...the whore in all of us...

Ok i am actually coming up for a breath of cyber air after being immersed in world cup fever (yeah Henry!! beat those Brazillian bastards) after my team (argentina) were knocked out of the quarter finals- on the same day they dont wear their striped uniforms, coincidence? i think not.

So i was helping my friends shop for clothes to go to this fe^te- no i am not speaking french that's what u actually call these big parties in Trinidad with music, alcohol and not much clothing. Being my usual self absorbed self i wandered away towards these oh-so-cute yet oh-so-tiny miny skirts of all colours in this glam store Cranberries which is this really amazing store that imports from New York and that very few ppl know about, its like this uber exclusive club between the owners, my school and the international school, which is really all the who's who of any party anyway. But back to the skirts.

Now mind u, being a tall person there is usually one part of the body that is unusually long (see Peter Crouch!!!) and for me its my legs. So why am i attracted to these micro minis? It isn't to impress any boy, i know myself well enough to know that, but it's actually to impress other girls! Ask any teenage girl- the object of going out is to see who can dress sluttier than everyone else- to push the envelope and to wear somethings others wouldnt dare. And from my experience, my closet fully stocked woth these see through, more bra-than-top pieces and nano skirts is a direct result of this.

Now dont get me wrong i am not insecure (in fact i am vainer than most ppl i know- model tendancies again) but i have always derived pleasure in showing off my skinny figure in front of my admittedly heavier friends. And i am pretty sure they do the same things to me. I'm mean i know, i constantly stop and think "i'm going to hell aren't i?", but is that sick? is that like some seriously twisted part of me that wants my friends to feel crappy? Or is that the whore in all of us, seeing who can be our pimp's favourite?

Nostra'duh!'mus

Honestly E! needs to get a grip and realise that they are like so late! Ok so here's the deal- E! fashion alert announced that summer's hottest trend -a nautical theme launched what else-Stripes as the hot style this season. So here it comes ppl:
Told ya so, told ya so, told ya, told ya, told ya so!

The only thing is now everyone from Sarah Jessica Parker to Cameron Diaz to Nicky Hilton are sporting them...copycats!!! But don't worry u guys are totally free to sport them and i'll be sure to predict next years fashion another 6 months before Hollywood's '"experts"!

It's not FISA u yankee bastards...

Ok so i have not posted for a long while due to my complete dedication to watching every World Cup match -especially since T&T the little acountry that could, is shocking the world by drawing with Sweden and holding England at bay for 83mins in our second match!!!!! All we need now is to beat Paraguay by 2 goals and we are in the top 16!!!!! Its unusual the feeling of comradary that unites this entire countrym but what was even more unusual was when, at 12 p.m. on WED, 6pm in Germany, no matter what team u were supporting, no matter where u came from, all battles were forgotten as the world united for U.S.A "soccer" team get beaten. Never before has the Czech Republic ever had so many fans, and what was more, was that we didn't just want them to win, but as my friend iinky said we wanted them to "get beaten stink!"

While we didn't attain our 5-nil fantasies, the 3-0 victory over America had everyone celebrating. All were united to send America home crying as quickly as possible so we could get on with real football- a common goal. After all if u cant even accept the name the rest of the world has given to the sport but use the name for a sport where u kick the ball what- twice a game? Please, go home.

Our next match is against Paraguay on Tues where we need to *gasp* actually score goals! BUt an entire nation's prayers are with the SOCA Warriors as the smallest nation ever to qualify for the World Cup continues to create history on the World stage.

Lakme Fashion Week 2006-07

This years Lakme Fashion Week came and went leaving a flurry of excitement in its wake. LFW was held in Mumbai from the 28th march to the 1st of April, and showcased the summer collections of designers from Malhotra to Valaya, and also consisted of seminars and worshops centering on Indian Fashion and its inception into global fashion culture.

Ritu Beri Halter Sari>>>

The general trend in this fashion week was a fusion of the west and east, and designers all dressed their models in traditional garments with a contemporary twist. The most widely seen colours this season are on the warm side of the colour wheel- from plum and berry to bronzes and burnt orange. White however played a prominent part in updating traditional wear such as shalwars, and as i predicted Stripes were a must and were featured in almost all of the shows.

Rocky S opened this fashion week with a tribute to the duality of woman and his collection certainly reflected it by pairing some more flashy and risque pieces with more elegant and demure fashion. This is another trend arising from LFW- mixing pieces to reflect you're own personal style, from a t-shirt with a glamourous skirt to a rock star jacket <<, its all about varying the formality of your outfit so that it is a reflection of you. Rocky S ranged from hues of pink to champagne and even forest green, with gold and black as staple colours. This schowcase was one of the highlights of this Fashion Week and one my personal favourites.

The Satya Paul collection was a hit this week with a range of wear focussing on showing the versatility of Indian traditional wear. Colours are rich and vibrant and featured gold and blue as accents for the entire show, and geometrical prints rarely seen on saris and lehngas while eye catching were a bit too 'hectic' for the many infoldings of these material rich pieces but some captured the right combination of western fashion and eastern culture.

