Gold Aspirations

Gold: This season’s hottest accessory

With the price of gold at an all time high anything in the color gold or in the material itself screams of luxury. As gold approaches the price of diamonds it takes the starring role as it were the gem rather than the supporting role it has been used to through the decades. Personally I have been more of a white gold kind of person but lately I adore all accessories in gold. It’s nice to see yellow gold as the “it metal” of this season. Daring designers are using modern twists in the details making this metal even more glamorous yet urban chic.
I find it fascinating to witness how fashion and what is in style affect our taste. It seems that every 10 years yellow gold makes a strong comeback. From about 1999 to 2009 white gold was the star of every fashion jewelry line but now we are in the middle of a luscious gold age and I am embracing it!!!

Gold Age by lona-alia featuring gold jewelry

Alexis Bittar crystal bangle
$395 - charmandchain.com

Alexis Bittar gold jewelry
$275 - intermixonline.com

Yves saint laurent ring
$250 - net-a-porter.com

ASOS vintage style jewelry
$26 - asos.com

Brass ring
$422 - farfetch.com

Arielle De Pinto chain necklace
$755 - net-a-porter.com

Long necklace
fantasyjewelrybox.com

Sterling silver jewelry
54 - exoticindiaart.com

Below are catwalk pictures from the collections of Dolce & Gabbana, Vivienne Westwood, Moschino & Bottega Veneta who adorned their winter collections with gold in all shades and shimmers. Pictures courtesy of fashionista.com and style.com

Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta

Moschino

Moschino

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood

Video from Alexander McQueen SS12

 

For the Love of Paris

By Lona

Paris Fashion Week is already in day 4 and I’m really excited to present some of my favorite designers and pieces from their collections.  But first a little note on my love for Paris.

Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world.  I know that is a little bit cliché because EVERYONE is supposed to love Paris but my love relationship with Paris did not start until I lived there.  In fact on my very first visit some 11 years ago I was very unimpressed and could not understand why everyone was so charmed by this city.  Years later, when I was lucky enough to spend 4 summers in a row in the capital of CHIC I finally understood it’s magnetic allure.

Amongst all the usual suspects that Paris does best like Macarons , foe gras, fashion, art, joie de vivre what I love most about Paris is the sheer history that spans over 2000 years and encompasses some of my favourite eras.  You can feel and touch the history all around you. Every building you see has a historic moment tied to it whether it was a famous moment in history or .  What I enjoy doing while in Paris it to take a picnic spread and sit  by the fountain in the Jardin de Tuileries  directly across from the Louvre.  On a warm summer day it is such a beautiful sight and feeling to sit there and imagine how the Louvre was 100, 200, 300, 500 years ago and get lost in that world.  Below is a picture of that view.

One of my favourite quotes of all times has to be the quote from MIDNIGHT in Paris “To know that Paris exists and anyone would choose to live anywhere else is a mystery to me”

 

Nina Ricci: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Nina Ricci: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Nina Ricci: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Nina Ricci, Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Balmain: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Balmain: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

Balmain: Picture coutesy of Fashiongonerogue

London Fashion Week Report: Day 3&4

By Lona

Day 3 & 4 at London Fashion Week was when the big name designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Mulberry, Paul Smith, Tom Ford and Burberry Prorsum showcased their S/S 2012 collections.

But Burberry, with its impressive set up in Hyde Park away from the usual venues of the London Fashion Week pulled in a star studded FROW including Sienna Miller, Andy Rodick, Mario Testino, Kanye West etc.  Unfortunately our bus from the main venue (Somerset House) arrived late to the show due to surprise surprise London traffic so I was not able to see the show first hand however I’m sure that many of you were able to watch it live via Facebook and perhaps via “Tweetwalk” which tweeted pictures of every look before it hit the runway.

The International Herald Tribune wrote that Christopher Bailey took the coat to places it had never been before.  Indeed the S/S 2012 collection was a real departure from the traditional Burberry pieces.   It embodied artisan elegance through the African-Inspired prints.  Backstage Christopher Bailey was quoted as he described the concept behind the collection. “I loved the idea of craftsmanship, and things that were made by hand, as a contradiction to the pace of the digital world. These pieces were slot to make and made to treasure and last.”

This quote rings very true to us that live and work in Silicon Valley; the heart of the digital world.  Where everything is created and resides in digital space.  There is something to be said about creating beautiful tangible things with your hands.   This is why I love fashion especially couture since most pieces are created by hand and are meant to last and be treasured for a lifetime.

Below are some pictures I snapped and those professionally taken by style.com

The crowd outside Burberry Prorsum

Two bloggers having a fashion conversation after taking pictures of each other’s outfits

LFW: Day 3&4 continued

By Lona

In addition to the Burberry show I was able to make it to two other shows.  Mark Fast and Louise Gray.

At Mark Fast the provocative crochets in his spring collection came in all colors.  “We worked with yellow, orange and fuchsia and feathered printed neoprene to compose a tropical exotic surge of color.” Explained the British designer.   One of the models was constantly getting her shoe caught in the long crochet dress and about to fall but she managed to walk the runway despite this difficulty.   I’m guessing there was no practice run

Louise Gray’s collection was at the Topshop Show Space where many of the attendees were super excited to be there, mingle with each other before the show and show their strong support for this very quirky and exuberant British designer.   Her collection had to be one of the most distinct I have ever seen.  Gray’s signature is her mishmash of color, pattern and texture. “Its how my mother taught me to dress,” she said, “everything matches if you like it.” I think she is extremely creative and original but at the same time I cannot say that I would wear some of the pieces from this collection.  Below are some of the photos I snapped during the shows yesterday.

Mark Fast

Mark Fast

Mark Fast

Gift Bags at Louise Gray

Louise Gray

Louise Gray

London Fashion Week Report: Day 1!

London Fashion Week kicked off this morning and I’m so excited to be here and report back on the latest trends for Spring 2012.  The vibe, the designers, the venue are totally different from New York Fashion week but that is what gives it its charm.  Today’s collections were edgy and dark as you would normally expect from London’s catwalks but I have picked out some colorful favorites as color is what I love.

The Rodnik Band

Sass & Bide

Maria Grachvogel

Maria Grachvogel

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PPQ

Sass & Bide

Jean-Pierre Braganza

Joanne Stoker

Corrie Nielsen