Phoebe Philo: Family comes first

Celine S/S 2012 RTW
Photo: Monica Feudi / Feudiguaineri.com
via Style.com

Here's another working mother I can look up to- mind you, I already adore Phoebe Philo for making Chloe a household name and for revitalizing Celine. She announced there will be no runway show this season because she is expecting her third child in April. Instead she will have a small presentation for buyers and editors and save herself the stress.

Clearly, she holds value to her personal life. She took time off and went on hiatus when she left Chloe in 2006 to spend more time with her family. Then she re-emerged in 2008 to make Celine a favorite of the fashion world. Some may say cancelling a runway show is a risk to the brand, especially in a fickle juggernault that is the fashion industry. The Celine is a hot ticket during Paris fashion week... But I doubt she will lose momentum because the next thing we know, it will be already September again! The front row Hollywood starlets just have to find someplace else to go on March 4, 2012.

All aboard Air Chanel!

Photo: Getty Images via Dailymail.co.uk

Karl Lagerfeld had outdone himself this Couture season. He transformed the Grand Palais in Paris into a private jet - complete with little double C airplane windows, beverage carts, and emergency floor lighting. Hopefully his "Air Chanel" flight attendants are less disgruntled than a certain airline's staff whose name I cannot mention. :)

My favorite looks from the show - one is the blue tweed dress in photo above... and I love the outfit Diane Kruger wore as a "passenger".. Gosh I'd love to raid her closet!

Photo: Associated Press via Dailymail.co.uk

The day art died... RIP Eiko Ishioka

Costume from The Cell (2000)

Most people won't know her name, but she is considered the foremost art director in the world. Eiko Ishioka died last week from cancer, at the age of 73. Her work was eerie, surreal, and provocative, meanwhile her styling blended and transcended eras. Most commonly, she combines Gothic with Victorian and Japanese influences. Some of my favorite work of hers include her costume designs for Bram Stroker's Dracula, The Cell, and The Fall (Awesome cinematography if you have never seen it). From movies to albums or Broadway to Cirque de Soleil, she's won multiple awards for her craft in multiple mediums.

Read more about her work in this  New York Times article as I cannot highlight all her accomplishments. I promise you will be just as fascinated as I am as to learn how much she created. Amazing talent is quite an understatement.

Eiko Ishioka (1938 - 2012)

Bram Stroker's Dracula (1992)

The Fall (2006)

The Fall (2006)

The Cell (2000)

Bram Stroker's Dracula (1992)

Red bag battle royale



Photo: www.dior.com

Seeing this new ad with Mila Kunis for the Miss Dior bag collection made me wonder... can this red Miss Dior give the classic red Chanel Flap a run for its money?

Page from my Vogue's Best Dressed issue w/
blogger Hanneli Mustaparta

Let's see...

1) The Miss Dior in the geranium colour is lambskin quilted in a "Cannage" stitching pattern. The red Chanel is also lambskin and quilted in the classic diamond pattern.

2) Both are flap style with a main structured compartment, little flat side pockets, and are available in a size measuring roughly 10" x 6"x 2.5"

3) Both come with feminine chain straps - Miss Dior interlocking rectangles vs leather interlaced Chanel chain

4) Both are exorbitantly priced-  Miss Dior $3100 - $3400 depending on short/long strap and Chanel's $3800 - $4100 for a small/med classic flap

5) Down to the Dior vs Chanel imperialism debate... on the Purseforum (aka my second home), Chanel has 446 users viewing the designer thread vs Dior with 40 users viewing its thread

6) Designer "muses".. Dior has been impressive with using Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and the epitome of French chic-ness (and my ultimate girl crush), Marion Cotillard for campaign endorsements. Chanel has used Lily Allen for Coco Cocoon and Blake Lively for its Mademoiselle Collections. Ugh, hands down Dior wins in this category.

Ok, so I am running out of comparisons. As much as I love Mila Kunis, if I had the choice- and 2 months worth of mortgage $$ to blow - my heart belongs to Chanel.  To each their own, though. Both are utterly gorgeous bags.

This may be interesting

Even though I never really followed Project Runway nor do I care for Jessica Simpson's fashion enterprise, I may check this out.  The rewards are more downstream opportunties in the business with acutal retail buyers signng the designers up. I'd also watch because I do like Nicole Richie's style, most of the time. Here's a sneak peek at NBC's newshow "FashionStar":

This warms my shallow heart...

Target advertisement from noahsdad.com

Two big retailers, Target and Nordstrom, had included a 6 year old model named Ryan in their catalogue advertising. Ryan was born with Down's Syndrome. The beauty of it that's garnering a lot of respect is that the companies have not brought attention to themselves for promoting inclusion of people born with special needs. Their actions without self-touting publicity sure speaks volumes! A proud Daddy-blogger has highlighted this story best on his Noah's Dad Blog if you wish to read more.

I also want to share a personal story on this topic. When I was 14 yrs old, I attended a barbeque and the hosts had friends who were a couple with a daughter born with Down's. She was the happiest and giggly little girl ever! This couple were expecting a second child and in the car ride home, the people who gave me a ride home mentioned how they were so glad for the couple that they have the option of terminating the pregnancy (even at a late stage) if the second child also had Down's. I remember how this made me so angry and sad that they held this opinion. I can only imagine the amount of patience and heart it requires to raise a child with special needs; but never can I fathom the thought that any child does not deserve life. Just a thought...

Sunday sewing project: Final results

I finished the alternations a few weeks ago but this is the first time I wore the pink Marc Jacobs trench coat. The right shade of pink in a top stitch thread was impossible to find, so I double-stitched two colours to come as close as possible. I think it's passable, dont you think?

Definitely much improved minus 9 inches of the length it had before.

Ewan McGreggor in GQ

 Back in 1996, would you have pictured Ewan McGreggor's Trainspotting character, Renton, like this?

Photo: www.gq.com

January is GQ's annual spring style preview and its a whole pile of blue that looks pretty good on Mr McGreggor. Check out the whole slide show at GQ. (Note, this is for you, Tchic!)


Meanwhile, I'll leave you with a hallmark of that year... I'm sure I have the soundtrack kicking around somewhere!