ADDICTION TO DRIES VAN NOTEN

I have been an avid Dries Van Noten follower. I admire the man for his amazing designs. Most of my entries in this blog are dedicated to the designer. I have been buying everything from his label. The shoes are just to die for. He makes the most comfortable shoes ever made. I found these amazing perforated leather shoes from Spring 2011 online. I will not tell you the website. This time, I will be greedy. 60 percent of my closet are full of Dries Van Noten clothes, shoes, bags, scarves, belts, and accessories. My addiction to the brand is getting out of hand. Right now, I am salivating.

ANN CARUSO'S TAKE ON ESCADA!!!

Last night, Escada hosted an event at the posh Mondrian Hotel. New York Stylist Ann Caruso is one of the style experts for the said event. I love all her choices for the brand. She made it young and effortless. The brand is known to cater for women of age. She put a spin on it by mixing all of the brand's components and made it new and fresh. She is one of my mentors when I was working in the magazine industry. She trained me to always pick the best of the best. I will never forget all the things she taught me. I came last night to support her cause. I am very proud of her. She did a phenomenal job. No wonder she is one of the best stylist out there. Congratulations.

CODE NAME: VERSACE

Actress Michelle Monaghan looked sexy and chic in a white dress from Versace's Spring 2011 collection. Her two toned pumps in nude and white made the whole look stunning and effortless. Her stylist did an amazing job for her movie premiere in Los Angeles, "SOURCE CODE". The hair and make-up worked perfectly for this event. I have been a huge admirer of Versace. Any woman who wears Versace feels sexy and powerful. I would like to congratulate Lucio for doing a great job. He knows what is right for the house. Indeed, he is a valuable asset to Donatella's empire.

SHOWTIME!!!

Tonight is a special night for my client. She will be gracing the red carpet at the Plaza Hotel for her broadway premiere. My assistant and I had to help her get ready for the event. The sequined silver dress I chose for her is from Donna Karan. As mentioned from my previous entries, she will be wearing Kimberly McDonald jewelry, Celestina Clutch, and Giuseppe Zanotti shoes. I met her wonderful family in the hotel room. She owned the look. I am glad I made someone happy.

THE PERFECT CLUTCH!!!

Pierre Hardy is one of my favorite brands in accessories. Known for his clean lines and geometric details, his designs are well recognized in the fashion industry. With his collaborations with Hermes and Balenciaga, he is one of the best accessory designer the world can have. For Spring 2011, he made the perfect clutch his loyal followers will want. The black and gold clutch in suede and leather is the perfect day to evening accessory of the season. If you are tired of the screaming logos designers are showcasing for Spring, Pierre Hardy is the answer to the trend of minimalism. His designs are available at www.pierrehardy.com. Simplicity is the essence of sophistication. He made sure that it is the design force behind his ever growing business.

FITTINGS!!!

Today was a very hectic day for me. I had a fitting with my 1st client today at 11am. I was so thrilled that she chose an outfit for her event this coming Monday. I went home and took a long nap before my 6pm meeting. I was 20 minutes early, but my client was happy to see me. I had my first fitting with her last Friday. Thank God for my lovely tailor. He did an amazing job. The silver statuesque dress will be the talk of the town this coming March 27. She is one of my celebrity clients this year. I am a dreamer. My mother always tell me to aim high. She is the person responsible in molding me to be true to oneself. I can't wait for Sunday to happen as she graces the red carpet.

The dress will be accessorized with Kimberly McDonald earrings and ring. The purple clutch will be by Celestina. The shoes will be by Giuseppe Zanotti. She is so easy to work with. I am blessed to have a client like her.

THE SILVER DRESS SHE WILL BE WEARING FOR THE OPENING NIGHT

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON FOR MACY'S

Last night, I went with my friend Denise Caldwell to the Mondrian Hotel in SoHo to see the collection of Matthew Williamson for Macy's. After his successful collaboration with H&M, he decided to share his talents with the American retail store. The price points of the line is not expensive. The prints are Matthew's trademark. There were a lot of dresses for day and evening. He also added separates to the line. He used bright colors in shades of yellow, purple, and blue. Black will always be the staple color each season

When the clothes hit stores, I am sure it will be sold out. Nowadays, you have to be smart to survive in the fashion industry. Designers come and go. I know Matthew will stay for a long time.

THE BEST SHOES FOR SPRING!!!

Prada's Spring 2011 for Men was her best collection ever. The color blocking of the clothes are just amazing and beyond. Let's move on to the accessories depar. The shoes are hard to find. There is a huge waiting list. All of the stores in the USA are waiting for the next shipment. I took a chance and went to SAKS FIFTH AVENUE in New York. To my delight, I saw the shoes in blue, red, and caramel. I got so excited. It took an hour for my shoe guy to locate my size. I was getting worried. I wanted to wear them for my trip to Paris. Alas, he found a pair in the stock room. What made the shoes special? The double layer jute soles. I must say they are the most comfortable shoes I own.

ZOOM ZOOM AT CELINE!!!

For Celine's Fall 2011 collection, Phoebe Philo was inspired by the interiors of a car. In her interview, she said when she got her pay check from the house she bought a new car. She was fascinated on how it will translate to clothes. She started the whole trend of minimalism. A pop of pale pink came out the runway. It was refreshing to see color for Fall. She also injected patterns onto sweaters with perfect color blocking. The wood like print section of the show reminded me of the dash board of a vintage car.

I am pretty sure this collection will fly off the racks once it hits stores this Fall. She started the whole trend of minimalism. She is a true genius. I am glad she is back.

CELEBRITY FITTING!!!

