The Monk Moccassins

If you're a big fan of shoes like I am, one of the most important thing to have in the shoe closet is the variety. Not just about the color (except mine, where most of them are blacks...yikes!), but also the design, the labels and the most important - the type of shoes that you have. Among the big chunk of the lo-pro shoes that I own, I love wearing the mocs since I don't like to mess around with the laces which sometimes could trip me down when I walk. And one of the mocs that I prefer is the monk-strap shoes that has its iconic side-fastened buckle.

Monk shoes is a very formal footwear that has either one or two buckle straps that sway to the side. What I love about is the the much quintessential gentlemen look it oozes, almost like you're the Cary Grant or Fred Astaire of the modern world when you slip into one. Though it can be in suede version as well, to me I love the typical smooth leather upper for its much chic look and classic appeal. Couple that with the toe-cap front, it looks is taken to another style level.

I own one monk shoes by Gucci which is bought quite some time ago during a Sale in Harrods. It was a purely 'by-chance' moment when I stumbled upon the shoes somewhere hidden in the aisle 'size 43' at the footwear department on the Ground Level. Though at first it was a bit off-ish to me since the look is quite matte (since I love anything hi-sheen), yet upon trying it up ...something just click so nicely. It looks quite good actually. And with the slashed price that's never can be found anywhere in the world except at Harrods, the lure of the monk is too vivid to be ignored. And, erm... because it's a Gucci, of course. Ha! 

[pix from mr porter]

my monk mocs from Gucci

Essence of Perseverance

Ini merupakan iStyle special yang dibuat tim iCreate dan fotografer muda LakiGushary. Menciptakan fashion spreadyang ter-inspirasi dari sang legenda, seorang visioner dan memberikan pengaruhbagi dunia yaitu, Steve Jobs. Dari tahun 1997 hingga 2011 sebelum Steve Jobsberhenti menjabat CEO di Apple Inc, ia terkenal dengan pakaian ‘iconic’ yang digunakan setiap iapresentasi, Black & Denim. Konsistensinya menggunakan pakaian tersebutmerupakan sebuah contoh solid dari ‘perseverance’, yang pada akhirnyamencitrakan dirinya sebagai ikon Balck & Denim. Untuk menambahkan kesan brightdapat dilihat dari wig yang dipakai Maria Del Carmen, dimana menceritakan sangmodel yang selalu ingin diketahui keberadaanya oleh Jonathan Felix.

Fotografioleh: Laki Gushary

Penata Gaya oleh: Moch. Reza Rizky

Penata Rias: Billy Krisna

Model:Maria Del Carmen (POSH) & JonathanFelix (FAME)

Ast.Fotografi oleh: Rickey Hamdani

Lokasi: MINUS 2, FX LifestyleX’nter 2^nd Floor, Pintu I Senayan, Jakarta & EMAX Kemang

Wardrobe: Burberry, Gucci, Massimo Dutti, Giordano Concept.

Zebra, Waka Waka Eh, Eh...

This is one of the unreleased photos I did when I was in London. It was actually taken during the World Cup 2010 mood last summer, by which I was so inspired by everything Africa - since the venue was held in South Africa, that is. I was so bored one day after flustered in front of the tele watching the game (as what all other graduate students would normally do in the weekend!), so I think hey, why don't I just do a photoshoot today?

As the theme is Africa, and summer is also about the tribal and animal prints trend, what better than to make something that related to that after all. I'm thinking zebra - coz zebra and Africa always go hand in hand! So, I put on my sleeveless tee from Topman that has the zebra print element on it, paired with the zebra print towel from Matalan.... and then boom! I got this photo. 

Not too bad, huh? I know I'm crazy and that's what fashion is about too... be dare, crazy and sometimes push to the limit! I have to say, apart from leopard print, I like zebra because of the black 'n white stripes that looks so chic. And that Topman tee - I think it just hit the right notes!

I actually wore the same tee during the check-in at Hotel Maya two weeks ago. To cover the sleeveless arm and make it appear much edgier, I wear my cropped sleeves blazer from Sub + the Topman slimfit jeans (and my Gucci boots). I assumed that this is probably one of the the reason why I get the free room upgrade from just a Studio Room to a Junior Suite (which is double the space and worth about RM600 per nite!!) - coz I think the girl at the counter kinda hypnotized by the zebra print. 

I dunno, just my theory. Lucky me, ha!

sempat la lagi nak snap dalam lif tu...

is it because of the zebra I got the room upgrade? cool...

Currently Loving: Gucci Drawstring Canvas Bag

Sometimes I forgot what does this blog is used to be famous for - the images of the bags or shoes or clothes from the online stores that I used to post and gave my point-of-view about. Something that I took from some brands' websites which I think is such an eye candy to me, and talk about how great the product is. It's used to be less about me and more about them, so to speak. But nowadays I think the focus have been shifted more towards 'things about me' rather than promoting more about other labels' product instead.

