Owner: International Style and Fashion URL:http://international-style-and-fashion.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Fri, 09 Mar 2007 10:07:29 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Information on styles from around the world, and advice on which trends to wear (and which to avoid) to make you look chic, elegant and sophisticated. Site statistics:Click here
best brands - Laura Biagiotti 2007 2007-04-19 13:21:00 So, I couldn't resist showing some of her 2006 pieces, but here is the latest, S/S 2007 collection. Supposedly, these pieces were meant to 'be green', with South American and African inspiration. Natural looks, flowing ponchos, tunics, kaftans... flowing, and with the occassional moving detail. I also love the way she plays with transparent fabrics, to add a hint of allure to an otherwise loose and fairly unstructured look. Excited yet?Great earthy colours, and the yellow dress bellow is so natural in form. The kaftan on the right is really beautiful:I love these - and, like last year, we see that spiders-web style crochet thrown over, which I like very much:I'm not 100% sure about the strange jumper-thing below - it's not too pretty - but the dress underneath it is: Read more:Laura
, best brands
best brands - Laura Biagiotti 2006 2007-04-19 13:06:00 If you're interested in Italian fashion, the Laura
Biagiotti Roma line has to be one of the most quintessentially Italian styles. First, though, let's look at the main collection - which is actually from 06 but still really represents her general look, I think: Isn't this dress heavenly?: Beautiful detailing on this suit: Another brilliant look - ultra feminine:Naiive white mixed with a good helping of Italian sexyness in that open-weave crochet: Lots of lovely pale colours, gorgeously put together outfits. For her 2007 Spring/Summer, please see the next post... Read more:best brands
coloured jeans 2007-04-21 14:23:00 From pastel to fluo... colored jeans are hot. In a way it's amazing this hasn't been taken on as a trend before (Sass and Bide did it a few years ago, but it didn't really stick). Already we're seeing some pairs on the street - Christina Aguilera (looking really trampish, btw), Ashley Simpson, Fergie and Rachel Bilson: Carmen Electra has also been spotted sporting this... interesting trend, too. So, where are they getting their gear? From left to right: Citizens of Humanity, BDG, Ksubi: Denim of Virtue:And, if you want to test the waters with this trend, Topshop and Oasis (left, right) won't cause such a dent in your bank balance:Lee also are producing some pastel varieties (how 80s). And, for the creative among us, LA clothing store The Hundreds is telling us to buy a pair of Public Label Straight & Narrow white jeans and colour them yourself (http://www.denimology.co.uk/2007/03/public_label_diy_coloured_deni.php#more). Interesting. Overall, though, the first thing to notice is
a bit of Baccarat 2007-04-20 20:15:00 What do you think of when you hear the name Baccarat? Probably someone or somewhere luxurious, right? Crystal glasses? Vases? Well, the jewellry isn't bad, either. I particularly love the strong, slightly abstract pieces - so delicate yet so bold: This Oceane bracelet (eLuxury) in Parme colour is totally delicious:Tango ring, also at eLuxury:Aren't these watches so elegant?:
Current jewellery trends 2007-04-20 19:52:00 The two main trends I love just now are... African-themes and jade. The African look. Safari, but more luxurious. Totally fits with the exotic skins and animals theme we're seeing lately. Check out these two by chief costume jeweller Kenneth Jay Lane (available at shopbop.com): Or these amazing creations by Roberto Cavalli: Not entirely African but natural (leather), how about this by Hermes?:I always think such jewellery looks really exotic and the height of sophistication. The second trend - jade. I love this colour for summer, it works so well with white or cream, and gold or silver. If you haven't tried this really flattering shade of green before, you really should. To tempt you, look at this beautiful bracelet by Julie Sandlau (bluefly.com):For a silver-jade example, how about this ring which I own, from silver.uk.com?:Don't forget the beautiful red, yellow and purple jade stones, too (try Saks). Read more:Current
interesting footwear by Gil Carvalho 2007-04-23 13:52:00 Yes, I suppose this is interesting
. But it's also very boring. I mean, a shoe is really meant for wearing. This doens't look wearable, so in that sense it's boring. But I guess it is a form of art, and that, in a way, makes in interesting... Whhhaaaat? Anyway, it's a concept design by Gil Carvalho
:The V-1, alloy, leather sole, cord-thread that moulds to the foot...oh god, it really is meant to be wearable, isn't it? And, if you take a look at http://www.gilcarvalho.com/dev/main.html you'll see that there are many more in this conceptual collection. Crazy, bizarre shoes. The haute couture of the shoe world. Would you wear it? I'd love to try a pair on... that angle is amazing. It'd be like training in a circus or something. Who knows, maybe it could even look elegant?However there's also the RTW collection, which features some perfectly normal shoes - they may seem mundane in comparison to the above, but actually I think they're very pretty:
