La La's World

Elie Saab live on Fashion tv

2007-03-06T10:53:00.000+04:00

eeeek !!!
yesterday we watched Ellie Saab live on fashion tv from Paris' Fashion Week for his 2008 collection....
oh my God !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ok, plum is so in (like Rees Witherspoon's oscar dress colour) and bows were still used excessively (yayyyyy)
that man is a genius !!!

Elie Saab's Website

Proenza Schouler

2007-03-03T16:15:00.000+04:00

The Label
This modern luxury label offers an edgy, youthful take on upscale dressing. The design team of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough—self-proclaimed “dorks”—has only been in business since 2002, but they’ve already enjoyed numerous hit collections, and a rep as one of fashion’s most talked about labels. The duo met in design school, worked with Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs respectively, then partnered on their graduation project; the rest is history. It helps that their talent matches their hype, and that their collections showcase their skillful detailing. Some of the line’s most current pieces, sleek and minimal silhouettes with a soulful cheekiness, are redolent of the mod-ness of Courrèges, (a black-and-white cashmere mini-dress), or Paco Rabanne (a chain mail tank.)

The Look
Young and sporty, with a somewhat mod nod to cheeky sixties pop fashion icons. Tailored coats in lush menswear pattern prints, thin pencil skirts, color-blocked chiffon evening gowns cinched with satin belts, and sleek minimal silhouettes that mostly come in dark neutrals like bronze, battleship gray and military green.

The Designer
Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough met in 1999, while in design school at Parsons. They partnered up for their thesis project, calling it by their mothers’ maiden names, Proenza Schouler, and a collection was born. Hernandez, who hails from Cuban Miami, originally pondered becoming a doctor, while McCollough, from suburban New Jersey, was intent on blowing glass. Luckily, they found each other: The design duo were presented with the CFDA’s Perry Ellis Award for new talent in 2003 and have shown to critical acclaim with each subsequent season.
Defining Looks

Proenza Schouler Website

Free People Clothing

2007-03-03T15:55:00.000+04:00

Free People Clothing Boutique

This post is for my teenage sister and teenage cousins and teenage friends who don't appreciate high-end designers lol

but it's also for any stylish girl who doesn't mind the casual look :-D

Teacup Sets - BEAUTIFUL !

2007-03-03T15:44:00.000+04:00

ok, what are teacups doing on my blog? I post beautiful things and you can't deny the beauty of these sets !! thanks to Joy for the eBay links: link 1 & link 2 where you can find them x>

Jill Stuart

2007-03-03T15:19:00.000+04:00

The Label
Jill Stuart is a vintage fiend—she owns a staggering number of old bags, chic and cheap—and it comes through in her women’s collection, launched in 1993. The New York native has a knack for tapping into the latest trend—be it girlie, Goth, prim, or minimal—and tweaking it to suit her vision of pretty, hip girls. One can always depend on her for flirty day dresses, skintight pants, and silk slips in virginal cream and white. Stuart rarely deviates from her favorites and injects every season with a few of her staples: lace trims and florals.

The Look
Dresses on the pretty side of sexy, designed for the eternally young and hip.

The Designer
Her parents owned Mister Pants, a well-known ladies boutique in the sixties, and introduced Stuart to fashion at a young age. As a teenager, she designed jewelry and handbags and sold her first collection of accessories to Bloomingdale’s at the tender age of 15. In the early eighties, she launched a popular signature line of accessories which would eventually pave the way into womenswear.

http://www.jillstuart.com/

Luella Bartley

2007-02-21T12:46:00.000+04:00

The Label
Since launching in 1999, London-based Luella Bartley has been delivering effortless street-chic season after season. Her eternal muse is the rebel Brit “It” girl who can’t help but be adorable in her pink button-down shirts tucked into skintight jeans or layered under Bartley’s favorite striped sweaters. Bartley mixes themes with élan: punk motorcycle jackets with gingham skirts; little black dresses with pearls for polka dots; preppy navy, red, and white. Add to this Bartley’s always in-demand accessories lineup of cool leather bags and shoes.

