Street Style — Hong Kong Fashion Week

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Hong Kong Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015 took place from Monday, January 19 through Thursday, January 22 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, this event featured over 1,500 presentations in the categories of ladies’ wear, sportswear, evening wear, lingerie, swimwear, shoes, costume jewellery, handbags, men’s wear, children’s wear, fabrics, buttons, labels, inspection services, and fashion magazines. Of course the runway shows themselves were beautiful, but the guests in attendance were anything but wallflowers. Here are the most inspiring off-runway looks from the event:

Hong Kong 1

Hong Kong 7

Hong Kong 3

Hong Kong 5

Hong Kong 2

Hong Kong 6

Hong Kong 4

Neighborhood Store — 3.1 Phillip Lim

I have always had a cute, girly sense of style, but now that I am almost done with college I want to look more streamlined and professional. At 3.1 Phillip Lim I don’t have to choose; and on a more casual day, I can even declare my love for the world’s favorite city! 3.1 Phillip Lim is located at 48 Great Jones in Manhattan, two blocks away from my building. The brand’s boutiques can also be found in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, and Singapore, and new stores are scheduled to open in Macau and Bangkok.

3.1 Phillip Lim Store 3.1 Phillip Lim dress 3.1 Phillip Lim jumpsuit

Patchwork lace dress in navy, $895 ~~~ Tuxedo jumpsuit in powder pink, $895

3.1 Phillip Lim top  3.1 Phillip Lim knitwear  3.1 Phillip Lim Store 2

I Heart NY t-shirt in soft black, $145 ~~~ Long sleeve pullover with mixed yarn in black-white, $650

3.1 Phillip Lim outerwear 3.1 Phillip Lim Store 3 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt

Fur bomber in black-white, $4,500 ~~~ Eyelet A-line skirt in caribbean, $450

3.1 Phillip Lim Store 4 3.1 Phillip Lim pants 3.1 Phillip Lim shoes

Cropped flared pant in black, $495 ~~~ Martini mid heel sandal in raspberry, $450

3.1 Phillip Lim wallet 3.1 Phillip Lim handbag 3.1 Phillip Lim Store 5

Cash wallet in raspberry, $225 ~~~ Pashli satchel in black-cream, $1,050

Standouts from Bridal Fall 2015

Yes I am unmarried, and single at that, but I can still appreciate a beautiful wedding gown! In my opinion, the bridal runway collections and magazines are more fun to look at than their ready-to-wear counterparts. So much of fashion is “effortless” and nonchalant, so it is beautiful to see gowns, veils, jewelry, and accessories used with great effort and care to facilitate such a joyous and life-changing celebration. Yet like any other runway setting, the bridal shows are a place for designers to play with convention. The following short (yes, short) wedding dresses do just that!

Angel Sanchez   Delphine Manivet

Angel Sanchez ~~~ Delphine Manivet

Honor for Stone Fox Bride  Houghton

Honor for Stone Fox Bride~~~ Houghton

Houghton 2  Oleg Cassini 2

Houghton ~~~ Oleg Cassini

Oleg Cassini  Pronovias

Oleg Cassini ~~~ Pronovias

Style Icon — Marina and the Diamonds

Everyone who knows me knows that I live for the music of Lana Del Rey and Marina and the Diamonds, and if I find out that someone does not like either of these artists, I regard him or her with a healthy amount of suspicion. As if it isn’t enough that I have fifty-two of Marina’s songs on my iPod, I also adore her sense of style. She has described her fashion sense as “vintage, cheerleader, and cartoon,” and her style icons are Gwen Stefani, Leigh Lezark of the Misshapes, and Shirley Manson of Garbage. Here are my favorite Marina looks:

      

    

    

    

Marina and the Diamonds (aka Marina Diamandis) was born in Brynmawr, Wales and began her musical career in London. She has released two albums, The Family Jewels and Electra Heart, and will be releasing Froot in its entirety this coming April. She has also collaborated with Charli XCX and BetaTraxx, and has covered songs by Gwen Stefani, Justin Bieber, 3OH!3, Late of the Pier, and Paolo Nutini. She has had two headlining tours, The Family Jewels Tour and The Lonely Hearts Club Tour, and has toured with both Katy Perry and Coldplay as a supporting act. She has won the following awards: Best UK & Irish Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards (2010), Best Newcomer at the Virgin Media Music Awards (2010), and Best Music Award at the Attitude Magazine Awards (2012). She even has a fashion line, 11 Diamonds.