all things orange 2007-04-23 11:35:00 Although not as huge as yellow this season, orange is still a big feature. Which is great. It's a lovely color for both winter and summer - very warm and bright. For summer or beach wear, try this Tory Burch Maude blouse or Susana Monaco cardigan:I just love these two Hermes sarongs:If you just want some hints of orange, try a bold bright neck scarf or pashmina, or these tops - M by Missoni or the Romeo & Juliet Couture tank: Or you can weave in some orange through your jewellery, shoes or belt - I love these Tod's pretzel sandals and this Dior belt:Or these amazing Giuseppe Zanotti sandals or pointed moccasins by Car Shoe: A more subtle alternative to orange, and perhaps even more flattering and illuminating, like gold, is mandarin or peach. This color can be worn as larger pieces - more suitable for a whole dress, for example. How about this Elie Tahari Mischa jacket, or Ralph Lauren Black Label cashmere wrap (also available in turquoise and black, I think - equally yummy):Or these Read more:things
go shop at mijo.com 2007-04-23 11:02:00 I've always had a bit of a thing for chains. Nooo, not like that. Nice chains. Gold ones, particularly. Remember Zara's last summer collection? So many gold buttons and chain detailing - heaven. Anyway, here are some super cute Vito bracelets on www.miijo.com: Available in plenty of styles (green is very chic, and the orange reminds me of Hermes), and they're in the omnipresent snakeskin.Mijo.com is brilliant for jewellery. Not so great for everything else, mind you. But great for as-seen-on-Ms-X-Celebrity jewellery. I love it. How about this CC Skye Chain (more chains!) bracelet, a la Nicole Richie?Or these Kenneth Jay Lane Bamboo hoops, as seen on Jessica Simpson?:More of that great African theme I just love, and done so well by KJL.My other favorite is this adorable necklace, also by CC Skye:I adore horsebits / snaffles. Not just because they're terribly Gucci, but because they're so elegant and simple (and I love horses). I love anything - belts, bracelets, scarves... anythi
two great new sunglasses 2007-04-23 10:42:00 In a hope that it would somehow not tempt fate with the weather, yesterday I went sunglasses shopping. I'm a sucker for designer pairs. It's ridiculous considering how much they're marked up, and how easy they are for you to loose / baby to scratch, but I just can't help it. The first pair I fell in love with is by Dolce and Gabbana - one of my personal fav sunglasses designers. Creator of some of the best (and worst) sunnies. The worst? you might ask? DG 2013BU - those with the big rings at the temple with the dangling DG letters? Not so nice. Anyway, here are those that I do like, the DG 6013: It's also available in black, white or pure brown, but I really like the havana/brown above. They're retailing for around $230. My second pair was these Gucci GG 2936/s:I think this horn coloring is really great and quite on trend just now, but they also come in mottled brown or black. These are priced around £ 164.00 on the web. I love the shape of both these and the DGs - very f
best brands - Lunar 2007-04-27 22:42:00 Another great Spring 2007 collection was from South African designer Karen Ter Morshuizen for Lunar
. You won't find clothes much dreamier or floaty than these. They look really pure. This brand has been around since the mid-90s, and is really quite natural-looking, with plenty of texture yet the colours are very simple and not at all busy. This makes it look luxurious and contemporary, without appearing too trendy (a good thing). Read more:best brands
best brands - Verrier 2007-04-27 22:06:00 One of the most disappointing collections for me for Spring was the Calvin Klein - which is normally one of my favs. On the other hand, I was seriously impressed by Verrier. All the clothes were so... refreshing. Lovely colours, and really womanly shapes. Yellows, whites, copper, oranges, through to cobalt and black, even a touch of navy. I love the shape and lengths of these skirts, and the ruffles at the bottom are super flattering. The gorgeous sheen is very luxurious, too. Interesting high-waist yellow shorts and cigarette pants were also a big feature but aren't on my list of wearables, though. There were also some interesting brogue-like shoes, but some very pretty metallic sandals and platforms. Read more:best brands
