Now with a stick and a peace t-shirt + screwed proportions, wry face and some gratuitous ugliness
Monday, March 10, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Project Runway Cycle 4
Spoiler Alert: For those Project Runway fans who have still not watched the finale yet, STOP scrolling, because today I am going to ramble on and on about it. So don't say I didn't warn you!
I felt that the talent this season was definitely unprecedented. Most of the designers from the beginning have been good at what they do and stayed pretty consistent throughout. I bet the judges had a hard time each challenge trying to decide the winner- I know I did! The one little glitch for me was that the entertainment value this season was a bit low, a few times, I admit, I even dosed off while watching it on my bed. I think it is because the challenges are starting to get a bit dull and more importantly as Tim pointed out in an interview, the designers this season were all very focused with their work and had a healthy dose of respect for each other and therefore there was not a lot of drama. Oh well, put that way, I guess it cannot be helped.
And the winner this season is... Christian! No surprise there really. He's always been my favourite designer (and the audiences as well!). He consistently produced fierce outfits that were innovative, refreshing, stylish and very flattering to the body. Plus, he was the most vibrant, energetic and confident character in the show. His overconfidence and bitchy blunt comments actually endeared him to me more! Besides, underneath that facade, we can all see his fierce passion for fashion, which he obviously has a talent for. And isn't that what counts?
So, lets start the show!
Christian
Christian's collection was inspired by the romantic gothic. I thought the collection was chic, powerful, innovative and dramatic. Just what one would expect from Christian!
Every piece was a very strong look. The dramatic overflowing top cinched at the wrists and waist, paired with skinny pants created a strong silhouette. The only thing was that I thought he repeated this silhouette a bit too much and it got slightly repetitive, especially with the monotonous black color scheme going on.
That is why it was good to see some beige here. It went really well with the look. And the beige overflowing neck piece Tim was worrying about before turned out great (right)!
I thought this outfit (left) looked exactly what I imagined the three musketeers would wear (down to the hat!). But I can appreciate the workmanship here. And the contrast created here (right) by pairing this soft flowing chiffon skirt with this structured (is it leather?) shirt is striking.
I love this two toned dress here (left). But I'm not so sure about this second piece..... she looks like a very elegantly shaped vulture......I guess feathers is an acquired taste.
All in all I thought Christian put on a great show. It had flare and drama, which I appreciated. Wearability-wise though, this collection is definitely not something that makes me want to reach into my screen and grab these outfits off the models for myself. As Victoria Beckham said, these clothes were very her. And I'm afraid that my taste of clothing does not run paraellel to her's.
Jillian
My taste definitely runs alongside Jillian's taste though. Besides a few pieces which I thought were a bit disjointed, I really liked her collection inspired by the Master of Argonauts. It was very detailed oriented, feminine and very wearable.
I wear these straight off the runway!
She just does trench coats SO well! And I love how she always puts a colorful lining inside.
And these dresses are just GORGEOUS. I want them! The blue velvet is elegant, slinky and sexy. And the black one is innovative, fun and flirty.
But yes, I can see what the judges mean by color scheme.
Though I LOVED these two looks. Very power woman.
His evening dresses were just divine. Love the criss cross weaving detail. And you should see that dress (right), jacket off!
Like Victorya for example. She was brilliant and I totally thought that she'd make it to the final 3! I loved her sense of aesthetics. I'd have even bought that outfit she designed for Steve and Barry's (right) if it was not sold out so quickly! Just ONE small mistake with a denim trench coat......
I felt that the talent this season was definitely unprecedented. Most of the designers from the beginning have been good at what they do and stayed pretty consistent throughout. I bet the judges had a hard time each challenge trying to decide the winner- I know I did! The one little glitch for me was that the entertainment value this season was a bit low, a few times, I admit, I even dosed off while watching it on my bed. I think it is because the challenges are starting to get a bit dull and more importantly as Tim pointed out in an interview, the designers this season were all very focused with their work and had a healthy dose of respect for each other and therefore there was not a lot of drama. Oh well, put that way, I guess it cannot be helped.
