PinkMascara.com PreFall Sale

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Use code PREFALL at checkout. Offer ends midnight 9/2/08.

Nu Collective Strapless Dress $268

This dress by Nu Collective reminds me of the floral print shoes from Quai D'Orsay that I posted about a while ago. Maybe they'd be too flowery together, I'm not sure...but this strapless mini dress is so cute I couldn't help sharing it with everyone. Well, if this doesn't strike your fancy, there are more at Pinkmascara.com. Shop while there's a PreFall sale!!!

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Escada Margaretha Bag

I'll admit that I didn't know Escada made bags. And if they did, I was sure the bags they made would not be very note-worthy. Well, apparently, my parents know better. They picked up this Margaretha bag from Escada for a friend's birthday. It was 50% off because it's from the Spring/Summer 2008 collection, and it wasn't available here in Vancouver so my dad got it shipped to LA where we save on taxes as well.

There are other permutations on the Margaretha bag, which gets its name from Escada's late founder, Margaretha Ley. Its campaign poster features a bigger version with braided and hand-painted fabric in the middle. This bag caught the eyes of many with its colorful and ethnic-theme look.

Read more about the Margaretha Bag.

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The colors of Bobbi Brown

It's a happy day for undecisive people! When in doubt, get all the colors you could possibly need, and delay decision-making until the the very last minute. The Bobbi Brown Limited-Edition Artist Palette For Lips (exclusive at Bergdorf Goodman) has 21 shades of Lip Color (semi-matte, full coverage color), 11 shades of Creamy Lip Color (creamy, moisturizing, comfortable wear), and 10 shades of Lip Sheer (sheer, lightweight color). That comes up to a total of 42 shades!! Don't worry, a retractable lip brush is also included in the lip palette, so you definitely don't have to use your fingertips for application.

Of course, there will be people who will frown and say, "Do you actually need that many different colors? Is the palette too big for everyday use?" Well, obviously this catch-all product is not for nay-sayers with no problems making a choice, nor is it for people who carry tiny clutches all the time!! It's for spontaneous artists, serious lipstick people who blend colors, tote and shoulder bags carriers, and people who can only toss a coin and letting fate decide.

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Cement drapery - Jill Stuart Rosalynde dress

This dress from Jill Stuart's Fall'08 runway show is now available on RevolveClothing.com for $850. Set in the color of cement, this silk Rosalynde dress drapes in an oxymoronic manner.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. At first look, the thin model from RevolveClothing looks enlarged in the dress and I wanted to turn my nose down towards the curtain-like drapery design in the front. But if I stare at the dress for more than 30 seconds, it begins to seem strangely flattering and elegant, despite horizontal lines that the dress presents repeatedly in its shirring/pleating. No matter what, the dress is not at all one-dimensional. (See more Jill Stuart's Fall '08 collection after the jump).

Jill Stuart drew inspiration from Joan of Arc for her Fall '08 collection. In Jill's words, Joan of Arc is a "sophisticated revolutionary" who is "very intellectual" and "very audacious". Perhaps Jill wishes to use the cement color to mimic the tone of war-time armor. If so, the drapes might be a permutation of the folds in the mail worn inside the armor. They also happily hide any spare tires a lady might have. Granted, the technique of draping soft fabrics to create a forgiving veil over protruding body areas cannot be considered revolutionary. Yet, surely there is intellectual sophistication in combining the softness of silk with the tough power of cement.

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Marni's open toe boots do not make sense

I have heard more than one person lament that open toe shoes are all they can find on the market these days. I shrugged it off because peep toes sandals and peep toe pumps are very pretty things. Then fall comes and I am assaulted by footware that just doesn't make sense.

Look at these boots from Marni (going for $1,070 on Net-a-porter). First of all, I would like to say that people wear boots in the fall because the weather is chilly or cold. Of course, boots are also modern and edgy, and used to provide all sort of corrective effects for different people. In general, I'm very partial towards good-looking boots. However, deliberately leaving holes in shoes that are supposed to keep your feet warm just doesn't seem smart. Neither does using a dark brown color because irregardless of whether you wear dark stockings or go bare, the contrasting effect would still be close to nil. Without a proper color contrast, all that the holes in the boots does is to allow the cold draft to slow your blood circulation with absolutely no aesthetic advantages to justify the added discomfort.