The Look
Squeaky-clean badasses and pretty punks.

The Designer
The Central Saint Martins grad and onetime British Vogue editor still lives in London— with fashion-photographer boyfriend David Sims and their two children—even though she’s been showing in New York since 2001. In a flip-flop setup, Bartley’s first few shows featured friends like Sadie Frost walking the runway while model pal Kate Moss watched from the front row. In January 2006, Bartley was selected to launch Target’s Go International line.

funky webbie

The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business

2007-02-21T12:26:00.000+04:00

A must read !
For those of you thinking of, in the process, or already fully into starting your own business, The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business is a must!

Despite the girl-power title and cover, this book gives very useful and practical info. for those who need the basics of how to start...some legal & financial issues, as well as useful information on writing a business plan. It's a fun & easy read and a good stepping stone to the more serious information you might need later.

This is a very highly recommended book !!

Chloe

2007-02-21T11:06:00.000+04:00

I've gathered some images of the Spring Collection from my all-time favourite high-end designer...... CHLOE

their shoes are just too, too pretty !!

J'adore la vintage !!!!!!!

2007-02-20T17:22:00.000+04:00

this is the little black dress that i'd get for sure !!!

the flower on the skirt makes all difference ... sigh !!!

an antique dress, i wouldn't wear this to be honest... but it is beautiful no doubt.

Vintage....my weakness !

More Shoes !

2007-02-20T16:27:00.000+04:00

Doesn't these shoes SCREAM "Spring !!! I'm ready for you !!" hehehe

They are picked out of a huge bunch from the lovely Urban Outfitters (warning... the link can kill all you shoe-crazy girls lol)

Urban Outfitters is a place i've fallen in love with because of A&H ... luv you guys for the best gift ever XoX

PS: a joke for my older sis Zuz .... do you remember our childhood when we had these jelly sandals in all colours?

hahahahahaha NOSTALGIA !!! i swear i wanna cry !!

Vilaiwan

2007-02-20T15:35:00.000+04:00

Vilaiwan's breath-taking webbie

Juice Planning

2007-02-20T15:12:00.000+04:00

their ADORABLE webbie

Alia & Anoud ... these are SO you !!! x>

Johnny Cupcakes

2007-02-20T13:50:00.000+04:00

This is an inspiring story of the yummiest t-shirts ever !!! x>

Read his story .... (from Johnny Cupcake's Webbie)

The Story
I started this company as a complete joke!
Growing up as a kid, I’d always notice my mom beingstressed/bummed out about her 9-5 job. Ever since, I’ve been comingup with little ways to work for myself. Lemonade stands to yardsales, magic tricks at kids birthday parties to selling tricks/pranksin high school.
I used to be a class clown. I’d buy & collect so many pranksfrom this one joke shop - that the owner gave me a catalog of where Ican purchase these from, wholesale. I’d buy whoopie cushions, trick candy, and itching powder in bulk, to make little ‘prank packs’.

I’d then sell these prank packs to the kids at my high school. One day Isold itching powder to this kid Dan, who put it all down his friendsback. Turned out his friend was highly allergic to what’s insideitching powder. His back swelled up with hives and he was rushed tothe emergency room. I almost got kicked out of high school.
After returning back from my suspension, I decided to sellsomething else… (get your mind out of the gutter!) .. candy is what my new hobby was. .... read more

