Shoe of the Day

TGIF. Aren't we all glad that it's the end of the week? But at the same time, isn't it scary sometimes when you think that time flies extremely fast these days? I do think so. At times I just wish that time could slow down a bit, so that I could catch up on things.

Anyway. My shoe of the day today is the black lace-ups from Prada. Pretty simple and understated look for the end of the working week as I went for a total monochromatic t2t (top-to-toe). Yet, I'm quite hating my trousers that go with it - too flippy floppy, coz the end is not too slim. No other choice, coz my other trousers are being washed. (which made me think to change the shoes after the lunch break btw!)

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! 

Prada's Snake Mary-Janes

Something for the ladies.

As a direct contrast (and refreshing clash) to autumn/winter 2011’s androgynous mood, Prada’s new snakeskin Mary-Janes are doused in ladylike charm. This classic shoe style (which was named after a cartoon character from 1902) has been reworked with contemporary twists such as the oversized button detail and sculptural heel and plays to one of the new season’s biggest trends: snake. Forget the classic – and slightly dated – leopard print, it’s snake which is the most current. Wear with an elongated pencil skirt and printed blouse or coloured trousers and a classic trench.

Snake Mary-Janes in Powder Pink, Camelia and Ivy, £480 each, Prada (prada.com)

[pix and words from stylist issue 90]

Sunshine and Prada

Prada sunglasses.



tfs

Prada 'Bowling Bag' Holdall

Italian fashion house channels Sixties kitsch with its nostalgic leather ‘Righe’ collection.

We’re not huge fans of heavily branded designer accessories, but an element of tongue-in-cheek irony can add some fun to your wardrobe. Prada’s latest collection of accessories, which includes weekend holdalls, wallets and in-flight wheelie cases, does just this. Influenced by Sixties nostalgia, with a vintage collegiate locker-room vibe, the ‘Righe’ collection (‘righe’ is Italian for ‘stripe’) is crafted from fine saffiano leather. Our favourite item is this bowling bag. Yes it’s pricey, but it’s guaranteed to make you the centre of attention.

Saffiano 'Righe' leather bowling bag holdall - £970 by Prada.

[pix and words from Shortlist issue 179]

Upgrade Your Travel Style

What is synonymous with August? No, not the August Man magazine (though I am now officially its monthly subscriber); but the month August. Summer break, defintely. I remember many of my colleague back then in the UK went off for their holiday during this month, and left the building almost empty with nobody around (except me, and some other Asian students doing our stuff in the lab). I dunno why August become the month where people really took their time off. Maybe because the summer season really in its peak this month, or is it because most schools also are having their midterm break in August too. No wonder there's a lot of tourist in London everytime August arrived, which always jam-packed the Tube like sardines in a can. And that's why there're lots of idiots too who 'stand on the left' on the escalators - an absolute sign that they are the indeed tourists! (Londoners always stand on the right whenever they take the escalators, fyi).

Anyway, mentioning summer break, holidaying at the Riviera is one of the must-do for the rich and famous. What you're wearing during your time away is as much important as your holiday destinations. Awashed on the catwalks last year are the nautical theme, which gives off that marina feel, or the look when you lounge around on the desk of the cruise ship or on your yacht, or at least the kind of look when you take a stroll along the shoreline with your other half.

In the previous issue of Shortlist magazine, navy and white are not the only staples you can rock the nautical theme. Now other hues such as moss green and neutral tones like sand and beige could also be added to give a fresher feel to the whole outlook. The most important is how you pair things together so that the relaxed feel by the sea would make you appear stylish and on-trend as always.

[pix from shortlist]

Is It Time for the Fori Shoes, Again?

So, you have watched Dolce & Gabbana show for Spring/Summer 2012, huh? What was it like? Do you love all the perforated things that have been paraded on the runway a couple of weeks back? Just a quick newsflash for you - do you know that the inspiration of everything 'mesh' and 'perforated' on those easy breezy clothes and accessories are actually came from the fishermen's village in Italy? Yup, you heard it right. Apparently the dynamic duo are really inspired by the fishnet and all that they decided to feature it into the collection and make it high fashion. And voila! You see the cutout on almost everything. I dunno if Dolce & Gabbana really wanna outdo Prada when the fashion house also did their fori version for SS'10. (which made me go gaga over the saffiano fori portfolio bag!)

Anyway. One of the perforated accessories seen on Dolce's show is this pair of lace-up shoes which i took somewhere in the blogosphere (which I've forgotten the link, sorry!). Somehow I'm sensing a similar vibes with the YSL cage boots for the ladies since they all feature the squarish fori throughout.

If you really into the economics, do you think it's worth to pay a huge sum of money for less material being used to made this shoes? Coz why, if you take a same lace-ups like this - but without all those mesh going on - wouldn't it be having more leather per square inch compared to this one since all the punched-out leather has made it become less material used (per square inch!). You get what I mean, right? Yet, if you're into art and stuff - of course, you can't put any price tag to it coz art is priceless. (for everything else, there's always Mastercard, ahaks!)

Anyway, mentioning perforated shoes... I think it gave me some kind of flashback to the time I tried the Prada fori lace-ups quite a while ago during the Sale at Selfridges. Though not as larger mesh as Dolce's, it's proven to be quite breezy when I wore it. Great 'ventilation' to the feet during the hot weather, though. 

the cutout mesh shoes at backstage Dolce & Gabbana SS'12 show

the Prada fori lace-ups that I tried at Selfridges, London.

