Alexander McQueen SS2011 Collection

I'm loving the color palette in Alexander McQueen's SS2011 Collection!

My favorite looks so far: the first suit with the striped shirt and the tie which is simply perfection, and the second look with the scarf which screams pure French chic. The plaid suit in the third look is also very suave; the white shirt looks interesting and reminiscent of the classic McQueen aesthetics which is very vintage-y and royal-esque.

Oh, I'm also loving James Smith's hair - he has the perfect head shape.

More looks after the jump!

Happy Holidays!

Was inspired by the cute lists of favorite things from the characters of Gossip Girl here. Wishing everyone good health and good taste (wink) in the year to come!

P.S. Just received a last minute invitation to a Christmas / New Years Eve party? Check out my picks for the perfect party outfit here!

SS2011 Shopping List Item #3: Leather shoes with colorful soles

Photo credit: Jil Sander

Photo credit: Prada

Phot credit: Phenomenon

3. Leather shoes with colorful soles

While it seems like the clothes from SS2011 collections will be a bit more earth tone-ish, it's Spring / Summer after all - there must be some colors somewhere!

So here they are - the colors, under our feet.

I'm really feeling all these leather shoes with eye-catching soles. The hints of colors make the shoes pop and they all look like a lot of fun! They bring a very welcomed touch of youthfulness to the otherwise plain-looking leather shoes but at the same time remaining the sophistication and suaveness.

I'm especially in love with the Prada creepers. Give me an over-sized shirt, a pair of tailored shorts and a pair of these creepers, I'd be good to go for a Summer brunch or a lazy stroll in Soho!

Missed items #1 and 2? Find out what they are here and here and stay tuned for more items in the coming weeks!

Givenchy SS2011 Campaign

Photo credit: Givenchy via DesignScene

I'm really loving the new Givenchy SS2011 visuals featuring albino model Stephen Thompson. It's defying traditional standards of beauty while being very true to the brand's attitude at the same time. But then I guess this is what we should've come to expect from the brand, after designer Riccardo Tisci cast transexual model Lea T in their ad campaign last year.

Burberry Prorsum Pre-fall Collection 2011

It's a bit weird to already be talking about fashion in FW2011, but anyways, there are many things in this world I'd never understand, so I'll just have to let this one slip. (Or wait, is this some sort of meta thing fashion royalties cooked up by creating an extra fifth season?)

These are my favorite looks from Burberry Prorsum's pre-fall 2011 collection. Looks like camel is back, bringing along its neighbors in its color scheme vicinity - bronze, tangerine and a more chocolatey brown. Shearlings will also make a return but looks like it'll be blended into different fabrics other than leather like we've seen this season. I'm also loving the brown shoes, a lot.

See more looks I like and figure out where to view the full collection after the jump!

Watch Wanted: Bvlgari Carbon White Gold Watch

Photo credit: Bvlgari via Selectism

Converse x iPhone = The Sampler

Photo credit: Converse via iTunes

Here's another app for all the iPhone junkies I see everyday, back slouched, head down, fingers poking frantically. I don't own an iPhone (Sorry, I'm a Blackberry kinda guy *wink*) but this looks pretty neat. It saves up all the hassle with trying shoes on, especially ones with shoe laces! Would love to see an upgrade where it lets you "try" on the shoes sideways though.

Anyways, regardless if you're a Converse fan or not, the app is FREE and here's the download link!

H&M Video Lookbook SS2011

Question: What's better than previewing the lookbook of H&M's SS2011 collection modeled by the very suave and dandy looking Ben Hill?

Answer: Watching the lookbook of H&M's SS2011 collection modeled by the very suave and dandy looking Ben Hill!

