Wednesday, September 30, 2009

In Muggie we trust!

For those of you who enjoy having a little fun in life, trust in Muggie Moscow (http://www.muggiemoscow.dk/) to help you do just that! Michala Jensen, who created Muggie Moscow, comes up with the most out of this world creations that will make your head spin. From her signature star hairbands to her expanding quirky in your face accessories. Here are a few of my favourite picks.


I recently wore this top hat hairband to my birthday tea party where the theme was hats and bow tie. The hairband was an instant hit and fun attraction.

Get dotty in this dalmation inspired silk bow hairband.


Muggie is definitely not afraid to play with colours. This bold blue on pink design gets my nod.


One of her many signature star hairbands.

Dress up your heels and shoes with these party-ready silver sequin galoschers. They also come in stripes and leather for a more "casual" look.

Images: magnet-photos.com

Monday, September 28, 2009

Future statement

Clutches aren't just for evening when they come in such cool futuristic design such as this Emilio Pucci bean clutch in high octane silver. The funky deluxe design makes it a statement accessory for both day and night, casual and high end. My only wish is to make it see-through and then I'll put all my colourful essentials inside!!

I guess blue is fine with me too.

Image: net-a-porter.com

Never too much elegance

This is what I would opt for as an alternative to the usual floor sweeping evening gowns.

The open mandarin collar detail, tight bodice, slim belt, flowing skirt, and I can't see clearly from the image but it seem like the dress is silk with delicate embroidery detail. There's something very timeless, classic and superbly elegant about this dress. Oh, for the extra touch of luxe, throw on some fur!

Image: Style.com

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Elegant masculine lines

The boyfriend blazer from last season takes on a new shape and length in Araks SS10.


Image: Style.com

Of sweethearts and queens

Antonio Berardi's SS10 showed a lot of sweetheart bust lines, a classic romantic look that doesn't seem to come around enough these days. Two of the looks that really struck me or caught my favour were these two:


Once a while a go, I saw a friend's picture where she wears vintage black dress with chiffon top and it struck me how simple yet very feminine and sensual that detail can be. Ever since then, I've been looking out for dresses or tops like this and have yet to find the perfect one. However, this piece from Araks comes close. The graphic lines that accentuates the curves gives the soft look a modern twist for that uptown cocktail style.

This tube sweetheart dress won me over on both sides - front and back. The graphic lines and the colour block that reminds me of the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, but a slimmer and contemporary one. Instead of black, the back of this dress is blue.

Images: Style.com

Friday, September 25, 2009

Quaintly Blue


Blue and I have history. When my sister and I were growing up, my mom would always buy or sew us the same dresses in pink and blue. (I still haven't found out why specifically those two colours) And somehow, I always end up getting the blue ones. Through many years of conditioning and convincing myself that blue are for girls too, I guess the power of my mind won. Now in my adult years, anything electrically blue will send some kind of shock to my brain reception and trigger a series of chemical reaction that tells me that what is see - is awesome.

Last season's craze with colour was a galore for me and I'm loving the fact that this trend is continuing strongly. A recent visit to hm.com (just for inspiration and absolutely no intention of purchasing) ended up with a pseudo-wishlist. Most of them were blue, of course.
Simple yet strong skirt for an impact-ful day or weekend wear. Makes those difficult to match tops suddenly very versatile.

I'm still somewhat in doubt with these suede boots. But the colour, ahh, so alluring.
There's something about these 19th century English boots that's very Oliver Twist and Helena Bonham Carter. Quaint and crazy, in a nice way. A challenging style not for everyone, especially if you think you have larger than average legs. Otherwise, the laced up boots makes an interesting twist to the also classic tapered pants.


This grey t-shirt dress reminds me of a specific top from Marc by Marc Jacobs, also an embellished t-shirt. The dress brings a slightly more fabulous touch to your easy weekend wear with it's sparkling colours. Pair it with leggings, simply accessories and boots to complete the look.

And these chic stripe fingerless arm warmer to keep my hands warm in the winter while I type away on my laptop.

Images: hm.com

Drapes at Burberry

I was never a big fan of Burberry for the same reason that I'm not all too crazy about Louis Vuitton. They are too easy to spot. However, I'd never have guessed the following pieces are from Burberry. Sure there are lots of nudes, but the tulle and draping - now that's something I wouldn't mind biting into.


Having grown up seeing tulle for ballet and drapes on Greek goddesses. So instinctively, I was drawn to this combination shown in nearly all pieces in Burberry's SS10 collection.

Maybe after a few months into the season, this will be another easy-to-spot signature coat from Burberry. But while it's singularity lasts, I will enjoy it and call it my own (figuratively).

A perfect example on how a rugged brown leather belt can pull together almost any look.

Images: Style.com

Fun with fashion


Chris Benz made his SS10 look like so much fun that you just want to part of it and enjoy all that fun too! Especially love the red head Lisa Porter who actually makes me wanna be a red head for a day.

Who says blonde has all the fun? The prevalent pastels in Benz's collection make masculine tapered pants look feminine and elegant.


Wide legged pants make our everyday so much more comfortable and stylish. The string tie belt gives an added effortless charm to the khaki look.

