Fatal Attraction

One of the things I'm currently interested in is Greek and Roman mythology. One of the most intriguing creatures from these wonderful myths is the Medusa.

In Greek mythology, Medusa (Μεδουσα "Queen"), was a monstrous female character whose gaze could turn people to stone.

Some classical references describe her as one of three Gorgon sisters. Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale were monsters with brass hands, sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous serpents. The Gorgons and their other sisters the Graeae (and possibly the Hesperides) were daughters of Phorcys and Ceto.

In the most well known version of the myth, Medusa originally started out as a beautiful human. She was raped by Poseidon in Athena's temple. Poseidon was an arch-rival of Athena's since at one time he vied for patronage of Athens; the soon-to-become Athenians chose Athena's offering of the olive tree over Poseidon's offering of horses or a spring of water.

The world of the Italian designer Gianni Versace is reflected in the Medusa-head symbol, that is ornamented in a typically Greek fashion. The choice was made deliberately. Medusa does not only epitomise beauty - Greek art and philosophy, however, attributed also a fatal fascination to her. Her beauty is of a kind that is spell binding and confusing.

Asked in 1995 why he chose Medusa, Versace said, 'She is seduction, a sense of history, classicism ... She is fatal attraction.'

Today, years after Gianni Versace's murder, the medusa remains the symbol of the house of Versace, which has been successfully managed by his sister, Donatella Versace. It is found on the medallion on all of their seductive bags, which reflect the dangerously seductive style of Versace.

I would go on to talk about Gianni, but that would take ages to complete. Meanwhile, I leave you with the most famous dress he ever designed. The dress that people talked about, the dress that propelled its wearer into the spotlight. THE risque dress worn by Elizabeth Hurley in 1994 London premiere of Hugh Grant's film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The Magnificient Seven

From left: Stefano Pilati, Marc Jacobs, Olivier Theyskens, Narciso Rodriguez, Miuccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquière, and Alber Elbaz.

It's long been said that great designers understand what women want to wear before they've even seen it. Great designers also intuit the next mood; they identify a culture's swirling undercurrents.

Read it! It is interesting to hear from the designers themselves where they get their inspiration from for their current collection. The best article I've seen in Vogue for a long time.

Shoes of the Season

The wedges and flipflops of Spring and Summer should be buried for a while. In Fall, we pay homage to women of elegance and grace.

No more cheap crotchet flats or espadrilles. (Actually, I've never approved of both shoes, especially the espadrilles. They are never flattering and the platform heel with ribbon at the ankle, I've noticed, makes any wearer's calves look like pork chop.)

However, not all the trends of Spring and irrelevant to Fall. How about the ballerina flat? They were huge in Fall and still are but now, unlike in Spring, the ballerina flat is more sophisticated and less dance-inspired.

In Spring, you had satin flats in traditional pinks and that ubiquitous little bow tie in the front. Very ballerina indeed. But come Fall, the ballerina flat comes in decadent leather trims and deep colours. The only similarity it has to Spring's flats are the lack of heel and the girly round toe. It's a lovely, more classy elder sister, made of sumptuos leathers and velvets, has hints of pop and matches the elegant outfits of Fall perfectly.

Femine, sumptous and elegant.
These shoes may have no heels, but they still exude an air of dignity with their lushness and luxury.

Alluring denim with red alligator by Louis Vuitton.
Handsome holiday tweed flats by Tods.
Charming bow trim from Salvatore Ferragamo.

Pop art and retro
A little garish, a little chintzy, but that's the sixties darling. And if you can't have fun with shoes, you can't have fun at all.


Marc Jacobs and his constantly reinvented Mary Jane.
Go back to the sixties with Dior's velvet bow ballerina.
Mod? Pop? Louis Vuitton's hint of psychadelia is a hit on the feet.

My favourite shoe for Fall, however, goes to the Pump. This Fall, the sqaure-toed penny loafer seen on the runways of Balenciaga and Prada are sure to be a hit. (They've got lovely lookalikes at Gap already!)
With the sixties hitting us with full force, the pumps are a little swing, a little pop, but made for the grown up girl.

Courtly and refined
For work or play, these sqaure toed pumps are a little vintage-y but never too old for us.


