S A L E!

If I were to choose my top ten favourite words in english, "sale" would be on the top 3! The things I want want want (3 times yes) from the last season.

1) Dior Pants

2) Les Hommes T-shirt from thecorner.com

3) Margiela Cardigan from thecorner.com

4) Margiela T-shirt from thecorner.com

5) Neil Barrett Shoes from thecorner.com

6) Neil Barrett Shoes

The end result (with the D&G belt available from luisaviaroma, that matches the Barrett shoes)

bowties back again?

Ok, so it's almost official. The bowties make a huge come-back this season. When I was dressing up for the Punks Wear Prada Romance Night at Milan, I kind of sensed that this was coming.

Once when I was dressed up in shirt and bowtie for one of my big birthday bashes, everybody had mistaken me for the waitress... So although the bowties bring me some "bad" memories, I definately won't hesitate to use the same look over and over again this season; given that I'll have the "but that's soooo in right now!" excuse to defend myself :p and the waitresses!

Although almost all hip brands have designed exquisite bow-ties for their new collections, I'll get my thumbs up only for the Alexis Mabille creations because they're unique, elegant yet very edgy as well.

D&G and the Dsquared ones are available for purchase at Luisa Via Roma. The Alexis Mabille ones... well, I won't tell. I need to get them ALL for myself. *wink*

i'm a barbie girl... literally!

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I just love it when somebody out there gets to turn some everyday object into a fashion item. I mean come on... Barbies? As jewelery? I would never thought that it could have been possibile (I'm talking about using the ACTUAL Barbies as accessories, otherwise Barbie has its own brand of clothing and accessories... not that successful in means of design, let me say).

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Margaux Lange describes herself as: "I'm an Art jeweler, who re-Members Barbie fondly… Barbie was immensely important in fueling my creative life as a child, and ironically continues to be such for me as an adult. My Plastic Body Series Jewelry Collection is the result of my life-long fascination with the icon, and a desire to re-purpose mass produced materials into handmade, wearable artworks."
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She's very talented. I think her blog's worth a look given that it's not an easy task finding all those barbies, cutting them into different bits and re-creating them as bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc.

What can I say? I'm dying to get my hands on one! Check her blog at: "http://midgesmind.blogspot.com/"

who said men can't jazz it up?

Bvlgari, Chopard, Cartier... And many others... After all, diamonds have always been a girl's best-friend. Who said men can't jazz it up though? You don't have to look like a rapper with huge dollar signs made of swarovskis (or even better/worse diamonds) on your superman chest!

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Matthieu Mouton and Nicolas Collet have created a very courage-demanding line of men's jewelry for their brand MoutonCollet. They're definately not your typical "I'm married" rings, "This brings me good fortune" necklaces and surely not "This in fact protects my eyes from the sun" shades...

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The collection consists of a very aggressive line of jewelry like multi layered leather necklaces, animal resembling sunglasses and mouth dripping yet kind of eerie rings. They'd be the perfect attention getter at fashion events and trendsetter parties.

If you do have the courage to put on those glasses on the street, then you might rather get your expectations high and dream of your photograph being shot by "the sartorialist".

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Quoted from their website: "Their collection is presented like a personal diary, Journal Intime, and through strange poetic forms inspired by the vegetal and animal world. Mouton Collet plays with singular and incisive aethetics, connected to human emotions. "

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Anyways, money spent on futuristic fashion items never go to waste. At the worst scenario, you can get your sex life spiced up. The night doesn't sound so boring when you get those rather kinky sunglasses and a couple of handcuffs...

Blindfold me

Oh my eyes! Well my little fashionistas, forget your wayfarers since the new hot trend is to use "abnormal" shades: who cares if they filter the UV rays or not? It's not as if the glasses you get from H&M or Zara or whichever other commercial brand you choose (can't really complain about my Tom Fords given that I'd paid a good deal of money on those babes, they'd better keep my eyes safe and sound from that discoball in the sky) provide you with absolute protection! The other brand of Luxottica might give you the protection you need, but come on, who has ever gone blind from a few rays of sun? Now I'm talking like an arrogant, ignorant fashion victim... let me be!

Anyways, back to the hotopic, here I'm presenting you the most to-die-for ones of the recent seasons.

1) Ksubi Limited Sunglasses
Kylie Minogue used them in her "In My Arms" video... She was going "how does it feeeel in my arms?"... I'd love to find that out, honey but in the meantime, I'd like to say I'd feel hot in your shades. The moment you get tired of them, let me know...


2) Klavers van Engelen Sunglasses

Anna Ter Haar is responsible for those rather utopic shades. They remind me of my mother's old Chanels in a twisted "melted" way. I love how they change the whole look of the models with the simple but chic black outfits. I'd like it on girls with pencil skirts or on men with skinny jeans. I have no idea if they are on sale though.



