Fashion Fun! Chanel Rouge Allure, Mango Silk Top & Rossano Bisconti Boots for Balcony Style

From 2005 to 2014, Chanel lipsticks have been chosen as my mom’s souvenirs as long as I tour around the globe, but none of any performed on my lips. After applying YSL RougePur Couture 1, I realise that Asian full lip shape can be classy with alarm colours as well. The high humidity of Taiwan may cause the smudged make-up, on the contrary, the dryness in Finland requires moisturized lip balm and lipstick to balance the moistness percentage of mouth.

No doubt, CHANEL Rouge Allure Inimitable #105 is yet another must-have after 30% off at Sokos stock sale. Nestled in its sleek black case, with one simple click, Rouge Allure offers a radiant and satiny makeup result in an ultra-smooth texture.

I love practical and wearable items in art from. Footwear lately becomes my yet another accessories collection. The comfortable boots with a touch of funky are the perfect balance between art and design, with walking properly, taking a seasonal polish and maintenance, they can surely last several decades. Italian Rossano Bisconti’s rubber soles and leather surface give my feet confident steps. I discover this pair, 65% off, at designer shoe outlet Kengät Friikki (Shoes Freak) in Helsinki central. This is how intriguing of accessories, that they can be well-known high-end, but also match playfully with alternative boutique wears.

I am wearing Marc by MJ sunglasses, Chanel rouge, Mango silk cotton shirt, Gina Tricot jeans and Rossano Bisconti ankle boots, quite a sassy style to have a cup of Fazer afternoon hot chocolate. 

Special Thanks: JMH

Magazine Madness: Vivienne Westwood is the Gentlewoman SS14

Issue no°9 Spring and Summer 2014

When the gentlewoman magazine portraits Vivienne, shot in black and white, within the poppy red frame cover on Jeremy Leslie’s magculture blog, immediately I decide that I must shop a copy of my very own.

For echoing the poppy red cover, the front and back linings are identical colours, and Dame Westwood welcomes the readers in a relaxation pose on page 2. Divided into 4 parts--- international designers’ fashion advertisement, modernisms, womanhood and fashion, the whole magazine adapts Matt art paper, gloss coated art paper and recycled wood-free paper to distinguish its 4 themes. Those interviewees’ first names appear at upper left corner on even page numbers, and the last names on the odd page numbers, which, an interesting details to notice while reading the articles.

On the 12-page interview, this Dame Punk had once sneaked out a spoon from a restaurant just because Westwood couldn’t bother buying some kitchenware. But for the shopping advises, she suggests that “if you really like something, then you should try to buy it. And if you can’t afford it, don’t get something that is half the price but that you don’t really like. Don’t do that” (Orr, p.121). As many designers, Westwood considers buying high quality products is good for the whole economy and environment. “What’s good for the planet is good for the economy”, that’s why she has been always so caring that her clothes were really good value for money. Yet, I still found out that some parts of Westwood’s Anglomania collection are now made in Korea, since those were used to made in Italy, and some of her scarves series containing too high percentage of polyester elements.

What surprises me is about Dame’s opinions on 20 th century iconoclasm, in which she extrapolates her contempt from Ai WeiWei’s action on “Dropping a Han Dynasty Urn” to those contemporary artists, that they have no culture, no ideas and no spirit to communicate, “it’s so dead.” As being a climate activist and history additive, and her identity and business have no need a yet further explanation, Westwood has her very powerful voice to utter.

This biannual independent ‘womanhood exclusive’ magazine no. 9 issue joining Westwood are 28 exceptional international women of wit, brilliance and beauty.  Without editor’s words, the texts, the photography and the design, tells it all.

Collecting paper production is just as shopping quality clothes: “Buy less, choose well, make it last”.

For more inside story of making the gentlewoman, please visit Jeremy Leslie’s interview with the Editor-in-Chief, Penny Martin. 

Photography and Works Cited:

http://thegentlewoman.co.uk/

Orr, Deborah. ‘When Vivienne Talks, We Should Listen’. The Gentlewoman No.9. London: the gentlewoman, 2014. Pp.114-25. 

Accessories Accede: Vivienne Westwood Orb Obsession

UK Punk, Sex Pistols, new wave, Climate Change, whatever you link and describe this Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, she still, though at age of 72, lets the fashion rock. Her curve-cut and fine fabric collection have always been fascinating me. Until I purchased my very first Vivienne Westwood accessories in 2006 that I realized how the rebellion attitude conquers her queendom of design.

After year 2000, Westwood’s collection returned to more an asexual cut, even so, particularly the Japanese-designed accessories line, is highly feminine. I dare not to donate my monthly budget to non-discounted merchandises, luckily I discovered Bazaar outlet (closed in 2011) at Taipei shopping Mecca, and got familiar with 1~2 friendly staff from Anglomania; therefore, some Westwood goodies are becoming the art attack of my life.

Here I am wearing Vivienne Westwood orb earrings, the orb logo represents ‘taking the tradition’ while the satellite ring stands for ‘into the future’, with rhodium setting studded with pink enamel, a 2006 limited edition(5% off at Hanshin Dept. Store, Kaohsiung). Shouldering on cowhide bag(60% off at Bazaar outlet), carved with dozens of orb logos on the royal blue leather and sewn outnumbered ones on the internal linens, hanging with a round leather light brown tag with an orb logo again, Made in Italy by Braccialini; a super functional and orb luxurious combination.

Since orbs performing as my major outlook, a 65%mohair hollow Vanessa Bruno sweater (found at Taipei SOGO department store, at 70% off Chinese New Year Sale!) and a pair of 95% cotton Gina Tricot black slimfit jeans complete the date. Finnish seafood lunch at Kaarna Baari, here I come!