Fashion Hookup

Keeping You Up On The Latest Fashions

Are You Chic Enough For Colette?

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Colette
On one of my research browses, I stumbled upon “Colette“.  The mouseover read “styledesignartfood”.  All things up my alley, so with trepidation I clicked.  I arrived at a white page, (after the annoying few seconds of “loading”), with a pulsating blue circle and very funky music which got my hips swaying even at 8 a.m. There is a mini music player, which has some very funky tunes indeed, making me feel like I needed some kind of cocktail in my hand was sitting in a very plush cushion, schmoozing with some extremely cool people (no doubt in Colette gear).

Colette is a concept boutique in Paris, which also has a flagship store in New York city. Named after the famous novelist (who wrote Gigi), the Paris store is strictly for the seriously chic Fashionista, who wouldnt be caught dead shopping at Printemps. Up and coming designers as well a smattering of uber-cool home furnishings and accessories, have found their way to Colette (as well as a very swish tea salon), and their website is a good place to source some of this coolness from the comfort of home.  Some items on the Fashion Hookup list:

Oakley X Colette Frogskins (only 100 pcs. in the world)

Little black dress with gold bow de Valentino by Alessandra Facchinetti

Tote Bag Stephano Pilati “I Love My Planet”

In Paris, Colette is at 213 rue Saint-Honoré 75001.  In NYC, 54th and 5th Avenue.

Scarves, Style, and Celebrities

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SmallScarvesWhiteBack
I never thought of myself a scarf person. As a student living in Paris in the early 90’s, I sometimes donned the “cravat” look, tying an Hermes scarf (or one that looked like it) around my neck, above my navy blazer, complete with shoulder pads. Very 90’s Eurotrash. Since then, scarves have not been an essential in my wardrobe, except for when the weather dictated. Until a trip to Laos last month.

In Laos I discovered the most beautiful scarves. Gorgeous designs, intricate weaves, they were so many to choose from (at great prices), and best of all they were soft and wearable.  I went crazy in the Luang Prabang night market (a veritable treasure trove of scarves and embroidered linens) and came home with 10 scarves for me plus some for presents (which the recipients loved). What an amazing place that was.

But back to scarves. Since then, I’ve rarely been without my beloved scarves (great for all weather I’ve discovered since the sweltering heat of Laos).  I find that it completes my look and adds that little extra bit of style. Even my fashion-forward 6-year-old loves scarves, and I must say they look fab on her.

In Hollywood, scarves are almost a necessity (for the stylish at least), as seen on Nicole, Lindsay, Jessica et al. In fact, they’ve all been wearing them since last spring, by both men and women. There’s even been a book written about celebrities and their knitted scarves aptly called “Celebrity Scarves“, written by Abra Edelman. Aside from great photos of the celebs in their own creations (people like Daryl Hannah, Rosario Dawson, Eartha Kitt, Portia de Rossi and Parker Posey), it gives instructions on how to recreate the scarves yourself if you happen to be a knitter.

Image via ArtofCute

The Japanese Fashion Influence

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The Japanese culture is so rich and dynamic, that it is not a surprise that its influence has extended throughout the rest of the world. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Japan is the leader in cutting edge technology, but have you ever dwelt on the thought that Japanese fashion is also starting to become felt in the area of global fashion?

Not convinced? Ask fashion designers from the United States and Europe, and they will tell you that they keep tabs on what is happening in Japanese fashion. This stems from the fact that some worldwide trends actually began in Japan. A classic example would be the popularity of camouflage patterns in clothing. I am willing to bet that you have at least one article of clothing in a camouflage pattern! And I bet that you didn’t know that this trend originally started in Japan! [Read more…]

Gisele’s Ipanema Flip Flops

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Forest_Brown_sandalThey’re not new, but they’re not out of fashion. If anything, flip flops are becoming more and more acceptable with the passing of the years. Then again, if your flip flops are as chic and sexy as the flip flops that bear Gisele Bundchen’s name, you’ll definitely be proud to wear them practically anywhere!

I have been eyeing this line of flip flops for a very long time now, but for some reason, I kept putting it off. Last month, though, right before I left for a week-long beach vacation, I decided to just go ahead and get myself a pair. I do NOT regret it; not one tiny bit.

So what’s up with these flip flops? A little background information: Ipanema is this long stretch of white sand beach in the southern part of Rio. Just imagine the lifestyle of the beautiful people there – that is summed up in a simple pair of flip flops. Seriously. The designs are simple and laid back but classy enough to wear to most places. From the beach to the bar and even to work (on dress down days I suppose), these sandals can be worn.

On the practical side, these flip flops are very very comfy. They are made of PVC material that is eco-friendly and they are so soft that you can walk around all day and not have your feet kill you at the end of the trek. They are a bit pricier than the average pair but they really are worth it.

North Face Jackets on Ebay- Spot The Fakes!

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The eBay market place is home to many different items, real and fake. North Face jackets are extremely popular items on eBay because they can be sold at high prices because they are high quality jackets. However, there are a large number of North Face jackets which are being sold on eBay which are fakes. It is widely reported that you will find at least 300 fake North Face jackets at any one given time on eBay.

Like with many fake items on eBay, it is very difficult to tell the difference between the real and the fake items until you get them in your hands. However, one thing you can check is the location of the seller. I do not intend to be prejudice in any way, but you have to be very wary of the sellers of the North Face jackets if they are located in Asia. It is widely reported that you can only very rarely find a real North Face jacket from an eBay seller located in Asia, the majority are fake.

Even when you have received your North Face jacket, it is still difficult to indentify if the jacket is real or fake. In many cases, the fake North face jackets will have the authentic tags and the exact same quality patterns as on the real jackets. They are the exact same looking jackets but with a major difference, the material! The fake North Face jackets will not be made from the Gore-Tex material. It will be manufactured from a cheap substitute material.

You will soon realise this when you go out in the rain or snow later on and you find that you are soaked through within minutes and you are sweating like mad! If the material is real Gore-Tex then this shouldn’t happen. You should be kept dry! It may be easier to identify bad materials if you are already an owner of a known to be real North Face or other similar quality jacket. You could pour an amount of water on an area on both jackets and observe how wet the underside of the jacket feels and also time how long the wet patch takes to dry. If there is a major difference in the time taken by the two jackets then you will have probably identified that the jacket is fake!

The best advice that you can give to anybody when buying a North face jacket is to be suspicious right from the beginning. I know that doesn’t seem appropriate but it must be done. If you take some time to research about the jackets and use your own common sense if you see a really cheaply priced jacket, you will soon be able to identify if the North Face jacket is fake. It is not easy, but you will soon be able to differentiate between the real and the fake.