And the winner this season is... Christian! No surprise there really. He's always been my favourite designer (and the audiences as well!). He consistently produced fierce outfits that were innovative, refreshing, stylish and very flattering to the body. Plus, he was the most vibrant, energetic and confident character in the show. His overconfidence and bitchy blunt comments actually endeared him to me more! Besides, underneath that facade, we can all see his fierce passion for fashion, which he obviously has a talent for. And isn't that what counts?
So, lets start the show!
Christian
Christian's collection was inspired by the romantic gothic. I thought the collection was chic, powerful, innovative and dramatic. Just what one would expect from Christian!
Every piece was a very strong look. The dramatic overflowing top cinched at the wrists and waist, paired with skinny pants created a strong silhouette. The only thing was that I thought he repeated this silhouette a bit too much and it got slightly repetitive, especially with the monotonous black color scheme going on. 
That is why it was good to see some beige here. It went really well with the look. And the beige overflowing neck piece Tim was worrying about before turned out great (right)!
I thought this outfit (left) looked exactly what I imagined the three musketeers would wear (down to the hat!). But I can appreciate the workmanship here. And the contrast created here (right) by pairing this soft flowing chiffon skirt with this structured (is it leather?) shirt is striking.
I love this two toned dress here (left). But I'm not so sure about this second piece..... she looks like a very elegantly shaped vulture......I guess feathers is an acquired taste.
All in all I thought Christian put on a great show. It had flare and drama, which I appreciated. Wearability-wise though, this collection is definitely not something that makes me want to reach into my screen and grab these outfits off the models for myself. As Victoria Beckham said, these clothes were very her. And I'm afraid that my taste of clothing does not run paraellel to her's.
Jillian
My taste definitely runs alongside Jillian's taste though. Besides a few pieces which I thought were a bit disjointed, I really liked her collection inspired by the Master of Argonauts. It was very detailed oriented, feminine and very wearable.
I wear these straight off the runway!
She just does trench coats SO well! And I love how she always puts a colorful lining inside.
And these dresses are just GORGEOUS. I want them! The blue velvet is elegant, slinky and sexy. And the black one is innovative, fun and flirty.
These two were the anomalies that I didn't like. Maybe if she took those gauzy sleeves from the gold dress.....But yes, if it was against last season's Jeffrey and Jillian, I think she'd definitely had won.
Personality wise, I thought Jillian was nice. Just that she seems to be in a cloud most of the time and it always came to the last minute. (Another point in favor of Christian- he was always quick AND good at his work).
Rami
Rami's collection was inspired by Joan of Arc and I thought it was very sophisticated and feminine. I was great to see him step out of his draping mode. I was getting bored of seeing Greek goddese after another.
But yes, I can see what the judges mean by color scheme.
Though I LOVED these two looks. Very power woman.
His evening dresses were just divine. Love the criss cross weaving detail. And you should see that dress (right), jacket off!
Genius!
Character-wise, I thought Rami was a really nice, wise and mature guy. He was very focused with his work and really listened to suggestions.
Overall looking at the final runway shows alone, I felt that the winner is still a tough call. All three shows blew me away, but in very different ways. And at the end of the day, I think it just depended on what taste one was looking for. If they wanted fierce, innovative designs: Christian is the obvious winner. But if they wanted details, femininity and something all girls would just love to wear right up: then Jillian is the winner. And if they wanted sophisticated and flattering on women: then Rami is the guy. --- I guess they were looking for someone fierce!
Random Thoughts 
I was surprised to see Victoria Beckham as the guest judge for the finale. For one thing, I wouldn't describe her as a Style & Pop icon. Pop icon yes, but style... I think it depends. She has a very unique taste that walks a thin line between a hit or miss. Also, I thought that for the finale, it was more appropriate to simply have the regular judges since they knew the contestants best (a la ANTM). Lucky for Christian though, the two of them definitely clicked!
