Paris Fashion Week FW07 Wrapup I

Yay! It's Paris time. Paris is really where creative force of fashion is, although one must be actually interested and open-minded about fashion to appreciate this kind of fashion. On we go...


Balenciaga
THE show that we've been all waiting for. OK, so at first glance it wasn't as stunning as the FW06 collection or as directional and cool as the SS07 collection, but after looking over the photos many times, I am in love with this collection, which is odd coming from me considering I usually hate any folk-feeling clothes. There is SO much to love and learn from this collection -stare at the photos many times for awhile and you'll get what I mean. Maybe I'm biased because the a large part of the collection feels so young and has got that effortless-styled look.
Scarves were the accessory of the collection. There were so many different designs and ways they were used to style an outfit. With the folk-looking dresses, the scarves were wrapped around the models; with the more military looks, the scarves had gold and royal red strands spread out from the scarf, set out like a handkerchief at the neck; and then there are the simple scarves.
There were many folk-printed or seemingly tie-dyed dresses. Not usually my style since this kind of dresses are usually just bright and cheap looking, but I can't stop looking at these, especially the brilliant yellow one (in the middle). Maybe the reason I'm loving these folk dresses is because of the styling -grey stockings and cool sandals.
More to take note: bright blue stockings, skinny sports pants. That outfit in the middle is just way cool. Love all the layers and simple colours.


Christian Dior
OK, I'm probably in the minority in this, but I'm not a big fan of this show. Yes, I can appreciate the idea of going back to the 60s and making everything very original and vintage Christian Dior. Everything was absolutely beautiful; it was like a ready-to-wear version of the much-loved haute couture show.
Fur coats. Some huge and swinging, others were furry at the hems and more body-fitting.
The show did start off with some real-life (for more mature women) clothes.
Then there were many and many gorgeous dresses and party hats.
Look through the show, it's like all the colours are there. The purple dress Lily Cole is wearing is one of my favourites from the show.
This black and white dress is another one of my favourite.

BUT, what is the fashion direction; what is the show trying to say? At the end, I just can't get myself excited or inspired by anything from this show.


Viktor & Rolf
OK, so the reviews I (and all of you) have read so far from websites have so far, gone on and on about how worried the fashion editors were worried about the models, and feared that they would just tumble down the runway. To be honest, I didn't find the whole concept too shocking -remember that horrible sleeping-in-the-bed concept from a few seasons ago?
OK, those clogs are just hideous, absolutely horrendous. But try to look past the clogs, and the lights, if you can...
and you'll see that there are actually some pretty prints there.

Anyways, I'm off to stare at the Balenciaga collection again. Hope you have as much fun as I am!
Photo source: Style.com

REISS UK

When I was in San Francisco the other weekend, I discovered the coolest brand- REISS from the UK! Located on the first floor of the new Bloomies mall near Union Square, the simple, sophisticated, cool interior lured me in to explore the rest of the collection.
And I fell in love. The clothes there were elegantly simple and casual, with just the right amount of twist to make it look special. I am loving that casual white cardigan, I can totally see it as my summer staple over pretty camis. And those shift dresses are just soo cool.
The outfits for work are equally casual and cool. Note those vibrant shiny shorts and skinny belt!
And aren't these dresses just darling? They are so fun and youthful!

Positioned between high street multiples and designer brands, this brand is just what we need. I personally have my eyes on a blue/white striped cardigan and this grey jersey with a v-necked pattern, but alas, they were all way above my budget. Perhaps when they go on sale. . . .

Oscar's 2007 Fashion

This year's Oscars fashion was, well, not particularly disastorous nor inspiring. Obviously everyone was on their top form, but the dresses were just... okay. Maybe there has been too many award shows recently that I've gotten a bit jaded. So anyways, here are the top fabulous outfits from last night:

Queen of the night, Helen Mirren looked amazing in Christian Lacroix. If it's a body shot (as opposed to closeup shot,) it's hard to remember she's alreayd 61 years old!

