passion is in fashion

Indeed, Sex and the City is grossly misleading, not only in terms of expected apartment sizes of newspaper column writers (not even syndicated!), but also that all New York women all prance around in 4-inch Manolos.

During my years in Hong Kong I have amassed an astonishing amount of 3-inch heels.  (I’m 5′ 7″ and do not have a Napoleon complex.)  See, Hong Kong is very heels-friendly.  First, the city is very compactly constructed.  Just take a look at the hundred-story high-rises — space is a precious commodity.  Second, we were not known to explore much.  The best places to live, work, eat, and drink, were all within a 5-mile radius of Central.  Third, the culture of Hong Kong itself favored heels.  A notorious one-industry town, most people toiled away in über-conservative investment banks.  Exposed toes are not a good look on that chick who’s about to take your company public!  In conclusion, due to the small distance traveled and general expensive footwear-oriented culture, stilettos were my weapon of choice.

By contrast, New  York is just as pedestrian-friendly as it is heels-unfriendly.  Have you seen those cross-town blocks?  They are so freakin’ long!  Combined with the perils of those metal subway covers waiting for your poor stilettos to sink in, heels are not a practical choice.  Though fashionistas may interject with the “heels, always” motto, hobbling down Fifth Avenue is never fashionable.  I love walking and gawking in New York.  Why bereave yourself of such a simple pleasure?  Save the Manolos for the days of being chauffeured.

As much as flip flops suffice for most occasions, it is just a tad inappropriate for any situation involving anything marble.  In particular, I cringe when the rubber goes pitter patter against marble stairs.  What to do?  Here are my choices for chic flat sandals.

Giuseppe Zanotti flat sandal from Endless

Giuseppe Zanotti is *the* brand I think of as soon as I see “flat” and “sandals”.  They create what I consider to be one of their signature items, the jeweled thong, every season.  These are casual but oh-so gorgeous!  Combine with a beautiful pedicure for maximum effect.

K Jacques St Tropez Valerie sandals from NAP

In case you didn’t get the memo, t-strap sandals are all the rage here in New York. I love the K Jacques version.  The tan leather sole nicely sets off the metallic straps, making it glam but not over the top for day.  And what is this “K. Jacques”, you may ask.  Fashionista has some interesting insights.

Gucci Nolita sandals from Bergdorf

If you did seek something more over the top, however, this Gucci version is to-die-for.  Stupid interlocking G’s symbol aside, this sandal is simplicity at its best.  I love mirrored metallics for the summer.  Add a little sparkle to your step while traversing Central Park!

Check out the beautifully-designed L-atitude site, which combines luxury fashion with travel.  It’s like my two great loves in life finally found each other.

Guess who wrote the Hong Kong Zip Code Guide?

Correct answer: Yours truly.

L-atitude

Hong Kong Zip Code Guide

She wore a black sheath dress, black and white leopard print cardigan, black slingbacks, and a gold bangle.  So chic.  In a panel of five, she was the only one who seemed to be completely at ease: putting on a cardigan when it was cold, fidgeting with the hem of her dress, zoning out when it was appropriate, and making naughty quips with raised eyebrows.  (And her eyebrows are really striking to begin with!)

I love the way she talked, with very long drawn out words and elaborate hand gestures.  English is not her first language, which gave her even more of a flair.  While recounting the cultural richness of Vienna, she asked: “What is it, when people take too much drugs?  Yes — Overdose!  I felt like on Overdose!”

English is not my first language either, so I had thought “doyenne” meant an old lady who wears gaudy jewelry and orders people around.  Not true.  The one word that kept appearing in my mind while watching Ms. DVF interact with Prabal Gurung and Norma Kamali is “doyenne”.  Clearly, she commands so much respect that everyone hung on her every naughty quip.

One of my favorite quotes of the night is when she spoke on her design for the New York Sidewalk Catwalk, which is an allover leopard print.  ”It’s nice for women to feel feline, which is why I guess the leopards wear it.”

New York’s Sidewalk Catwalk

Times Talks

I woke up the other day to two jokey messages from my besties back in Hong Kong.  They questioned their ability to wear crazy ruffled dresses in my regrettable absence.  Jokesters.

Fashion is less about beauty than it is about capturing a certain zeitgeist.  The dresses signified a personal roaring-early-twenties:  it was Hong Kong pre-financial-crisis; all my banker friends were fresh out of business school; and everyone stayed out until 3am without question.  Two and something years later comes the end of a fabled time, and thus an end to strapless ruffled dresses in bright colors.

Out of responsibility of reaching the “mid-twenties”, and out of necessity of finally moving to a place with real winters, I am beginning to see viable ways of incorporating turtlenecks into a stylish wardrobe.

More to come.

