Quote of the day

"Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly." Epictetus

Summer accessories: bracelets

Here are my favourite picks from style.com. Four different styles for every taste and occasion. Marni bracelet, with flowers and leather straps is by far my favourite one. It's probably one of the dream items I'd love to own. Shame it costs a little fortune. I also really like some high-street alternatives, particularly, the flower bracelet from Urban Outfitters, gold baubles from French connection and several bracelets from promod (great for jewellery, by the way).

Versailles

Bottega Veneta. Roberto Cavalli. Vera Wang. Lanvin.

Arts & crafts

Phillip Lim. Burberry Prorsum. Louis Vuitton. Marni.

Colours

Alberta Ferretti. Pucci. Pucci. Anna Sui.

Midas party

Roberto Cavalli. Dries Van Noten. Lanvin. Versace.

High street finds

New Look, £8.00. Urban Outfitters, £24.00. Promod, £8.50. French Connection, £18.00

Accessorize, £12.00. Red Herring at Debenhams, £10.00. Dorothy Perkins, £12.00. Mikey at koodos.com, £15.00

Matter of Taste by Fulvio Bonavia

If I had to choose a book that could surprise me I'd pick up the Matter of Taste by Fulvio Bonavia. As soon as I saw it, the book went straight on my wish list and I really hope I'll be able to buy it some time this year. The book is delicious! Literally and emotionally. It teases your taste buds and fashion sense. It shows a new dimension of culinary art and makes you crave foods you thought you would never try (like broccoli, for example). Well, now if you don't eat it, you can wear it. At least, in an imaginary world. So, what's on the menu? Aubergine ballerinas, pasta shoes, candy pumps, rice boots and lentil flip-flops, broccoli, raspberry, parmeggiano, pistachio, buts and blueberry bags, artichoke and leek hats, kiwi watch, fruity necklace, seafood rings and sardines belt. Just need a dress made of some petals or cabbage leaves and a tasteful outfit is ready!

If you want to find out more about Fulvio and see his works, you can visit this website.

Fashion embryos

Last night I suddenly thought that I've been admiring fashion collections and designers for as long as I could remember and yet, I've never wondered about how they've created those clothes, what was in the very beginning, on a piece of paper. Yes, I am talking about drawings, the embryos of every collection, the very beginning, when dreams, thoughts, ideas and imaginary tales become real. I realised that since every designer is a unique talent, then this should also be applied to their drawings. It didn't take me long to find a few (they say, you don't have to have or know everything, you just need to know places where you can get it) and they were amazing. Each could easily be a masterpiece itself, framed and kept for eternity. So here is my art gallery of magical fashion embryos.

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel

Balenciaga. Yves Saint Laurent. Gianni Versace

Gianfranco Ferré. Monique Lhuillier. Rodarte. Nicolas Ghesquière.

Tracy Reese. Peter Som. Marc Jacobs. Max Azria. Carolina Herrera.

Rebecca Taylor. Giambattista Valli. Elie Saab.

Oscar de la Renta. Christian Lacroix. Kimora Lee Simmons. Donatella Versace.

Donatella Versace

Sources: www.thefashionspot.com, www.wwd.com

Bottega Veneta Resort 2010

I absolutely adore Bottega Veneta resort collection. So chic, so beautiful and elegant. I really enjoyed browsing all the 46 photos of stunning perfectly crafted and styled looks. I won't be posting all of them, of course as you could see them here - only my favourite picks. Some looks are typical for BV, very Italian, elegant, relaxed, in warm chocolates, classic black and grey, and surprisingly others come in colours of precious stones, just like jewels, unexpected, but gorgeous. I also love scarves and wide trousers and those particular looks remind me of Chloe for some reason. Hair and make up are also very beautiful and so feminine and sensual.

My favourite fashion ads

I must admit, I can be strangely addicted to fashion advertisements and have always had favourite ones. Some are associated with certain moments of my life, some bring nostalgic emotions, some feature some of my favourite models and others are simply beautiful. Take Paloma Picasso or Lancome ad featuring Isabella, for example. These are one of the very first ads I remember. They'd always be in Burda moden magazine - the only proper fashion magazine we could buy in Russia in the late 80's early 90's before we were introduced to ELLE, Cosmo, Vogue and a few other glossies. The world of beautiful fashion pictures looked like a window to another diminution, another life that was brighter, different and classy. Nowadays it's just another form of art to me. I don't really know what it takes to create a fashion ad or what it is supposed to do to us - make us crave the object or want to look like a model on a photograph. And frankly, I don't really care as long as the resulting image makes me feel...

Get 20% off at Kurt Geiger on-line

If you like KG shoes, then you can use this on-line discount. Simply choose your favourite shoes and enter KGGREY09 at the checkout. The offer expired on 06 June 2009 and available on full price items only. You won't find this code in magazines or by visiting the website as it was sent to existing on-line customers only, but I thought it's nice to share and some of you may get a lovely treat for less.

Visit http://www.kurtgeiger.com/

Summer Blues

Blue is a sapphire sky,

On a hot summers day,

It stimulates the senses,

And lets you melt away.