Cate Blanchett looked elegant in Armani Prive, and right on the whole metallic, futuristic trend. Makeup, jewelery, everything was simple impecable.

Rachel Weisz wore a seemingly simple Vera Wang gown. I love that long cluster of diamonds (and the diamond ribbon) at the top of her dress. The dress is so perfectly tailored- it's like the dress is softly wrapped around her, and the diamonds solidified the whole vision.

After the brilliant yellow dress she wore to the Golden Globes, Reese Witherspoon's Nina Ricci by Olivier Theysken dress here just didn't seem as striking. I'm sure this gown floated around Reese beautifully, but it just isn't the most photogenic dress.

Like Blanchett, Nicole Kidman can do (almost) no wrong on the red carpet. She looked elegant, as usual, in a Balenciega dress.

Nicole Kidman's BBF, Naomi Watts looked really pretty last night, although for some reason, she landed on a worst dress list.

Another one who landed on the worst dressed list was Gwenyth Paltrow, who wore Zac Posen. I thought she looked pretty sophisticated in it and she looked really pretty on TV, but I can see how it's not for everyone's taste.

And once again Cameron Diaz landed on worst dresed lists. I think she looked pretty -go find a picture of her hair, it's absolutely perfectly wavy. Her white Valentino gown had a haute couture-shape but in a much simplified way.

Surprisingly, not many people wore black. Rinko Kikuchi wore a slinky, not-boring-at-all black number.

Kate Winslet looked lovely in a simple, expertly-draped Valentino gown. Nothing exciting, but hey, points for her for wearing natural-looking makeup.

While I don't know if Jessica Biel was actually nominated for anything, I thought she looked gorgeous. She absolutely stood out in that hot pink Oscar de la Renta gown. She wore it oh-so-elegantly, especially with that belt.

And of course, how could I not mention Jennifer Lopez, who definitely impressed in a grey Marchesa gown. Is she reinventing herself?

As to why so-and-so wasn't on the list?

Penelope Cruz -The Versace gown is certainly glamorous, but the tail was way excessive.

Anne Hathaway -The huge black bow is cute and all, but it didn't seem to suit her much.

Jennifer Hudson -She wore the Oscar de la Renta dress well enough, but that metallic shrug? Seriously.

Kirsten Dunst -First of all, yay, Marie Antoinette most definitely deserved the best costume award. And for some reason, I can't decide whether I like Kirsten's Chanel dress or not.

Dust storm photos

On Saturday afternoon, I noticed that the sky started looking awfully orange. So I took these pictures (which are shown untouched). We had some strong winds blowing in from the West, where it is more dry and dusty, creating a dust storm over the metroplex. Our power was out for most of the day. The picture above is from our back yard, looking toward the sun. The picture below is looking across the street from the front of our house.

Happiness is a Moral Obligation

I love listening to Dennis Prager on the radio and reading his columns. Here is one of his columns I think everyone should read.

For much of my life, I, like most people, regarded the pursuit of happiness as largely a selfish pursuit. One of the great revelations of middle age has been that happiness, far from being only a selfish pursuit, is a moral demand.

When we think of character traits we rightly think of honesty, integrity, moral courage, and acts of altruism. Few people include happiness in any list of character traits or moral achievements.

But happiness is both.

Happiness--or at least acting happy, or at the very least not inflicting one's unhappiness on others--is no less important in making the world better than any other human trait.

With some exceptions, happy people make the world better and unhappy people make it worse. This is true on the personal (micro) and global (macro) planes.

Read the whole thing here.

Philadelphia in the Snow

A Northwest Airlines flight crew waits for a crew to replace an empty oxygen tank aboard a DC-9 at MBS International Airport.