Chris's final pieces was very dramatic and very Chris. I thought it was very clever of him to use human hair and made it not even LOOK like human hair. But at the end of the day.... that is just too creepy *shiver*!
I was surprised to see Victoria Beckham as the guest judge for the finale. For one thing, I wouldn't describe her as a Style & Pop icon. Pop icon yes, but style... I think it depends. She has a very unique taste that walks a thin line between a hit or miss. Also, I thought that for the finale, it was more appropriate to simply have the regular judges since they knew the contestants best (a la ANTM). Lucky for Christian though, the two of them definitely clicked!
Chris's final pieces was very dramatic and very Chris. I thought it was very clever of him to use human hair and made it not even LOOK like human hair. But at the end of the day.... that is just too creepy *shiver*!
I could not BELIEVE that Ricky and especially Sweet Pea lasted that long. With a few rare exceptions by Sweet Pea, they were both just consistently weak! There were so many more talented designers in the bunch that should've been there instead of them.
Like Victorya for example. She was brilliant and I totally thought that she'd make it to the final 3! I loved her sense of aesthetics. I'd have even bought that outfit she designed for Steve and Barry's (right) if it was not sold out so quickly! Just ONE small mistake with a denim trench coat...... Incidentally, according to an interview with Tim Gunn (which is very interesting and you should check it out), she was very sour and temperamental throughout the show. Once she even demanded that he count the money in each envelop he was giving out when they were buying fabric in Mood! Its interesting for someone to so publicly lash out at someone like that. Victorya even posted a reply to this where she said that she didn't feel that Tim was qualified to give all the suggestions that he did. *gasp* And we thought this was a drama-less season.....
Image Source: Bravo TV
Friday, March 7, 2008
A Work or Cocktail Dress?
When I look at images of dresses such as the one above (left) from the YSL S/S08 show, my usual reaction is probably', 'oooh, that looks nice and structured.' But since it's not like I can actually afford YSL, my thoughts just stop there. It was until I saw similar highstreet designs that I started wondering where do people actually wear dresses like this to? The YSL dress looks thick (material-wise,) grey and structured like YSL's suitskirts, so I just assumed it was a work dress. But now that I think of it, who would actually wear a strapless, low-cut dress to work? No one right? So is it a cocktail dress? Actually, Victoria Beckham is the only person I can think of who would walk around in something like that during daytime.
The highstreet dress that I mentioned was this grey dress from Miss Selfridge, (which is a UK chain store for those of you who aren't familiar with UK highstreet stores.) My first thought was that it looked cute, thanks to the bubbly-tulip skirt bit. It's a great way (and a very affordable way -28 pounds,) to add a structured item into my wardrobe. But then it occured to me that it has the same problem as the YSL dress -it looks very 9-to5-workclothes-y, especially with that black patent belt. And I certainly don't want to wear a business-like dress casually because it'll just make me uncomfortable -kind of like when I see certain celebrities wearing this kind of dresses around casually, or just for something not work-related. (I think Lauren Conrad did so before.) But wait, can one actaully wear this dress back to the office? It's pretty low-cut and I'm not sure it actually goes past the knees. Hmm, I suppose it's ok wearing to work if you work somewhere that's semi-business-formal, and you can just wear layers to make it suitable, like wearing a turtleneck-top underneath or just a plain, long-sleeve white tee underneath. Where would you wear this sort of dresses to?
Image credits: http://www.style.com/, http://www.missselfridge.com/
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
SS08 Prada: Nappa Stripes Multicolor
Since I have been dressed in dull safe colors for a few months now (with the exception of Chinese New Year, but that's another story), it was completely refreshing when I stepped into the Prada store the other day and was immediately struck by a vibrant bold rainbow of colors coming at me!