Polka dots are fun. But I prefer the soft pastel tux jacket with fabric buttons that gives everything and anything an old-fashion kinda elegance.

Just because I love the colour. Whether it's call pink, pastel, oyster or salmon, I would wear this colour as accessories, shoes and maybe on my lips and cheeks.

Images: Style.com

Movement at Carlos Miele SS10


A dress made for movement. At first sight, I didn't think much of this piece. But then I saw the graceful lines and flow of the various shades made by movement. If the model was standing still, this would've been such a different dress. So you know what to do if you're wearing this dress - keep moving!

Image: Style.com

BOUT SS10 RTW

Effortless classic elegance and style pretty much embodies Boy by Band of Outsiders SS10 RTW. It hits all the right notes in my venture into more laid back cuts and easy clothes. Don't get me wrong, I still consider Victoria Beckham and her stiff elegance a fashion icon. BOUT SS10 captures what I think casual elegance with a hint of subtle wealth should look like.

Will this work in an office? Sure, why not. I'd love to try the sleeves over jacket sleeves look; it's very relaxed yet still quite chic. Classic tapered pants with rolled up hems are all rage. Will pair with heels for an uptown look or with men's laced up for a masculine twist. Pull it all together with laid back confidence.


At first look, this may look just like any suit. But notice the shorter and usual cuffs and hem. These details make all the difference. To achieve the polished slim look, make sure the area around the chest and sleeves are well fitted.

How to dress up a drape skirt look while toning down the feminity of the design.

I guess there'll be lots of whites for guys next SS, again. To update the look, shorten sleeves and roll up hems. Go for a sockless look, though I'm not a fan of loafers, even if they're Tod's.

Parkas are great for a light spring or summer day. Parkas are probably not the first fashion outerwear to come to mind, but they are an easy transitional outerwear that gives that effortless chic finish.

Images: Style.com

A new angle

Recently while flipping through the new collection images from SS10, an inspiration for this blog came to mind.

Whenever I come across an inspiring of interesting image, I always make a mental note of what I like about the style and how to transfer it into my own and the general street style. However, my problem is that I never save these images and I’ve learnt from countless experience that I regret my actions greatly. Because style is evolutionary and continuous. In the future, I will see certain styles that reminds of a certain image I saw some time ago and for some reasons and to a great degree of frustration, I can never find those images again.

Taking cue from the lookbook concept that fashion people have been using for ages, I’ve decided that it’s high time that I have my own lookbook. Sorta like a scrapbook with fashion images and style notes. I was a bit hesitant with the idea initially, as it will be the first time I try an angle on this blog that’s dedicated almost entirely for myself. But on the other hand, it would be great to share some of my style notes with you and let the images inspire you too. :-)

Hope you’ll enjoy the images and find them useful for your own style notes too.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Stella McCartney Thigh High Boots


I'd love to see someone wearing these sky high faux leather boots! Major seductiveness oozes from its perforated holes and the that gunmetal trim platform - fierce!!

Images from net-a-porter.com

Danish Fashion - probably the world's best kept secret

In my recent fashion transition and reflections, one of the main issues that kept surfacing was my thoughts on Danish fashion and how it compares with the rest of the world (read: mainstream). This of course, is a very general statement as Danish fashion can be mainstream and every fashion capital has its own fashion signature.

When I first encountered Danish fashion (not to be confused with Danish design, which refers to the Dane’s renowned eloquent furniture / home design), my first impression was amused. Then followed by dislike and aversion towards certain styles that clashed with what I considered as tasteful or chic. But to my utter surprise, years later (after some major conditioning and brainwashing) I found myself appreciating and even wearing styles that I openly criticized before. I guess it’s a bit like meeting a new culture or fitting into a new team. First there’s the encounter (Forming), then there are clashes (Storming), then you start to learn and appreciate the new things (Norming), and lastly, you’re so conditioned to the new style that you start adopting it yourself (Performing, voila!). In my case, I’m embracing the Danish fashion like I never would’ve imagined 4 years ago.

Curious fact: the point when I knew for certain that I have crossed to the “dark” side was when I actually considered buying BLACK socks to go with my gym trainers.

Danish fashion has a very distinct style of its own. Some locals claim that it has inspired fashion trends in the rest of the world (this is where people from other fashion capital, like Tokyo, would argue vehemently otherwise); but whatever it does, it’s surely inspiring just like any art work does. The signature looks are large shapes, loose silhouettes, very casual almost hobo, muted (mostly blacks and greys) monochromes, slightly avant-garde, definitely adventurous and occasionally raw. This fashion tone obviously had a lot of influence from one of the fundamental culture (also one that they’ve been trying to get rid of) that has plagued the country – the Jante Law. A fictional law that is so ingrained in the country’s history and is based on the conviction that no one should be better than another. In other words, don’t stand out from the crowd. Obviously, this one didn’t make it to L.A.