8:58 a.m.:
We had been scheduled to be in Detroit by now, but hey, that's what happens when you fly Northwest.
I'm on my way to Philadelphia with three co-workers, planning to go to a training session on JRC's new content-management system. It will take a week.
The weather has been a major concern. For the past week, it's been pretty clear that some sort of bad weather would be blasting the Midwest this weekend. It's here.
I got up at 4 a.m., and it wasn't snowing. By the time I got out of the shower, it was snowing heavily.
But we got over to MBS just fine, one time. We did our part, and the TSA confiscated my lighters, as expected. Boarding flight 1708 to Detroit was just a little late.
Then the flight crew of our aging DC-9-30 discovered a little glitch: Someone forgot to fill a cockpit oxygen bottle.
The delay here is likely to cause us to miss our Philadelphia connection.

10:20 a.m.
We arrive in Detroit. Our Philadelphia flight is to leave at 10:21. We’re at Gate A-11. The Philly flight is at Gate A-61. Yes, it’s as far away as it sounds. What are our chances?
Actually, pretty good, considering the weather. Seems the pilot of the flight to Philadelphia has been delayed by the weather. I’ve never heard an announcement like this: “Our pilot now has arrived, and we expect to begin boarding soon.”
We were supposed to be in Philadelphia at 11:55 a.m. We left Detroit at 12:10.

12:39 p.m.
There is sunshine at 33,000 feet. It’s pretty.

1:40 p.m.
We’re on the ground in Philadelphia, and it’s just starting to snow. I’ve rented a Ford Fusion, and I like it. Our destination is 40 miles up I-95.

5 p.m.
Checked into the Hampton Inn in Yardley. The place reminds me a lot of the parts of northern Oakland and Kent counties where sprawl is just creeping in. The hay fields are being converted to office parks, condo developments and subdivisions. The Ethernet connection to the ‘Net is free, and seems fast.
The town itself reminds me a lot of the Pretty Little Town where Everyone Comes Home for Christmas in the movies. Maybe it was just the way the snow was falling on the 250-year-old town, but it really is picturesque.
It has a Starbucks, right near the banks of the Delaware Canal.
I bought apples, oranges and grapes to munch on. I’ll eat my veggies.

Milan Fashion Week FW07 Wrap Up III

So far, I think these Milan shows must have been my favourites. The general message seems to be loose and casual, but the thing you got to love about the Italians is that they always manage to make it look flattering and chic.

Gianni Versace
A departure from her previous season's form fitting trimmed style, her interpretation of this season's loose and casual style is inspired. Donatella updates the Versace woman while keeping them looking expensive and chic.

Tailored yet still loose and casual. Any one of these coats will do to keep us looking chic next season. Although I especially LOVE the black double breasted one on the left. You'd think we'd be bored of them by such a classic design by now, but Donatella just makes it look new again.
I also loved how she injected these vibrant colors into the collection. Also note the use of skinny belts here.I'm thinking I really need to get a long cardigan and belt!
Some more typically Versace cocktail dress designs.
And of course, we must not miss the gorgeous dresses. While structured on top, the skirts remain a flow of elegance.

Giorgio Armani

You know loose and casual are "in" when even Armani, the king of sleek and chic, embraces it.

Of course, he still manages to make it look very Armani.
I am especially loving these three outfits. But, WHAT is with the hat and make-up? They make the models look like they are 50, which is ridiculous when most of them are barely legal.
Although in some cases, I thought he took it a little overboard. Like these one, they just look frumpy. And no matter how much tailoring you put into it, that black/white stripe (esp at that thickness) will always look like a prisoner's outfit to me.
More pretty dresses with a bubble skirt twist. It was a different from the norm collection and it isn't too bad, but I thought the collection was too big and many of the pieces just looked really similar and boring.

Gucci

I am loving this collection. Although I was a bit sceptical about it at first since the first outfit looked so rigid and uncomfortable. But as I looked through the rest, I couldn't help but be impressed. The outfits are sexy and sophisticated without being too revealing, everything was very put together and just sooo gorgeous!