Tod's Swing Two-Tone pump in deep crimson gets the best of both worlds of patent leather and vibrant fuschia suede.
Another one from Tod's. These glossy leather pumps would go perfectly with the Jackie outfits from Alexander McQueen.
Wearing Miuccia Prada is not just about the shoe. It's the experience. These calf leather penny loafers are absolutely stunning. Good luck if you can get one. They're in extremely high demand.

Groovy sixties
The fun theme never goes away in any season. This time, its about the swinging sixties.


Black and white. The colours of the Fall and the sixties. We all know black is back, but what's a little Pop white to go with it? The dual-tone combination from Marc Jacobs is classy and fun.
YSL gets the colour right this Fall with this suede burgundy velvet pump. The ankle strap, I don't approve, but the colour, I like.

And once the wintery cold hits certain parts of the world, what better way to keep your feet warm than in boots? This season's boots come in all looks and styles. You've got the Ugg variations, you've got the skin-tight leather and though that western frontier cowboy is slowly fading, it is not quite there yet. The sixties didn't quite hit it with the boots. Remember the 'Courreges boot'? And here at Guise, we think that white leather boots should stay in history.

Shearling
Its a warm and fussy feeling, I've got inside. People in tropical climates, keep out! Uggs, stay away!


Love it or hate it, Fendi delivers a cute and cozy pair of shearling boots with their squirrel mascot adding that childish delight.
Meanwhile, Prada's Sport Shearling is less garish and much more classic.

Cowboy
A little more subdued than Fall, cowboy boots are not about over-the-top studs or patterns but more about sophistication. Think equestrian stature, not rodeo rough.

Stuart Weitzman gives us some studded cowboy boots this Fall in rich wood colour.
Supple suede and a cowboy tassel make this simple pair of Jimmy Choo edgy and cool.

So there you go. The shoes of fall. Remember keep the flimsy sashes on your espadrilles tied up hidden in your closet when the season hits.

Olive Oil

After some research on makeupalley.com and trying some products first hand, I have come to a conclusion that if one is going to trust any of those "natural" products, I would recommend Olive Oil. After all, it has been highly prized in the Mediterranean and dates back to centuries ago.

Olive oil itself, according to many websites, can be used as a cosmetic. The ancient Greeks used to bathe with oil, using a special scraper to take off the excess. And the best oil to use is without a doubt Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And not one of those that come in big bottles for spaghetti. It's better to get the premium organic extra-virgin expeller-pressed olive oil. You don't want any of that chemically processed 'Pure' or 'Light' Oils getting on your face (unless you want zits!)

Some home-beauty treatment methods got from here :

Skin: Olive Oil is amazing as a skin moisturiser. Whenever your skin needs softening and moisturising, massage a small amount into your skin. You will instantly be amazed by how soft it leaves your skin.

Lips: Dab a little olive oil on chapped lips to soothe and soften.

Hands: This tip will leave your tired hands feeling beautifully soft. Before going to bed, smooth a generous amount of olive oil onto your hands. Put on some white cotton gloves and go to sleep. When you wake in the morning your hands will feel terrifically soft.

Cuticles & Nails: Are your cuticles ragged and your nails brittle and dry? Olive oil can work wonders for you. Soak nails for 30 minutes in a small cup of olive oil.

Hair: Olive oil is a miracle cure for split ends. Not only does it help repair split ends, it also heals dandruff, and makes your hair shiny, silky and lustrous. Massage a few tablespoons of olive oil into scalp and hair. Cover hair with a plastic bathing cap and leave on for 30 minutes or more. Then shampoo as normal.

Bath: Add several tablespoons of olive oil to your bath, along with a few drops of your favourite essential oil, to sooth and nourish your skin.

Now, I'm not going to start buying olive oil and smear that all over my face/hair yet. It would clog up my bathroom and I'm not a very adventurous person. However, I would recommend some olive oil products, especially from L'Occitaine's Olive collection.


Olive Hair Care Oil
Tress Distresser
Calling all highlight addicts: This mixture of soothing essential oils restores dry locks to their shiny virgin state, pulling triple duty as a pre-swim mask, a revitalizing conditioner, and a post-blow-dry shine enhancer.