I have been following this column for a while and it recently took an interesting turn. From the Miu Miu and Just Cavalli post you see that copying is not just happening among the low-end shops anymore. Even more interestingly, take a look at the Bottega v. Ten Over Six post, it’s actually happening in the reverse mode. Low-end inspiring something high-end. (Psst – Remember those LV red and blue bags?)

To add some insider perspective, Prada subscribed to my trend forecasting service right about the time when I left. My trend director and I had some fun with the situation. Just what trend information is Miuccia going to take from a forecaster? Here you have the pinnacle of fashion herself, asking us to inform her of the trends.

Just like the world economy, fashion and designers are more and more interlinked. No label is going to be an island or independently creative (like China in the 1750s?) How do people find inspiration? It’s not sitting in a room with no windows and fiddling, but walking out and exploring the world. We more or less live in the same world with the same major events happening. Sometimes it is hard to not be inspired by the same things, just because it’s the most defining thing happening during our lifetime.

Lastly, the meaning of fashion is simply different today. The likes of Chanel, Dior, and YSL shocked everyone with their respective departures from tradition. But now, everything that’s new and shocking has already been done. Women have worn everything from petticoat-less dresses to pants to bikinis and back. Now it’s about recycling while seeking to impart a new perspective. Are Zara’s designs original? Nope. But is Zara so freaking amazing for revolutionizing fashion and bringing runway to the masses like nobody has ever done? YES.

Fashionista’s Adventures in Copyright

Hello loves! As you all know I am now in the US of A and taking some pretty sweet time off. To sum up, I have been living like a golf-club-swinging-Lilly-Pulitzer-wearing-55-plus WASP! It’s like what’s next? Wearing beige and gold? Together!?! Unthinkable.

To kick off my recent conversion, I decided to take an impromptu beach vacation to Palm Beach, out of all places. Truly a “wintering” place of all New York society types, as I opened the complementary magazine found in my hotel beach bag, I found that it was actually a society gossip rag. You know, a bunch of white people with coiffures standing around with cocktails and smiling. On a more positive note, because it is also generally a retirement community, happy hour starts at 3pm.

Since being home, I have taken to chilling by the country club pool. I love reading one of those recently popular Stieg Larsson books and order a hot dog and beer(s). Nothing more American than reading books from the New York Times Bestsellers list.

After visiting New York last week, I am completely certain that I prefer Sutton Place as opposed to anywhere below 20th street. To quote my friend: “uptown is for the old and boring”, but roughing it in downtown and rubbing elbows with the under-30 set just don’t appeal to me anymore!

Lastly, my material desires are moving away from the all-black and architectural into the pastel and WASP-y. Rick Owens? It’s like who cares!! Currently coveting a Goyard tote (in light blue) and an Hermes bracelet (in white.) But don’t fret yet, still resenting anything cableknit.

During my time off, I wandered into the Louis Vuitton flagship, battled with the latest batch of Chinese mistresses who are there to buy their tax-free status symbol 包包’s, and actually found a pair of basic black sunglasses that I really liked.  I have trouble finding sunglasses that fit my face (small round Asian nose!), and LV is really ahead of the game here — not simply enticing the affluent Chinese consumer with their ubiquitous logo, but also designing things ergonomically to fit the Chinese frame.  Cool!

Was just checking out their site as linked by The Selby, and found Todd Selby’s collaboration with the brand.  Selby to me always represented indie cool, so this is a delightful surprise to me.  (But I mean, indie is the new cool.  Just take a look at the Gossip Girl soundtrack and Elle magazine’s music recommendations.)  I lvoe (typo, but I’m keeping it) that LV is going back to its travel roots.  After all, it is what really distinguishes the brand from its counterparts.  Be sure to check out the Shanghai profiles — the sound is very China!

Journey of a Wardrobe by Todd Selby for LV

Link to this NY Mag post courtesy of H.  Hilarious!

(Photo: Todd Selby for New York Magazine)  *PS – Of The Selby fame!

How did it go?  Inquiring minds want to know.  Spent four hours at a certain pageant interview this Saturday.  Always knew it was anti-feminist to do so, however could not resist the experience out of pure curiosity and admittedly a light sprinkling of vanity.  The rumors are true.  It was a disappointing, and at times, mildly insulting experience.

Let’s begin with the interview checklist.  It contained a list of things we should prepare for, including: 1) casual outfit i.e. jeans, colored tops, 2) swimsuit, preferably two-piece, 3) heels, and 4) cocktail dresses.  Other than the self-introduction, we are to perform a “talent”.  You know, cuz like, they don’t base their picks purely on looks, right?

We did our self introduction in front of a panel of four judges.  Two of those judges are old men.  I remember walking in my bikini, noting the expression on their faces, and thinking: not enough money in the world to make me do this.

