single for 10 years, Spinning Around, in 2000."

If I happened to be in London I would definitely go and check this exhibit out. Don't worry about me. Those gold hotpants can stay there under the watchful eyes of the museum guards.

(Photo courtesy of telegraph.co.uk)

DV

When I hear the letters D and V put together, it just makes me want to stop on my tracks and say "what about?"! I mean DV can stand for Divisoria, a favorite shopping haunt for fabrics, ribbons, laces, wrapping paper, and what nots. Oh I still remember 168 at its hypest! People were just crazy about going there! After all, going to Divi is like an adventure. You never know if you'll find parking, you don't know what fabulous goodie is lurking at each corner, you can't be too sure that your wallet or purse is safe from pickpockets, but you go anyway and just take your chances.

DV could also mean Diana Vreeland, a style icon, former Vogue editor and just a wonderful, colorful personality who had a gift for gab, and an innate talent for describing scenes and telling stories that you can't help but be enthralled. Never mind if she was passing of fiction for fact. Yes, she coined the word "faction". As Mary Louis Wilson, who wrote the foreword for the 1997 run of Diana's book DV, "Realities were simply not important to Mrs. V. as the imaginative life."

I just had to ask my fiance to order this book for me from Amazon. So when I got the package yesterday, I couldn't wait to get my hands on her magic. Mrs. V. was an extraordinary woman. Her stories were spellbinding and her witty quips were a riot. "Never fear being vulgar, just boring" she said. Her Harper's Bazaar column entitled "Why Don't You?" was a showcase of her originality and a hint of being out of touch with reality (i.e., Why don't you have a private staircase from your bedroom to the library with a needlework carpet with notes of music worked on each step - the whole spelling your favorite tune?.")

But then again, this book is not meant to be taken literally. It is a fun read, a modern day fairy tale whose stories about glamorous socialites, lithe and sultry dancers, jewel encrusted maharajahs and the British royalty were spun by a woman with a magical spinning (like crazy) wheel.