Check out the stunner in the background!

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‘Freedom’, Manish Malhotra’s offering for the Fall/Winter season bordered on costuming to some but also scored high marks in my book for it’s over the top and daring creations. He challenges the fundamentals of Indian fashion by experimenting with materials from lace to heavy silk in innovative and inspiring ways. While receiving mixed reviews from critcs in Mumbai, his courage in designing this radical collection must b e commended, and we can see from this collection that he is indeed ‘free’ from the norms governing Indian Fashion.

Ritu Beri rounded of this fashion extravaganza in a flourish with a return to old Western styles. Flouncing skirts and exuberant ball gowns while theatrical were very dramaticand captured the hearts of fashion critics and Bollywood Celebrities alike (Katrina Kaif even gracing the catwalk), and the corset trend which were all the rage in Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks also made an appearance in this showcase fit for the Indian Cowgirls and boys of today.

Other memorable shows included a tribute to the comic strip ‘Tintin’ by the House of Valaya, as well as the collection

of Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla- ‘The Boys’ in the Indian fashion circuit. Some designers to take note of in the near future are Abhishek Gupta and Ritu Beri whose creations left buyers like Harrod’s craving for more. All in all LFW exceeded all expectations and proved why India is one of the foremost fashion forces in the East.


…C’etait fini!!!! Alors here comes the worst part- where ppl get to crtitique my first ever fashion week review. Alright then do your worst…

So i was listnening to Sensational Shaan...

The indian expo was...magnifique!! Les jupes, les sacs les.. oh no ranting in french again. But anyway, it was a sensual overload, the bright colours, rich textures, soothing smells and tinkling sitar gave me a feeling of belonging. And the prices were centre stage at this cultural showcase. While most indians stocked up on sarees, jewellry and puja items, i, one of the few non indians there felt quite at home as i browsed through never ending piles of hand woven hand embroidered, hand everything! cushion covers, curtains, shalwars and exotic jewellry made of precious stones with gold embossing. Even though i kind of overindulged (spent more than twice my budget for that trip) i have no regrets.

Ok so lets go through my goodies in order. The very first thing that caught my eye were the gold version to these earrings, but i played it safe and went for the silver plated ones which i might get more wear out of.

Next the bags caught my eye and i had my heart set on a purple dressy bag, but of course true love never adheres to one's plans. One look at these messenger bags and i was hooked. I chose a semicircle because (a) it was cheaper and (b) it fits around your waist more snugly than a square one. This however was my last purchase of the day, and my mom bought it for me, throwing out one of those meaningless "you'll just give me back the money" routine. Honestly if i was to pay her back, i would have to sell this computer to get maybe a 1/4 of what i would owe her. Anyway, this very woman, who new of my past polk-a-dot binge (who could forget) pointed out these various spotted skirts of various patterns, but being The Year Of The Stripe, i couldn't very well openly break my rule, so i opted instead for a very unusual pattern with a gorgeous band around the rim of the skirt. I chose a black skirt after having many vivid dreams of myself in a black sari with a snake in my hand in Eygpt- i have an intense love for snakes and Eygpt, so i figured whatever unites the two must be good.

Finally alone and adrift in a sea of all things Hindi, i couldn't leave without picking up some bhindis (basically jewellry for your 3rd eye) for summer. The problem was, the nice ones are usually sold singly, and i was too tired to search for diff ones, so i browsed through some ugly prepackaged groups of six nightmares and discovered this really beautiful pack of diff colours which aren't as intricate as the ones i would wear for Divali, but are perfect for my summer outings.

The best bargain were these bangles at 6 for $1 and i know that they are plastic but something about them are very fun and free spirited and i can alwas grab some more formal sets in my usual shopping spots.

All in all i had a great time, the people were really friendly and coped with my beginner's knowledge of indian culture- ok so one guy put his hands on the skin of my exposed waist as he tried to sell me a skirt (and he was not measuring me) but that's part of their culture right?

And you know what? i am chicken! That's right, its been exactly a week since the Indian Fashion Week and my post is still in the 'development stages'. I am telling myself that i just wasnt in the mood this week to look up designers, but the truth is i am scared out of my mind. I feel like i am not up to the task of reviewing a fashion week and that it should be left to the pros. But gosh darnit (censorship rocks doesn't it?) i vow not to make a next post until i have completed this somewhat daunting task. I will rise to the challenge!...or perish in the flames of bad fashion writers' hell...

oh well chin up- soso

Obsession...no not the perfume

Today is the first day since i can remember that i do not have to study for exams! But that didnt stop me from re indulging in my childhood obsession- embroidery. I know, i know, sound old lady-ish, but since fully embracing indian culture, their passion for details inspired me to use my OCD for a good cause- to personalise my wardrobe. My first project- putting a little sparkle on my favourite jeans, and here is the result. It took a day and a half- but that's because my obsessive personality would not let me rest until it was complete, even at the expense of my recently operated on spinal cord (long story- cliff notes version major surgery, $100 grand, 2 titanium rods inserted, lots of pain) so that ican now barely sit up, roll to a side or god forbid make any use of my left hand ( i'm a leftie). But it was worth it, and the sequins onlt glimmer in the proper light so i'm not a permanent disco ball.