Or at least, I can still experience the same 'ventilation' feel if I wear my previous Giorgio Armani shoes. And it's perforated white (with a bit of black), which somehow screams summer! without I'm knowing it! :)

the Giorgio Armani perforated lace-ups that I wore last time to Hummingbird @ South Kensington.

It's a New Lap at Prada

Could this new portfolio bags (or laptop cases, if you like) with eyelets and studded stone upped your style level and make you a daredevil who wears Prada? Whatever it is, those lappies are definitely something new to talk about since they're the fiercest lappies that you may carry into your boardroom. If last SS10, everyone's gagging about the saffiano fori portfolio bag from Prada - including me who even called Prada store at New Bond Street asking if they're in stock since it's slashed more than half price during summer sale! - next 2012 I think this is gonna be a massive hotseller again: the saffiano studded and eyelets.

But, if the OTT portfolio is not your cup of tea, then there's always the two-tonal saffiano leather laptop cases in pastels. Suit the mood for next Spring/Summer which is much easy breezy.

Now, gotta save some money for that midnight blue and black one! :)

[pix from style.com]

PRADA

Hope you like this little Collage I made. This has to be one of my favorite Prada Campaign shots. Starring Sasha Pivovarova, front and center!

One Prada Striped Sweater. Many Editorials.

As much as Prada striped dresses are having a good time in women's magazines - by which they land more than 40 frickin' COVER PAGE worldwide!! - on this side of men's collection, it's not too bad either. Ok, not much... but at least someone dare to include the Prada multicolored striped jumper in some of the editorials out there. The sweater is like hitting two birds with one stone : it is striped, which is a massive trend for Spring/Summer as always, and another one is because of color or colorful - since color splash is making a big wave for this year's trend.

This multicoloured striped cotton jumper from Prada has a bit of scoop crew neck with the stripes are thin on the bottom half and wide by the neck. Made of fully cotton, the fabric would be a dear choice for Spring/Summer due to its sweat-absorbing factor which is a good plus.

If you think the multicolor is overpowering, you might wanna go subtle with just two tones - blue/white - as in the last pix, featured in the 10 magazine.

Leebo Freeman in L'Officiel Hommes Germany (pix via fashionisto)

Taylor Fuchs in GQ Taiwan (pix via fashionisto)

Simon Van Meervenne in Commons & Sense Man [pix from malemodelscene]

Josh Parkinson in The Guardian UK

The sweater can be found at farfetch.com or at Prada stores...

[pix from farfetch.com]

Prada blue stripes jumper in 10 Magazine

Object of Lust: Denim Totes

Apart from perforated, canvas and being normally associated with snakeskin, Spring/Summer trend is also the time when denim takes its reign when it comes to accessories department. In many seasons now, designers has produces such great arrays of denim bags - for instancce, the Mulberry Piccadilly in luscious indigo denim last SS08, as well as Dolce & Gabbana 'Western' look washed denim tote and messenger bags in previous SS10. On the highstreet is not too bad either as He by Mango also did their versions in two consecutive summers - the denim-like tote in SS09 as well as the backpack last year. So, in short - denim is an object to lust when Spring/Summer came to mind.

Continuing the tradition, this summer also sees quite a number of denim bags in the high-end market. Like Louis Vuitton who sent off their models last SS11 catwalk show in Paris carrying those gorgeous, vintage looking cabas and weekender bag. In a glance I thought it was just a washed canvas, but upon checking in their official website it's actually denim material. Selvage denim, perhaps coz they look quite raw. Very simple, no-fuss design with army green leather handles to comple the chic look. The other one is actually what I like, i.e. the weekender bag in monogram 'LV' denim with diagonal leather handles. I dunno whether it echoes any Oriental influence, but nonetheless this holdall is fantastic. The only thing about these LV bags... expect the price to shoot above £1000!

Louis Vuitton denim cabas in Argile - £1900

Size (LxHxD): 20.8" x 17.7" x 9.8"

Louis Vuitton denim cabas in Kaki - £1900

Size (LxHxD): 20.8" x 17.7" x 9.8"

 

Louis Vuitton denim weekend bag - £1720

Size (LxHxD): 25.2" x 16.5" x 10.2"

On the other side of designe labels is Prada with their rendition of washed denim just like previous D&G. I actually love the combination of blue and brown - an awesome pair coz they look very symbiotic together. It's amazing that Prada offers new material this time since for seasons now it's only about leather and technofabric (well, at least that's what I saw at Bond Street or at Harrods anyway). Some features about this tote include the adjustable double handles as well as the detachable shoulder strap to give variety in carrying the tote. This bag looks very tempting indeed...

Prada denim tote - £680

[pix from louis vuitton and prada]

Stylist Glam Up for Spring

Something for the ladies.

Shortlist's sister magazine - Stylist - has glammed up for this week's issue portraying key trends for Spring 2011. Seven pieces from various designers like Cavalli, Prada and Gucci has been showcased, ranging from denim separates, exotic-skin inspired dress, floral prints and jumpsuits which is synonymous with the season. And to add to the clothes, in the accessories department Stylist gave you the Bottega Veneta Sfrangiato knot clutches with their signature woven leather in a burst of colors.

Aren't you girls ready for Spring to come anytime soon after seeing these? These are luxe at its best.

[pix from stylist issue 64]