Animal Instinct

It'll be a slow week's wait for my Mulberry to arrive... so let's admire Jessica Stam in this Richard Avedon-esque shoot by Andy Hillman for British Vogue on this gloomy Monday: 

{photo source}

On This Day...

1. Michael Jackson died.

2. Farrah Fawcett died.

3. The trailer for 'The September Issue' is up AND in HD - {here}

Thank goodness for #3.

Bulga Bags on Sale

I've never been a fan of Bulga's "bum" bags - some of the brand's major uglies. That said, their inoffensive basic leather totes are going for a very reasonable USD189 (65% off) - SALE until midnight EST, 27 June.

Bulga leather is pretty supple so this is a decent deal. Their simple shape and stitch detail are reminiscent of my favourite budget leather bag brand, Martine Sitbon. Just steer past the tie-dyed monstrosities which are rightfully heavily marked down ;)

Bad, BAD Girls

For some inexplicable reason, my usually restrained family has gone completely bag-mad this month! Galpal M aka. YSL/Valextra queen would be so pleased... I promise pics as each lovely piece turns up!

As a tease, we contributed to the pockets of Gucci (Aunt Y), Mulberry (moi) and Marc by Marc Jacobs (sis). BIG thanks to Bagaholic Boy for his pre-sale link. Mum is lone shoegal this month after scooping up her Georgina Goodman and Repetto during the sales.

Thank goodness for payday!!

p/s what the frig, the Mitzy Hobo in denim ticking is back on sale?! Thought it was sold out yesterday... drat it! Sis, don't suppose you'd consider getting this instead of the Marc if you haven't bought it yet? :)

3.1 Phillip Lim Tote : Oh What Could Have Been

This COULD have been my very first 3.1 Phillip Lim score! In delightful red/persimmon calf leather, the tote was going for a song on the soon to close eluxury. Only USD105 for this lovely - a whacking 60% +50% off!

My heart was absolutely singing when I spied it over the weekend. The only downside was eluxury's firm policy of not accepting international credit cards - so even vpost was useless. As such, my grand plan involved galpal M's Citibank Globeshopper concierge thingamajig - which, as it turns out, takes THREE days to process. That is light years in desperate sale times!

A quick check half an hour ago suggests that the bag is gone *whimper* My amazing could-have-been tote was also available in Mint and Citronella. Naturally, all colourways are now sold out...

Hence, I have absolutely no hesitation on posting this deal. All remaining shoes, bags and accessories are at an extra 50% off! So if you are in the USA and own a credit card, please go forth and shop! Eluxury will retire June 26.

Absolutely Criminal : Christian Louboutin's "New" Clutch

I admire Christian Louboutin a lot (I really do...) which is precisely why I'm finding this bag from his Fall/Winter 2009 collection so disappointingly, well, similar to Maison Martin Margiela's gift bow accessories from Spring/Summer 2008.

MMM

I knew the end was neigh when CL announced he was going to start doing bags... Anyone care to defend this clutch as an evolution of a trend?

Watch List : Danny Roberts' Tee

Remember those portraits of influential/infamous bloggers which popped up a while back, and then promptly took residence as everyone's blog header? Danny Roberts, the ilustrator behind them, has watered down his "Girls in Glasses" portrait into a rather fabulous oversized tee. Available for GBP26 in white or ecru. I'm expecting these to spread like wildfire on the bloggersphere. Bryan Boy would seriously rock this! But first out of the stalls is Betty Autier of Le Blog de Betty:

Dream Store

I can't quite believe this isn't a photoshopped, but I just love it anyway! How impossibly charming is this little designer store in the middle of nowhere?

Not sure if Singaporeans would ever drive off-road for shoes & bags (can't quite see throngs of air-con dependent shoppers trailing far from the city) but with the way commercial leasing prices are going in Orchard Road, this might be a stone's throw from reality. {source}

Suck On This

Juicy Marc by Marc Jacobs cocktail rings going for US$12 a pop? What timely pricing!

These remind me of Topps' Ring Pops back in the 80s. I used to love them and their handy cousins, the Push Pops! Available in clear, red, black, blue and green OR (as I like to think of them) Sprite, cherry, licorice, blueberry and lime.

Quickie Update

All I can say is that IT FITS!!

Busy with meetings today so no time to cam-whore my divine Outnetted Helmut Lang, but I feel like Andy Sachs at the end of The Devil Wears Prada.  Am a big advocate for copious amounts of running around town, or up & down stairs whilst balancing boxes in heels!

Best. Workout. Ever. *glee*

Sale, Sale, Sale...

T.G.I.F!!! As part of my celebration for surviving this grueling week of BLAZING heat, how about some Alexander Wang at 75% OFF?