Vintage Hats from Ellen Christine

2007-02-20T11:45:00.000+04:00

Ellen Christine

The hats in this impressive collection have been created by Ellen Christine Colon-Lugo. Earning a devoted East Coast following, Ellen Christine hand-constructs hats that have unique appeal. She mixed antique textiles and trims to capture the fanciful nature of the modern woman. As Ellen Christine sculpts velvet roses or an organza brim, each hat seems to take on a life of its own. She imagines each hat "starring in a little movie." These movies are often interrupted by some matchmaking, as the milliner becomes stylist, transforming a browser into a buyer. "These are hats that are meant to be worn, not kept on a shelf. There's a dramatic character inside every person waiting to be dressed."
Ellen Christine brings more than a good imagination and a selective eye to her specialty. Hats became part of Ellen Christine's life ever since her grandmother let her select a pink straw hat for Easter. She began gathering practical design experience in her hometown, Philadelphia, where she apprenticed herself to an Italian tailor with main line clients, and in Boston, where she helped put together a costume shop for Strutters, the trendsetting antique clothiers. Her prize find was a wealthy socialite's hoard of hats. It was an opportunity of a lifetime. "Those hats were my school," says Ellen Christine, who perfected her craft by taking apart and reconstructing those 350 crushed beauties.
Moving to New York over a decade ago, she relied on her hat-making talents while pursuing her masters and doctorate in costume history at New York University. She continued to sharpen her skills by freelancing as a stylist and costumer. One of her projects for theatrical costume-maker Barbara Matera was Beauty and the Beast. Her sense of style and history also make her a favorite with brides-to-be hoping to restore their mothers' wedding dresses or coordinate a fanciful headpiece.

The 60s Eyes

2007-02-20T11:28:00.000+04:00

Smoky, sultry colours, full lashes and bold definition - this season's make-up is all about retro eyes. Think Twiggy and Edie Sedgwick, and take your inspiration from the 1960s

The eyes were the focal point of the 1960s face. Great long heavily mascared eyelashes, often supplemented with false lashes. Eye shadows in the blues, greens and browns. A dark crease. Eye liner was dark, often black, and thick.

Eyeliner helped create the dark, dramatic eyes of the 1960s.

Full-on lashes: Full, feathery eyelashes featured on many catwalks this season, and it's a look that can suit everyone. The trick is to apply mascara to top and bottom lashes.

Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain

2007-02-19T14:02:00.000+04:00

First time i watched this all-time favourite movie of mine was back in 2001 when it was released. Me and Alia went to the cinema (we had a thing to go watch foreign movies, like the fabulous L'Auberge Espagnole that we watched together as well) . Alia & I left the cinema hypnotized lol... we were fascinated and so so SO inspired !! I remember Alia had a photo shoot assignment and i was her prop assistant where we had the model (Zoe) masked with written messages... no doubt Amélie was behind those brilliant ideas ;-)
Besides the fact that each shot of the movie is like a piece of art, this movie is an adorable love story of an adorable girl with lots and lots of imagination....
Until this day, if i'm home with nothing to do or if i'm feeling uninspired... i turn to my dvd player and put in the best movie i can ever think of.
Thank you Jean-Pierre Jeunet !!

From IMBd:

She'll change your life.

Amélie is a shy waitress in a Montmartre café. After returning a long-lost childhood treasure to a former occupant of her apartment, and seeing the effect it has on him, she decides to set out on a mission to make others happy and in the meantime pursues a quirky guy who collects discarded photo booth pictures.

Awards:Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 49 wins & 38 nominations

UGG Boots

2007-02-19T13:11:00.000+04:00

This post is dedicated to my lovely sis Noudi who is a HUGE fan of Ugg's :-)

Their Website

A look back at 25 years of sheepskin

The UGG® Australia story began in 1978, when Brian Smith, a young surfer from Australia, took a trip to the United States with a bag full of sheepskin boots. After finding a new home amongst California surfers, the UGG® Australia brand began to take shape.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation acquired UGG® Australia in 1995. By 1998, the product line had grown to include two boots, four slippers and a few casuals. It was in 1998 that the critical repositioning of UGG® took place. The brand was positioned as a high-end luxury footwear brand, made evident by a premium distribution strategy and high-end fashion marketing and communications.
The luxury and comfort of UGG® Australia proved to be a perfect fit for the high-end footwear world and soon Nordstrom had become the destination for UGG® Australia. The media reach expanded into more and more high-end magazine titles. The business continued to grow steadily as the brand recognition increased. To that end, UGG® has had no better contributor than Oprah Winfrey.
In 2000, Oprah was sent a pair of Ultra boots. She loved the product so much, she purchased 350 pair for her entire staff. Oprah then featured the Ultra Boot on her well-known "Oprah's Favorite Things" show.