L'Occitane
Olive Harvest Kit - Daily Face & Body Care:
1x Daily Face Cream
1x Face Scrub Mud
1x Exfoliating Shower Cream
1x Olive Body Milk 125ml

The Daily Face Cream was given a "Big Thumbs Up" by a makeupallew reviewer.




Off the topic, just a short poll here. What would you, the reader, like to read here on Guise?
Firstly, my posts are mostly on fashion apparel and it seems to be okay. I hardly touch on bags, beauty etc and I think things are going to remain this way simply because I don't have that much passion/ideas for the latter two.

But what would you like to read on Guise? More runway reviews? I could possibly do the entire Fall collection in no time if I continue giving runway reviews everyday.

Okay, so this is not a poll. No voting here. Just give me your thoughts. Drop me a comment. Thanks!

Anna Sui Photo Collage

A little Anna Sui to brighten up my day.

Stress is building up for A levels.

Due to my upcoming examinations, I will be publishing sporadically over the next few months up till November. Perhaps once a week or once every 2 weeks. Maybe more frequently if I have the time. You may subscribe to Blogarithms (left column) to get updates.

So for a more fashion unrelated post (go to the next post for today's fashion post), I baked 2 cakes to destress.

Just like fashion, baking is about creation, design and good taste. It is about mixing and matching (banana + walnut, apple+cinanmon, chocolate + more chocolate) and finding that perfect chemistry.

Unlike fashion, it doesn't require much money and thought. And unlike fashion, the older the recipe, the better.




I baked an apple cake yesterday. Got the recipe from here.

A banana walnut cake is in the oven now.

Update:

The cake turned out perfect! Crisp crust and moist interior!

Resort Collections - The Looks

The different looks presented for the resort collections:

Nautical
Stripes, blues and whites. It's Spring's Nautical look again. After all, it's the resort collections we are talking about. Where else would nautical stripes look more apt but on a yatch?

I absolutely adored everything about the Gucci outfit on the left, with the striped top, white skirt (with gold chain), the gladiator-cum-nautical sandals and that lovely chic tote that comes with a white leather trim for that nautical look. The matching of Roman gold with sailor blues and whites was impeccable and that motorcycle jacket just ones the entire look down perfectly.

Burberry had a cool nautical collections with sailor caps in dark navy and nautical jackets, pants and scarves. And this navy jacket looks a little more marine than sailor (ie military meets nautical). A simple sharp outfit was spruced up with a striped scarf.

Michael Kors delivered Hawaiian chic with his Hawaiian print swimwear and hat (left) and a nautical striped tee in cherry red.

Carolina Herrera was a little more subdued with pieces like a navy skirt and cocktail dress for the nautical theme.

I'm not sure if this is nautical but I absolutely loved this white trench by Lanvin with the weaved belt on the waist. With the chi-chi floppy hat, this is one outfit to be seen in.

Chanel also had a nautical striped shirt paired glamourously with a dazzling sequinned skirt and cardigan for the glamourous femme.

Narciso Rodriguez did simple with this minimalistic white and blue suit.

Vuitton did nautical too with this leather bag with a striped handle and gold buckles. It looks inspired by one of those cargo crates carried on ships with the large label on top.


Nina Ricci scored with a pair of smart white bermudas (left) with a flattering bottom cuff.

Ralph Lauren did full on nautical with a navy turtle neck with white shorts and another striped tee in blue and red with a sailor cap. Even the evening wear had a nautical edge to it. Be it full on stripes or solid navys and whites, Ralph Lauren had the naval look down pat.

Romantic

Romantic dresses were the best and already covered in the previous post. Here are the romantic seperates I fell in love with.

Chloe sets the stage every season for romantic, feminine apparel. A Victorian blouse with ruffles and ballon sleeves is French chic when paired with a pencil black skirt. Another victorian blouse, this time with sheer slender sleeves and paired with an immaculate moss green skirt and a lovely purple ribbon belt.

I was completely enamored by this silky two-piece outifit by Chanel. So feminine and graceful, especially with the dainty rose brooch.

And what about Nautical meets Romantic with this outfit by Lanvin on the left? A romantic light blouse with balloon sleeves and an equally voluminous pair of navy pants with another of Lanvin's floppy hats. A wonderfully romantic ensemble.

Valentino never fails to impress. I like this ruffled blouse with romantic puffy sleeves. It would look great for Spring, Summer or Winter.