By the way, open-toe booties are the look of the season, so to speak. Personally, I think the trend is more suitable when applied on ankle boots.

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The Louis Vuitton Neverful evolves!~

From right: The original Neverfull bag in Monogram Canvas, Neverfull in Ebony Damier and Neverfull in dark brown Crocodile.

I got wind that BeautyTamaki is looking to buy the evolved Neverfull in Ebony Damier because it is prettier than the original Neverfull. The original Neverfull in Monogram canvas has been so popular that you will always find someone donning it on the streets at any given time near Taipei Sogo or 101. My cousin has it. BeautyTamaki's sister has it. And to give absolute proof of the fact that it is popular, a number of Neverfull fakes have appeared on the market! (Ask me for the picture! I have it!).

Right now, the only places you can get the elusive Damier Neverfull is in Japan and Hawaii. In other places, the release date has been pushed back to Spring 2009 for some undecipherable reason (the salesperson at Holt Renfrew tried to educate me but I really couldn't understand her).

Other than the Damier, I find the Neverfull in dark brown Crocodile extremely suited for my taste. I'm not a monogram type of person, even if LV has one of the best monograms you could find. Unless I find something colorful like Richard Prince's LV Watercolour Monogram bags, or something with such muted monograms that I could hardly see, I would probably never buy a monogram bag out of my own accord. Fortunately, they have finally come to their senses and made a Neverfull that even I could like. Even though the Neverfull in Crocodile looks like it is merely Croc print, it now looks much more sophisticated and cool than the original! What can I say? I have a soft spot for exotic skins...(See more detailed pictures of the Damier Neverfull and Croc Neverfull after the jump).

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Bebe substitutes for Hervé Léger's bandage dresses

Hervé Léger's bandage dresses have been donned by Lindsay Lohan, Katherine Heigl, Victoria Beckham, and Mariah Carey, to name a few. It was the "IT" thing to wear this time last year, and nothing has really changed since then, except for the purple craze.

After taking over the company in 1998, Max Azria continued designing Hervé Léger's signature bandage dresses, which are known for their "instant nip and tuck". Recently, Net-a-porter came up with this description of bandage dresses: "The contemporary answer to a corset, it will cinch and contour your curves to perfection". That sounds amazing, don't you think? All except for the fact that Hervé Léger's dresses cost around one grand to own.

Now you can have an affordable alternative to the dreamy wraps. Bebe has come out with a handful of dresses with the right idea. The first two Bebe dresses cost $98 and the last one costs $129. Compare the real stuff (Hervé Léger on the left) to the substitutes (Bebe on the right). You can get the dresses at bebe.com.

P.S. Hervé Léger is pronounced Air-VEH Lay-JEH.

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Love for Marchesa

A while ago, I wrote about theatrics in fashion and raved about the beautiful dresses from Marchesa. Well, I'm writing again to swoon over Marchesa. This plum-colored Couture Silk Chiffon Gown ($4,840) from Marchesa's Fall '08 collection can be found on Bergdorf Goodman and it's HEAVENLY!!! If I can chose this for my wedding gown, I WOULD!!!

First of all, plum and berry (a.k.a. shapes of purple) are the must-have colors for this Fall. Rich, elegant, and oh-so-sophisticated, they are just as classic as the neutrals and much more exciting. Secondly, the lines on this dress are to die for. The skirt is shirred at just the right places under the bust to falter the waistline. The train, made of pure silk, is romantic and glamorous. The feather and floral appliqués on the strapless neckline is simply darling to the sight.

I'll have you recall the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike that spanned 2007-2008 and ended in February this year after the cancellation of the Vanity Fair Oscar party and significantly curtailed viewership of the Academy Awards itself. It's no wonder Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig (Marchesa's founders and designers) scaled back the number of red-carpet dresses this Fall. Their Fall '08 collection remains full of their usual glamor, with loose references to the play between power and femininity that can be found in their muse, Queen Elizabeth I. In this particular dress, we see the soft silk skirt and train showing absolute femininity, while the extra-structured appliqués gives off a sense of strict confidence.