I realised I've come to the term that when I posted some other people's pictures... the post become so 'cold' and 'lifeless'. It's like a promo shop without end, just like some other famous blogs in this region or in this world too - they do the same, yet generated a lot of audience somehow. But yeah, I do have to admit their blog is a little bit 'without personality' which I think is too sad. Aren't they happy themselves? To me I'm not gonna do that anymore. I'm gonna posted less about other people's product that I didn't buy it myself, and more about thing circulating around me instead coz that's what my blog should be. I have family and friends and real life that is so magical... and if I share that in this blog alongside the product I'm showing - that I think how I should be writing. Right? I know I've lost quite a number of audience from the overseas due to me being 'myself' a lot and less 'oh, this product is bla bla bla...' coz probably they do like 'cold' and 'lifeless' style. But by putting a bit of my own self in here, I dunno how come suddenly I got tremendous amount of audience from Malaysia! Maybe they like to hear more about my stories, eh? High five! Malaysian rocks!

Anyway. I'm still gonna put the pix of any brands' products, but it's gonna be less. That including this one, by which it's something I found so droolworthy. The Gucci drawstring canvas bag in their Resort 2011 collection. I just love everything about it. The color that looks quite nautical theme with the navy and white combination. And the canvas material that looks very hardwearing, embellished with the paladium hardware; trimmed with leather in navy color. It's always the little neat thing when Gucci try to always inject their famous signature in every pieces - by which this one is the modern interpretation of Gucci triple-stripes printed webbing on the center body of the bag.

It looks pretty sporty given its size is quite large, which is very practical to be carried to the gym or to a casual weekend getaway outside the city. One thing I wish though; the handle is a bit longer so that easier for it to be slung on the shoulder. Yet, with the additional removable strap you can always do that, right?

Price? Would you be willing to pay USD$ 2180? Hmmmm....buat downpayment keta lg bagus!

Btw, what do you think about what I said before? More about me is a good idea? (I think you'll puke more if you listen too much about myself lah!)

[pix from gucci]

Shoe of the Day, and Drenching Wet

A quick update on my outfit of the day. It's the Gucci boots that I got from Harrods last Winter 2009 which is the most expensive shoes in my collection. Though I got it at price slashed to almost half than the original tag, still it's quite hefty costing almost £300. Yup, I know I'm crazy but that's the limit I put when it comes to buying shoes - I won't buy anything beyond £300. Period.

It looks very simple, yet I know why the original price is actually amounted to almost £600 before the Sale. The simplicity lies on how you slide your foot in. Yeah it's a boots, but there's no zipper nor any elasticated band just like the Chelsea boots. This is merely a full-leather version by itself as the buttery soft leather 'neck' is mouldable which letting the foot to slide in without too much hassle. Somehow I think, I dunno how the Gucci artisan can come up with such a simple look like that coz to make one is truly not easy.

To go with it is my linen suit by Asos paired with the +J slimfit shirt (from the latest FW2011 collection) + grey stripes slim tie from Red Herring @ Debenhams. This is actually my fav look these days which I happen to wear so frequent (coz I'm in love with that suit too much!)

Oh, btw. The luck is not on my side this afternoon as suddenly there's heavy downpour at my area. Too heavy that I can barely see the road when I was driving back home for lunch. The bad news is, when I was about to board my car I forgot that I left my Burberry umbrella at home. So, what to do... other than to redah hujan just like that - and drenching wet!

Hmmm. This is exactly what the proverb said - ku ingat panas sampai ke petang, rupanya hujan di tengah hari! (Translation: "I thought it'll be dry all the way to the evening, but it rains in the afternoon". more or less, ahaks!).

Thankfully, today's the last day of my working week. Tomorrow, balik kampung daa...

Shoe of the Day, Plus Going Blue

Haish... the fire alarm has just been activated by the time I'm writing this. Anyway, just one quickie update before I run off fashionably towards the nearest assembly point, this is what I'm wearing today. The mood for lo-pro shoes is still going on, so as the mood for patent. So I decided to slip on my Gucci patent loafers with the modernized version of signature Gucci horsebit ornamenting the strap. This is the same one I used to wear when I went to my lab last year - the lab with the oil/water pipeline facilities - which I also happen to write a blogpost too (kalau rajin, korang cari lah yer... ehehehe).