I'm loving the navys and the clean tailorings (best look goes to the first one, anybody?) but am having some serious second thoughts about the military green. Not that military green isn't hot - it's been ubiquitous all season - but for us Hongkies with the Asian skin tone, military green doesn't exactly make us look dashing. Having said that, I'm digging the last look with the military green jacket and the white pants. Maybe that's the solution to my Asian-skin-tone-complex with military greens: pair it up with something light to liven up the look!

As for the rest, seeing the jumpsuit in action changed my mind about it - with the shimmering gold zipper, I am not ruling out any possibilities of me sporting it on a lazy Summer day. The blues are also working for me (Surprise! My favorite color is blue!) and all these suede shoes the models are wearing look really appealing.

Last but not least, I want Ben Hill's hair. kthxbye

Video credit: H&M via Designer HK

SS2011 Shopping List Item #2: Clothes with blotches of paint on them (updated)

Photo credit: Kris van Assche

Photo credit: Dries van Noten

Photo credit: Dries van Noten

2. Clothes with blotches of paint on them

I love painting and it's usually a nightmare when paints get onto my clothes, but my nightmare may turn into a dream come true, because apparently, clothes with paint on them are in for Spring/Summer 2011!

The blotches of paint make the otherwise black and white palette exciting and dynamic. I am especially loving the ambiguity they bring as I love clothes that make people go: is that DIY or what? Nothing says uninspired more than cookie-cutter - why else are we mixing and matching our looks every single day?

The paint trend has, in fact, been going on for some time already, one of the pioneers was Alexander McQueen. It looks like more and more designers have green-lighted the trend and are going full blown with it! I'm really tempted to wear all white and go sans apron next time I go art-jamming!

Photo credit: Alexander McQueen

And here's an editorial spread in Designaré Homme featuring this trend:

Photo credit: Design Scene

Missed item #1? Find out what it is here and stay tuned for more items in the coming weeks!

Louis Vuitton Scott Campbell Collaboration SS2011

With all due respect to people with tattoos, I don't think I'll ever get one. At least not in the foreseeable future.

It's not so much about what other people would think of me, but more like the almost certain possibility of me resenting the design I would've picked out for myself. My mind changes every three seconds - how am I supposed to live with permanent ink that I can't wash away on my own skin? And, if you - like me - already think t-shirts are tricky, tattoos are bad news because they're on a completely different level: they can get either really cheesy or mind-blowingly epic. To be honest though, most of the ones I see fall into the former category.

Having that said, ever since I saw Louis Vuitton's collaboration with celebrity tattooist Scott Campbell on the brand's Spring/Summer 2011 collection, my perspective towards two things I previously didn't like changed: namely, Louis Vuitton and tattoos.

Photo credit: Louis Vuitton via The Cut

I can't recall the last time I actually liked something from LV, let alone wanting to spend money and buy. The connotation the brand entails (dirty rich but tasteless) is not something I aspire to (rich, maybe, but definitely not dirty nor tasteless). Throw in some tattoos, I thought it was gonna be a deadly mix. I mean I absolutely admire Marc Jacobs, and I adore his aesthetics and designs, but then again who can forget his Murakami-phase? (Hello? Cherries and sakuras with smiley faces on monograms? No, thank you!)

Interestingly, it worked. I can't say I'm desperately hooked, but I really want the tattoo print scarf. It's simply perfection. Why is it perfect? It's the combination of luxury with attitude. The Burberry pewter washed merino cashmere check scarf I have on my wish list on the left sidebar of this blog is a tad bit too vanilla for my taste. But then "edgier" ones like the Alexander McQueen skull print scarf is a little too much and already overused (it's in a limbo between last season and classic). Not to mention I'm not a big fan of (any) monograms. Then comes this Scott Campbell creation. It's everything I want, in one.

Photo credit: Louis Vuitton

It's not news fashion is dipping into some tattoo ink lately, with Chanel releasing their line of temporary tattoos which celebs and models alike have gone crazy over earlier this year. But seriously? Temp tats are just juvenile no matter who does it.