Well, that's just the dress that can be bought. If you are curious, Marchesa's Resort '09 collection is out and you can give it a scan at Style.com. I have to warn you that it is much less exciting than their Fall collection. Fortunately, you will still find many gorgeous, albeit simple, pieces as Chapman and Craig apply an Egyptian theme to classically flattering designs.

By the way, please do not forget to check out Notte by Marchesa, the lower-end sister of Marchesa. At Bergdorf Goodman, I found this incredible Draped Chiffon Gown ($995) in red. We all need a red-hot dress just like that, don't you think?

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You are Unique, you are MAGNIFIQUE

Wow. Anne Hathaway sure is MAGNIFIQUE. I want the new fragrance from Lancôme already! Manifique will be distributed worldwide in September, but those of you in USA can already get your hands on it. The Eau de Parfum is sold at prices of $65 for 50ml and $85 for 75ml, and is part of the product family, which includes a perfumed body lotion and perfumed shower gel.

--------Sept 2nd Update-----------

There is a Magnifique discovery offer whereby you will get a free additional 1.5 ml Magnifique sample to any online purchase of the new Magnifique fragrance. Also, with any Magnifique purchase, you will receive a 50ml of Magnifique body milk and shower gel plus a deluxe miniature of the Eau the Parfum (gift value of $37.50).

Want to know more?
This fragrance is described to be a woody, floral, and spicy fragrance. To create the fragrance, Saffron, a rare spice, is featured as the top note. In the body, roses are deliberately infused to make the fragrance vibrantly feminine. At the base, Nagarmota, a smoky wood taken from a papyrus and that had never before been used in perfumery, creates the amber notes of MANIFIQUE. "Audacious. Passionate. The fragrance celebrates...her joie de vivre ("Joy of Life/Living"). Its luminous fragrance gives a refined and radiant aura to the woman who wears it. A fragrance of emotion is in the air..."

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This is not legal, but...FREE magazines are irresistable.

How cool is it that you can read magazines online for free nowadays? Ok, so I'm building bad karma because I believe in utilizing free internet services that grossly infringes on copyright issues. Bite me. People like free. And I'm just human. So while mygazines.com continues to be up and running, I will make full use of it.

Curious how it gets by all the legal issues? Here's a news article about it.

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Kate Spade Riley Rain Boots

Here's a post to welcome a new contributor, Fishee, to our blog. In honor of Fishee's pisces nature, we present Kate Spade's Riley Rain Boots. These boots, made of blue rubber and decorated with a goldfish on the side, have the perfect underwater theme, and it keeps you at ease on rainy days. If only I'm that reliable of a friend to my mates...

At a sale price of $94.00 (originally $125.00), this pair of boots also comes in other fun combinations of green rubber with bumble bee, and off white with red daisies. For some reason, the bumble bee on the green rubber looks like a spider with wings to me. In any case, the Riley boots are clad in bright colors to combat any grey days you might encounter. My days in New York and Taiwan taught me that a pair of rain boots is absolutely necessary. As you trek all over town in torrents of rain swirling around your feet, your rain boots are there to keep your pants and limbs dry. Ah...the unaffected luxury...


Unfortunately, they do not sell pretty rainboots in Taiwan, not even at their Kate Spade stores. And the only people wearing sensible (but aesthetically criminal) rainboots in Taiwan are people whose work dictates the necessity of wearing them. Added together, this means that people there suffer wet feet just to wear pretty shoes, without ever discovering the beauty and functionality of rain boots such as these.

Anyway, while you are at KateSpade.com, check out their "belle meade cana tote", "belle meade calista laptop case", and "beresford opus" bags. Very patent, very fun colors, and they go with those Riley boots.

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Incredible YSL Fake (spotted in Japan)

Compare the authentic YSL Muse in white (above) to the small Muse in white (below) that we spotted a girl toting at Ise, Japan.

Can you tell the difference? Which do you like more?