3 years later, Oprah selected UGG® Australia for the second time. She featured the Baby Pink and Baby Blue Classic Boots. The show aired in November, and the boots immediately became the "must-have" item for holiday shoppers.
Lightning struck a third time in 2005, when Oprah featured the Uptown boot on "Oprah's Favorite Things". The results speak for themselves.
From humble beginnings to global success and notoriety, the UGG® story reads like a fairy tale. In 2003, UGG® was named Footwear News' "Brand of the Year" and was responsible for the creation of an entirely new category of footwear. From then on, sheepskin footwear could be seen on the runways in Milan, Paris and New York; and it all began on the beach in Australia. The future is limitless for UGG® Australia, introducing product extensions and warm-weather footwear, all while maintaining the position as the world leader in luxury and comfort.

Spoil Your Pooch

2007-02-19T10:56:00.000+04:00

Coach Legacy Stripe Dog Sweater

Gucci Dog Backpack

UGG Dog Carrier

Coach Dog Carrier

Gucci Dog Pendant

Barney’s New York Palmellato Dog Collar

Aquatic Theme Dog Harness

Goyard Pet Travelling Bowl

Puppy Purses

Mardi Woof Puppy Purse

Yummy Yeti Puppy Purse

Ruffington Steele Puppy Purse

Bella Paris Lucy Dog Carrier

*click on each name to explore more and find out item prices x>

All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women

2007-02-18T16:38:00.000+04:00

Sunday Times

"Witty, and very elegantly written... "

Reviews from AMAZON :

The gal who wrote this is not only an astute observer, she's got a dynamite sense of humor! I nearly fell off my chair several times, laughing -- because I could easily see myself in a similar situation, having the same thoughts running through my mind. Read it for the analysis of French women's secrets, and the humor, which is the icing on the cake. The humor is best of all.

Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat

2007-02-18T16:13:00.000+04:00

hehe, yes, apparently its not just French women ! thanks to Hebs for telling me about this book (she spotted it while buying the French Women Don't Get Fat book last night looooool ) but it does seem interesting to be honest :p

Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother's Tokyo Kitchen

From Publishers WeeklyIt's well known that Japanese women have the lowest obesity rate in the industrialized world (3%) and the highest life expectancy (85 years), and that their cuisine is based on simplicity. Tokyo native Moriyama puts a human face on this phenomenon, that of her mother, Chizuko, in this well-organized, persuasive introduction to a non-Western everyday cooking plan. Just as Moriyama reconstructed Chizuko's cooking practices for herself and her coauthor husband, Doyle (Inside the Oval Office), she shows readers the elements of Chizuko's 6'×12' Tokyo kitchen. She details its pantry ingredients, including bonito (fish) flakes and daikon (radish) and tools such as a rice cooker and wok. Most recipes are based on at least one of the "seven pillars"—fish, vegetables, rice, soy, noodles, tea, fruit—and are familiar and easy to make (Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura, Teriyaki Fish, etc.). Cooking tips abound, but what adds a French Women Don't Get Fat angle is the useful eating advice, such as "Hara hachi bunme," or "Eat until you are 80 percent full." It's a call for moderation that occurs throughout other cultures, and if it's the Japanese version that speaks to readers, good for Moriyama.