I was actually very lucky to get this mocs at more than half price in the Gucci store at Bond Street, London during the Summer sale. Lucky becoz it's the only one there - multiple lucky coz it's in my size! There actually has been quite tug-of-war between me and the salesguy who questioned me whether I want it or not... coz otherwise he'll snap it. Questioning me? Excuse moi? It's Gucci, mana bleh aku cakap NO. But hey, I'm the customer - and customer always comes first! :)

Anyway, since the shoes is a patent leather (patent mean, the leather been treated or 'coated' with a layer of hi-gloss finish), to put it on is a bit of a challenge too esp when it's a loafer. Thank God I have the shoe horn by Ermenegildo Zegna which is given free to me by the salesguy at Harrods, during which I went to buy shoes there during the Sale too. The same salesguy who's been layan kerenah aku everytime I tried the shoes at the ground floor of the store. Thought he knew me, that's why I get the priviledge (plus an addition 10% off as usual!).

Oh, the outfit for today is blue tops - blue slim Oxford shirt by Topman paired with the indigo linen slimfit blazer by River Island + blue stripes tie by Red Herring @ Debenhams. I normally wear blue on Monday to make that famous cliche, but this time it's the midweek instead.

Owh, I thought it's gonna be a quickie one. But since the alarm has gone off tetiba plak, no chance for me to run off fashionably neh... haish. :P

Sweet Smell of Sexcess

I thought I have found the perfect perfume for the new rebranding of myself a couple of months ago.  It turns out that it goes beyond that. In fact, when I finally owned the Gucci Guilty fragrance on my hand, and spritz it onto my body... nothing is more magical than having a new scent to solidify the rebranding effort that I'm talking about. Prominent, seductive, sexy, and boy... do I love what does the ad campaign says about it after all. [click]

But, stop! Suddenly I was thrown out of proportion when I found out that the Gucci Guilty has a new sibling which has just being released right after. When I looked at the bottle - the pitch black throughout - I know straightaway that it will lure me to it like a magnet to the iron. (I love black, enough said). Immediately I became infatuated to it, so enchanted by the look of the fragrance. It exudes mystery, mystique, dark, edgy, allure and seduction more than the previous Guilty. I said to myself, I have to get it no matter what. I wanna be engorged into its scent like no other. I wanna feel this new intensity.

And then I went for a quest to search for one. I went to Sasa, nope they don't stock it. To Sephora, none in my sight. Then to Jusco, they don't have it either. In fact they doesn't know this one ever existed and insisted that Gucci Guilty is the latest. And then to Debenhams - not in the shelf, yet later the salesguy informed me it might be released into Malaysian market next year. Nice try, but I'm not convinced by the answer. This is me we're talking about. I can't wait for next year. I want it NOW!

So, October arrives when suddenly I planted a big hope that I could get it as a present for my birthday. Is that a prayer again? Absolutely... as alas, a parcel arrived right from London and contain a seductively black box among the green polystyrene box filler with the familiar golden letters on it. It is so fantastic!

What is more fantastic, the scent is much sexier than the previous Gucci Guilty. Still freshly fantabulous, yet more citrusy, which is a signature smell for the Scorpio. It's a pure magnetism, very alluring and yes, INTENSE. Gucci Guilty Intense.

And by having this on the right moment for my b'day, nothing more I can say other than: what a sweet smell of sexcess!

*oh, why do I say sexcess? read the article in Men's Health UK October issue down there. Then you'll know why...

doesn't it feel like a Batman calling...?

Guilty Intense has all pitch black, compared to previous Guilty i.e. a juxtapose of clear and dark.

Men's Health UK, October 2011

Shoe of the Day

Continuing my vow yesterday to start wearing all my lo-pro shoes again, today I decided to slip into my other shoes - the Gucci  mocs with the horsebit details. I fell in love with this Gucci back two years ago after  looking at its entirety. The pointy almond toe, the horsebit metal details ornamented the strap which has been the signature of the fashion power house; and of course, because it's a mocs (as in moccassins, or loafers) that is absolute synonymous with the Gucci brand.

And pairing it up with my double-breasted suit when I attended the meeting with my chemical plant design team today - I'm loving every bit of it. Not just the horsebit... :)

Shoe of the Day

It's Monday, and all kind of blues have just stormed in like it never should. I'm normally excited when Monday comes... but somehow, not today. I just wish I could just cuddle under the blanket and took a nap all day long. Maybe I'm feeling under the weather, I dunno ~ sigh ~

In order to cheer me up, I know any Gucci could do. And that's why I decided to wear my Gucci monk-strap mocs to the office today. I seldom wear lo-pro shoes these days, so I'm hoping this shoe could reignite my desire to return to it apart from just to slip in into boots only.

Monday. I dunno why it irks me so much today? :(

WordLess Wednesday : Intensely Guilty

why should I wait next year if I can have it now...

Ryan Gosling in Burberry Prorsum - "Drive" Toronto Premiere

Ryan Gosling proves to be not only one of the fastest rising star, but he also seem to be one of the fashion icon for the younger generations these days. Last month, before hitting LA for the premiere of his new movie with George Clooney - The Ides of March - the former Mouseketeer hit the red carpet at Toronto International Film Festival to promote his other movie, Drive.