Your keen eye should have honed in on the differences in hardware by now. The small muse utilizes silver hardware while the authentic YSL muse bag uses gold hardware. Salespersons at YSL (Breeze mall, Taipei) told Chibi that silver hardware is only used on white patent muse bags. Well, the small muse we saw sure isn't patent. Look carefully again, what else is different? Yes, the silver padlock on the small muse is a rectangular lock with white leather strapped across horizontally. On the other hand, the gold padlock on the authentic muse is cylindrical in shape with the white leather strapped across its circumference vertically. As far as we know, YSL did not come out with a special edition muse bag that has a different padlock,

Despite being a fake, the small muse we saw was very well-made. For one, it seems to be made out of high quality leather and had been put together impeccably. Without the silver hardware and the padlock, we would have went on assuming that the bag was real. Chibi actually prefers the silver hardware to YSL's gold (as do I). In fact, we were so enamored by the small muse that we have since been looking for the same mini muse that stole our hearts. Of course, it was nowhere to be found because it was really just a fake.

Without threading into philosophical and moral issues with regards to authenticity, I will simply conclude that this mini muse we spotted is most definitely an incredible fake.

-----Update (Aug 20th)-----

YSL did come up with an updated Muse Tote in Large that has silver hardware. We duly note that it is black, and its padlock remains cylindrical. However, this is good news for those who prefers the silver hardware, don't you think? At Bergdorf Goodman for $1,795.

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One for the Yankees

Well, technically, it's 8 for the Yankees from Michael Phelps alone this year. We all know Phelps is making history in the 2008 Beijing Olympics swimming events, having garnered 8 gold medals and broken 7 world records. Phelps is doing USA proud as the most successful swimming athelete in Olympics history (with 14 gold and 2 bronze medals in his career).

I imagine the man to be highly competitive and determined. Then I found out that Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD in his youth before he started swimming as an outlet for his energy. That tells me that being entirely focused on swimming must not have been easy for Phelps. This makes him greater in my mind than he was before. I also can't help but wonder if American atheletes (including Phelps) win medals for the honor of their country, for individualistic glory, or for victory over personal hurdles.

Irregardless, these cute American Flag Pillows, on sale for $32 (they were originally $80 each), are perfect for the home of an American hero like Phelps. I could just envision the living room of Phelp's home, with these cushions on the couch and the medals hanging on the wall. They would fit right into the non-fuss decor of a busy athelete's home, don't you think? On a curious note, these pillows were made in France, but we won't bother with small details.

By the way, chibi's homes in Taipei and Santa Monica both have refridgerators that hum the American anthem when opened. **"Ohh, say, can't you see?"** Let me tell you, these patriotic tidbits around the house can really grow on you and make your nest feel more welcoming.

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Nina Ricci Resort 2008 on Gilt Groupe

Asymmetrical V Neck Blouse (Is: $598, Was: $2,390)

Sleeveless V Neck Colorblock Dress (Is: $598, Was: $2390)

Pieces from the runway of Nina Ricci's Resort 2008 show are being sold on Gilt Groupe. This was the second collection designed under the artistic direction of Olivier Theyskens, who created his first collection (Fall '07) for the French fashion house in March 2007. Theyskens is a highly talented, young designer who received the International Designer of the Year at the 2006 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Awards. He used to design couture for the House of Rochas, which was shut down by its owner, P&G. And YES, he's the guy who fed Sarah Jessica Parker the lie with regards to her supposedly-never-been-worn Nina Ricci dress!

Anyway, with such talent, you can't really stay mad at the man for fibbing. Ever since Nina Ricci got Theyskens on board, he has been making the asymmetrical twisting-around-the-body style a Nina Ricci classic. Here, you can see that he shreds and then puts together pieces of cloth to produce that effect. And indeed, you will see the same element appear in most, if not all, of his collections at the French fashion house. So if you're worried that sale items from seasons past would be passé, don't be. Classic styles never go out of style! Sale ends Web 8/20 12am EST. Be sure to check out the cool tanks in colorblock and featherweight knit cardigans.