Christian Louboutin

2007-02-18T14:20:00.000+04:00

Girls..... embrace yourself for some foot candy from the one & only Christian Louboutin :-D

Nanette Lepore

2007-02-18T13:56:00.000+04:00

flirty webbie

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Nanette produced her first couture look at the tender age of nine outfitting a neighbor in a floral bedspread, beaded choker and face paint. The girl posed in the family’s front yard behind a hand-lettered sign declaring "Lepore," and thus began Nanette’s lifelong interest in fashion.
Sensing young Nanette’s entrepreneurial talent, her parents encouraged her creativity. After all, artistic innovation flourished naturally in a household headed by an abstract painter-father and a fabulously stylish mother of four. Road tripping on Route 66 with her bohemian parents each summer instilled in Nanette a free spirit and a taste for travel.
After completing her undergraduate studies at Youngstown University, she packed her bags and headed east to New York City’s venerable Fashion Institute of Technology. She aced her degree in design, married painter Robert Savage and set out to pay her dues in design studios around town.
However, Nanette knew she wouldn’t be satisfied until her creations bore her own name. In 1992, bolstered by a $5,000 loan from her dad to strike out on her own, Nanette set up shop in a penthouse office in the garment district. It quickly became an incubator for poets and painters who would bounce ideas off one another while stargazing on the roof.
Today Nanette designs in her atelier in New York City alongside her husband, Robert, who helms the business side of the worldwide brand as its President. Nanette enjoys a strong following among editors, chic style-makers and celebrities including Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker and Eva Longoria. Suitable for a tea at The Ritz or a night out on the town, each collection balances feminine details with a seductive sensibility.
The Nanette Lepore brand extends to two complete fragrance lines, “Nanette Lepore” and the latest, "Shanghai Butterfly." In Fall 2006, Nanette’s first comprehensive shoe collection will launch internationally.
There are currently six Nanette Lepore boutiques worldwide, in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, Tokyo and London. Nanette resides in Manhattan’s West Village with her husband and daughter, Violet, age eight.

Anna Sui

2007-02-18T11:13:00.000+04:00

Anna Sui's collections take you on a creative journey that is unparalleled in the world of fashion. Mixing vintage styles with her current cultural obsessions, she effortlessly makes hip and exuberant original clothes. Whether Anna's inspiration is Victorian cowboys, Warhol superstars or Finnish textile prints, her depth of cultural knowledge is always apparent. "When I'm interested in something, I want to know everything about it," she says, "I need to know what's behind it all. I really enjoy that process." Anna's constant search for new ideas and challenges keeps her ahead of her times. She's a true trendsetter to whom stylists and editors look for direction. The boundless energy and creative ingenuity of her runway presentations always make her shows a high point of New York Fashion Week.
The career of Anna Sui is a classic American success story. "You have to focus on your dreams, even if they go beyond common sense. How could this young girl from the suburbs of Detroit become a success in New York? It was always that dream," she says. Today Anna Sui has 32 boutiques in five countries and her collection is sold in 300 stores in over 30 countries. Anna still has the same love of fashion that she did when she was a little girl. At age four, she decided that she would become a designer and started to make her own clothes. She mixed a very serious approach to learning her craft with eccentric ideas, such as vowing to not to wear the same outfit twice in one year. "I was completely obsessed," she says, "I don't know how my parents put up with me." Before the end of her senior high school year, she was accepted to Parsons School of Design in New York. After two years at Parsons, Anna styled with friend Steven Meisel and designed for several sportswear companies before launching her first collection in 1980.
Anna Sui's business continued to grow throughout the 1980s, and in 1991 she premiered her first runway show. The following year she opened her first flagship store on Greene Street in Soho. The boutique's vibrant mix of black Victorian furniture, purple walls, papier mache dollyheads and rock n' roll posters closely reflects Anna Sui's personal decorating style and has been the model for all of her shops. The late 1990s was a time of significant growth for Anna Sui; she embarked upon a hugely successful expansion in the Far East, where she quickly established a huge cult following. She also launched cosmetics, fragrance, shoe and accessory licenses. Her devotion to detail is apparent in every one of her products, which are all intimately connected to her world. Her iconic make-up packaging and fragrance bottle design have even become collectors' items.
Anna Sui is known for her commitment to the things that move her. Her devotion to rock and roll makes her clothes perfect for a rock and roll superstar, and her runway soundtrack is one of the most anticipated each season. Her love for shopping has made her an authority on the best shopping in every city, and her passion for interior design created a visually stunning NYC apartment. Following her own inspiration, Anna Sui continues to inspire. She is living her dream.

