Target Window Shopping

Richard Chai for Target® Colorblock Tie Dress - Passion Purple

$44.99

Mossimo Large Satchel- Color Teal

$19.99

Recycled Metal Layered Necklace- 23"

$49.99

Mossimo® Deann Flats – Floral

13.99

Subversive® for Target® Shell Ring Bracelet with Faux Pearls

$9.99

Go International® Boyfriend Vest - Ebony with Metallic Coating

$8.74

Isaac Mizrahi for Target® Gail Leather Moccasins – Pink

$20.99

Xhilaration® Ombre Hobo Bag - Blue

$14.99

Project Drag Queen

O. M. G. How great was last week's episode of Project Runway? Amazing!

I must say Terri's Acid Betty gone geisha look was to die for. For me, that was the clear winner. But all in all, I thought the designers all came up with some great stuff- major improvement from the past few weeks.

I would blog more about this but why should I when you can hear it straight from the horses' mouthes.

Chris March's blog- He totally agrees that Terri was genius. And he makes hilarious snipping comments about Daniel.

Tim Gunn's blog- The fashion maven's take on each designers work. Apparently, the inside dish is that he and Terri got into a big debate about the look.

China Trinkets

During summer vacation, I took a trip to China to visit relatives. I didn't really get a chance to visit the touristy sites (except for the Olympic stadiums and the new Beijing Performing Arts Center), but we entertain ourselves quite well. We sung karaoke, watched a variety show, ate huge banquets, got massages, and went shopping (my favorite activity).

My grandma loves little trinkets so she took me to this mall that was more like an indoor market. Inside were hundreds (literally!) of makeshift stalls that sold everything from keychain charms to ceramic bowls to fake leather purses. My grandma and my aunt are ruthless bargainers so I pointed to what I liked and they did the talking. Here are pictures of all the little things I bought in China.

My grandma loves these- they are embroidered purses placed inside

each other in decreasing size, kind of like Russian nested dolls.

Lots of pearly jewelry in pink and white

These cell phone charms are adorable!

A close friend of mine collects piggies and her favorite color is yellow.

When I saw this, I thought of her.

I bought lots of cheap pendants and earrings.

I have a certain weakness for glass and this wing shaped one was stunning. I had to have it!

This was a present from my cousin. She said that most Chinese girls in their twenties have gold zodiac charms. Since it's year of the rat, I chose a cute little mouse.

Designer Vehicles

Instead of rolling up in Hummer or a Lamborghini, how about flashing real bling-bling by driving a Chanel trucker or maybe a Louis Vuitton oldsmobile.

Chanel

Gucci

Burberry

Louis Vuitton

Although I first thought the idea was ridiculous, I actually like the multicolored Louis-Vuitton momogrammed Harley and the Burberry Vespa. What do you guys think, fab or just bad tastes?

Runway Redux

It just me or was this the first real challenge of the PR5 season? The first challenge was a recycled one from PR1; the second was not superduper challenging except working with crummy fabrics (for some designers); the third challenge was alright, like designing for DKNY; the fourth was just too confusing for the designers and too many took inspiration from the opening ceremonies of the early 1900's. The latest challenge was actually working with a client, Brooke Shields, and she would wear the winning designer's dress on her show Lipstick Jungle- so there's huge prestige from that win. At the same time the outfit had to be able to transform from the office to the cocktail lounge.


I honestly liked this outfit and I loved the blue tank inside. However, it just wasn't appropriate for the challenge. Since Brooke chose his design and told Blaine not to make it too busy, I really feel that both Blaine and Brooke were at fault for this miss. Still, I liked the concept and it was really well made.

Terri certainly has an eye for pattern, because I hated it when I first saw it but then it started to grow on me. Still, this was definitely not my favorite look. For me, it's too casual for work and not enough pizzazz for evening. It was just- O.K. It'll work on Brooke Shields but not on t.v.

Keith's dress was soo pretty. I would totally wear it and it works for both day and night. Brooke chose this dress, but I don't think it fits her. Her wide shoulders and large bosom will overpower the lightness of the top. Overall, I think it's just too young for her.

Compared to Keith's, I had the opposite reaction to Korto's look. I thought this look was too old for Brooke and the color would clash with her skin tone. It does hide her broad shoulders but I think hiding trouble spots under swaths of cloth is more for older women. I actually believe this outfit would look best on Oprah Winfrey.

Jerell's dress was my favorite. It was so age appropriate, and so ready for tv. Maybe, the ordinary woman wouldn't wear this to work but this is for Lipstick Jungle. I am so impressed with Jerell's mixing of pattern and texture.


Ack, hot tranny mess. I honestly feel bad for Kelli because she had the talent to move further, but this was just bad. The construction was a bit pieced together, and the skirt hem was not good. Part of the blame falls to her partner Daniel, for making such a craptastic skirt, but she didn't get it together. It's funny, but I think she could have made it less cheap hoochie by adding more leopard print.

Thanks Rumi, You Make Me Want to Spend $$$

Rumi who blogs on Fashion Toast, has serious style. She shows off her long, lanky legs with short shorts, mini-dresses, and high heeled boots, but the look is always cool not overly sexy. Rumi also has another skill- making me want her bags (and her legs too, but that's harder to buy). Every time I skim through her blog, I go a little starry-eyed over her handbags.

Ever since I saw Rumi with three different Balenciaga bags, it has become my dream bag. I long for, I crave it, I even told my mom I want that bag for my graduation present. Actually I want multiple, but that's not easy considering a medium sized Balenciaga bag is about $1,000.

A little more in the more affordable range is this Foley + Corinna tote that looks so roomy and chic. The F+C Mid City tote is only $444. I've been trying to find knock offs but I had no luck in China, and the Nine West version was still $100+. I may eventually buy this bag because it has the instant cool factor that goes with any outfit.

Finally there's the Aldo Vigorendena, the most affordable option at $60. I like the silver one Rumi has, but Aldo only has brown versions right now that I think are blah.

Unusual Semblance

I was browsing through the jewelry section of the Neiman Marcus website and I came upon a necklace that seemed awfully familiar. The necklace was a miniature lock on a chain. Then it struck me; it was Ren’s necklace from the Japanese comic NANA!

Roberto Coin Appassionata Necklace

Ren from the manga Nana

Surprised by my love for mangas? Well I appreciate both sophisticated fashions and childish comics. Somehow, this necklace joined my two passions.

But with such similar designs, I wonder which idea came first. Did Ai Yazawa sketch Ren’s necklace, and then Coin replicated it in reality? Or maybe Roberto Coin came up with the concept, constructed it, and then Ai Yazawa loved it so much that she incorporated it into her manga? I actually think Ai Yazawa probably came up with the lock necklace first since Nana has been around since 2000. Also, this manga artist is super fashion savvy too. Yazawa loves to feature Vivianne Westwood designs on her characters, and she wrote and drew Paradise Kiss, which is the only fashion-centric manga I know. Or it could be pure coincidence. No matter what the reason, I’m happy that I could potentially buy Ren’s necklace… if I had $2,000.

Click here to read Nana on OneManga.com- it's a seriously good read.