Photo credit: Chanel

Maybe some day I will get a tattoo for real, but for now tattoos on fabric is just equally lasting, fun, and hot, without me having to suffer through pain and the fear of irreversibility!

Haven't seen enough? Watch the Louis Vuitton Scott Campbell Collaboration teaser video after the jump!

SS2011 Shopping List Item #1: Leather Belts with a Twist

It always bothers me a little re: how fashion houses showcase their Spring collections almost a year in advance, but then I guess everyone needs some buffer to shop for the trendy looks that are being featured in the fashion shows. And god knows how difficult it is to shop with a purpose in mind. It's always when you shop without having a specific goal in mind you find the perfect pieces!

Having that said, we still need a general direction to prevent us getting caught off guard when great pieces come our way. So I've decided to compile a short (but sweet) shopping list for SS2011 based on the looks designers have been pushing for the coming Spring/Summer! Here's item #1...

Photo credit: Marc by Marc Jacobs 

Photo credit: Michael Kors

Photo credit: Robert Geller

Photo credit: Robert Geller

1. Brownish Leather Belt with a Twist

Is it me or is every major SS2011 men's collection featuring these brown / camel belts with a twist? I think the trend started some time in FW2010 and ever since it has been spreading around like wild fire!

It's everything I look for in accessories: an understated color that still pops and a twist that brings an effortless sophistication (literally so in this case!).

What I personally find interesting also is that these looks could easily have been picked out from Fall lookbooks with the grayish, earth-tone palette and the knits - not typically and not necessary something that shouts Spring.

Stay tuned for more items on my list in the coming weeks!

IN MY BAG: Lanvin for H&M Collection!

Pheww... What an eventful morning! Witnessed the first time in my life where people would actually rip clothes off mannequins as if clothes were food in a famine. Then things took a turn for the better best! Lesson learned: life is full of surprises! Wanna know what happened? More updates soon on what I got!

Shoe Mania: Christian Louboutin Sneakers SS2011

Photo credit: Christian Louboutin via Highsnobiety

Cardigan Crush: Vivienne Westwood Cut Out Cardigan

Spotted these new cardigans by Vivienne Westwood from her FW2010 ad campaign and sorta fell instantly in love with them!

Cut outs are tricky to pull off in a classy way because of the rock n roll feel that entails but once you get there, they're so incredibly sexy. I do admit they do look like some sort of sewing machine error right now - but imagine wearing a t-shirt inside with a playful color that pops like the very right-now neon palette or a shirt with a pattern underneath to give it a sophisticated touch.

Take a look at them in grey and the Vivienne Westwood ad after the jump!

One More Week To Go! Lanvin for H&M

In a little less than a week's time, we'll be getting our hands on the Lanvin for H&M line! Remember to check out my post on the detailed arrangements on November 23 with complete price lists for both gents and ladies!



I can hardly wait!

Preview: H&M Spring 2011 Lookbook

Here, we have the preview of H&M's featured looks in Spring 2011. The trend of military green extends from AW2010 to SS2011, along with combat boots and brown leather details! Not a huge fan of the green jumpsuit, but I'm liking everything else I see. I'm particularly digging the sweatpants in the second look.

What about you?

Photo credits: Design Scene

This Week In Fashion

• Tired of muggle clothing? Get Harry Potter-inspired apparel from Hot Topic. More here.

• Hear Alber Elbaz's words of wisdom on traditions and heritage at the IHT Heritage Luxury London 2010 Conference [VogueTV]

• Edward Cullen doesn't wear Burberry, according to Vogue UK.

• Loved Tom Ford's 'A Single Man'? Good news: He's already working on a new movie! The Cut has more.

Style Notes: Party Cavaliers

Wondering what to wear for all the Christmas and New Year's Eve parties you have lined up in your calendar? Worried that it'd cost you a fortune to look hot and dandy while you're counting down at Times Square? Fear not, because as always, you've come to thee right place.