her brilliant webbie

Anna Sui's Favorite Things:

Favorite Rock Personalities:

Keith Richards

Anita Pallenberg

Favorite Current band:

The White Stripes

The Greenhorns

Favorite Cities:

NYC

London

Beijing

Favorite Movie Stars:

Gary Cooper

Peter O'Toole

Pierre Clemente

Michael York

Favorite Fashion designers:

Ossie Clark

Emilio Pucci

Paul Poiret

Zandra Rhodes

Favorite Activities:

Flea markets

Shopping

Seeing bands

Watching movies

Visiting museums

Favorite Photographers:

Steven Meisel

David Bailey

Cecil Beaton

Sarah Moon

Mick Rock

Jim Marshall

Favorite Artists:

George LePape

Christian Berard

Aubrey Beardsley

John William Waterhouse

Edward Burne-Jones

The coolest t-shirt designs i've ever seen !!! check some of them out:

*For my peeps in Dubai, Anna Sui is available in Suace (the Village Mall) & Fleurt in Mercato, both on the Beach Road.... damn i miss those places !! -_-

Cool Books !

2007-02-15T19:10:00.000+04:00

Full Vinyl: The Subversive Art of Designer Toys
Pictoplasma
I am 8-bit art inspired by classic videogames of the '80s

Device: file under: art, commercial

Design Your Self: Rethinking the Way You Live, Love, Work, and Play

Thinking with Type

i dug into my list of "must add to my library" books and spontaneously picked out these books for you to check out.... i'll keep throwing in more and more books... trust me, i've got tons of books on my list lol

for in-depth info about each one, just hop to AMAZON ... one of Lala's frequently visited webbies ;-)

French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure

2007-02-15T12:33:00.000+04:00

ok... my blog has been accused of being "girly" by one of my friends, obviously a guy lol.

Well... to be honest, this blog is more fashion/beauty oriented and even the books i'll recommend in it are books within that field.

So even if this "bows and ribbons" blog is a feminine blog after all, i think that some issues (like weight) touches both women and men, even if we're more neurotic about it lol...

so peeps... sit back and enjoy reading the review of this book i'm about to recommend:

French Women Don't Get Fat

i remember a couple of years ago when it was released and placed on the "Bestsellers List" i was with my best friend Heba in Booksplus in Mercato and there it was, on the shelf... all we could read was the provocative title "French Women Don't Get Fat" lol... I remember we both rolled our eyes while giving a sarcastic laugh... but really we didn't know what the book was really about so don't blame us!

Publicity came in and the book became really famous: Oprah, Internet ads... etc. I turned to Amazon.com and found out that there's a continuation of the title "the secret of eating for pleasure" ... ok ... interesting....

i read on...

basically... it's about things we should know and do to help us live a more healthy life (duh!)

ok here's the Amazon.com review:

It turns out that you CAN lose weight while still loving food, as long as you remember the following commandments:

1. Don't avoid food, love it, you need it to simply stay alive. But if you love it, then savor every bite of it.

2. Eat slowly, chew it well, prolong the time of pleasure. Just by doing that you will eat less.

3. Always use fresh ingredients, don't warm up yesterday's leftovers.

4. Don't give up on fats, or carbs - you need them all. Just use them moderately.

5. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Drink a lot of water.

6. Stay away from processed foods; focus on quality, unprocessed, fresh ingredients.

7. Lead an active lifestyle; use your muscles in your everyday life: take the stairs, walk to your grocery shop, or to your barber, etc...