I immediately rushed (very dignified-ly of course) to get a better look at them. My first reaction? LOVE. They are the perfect vibrant eye candies to brighten up my wardrobe this SS!
My second reaction was: Which COLOR?? They're all soo darling! I just want to gobble them up like candy!
Then I qualified: Most of them anyway, with the exception of this lime green and maroon color combo here (left). Or maybe its just too murky compared to the rest. Style-wise, I think the regular size hobos in this multicolor print is just a bit too much, too loud. You'd have to match it with a REALLY plain monotonous outfit for it to look decent. The smaller bags, like the small/mini hobos (right) on the other hand strike the perfect balance, bring in a just the right amount of WHAM without being too loud. Plus, since the clash will be less, you'll have a wider wardrobe choice.
But the thing about the small/mini hobos is that they're a bit too small. First the strap is so short that one cannot carry it comfortably on the shoulder. Even with the longer extra strap, it takes away from the hobo look. But then, if you carry it, its just so small that it looks like you are carrying a little girl's bag (especially with the bright colors). And so I personally think that the clutch (left) is the best way to carry this multicolor pattern. Its small enough not to be too loud but still have the WHAM effect, and the style is just right to carry. Its just perfect!
And after THAT in depth analysis I of course started seeing these gorgeous ads everywhere. I love how they just pop out at you!
And I really like the gold/black combination as well. They are sharp and bold, but unlike the other ones which are very pretty and girly, these ones are edgy and cool! This combo works as a regular size hobo too.
But alas, my mom sensibly pointed out that these bags will be very dated in a few months and is totally not worth it. So another stylish option would be this plain purple version of the Nappa Stripes bag, which still has the vibrant color effect, albeit in a more sophisticated way. This one, you can even very comfortably carry on your shoulders- I tried! Its stunning! If only it wasn't so pricey! Another very cute bag at Prada I'd like to point to is this Botegga Venetta-esque weave tote. Its cute!
Image Source: Saks Fifth
I immediately rushed (very dignified-ly of course) to get a better look at them. My first reaction? LOVE. They are the perfect vibrant eye candies to brighten up my wardrobe this SS!
My second reaction was: Which COLOR?? They're all soo darling! I just want to gobble them up like candy!
Then I qualified: Most of them anyway, with the exception of this lime green and maroon color combo here (left). Or maybe its just too murky compared to the rest. Style-wise, I think the regular size hobos in this multicolor print is just a bit too much, too loud. You'd have to match it with a REALLY plain monotonous outfit for it to look decent. The smaller bags, like the small/mini hobos (right) on the other hand strike the perfect balance, bring in a just the right amount of WHAM without being too loud. Plus, since the clash will be less, you'll have a wider wardrobe choice.
But the thing about the small/mini hobos is that they're a bit too small. First the strap is so short that one cannot carry it comfortably on the shoulder. Even with the longer extra strap, it takes away from the hobo look. But then, if you carry it, its just so small that it looks like you are carrying a little girl's bag (especially with the bright colors). And so I personally think that the clutch (left) is the best way to carry this multicolor pattern. Its small enough not to be too loud but still have the WHAM effect, and the style is just right to carry. Its just perfect! 
And after THAT in depth analysis I of course started seeing these gorgeous ads everywhere. I love how they just pop out at you!
And I really like the gold/black combination as well. They are sharp and bold, but unlike the other ones which are very pretty and girly, these ones are edgy and cool! This combo works as a regular size hobo too.
But alas, my mom sensibly pointed out that these bags will be very dated in a few months and is totally not worth it. So another stylish option would be this plain purple version of the Nappa Stripes bag, which still has the vibrant color effect, albeit in a more sophisticated way. This one, you can even very comfortably carry on your shoulders- I tried! Its stunning! If only it wasn't so pricey! Another very cute bag at Prada I'd like to point to is this Botegga Venetta-esque weave tote. Its cute!Image Source: Saks Fifth
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