November 2007

Success on the Other Side

Though London is known as a breeding ground for new labels and provides good a starting point for a fashion graduate, that’s not to guarantee that any degree commercial of success will come your way.  Johanna Ho, from Hong Kong, graduated from Central St Martin’s and her collection was marked as a standout collection by the then fashion editor of the UK Times Iain R. Webb.  She started her own label in 1998 and though it was well-received at London Fashion Week in the beginning, getting stocked at Browns, Barneys etc, she soon turned to concentrating on the Asian market, getting stocked mostly in Japan by basing her company in Hong Kong. 

I think we are reaching a point in time wherby success in fashion can’t simply be measured whether you make it to the catwalks in the four fashion capitals and whether you get a ton of international press.  There is no shame in the commercial success that can be achieved by concentrating on a market such as Asia where spending power is getting to dizzy heights as highlighted by this WSJ article on young Hong Kong designers and of course, the fiscal advantages of being based in Hong Kong, compared to London are pretty awesome (I’m lamenting why Inland Revenue have taken half of my pay cheque….?!). 

So yes, Johanna’s  old English website is defunct because she has decamped to a much cuter, updated Japanese-based website which has her latest collection’s lookbook.  I really like how she has put a spin on girly by mixing in a hotchpotch of 20’s/30’s/40’s touches that are barely noticeable as being ‘period’.  A few weeks ago, I raved about Nuan+, a Japanese e-boutique and they sell a decent selection of Johanna Ho’s collection.  As I’m not longer able to get the best of both living in London and travelling to Hong Kong frequently, I guess I’ll have to content myself with staring at look book pictures and pondering whether I should enlist the help of someone to procure myself some Johanna Ho….

In short, I do think that just because us Western-based peeps have not heard of a designer, does not mean they’re not making waves the other side of the world.  Like the Disney ride ‘It’s a Small World’ though, I do feel (and hope!) that the world is getting smaller and that we aren’t just looking at fashion within the supposed ‘important’ fashion spots.   

      

Source: Success on the Other Side

Ralph Lauren Layette Cable Knit Bootie, Under $50 [Style Tots]

Now isn’t this Ralph Lauren Layette Cable Knit Bootie the cutest? The cable-knit cuff is screaming “cozy and warm” while the quilted canvas is just too adorable for words. Imagine with this a cute skirt and tights underneath. Cute styling for your baby girl eh? Ralph Lauren Bootie for Under $50. I say that’s a one cute bootie

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Source: Ralph Lauren Layette Cable Knit Bootie, Under $50 [Style Tots]

Generra White Short Sleeves Tie Jacket, Under $50 [Style It Less]

This Generra short sleeves tie jacket in white used to be $145. You can now have it for $42.90. Awesome deal. It’s a lightweight jacket and with short sleeves, I suggest wearing a long sleeves skin-tight camisole underneath kinda like how this remixer layered her white ethereal dress for example. This white light-weight jacket that looks most like a blouse to me can transition to Spring and Summer season very well. So that under $50 for a Generra brand item is worth all the money.

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Source: Generra White Short Sleeves Tie Jacket, Under $50 [Style It Less]

A Random Black Friday Post

OK, so I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving at all, but how I wish the UK did. I am extremely jealous of all the sales the Americans are enjoying over there, although I certainly don’t envy the crowds and lines of crazy shoppers that I’ve read about in the news. Friday’s a tiring day for me so this post is going to be a bunch of my completely random observations:

• In accounting class last week, I looked around. Three out of seven girls had earrings on. And out of those three, two pairs were Chanel costume jewelry. One pair’s design was the big Chanel logo in silver with crystals, (which I thought the girl carried them on nicely); the other pair’s design was a pink ‘quilted’ square that had a black logo on it, (which I thought was bulky and way too toy-like.)
• In an attempt to warm myself up and keep me awake during my two-hour Finance lecture, I stopped by Starbucks first. While attempting to walk to my lecture, the bubbles from the coffee kept coming oozing out from the little hole on top and the coffee kept threatening to spill out. I had to walk snail-pace and channel my inner princess (much like Anne Hathaway did in Princess Diaries). I never thought much about it before, but how does anyone walk around with a paper cup full of coffee in their hands?
• Apart from the fabulous sales, I am so jealous of the short trips people are on this Thanksgiving weekend. My sister is visiting relatives in San Francisco (mostly for good food I’m sure,) and Barneys Girl has left the windy city to visit friends in San Diego. As for me, I’ll be hiding inside my flat from the low temperatures this weekend, maybe except for tomorrow, when I’ll brave the cold for a Belgian-style dinner.

• If you’re bored this long weekend (or you simply want to procrastinate from work), and you loved Sex & the City as much as I did, go read the original column, which is being republished each week over at the Observer. Remember the phrase, ‘Welcome to the Age of Un-Innocence’?

Source: A Random Black Friday Post

Anne Hathaway in Red Silk. [Celeb Look]

Gorgeous. How the lovely Anne Hathaway has seemed to grow up right before our eyes. A perfect example of this is how she looked when she wore this little red number a few days ago.
To copy Anne’s simple, yet sleek look in red silk, we found this Audrey Silk Dress from Abaete. This dress is available at Saks.com for $385.00.

This look is perfect for the Holidays!

Now, go get your celeb look on.

Source: Anne Hathaway in Red Silk. [Celeb Look]