Gucci Shades

As hard as I try, I can't seem to get over my love for the giant plastic framed shades. Everytime when I think I've found the perfect pair that would last me a lifetime, I find a new pair that is more perfect than the last. And the thing is, they're all basically huge shades with plastic frames!
So I am perfectly aware that this will probably not be the last time I utter this sentence, but I swear this time I've found the perfect giant plastic shades. Wandering aimlessly around the department store, I glanced over at the shades selection they just popped out from amongst the rows of oddly shaped new trendy shades that I doubt would look flattering on me. It was almost like in those cartoons when the character finally finds the item they've been looking for and the item just shines in the distant and music comes up and the world is perfect again. These Gucci shades are perfectly rounded and the nose support is just right that the bottom of the frames do not touch your cheeks (I have to admit, my current one does touch the cheek). And they look fabulous on. They are just brilliant in its simplicity and elegant shape. It comes in brown and black, but somehow I prefer the brown, thinking its more chic and not quite so dark. Plus, since I already have black plastic frames....brown plastic frames would be a variation. My current huge plastic framed shades are from Dior, and don't get me wrong, I still love it to bits. I especially love the Dior "D" on the side with the pretty flower detail on the edges. And it looks great. But I'm sure all of you will agree that they are very different from the Gucci pair......so it is a different kind of perfect. OR maybe the trend for huge plastic frames has evolved over seasons and I have not even noticed but just blindly followed to my liking. Wow, now even I am slightly confused with my logic. Whichever way, those Gucci are just soooo beautiful!
Incidentally, I would like to mention that I also tried on these pair from DVB, just because its from DVB and I wanted to see what they were like. The shape and design is actually quite nice. Only thing is, they are so black that I felt blind in it. I guess thats what celebs need for maximum coverage from the paparazzi?

Image Source: Otticanet

A bunch cafe sketches I hadn't gotten around to scanning until now.

Mushroom Boy

handsewn softie- my first attempt to convert a drawing I did into a softie...

it was difficult to make your own pattern, but I learned a lot in the process!
1. make a prototype first with just white felt or fabric (that way you're not attached to it and can adjust and make a proper pattern off of it)
2. attach the body to the head piece first, repeat and then sew it all together
3. don't overstuff or your handsewn stitches will pull
4. plan ahead, plan ahead, i didn't allow seam allowance for the face

but all in all, he's still cute!

Another Caricature

Just some attempts at caricatures from meetings

Milan Fashion Week SS08 Wrapup II

Sorry this post is late! I spent the last many hours getting to Chicago (first time here!) and am now jet-lagged (slept too much on the planes.) Thank goodness for the new runway photos -this season's Milan shows are definitely more exciting than last season's shows!

Prada

Wow. After last season's collection of heavy artificial materials, this season's sheer, flowy clothes is a great change. The first thing I loved was the dark, moody makeup. The makeup theme -dark eyes and light lips -is made moody and not sexed-up. Miuccia shot for 'fantasy'. And it IS fantasy. Even if it's not dramatic fantasy like Dior haute couture or Alexander McQueen shows, the clothes here are Prada's signature, understated and not-for-everyone sort of fantasy.

See the silk dress on the right -it's amazing how Miuccia managed to combine those peacock-ish colours and still make the dress look pretty and not tacky.

I LOVE that dress on the right with the fairy print. It's so elegant and feminine with a cute, pretty edge.

It's so refreshing to see Prada's intellectual, artisitc clothes not looking like it's usual, boxy self. However, I'm not sure how good they'll look on the consumers or who would actually buy crazy coloured pants (like the one on the left.)

Alessandro Dell'Acqua

While Dell'Acqua's collections have never been as fashion-foward as Prada's, the clothes are always great to see how he mixes his new inspirations with last runway collections' trends.

OK, so the first few outfits of underwear are pretty bad, but I do really like his cocktail dresses. (I have a thing for these fake strapless dresses. They're just so much more practical, modest and comfortable than the usual strapless dress, don't you think?)