8. Breathe fresh air.

9. Balance your lifestyle, focus on pleasure.

10. Use common sense to stay healthy!

Pendants / Brooches

2007-02-14T18:01:00.000+04:00

Frida Kahlo Inspired Furniture

2007-02-14T17:52:00.000+04:00

Isn't she the best inspiration?

Links, Links, Links !!

2007-02-14T17:07:00.000+04:00

It's not just to support friends & family, but seriously it's because i'm blessed to know such talented people x>
Here are some cool links of peeps with bundles of talent (in alphabetical order):

1. http://www.alia-alshamsi.com/

An informative website where you can view UAE's first female photographer's porfolio... and the best friend anyone could ask for XoX

2. http://www.hebaothman.com

A promissing website (can't wait for it to launch!)... Heba has amazing and fresh ideas, this world needs more people like this Ibda'a Award-winning best friend of mine XoX

3. http://www.mustafaabbas.com

Heba's husband, this guy can't wait to show the world what he's got !! Check out http://www.youtube.com for some of his cool short movies x>

4. http://sarahndipity.wordpress.com/

My sweet cousin Sarsara.... trust me, for all you creative peeps, this is one blog you don't wanna miss ! It's got the best of the best!

(I'm waiting for my other friends to open their webbies so i can announce them here x>)

Audrey Hepburn

2007-02-14T15:05:00.000+04:00

In my opinion, she was the most beautiful woman alive.... from her youth to her graceful old years.

The following was written by Audrey Hepburn who was asked to share "beauty tips."

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair, let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.
The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides."

Roberto Cavalli

2007-02-14T13:47:00.000+04:00

Oh La La !! the man himself.... this guy is a GENIUS in my opinion....

Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence the 15 November 1940. He was raised in modest surroundings but with strong artistic traditions. His mother was a tailor and his grandfather a Florentine impressionist painter, whose works can still be seen at the Uffizi Museum. Following in this tradition Roberto frequented the Academy of Art.Capricious, eclectic, and from the beginning original, he began his career at a young age whilst still a student, inventing along with a friend - just for fun on a ping-pong table - the first of his revolutionary creations: a process of printing on light-weight leather which he was able to do thanks to his meticulous research of fabrics and continual experimentation with new technologies.In his printing-house - something half way between a craftsman's workshop and an artist's studio - he concentrated his studies on the links between art, fashion and painting, eventually patenting the revolutionary process of printing on leather that he had evolved. Over the next ten years he created, almost by chance, what was to become a "must" for the beat generation: for fun, sewing together odd pieces of leather he invented the first of his patchworks which were a huge success and can honestly be considered true classics.With the Seventies came international recognition and the beginning of a brilliant career.

Vivienne Westwood

2007-02-14T12:43:00.000+04:00

Dame Vivienne Westwood (born Vivienne Isabel Swire in Tintwistle, Cheshire, on 8 April 1941) is an English fashion designer largely responsible for modern punk and new wave fashions.