3) Castelbajac Lego Shades
If we are talking about creativity, then I should take a bow for Castelbajac. He's one of the most creative names in fashion; his creations are funky, colourful and they make the world seem a nicer place. His frequent use of Lego and cartoon characters fascinates me in a way that no other designer quite does.
These shades are so special because they are not only creative in their design but they allow creativity to the purchaser as well: you can build your own sunglasses with additional lego parts, you can turn it into a visor, a hat or you can just build a lego kingdom around your head. I'd so take the first flight to Paris to get my hands on those shades if only I had the time.

4) Peter Jensen's Rabbit Trick
Peter Jensen finally did achieve to amaze me with those shades! The design is mainly influenced by the company's logo (the same rabbit that is used on the shades), I love how he embraced the logo in his creation. It might be a little too much for everyday use however I definately see Lady Gaga wearing one of those...

5) Maison Martin Margiela Incognito Sunglasses
Margiela is such a futuristic artist that everytime he presents a new collection, I get my expectations even higher for the next one: the good thing is, he never ceases to amaze. Those glasses are so futuristic yet also wearable in a trendsetter way. Nobody'd laugh at you or condemn you for being a fashion victim, they'll only be trying to calculate the cost, the courage and the taste you've put into your decision of wearing them. Well, let me tell you beforehand: priceless.
I saw those glasses at Corso Como 10 at Milan, they were even better than an orgasm in the early hours of morning as your lover embraces you and the chilly wind touches your skin entering from the open windows (Milan gets hot as hell!).



6) Delfina Delettrez for Alain Mikli

I've always been an admirer of Alain Mikli however the collaboration with Delfina (an amazing jewellery designer) won my heart at once. This is a very unique design that brings a new point of view in means of shape and size; the evil eye detail used on the side is quite intelligent. I guess it'd look like one wears an earring, anybody has seen those on somebody else? Send me pics!

i am naked without your love

"Yes, I love you very much, as I have never loved another man, and that is precisely why I am leaving, because, if I stayed, the dream would become reality, the desire to possess, to want your life to be mine... in short, all the things that transform love into slavery."

Paolo Coelho - Eleven Minutes

tie me up, tie me down... not.

"Certain things cannot be shared. Nor can we be afraid of the oceans into which we plunge of our own free will; fear cramps everyone's style. Man goes through hell in order to understand this. Love one another, but let's try not to possess one another."

Paolo Coelho - Eleven Minutes

Let go of me, i love you

"But what I am saying? In love, no one can harm anyone else; we are each of us responsible for our own feelings and cannot blame someone else for what we feel. It hurt when I lost each of the various men I fell in love with. Now, though, I am convinced that no one loses anyone, because no one owns anyone.
That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it."

Paolo Coelho - Eleven
Minutes

Take A Bow

I don't know where to start from. I was all hyped up about the article that I was going to write on Isabella Blow but I got lost in the layers of her sad yet magnificent story. She was a woman of great talent and a fantastic vision on fashion. She started off her career as the assistant of Anna Wintour at Vogue then after a few year's of experience in the states, she returned back to her roots in the UK where she spent years carving her way to the top. She got assigned the role of fashion editor for the Tatler.

The editor of Tatler, Geordie Greig, described her as a woman who always wanted to pull the rug out under the establishment because she was never satisfied with the cliche' and the dull; she had no limits when it came to the creativity. She spent 5000£ on the first collection of Alexandar Mcqueen, paying it off in small installments worth of 100£. She searched for talent like "a pig sniffing for truffles in the forest". Given her rebellious and stubborn character, it was no wonder when she convinced the italian Vogue to work with Sophie Dahl (whom she had discovered) although they were not sure about how her voluptous curves would look in a fashion photoshoot.

For the public that had no accurate idea of the turbulences going on with her state of mind, her life was of pure glamour and elegance but as each story has it ups and downs, she had her downs as well. She always fought insecurities about her physical appearance as well as some other psychological problems. Maybe for this very reason, she would always show up in the most extravagant hat wherever she was invited; she said a couple of times that those flamboyant hats were her alternative to plastic surgery.

She attempted suicide more than a couple of times, getting rescued each time and finding herself on the cold hospital sheets, complaining about not having swallowed enough of the pills to kill herself. She had severe changes in her moods; when she was in the mood, she would kill the taxi drivers with laughter, spelling out the street she lived on as: "Theed Street, that's T for tits, H for horny, E for erection..." And when she was down, she was down enough to make continuous but unsuccesful attempts to flee reality.

She was not wealthy, contrary to what the media thought; she always fought the fear of ending up as a bag-lady. She used to text to her close friends, finishing off the message with her nickname chosen by herself: "Miserabelle".

I recently watched the Alexandar Mcqueen 2009 collection with those highly eccentric but truly eerie hats made by Philip Treacy. Philip was one of the closest friends of Isabella; almost all of her hats were designed by him. A hat made of feathers which Isabella would later want to be buried with, was made by Philip especially for her.