In fact i was so impressed that after 5 hrs of drug induced sleep (really strong pain killers) and my last bio exam which i so aced it is not funny, i dragged my mummyji to get supplies for a new and more patriotic endeavour. With our football team qualifying in the world cup for the first time ever, i decided for this special month of june (in which i solemnly pledge to only wear team colours) to spruce up my 'Soca Warriors' (-that's their name cool right?) top with a shimmery flag in the lower centre of the back of the top and T's on the straps (for Trinindad and Tobago). Dont worry this pic was taken b4 my OCD kicked in and fixed that loose black strand and this only took half a day.

Needless to say now i am hooked and have already thought out several new designs. My next one will use those super smallbeads which are a pain to work with but look fantastic and the design is of an abstract tree- well more of a shrubbery and will be in various shades of green with the chinese symbol for nature underneath>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I know my patterns may seem kind of childish to some of u but i have some really detailed ones i am too afraid to begin. I also have a really drab skirt that i am hoping to improve with a longitudinal pattern along the edge in a gold colour...

Finally India fashion week was unbelievably fantastic- i mean half way through i caught my mumsie saying "let's move to india". I am really doing my homework on this one though, and researching designers their past work, inspirations, etc. I really want that blog to be more of a fashion editorial than anything, and one worthy of the Times at that. In the mean time my mother and i are leaving the hundred's of 'direct from india' importing stores 5 mins away to our house to go to an Indian Expo in this convention centre on saturday, so needless to say that Carnival costume is going to be put off a bit. I hope to get some cool finds my mom wants a lamp or 5, i am looking for some inspiration for my craft, and of course some breathtaking accesories- earrings, bags, bracelets, bhindis, pillows scarves, whatever.

Oh p.s. lets just take a minute to remember those who have passed on- To Will & Grace and Charmed, i will always love u, and will always watch ur reruns. May your sucessors find a place in our hearts like u have for the past 8 years, or may they have mid season replacements.

Twinkle u later*********************soso

Salvatore mon amour...

Louboutin( i crave these babies)

One would think it impossible to have a fashion blog and not yet delve into the awe inspiring, mind boggling, breath taking,spell binding, heart pumping, ass kicking (i've got tonnes more two word adjectives trust me) world of shoes, but i think that's just what i've done!

While all the mindless zombies are after the latest "red sole" rockers by Christian Louboutin, i am in my own world, and only have eyes for one- designer that is! Le nom?Salvatore Ferragamo, et il est un des stylistes de mode plus- ok sorry i just had a french exam. He was one of the most talented shoe designers and his combinations of colours are enough to bankrupt the queen for a taste of his high end heels.

What's more? you've all seen his work- those ruby red shoes of Dorothy's in the Wizard of Oz are one of his most celebrated works.

<<$2390 crocodile extravagance

Worried about these towering six inchers? Never fear, Ferragamo believed that the arch of the foot is the most important part of the body as it supports all the weight, so they are well taken care of.

Now run by his sons, the company still makes some of the most bangings shoes i've ever seen. So cork soles are cool for a fad and Louboutin does make some great creations (see leopard print above), but Salvatore's have been amazing true fashion royalty for over 70 years, and u won't believe what they'll think of next.

Save our Supermodels

As news reached me that Avril Lavigne is set to be the next chanel girl following her appearance at Karl Largerfield's Haute Couture collection for Chanel

Chanel collection (love the lace)

and after flipping through dozens of Uma Thurman Louis V. ads in magazines, i couldn't help but wonder, where oh where have all the models gone? Normally an editorial showcased the who's who in the fashion industry, the up and comers, the model royalty, and of course, the supermodel. But these days designers can't wait to enlist the hottest hollywood stars for their campaigns.

I am sorry but if models are not allowed to act, then actresses arent allowed to model. Gone are the days where editorials would really stretch the imagination, with the aid of models who really put on a different personna. But nicole kidman in an ad? Still Nicole- no transformations here. It seems as though the photographers and designers are too happy to have nabbed a 'celebrity' to bother about creating art in their campaigns. As long as u can recognise the A-lister from the ad, their work is done.

Thats why i was furious when, after the 'oh so shocking cocaine scandal' involving my icon- (fashion goddess more like it) Kate Moss, Rimmel and H&M dropped her from their campaigns. First of all, was anyone surprised to here that models to coke? i don't think so. Secondly, is that the reason why Coco madamoiselle's new chica is another actress-Keira Knightley?

However this scandal has brought Kate, one of the last remaining true supermodels, back into the spotlight, and thank god for that, because all we see these days are models like Tyra and Heidi who are just jumping at the chance to be on the tele, which only shows that they are no longer about the fashion, but about themselves.

Thus, i owe nikon a heartfelt thank you for endorsing kate and saying screw u all u uptight bastards, just look at her! The ad campaign is, well- Stunning. Snaps for u Kate, now part of an endangered species.