Tribal

There was just that hint of tribal flavour at some of the collections, perhaps remniscent of the Spring/Summer collections.

Blalenciaga did a loose printed dress that looked like a nightie and had those tribal-esque woven neckline.

Vera Wang was full of patterns, like this printed trench and tribal top.

So that's it for the resort collections. Time to hit the beach!

Resort Collections - The Dresses

Just when I thought that I had run out of blogging material, the resort collections have come in to save the day.

The Resort Collections are all about knee-length dresses and chic seperates for lounging around the beach on a Summer day or sailing across azure waters, cocktail in one hand, donning that beautiful golden tan.

So many wonderful frocks and tops to mention here so I shall dedicate the first post to the dresses.

There were some gorgeous elegant gowns but those couldn't beat the lovely cocktail spring dresses on display.

Cocktail Dresses
Valentino had a pretty summery dress with gorgeous butterfly sleeves, a ruffled layer hemline and a dainty pink sash tie front to top it of.

Similar to its Spring and Fall collections, YSL did the 80s with puffy sleeves and that signature broad square leather belt.

Badgley Mischka had many floral-themed dresses such as this white ballerina dress with pretty pink flowers. Very prom-like.

Balenciaga was pure genius. This salmon pink dress was extraordinary with the pretty gatherings. But my favourite was this two-tone dress on the right with the girly bow tie belt at the waist. I love the lace detailing at the hem and the classic cut.

This Bottega Venetta papillon-print babydoll dress is tres chic.

Oscar De La Renta with his usual voluminous dresses, this time with a geometric pattern.

Romantic Dresses
And how about Grecian Goddess Chloe? A floaty romantic dress with an ethereal air.

Louis Vuitton had a beautiful girly Roman empire-line dress.


Prada had the most beautiful dresses. Such as this black and white dress with a classy romantic feel and the one on the left which kind of reminds me of a French Maid uniform (the black portion looks a little like an apron) but more stylish of course. This off-white casual dress reminds me of the dresses I used to wear when I was young. Very romantic and almost nightie-like. Love the cute puffy sleeves.

Gowns
Not as impressive as their Fall collections of course. But a few note-worthy mentions:
Valentino's Vavavoom Red Hot number would blow people away.
YSL's silky gown is red carpet elegant.
Zac Posen's metallic statue and fiery animal print were too harsh for me but this multi-hued dress was lively and elegant.
This classic Behnaz Sarafpour was another vintage-esque black and white piece.
Carolina Herrera with a brilliant printed gown.
This dazzling piece from Chanel will be a hit for the night.

Watch this space for more!

Spring's sprung for menswear

by Rog Hagwood for the Sun-Sentinel

Fashion flows a bit slower for men than it does women.

So maybe by the time the dude duds shown earlier this month at the designer menswear shows in Milan and Paris hit store shelves, our eyes will have adjusted. After all, the guy garb shown is intended for spring/summer 2006. Most men -- even those who don't change wardrobes annually -- are still firmly wearing 2005, thank you very much.

Luckily there is a conservative English collegiate vibe out there that even Grandpa will recognize. At Givenchy, designer Ozwald Boateng did staples like polo shirts and dinner jackets, but the polo was sheer and the jacket was mint green. At Hermés, designer Véronique Nichanian showed gray trousers with a pink satin stripe down the leg as well as cardigans ... made of velvet. (above)

But it never hurts to be a little ahead of the game. After all, when that young buck in the office makes fun of your retro South Beach-print Versace shirts, you can look at him with a withering glance and icily retort, "Don't you know that Donatella did a retro homage to her brother Gianni's South Beach collection from 1993? Giorgio Armani did Miami Vice. If you don't know that, what else don't you know?"

Here are some more trends from the menswear shows for next year for you to use as a hip weapon:

Classic preppy looks are back ... think '50s Americana (Jil Sander, Burberry Prorsum, Rocco Barocco, Paul Smith, Hermés).

Cool colors include gray, sand, blue, green and all-white ensembles (Calvin Klein, Gucci).

'60s rock/'70s glam/'80s vice ... think skinny ties and stove-pipe pants, animal-print swim and loungewear, shrunken jackets, swirling geometric- and abstract-print shirts, one- and two-button jackets with sleeves pushed up (left, Prada), tank tops worn with wide-legged trousers (Prada, Etro, Comme des Garçons, Yves Saint Laurent, Dries Van Noten, Hermés).