Last night was an exciting moment for me and my team. Finally, I have a celebrity client. I gathered all the best dresses for her to try on. She will be debuting her come back to broadway. The dress will be a suspense. All I can say she will look magnificent for the premiere. I am very loyal to my designers. For jewelry, we chose Kimberly McDonald. The shoes are from Giuseppi Zanotti. Finally, the purple clutch is from Celestina.

As soon as the event is over on the 27th of March, I will be posting the dress of my lovely client. She will definitely know how to succeed on the red carpet. Get the clue.

CELESTINA'S FALL 2011 COLLECTION

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Paris for work. I dropped by the booth of world renowned accessories designer Tina Ocampo of Celestina. This season, they are focusing more on crocodile accessories. The buyers were excited to see a fresh collection from the designer. Known for her minaudieres, the company has evolved to the handbag and small leather good division. Congratulations on a stellar collection.

IT'S OFFICIAL!!!

Ricardo Tisci and Carine Roitfeld are the new dynamic duo for the house of Dior. After John Galliano's misfortune, Dior had to find the best possible team to revive the house. Carine groomed Ricardo to be the best designer for the house of Givenchy. It was right for Ricardo to bring his fairy god mother to the house of Dior and restore its splendor. A couple of years ago, Carine teamed up with Tom Ford to resurrect the house of Gucci. She has a midas touch to everything. She can make things work from her own perspective. She is one of the most talented fashion figure in the industry.

I can't wait for these two people to whip up a stellar collection for the house. It was a wise decision of Dior to have Ricardo and Carine on board. They will do wonders.

ALL ABOUT DRIES VAN NOTEN!!!

Dries Van Noten is my ultimate favorite designer. Every time I go to Paris, I always make a pit stop and see his latest collection for men. The store is located on 7 Quai Malaquais right across the river from the Louvre. Whenever I am in the store, I feel so good. I respect and admire his work. I believe he is a genius. The interior of the store is superb.

I can skip all the stores in Paris, but the Dries Van Noten store is a must see destination for me.

I am coming back for the French Open. I am dying to go back to the store. For me, it is like going to Disneyland. Hahaha!!!

UNINVITED AMERICAN BOY!!!

Famed rapper/musician Kanye West had a dose of his own medicine when he flew to the city of lights. He thought that his celebrity status could get him in fashion shows without being invited. These musicians do not travel alone. They have a whole entourage. He was rejected in a couple of shows. He attempted to get in the Balmain show without a ticket. It was smart for KCD not to let him in. Can you imagine if they gave him entry? It will change the seating chart of the show. Of course, he would want to sit in the front row. Plus, they had to accommodate his whole team.

Kanye West did not learn his lesson. He showed up to the McQueen show uninvited. To avoid more embarrassment for the musician, the venue management escorted him to the side entrance. I know he loves fashion, but he seems desperate to attend all of these shows.

It does not mean that you are famous you have the right to gate crash a show or an event. Has he forgotten to ask his assistant to request tickets? Does he value RSVP? I don't think so. I hope this will be a learning lesson for him. He already made a name for himself. Gate crashing should not be a part of his vocabulary. You know better than that Kanye.

ANOTHER VERSACE MOMENT FOR ANNE V!!!

When I was with Anne in Paris at hotel Costes, she showed me a picture of her wearing Versace at the recent Vanity Fair Oscar Party. She looked stunning in an off the shoulder black dress with a high slit and revealing cut outs. She pulled off the dress well by accessorizing it with a gold Bulgari spiral watch. The hair and make-up was perfection. The Sports Illustrated model knows how to catch attention on the red carpet. She is drop dead sexy.

Besides her stunning beauty, Anne has a heart of gold. She has been a dear friend of mine for many years. Her sense of style is effortless. Congratulations to Lucio and his team at Versace. Once again, you made the house proud of all your efforts.

Anne V. in VERSACE

REUNION IN PARIS!!!

My trip to Paris was last minute. A good friend of mine needed my help with his collection. I had to think fast with all the outfits I needed to bring. Thank God for my new Prada and Jil Sanders shoes, I was all set. The best part was spending time with my good friend Anne V. She was in Paris to do some of the shows. We've been trying to meet up in New York, but our schedules were not on the same page.

This past Sunday, I had lunch with her at hotel Costes. We were seated by the courtyard where everyone can smoke. It was time for us to do some catching up. I have been friends with her for a long time. We shared some laughter together. When I am with her, we do not talk about fashion. Our conversation is all about LIFE. After that, we went to Jay Ahr to show her the designer's latest collection. She fell in love with the clothes and accessories. She had a chance to meet my friend. We stayed there for an hour. She felt like she was a part of the Jay Ahr family when we came to visit.

Then, we had coffee and dessert near her apartment in the West Bank. Being with her made my trip to Paris worth my while. I am glad we saw each other.

VERSACE'S SEDUCTION!!!

The fashion does not stop at the recent 83rd Oscar Awards. After the ceremony, the actors went to the Governor's Ball to a celebratory dinner. The fun part begins at the after party. One of the most famous parties to go to is Vanity Fair. Jessica Biel and Anne Hathaway stood out amongst all of the attendees. They wore Atelier Versace. There is something with Versace that exudes sexiness.

Anne wore a fiery red strapless gown. On the other hand, Jessica wore a gold ensemble from the designer. People turned heads as soon as these two glamazons walked in. In these type of gathering, people want to know who's the designer of the dress.

I just love it when they say the designer's name out loud, "I am wearing ATELIER VERSACE." Indeed, it is part of ones bragging rights to wear couture gowns from the house. Congratulations Lucio for a job well done.