Oscars 2005 Fashion

The Oscars (or is it the 77th Annual Academy Awards?) has FINALLY arrived. It is one of THE events of the year that fashionistas like us look forward to. The stars are out and so are the fashion. This year, there seems to be an excess of trails and tails and lots and lots of simple elegance! So, lets start with our favourite mermaids of the red carpet. . .
Academy Award winner for best supporting actress in the "Aviator", Cate Blanchett looking stunning in this refreshing yellow Valentino creation. Refreshing in that one rarely sees yellow on the red carpet at all!


Although yellow seems to be on the roll this time around, as Penelope Cruz too walked the red carpet in this gorgeous yellow creation by Oscar de la Renta.


Gwyneth Paltrow also took a liking to the lighter colors, arriving in this beeeeeautiful nude colored elegant strapless dress by Stella McCartney. One of my favourites of the day. I love the fact that her hair is let loose in such a casual way (even though this look probably took AGES to achieve).


White also seems to be quite a popular color this time, with Catalina Sandino Moreno in this lovely white creation. I had a hard time deciding whether to show a photo of the front or the back of the dress, because they are equally as lovely. In the ended I decided on the front because it best showed off the simple elegance of the dress, but DOtake a look at the back of her dress.


Although my observation on white might be due to Gisele Bundchen, who was in a LOT of photos next to Academy Award Nominee, Leonardo DiCaprio. Only a supermodel like her can carry off such a poofy white baby doll dress without looking like a balloon (or that she's just gotten out of bed) and in fact looks quite cute and pretty.


Renee Zellweger looking very unconfortable, but defintely mermaid-like in this red Carolina Herrera creation. She seems to be quite a fan of Carolina Herrera, as her dress at the Golden Globes was also by her. This dress especially suits her now that she has dark hair, I don't think she would look quite as stunning if she had been blonde. .


Emmy Rossum, from Phantom of the Opera, looking sophisticated and gorgeous in this red creation by her favourite designer-Ralph Lauren. Gosh I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ralph Lauren. He always manages to make a girl look gorgeous in a timeless and classical way.


Academy Award Winner for best actress in a leading role in "Million Dollar Baby", Hilary Swank standing out in this high necked, long sleeved, backless dark blue gown by Guy Laroche. Defintely different from the other strapless/sleeveless stars of the night.

But ofcourse, while the lighter colors are prominent, black will always be THE color. And Beyonce was the epitome of elegance and style in this simple black strapless Versace dress. She has defintely got the glam and style together this season, looking equally as elegant in black at the Grammys.

Its always good to see a fellow asian on the red carpet, but it is even better to see them looking gorgeous on it as well. And Zhang Zi Yi definitely looks gorgeous in this black tiered dress.

Sigh. . its always so much fun to look at the Oscar fashions! While we cannot afford to and don't have the opportunity to wear or imitate any of these dresses, it is still extremely aesthetically pleasing to one's eye to look at admire.

Milan Autumn/Winter 2005 Wrapup II

Wow, after practically fashion trotting all these weeks from NY to London, we have FINALLY landed in Milan!! And from the looks of it black is defintely back. And so is the ever so elegant sleek, chic lady!

Lets start off with Miu Miu, and this lovely black crocheted dress. How much more ladylike can one get with that head scarf? The message is clear. However, I must say, I am not too impressed with Miu Miu's offerings this season. Perhaps it is just because it is being compared to these wonderful and boooootiful creations, that follows. . . .
Following their success this spring, Gucci has continued their streak and came out with this gorgeous collection of mostly black and sleek items. The lady inside is further emphasized by those very chic hats that all the models wore, which just goes to show how versatile this look is!-From this sleek black long jacket. . .


To this gorgeous floral black cocktail dress!

And one must NOT forget VERSACE this season (and I do this in bold AND caps because it is truly a wonderful show!). Words cannot descirbe my amazement and awe of Versace's transformation to the simple, classical, chic, sleek, wearable and beautful this season. Whenever Versace is mentioned, gold, over the top, patterned, flashy and unwearble comes to mind. But NOW I have been totally reformed (as u can see I am so in awe my sentences doesn't even flow!). Don't u just LOVE this long cinched white jacket?

And this simple chic outfit. . . I can actually see someone wearing this in the streets!!

I know that this is not exactly wearable all the time, but I cannot resist and feature this gorgeous blue dress. Instead of being revealing and flashy, it is elegant and classy. . like a greek godess. . .