Short-shorts or Dude Daisy Dukes (Byblos, Valentino, Antonio Marras, Jasper Conran, Burberry Prorsum).

My added note:

Lots of motifs, especially flowers on shorts and shirts

CSI : High Fashion

Anyone from Los Angeles?

Introducing "High Fashion Crime Scenes", Maggie Pullen's current "extra-large" exhibition which is open at the Ace Gallery in Beverly Hills from June through August 20, 2005. (2 days left!!)

The show is testament to the notion that interesting things can really happen when you marry big space with big business, big bucks and a woman with a big, strange idea.

Melanie Pullen set out to research and gather vintage murder and other tragic death scenes at the Los Angeles Police Department and the County Coroner's Office. With much attention to detail, real scene settings were pieced together into composite backgrounds where models and actors were posed as the victims. More unusual, and the proverbial hook, is that all the players are dressed in high fashion clothes and jewelry.

Designer brands like Boudicca, Bulgari, Gucci, Chanel and Westwood are but a few names that grace the victims bodies. More elaborate scenes required large crews to prepare and execute.

Even before addressing the subject of the show, the super-size scale and number of photographic images will grab your attention; many prints are at least 7' in one direction, the poster is 7' x 8'. The photography is mostly sharp focus, hi-res with post production adjustments to increase color, contrast or atmosphere. Several photos did seem a bit soft and/or overly grainy but, by and large, they all achieve their visual goals.

Manner of death criteria is varied. Some victims are hanging by the neck from ropes, some dangle partially in the frame from an off-camera device. In the largest gallery room there are 2 different drownings, 1 gun shot victim in a car, 3 hangings, 3 different bodies lying in subway stations and 2 bodies on piers. Other rooms reveal more methods of death; slashed throats, severed heads, electrocution, bludgeoning, and a fall down a stairway shaft, among others. All victims are beautifully dressed and shod.

Overall, the impression is far from shocking, considering the subject.

There is little, if anything even remotely sad. Drowned subjects underwater come closest to evoking an emotional response. The clothes and shoes do stand out but, unless you find meaning in clothes, they are merely accents.

The photographer's intent is to "comment on society's glamourization of violent acts and crimes by literally re-dressing what are deeply disturbing events." In the re-dressing, and re-staging one aspect seems to cancel out the other. The photos are neutral, dead, as it were, basically about nothing that induces feelings for the subjects. Fashion photography is often like that but this is an art exhibition.

So where is the significance? It is in the dialogue. I have never been to an opening where more people skipped the usual schmoozing to talk to each other and to strangers about what they saw in the photos and what they thought. The reasons for this are not clear but the results were dramatic.

We do witness the after-images and descriptions of real violence everyday in the news, on TV, in magazines. The worst of it is described to us in words, not graphically depicted. It could be that Melanie Pullen's photos, in their fakery and extravagance, jump the brain pathway to imagery and go directly to the language zone. Whatever the explanation, it is a show worth experiencing.

A major exhibition so early in an artist's career is unusual but Melanie Pullen had the ideas and resources to pull it off. It will be interesting to see what the photographer does next.

ACE GALLERY BEVERLY HILLS
Institute Of Contemporary Art
9430 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Saturday
10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
T: 310.858.9090 F: 310.858.9091

From Socal.com.

Meanwhile, for those who are geographically immobile and are short of time, check out their online gallery. My favourite piece? Dorothy in her red shoes (above right).

Yee-hah

If you're an Alberta Ferreti fan or a follower of Philosophy (her diffusion line), get ready your lassos because we're heading to the west.

The collection was obviously inspired by the western buckeroos, with a mix of buckles, boots and tassels. Kneelength skirts with tassels and beautiful cowboy patterns offers a more flattering alternative to those voluminous tulip skirts everyone's been talking about. Some of the pieces from her Alberta Ferreti collection were reflected here, but given a more western twist and made for more casual occassions. The empire line cocktail dress for example, was given a light western twist and a lighter coloured fabric was used. Her traditional big button dolly trench was also present but the belt had that extra cowboy buckle detail.

