Type Keyword and Press Enter to Search
×

More shoe posts! I’m not usually so shoe-obsessed, but I couldn’t pass on these. Andreia Chaves, A designer from San Paulo, Brazil has come up with an "invisible shoe" which is basically a wedge made of mirror.


Images: Nixon

I came across Nixon watches a few years ago on a surf gear website and fell in lust with them immediately. That web store only carries a few models and a few days ago in my quest for a sports watch I tracked down the Nixon website which of course carries more and the most up-to-date models.

It turns out they don’t just do watches but also headphones and apparel. I am into digital sports watches at the moment and they’ve got a number of good-looking, functional digital as well as analog watches.

May I have one in every colour please?
Image: Kor Water
I bought these water bottles a few months ago as I loved the design. They market themselves as an alternative to the aluminum bottles which are all the rage. Although made of plastic, the material does not contain the harmful chemicals typically found in plastic bottles and the company that manufactures them also donates part of the sale of the bottles to projects geared towards protecting the environment.

The bottles look fantastic; I always get comments on them. They have a flip top, so no screwing or unscrewing, and somehow they never leak. Each bottle can be personalized and they come with motivational messages. 

The bottles can be purchased here.
Love this modern take on tribes and tribal wear which is all the rage in a small suburb of Brazzaville in Congo. European fashion style has been appropriated and, I think, improved on by the men in the town who call themselves 'sapeurs' after Sape, the French slang for 'dressing with class'. I love the bright colours and attention to detail. Like an extreme version of an English or Italian dandy, sapeurs are usually outfitted in bowler hats and tailored suits, pipes and other paraphernalia.

Sapeurs have become the subject of a book by Italian photographer Daniele Tamagni. Published by Trolley, Gentlemen of Bacongo by Daniele Tamagni, with a foreword by Paul Smith, is available for purchase here.
Image: Shopbop.com
Spotted this Opening Ceremony cardigan for sale on Shopbop.com - no joke. It has to be the most unflattering sweater I’ve ever seen and the only size they have left is large. It even makes the skinny model look huge. Good luck shifting this one!
Image: Unknown

In what will be the first in a series of posts on people who inspire (and sometimes amuse) me, I would like to introduce you to Kelly Wearstler.
Le Grand Journal
I have been lamenting to my husband over the past few days about the fact that I should have bought some of the Stella McCartney for Gap Kids clothes I wrote about here for myself. It’s not like I haven’t done it before. When I lived in London I would regularly trawl the kid’s sale items for XXXL items for myself. And now here I see France’s first lady has beaten me to the punch by managing to fit her statuesque 5’9” frame into their clothes. Great minds think alike? Designer duds at a bargain? All I know is that I’m kicking myself.

All everyone seems to be talking about today is Black Friday which is apparently the biggest sale day in the US (like the Boxing Day sales in the UK). Traditionally people line up from early in the morning to be the first through the doors and there are game plans and strategies about hitting the shops and even apps for your iPhone to help plan your lines of attack. I will be checking out the deals online from the comfort of my home and today’s New York Times agrees with me. They suggest that retailers will only have in-store deals on lower-end products like outdated gadgets and on holiday and seasonal item. If you want a true bargain you should consider shopping online for the best deals on higher-priced items. 

We’ll see whether tomorrow manages to make a dent in the recession.
I had been waiting and anticipating the launch of this high street collaboration since June when I first tweeted about it. At the time while I was happy about it, I knew my wallet would take a serious hit. The line was released in stores and online on November 2 and I was in the e-shop that morning. 

Stella did not disappoint. I was worried because I had read an article where she mad mentioned wanting to design for her sons, so I thought it would be boy-heavy. In the end, she did not disappoint and there were lots of lovely things for girls too, as well as careful use of non-gender specific colours like grey, chartreuse and white. The colour palette is soft, but modern with lots of designer touches which keep the clothes from looking plain or boring without being too cutesy like a lot of children’s clothes. 

I kept checking back every few days or so and, as expected, many sizes and pieces sold out in days. Pretty impressive considering we're in the middle of a recession and the prices were a little higher than you would normally pay for GapKids and babyGap.
Image: Unknown
I thought she was the best of the Twi-bunch at the movie’s launch on Monday (save for the one ashy knee) but surprisingly she didn’t get much coverage in the post-red carpet fashion reports.
Image: Unkown
Lots of posts about shoes at the moment; some good and some bad. 

I could not believe it when I saw a picture of these shoes from Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2010 line. Dubbed the "Armadillos” and made of python, they measure an otherworldly 12 inches tall. They’re getting an awful lot of press but I think for all the wrong reasons. 

When I see fashion like this (and there are a few others I could name who fall into this category) I am convinced that some designers are misogynists with a warped sense of humour. I’m not too impressed with the vacuous women who rush out to purchase these things in a vain attempt to prove how fashionable they are.
Photo: Mykromag
I came across these gorgeous 6 inch, spiked patent heels by Louise Goldin for Top Shop the other day. High Street/designer collaborations seem to be the way to go in the recession. Glad to see good design is not being compromised.