P.S., Theyskens created for Nina Ricci Resort '09 collection an unmistakably urban variation of the cardigan-over-floral-dress. Personally, I find his casual matching suits and denim/linen blends most exciting. Check it out at Style.com

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Collaboration Cohort 03 - Stella McCartney's fingers in many pies

In writing, we have prolific writers. They have 50 pen names and hundreds of books under those names. In fashion collaboration, we have Stella McCartney.

How many times has the designer known as "Stella Steel" or "Unstoppable Stella" collaborated with other parties? I'll account for people who has either worked with her or helped her along her relatively short fashion career, and I'll be fairly loose and inclusive here.

(1) In 1995, Stella's graduation runway show (from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) was modelled by friends and supermodels Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon, and Kate Moss for free. Her famous father (Sir Paul McCartney, a former Beatle) provided the original song, "Stella May Day", as background to the show.
(2) In 1997, Stella took the top designer helm at Chloé and her first collection for the house was said to have "quickly dispelled any doubts about her talent" - Vogue Magazine.
(3) From 2001-2005, Stella opened three stores in a joint venture with Gucci.
(4) In 2004, Stella designed clothes for Madonna's Re-Invention Tour.
(5) Same year, Stella designed for Annie Lennox's summer tour.
(6) Same year, Stella designed costumes for Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in the film "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow"
(7) Same year, Stella started a long-term partnership with Adidas in making a sports performance collection for women called "Adidas by Stella McCartney" (which includes apparel for swim, gym, yoga, running, tennis and wintersports, as well as bags). This will last at least until 2010. (chibi and I really like what she did with Adidas!)
(8) In 2005, Stella designed a one-time collection of clothing and accessories for H&M, which sold out immediately after launch.
(9) In 2007, Stella created a limited edition 42-piece line released to 100 Target stores in Australia. Everything was sold out in an instant, but some were returned due to "non-standard, overly forgiving sizes", and subsequently, those remain neglected on the shelf.
(10) In 2008, Stella made lingerie with Bendon.
(11) Same year, Stella worked with LeSportsac to make a range of travel bags, luggage, baby accessories, and bags for mothers with infants and toddlers.

In case you were wondering, I thought the travel bags were HUGE and also very cute when I saw them in person. They are made of 100% recycled eco-polyester body fabric, as you would expect from the eco-friendly Stella Steel. The quality of the material and seaming seems sturdy enough, but the price tag isn't on the cheap side. For example, the posh print 22" Carry On Case (pictured here) costs $420 and the 26" costs $475. Therefore, you'll be happy to hear that all Spring & Summer Stella McCartney for LeSportsac products are 50% off if you enter promo code "STELLA50" at checkout. Also, you can find some other choices on sale at Azalea Boutique.

In addition to juggling the collaborations on the list and her own label, "Unstoppable Stella" also gave birth to 3 children between 2005 and 2008. Only 37, Stella McCartney is already an established designer, not without her share of criticism, but certainly an inspiration to many. Check out her new stuff being sold on Bergdorf Goodman.

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Collaboration Cohort 02: Who did it best for H&M?

After having been away from Vancouver, B.C., Canada for a year, I came home to a pleasant surprise as Holt Renfrew (the equivalent of Nordstorm or Barneys in the States) moved their downtown base from a cooped up corner of Pacific Center to an adjoining independent four-storeys building. This made room for Holt Renfrew's old space to be filled with new shop stores such as H&M, which was originally unavailable in Vancouver. Yes, we Vancouverites used to have to suffer a 3.5-hr drive to Seattle for good shopping. It is just getting better and better now that many big American stores are finally offering shipping to Canada, and stores like H&M are finally entering the market here. Getting back to the story of partnership. How did H&M, the Swedish fast-fashion giant, keep itself globally relevant all these years? It's simple, really. With the names of Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Viktor & Rolf (2006), and Roberto Cavalli (2007) in H&M's history of annual designer collaboration, it is no wonder people keep going back for more affordable H&M fashion. (See pictures after the jump.)