I loved the cowboy shirts in the collection, especially the white one on the left with the feminine satin material and the handsome looking metal studs. Pair it with a cowboy buckle belt and a pair of jeans and you're ready to go. Other shirts were embellished with diamantes and ruffles.

The jackets too were not too bad, with fur collars and trimmings. Some were given the western flair such as this fur collar vest. Others in the meantime, had a vintage appeal and continued with the dolly cropped look Ferreti had adopted, like this checked piece and another cropped suede one.

The dresses were all tailored to suit the young Philosophy girl. They too were not spared from the western treatment, such as this tasseled black dress and its slinkier sister. Others such as this simple black dress and this poufy prom-like dress were given star brooches instead. A sheriff's badge maybe?

The tasseled bags, suede boots and cowboy buckles completed the look. For the finer details, there were a little crotchet piece and a lace trimmed corset dress.

Surprisingly, not a single gingham print was to be seen. Instead, there were elaborate prints(right) on shirts and skirts. Even an occassional flower print, but nope, no gingham.

Brooches adorned simple outfits while handsome cowboy hats reminded me so much of those costumes in Cold Mountain. So for those who want inspiration for Fall, check out the cowgirls at Philosphy.

Back to school fashion

If I were the OC's stylist, I would get hoards of Paul and Joe for the preppy casts.

This fall, Paul and Joe offers several preppy and chic outfits perfect for school and afters. As usual, the preppy girly style of the brand remains, but this time with a more classic twist. The Paul and Joe girl seems to take to a little 60s vintage, accessorising with a pearl necklace for a little retro.

Seperates were simple and practical yet very stylish and easy to match. Each outfit, though exuding good clean fun, all had an extra twist added for that fashionista touch.

I also loved how pieces were mixed and match for an interesting look. Styles were mished mashed together effortlessly. A gingham shirt under a preppy pullover, a marriage of 2 extremely different trends, works fine for me. And who would have thought, a Victorian shirt with plum shorts and bangles? Edwardian sporty? A mod turtle neck was matched perfectly with a pair of casual jeans and earthy yellow jacket with a perfect little pearl necklace. A mix of modern and old classics.

The individual pieces were exceptionally lovely. I loved the turtle neck tunic on the right, with the intricate little pattern and gorgeous sky blue. The baggy sleeves are oh-so fashion savvy and the wintery little slouch bag with the cute pom pom balls perfect the wintery look. Essentially a simple outfit but put together impeccably.

Like the turtle neck, many of the seperates had hanging loose sleeves. Batwing sleeves has made a comeback here, on this deep scarlet dress and on this lemon tunic top with the adorable floral print.

The stars were undoubtedly the little shrugs and jackets they had to offer. This lovely blue cardigan with its geometric pattern totally blew me away and it didn't look twin-set mumsy paired with a girly camisole underneath. And a moss shrug with a lacy corset top and shorts? Who would have thought? There were cute knit capelets too which were paired with knee length skirts and dresses. The trademark Paul and Joe logos were also present, such as this duck logo upon a knit wrap. Other preppy pullovers include this almost punkish design and this striped one which would make any OC stylist proud. For prim and proper, they also had some double breasted coats and a 60s-esque pale trench.

The dresses were also full of girly loveliness, such as these white and pink frocks with artsy swirls printed on them. This lovely coral dress and this lemony baby doll empire line so reminded me of the girly preppy style of Rachel Bilson and the classic lines from Scarlett Johansson. But my favourite has to go to the teal Victorian dress on the right. It looks like a poet's shirt from the waist up, with the balloony sleeves, the chiffon light material and the romantic tie front but ends into a girly dress with a feminine bow belt tie. A perfect casual dress isn't it? And speaking of dress, I wonder what the designer was thinking when she made this potato sack. It looks seriously out of this world and strangely detached from the rest of her collection.

For accessories, Paul and Joe tried out the socks and heels thing with tan nylon socks with yellow pumps which worked well when paired with shorts. Other accessories not previously mentioned include the Fall must-have, leather boots, which looked more equestrian than cowboy, especially when paired smartly with a neat tucked in shirt and a saddle bag. The scarves were pretty too, in tawny yellow and white.

Floral prints on shirts reminded me of Paul Smith woman's Spring Summer collection while this long suede jacket brought Willy Wonka's purple jacket to mind.