Blue is the ocean,

Deep and crystal clear,

It draws you in and reminds you,

Of what you hold so dear.

Blue is a bird,

As wild and as free,

It never fails to give you,

The comfort that you need.

Blue is a forget me not,

Blowing in the wind,

It heals and protects you,

Even when the lights are dim.

By Mary

I look at blue colours and melt in my childhood memories of hot summers spent in a country side. I think of vivid and delicate cornflowers I picked up in golden fields of rye.

I think of beautiful blue butterflies and their velvet wings.

Blue is so magical, it's impossible to remain indifferent and feel nothing when it surrounds you. I am so glad fashion designers used it as one of the colours of the season and I choose some of my favourites to create a "fashion show" of my own.

1. BCBG 2. Donna Karan. 3. Celine. 4. Issa. 5. Fendi. 6. Carlos Miele. 7. Antonio Berardi. 8. Aquascutum.

Sources:

Poem www.poemsonly.com/poems/ipblue.php

Photos www.style.com

Bottega Veneta - disappearance act

So, yes, we went and saw the Angels & Demons today. Good movie and really is worth watching, especially if you like Dan Browns book, Italy, Tom Hanks or.... BOTTEGA VENETA. Yes, your eyes got it right. This movie is not just about Illuminati, religion and beautiful streets of Rome. It's also about the wardrobe. And I am not talking Tom Hanks - nooooo, too boring for me. I am talking Vittoria Vetra's ones. Particularly, her "pet". I almost jumped when I saw her beautiful black BV (I am guessing here, but I think it was BV Roma bag). And only God knows (and now I told everyone here, so I guess, you know, too) how much I love BV bags. It's my secret obsession and a dream to have one of them. So as the movie continued, she was running around with her bag (and I was getting green with envy) and then the bag disappeared!!! How a woman could lose, forget or leave her bag and carry on without??? Even the queen has a bag almost 24/7 and she does not even leave her house! (and her bags aren't as exciting and yummy as Bottega anyway). This is the only part of the movie I couldn't agree with and would love to know what happened to that bag...

Happy Birthday to me :)

Well, I am 32 now (but don't feel any different, to be honest). Had a lovely lazy morning and am now getting ready to go and watch Angels and Demons. I've also got a nice cardigan and a beautiful belt as my birthday presents and will be posting a few looks tomorrow. xxx

Nudes and petals

I've been innocently entertaining myself today by playing with polyvore. I went for this look for several reasons. First of all, because nudes are so in this season and I simply adore this trend as I love pastel colours. Secondly, the dress is simply stunning and I couldn't just forget about it. And thirdly, it's my birthday tomorrow and I was sort of imagining myself in this outfit, although the latter will remain purely imaginative and dreamy and I will most likely celebrate my 32d (!!!) birthday in something cute and comfy as am planning to pain the fence (reality of life - puppy is coming and the garden needs to be finished asap) and then make risotto and curl up on a sofa (of course, with my dear husband).

Well, getting back to the look, though. I kept accessories to an almost non-existent minimum as the dress is a real statement piece, I think. The shoes are classic and in a shade of rosy petals and the clutch is more silvery powdery pinky beige shade. Plus I added those earrings because I love earrings and those particular ones have a tiny silver bubble at the end, so it's the same as the closure on the clutch. Do you like it?

Nudes & petals

Givenchy Lace Dress with Tier Leaves
Diego Dolcini Leather Court Shoes
Stella McCartney Deco Style clutch
Silver Light Rose Quartz earrings

Ebay and dreams

I've had this dream for about 7 years. Well, I guess, since I moved countries. Before you start wondering what it is, I am going to say that it's a simple dream that could make me feel happier and have another sunshine inside (my husband is my sunshine number one). Ok, it's a puppy (Anna, please don't hate me, I know how much you want one). As simple as that.

I've always had dogs, but couldn't get one here because we either rented or lived in a flat and have been working long hours away from home. So as you can imagine it wouldn't be fair to leave my little baby alone.

But good things happen to those who wait because finally we moved and I've changed jobs and now work from home most of the time doing something I absolutely adore (also makes me happy) and the most important thing is that I can have a dog now.

I've been looking for one for ages, since we found out that we could move. It took time and lots of thinking and planning and looking around, but a few days ago I found HIM (sorry, I don't do "it" thing when it comes to dogs). He is only a couple of weeks old (hence, no photos here yet) and can hardly see or walk, but he is the most adorable little thing in the world.

However, the truth is that the most adorable and wanted things cost a small fortune. So I've decided to get some cash by selling a few of my beloved fashion pieces on ebay. I can't say it was easy, but at the same time I am feeling so happy and excited at the moment, I can't care less about how many pair of shoes or what kind of dresses I have in my wardrobe as long as it's not empty. I kept my most beloved items and yes, my Mulberry and Fendi B are staying with me. Not only because I love them, but also because they are presents from my husband, so they are more than just special to me. Somewhere inside I also feel that buying certain things made me feel temporarily happy and helped to fill the void of not having something I truly wanted. Funny, isn't it?