I've pulled together two sets of party looks for just about everyone: one for the more established gentlemen with a designer budget, and another for those who want to keep things economical but still look stylish and chic.

For those with a designer budget...

Jacket: Deepest Blue Velvet Slim Blazer by D&G Dolce & Gabbana 

Bow Tie: Maroon Spot Silk Bow Tie by D&G Dolce & Gabbana

Suspenders: Black Pin Dot Braces by Fred Perry

Shirt: Dinner Shirt by Alexander McQueen

Trousers: Flannel Tailored Trouser by Prada

Shoes: Leather Brogues by Maison Martin Margiela

For those who wanna keep things economical... 

Jacket: Grey Blazer from H&M

Shirt: Herring Bone Shirt from Zara

Cardigan: Burgundy Slim Marl Cardigan from Topman

Trousers: Tailored Black Trousers from Zara

Shoes: Black Patent Leather Shoes from H&M

Glasses: Black Square Reader Glasses from Topman

Photo credits: Matches, MyWardrobe.com, H&M, Zara, Topman

5preview x Joey Yung Number 6 Concert Souvenir T-Shirt

Photo credit: 5preview via my903.com

Swedish indie fashion brand 5preview will be partnering with Hong Kong pop singer Joey Yung to release two t-shirts to commemorate Joey's sixth live music concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum this month.

I've only recently fallen in love with 5preview's tongue in cheek humor and their funky aesthetics so I have yet to own anything from them. Would these t-shirts be a good start?

Zara Lookbook Man November 2010

More at Zara.com.

The Rug Company x Alexander McQueen

Remember the gorgeous Paul Smith "LOVE" wall hanging in Carrie Bradshaw's redecorated apartment at the end of the first Sex and the City movie?

The Rug Company is back with another designer collaboration! This time round it's prints from the legendary Alexander McQueen that's being weaved into our homes. Match your classic McQueen skull scarf with a skull print carpet or your smoke print jacket with a smoke print cushion! The luxurious black and gold print from the Resort 2011 collection is also available. Long live McQueen!

Photo credits: Alexander McQueen, The Rug Company via Highsnobiety and Barneys New York

Photo credits: Alexander McQueen, The Rug Company via Highsnobiety

And... good news if you're already thinking of getting the collection - I already spotted the cushions on display at the Lane Crawford at Pacific Place the other day:

Levi’s Workwear by Pendleton Collection

Denim made a comeback this year and now it's a level up with the tribal element thrown in - Levi's collaboration with Pendleton is exactly that! I'm loving the mix of fabrics and the aborigines feel it carries. It's Pocahontas gone Gap!

Shopping Intel: Lanvin for H&M

Unless you've been living under a rock in a cave somewhere in the Amazon rainforest, you'd have heard about the Lanvin for H&M collaboration. As every shopaholic would know, strategy is of the utmost importance in major shopping events like this one, so here we have some crucial info regarding the first day of sale so as to help everyone strategize and snatch that much coveted collection right off the racks and into our shopping bags!

Date: November 23, 2010

Time: Starts at 8:00 am sharp

Stores: ONLY available at the H&M stores in Central, TST, Elements, and Langham Place

Ground rules: Each customer can only buy ONE piece of ONE size out of every item available.

Logistics for the Ladies: The first 320 customers will be separated into 16 different groups (20 customers per group) and each customer will be given a wristband (one of the 16 different colors representing 16 groups) which has a specified time on it and each customer will be given 10 minutes each to shop in the Lanvin section. If you're the 321st customer, you will need to wait until all 16 groups have finished shopping before you can get into the Lanvin section and pick up whatever that is left.

Logistics for the Gents: NO time limit for us gentlemen. So no wristbands, no groups.

I hope EVERY shopper will get whatever item their hearts desire! Here's a list of all the items with prices in HKD for some even earlier planning at home:

Source: H&M
Price lists credit: Popbee