Looking quite casually formal, the actor wore the Burberry Prorsum wool donegal suit in the Fall/Winter 2011 collection. Apart from the slim hugging factor, what I like about the suit is the fleck texture that combines with a multicolor threads, giving kinda shimmer towards the flashbulbs of the paparazzis. He paired the suit with a simple white V-neck tee, to exude an ambience of nonchalance on the red carpet. Does it work? I think it's okay... but a tad underwhelming compared to his previous Gucci suits in the 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' premiere [click!]. I give 7/10 for this... at least he's making effort for not wearing a suede footwear this time around.

Although Ryan made a fashion faux pas by wearing the suit twice in a row (the other event is at Jay Leno Show), yet to me the Burberry Prorsum suit is much better compared to another Gucci one that he wore for the The Ides of March premiere. Across the blogosphere people has been drooling about that ensemble, but I think it hits all the wrong notes. Yes, it's the Pantone color of FW11 - the deep teal - but it looks severely wrong. The material appears quite cheap, and the color is not really flattering to be honest. The only thing I like on that ensemble is the stripe tie... which is, erm, just okay. Other than that, a big NO. And oh, especially when someone else has been rocking in it prior him... on the street of New York. Yikes!

[pix from zimbio, burberry and gq style]

Just Feel the Intensity!

The perfect autumn setting : just picture this. The leaves turn golden brown trickling down from the trees. The sky metamorphose into a dimmer grey facade that making your sight goes dewy. The cool weather with a seductive autumnal breeze whispering your earlobes, trying to romance your attention. And you cuddling up in your best ultra luscious cashmere sweater, with your arms wrapped around your body trying to keep your body warm. Can't you just feel it - the sexy mood of autumn?

I think that's the reason my ultra favorite brands have gone a bit lusty when it comes to the latest version of their perfumes. To suit the sexy mood of autumn. Very dark and mysterious, edgy and sexy ... as if it could unleashed your inner sexual energy with a spritz of the scent. Feel the power. Feel the heat. Unleashed the inner raw prowess in you.

Gucci Guilty, Dior Homme and Prada Amber: they're all agree to one. Being Intense! 

GUCCI Fall/Winter 2011 Campaign

Finally, I'm Guilty!

To search for a new perfume to stamp on the effort for rebranding is not easy. Last time, when I switched my Polo Sport Ralph Laurent that I've been wearing for more than five years since the year 2000 for Carolina Herrera Chic, I felt a sense of a new rebirth when the scent fell onto my body. Just a whole new world started to emerge and made me feel like a new person again. A new person who'd like to change for a better. A new person who wanna do my thing my own way. A new person who really wanna embrace the new style that has been dragging me into the style blackhole, and out into a new chicness. It's magical that, how a fragrance can really change the way you feel.

And now, I've been talking about rebranding of me for quite some time now. To seal the deal, I'm on the quest of searching for a perfect perfume to reflect the sense of newness in me. I've searched high and low, in and out of some perfume counters, trying out some testers in hoping to find the one. What I wanted is simple: the brand must be iconic and reflect me in a way; the bottle mustn't be a plain looking glass unlike others; the smell must have that citrusy scent that is so Scorpio; and of course, it has to have that je ne sais quoi which concludes everything.

And alas... I found it. I dunno why it took me so long after its debut that I finally brave enough to try it on. The scent is magical. It's fresh, yet seductive. It's modern, yet with a touch of classic Scorpio signature. And the bottle is a juxtapose of clear (glass) and dark (metallic), that somehow speaks mystery. And the best part, it's from the brand that I'm synonymous with. It's the one...

It's Gucci Guilty.

Boy, do I love the smell. What I love more is what the campaign says about it...

"Young, fearless, with impeccable taste, the wearer of Gucci Guilty for Him is a hero for our age – exuding charisma and more than a little dangerous. His life may be under his control, but he refuses to exert any restraint over his passions. The spirit of hedonism that this unleashes is intoxicating. His power resides in knowing that power is a game, and he is ready to play this game to the full when he meets his female match.

The Gucci Guilty hero takes pleasure in refusing to feel guilty about who he is. His remarkable self-confidence allows him to constantly explore new experiences. His unshakable sense of self-identity wields an irresistible force. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it with single-minded determination and compulsive charm. It is exhilarating to yield to the impulses of a man with such exceptional magnetism. Everyone is in love with the Gucci Guilty man. He is a risk-taker, a thrill-seeker, yet he always remains sensitive to a woman’s desires. He embodies these desires. Men yearn to be him, women to be his.”

What a perfect perfume for the rebranding.