Back from the Other Side

I should first off apologize, I dropped off the face of the earth for a while. Actually, I just went to the other side of it. Literally. 26 hours of traveling later, I went from Boston to Singapore. I have to say, it was unreal. Not only is it culturally diverse with some of the most amazing architecture and exotic scenery in the world... it's also a designer junkie's Mecca! Orchard Rd., Singapore's main shopping district, puts Newbury St. to shame. It was seriously fashion paradise.... aside from the 30% markup on everything!

After romping around Malaysia, surrounding myself  with orchids at the Botanic Gardens, visiting Holland Village, Chinatown, Little India, and Marina Bay it was off to Bali for a few days. (ugh life is so hard!)

I don't even know where to start with Bali.... there's a reason it's one of the worlds most visited tourist destinations. The tiny little island that's no bigger than the state of Delaware is a world all its own. The amazing beaches with their rolling surfs, the electric green rice paddies, the amazingly cordial people and the not so cordial but highly entertaining monkeys all help make this island well worth visiting (and the perfect place to break in my new favorite Marc by Marc Jacobs sunglasses).

This little guy was in the market for glasses too....  He's got good taste, he went right for Joe's Armani pair! 

Bali for me, might have well been cloud 9. I was surrounded by gorgeous scenery, and in one of Southeast Asia's largest artisan communities.  From woodworking, to silver, weaving to batik, Bali is home to it all.  In particular, I was excited to be in an area that is considered one of the originators of the batik art form.... one that I am actually trained in.  I studied textile and surface design in college... I chose to concentrate on batik and screen printing, and how you can combine the two. 

What is batik you ask? It's a decorative process in which hot wax is applied to a surface to act as a resist, then the surface is dyed, when the wax is removed from the surface, the waxed area that has been protected from absorbing the dye leaves you with the design you created.

Here are a few of the Batiks I picked up while I was there....

And here are a few I've done on my own....

As you can see, its a medium that allows for several variations in style.  A lot of this comes from the tools you use. Most of us use paint brushes and tjauntings (they are like little pens that allow you to draw with the hot wax) but another traditional tool used in many Indonesian batiks is what is known as a tjap.  These are basically metal stamps, often made of copper or brass that allow the artist to repeat a consistent motif  over and over again.  I was lucky enough to fin an antique one while I was in Ubud.  It's the pride and joy of my studio now.  I couldn't have been any more excited. 

I picked up a few more things in Bali as well... I couldn't pass up these embroidered slippers... the retro shape with that narrow "v" opening at the top is so Chanel Fall 2011. I wonder if they know how on trend they are in their little island.

I also adore this necklace Joe so graciously haggled over for me. This came from a silversmith in Celuk who was nice enough to show us her workshop. It's very John Hardy-esque (Who actually lives in Ubud, Bali).

The best thing I happened to pick up while I was there though, wasn't from Bali at all. In fact, it had traveled just like, me all the way from the United States......

Yup! We're engaged! I... We.... couldn't be happier, and I cant possibly think of a more romantic place to set the scene for our engagement story.  It was breathtaking, and perfect, and by far the most beautiful moment of my life. 

The Samara Villas in Ubud, not only did we stay here, this is where the magical moment took place!

And the ring... it is amazing! Joe designed it himself, using a family heirloom stone for the center of the setting.  It looks new and vintage all at the same time, and has wonderful sentiment built right in. He knows me all too well. Try to ignore my non-manicured hands in these pictures.

He also knows how much I love to multi task,so that top I'm wearing in those first pictures of as as fiances  is of course, one that I will be talking about a little later on.  How fitting that it's Phillip Lim, one of Southeast Asia's very own.

So now that you've seen what's been distracting me lately, hopefully you'll cut me a little slack. We'll get back to somewhat normal very soon... I say somewhat normal because I'm sure from here on out I'll need to throw out wedding planning interruptions every now and then.  I can't wait for this whole new chapter!

Emmy Recap

Ahh its that time of year again.... of course I mean the beginning of red carpet season... what did you think??

