May 26, 2010 – Media personalities, models, bloggers, and fashion aficionados came together once again to witness the opening of the largest fashion event in the country – The Philippine Fashion Week.
It was a dream come true for a reluctant fashionista like me to attend The Philippine Fashion Week. Fashionistas and guests alike were at their best “Fashionably Chic” attire. I even spotted female celebrities like Ms. Desiree del Valle and Mrs. Christine Jacob-Sandejas all glammed up for the night. And oh boy, I was so lucky to occupy one of the front seats in the show.
SM Department Store officially started the fashion week showcasing its latest collections in three (3) categories: Ladies Wear, Accessories, and Shoes. Through the years, SM provided us with stylish yet practical fashion finds. Now they’ve even raised it a notch higher featuring pieces for resort, casual, work, and evening for the ladies wear. These collections mirror the very lifestyle of a modern Filipina who works at her office 5-6 times a week, parties with her girlfriends on Friday nights, spends time with her loved ones during weekends, and on vacations she goes to the beach to relax and have fun. Certainly, SM understands that SHE needs to accomplish them all in style.
RESORT. On focus were an impressive display of resort clothes in solid colors, floral, stripes, and sexy animal prints in flowing fabrics. We can enjoy the beach all year round with bikini tops and bottoms, tank tops, wraps and skirts, cover-ups and tunics, and beach pants.
CASUAL. The casual wear collection exudes total femininity with an array of playful dresses in rainbow colors and abstract prints. These are perfect clothes for shopping time, movie dates, and coffee with friends.
WORK. The office collection consisted mostly of collared blouses and ruffled shirts, high-waisted slacks and skirts, plus glamorous frocks – all in neutral colors.
EVENING. Pinays work hard but they play harder! The evening collection in basic black and white is especially created for intimate dinners, cocktails, late night parties, and clubbing.
If you’ve been wondering what brand of gorgeous shoes the models wore at the event, well it’s none other than “Parisian“. Yes you’ve read that right! Gone were the old-fashioned sandals with thick heels your granny or your mother used to wear. After taking on a 360-degree turn and having their debut last October 2009, Parisian shoes stepped out in style again this 2010 for more daring collections – Re-Belle with a Cause, Natural Palette in Beige, and Natural Palette in Blush. Wearing these “revamped” shoes will give you sexy gams in no time!
WWW (What Women Want) accessories also made its runway debut. Bib necklaces, Cleopatra cuff bracelets, and classic pieces from their Gold Collection ruled the runway for accentuating each outfit perfectly. Also featured was MSENSE (Men’s Accessories) consisting of fedora hats, functional bags, scarves, and shades. Both are exclusive SM accessories brands.
I had my eyes on this laced top & gold ballerina skirt combo. I think it’s time for shopping! Ciao!
Bottega Veneta debuted its Spring/Summer 2010 collection in Milan and the ready-to-wear pieces consisted of lots of simple neutrals. But the bags, oh the bags! Most consisted of yellow tones, from Bottega’s traditional woven totes, to yellow tie dye and a few reptile skin bags. We can’t wait for the pieces to be sold in stores soon!
We continue going over the handbags of the Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2010-2011 collection. Now, it is time to talk about some handbags that were inspired by the movies industry. It is the Cuir Cinema line that includes models made of leather with different colors: Black, pinkish colors, and grey. The sole model of this line is the Intrigue; this handbag could be considered as a “tote handbag”; it is very elegant and discreet. As a particular feature, this handbag is not proclaiming its condition of being a LV handbag, at least not in an obvious way… The brand’s initials are placed on a side and they are well camouflaged by using the handbag leather; that is the only sign that could be inspected to identify this product as a LV handbag. Even so, the price is another “sign” of a quality handbag: Its retail price is 3,700 Euros (approximately US$ 4,550).
Now, let’s check out one of the most beloved lines that were introduced on the Parisian catwalks. In particular, its prints are a very special sort of camouflage. We are talking about of the Monogram Fleur de Jais line, which is composed of several models: Manége, Carrousel and Speedy. The main feature of this line is it incorporates patches from other different handbags we have commented already. On one hand, it has leather flaps and, on the other hand, some parts include the famous Monogram Canvas background. Also, these handbags have a very nice additional feature: Discreet spangles that are carefully distributed; they are combined with the main material.
These handbags will be available for sale soon with prices around 3,000 Euros (approximately US$ 3,700) and the truth is that, although the designs are a mixture of different styles, they are very wearable and can be combined easily with any casual garment.
Lastly, we have the Monogram Comedie line that is composed of the models Manege and Carrousel. This line has a deep relation with the ostrich skin, which is present in every part of the handbags including the flap, the handbag bottom, and the handle. The Carrousel model is available in white gold, while the Manege handbag has a wider range of colors including aged gold, rose gold, and white gold. Prices are around 5,900 Euros (approx. US$ 7,300) for a Carrousel handbag, and 3,800 Euros (approx. US$ 4,700) for a Manege handbag.