And this irrisistable gold dress... definately Oscar-worthy!

I have always loved D&G even though I'm not a very adventurous dresser. It inspires me to try little things out and be fun and wild from time to time. And as usual, it has not disappointed. Their collection this season calls out to us to be lady-like with a twist, by matching to-die-for gold feminine dresses with wild printed boots!

Wear huge flowered peasent tops (for a more boho feel) tucked in metallic gold pants! Sigh. . . u gotta love Milan!

Milan Autumn/Winter 2005 Wrapup I

Fashion shows in Milan this week have so far been suprise after suprise for most people. Many designers have changed their themes and style from the spring/summer 2005 season more drastically than usually. Some suprises have been criticised by the critics and media, but others were refreshing and welcomed.

If you look through the fashion show photos, you will notice that black makes a huge comeback, and volume reigns, as seen in the NY and London fashion shows. Up to Tuesday, my favourite collections are (oh suprise suprise,) Prada and Burberry Prorsum.

Prada
Prada has been heavily feautured in the media ever since its show on Tues, as Miuccia seems to have completely changed the tune and mood of her collection from the spring season. Instead of the funky and colorful designs as seen in the past three seasons, Prada has made a return to its signiture style - long-lasting elegance and grace. To make a point, the Prada show started with a series of black outfits, which reigned throughout the whole show. The only other significant colors seen were beige/goldish color, and red. Here are some of my facourite outfits:

I'm not so sure about those err, thingies on the outfit yet. Must see them in real life to decide whether they actually look nice.

Again, I must applaud to Miuccia for being at the forefront of the fashion industry. She is an absolute genius.

Burberry Prorsum
Another fantasic show. Christopher Bailey brings out the beauty of the English countryside girl. But the most fabulous thing about this collection is probably that any girl, living anywhere could dress just like the models did on the catwalk, and look fabulous in the outfits, (well, most of them anyways.)

Nicole Richie and Julie Cooper?

What would Nicole Richie and Julie Cooper (from the OC, otherwise known as Melinda Clarke) have in common? Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, and there are two of them below:


In case you missed the obvious, they look remarkably alike, from their hairstyle to their very distinct and confident gaze. Julie Cooper is practically what Nicole Richie would look like in 10 years time. In fact, they would so remarkably alike, it makes one wonder if they share the same plastic surgeon. You know how they say everyone leaves a distinct mark or style on everything they do?


Incidentally, Harrods girl and I would like to once again put our stamp of approval on Nicole Richie's new look and sense of style. This outfit she wore for the Grammys is defintely a vast improvement. In fact she comes close to being one of the more well-dressed people at the Grammys. . .

Braclets Trends Spring/Summer 2005

If you haven't realised that bangles and cuffs are going to be BIG this season, you must have been winter hibernating. This season, earthy bangles, and colorful cuffs are the perfect accessories to match with all the 'in' looks, (such as boho luxe, safari, greek etc.) Most of the braclets should be worn loosely around the wrist. The selection is endless, and here are some of our favourites, (and best of all, most of them are actually affordable!)

by Etro (blue $195, orange $250)
and Harry Neufeld at Main Floor (yellow, brown $20 each)

Wear these chunky, colorful, carved bangles, and you will be one step closer to achieving the boho luxe look.

by Erickson Beamon
(Python bangle $180, Wood bangle $45, Straw knit bangle $75, Bamboo bangles $35)

My favourite set of bangles I have seen this season. They give off the boho and earthy vibe, and can be worn with all outfits. Perfect.

from Urban Outfitters ($16)

These go with the boho look as well as the greek theme. If you don't like the chunky bangles, this can be another choice for your braclet of the season.

from Accessorize (£8.00)

Did we mention that 'jet-setting around the world' and 'freedom' is part of this season's theme? Wearing jewelry made of shells will instantly transport you onto your summer holidays. Can you smell the sand and ocean?

by Free People ($128)

Another choice for those of you who don't like bangles. This beaded cuff is colorful, eye-catching, and can be part of the boho or safari look. The colorful strings of beads are very well coordinated and can add a brilliant touch to simple or multi-layer outfits.

Time to get Fruity

Spring is the time when things start to grow again and life is born, but it doesn't just stop at plants and animals this season! This season life has expanded and started to grow on fashion as well. . . especifically FRUITS. Yes, its time to get fruity!

Smell fruity, like a green apple and "Be Delicious" in this new refreshing DKNY scent.