Alexander Wang techno fabric skirt with pockets - US$92
(somebody buy this before I cave... this is that hi-tech fabric that's thin but keeps ya warm)

Alexander Wang silk dress - US$192

If you're more of a T by Alexander Wang fan, I found his classic pocket tank 50% off (S and L only though... *sob*

To top off your haul, how about a cute pair of Gryson leather flats? At US$89 (75% off), they're an absolute steal! Please go forth and bolster the economy.

Target @ Home

Galpal M is much more of a home decor person than I am, but this has got me really excited! Hot on the heels of Orla Kiely, Dror Benshetrit (of Pick Chair fame, below) is the latest designer to develop an affordable home line with Target.
The modular shelving system is my pick for the best buy at only US$90! Having spent a moderate sum on furnishings before, I can tell you that even your local Chinatown contracter won't be able to duplicate the design for that price.

We need a Target here stat. {source}

Shoe Lust : Kirsten Stewart in THOSE Rodarte boots

I realise these Rodarte boots will take at least half an hour to lace-up just right, but I deeply DEEPLY covet them.Practicality-wise, it took two people to put it on backstage... but it appears the foot portions can be slipped off when the need to try on other shoes arises (a small consolation?):Nicholas Kirkwood was reportedly considering putting these babies into production:

‘We're thinking about putting them into production now. But we'll probably tame them down so they'll just be below the knee.'

They're so fabulous (and deliciously unattainable) when mid-thigh but I suppose I could live with the design alteration if it meant a couple of hundred quid off the price. Yay.

{source}

Hallelujah : My First Outnet Score!

I am SO glad about emptying my lunch allowance into the offering tray on Sunday because The (Shopping) Powers That Be have chosen to reward my generosity by making available a Helmut Lang black shirt dress... in my size... AND within my monthly shopping budget!

The damage? A barely discernible 65 quid (after 70% off). That's Mango pricing for Helmut Lang, people! I don't usually stalk Outnet, but I'm now a believer in its true greatness.

If the dress doesn't fit, I'm going to cry myself to sleep and then embark on a massive diet or exercise bootcamp.

Emma Watson Reinvented

Emma Watson has been on a bit of sartorial quest to distance herself from her Harry Potter roots. Sometimes these transition periods for child stars gets a bit nasty (Drew Barrymore/Macaulay Culkin anyone?) but I really have to applaud her, Christopher Bailey and Mario Testino for completely changing the way I look at her!
Pretty much didn't realise it was Emma Watson until reaching the penultimate paragraph in Bagaholic Boy's post on the campaign. WOW. She looks bloody amazing... makes me want to run out and friction burn my credit card on a Burberry trench.
{here and here}

A Regional Find: ONEANDAHALF

It was lovely of the FN girls to showcase ONEANDAHALF - a diffusion line by regional Singapore/Indonesian designer Nina Nikicio, whose main collection showed at the recent Audi Fashion Festival.

ONEANDAHALF's debut offers a palette of classic black, white and heather grey and not a few jersey items that have a definite T by Alexander Wang feel to them. I'll ignore the rather counter-cohesive inclusion of two coffee pieces (a pant and a jacket) and a lone navy vest which IMHO doesn't sit well with the rest of the rather good collection - if this were Project Runway (which I miss greatly by the way), what would Tim Gunn say?

An interesting basic might be the Detacheable Shirt Dress which can be worn neat, or as a cropped shirt or sleeveless vest:Accessories-wise, check out the cute Checkered Detachable Cuff and Doubled Collars (no pun intended) that will almost certainly go with my imaginary collection of Tristan Blair SS09/10 shoes:
Can't speak for the quality of the jersey without seeing it for myself but at SGD28 for a Wang-esque jersey tank dress, one can hardly complain. This is virtually Primark!

Prices SGD17-69 (i.e. everything's under US50) {buy here}

Too Cute, Too Cool : Weddings

There's absolutely NO shopping to done in this post, but these 3 weddings (from the good people at Green Wedding Shoes) are such a delight! And they bring me right back to pals' A+J's fabulously cool wedding last week :)

Can't stress how refreshing the wedding ideas are on this site. Am pretty much sick to death of the boring meringue gown strolling down the aisle to the strains of Shania Twain, followed by dinner in a hotel banquet hall *yawn*

If I see another cheesey montage or receive another pointless picture frame engraved with the couple's names, I might lose my 8-course Chinese dinner. So, feast your ideas on these REAL weddings:

~ Penelope + William ~

I love the vintage details to this wedding.
Admittedly, this is a look that isn't easy to pull off in the tropics:

~ Sarah + Adam ~

I love a 'runway to reality' showcase. Check out the bride's reinvention of the John Galliano FW06 gown!

Also love the cheerful wedding shoes:

~ Devon + Joe ~

Another great use of non-traditional wedding shoes!

The groom is also absolutely channeling Paul Rudd *heart*