I especially love the first look here with the layered jackets, belt, 3/4 pants, boots and big bag. And the red and black coats accentuates the body and just looks so sexy.
Patterns, especially floral prints, seems slightly out of place in such a structured collection, but somehow Frida strikes the perfect balance and makes it work.
Fabulous, glamorous outfits for the evening.
Although I'm not too inspired by the evening gown portion of the show. Its not particularly interesting nor gorgeous.

Can't wait to see what Paris has in store for us!

photo sources: Elle

I'm (not) OK, You're (not) OK

A sermon to begin Lent.

In 1969, one of the most successful self-help books of all time hit the shelves of bookstores across the country and was driven by curiosity and word of mouth onto the bestseller lists. It was Dr Thomas Harris’ book I’m OK, You’re OK. The title phrase became a common part of our vernacular, and the book itself is still in print, 15 million copies later.

The book’s early chapters lay out the doctor’s theory of "Transactional Analysis" and then moves on to the kind of practical applications we would expect to find in a self-help book. The phase “I'm OK, You’re OK” describes one of four life positions that each of us naturally take. The four positions are:
1. I’m Not OK, You’re OK
2. I’m Not OK, You’re Not OK
3. I’m OK, You’re Not OK
4. I’m OK, You’re OK

Harris argued that the most common position is “I’m Not OK, You’re OK”. The reason is as children we see that adults are large, strong and competent and that we are little, weak and often make mistakes, so we conclude “I’m Not OK, You’re OK”. The focus of the book is helping laymen understand how their life position affects their communications (or “transactions”) with other people and how it shapes their relationships.

Toward the end of the book, the author tries to move the reader to reevaluate which one of those four life positions they ought to have, and backing it up with religious philosophy comes to the conclusion that the best life position for you is to come to an equilibrium with the world in which you live, that is, to realization that “I’m OK, and You’re OK.”

Well my friends, not according to God. Indeed, every word and action that you encounter here today in scripture and in liturgy has but a single message: You are not okay (and I certainly know I'm not okay). Instead, there is something desperately wrong with us. We are fatally sick; we are mortally wounded; we are deeply estranged, and it is time for me and you to get right with God.

You can hear the urgency in the voice of the Prophet Joel: “Sound the trumpet in Zion.” Zion has always been the faithful people of God, those dear to his heart. The Prophet want us to call a fast to prepare for the coming judgment of God. Likewise, St Paul in his letter to the Corinthians—a hurting and deeply divided church—says “be reconciled to God.” And, “Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.”

Our faithful obedience is pleasing to God, but we have failed miserable at it. Consider the story of King Saul. “To obey is better than sacrifice,” Samuel pointed out to the King as we was getting his offerings ready (1 Sam 15:22). It was a sad moment because Saul had squandered his last chance at redemption. The Prophet said, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!”

As the Prophet Samuel turned to leave, Saul lunged at his in desperation. He caught hold of the hem of the prophet’s robe, and it tore. Samuel looked back at this miserable king lying with his face on the ground and said to him, “Today the LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel and has given it to one of your neighbors—to someone better than you.” Saul did not take advantage of the mercy given to him by the Lord, and in his rebellion, Saul let that opportunity pass him by.

Like Saul, all of us have fallen into disobedience. At different times and different ways, we have turned away from God. I’m not OK, You’re not OK. We have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, as St Paul wrote. As we heard just a Sundays ago in the 17th chapter of Jeremiah, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. . . Cursed is the man who trusts in man, depending on his own strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. . . Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord.”

We were created for obedience, for fellowship, for life with God. And yet we have disobeyed, broken God’s trust, and rejected life with him. That fact is not without it’s consequences. We feel the consequences of poor choices in daily life—in broken relationships, in lost trust, in squandered opportunities. And yet that does not begin to compare with the eternal consequences we face from those deliberate transgressions of our heavenly Father’s will. Still, I think we hardly have any real sense of the gravity of sin and the reality of God’s wrath and judgment.