stay stylish in the rain 2007-04-26 16:10:00 Umbrellas are such a blank canvas for designers. We need brollies, and we want stylish ones. So, here are my favorites.One of the big guys in the umbrella world - Jean Paul Gaultier. Two very simple but remarkable changes to the classic design makes these umbrellas very desirable, in my opinion: They aren't exactly cheap, at over £100 each, but they are seriously stylish, and a good investment if you live somewhere with more than, well, 1mm of rain per year. Even a drop will justify one.For something a bit more... pretty and outrageous, try the Guy de Jean collection. Aren't these three simply fabulous?: Another great brand is Chantal Thomass. Here, you can find glamour - a slightly sexy pink/bow piece, and a stunning Swarovski-studded black one: Another which features Swarovski crystals is found in the Pasotti collection. There, you can also get an animal print version - right on trend:If you want to spend serious cash, the Frank Usher collection has a blue-pearl-bead trimmed broll
shopping trolleys - I dare you 2007-04-26 15:03:00 Recently, Anya Hindmarch's I'm not a plastic bag has been causing a huge stir. It sold out everywhere, and many celebs have been seen sporting different takes of this very green theme. (Whether the bag is actually eco-friendly is still debatable - see http://schmoontherun.blogspot.com/2007/03/anya-hindmarch-joins-global-warming.html - perhaps Hemp bags are the only way to go?).On eBay, it was selling for around £400 (cf it's RRP of £5). Who's guessing that the markup isn't going to charity? Lauren Bush / Feed also designed the very popular $59.95 FEED bag:A further increasingly popular option are the Onya bags (www.onyabags.co.uk), which are priced at only £6.50 and made of super-strong parachute material:While some of these bags may be hugely popular, is the albeit clearly written message really sinking in? Somehow I doubt it. However, for those of you that really do care, there are, thankfully, many stylish solutions. I find plastic bags very wasteful, of course, but also the
best brands - Colleen Eitzen 2007-04-26 14:55:00 This designer was a hit at South Africa fashion week last year where she showed her Spring 2007 collection - and you can see why. Quoted as being SA's answer to Calvin Klein, there are plenty of white and cream, with camel, light green and pink highlights. Very pretty, but also quite casual: Very... easy clothes. http://www.colleeneitzen.co.za/ Read more:best brands
, Colleen
current trend - fuschia / hot pink 2007-04-25 20:58:00 Oh yes, if you thought yellow was scary, try this. Perhaps sparked by a similar trend in lipcolor earlier this year - no bubble-gum candyfloss - only the brightest, most vibrant, strongest, hottest pink will do. And, to give it an extra edge, the trendiest way to wear it is with black - Margherita Missoni wore black opaques under her dress, and Dita von Teese with a black long sleeved shirt - yes, under her dress, too. At Giambattista Valli:Carolina Herrera: Oasis: So - my opinion. To be entirely honest, I really don't like any of the above, bar, perhaps, the Herrera shirt. That's it. The darker pinks are just too strong for me as a dress - they're not too flattering, just a bit too fashiony, you know? No? Oh well. Either way, I just can't imagine wearing such dresses - but I do own a similarly-colored cardigan from Zara which I love to wear with white trousers and a white vest underneath. I also have a fuschia trench which works well with white, blue denim or grey. Read more:current trend
current trend - maxi skirts 2007-04-25 20:21:00 Isn't Kate Moss brilliant? As soon as she's seen wearing something new for a split second, I could write a whole post about the new Kate-inspired trend that's going to follow. Anyway, one of the latest is the maxi skirt:I have to say, though, that although the skirt itself is very pretty, her effort to tone the satin down by teaming it with really casual shoes and tops doesn't appeal to me that much. Rather, I prefer these types of looks:Carolina Herrera, where there were many to be seen: Two great looks at Ralph Lauren Black Label: All three are paired with sleeveless tops, to achieve a great elongated look - either fitted or loose. If you're wearing a T or cardigan, keep it really fitted, and, of course, tops in the same colour as the skirt are even better, as above. I have a black maxi skirt which I wear with a really fitted polo shirt. Also, as seen above, I add a pretty broad hip belt - in brown with my black outfit, and brown also works really well with white, as does a s Read more:current trend
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best brands - Rachel Roy 2007-04-25 17:48:00 Recently I've noticed that I seem to have a thing for natural, earthy and pearly colours. Ivory, cream, beige, camel... I don't know if it's a good thing but I really seem to be focussing on these, and so I just can't help but love the colours of the Rachel
Roy SS 07 clothes. This latest collection has more recently been drawn to our attention by the appearance of the Layla yellow dress on the red carpet - worn by more than one A-lister - which, you can see, is pretty gorgeous and so on trend:However that isn't my favourite piece. Here is my pick...I love the sheen on the far-right trousers: Gorgeous detail on the back: The left dress and the scarf/belt combination are brilliant: Read more:best brands
