made in china africa

for the past week, I've had quite the R&R post-undergrad lifestyle consisting of 12+ hours of sleep (in hopes of catching up on the n amount of hours lost over the past 4 years), daily caffino runs, and endless amounts of television. aside from the endless hours of job hunting and resume/cover letter editing, I also fill my days with catching up on the latest style blogs and websites. one in particular, Vogue UK, caught my attention with their article on ethical and sustainable fashion labels. after seeing this gorgeous brass necklace, I was intrigued. made is a jewelry line
produced by independent artisans and small communities in Africa. products are all recycled and reused materials. designers of the line include Peaches Geldorf, Vicki Sarge (of Erickson Beamon), Alexa Chung, and stylist Brian Crumley among many others.

made follows fair trade principles that are so rarely seen in fashion - though I'm not positive about this, even my TOMS shoes are made in China, which is an eyebrow raiser because it's such a good cause yet why are the shoes made in China? by sourcing products in East Africa, made hopes to alleviate poverty "through trade, not aid." the jewelry line is a direct effort from Made Africa which focuses on children and education. the line is surprisingly affordable and the designs are impeccable, unique and best of all, supports a great cause!

here are a couple of my faves:


all are made from either recycled brass, aluminium, bone or handmade raw silk (like the bracelet)
shop more of the collection here

true life: i'm a college graduate

it's been 4 days since graduation. I feel no different, look no older, nor speak more professionally. $40,000 down the drain? not quite. there were multiple times throughout the weekend where I could've bitched someone out for cutting me in line at starbucks or for intentionally shaking my seat on an airplane but I did what any mature adult would do...nothing.

procrastination

anything to keep me away from finishing my senior thesis..















via flickr, emmas designblogg, google, modelizing, collecting children's books, upperplayground


have nothing better to do? watch people get shot by a cupcake cannon.

she had that bad hip like a fanny pack

it all began with this moment in Sex and the City (as it always does-we see something on Carrie Bradshaw and need it the next possible minute) when Carrie wore that Gucci fanny pack and since then, the fanny pack was never looked at the same way it was in the 90s.

I know this is nothing less of a random subject...there's no recent moment in fashion where the fanny pack was in the spotlight, at least not recent enough for me to blog about it, but I saw this entry from Sea of Shoes that featured a Tatsuyuki Tanaka fanny pack and I almost shit my pants because I want it so bad. as strong supporter of the fanny pack, it's no wonder why I fell victim to the Gucci craze started by SATC. I remember buying this in Paris with my mom in 2006 thinking, "am I really going to wear this?" the idea of a fanny pack is so dorky, so detached from being fashionable...but that's why I love it. the designers that transformed this bag to become less of a staple for unfashionable tourists and more of a statement piece is enough for me to wear it. and though I haven't gotten much use out of mine, it's been a lifesaver for the times I have used it...probably the most convenient purse I own (especially for running errands or going to Disneyland). even if I get flack from my friends for rocking the fanny pack, I could give two fucks. because by my wearing it I can say that A) I have balls and B) I can bring back a '90s look like it's my job

to read more about the fanny trend, click through to this article in the NY Times

p.s. these pictures of me are old...if you consider 2-3 years ago old...but I look at least 5 years younger soo yeah, I'd say these are old.



though I'd love to own each and everyone of these, this Alexander Wang fanny is probably my favorite & the most versatile


buy it here

gothic appeal

what happens when you combine Hieronymus Bosch's religious & abstract paintings with elaborate Byzantine costume and finally, a grungy '90s mohawk?..



Alexander McQueen's final collection, FW 2010





read more about it here



images via WWD

clothed in jewels

designer, Bliss Lau, bridges jewelry with clothing in her line of accessories.

"jewelry has become a new medium to Bliss a method reshape and enhance the most beautiful and forgotten parts of the body."

pretty amazing if you ask me!



see more here

100th

I dedicate my 100th post to Chanel and why it is the true apple of my eye.

the below images are a reflection of how Chanel can transform any aspect of life to sheer class.


who would pass up a sport if that person knew she could play with Chanel equipment? I wouldn't..


for a mere $2,750 you can ski in class, or fish for $18,000 worth of fishing rods. hell, you can ride in style with the signature quilted leather bicycle for $17,000! what a steal...

the best feature of this bike: the detachable flap bags that can be used as individual purses. amazing.

even better, Karl hasn't forgotten about safety first so here's the Chanel helmet that even comes with an iPod connector!


scooters are all the rage right now (I could be making that up, though...) at least in la, where my school's public safety prides itself in circling the campus in their sedgeway scooters. if you want to ride the classy way, I suggest investing in one of these beauties

not sure if it's being manufactured yet but it was announced earlier in 2009 so hopefully soon!

if you're into different modes of transportation other than a bicycle, I suggest driving this Chanel coupe

it's only a concept car but a girl can dream, right?
watch the video of the south korean student, Jin Young Jo, that designed the car here.

what I really love, though, is this acoustic guitar. I swear, if I was a guitar player I'd be strumming these strings even if it would cost me $4,030!


are you a surfer? I certainly am not (I tried, I failed, I gave up) but if I were I'd catch waves with the Chanel surfboard but since I'm not, wouldn't it also be a fun decorative piece for an apartment? at $3,875 it can be yours.


for the working individual, here's a briefcase that can very well fit everything you need...or at least everything you need that's specifically Chanel (a 2.55, makeup, powder and rouge, sunglasses, and print a Chanel Logo iPod)


if you're ever in Paris and want to experience a night in Coco Chanel's home life, I suggest staying at the Coco Chanel suite at the Ritz

for $4,300 per night it's one of the world's most expensive hotel suites (according to the travel channel)

doesn't this make you want to win the lotto? happy sunday!

here's some Fifi Lapin to brighten your day :)

everything via sybarites, ifitshipitshere, swipelife, louisvuittonsale, fifi lapin flickr stream