The punk style began to gain notoriety when the Sex Pistols wore clothes from Westwood and McLaren's shop at their first gig. The "punk style" included BDSM fashion, bondage gear, safety pins (taking inspiration from Richard Hell, a personality in the early New York punk rock scene), razor blades, bicycle or lavatory chains on clothing and spiked dog collars that were used as jewellery, as well as outrageous make-up and hair.
The inclusion of more traditional elements of British design, such as tartan fabric, amongst the more unusual elements of her style only served to make the overall effect of her designs more shocking.
Together, Westwood and McLaren revolutionised fashion, and the impact is still felt today.
Westwood's first runway show was the Pirate collection in London, in March 1981. Her design style had evolved so that her main interests included not only the youth and street culture but also tradition and technique.
Westwood worked historical factors into her collection by using historical 17th-18th century original cutting principles and modernising them. This collection was about 'gold and treasure, adventure and exploration'. Other influences in Westwood's work have included ethnic Peruvian influence, feminine figure, velvet and knitwear. A historical influence has always shown in her work.
In December 2003, she and the Wedgwood pottery company launched a series of tea sets featuring her designs.
Her first major retrospective of her work was shown in 2004-2005 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the National Gallery of Australia. The exhibition is made up of around 145 complete outfits, grouped into the themes which have dominated her work from the early 1970s to the present day and were drawn from her own personal archive and the V&A's extensive collection. They range from early Punk garments to glamorous 'historical' evening gowns. The retrospective is touring the world and is set to continue until 2008.
Her Autumn/Winter 2005/06 Propaganda Collection drew inspiration from her archive, reinterpreting designs using Wolford’s exclusive knitting technology, who she has worked in close collaboration with since 2003.
Westwood accepted a DBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List "for services to fashion", and has thrice earned the award for British Designer of the Year.
In May 2006, Westwood wrote a poem and provided personal photographs eulogising Swallows Wood, a Nature Reserve near Tintwistle where she was born and grew up. The Reserve is threatened with destruction by the construction of the Longdendale Bypass.

http://www.viviennewestwood.com

Le Moindre Rayon

2007-02-14T12:08:00.000+04:00

Photo Title: Le Moindre Rayon

Photographer: Julien Ottenwill

Julien is a friend of mine living in Alsace, France. When he emailed me this image of his new shots done by his new camera, one word came to my mind.... nostalgia ! Besides having the typical French artsy-movie look to it, the colours, theme and all seem to remind me of my childhood :-)

I took permission to post this great photo on my blog, merci Julien...

une oeuvre d'art !!

Inspirations (for my handmade accessories)

2007-02-14T11:46:00.000+04:00

It's nice to purchase brooches, pendants ...etc but to make them out of scratch is a real pleasure!

It started with a pillowcase in my case and then my hands couldn't stop ! My fave accessory to make is the brooch. Hopefully, soon i'll post images of my humble work x>

*a friend of mine also does adorable jewelry (handmade)... it's a must see, but she'll launch her line in her own time ;-)

Cute & Fluffy (as Alia would say !!)

2007-02-14T11:28:00.000+04:00

Dedicated to Alia who came up with the phrase "cute & fluffy".

David & Goliath Tees

2007-02-14T11:10:00.000+04:00

David & Goliath … i first knew these characters from an online game i used to play (Throw Rocks at Boys http://www.davidandgoliathtees.com/games/throwrocks.html )

Here are samples of Trendy Wendy tees that is just one of the many hilarious

characters, check out their webbie : http://www.davidandgoliathtees.com

PS: Trendy Wendy rules !

METALLIC IS IN !!

2007-02-14T10:35:00.000+04:00

PARIS: Party time! And out of nowhere has come a challenge to the little black dress that might even beat out the perennial classic.
Let's call the new look: The Shining. For anything that shimmers, glistens or reflects like a well-polished automobile is the hit of the celebration season.
The dress could be black, of course - if it is made in Duchess satin or that rustling taffeta that radiates shine. But it is more likely to be in a metallic fabric: a gleaming gold without a trace of tarnish; a brilliant silver, or maybe bronze and pewter.
The treasure trove of metal started on the red carpet last summer, when the British actress Sienna Miller wore a gold-sequined mini- dress from Burberry to the Metropolitan Museum gala celebrating "Anglomania."
With her hair an elfin straggle, a brief hemline and thick hose, Miller caught the 1960s vibe inspired by Edie Sedgwick, a muse for Andy Warhol and the subject of Miller's new movie "Factory Girl."

The gilt mini with a high-rise waist and flat empire bow has been copied across the fashion world and has become cool partywear.

Miu Miu women’s handabgs from the new collection Spring/Summer 2007 Made in Italy by Miu Miu ( Miuccia Prada).

(Lindsay Lohan for the new Miu Miu campaign) http://www.campaigns.miumiu.com/