The self introductions were varied.  I basically told them about where I grew up, and how my friends did it before and said it was fun.  You know, the usual —- whatever one says in front of a panel of four people looking at you in a bikini while taking notes.  However, I was not prepared for some of the other ones that came.  Clearly, some girls had practiced for days and memorized their lines.  They went something like: “大家你们好， 我是13号xxx…”  It was strange.  I held back from laughing.

Some of the girls were really obsessed.  They knew who the judges were and who was really important.  They came out after the talent round asking about every single word the judges said.  I sat there eating pork dumplings.  Later on I find out from the receptionist that as a contestant, I am not supposed to eat in public.  I could never not eat in public (what if I go — gasp — hungry?!), so right then and there I knew I could never do it.

But the worst of the day was just how BORING it was to sit there and wait as they call for the next girl to come in to change to perform their talent.  The interview itself, where there was actual action happening, took no more than 30 minutes in total.  The rest of the time was chilling in the waiting area.  The whole organization was just so inconsiderate.  I can tolerate prancing around in a bikini and answering retarded questions about what I would do in hypothetical performance situations, but not such wild inconsideration about the value of my TIME.  If this is any indication about what the pageant world is it, I do not find pageants so offensive for blatantly objectifying women, as I find it offensive for simply wasting a young girl’s TIME.  Is it too much to ask for to be reasonably intellectually challenged, and failing that, simply entertained?

And thus that is as much pageantry as I can take.  Off I go with my normal non-bikini-prancing life now….

Halal Sprite in the airport lounge

Kitschy table lamp at Potato Head

Was in Jakarta last week and wishing I was still there.  My client arranged for me to stay at the Lippo Karawaci Village, which is a rich suburb where everything from the grocery store to the hospital is owned by the Lippo Group (Note 1: Lippo Group is now bankrupt due to a rather delicious scandal.  Note 2: in SE Asia, the same person owns everything.  See book Asian Godfathers.)  Sometimes I woke up in the morning, opened my curtains, saw a bunch of palm trees, and mistakenly thought that I was on vacation. But alas, the 8 am conference calls never fail to bring me back to reality.

I’m really appreciating these Southeast Asian cities.  Jakarta is chaotic and charming all at the same time — in a way that only a city with 13 million in population and severe income inequality could be.  Coincidentally at coffee this morning I glanced at some article suggesting that Indonesia, which has consistently achieved 4 percent growth, should be included in the BRIC countries.  I finished the coffee before finishing the article, so am not sure whether the suggestion prevailed (against growth-hindering political instability), but I’m leaning towards YES, based on purely anecdotal evidence, bien sur!

Exhibit A. Technological Infrastructure (prevalence of the Blackberry)

Everyone.  *Everyone* uses the Blackberry as their regular mobile phone.  The combination of reasonable RIM service rates for individuals and the Blackberry Messenger program not being blocked on corporate machines make the BBM preferred method of communication.

The result is everyone from teenagers to CEOs alike talk to their friends and even subordinates on the BBM.  For the first time ever, my clients asked me for my pin.  Our conversation ranges from when the car is picking me up to how they are going to make the international wire.  The display picture, by default, is always one of those outstretched arm pictures with one’s significant other. Display names vary from “ * ~ $ Anna $ ~ * “ to  something simpler and thus more professional.  Same goes for status messages.

What’s more, I was not the only who gasped at the prevalence of BBM use.  See here for my friend’s analysis on AsiaWheeling.

Exhibit B. Availability of Capital (as seen at the Grand Hyatt pool)

Although I was exiled in the faraway wealthy ‘burb, I made time to visit my friend who was staying in the more centrally-located, traffically-congested CBD.  While I primped in the locker room afterwards, I saw a woman slouched in the chair behind me smiling at her pink bedazzled Blackberry, looking very much like a teenager.

Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a true specimen of the Indonesian tai tai.  She was wearing a printed A-line sundress.  The fabric was stiff yet softly draped which conveys that it’s real silk from miles away.  The print was giant royal purple polka dots against a nude background, which matched her nude patent Louboutin slingbacks and purple Hermes Birkin exactly.  It’s crazy, because you know she has a Birkin for possible shade of sundress there is.

Exhibit C. Stylish Human Capital (as observed at Potato Head)

Located in the Pacific Place mall and next to the Ritz Carlton, this was my favorite restaurant/bar from the trip.  The interior designer is a personal friend of my college friend E’s, and I was totally impressed.  It was an interesting combination of industrial elements and kitsch.  The lamps at the bar are made out of airplane noses, and antique vents painted in aqua colors are sprinkled on the ceiling.  On each dining table are funny lamps which look like their belong in a nursery from the seventies.  The result is unexpected and totally hip.

While sipping martinis in tropical flavors like lemongrass, dragonfruit, and cucumber, I had fun people watching.  Interestingly, senior bankers wear batik, and junior bankers wear Prada.   I spotted a bib necklace and braided hair a la Prada FW09, both fashion forward statements.