Kicking off the season were the Emmy's last night, which, even if the show isn't all that great, the red carpet provides something at least nice to look at, and usually sets the trend for what we can expect to see at the award shows to follow.

So what consistencies seemed to pop up all night??

RED.. and i mean RED. The bold hue was everywhere, and most of the dresses, in fact could stop you in your tracks. Kate Winslet, Nina Dobrev, Lea Michelle, just to name a few all donned the crimson color for the evening's event.

Kate Winslet 2011 Emmys

Lea Michelle 2011 Emmys

The best of them though (and I actually think of the entire night) was the Donna Karan frock worn by Nina Dobrev (she's from CW's Vampire Diaries for all of those you haven't been sucked into the blood sucking craze... don't worry, I had to look it up too). She looked amazing. The fit, the length, the proportion of the dress were all spot on, as were her hair, make up and accessories. She was one of the only people of the night that I could honestly say I liked everything from head to to toe.

Another lady in red that I was actually a huge fan of was Kelly Osborn.... not a norm for me. While she opted for a shade of ox blood instead of stop sign the silhouette of the dress made her look amazing, and the color was remarkable on her complexion.  The other thing I liked was her "so blonde its almost pink" hair.  While I don't think it works with any other color than the color of her dress.... it was perfect for that moment.

Another trend: Metallic

This trend was a difficult one to pull off... and many didn't. Jennifer Carpenter glimmered in her sequined gown, and Christina Hendrix decided to shine a little light on her not so little assets. (Seriously, are those bad boys ever under control??)

Jennifer Carpenter 2011 Emmys

Christina Hendricks 2011 Emmys

It was Claire Danes who perfected the sparkling look though.  This artsy number by Oscar de la Renta was stunning, and made her eyes look absolutely gorgeous.

Claire Danes Emmys 2011

And while it's not quite metallic, but it is super shiny and a shade of bronze, I have to give it up to Kristen Wigg. While remarkably funny, the ladies of SNL (slash its alumni) just always seem to miss the mark on the carpet (i.e. Amy Poehler, also attempting the metallic frock).

Amy Poehler Emmys 2011

Kristen looked gorgeous last night though. The color is a little odd when you see it mixed in with all of the rich shades of red and blue that dominated the evening, but on her, complimented perfectly by chestnut hair, I thought the Zac Posen dress was a very welcome step toward improvement.

Kristen Wigg 2011 Emmys

And finally we have Blue. The tried and true color could be seen in varying shades from navy to turquoise.. and again, some got it, some did not.  Diana Argon wore this electric number and it pains me to say... got it all wrong.  the silhouette and hair are waaaaaay to old looking for the young starlet. And it doesn't help that the dress is super wrinkly.

Diana Argon Emmys 2011

Someone who did get it right though, was Cobie Smulders. The vintage silhouette is offset perfectly by the ultra contemporary hot turquoise hue. Love it.

Cobie Smulders 2011 Emmys

And, given the runway trend I talked about last weekend... and the fact that EVERYONE else is talking about it, I can't not talk about Gwyneth's look.  Everyone was abuzz with this love it or hate it look.  I.... I'm torn. It's super 90's and she looks a little costume-ie. I think I've come to the conclusion that I love the idea of the dress... but in fact really dislike the actual dress. For me the top is a deal breaker.... If you're going to go sheer pick your target zone. If you bear your midriff it's totally unnecessary to have a nearly (actually, it WAS) see-through top on.  Its sheer overkill.

Gwyeneth Paltrow 2011 Emmys

What about you guys? What were your hits and misses of the night?

Gucci: Made in Italy

As I mentioned earlier this week, a recent Gucci trunk show got me thinking a lot. Not only did it remind me of that sheer trend i'm loving right now, but it also reminded me that this is a brand with some serious history. While most of us know the Gucci that the Tom Ford built in the 90's that is one of today's leading luxury brands (or a brand name thrown out quite frequently in various rap songs), Gucci is actually a brand built on a solid 90 year history with a legacy of sophistication and craftsmanship. The Italian power house of the luxury goods industry has locked in its fair share of instantly identifiable hallmarks of the brand. This recognition has also made it one of the most sought after brands in the world (actually in 2007 the Nielsen Company named them THE most desirable luxury brand in the world).