However, being unique in a business that’s undeniably driven by mainstream forces has its cons. The recent financial showdown acted like a giant broom that came and swept everyone away. Those who were strong hung on, while the rest as we know are history. OK, that was a bit dramatic; several strong-willed ones are still hanging on but barely. It was a major shake up that slapped the reality of how money IS everything, even for artists. To create art, you need to money. To make money, you need to create things that sell. Being uniquely Danish (read: appealing exclusively for Danes) as fashion is here, I’ve always pondered whether that’s a good thing for them. Being a small country of not more than 6 million people (fun facts: there are 24 million pigs in the country), the fashion industry has a very small market to thrive on. To be successful, one must look abroad.

Recently, I ran casual survey among friends, asking them if they could name a Danish fashion designer or any Danish clothing label that is successful internationally. You try.

Precisely. It is debatable whether it is important to be internationally renowned, but when you start something in a highly competitive industry such as fashion, and in a market where your target group derives from a pool of 5 million people, you should instinctively be compelled to look beyond borders – literally outside the box. Denmark on the contrary, as I have observed, seems think otherwise. Apparently, people are very contented with where they are, what they have and are happy to keep a comfortable status quo. I remember clearly a conversation with the editor from one of the respected Denmark based international fashion magazines about their circulation and their source of revenue. The magazine had a worldwide circulation of 80 000. As for revenue, the magazine only had a handful of advertisers so I could only imagine that they relied heavily on subscriptions and sales for income. My initial respond to that was that there was plenty of room for expansion! But no, they were very satisfied and contented with where they were. This phenomenon is actually quite prevalent among the Danish community; life is too good, why challenge it? Because challenges and adversities define the very progress of humanity. I wasn’t surprised when the magazine announced bankruptcy less than a year later.

The Danish fashion industry needs to stop trying to be the world’s best kept secret. More visibility needs to be created and they can start by delivering more (and this is where all artistic people are going to shoot me) commercial pieces. Create a balanced collection that offers commercial pieces that will sell and support the more exclusive, more avant-garde pieces. Simply put – creating designs that can translate into money, money that will fuel their work and ultimately the fuel fire of their passion.

Another suggestion is to understand and respect your consumers’ buying power. The past 12 months have taught us that expensive haute couture probably isn’t the best strategy at the moment, as Christian Lacroix and Escada have sadly shown us. It’s no secret that many fashion houses do not make profits. But it isn’t romantic anymore to be a luxurious but poor brand; instead, it’s savvier to be a label that hits the right note on key trends and with prices that encourage your consumers to do what they do best – buy!

I love Danish fashion and appreciate its adventurous styles and laid back attitude. Which is even more the reason that I want it to thrive and bring more of its fun, quirky designs to the rest of the world.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Autumn treat

It's Autumn!! Besides looking forward to changing leaves, colourful landscape, crisp air - now you can add Jimmy Choo for H&M to that list!


Thursday, September 03, 2009

Lost (and found) in Transition

I read somewhere last year that the age of blogging will peak in 2009 and go downwards from there. With Twitter and Facebook in sight, this prediction might be realized sooner than we think – or just be proven untrue. Being one who constantly keep an open mind towards new technology and advancement (or just pure fear of being “old” and closed towards progress), I welcome all possibilities. Something which has been in my thoughts the past months when I saw the growing breaks between entries.

Which brings to me to my next point.

During my hiatus, I’ve been reflecting and trying to find an answer to why I haven’t been inspired to come up with an entry this whole time. To call it plainly – I was finding excuses. Trust me, there were many half written entries that never made it. Somehow, I tend to change my mind midway or became my own worst critic. And I believe now that this has a lot to do with me taking on my dream job back in November 2008.

On November 2008, I achieved the first part of my dream to work with fashion. I was hired to work in a newly established PR agency that became the world’s first online luxury showroom. It was a match made in fashion heaven – my IT background and passion for fashion brought the perfect combination for the position. Before this job, it was always a little work here and there, mostly indirect and unofficial. So when this job finally happened, it was like a dream come true (so cliché). With a lot of realities of course – like working for free and taking everything else as a bonus.

Through this job, I was opened to the world of fashion in Copenhagen. Sure it’s not Paris, Milan or New York, but still it was fashion and I loved every bit of it (still do!). Though there were lots of discoveries but funnily enough, the fashion industry is pretty much like what we all imagine it to be. What I did not expect was the personal change that I’d be going through.

A few weeks into the job, I realized that I was having issues defining my style. If you look back at my past entries, you will see a clear pattern of anything feminine, elegant and classy. Now, I’m not so sure if that’s all there’s to it. This change has affected my choices for daily wear (making the question “What to Wear” even more complicated) and shopping a challenging process. By working in fashion, the opportunity has given me the freedom and space that I’ve always dreamt of – to experiment and be adventurous in styling and clothing. Creating new combinations and rediscovering clothes that were once considered too “avant-garde” for the office space. As novice as it may sound, these revelations are always humbling.

However, this transition (which I’m still going through!) has left me a bit in doubt on what I want to express on this blog. My thoughts and opinions are in transition. What I considered less before now has greater meanings. I find this interesting and exciting at the same time – and maybe I wish this process will continue as long as it doesn’t become too confusing.

With that in mind, I’d like to invite you to take this journey with me in discovering this blog’s identity and my style transition.