All I could do was to write a small article in homage to her. Although I found out about her just recently, I definately don't plan on forgetting her anytime soon. In a few days of time in which I read about her life, she became one of my idols with the eccentric yet marvellous character she had.

Rest in peace, Isabella.

Devil Wears Anna

The Penguin Suit Sweater - Jeremy Scott for Adidas
Save Anna Tshirt - 65$, Chris Sauvé
D&G Cheyenne Watch - 215$, Walsh Brothers
Loafers - 395$, Neiman Marcus
Bag - 125$, Longchamp

The Fashion Diet

Oh well, things have been a bit hectic; right after I read that the critics have been "gossipping" about Lily Donaldson being slightly curvy, I checked myself out in the mirror. Oh yeah, I got some fat ass functional disorder going on as well as a slight crisis in the aumentation of the love handles (and believe me my lil' pumpkins, they haven't been loved in quite a loooong time!).

After a little research on the internet, I informed myself about the diet methods such as atkinson, south beach, north itch, skinny bitch, one orange a day (why don't I start slicing my body fat into little slices? Seems lot less painful!) and other whazzauamaga! So I decided...
I am going on a fashion diet, you've heard me right! From tomorrow on, I'll be starting my day off with two pages of Vogue Paris and a few articles on the upcoming collections of the top designers.
Let's see how it'll all turn out!

Electric Blue Eyes

Shorts - 22£, Topman
T-shirt - 6£, Topman
Belt - 435$, Dior Homme
Sneakers - 575$, Dior Homme
Scarf - 335$, Dior Homme

Smoking Hot Stud

Baggy Jeans - 135$, Armani Exchange

Sneakers - 290$, Opening Ceremony

Knitted Top - 35£, Topman

Belt - 245$, Maison Martin Marguela

Chic Freak

Skinny Jeans -50£, Topman
Mickey Mouse Sweatshirt - 25£, Topman
Boots - 995$, Maison Martin Marguela

Killer Heels vs. Sneakers

We have hidden and we have seeked; become the doctor and healed the patient; dressed up Barbies and crushed Hot Wheels; acted as policemen and caught the thieves; and we've even managed to put out fires with our plastic fireman caps on our heads. But, it's official - childhood is over. Naturally, our souls resist, trying to come up with a new plan to define our inner characters. This is where the search crosses the path of fashion. This is a dangerous game that should be played seriously, otherwise we wouldn't have the restrictions or revolution of clothing, would we? Fashion has the punch of a nuclear bomb blast in our society! It allows us to transform ourselves, to become the statements we crave to make about our social status, political standings, sexual preferences, religious views, cultural backgrounds, and other aspects of our inner worlds.

Fashion is an immense topic, so in the memory of Salvatore Ferragamo, one of the fashion world’s best shoe designers, and the founder of Polimoda in Florence (which has recently started lecturing on "coolhunting" to fashion marketing students), I will narrow the field down. This column is dedicated soley to shoes. Women have always seemed to be obsessed with them. From the moment we rose up onto our feet, shoes have contributed to defining who we are! Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines, is famously known for her vast shoe collection: "I did not have three thousand pairs of shoes, I had one thousand and sixty." Madonna has claimed that a pair of Manolo Blahniks are better than sex. Victoria Beckham has recently confirmed that she has a shoe fetish that only Balenciaga can satisfy. Let me tell you, some women may have even taken this whole shoe fetish one step too far! In Paris, manicurists have started painting the upper parts of nails in black, and the underneath in red so that they will match the flashy red soles of Louboutin heels.

But, that's enough for the ladies, who have all the glam available to them in magazines! What about men? Let's talk sneakers! Henry Nelson McKinney named athletic shoes "sneakers" because they had rubber soles that made the shoes quiet compared to moccasins. The word comes from the verb "to sneak." Coolhunters have found out that what Coco Chanel had claimed still holds true, "To be irreplaceable, one must always be different." Seeing the increasing demand for the customization of shoes, Adidas has given customers the freedom to create their own designs. So has Converse, Nike and others. Taking the whole sneaker revolution one step farther, Vans has hired New York fashion designer, Marc Jacobs; Puma has collaborated with British designer Alexandar McQueen, and Adidas is paired up with the UK's Stella McCartney because, according to the coolhunting reports, sneakers have been gaining value and respect. But, alas, these designers still have higher social and economic class incomes in mind, and these sneakers come at a high price!

Now allow me to introduce you to few sneaker labels that are playing an increasingly important role in the trends that have grabbed the attention of coolhunters. First off, there is Creative Recreation, founded in California in 2002. They define themselves as, "characterized by originality and imagination, a refreshment of one's mind or body through activity that amuses and stimulates play." Another is Greedy Genius, a company that was been making a statement since 2005, and owes much of its popularity to "Myspace." And finally, Stéphane Bucco's, The String Republic, combines graphic design with fashion on espadrilles. What all of these have in common is creativity, edginess, and most importantly of all...they've got cool written all over them.