lint removal - it doesn't get more exciting than this 2007-04-24 13:26:00 Before you turn away, fearing an inevitably boring post, please read. This is very important (especially for those with cute but fluffly pets). We all love fashion and clothes. However, as I've often said, that's all to reach our aim of looking good. And, another big part of looking good is keeping the clothes we so love in good condition. That doesn't just involve washing, but also de-linting. You know the stuff - you probably have a really pretty cashmere or angora cardigan or jumper or something that just seems to love spreading itself all over every other item you're wearing - particularly those black pants or white shirt. Try brushing it off with your hand, even putting it in the wash - doesn't really work, right? You need a de-linter. A lint roller. Not those (very handy) shavers that razor-off the bobbles from your cashmere and wool, as they'll take off too much material in the long term. Not a paddle thing which drags off the fluff, as they quickly become clogged. No, onl Read more:exciting
Carmen Marc Valvo SS 07 2007-04-24 12:00:00 These are clothes for women. The shapes are just amazing, don't you think? And - something which is so important to me - they're all so wearable. Even the couture:From the Carmen
Marc Valvo main collection - gorgeous duck egg blue, silver and crisp white: Isn't that yellow puff ball just the cutest ever? And the suit is so elegant: These three are perhaps my favs - heavenly. The colours are so flattering, and look at those fabrics and cuts? So precise. The centre dress I bet would be fabulous to wear:And finally from the CMV collection:
look book - Appelrath Cupper April 07 2007-04-24 11:45:00 Three catalogues came out in April
- one normal, one for the 125 year jubilee, and one BRAX jubilee. Here's the best of each. Standard issue - lots of good from Vera Varelli: Jubilee - not too much of interest in that:BRAX jubilee issue - good pictures of how to wear (nicely muted and faded) caps well:
lookbook - Bogner SS 07 2007-04-24 11:23:00 Bogner is a great brand. It's toned down and mature. OK, some of the styles are a little old - verging on the twinset and driving shoes look - but for conservative, no-risk daywear it's pretty good.These are from the main Bogner Woman line - definitely nautical influences creeping in. Some great bags, too: From the Sonia Bogner line:
style role-models 2007-05-01 10:28:00 So, today I thought I'd just cover the results of one of the polls I've been running - Who's you style role-model? Many of us have one. By choice, by accident... Anyway, the results: Poor old Eva Longoria, Tamara Mellon, Paris Hilton and SJP scored zero. Which is a bit worrying for the latter, as Sarah Jessica's new clothing range is coming out and the reviews are... not the best.Princesses Rania and Diana, Kate Middleton and Mischa Barton came next.The winners - equally - were Kate/Sienna and Jennifer Aniston. As my style and blog don't really follow the Kate/Sienna look, I'm going to focus on my personal fave, Jen. In fact I was really very happy how well she did in this poll - looks like my target readers are actually reading, thanks girlies!So, what I've done is to create a couple of polyvore ensembles, based on some photos of her over the past 4 or so years (also some pictures taken from her moveies, in which her characters often show her style, too). The items aren't exac Read more:models
best brands - T-bags 2007-04-30 11:24:00 If you want to ride the maxi-dress trend this summer, try T-bags. Here's one of their 2007 full lengths: But they're not just about long - they also do short really well: Another great thing is the price - the bottom dress can be yours for around $180 at http://www.pinkmascara.com/ where you'll find zillions of other fab clothes. Read more:best brands
best swimwear - Aguaclara 2007-04-30 11:11:00 Sitting up there with my favoritest swimwear brands (Jets Australia, La Perla, Gottex Gold, Melissa Obadash, Andres Sarda, Huit, Zimmerman, Hermanny, Seafolly and... ok, millions of others) has to be Aguaclara. I know it's hardly beach-time yet, but these are really worth buying now before they sell out at figleaves.com: These very special two are available at http://www.applauzi.com/: Very glamorous. I particularly love the above black swimsuit - onepieces? boring? I think not.
zesty necklace 2007-04-30 11:05:00 Yesterday whilst reading the paper I saw someone wearing a really fun necklace / pendant - it was a very realistic slice of orange / lemon. Ohmygodhowkitsch, right? But really cute at the same time. Anyway, I thought I'd do a trawl and the only thing I can find similar are these equally brilliant life-sized lemon slice earrings:Adorable. They're from http://www.girlprops.com/ - a brilliant site selling all sorts of unusual jewellery (and normal stuff too). Anyway, you've probably noticed the huge fruit-theme going on in pendants just now - apples, cherries... you name it. Up till now I've ignored it, but what the heck, some of the goodies on sale here are just too good. I particularly love the watermelon pendant, and the pineapple... mmm, and the peeling banana.