I remember after hurricane Katrina, there was the mayor or some official down in New Orleans who made some comment like, “We ought to consider if this might be a sign of God’s judgment.” I hope you heard some of the ridicule that met that statement. How dare he say something like that! How dare he be so insensitive and judgmental! Who does this guy think he is? Maybe you were thinking the same thing. Maybe you even thought it when I suggested that you might not be “okay.” As a culture, we have grown totally intolerant of such ideas.

I think a big part of that is me . . . and preachers all across our nation like me. It has become unfashionable to speak about God’s judgment in the pulpit. That’s something that I want to repent of right here and now. Sometimes we need to hear the bad news to appreciate the good news and embrace the good news. You may think it unpleasant, outlandish, audacious, or ludicrous. But I’m not here to tell you what you want to hear. I’m here to tell you what you need to hear. I’m here to telling you the way it is.

I think St Paul captured it in his letter to the Roman church. He begins his theological treatise on the gospel with this statement: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men” (Rom 1:18). He then proceeds to describe humanity’s rejection of revealed truth and corresponding descent into idolatry and moral depravity.

St Paul continues, “As they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also heartily approve of others who do them.”

What a close-minded fellow! You might think the same about me. But it is a message we need to hear and listen to, not only in Lent, but throughout the year. The Book of Joel points out our opportunity for mercy. “Yet even now,” saith the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts, not your garments.”

In the Gospel, Jesus stresses the importance of sincere piety. Repentance goes to the deepest level in the heart. It is something that is intensely personal, and penance for show is ultimately a futile effort.

God offers us mercy because he wants us to accept his mercy. Let us take full account of our need for mercy. Let us fast and do penance and mourn our sins. As your forehead is marked with a cross of ashes mixed with the oil of the sick, take account of the shape of mercy that you bear in your life.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ll say it again: “I’m not okay; You’re not okay.” But he’s okay (pointing to the figure of Jesus), and he really loves you and me. After laying out the bad news in his letter to the Romans, St Paul relishes in the good news. “God demonstrated his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

Milan Fashion Week FW07 Wrapup II

Ahh! With the excitement of the new Milan collections, I can't even fit in a slot to blog about the series finale of The OC (sniff, so sad) -I'll do that eventually. OK, onto the collections:

Fendi
Fendi is supposedly known for its fur, so in that aspect, Karl delivered. I admittingly, do not know how to appreciate Fendi's asthetics yet and I usually just think Fendi as a line for mature women.

But with hemlines above the knees, a lot of the clothes didn't feel too old. I love the three outfits above -they're grownup-but-not-too-mature, girly edgy and classy.

Alessandro Dell'Acqua
I've always liked Dell'Acqua's collections because I love the different ways he transforms black and white, pretty and edgy outfits. But this time, and I thought of it before I read other reviews, that this collection wasn't really him -I see traces of random designers' SS07 collections, such as that of Preen, Lanvin and even Dolce Gabanna (don't ask me why, maybe it's just me). So ya, I was a bit disappointed.

I like these dresses, but they do really remind me of a mix of Preen and Christopher Kane.

Regardless, there are still some really fab work outfits. I would love to wear the outfits on the left and middle to work -they're so pretty, put-together and professional.

Marni
In my mind, Marni's a bit like Prada -arty, eccentric and girl-focussed (in the way that the clothes don't cling onto you.) But the difference is, Marni is even more eccentric and every new collection continues nicely from the previous one. This collection is great, but I didn't find anything in particular I love. Plus note the big bags, (again).

Grey continues to be THE colour, with some muted purple and blue. Ooo, and notice the UGG-lookalikes. For some reasons, those furry boots somehow look right with the super high hemline.

Even though Marc Jacobs seems to have abandoned the layering look for his main line, I'm glad to see the Marni is still doing the layering thing.

There are looks for all ages and profession, whether you need something really business-looking, or something that is more arty and kind-of-professional.

The sporty influences continue from the SS07 collection. And of course, we have the signature Marni look -belt over the simple, slightly volumous coat.

Photo sources: Elle