Upcoming this year, H&M will be joining hands with Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo in making an avant-garde collection for the first time. Rei Kawakubo has been one of the most prominent mavericks that have been experimenting with and defining Japanese fashion since 1969. Her label, Comme des Garcons (French meaning "like boys"), has collaborated with other big names including Louis Vuitton, Levi's, Speedo, Nike, Lacoste, and Chrome Hearts, in the past. As usual, the Comme des Garcons collection at H&M will hit the worldwide market in early November, and this time, it will correspond with the opening of H&M's first stores in Tokyo, Japan: 10,000-sqft store in Ginza and 16,000-sqft in Harajuku. One of the unconventional things Kawakubo did for fashion was to create a line of unisex fragrances. And this will be one of the items in the slated H&M collection, which will also include accessories and fashion for women, men, and children. If Comme des Garcons style is best described as "unpredictable", can you imagine what the upcoming H&M collection will look like?


See Comme des Garcons collections on style.com
Also, try to catch one of Comme des Garcons' guerilla stores in person before they evanescence.

Pictures of previous H&M collaborations

Karl Lagerfeld (2004)

Stella McCartney (2005)

Viktor & Rolf (2006)

Roberto Cavalli (2007)

Tell us who you think did it best for H&M! Leave comments.

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Collaboration Cohort 01: J. Mendel & NARS

If you've kept your eyes open, it would be old news to say that collaborations are *the* trend. Disney collaborated with Pixar to make entertaining and highly successful animated movies, Apple collaborated with Nike to track and record data from the soles of your running shoes by using the iPod, and Louis Vuitton collaborated with artists such as Sprouse, Murakami, and most recently, Richard Prince to make avant-garde lines of bags.

Collaborations are all about bringing together two areas of expertise to create a product that surpasses what could have been done alone, or what was done in the past. With J. Mendel and Nars, we have a partnership that doesn't seem all that intuitive to me. What does the legendary fur house, J. Mendel, bring to the table in terms of expertise when making a limited edition lip palette with Nars? Does the fur house contribute insight about what is considered a sensual play of lip textures and colors? Or does J. Mendel deliver decisive authority with regards to the colors that go with fur-wearing? What does Nars gain from this partnership? I am utterly confused and would love to have a humbling explanation by experts out there. Click comment and start posting.

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Nicole Bundage and her quietly ground-breaking shoes

I saw these pair of shoes a while ago and I couldn't stop thinking about them. Whether it is the double ankle straps, the powdery color, the aesthetically pleasing jagged outlines, or the way the ankle straps are attached to the heels, I just keep going back to look at its picture. They are Nicole Brundage's Sinamon Blush shoes. These and other pairs of shoes from Nicole are currently on sale at Shoe Runway.

Nicole Brundage is a shoe designer that has received nods from Manolo Blahnik himself, and her shoe collection for Fall/Winter 2008 does not disappoint. You will see in the pictures below, a daring combination of shapes and textures, that is as well-conceived as it is well-executed. In the end, her shoes are stunning but not over-the-top, they are modern yet classic. In case you're wondering, Nicole was born in Texas, she collaborated with Manolo Blahnik on Zac Posen's Fall '04 shoe collection, and presented her first shoe collection in 2006.

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The fabulous bags my friend likes

I have a friend who is extremely excited about the 2012 Olympics that will be held in London. Whether it's because of her long-time love for the little gem of a city, or her quirky, fashion-forward sense of style, she is obviously head over heels in love with this Alexander McQueen Union Jack Clutch. Highly resonant exclamations of "SOOO SOOOOOO CUTE" came traveling over my msn and all I could say was that the clasp fastening was indeed very cute. While she continues to stare forlornly at the picture of the clutch (which is sold out at Net-a-porter), I applied my imaginary prowess to coordinate outfits around the clutch as a focal point. The clutch was indeed something SJP would carry, and it would certainly make a lot of outfits pop. So as I continue being overwhelmed by the affections my friend has towards the Union Jack clutch, I will have to give a thumbs up to the clutch itself.

This "so cute" friend of mine also picked out two other bags that I thought says a lot about her eye for unique and interesting details in bags and fashion.