I'm not sure how commercial these Japanese-inspired skirts/ dresses will be, but do note the wasit-clinching trend. Ooh, and look at the dress on Du Juan (left,) doesn't it look like flowers are growing on her (and tastefully covering up her private parts?)

Marni

Marni is a brand that I see people wear around a lot. It's so distinctive you really can't miss it. Whenever I see Marni clothes in real life, I've always been so bombarded with the prints and crafty accessories that it didn't occur to me that Marni's clothes are now less nature-like than a few years ago until I read the reviews on the SS08 collections. And even though the crafty necklaces are still there, the clothes now really do seem more modern and wearable.

The dress on the left is one of my favourites from this Marni collection. It's artistic without being too over-the-top. And that dress on Lily Donaldson (right) -it actually looks somewhat classic and sleek, something that is not very Marni-like.

The patent leather bags and skirts are still there, but this time paired with brighter colours.

Perhaps it's an attempt to try out new silhouettes, but some of the clothes like the dress on the right was so different from Marni's usual clothes that I can't quite appreciate it on the Marni runway yet.

Image credit: www.style.com

Mixing and Relaxing

A stunning, no simply stunning weekend of pure nothingness...hooping, juicing, eating, laughing, relaxing, blogging and all that jazz! ahhhhhhhh

Took some pics while in Harajuku and at the park in Kichijoji

Hanjiro remade vest
Hanae Mori scarf made into an obi belt
Black high waist Uni Qlo jeans
Leopard print high top converse
Swarovski covered Casio
Betsey Johnson leopard print bag



E hyphen cropped black knit
Pink and purple tank recycled from Kinji, Harajuku
Black 3/4 tights from my Mum
Pink and blue hoop from Hoop Store Tokyo
Pink star headphones from Village Vanguard
Rock Bunny pink socks from one of the ten zillion sock shops in Tokyo
Leopard print Converse
Black sari bracelets.

Laputaesque Doodle

I'm glad we've had the good sense to disable comments

Milan Fashion Week SS08 Wrapup I

And we are off to Milan! Sigh, it seems just like yesterday I was walking along via Della Spiga, passing by the huge Armani building and breathing it all in. Anyways, back to the runway. Lets start with the most Italian of them all......

Gorgio Armani
Inspired by the languid sensual summers of Southern Italy, this collection had a much more relaxing and casual touch than Armani's usual sleek, sharp and sexy silhouette. And about time too! I was getting bored of using the same adjectives every season to describe Armani.
I am usually not one for gypsy looking shorts, but I am loving these. Armani upgrades them with the shiny material and the subtle tailoring, making them look feminine and elegant while still being very relaxing and comfortable. They appear to be very versatile too, looking great with equally relaxing looking tops, loose and fitted jackets. I want one of these next season!
Then there were the dresses. Or shorts integrated into looking like dresses (left and right above). He keeps with the theme by using these light flowing fabric further enhanced by its texturized print.
More into the evening, we have these creations. Armani's pairing of the sequence top with the flowing floral skirt is just genius.
Something a little more typical of Armani, the evening wear. I simply LOVE all of these, especially the gold one on the right that was the finale. Simply beautiful. Oh and it looks like I'm going to have to invest in light shawls next season too!

Burberry Prorsum
Christopher Bailey never ceases to amaze me with his collections that are always refreshing but still oh-so-Burberry. This season, the theme was the Luxury Warrior, I have no idea what the means but it looks to me that it involves feminine ruched up materials paired with rocker chic studded elements.
Personally I don't really like the look of these ruched up material. It looks like bunched up muscles....maybe I've been seeing too much Body Worlds.....But I DO like the whole long jacket over a dress and cinched together with a studded belt look. Very cool. And I LOVE the checkered patterns. Definitely more refreshing than the usual Burberry print.
Without the jacket, those studded belts look just as cool. I especially love the black bubble dress with the black blazer and belt underneath (right) look. Oh and I'm not too fond of that feathery looking pencil skirt (left), looks scary.....
More trenches. LOVE LOVE LOVE that updated trench (left). Looks soooo awesome. And middle outfit with the black trench and the big patent black bag looks soo chic as well. And the purple outfit (right) perfectly illustrates Bailey's mixing of lux materials.
More vibrantly there are these hot pink and blue looks. I especially love the sky blue on sapphire blue combo (middle). Its soo sharp. And that gray dress is just beeeeeeautiful.... so feminine and delicate with a bit of edge from that belt. Perhaps that is what Bailey means by luxury warrior?
Either way, one thing I'm sure you'll all agree with. Next season, the studded belt is THE accessory to have. And from the variety of ways Bailey has shown us how to wear it on this runway, I'd say its a prime investment!