Unrath & Stranro 2007-05-03 12:19:00 I think their collections are a great example of something that troubles me in fashion. When looking at shots from shows, I always have to remind myself to imagine the pieces in context. Ie, I have to visualise the individuals items without the extra bits designers seem so often to pair with them. Unrath & Strano are a really popular brand amongst German high-society, and their works are often worn at big galas and balls. However you wouldn't believe it by looking at their runway shots - the big hair, the makeup, the cell-phones on the waistband... You often see celebrities wearing dresses from the catwalk but which have been toned down a bit - the hem lengthed, the split shortened: And, here (below) - I'd never wear a belt round the waist of a jacket together with a belt round the top of the pants, but, separately, these two could look great. And what about those ugly (and distracting) tights with those otherwise-fabulous dresses?: I guess it's a learning curve - you have to tra
best brands - Luisa Beccaria 2007-05-03 12:00:00 Such refreshing, pretty little dresses in SS 07, it's hard to believe. With cute little broderie anglaise detailing, and yet so simple; you really should check out Luisa Beccaria's collection at www.luisabeccaria.com. All really feminine, but quite varied - from really flowing, loose chiffon, to super-fitted, really structured waists and skirt shapes. From dreamy whites and pale naturals, to bold bright red. Very rarely do you see a bright orange dress like this working well with pale skin: Look how fluid and sexy the left dress is, without exposing much skin: I think the thing I liked least were the platform shoes - OK, they're really en vogue, but in my opinion they don't suit the dress styles at all. I also thought some of the floral patterns were verging on dull - you can't really get away with a mummy-ish pattern and a boring cut. Read more:best brands
best brands - Bernard Chandran 2007-05-02 11:09:00 Chandran started his own label in 1993, and is now one of the most popular designers in Malaysia - working for royalty and other impressive names. In essence, the clothes are wearable, classic, feminine, but also with a twist of modernity in his East/West mix. I think the inspiration from China and India etc have provided the brilliant exotic detailing in some pieces - like embroidery and mandarin necks. However we definitely see the West, too (particularly in the ugly sun visors in his S/S 07 collection, below). And as for the modern twist? Notice those broad clear perspex waist belts? Not cheap, just interesting - a hard thing to achieve with that material. So, move over babydolls and get some of these beautifully fitted, waist-enhancing dresses. www.bernardchandran.com/ Read more:best brands
, Bernard
a fashion too far 2007-05-01 23:44:00 My last post was on fashion role models. How we use the styles of others to help make ourselves look good. This is great - natural. However, there are some who are seemingly so desparate to fit in by standing out that they totally cross that line between looking good and stylish, to just looking too fashionable for their own good. I do take a lot of my inspiration for dressing from seeing what others wear - on the street, in the glossies, on film... from people who are serious fashionistas to those who just happened to have got a great look that day. That's why I sometimes check out The Sartorialist (http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/). He's a great photographer - no doubt about it. He captures brilliant images of people in their cities showing the very essence of their home's style. Often beautiful styles. However there are many, many images which he takes and freely complements people on their choice of usually un-coordinated items (which are, however, supposedly specifically pl
stylish stationary at work 2007-05-06 11:01:00 When at school I was always desparate to have the coolest backpack and pencil case at the start of each term. I would trawl the shops for ages until I found something that would make me stand out above everyone else. Of course, someone else always had something better than me. But you know, I would still get a kick from taking my pen out of my super-duper trendy pencil case at school. The thing is, at work, we still often need pens - I'm thinking either a real vintage or a more modern but personalised Montblanc fountain pen, such as the beautiful Boheme or super-elegant Garbo models, below:And we also need something to put loose papers in. OK, so we're not talking Eastpaks, but something stylish and durable. The problem is that very few designers have taken on this niche - a huge shame. So, I often find myself resorting to using free makeup / cosmetic pouches to hold my pens, and ugly cracking and peeling plastic portfolios for my papers. For the former, there aren't many true penci
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