Trend of the Day — Black Puffer Jackets

I was overjoyed to find out that puffer jackets, specifically black ones, are trendy this winter. I have spent the past month in the San Francisco Bay Area with its temperate climate, and predominantly indoors besides. But next week I will be back in Manhattan in all its chilly glory, and I have a feeling that my hip-length bouclé jackets aren’t going to cut it anymore! Whether I am walking to class or taking the subway to a sushi restaurant in the Upper East Side, I usually put on an ankle-length black hooded puffer coat (and whatever I want underneath). Here are some puffer jackets of various lengths to help you get through a cold day!

TBR  T Tahari

1. TBR high-neck puffer jacket, $15

2. T Tahari, $100

 

Phase Eight  French Connection

3. Phase Eight, $150

4. French Connection, $290

 

Burberry 2     

5. Burberry London, $796

6. Red Valentino, $985

 

Donna Karan  Moncler

7. Donna Karan, $1,223

8. Moncler, $2,065

Investment Shoes

As the saying goes, these boots were made for walking. However, in my opinion the best shoes were made primarily to stop people in their tracks. Here are some standout, high-quality investment pairs guaranteed to attract attention:

Tod's  Jimmy Choo 3

Tod’s, $5,610, harrods.com ~~~ Jimmy Choo, $4,225, mytheresa.com

Alexander McQueen (2)

Emilio Pucci, $4,160, luisaviaroma.com ~~~ Alexander McQueen, $3,895, luisaviaroma.com

Dolce & Gabbana 3  Dolce & Gabbana 4

Dolce & Gabbana, $3,995, luisaviaroma.com

Julia Haart  DSquared2

Julia Haart, $3,784, farfetch.com ~~~ DSquared2, $3,640, luisaviaroma.com

Chanel (2)

Givenchy, $3,625, luisaviaroma.com ~~~ Chanel, $3,451, shop-hers.com

A Kiss on the Lips

The lips are one of the most beautiful and expressive parts of the body…so it only makes sense that they would be picked up as a common motif in women’s clothing. Whether you crave the delicacy of a pale pink lipstick, the pop of an Andy Warhol piece, or the edginess of an Ed Hardy tattoo, in today’s trend landscape it is easy to find an item you will want to kiss as soon as you bring it home (just take your own lipstick off first).

Putting on Lipstick   Alice McCall  Liz Blackpurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Romwe  Giles purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Hallhuber  Philipp Plein 2   purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Choies  American Retro (2)purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  MSGM Yes  MSGM 2purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Choies 2  MSGM 3 Yespurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick     MSGM 4purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Au Jour Le Jour 2    Adriana Degreas   purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Mimi Hollidaypurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Mancienne   purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Philipp Plein 3purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Stephen Webster  Delfina Delettrezpurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Solange Azagury-Partridge  Lydia Courteillepurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Alison Lou  Overstockpurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  American Retro 2  Anna Coroneopurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Studio DKS by Deborah Shavlik  Diane von Furstenberg 2purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Melie Bianco  Sarah's Bagpurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  Miss Sweety 2  Philipp Plein 4purple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick  M.R.  Manish Arorapurple lipstick

Putting on Lipstick   Unique Vintage 2  Diane von Furstenberg 3purple lipstick

 