Be simple but fruity and "fresh" with this green tee from shop intuition.


Get fruity with Juicy, in this yellow strawberry tee (yellow is very in this spring too!)

This green apple patterned creation by Luella Bartle is simply gorgeous! It is fruity in a very stylish and subtle way that is both very refreshing and elegant. Sigh. . . I want it!!

Be delicious in this cherry patterned summer dress by Nanette Lepore.

And we must not forget the origin of the come back of fruits- the Louis Vuitton Murakami Cherry bag ofcourse! Who can resist this?

But if you cannot afford that lovely creation, you can still be fruity with this super-cute strawberry tote from Urban Outfitters. And for once you FINALLY fit in all your essentials-perfect for school or for casual wear.

My London Fashion Weekend

Of all days to shut down the Sloane Square station, the highly ineffiecient London tube decides to pick Feb 19, forcing all the excited shopaholics to take the bus instead to the venue of the London Fashion Weekend, Battersea Park. I managed to drag a friend along to this special occasion. The atmosphere inside the huge white fashion tent was classy, the air was infused with coffee smell and excited female chatters. Inside the actual shopping venue, row of shops/stalls lined up neatly, together with Elizabeth Arden, Eve magazine and Tony & Guy stages at the very end.

The stalls were mainly occupied by British designers. It was a fantastic oppurtunity to discover talented small designers who never get much publicity. One interesting thing I noticed about the shoppers there: everyone seems to have worn their best jeans, shoes and bags! The only thing I have to complain about is that it got a bit crowded near the end.

The goodie bag (left) was bought before entering the shoping venue. It costs 4 pounds, and had many random items inside, including Elizabeth Arden mascara sample, a copy of Eve, 3 tubes of Tony & Guy Spectacular Gloss Hot Oil, notebook, coffee powder and a 2005 calender.

My proud accomplishments. The wooden bead neckalce was half price and the Lulu Guinness cosmetic bag was only 10 pounds (originally 35 pounds!) My favourite is the white braclet/bangle - it's got a subtle rose design on it, and the pearl white color is so useful for mix & matching outfits this season!

London Fashion Weekend was an AMAZING experience, definately one that all fashionholics will enjoy! As a last note, I must remind everyone that this week is the long anticipated Milan Fashion Week (my fav)!! Look out for our Milan Fashion Week wrap-ups later on this week.

London Autumn/Winter 2005 Wrap Up

London fashion shows have come and gone, and now is time to review them. In general, the London brands seem to split into two categories: one that is more traditional, ladylike, using simple colors a lot to put emphasis on the material & cutting; another that is more active, loosely boho-like, colorful and focuses on patterns & prints. Overall the London shows this season were suprisingly tasteful and once again, innovative.

You will probably notice that English fashion tends to be more loose-flowing and less obnonxious than New York fashion, (this of course does not mean we like London fashion more than New York fashion.) One prominant trend in the London Fashion Show is the stockings. As you can see, most of the English designers put tights underneath all the dresses, skirts and shorts.

Aquascutum
Aquascutum this season has updated their image. Gone is 'Aquascutum London', and to replace it is Aquascutum, a line featuring classic English designs fused with innovative cuttings. Michael Herz (one of the designers) hopes that the new line "will ensure that Aquascutum is still around in another 150 years." Below are two beautifully cutted outfits that are representive of this new line:

Betty Jackson
Betty Jackson featured some pretty and girly wintery items. There were some simple English pieces that were very classy. Most pieces were monotonous, and actually reminded me of Top Shop.

Emma Cook
Emma Cook's collection features a series of feminine military-style outfits with black stockings. Her signature style was prominent on the catwalk: heavy on details, but still simple.

Nicole Farhi
One of my favourite designers in London this season. Nicole Farhi's collection this season was brilliantly cut, and the lush colors made the volume dresses even more pronounced and spetacular.

Paul Smith Women
Paul Smith describes this collection as 'a hint of Sixties, a taste of Bohemian and a few old classics as if you'd raided your mother's wardrobe.' And we agree. This collection actually reminded me of an English version of Marc by Marc Jacob's street-like style. Oh, and you must be blind not to notice the orange stockings?

Temperley
Now that we're on the topic of English fashion, can we possibly NOT talk about the famous Temperley? Alice Temperley is probably one of the only English designers to have many of the English posh socialites attend her show. The collection was presented in a Spanish mood, and the colors were mainly plum, red, black and white. The clothing were well, the typical Temperley style you would expect.