So this summer I am turning into a very happy lady with a very minimalistic (Tim Gunn would be proud of me) wardrobe and the most beautiful little puppy.

I still love fashion and clothes and nothing will ever stop me from looking, falling in love, shopping, trying, keeping and wearing, but it will be different, I know. And oh, yes, I will need more of those ballerinas now - got to walk my baby at least twice a day after all and heels just won't do.

D.I.Y. Fashion

Found a lovely website for those who know how to use a sewing machine and would feel excited about creating something unique and interesting. The burda style is a members only forum, so you'll have to subscribe to it to be able to downloads patterns (many of them are free and the rest cost about $4.00), chat with other members and check their own creations.

Unfortunately, I haven't got a sewing machine yet (I am saving up for a puppy, so cannot afford any frivolous buys these days), so just entertain myself by browsing, choosing, planning and dreaming. Some of my favorites include this jacket and this cape (technically, they are slightly more complicated and I don't think I'll actually attempt to make them), this skirt (my absolute favourite) and this one, too (timeless beautiful piece), this dress (I like the main picture) and this belt (have been looking for a pattern for this for a long time).

Have a look! Hope you'll like it and be inspired.

Shoes

I don't know if I was born with a high-heel shoe gene, but am pretty sure I tried to get in a pair of high heels as soon as I saw one. They were my mum's sandals. Very eighties (but so now), in lime green leather and with a very high heel. I put them on and slid around the room looking like a clumsy skier and feeling like a princess.

My parents also made sure that my own sandals and shoes were pretty. Comfortable, but pretty, so I developed my taste in proper footwear since I was tiny. When I was eight, I've got my own pair of heels, about an inch high but still, they were proper heels! I was over the moon. I probably looked a bit funny, but I didn't care - I loved my shoes.

And I guess, that's how I turned into a woman who likes her high heels and until now had no flats in her shoe collection whatsoever. Even when it came to walking shoes, I chose wedges and boots with wedge heels.

Recently I've been thinking about getting a pair of flats, though. Firstly, because some of them are adorable and secondly, because I really like how French women wear them. I've found a pair I liked. I went for something pretty and girly, so somewhere inside I'd feel like a princess. I haven't worn them outside yet, still feeling a bit unsure and strange, as if I am out of my comfort zone, but I am sure I will get used to it eventually.

I wonder how long would it take to convert me into a I-love-ballerinas-kind-of-girl? Perhaps, I just need to remind myself that high heel shoes put a lot of pressure on the front of my feet. They say my feet feel as if they carry my weight multiplied by four when I am in heels. But other doctors also add that it's a lot harder and more difficult to "switch heights" after wearing high heels for a long time. Oh, God, it's like a modern "Sense and sensibility" story.

First Look at Katie Holmes for Miu Miu

The first shots of Katie Holmes’ much-anticipated ad campaign for Miu Miu have been released and the actress looks stunningly beautiful in what the company calls a “moment of spectacular drama.”

“Katie Holmes joins the ever-expanding living history of Miu Miu inspirations, vital and modern individuals that shape and alter their surroundings through powerful grace,” said the company’s rep.

Katie’s strong bone structure always photographs well and the sepia tone of the ad delivers a cool, vintage feel. Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott in New York last November, the ads were inspired by Italian director Fellini, and hoped Katie would appear to be a “luminous icon radiating a sense of mystery and theatricality.”

Franchise Directory Franchise by sector

Clothes & Fashion Franchises

New Franchise Opportunities from the Clothes & Fashion Sector

The safest way to set up your own business: made-to-measure franchise concepts from the fashion industry mean greater competitive advantages. This portal lists a number of attractive business ideas and proven business concepts for setting up your own company.

Harajuku Fashion presents Harajuku Fashion Styles

Do you want to get more familiar with the various Harajuku styles? Well I'll try to explain Harajuku basics in a few sentences.
Firstly, it is really impossible to point at one single fashion style and name it Harajuku, because lots of different styles have developed over the years in the Harajuku district, and majority of Harajuku boys and girls combine at least two different styles into their amazing outfit.
But anyway let's name some of the most popular Harajuku Fashion Styles:

Tokyo Punks: Lots of accessories, over-the-top clothes, piercing and makeup are a must!

Born Bombe

Full-grain leather upper with tonal stitch detailing for an extra hint of style. Leather lining helps wick away moisture to keep your feet dry and fresh. Steel shank provides increased midfoot support and lateral stability. Lightweight polyurethane outsole ensures durability and traction. Opanka hand-sewn construction creates flexibility and Long-lasting wear. 2 1/2″ heel. 8.00 oz.

An eye on accessories at Paris Fashion Week: Dog necklaces at Paul & Joe A/W 09

While the most unexpected accessories seen at Paris Fashion Week so far (and probably for a few more fashion weeks to come) were most definitely the Karl Lagerfeld furry helmets, these dog necklaces at Paul & Joe also had a certain element of surprise. If you're wanting a nice little reminder of your pooch throughout the day or just plain think it's cute, then this could be the piece of jewellery for you.

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