While Paul and Joe's collection isn't for those who want trendsetting, avant-garde fashion, it satisfies younger tastebuds who have a knack for fashion and offers affordable garb for our fickle wardrobes. It'll be fun going back to school with Paul and Joe.

The Nonsensical Artist

Nonsense. Absolutely nonsense. That's what Etro's fall collection was all about.
It was inspired by the Dadaist 'artists' which arose after World War 1.

Dada Art Defined: A European movement in the arts that flourished from about 1916 to 1920 and beyond. Based on the principles of deliberate irrationality, cynicism, and anarchy....and, of course, the general rejection of the laws of society. Its followers used non sequiturs and absurdities to create artwork, literature, and performances which defied intellectual analysis.

The Dadaist Cabaret Voltaire, founded in Zurich in 1916, started the process of fusing cabaret and fine art. This development reached a climax in 1920 at the First International Dada Art Fair, where the local Dadaists broke down the barriers between these two art forms with their performances. Dada art presented revolution in a humorous way, but with serious intent.

Using an early form of Shock Art, the Dadaists thrust mild obscenities, scatological humor, visual puns and everyday objects (renamed as "art") into the public eye. Marcel Duchamp performed the most notable outrages by painting a mustache on a copy of the Mona Lisa (and scribbling an obscenity beneath) and proudly displaying his sculpture entitled Fountain (which was actually a urinal, sans plumbing, to which he added a fake signature).

The word Dada means "hobby horse" in French but others feel it was just baby talk. It was meant to mean absolutely nothing. That's what Dada was all about - Nothing.
More about Dadaism

Confused? Basically, Dada is revolutionary and most importantly, the anti-mainstream. And like Dada art, many fashionistas go against mainstream fashion (intentionally or not, it depends).

Etro was utterly confusing. And like Dada art in the past, could be off-putting to some.

So here's the fashion post proper. Swirls, swirls, swirls. Patterns clashed unabashedly. I don't really know what to think of this collection. Messy? Crazy? Whimsical? Anti-... what?

Socks with shoes, Japanese embriodery on red velvet, Dominos on bracelets? (right)

Patchwork print after patchwork print.
Flora with the Asian touch.
Flecks of metallic.
Gloomy flowers, Crazy Corsages and what's this?
Nothing matched and I absolutely hated this patchy mess.
Unflattering cuts that make no sense.
Berseck.

I can't even write a proper post about it. It's simply too confusing and would take too much effort. Every trend was dumped into a fashion cauldron and given a big mix, giving rise to the marriage of the strangest ideas. The seperates would do much better if they were, well, seperate. The patterns were mixed so haphazardly it is too hard to make sense of it. However, I don't doubt the ability of Veronica Etro to produce great pieces.

I did appreciate some of the accessories (not the domino bracelets though), like this bag below:


It was a mix of shapes. colours, leathers but unlike so many of the iffy outfits, this worked for me.

Obsessions

My list of current lusts and musts:

Fashion

Bottega Venetta's exclusive Nero Jardin Decalee Bag. Only 200 sold worldwide. Very chic with the flower details each made painstakingly with precious leather, hence the price tag of SGD 11,500 (approx USD 7000)
Onitsuka Tigers sneakers for their old school design.
The Linear Silhouette in plain colours for the sixties swing.
Black outfits from Calvin Klein with minimal distractions and classic cuts with fine detailing.
Black leather pumps for a little Dominatrix and yet classy.

Others

Traditional red bean Potong Ice cream, my perennial obsession and childhood comfort food.
Jude Law - Such a charmer and a joy to watch
Morinaga chocolates, specifically the bitter chocolate. With the smooth consistency of milk chocolate but the deep flavour of true coca, this reminds me of decadent chocolate cake. I also recommend Dars dark chocolate, which tastes pretty much the same but comes in convenient cubes.
Renting DVDs. What better way to spend a boring morning?
Samsung's YP-F1 MP3 player compact, stylish and functional with a clip on pendant shape.
Keynesian Economics, which I'm burying my head in for the A Levels. Don't save! Spend!