With the anticipated coming of colder weather (though it has yet to make an appearance here) I have started updating my winter wardrobe. One of my purchases included what appeared to be a cozy cashmere scarf striped taupe and black (see above left in photo). Only when the item arrived did I realize the scarf was in fact a single loop without open ends as I am used to. I had never come across this before but thought it was a cool and different perspective on the scarf. The online retailer I bought it from describes it and other similar items as an “infinity scarf” which also has a nice ring to it.

It would appear however that this item is neither unique nor cool having just been re-branded by ever-savvy US marketing men. Step forward the “snood” as it is known in the UK (a version pictured in pink on the right of the photo), a woolen tube which, according to the Guardian newspaper’s fashion statement, is the “love child of the scarf and the hood and sits snugly around the neck, keeping out stray autumnal chills”. The snood is apparently part of the on-going 80s redux that is happening at the moment and is being brought back to us by everyone from Burberry to Michael Kors. 

Makes it all a little less chic, doesn’t it? I know which name I prefer.
Images: island * atelier
Photos of Palmetto House, a historic property situated on the North Shore Road in Devonshire. The property is owned by the Bermuda National Trust and recently underwent a renovation. It is on the market to be rented and is open to the public in the interim. 

The house is approximately 300 years and is a good example of Bermudian architecture. During World War II, it served as a clubhouse for British troops stationed at nearby Fort Prospect. The house was built by Captain William Williams who settled in Bermuda in 1634 and was acquired from the family by the British Army in 1868 when it took over most of this Devonshire Parish. 

Its architecture has the cruciform structure and grand "welcoming arms" staircase. There is a separate, refurbished studio apartment outside which was probably the kitchen. Between the main house and the studio, there is a courtyard patio. The water tank is above ground. I may post more photos later. 

I literally squealed when I saw the claw-foot tub AND the rain-head shower. First claw-foot I have seen in Bermuda. The renovation was generally done well, though they have mixed high- and lower-end materials. The master bathroom is a good example of that. Overall great effort and sympathetically done.
Image: Unknown
Is it just me, or does this fancy-pants Ant Farm house look like a nose with giant nostrils?
Photograph courtesy of the Sartorialist/Scott Schumann
Ignore the hairy legs; I’m loving the beautiful lines on this bike.
Image: Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images
Bracelets and knuckledusters envisioned by Lagerfeld as seen on the Chanel catwalk this week.
Images: Unknown
This is one of my favourite properties in Bermuda. It is a duplex property which is adjacent to a main road and when we lived in St George’s I would pass it every day and so watched it being built and finished with great anticipation. At one point I considered contacting the owners for a tour! 

The outside of the building is also interesting and if I am able I will post pictures. One of the units was available for rent and I obtained these photos of the interior. Love the open plan and there also appears to be a courtyard which abuts the main road. It’s not the most child-friendly of properties and I wonder if it will be prone to road-noise but I love its striking simplicity.
Image: island * atelier
I love minimalism and hate chintz or overdone ornamentation with a passion. I’ve been seeing chandeliers similar to this one for a while now and came across this version in a new restaurant in Hamilton. I like them a lot; while having simple lines of a drum shade on the outside, the lights of the more ornate and traditional chandelier make it pretty and interesting. The drum shade quiets the busy-ness somehow. 

We have a traditional chandelier in our dining room-cum-study and I’ve been planning to give it this treatment for weeks. I will post the project when I do.
Image: Nordstrom.com
I’ve been loving dresses for several years now. In fact my work wardrobe has slowing been metamorphosing from suits to dresses. The main benefit for me is that they make getting ready in the morning so much easier; no longer do I have to look for a suit and something to wear under it, belt, shoes, etc. With a dress, it’s slip on and go, plus shoes. I’m also hoping my dry cleaning bills will be less with one dress as opposed to a two-piece suit working out to be cheaper but I’m not sure with the costs of dry cleaning in Bermuda being as they are. But that’s a whole other post. 

Scrolling though day dresses on Nordstrom.com today and came across this Marc Jacobs one. I like it a lot as it is more wearable than most of his stuff. Sometimes I wonder whether he’s laughing at us women for wearing some of his creations as they don’t seem to be very flattering. I’m not sure if I could carry it off though, especially here.
Image: Unknown
Yesterday I posted picture of a house designed by Lucyina Moode and today I find myself drawn to the picture above which is of a strangely serene bathroom. The two unifying factors - they both have dark walls. While dark walls are not usually my first preference when designing my own space (I usually gravitate towards white on white in practice; the darkest room I have ever lived in was a mushroom-y brown), for some reason lately it seems as though I am attracted to the warm, calming look of darker colours.
Image: Unknown
I love this shot of an interior done by freelance interior designer Lucyina Moode who is based in London. It has the perfect touch of my favour colour of green - a sort of celadon. Very fresh.
Image: LivingEtc.

Images | Marni
Read an article today about a new trend: leggings for men or “meggings” as they are being called. The term sounds suspiciously similar to “meggae”, a lightly derogatory slang word used in Trinidad either verbally or with the accompanying hand gesture. When used, it means you think the recipient is an idiot and therefore I think the title is quite apt in this situation. Only an idiot could wear one of these and think he was being sartorial. Apparently Marni sent loads of them down the f/w 09 runway, so we’ll have to see whether the trend gets picked up.
Image: Camper
Came across these gorgeous summer sandals from Camper today. They’re kind of like Crocs, only cooler. Definitely on my list, only they’re not available yet.