Whether it be the iconic horsebit, diamonte pattern, interlocking GG's, "The Web" (that bold green red green stripe), or bamboo details they have all come to embody a brad that is deep rooted in history, heritage and legacy.  And we all know, those are icon's that have also made the brand incredibly susceptible to knock offs. And while it may be easy to score a bag or wallet in the back room of a canal street store that looks remarkably close to the real thing.... that made in China purchase won't contain that signature "Made in Italy" craftsmanship that Gucci is renowned for.... and what accounts for its sometimes astronomical price tags.

Maintaining a dedication to locale and quality comes at a price, but as brands like Gucci can vouch for, it's a price that people are willing to pay, and I'm sure the entire city of Florence (Where the company was founded by Guccio Gucci in 1921) is thankful for that.  In Italy alone, the Gucci Group employs over 45,000 people. It's the  same Italian techniques that have come to define the impeccable quality of the brand, and have gone unchanged in their 90 year history.  That Italian dedication to craftsmanship is the very reason Guccio Gucci decided to start his business in Florence (He actually was inspired to create his own luxury leather goods shop     while admiring the luggage he encountered on a daily basis as a bell hop at The Savoy in London, where his family  had immigrated to sometime earlier).  It wasn't luggage though that started the business and gained him his strongest clientele. It was in fact, saddle bags and the illustrious world of equestrian.... hence all of the Gucci icons being equine related.  Actually, there is something unique about all of those little icons... I'll break it down simply:

Bamboo: While most people instantly think horsebit, or interlocking GG's when they think Gucci, bamboo was actually the first of the Gucci icons.  Introduced in the 1947 wartime shortages made it too difficult to get traditional materials.  Natural fibers like hemp linen and jute became the materials of choice, and the burnished bamboo was the perfect accompaniment. The fact that the curvy shape was reminiscent of a saddle fit right in with the then-clientele's aesthetic, and remains a fan favorite to this day.

The Diamante Pattern: Also a result of wartime shortages, the diamante pattern, small dark brown diamonds criss-crossing a tan background was the first of the house's signature prints. Developed in the 30's the diamond pattern was woven into hemp and used for luggage.  While its something we see on almost a daily basis in the bigger cities, this was actually widely unused except through the 50's. It wasn't until current Creative Director Frida Giannini discovered it in the archives that it made a resurgence is an increasingly popular fabrication.

The Web: The bold green red green stripe was introduced in the 1950's and was inspired by the traditional saddle girth (the strap that kept the saddle snuggly fit to the horse's back). It happens to be the centerpiece of one of Gucci's most iconic bag... The Jackie O (The bag was named after the first lady after she was seen photographed carrying the bag on several occasions while working as an editor for Doubleday). More than 60 years later the web can still be found on countless items from sunglasses to bags and sometime in novelty contrasting colors.

The Horsebit: In 1953 the horsebit that had been used to detail heavy saddle bags earlier in the decade was miniaturized to adorn the top of a supple men's leather loafer.  The rest is history.  Ever since the horsebit has been the icon of choice Gucci brand and been used as detailing on handbags, shoes, clothing, jewelry and more.   In the 1980's the Gucci moccasin with horsebit detail entered the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Arts Costume Institute.

Interlocking GG's:  The 60's also saw the introduction of the interlocking GG logo, and it's been prominently displayed by the the upper echelon the world over ever since.  The initials of its founder Guccio Gucci have been used together has fastenings for bags, buckles on belts and a million and one other things.  In the 50 plus years of its existance it has undergone many transformations, being rendered in metal, burned into velvet, squared off or to form a perfect circle.  No matter which shape it takes, the GG's still remain instatly recognizable.

As for me, my own designer shoe history starts with Gucci.  It was these turquoise ballet flats with modified horsebit detailing that were the first to enter my collection... they were my designer shoe gateway drug if you will.  They are a great example of Gucci's current direction.... a dedication to heritage while striving for modernity.