1. Alice McCall dress, $440

2. Liz Black dress, $2,480

3. Romwe blouse, $14

4. Giles shirt, $420

5. Hallhuber t-shirt, $14

6. Philipp Plein t-shirt, $545

7. Choies sweatshirt, $27

8. American Retro sweatshirt, $291

9. MSGM jacket, $478

10. MSGM coat, $3,162

11. Choies skirt, $24

12. MSGM skirt, $310

13. Soho Girl jeans, $30

14. MSGM trousers, $192

15. Au Jour Le Jour shorts, $154

16. Adriana Degreas swimsuit, $329

17. New Look thong, $6

18.  Mimi Holliday thong, $61

19. Mancienne sandals, $31

20. Rupert Sanderson sandals, $835

21. QQ Trend flats, $21

22. Philipp Plein sneakers, $814

23. Stephen Webster necklace, $4,100

24. Delfina Delettrez mono earring, $6,311

25. Solange Azagury-Partridge ring, $2,300

26. Lydia Courteille ring, $17,719

27. Alison Lou bracelet, $1,495

28. Overstock sunglasses, $10

29. American Retro scarf, $160

30. Anna Coroneo scarf, $325

31. Studio DKS by Deborah Shavlik carryall, $46

32. Diane von Furstenberg pouch, $158

33. Melie Bianco clutch, $35

34. Sarah’s Bag clutch, $1,645

35. Miss Sweety handbag, $21

36. Philipp Plein handbag, $2,985

37. M.R. backpack, $29

38. Manish Arora backpack, $747

39. Unique Vintage umbrella, $13

40. Diane von Furstenberg iPhone case, $48

 

Love This Brand — Balmain

I have always had a bit of a problem with jeans. In middle school, what bothered me was the fact that everyone else wore them. I was like the quintessential hipster who detests anything “mainstream”, if the quintessential hipster wore cloche hats, chunky pumps, and cords. Later on, jeans were simply too plain, too casual, too tomboyish for me.

How wrong I was. Now that I have outgrown the traumatic ignorance of high school, I can see that jeans do not have to be a badge of conformity. These days, jeans in bold colors and wild prints are trendy, but not so trendy as to be feared by a dogmatic individualist. Balmain in particular is a brand that makes jeans loud, wild, sexy, and downright luxurious. Here are the craziest/best pairs I’ve seen:

Balmain Yes  Balmain 2 Yes Balmain 3 Yes  Balmain 4 Yes  Balmain 5 Yes   Balmain 6 Yes  Balmain 7 Yes   Balmain 8 Yes  Balmain 9 Yes

1. Black and white jeans, $860

2. Printed moto jeans, $2,375

3. Zebra-print stretch denim biker jeans, $1,035

4. Printed stretch cotton denim jeans, $1,212

5. Leopard-print mid-rise skinny biker jeans, $992

6. Biker jeans, $1,121

7. Biker tie-dye cotton jeans, $2,041

8. Tie-dye stretch denim jeans, $1,403

9. Biker tie-dye cotton jeans, $2,041

 

Cat Lady

My cat Belle and I worked on this post together…seriously! (She sat on my lap.) Everyone knows that kitties are adorable, far superior to dogs, and a rich source of inspiration in the world of fashion and art. Here is some feline-themed clothing that is as fun to wear as it is to pet a cat!

Rotita  Unique Vintage  Storyland

Palm Beach   Miss Sweety   Grumpy Cat for Prada

    Brian Lichtenberg

rolling cat   Karl Lagerfeld  Noir Jewelry

Orla Kiely  Burberry  Anna Sui

Dolce & Gabbana 2 (2)  computer bed   Charlotte Olympia 7

Eugenia Kim  Au Jour Le Jour  True Facet  Judith Leiber  The Aristocats

1. Rotita earrings, $6

2. Unique Vintage leggings, $10

3. Storyland top, $24

4. Palm Beach ring, $28

5. Miss Sweety handbag, $31

6. Olivia Pratt watch, $50

7. Bling Jewelry brooch, $60

8. Brian Lichtenberg beanie, $65

9. Karl Lagerfeld tee, $115

10. Noir Jewelry bracelet, $135

11. Orla Kiely cardigan, $150

12. Burberry Prorsum scarf, $220

13. Anna Sui skirt, $245

14. Dolce & Gabbana wristlet, $289

15. Charlotte Olympia shoes, $705

16. Eugenia Kim headband, $1,270

17. Au Jour Le Jour dress, $1,274

18. Chopard necklace, $1,620

19. Judith Leiber minaudiere, $5,595