Other than Threadless:

New York Times :

"With a T-shirt, it is much easier to show your work than trying to find a gallery," says Toshiki Okazaki, as quoted by Guy Trebay in The New York Times (7/21/05). According to Toshiki, who runs a Manhattan boutique called Zakka, zakkacorp.com, that's why some artists are producing limited runs of T-shirts. It's the perfect canvas if the artist wants some exposure but maybe doesn't care so much about making money. Of course, some artists are making money with the concept. Kadorable, kadorable.com, for instance, sells its artsy T-shirts to subscribers, who pay $145 a month to "receive a shirt a month by mail for five months."

Then there are those who really aren't artists at all, but have seized -- or simply stumbled -- upon an apparent demand for limited-run, "often crude and uncommercial-looking" T-shirts that you can't find at, say, Target. Or even your local vintage-apparel boutique. That would be Kristin Bauer and Liz Vassey of justdumped.com, "a company that makes T-shirts that read like semaphores flared from the battleground of contemporary romance." Their shirts, which carry phrases like "ignore me and i'm yours," caught on after Kristin, an actress, wore one of her shirts while doing publicity for a TV show. Next thing you know a TV Guide reporter wrote up her shirts and the orders started pouring in.

"It all goes hand in hand with the vintage thing," says Molly Spaulding, of Narnia, a boutique. "People like the idea that there's only one, there's only one size. They like the feeling that it's their own style." For all its intended "cool obscurity," the trend toward short-run T-shirts is actually edging toward mass marketing. Prada, for example, recently collaborated "with the Chilean graffiti artist Flavien Demarigny (a.k.a. Mambo). And although Kadorable's shirts may be produced in a basement in Brooklyn, they have been featured in GQ (hey, somebody got The New York Times to write this story, too, and of course we played right into it). All told, an estimated 1,500 websites currently are selling limited-edition T-shirts, and Olin McKenzie of momimomi.com suggests they'll be around for a while: "T-shirts, like blue jeans, are forever," he says. "Nobody is going to stop wearing them anytime soon."

Now that everyone knows and wears Threadless, where is the exclusivity? Even online stores in Singapore have brought them in.

So here's my list of "Other than Threadless" Tshirt designers worth a peek:

Nineveh
Tank Theory.
Naive
Rock'n Clothing
I-Manifest
Media Fury
Es Gibt
Fit for use
Secret HandShake
Full Bleed
Hello Base
Perplex and Lola at Virgin Threads (another cool store by itself)
Dadawan
Invicid
Beamst

So there, an entire list of creative artists to support. And if still haven't got that Tshirt after seeing this, shame on you.

Hollywood Vamp

Dressing for the heat

Time to heed the siren call of hourglass dresses and stiletto heels: the Hollywood vamp is back, writes Jo Adams

Sunday July 31, 2005
The Observer

Maybe the heat is getting to me, or maybe I've just had my fill of scantily clad bodies and tissue-paper-thin flouncy sundresses, but at the moment I find myself in the mood for high heels, a sexy blouse and a fitted skirt that gives me a waddle in my walk. In other words, I want to be a woman again - I want clothes that reveal my curves, and to hell with anything boho.
At the couture shows I sat staring in pure admiration at Dita Von Teese (right at the Giambattista Valli show), the burlesque performer and girlfriend of Marilyn Manson, the It Girl of the moment. She was working the autumn/winter hourglass look straight from Roland Mouret's catwalk show - every inch sexy but still ladylike, poured into a figure-hugging pencil dress, Jessica Rabbit style.

Just say no to exposed bra straps unless you are in your boudoir in French knickers and a matching balconette-bra ensemble.

The new look is neat and sleek, with minimal accessories - so forget layering beads, and concentrate on shoes and bags (never a problem for me). Shirts are made of delicate silk in soft colours with lace detailing - alternatively, a dainty tie-neck and tailoring is ultra-feminine and super sharp.

If you would rather slip into something more tactile, think tweed and tartan: they give a little more to play with and make for a more eclectic look. Try layering a blouse with a shrunken knitted cardigan that still accents shape.

If you are not a suit or figure-hugging kinda girl, dresses still work the feminine shape, but from the bust down they're empire line, Hollywood-siren style. Top with sexy tousled hair as at Roland Mouret - side parted a la Lauren Bacall - and tail with needle-thin stilettos: enough to turn any head.

So go grab yourself some attitude, and get yourself noticed.