Here, we have the Chloe Saskia bag with STUDS. From the back, the bag looks zen-like with studs placed evenly within a square centerpiece. How enlightening! My friend said that this might be too big for daily use, but I'm a big bag type of person (all the better to keep all the books I carry around) and the studs have a biker-chick-turned-demure-lady feel to it, an oxymoronic tension I simply cannot say "no" to, so I'm very happy to say "YES, YES, YES!" to this bag. Good choice, my friend. One caveat is that while the Saskia is much lighter than Chloe's infamous Padingtons, the studded Saskia bag has a metal handle (very slick and pretty), and enough leather and room to start worrying about its weight after contents. It's available at Net-a-porter for $2,700.

And then there is Jimmy Choo. The Lara shoulder bag seems to use the same leather as JC's Saba bag, which means it's ultra soft and light. Personally, I wasn't in love with the leather when I touched it in person, but this bag still won me over with its beautiful form and ultra roomy functionality. Ok, so I have a weakness of white bags, but doesn't the boxy shape just remind you of Hermes' Lindy bag? The Lara shoulder bag has straightforward 11-inch handles that will ensure easy carrying, and I'm pretty sure you can fit a football in there. Now, beside the lobster clasps on the sides of the bag, the bag's also attached to its handles with cute gold lobster clasps. So I started thinking...you could probably change things up and use only ONE handle on this bag. You can do this by using two lobster clasps on the end of one handle!! Of course, you probably wouldn't want to do that because the great expandable style of the bag would be wasted. But hey...can't blame me for thinking up reasons to like this bag! Available at Net-a-porter for $2,250.

Would love to hear your reasons for loving these bags, my friend. Click "Comment" and start posting!

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Roberto Cavalli Croc Print Clutch vs. Anya Hindmarch Piano Python Clutch

I have clutch mania. Exotics light up my eyes. I constantly drool while looking at Carlos Falchi, Nancy Gonzalez, VBH, and the like. It's no wonder this Roberto Cavalli Crocodile Print Clutch caught my eye. I had to take a second look to see that it is, in fact, croc print. This Robert Cavalli Croc Print Clutch reminds me of Tod's lizard clutch with elements of Chloe (Saskia) spirit worked into the front clasp. The gathered sides also really call out to me. Available in basic patent colors (biege and black) at Net-a-Porter (Singapore & HK) for £555.49/£519, this bag is sold out on Net-a-porter USA. This really proves the point that traveling is good, or that having friends globally can come in very handy.
Or that's what I thought, until I saw this amazing gold Piano Python Clutch by Anya Hindmarch on Net-a-porter (HK) for £540.23. My breath was taken away. Why wouldn't you buy a REAL exotic skin for the same price? And it's gold. Greek goddess gold.

Well... ...The biege or black patent are classic neutrals and the Robert Cavalli bag has a bit of a more interesting design... Yet gold goes with lots of different colors while being extra glamorous itself. Besides, Anya Hindmarch's bag has the cutest pleats and a bow that exudes undeniable ladylikeness... ... ...But then again... ...ARGH!

Which would you chose? Roberto Cavalli Croc Print or Anya Hindmarch Piano Python?

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Extortion in the name of green

What??? $75 for a cotton canvas shopping tote?!? Ok, I know it is Juicy Couture, which overcharges for everything. So really, it shouldn't surprise me. But even Anya Hindmarch's highly popular I'm not a plastic bag cost only $15. I'm not a plastic bag exploded on the market last year and started a frenzy of eco-friendly bags that can be reused, and anyone can see that Anya Hindmarch's bag is many times more attractive than this bland Juicy Couture bag with no design whatsoever. Don't believe me? Compare for yourself.



The thing is, Anya Hindmarch created the I'm not a plastic bag to spark talk and awareness around eco-friendliness, and more importantly, to prove that you can be trendy with a cotton canvas. On the other hand, Juicy Couture's bag seems to do the opposite with the cheesy heart shape proving how impossibly tawdry an eco-friendly bag could be. The message? Use re-usable and recyclable materials even when they don't do anything in terms of aesthetics, and pay 50 times its cost so the makers will get rich. Right. That totally makes sense.

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