The new bags of the Louis Vuitton Fall Winter 2010-2011 collection has been presented and, in this occasion, Marc Jacobs has applied a glamorous Viennese style with military but sophisticated touches. We can say they are bags with a little eclectic design but also with Louis Vuitton’s “savoir faire”.
At the moment, we have information on three lines, the first one corresponds to the so-called Shako line. This line is comprised by three models: Shako Sac Voyaje is the model that is more similar to a travel bag; regarding its shape, it’s notable the influence of the Keepall (a classic of the Louis Vuitton travel bag collection). Besides, we have the Shako Cabas XXL bag which is a maxi-large and elegant masculine item with shoulder strip and two comfortable handles. And thirdly, the more comfortable option: Shako Cabas Bandoliere, which is a shoulder bag (we can use it as a tote, too).
Prices for the Shako line are: 4,000 Euros for the Shako Sac Voyaje (approx. US$ 5,200); 2,200 Euros for the Shako Cabas XXL (approx. US$ 2,859); and 3,100 Euros for the Shako Cabas Bandoliere bag (approx. US$ 4,030). Obviously, they are high-quality products but with some common characteristics such as their color (by the way, that color has been denominated as “Reglisse”).
Briska is the name of the second bags line. Maybe, it is the most elegant line of this collection: The formality of the models of this line is a remarkable feature. Briska Cabas is, strictly speaking, a tote which is perfect for carrying documents and laptops; the price is close to 3,150 Euros (approx. US$ 4,100). On the other hand, we have a travel bag called Briska Messenger GM; we can say it is a sort of very comfortable shoulder bag to travel; other remarkable features are its huge leather flap and its cross strap to carry it on a shoulder. At the moment, we don’t know the price.
Lastly, the most classic Louis Vuitton line is the Monogram (with the famous material). In this case, a well-made knapsack has been designed by using the traditional Louis Vuitton monogram fabric, which is a symbol of quality and distinction with the logo of the French fashion house; the name of the knapsack is Monogram Macassar Sac-a-Dos, the price is close to 2,000 Euros (approx. US$ 2,600) and the bag comes with two straps (so you can carry it on your back) and a double zipper configuration. Another option is a product similar to other bags we have seen in the past: The Monogram Macassar Messenger G; the price is close to 2,500 Euros (approx. US$ 3,250).
Longchamp continues growing and opting for noteworthy advertising campaigns with beautiful models who project a very remarkable, energetic, and attractive image of the company. With these campaigns, the models catch our attention, not only with nice handbags and accessories, but also with a feminine concept and philosophy of life that are implicit in the ads.
For the second season in a row, Longchamp has chosen Russian supermodel Sasha Pivovarova as the image of its new advertising campaign. After the Spring 2010 collection (where there was a campaign with focus on contemporary art), the new campaign, which was again directed by photographer David Sims, shows a modern and innovative outlook of the Longchamp-style woman.
On the basis of the animal inspiration of the Longchamp Fall 2010 collection, the campaign uses complicated illuminated effects and double exposition techniques (David Sims is an expert in both areas) to suggest the different hidden sides of the feminine personality. Sasha is photographed with profile and full-face expressions to produce beautiful images where the long blonde hair floats around her as if it were the mane of a lion.
In this campaign, the iconic Longchamp handbag is also playing an important role along with Sasha Pivovarova: The Gatsby. This product comes in different, new, and seductive versions. The first one, and more important, is a small and elegant city handbag with a handle, a chain, and leather strap. The Gatsby in red is remarkable and very eye-catching, the same as the Gatsby Bijou which is characterized by having an extravagant patterns mosaic and a flap beautified with strass.
Inspired by mod-chic and French cinema, Galliano’s latest ensembles projected a pretty, “Barbie doll”-like appearance using the label’s trademark of exotic leathers and edgy details. The collection appeared very wearable, adding to the appeal of this fashion house, famous for its over-the-top designs in couture.
J’adore spokesmodel and actress Charlize Theron was present at the Shanghai show, draped in a stunning metallic strapless dress. Other front row guests included stylish soccer star-turned-Calvin Klein X model Hidetoshi Nakata (below, with Delphine Arnault) as well as actresses Helen Mercier and Zhang Yuki.
The city was truly abuzz with Dior, who also celebrated with yesterday’s re-opening of the Shanghai’s Plaza 66 flagship store. The event also marked the release of an exciting, limited collection of never-before-seen accessories from Lady Dior Blue. This year’s lush collection of leather handbags, jewelry and scarves, exclusive to the Shanghai boutique, continues to be inspired by the rich history of the ever-iconic fashion House of Dior.
Below: John Galliano (center) outside the Dior Shanghai flagship store; the newest limited-edition offerings from Lady Dior Blue.
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