Image Source: Elle.com

Washing Day

Tree

Tree off of a pattern, I plan to make a Christmas tree like this for the holidays

Lucy

Lucy with pet Goosey- my first hand sewn project! This one was off of a pattern, but as soon as I get better- I'll make my own creations.

FW07 Trend: Blue Eye Shadows

The ballots are in. All the make-up houses agree. Blue is the shade this season.

As one of their new fall looks, Mac came out with this Blue Storm look.
Created with their new Matte² highly pigmented eye shadow, you can tell from the look above that the effect is very intense. This would be perfect for a dramatic look for a night out. Personally though this is a bit too much for my taste.

Laura Mercier also came out with a Stormy collection (I guess rain and wind is trendy this season). The ad is much more dramatic than the Mac, but the blues are still quite intense.
Their blue sky quad was actually what inspired this whole post. If you've been reading this blog for a while, then you will know that eye shadow quads are my weakness. Isn't this quad sooo pretty? After much admiration on the internet, I finally got around to trying it out the other day at the counter. Unfortunately it seems that blue really isn't my color. I tried, I really did. Usually when something looks nice, I can tell straight away. But this time when the sales lady tried it on me and I took a double take and had to cover my other eye in an attempt to find the beauty in it. The sales lady tried to help by adding eye liner and more of the darker shades for the more "full effect" saying that the blue takes some time to get used to, but no matter what she did/say and how much I tried, I still looked like I'd been punched. It is really too bad, I was fully prepared to buy it! The shades are just too blue! But the thing is, the sales lady looked perfectly fine with the blue shades on and she has a very similar skin tone as me. I don't know what went wrong there.
And then of course there is my darling Bobbi Brown with their limited edition metallics collection that comes in Midnight Metallics.
Isn't this palette so pretty too? I was torn between this and the Laura Mercier. But ultimately, I think this is the better blue palette around, because the two grey/silver blue colors are the perfect compliment to the dark blue, easily creating a whole smokey eye effect with a blue tinge.
Incidentally, I also love their Forest Metallics. The greens are just sooo rich and lustrous that it has blown away all my previous reservations about green eye shadows ever since my friend told me they looked slutty and I saw a middle aged lady wearing lime green eye shadow over her heavy powdered face and very red lipsticks, which really scared me. Those are lime green. But this is much richer and the effect is much classier and more elegant. I absolutely LOVE this palette. Hmm... so I guess at the end of the day, I just can't get away from Bobbi Brown.

Chanel also has an eye shadow quad with blue shades as well, though it is not new. HG has it and the effect looks great, all smokey blue eye with a very pretty sparkly undertone.

Image Source: Mac Cosmetics, Laura Mercier & Bobbi Brown

From London to Tokyo

Previously found administering her fashion remedies in Camden Stables Market London, the blabla nurse now has a growing list of patients right here in Tokyo, Japan.

Already making fashion headlines here in Japan, blabla hospital has been featured in recent Kera and Gothic & Lolita Bible. As a result blabla hospital blood supplies must be at an all time low as their patient care programs are fast becoming the hottest new fashion health.



Currently on call at the Kera shop in Shinjuku, the blabla nurse herself can be consulted for all healthy fashion needs.



Treatments are seasonal for both guys and girls from piping hot weather fashion health to jacket cures and leg and arm warmers.



The blabla nurse is working hard at her Shinjuku hospital right now so TOKOYMADE is the only place selling her powerful remedies online (aren't we lucky!?) Check out the current prescribed cures available over the counter.