SS06 Shoe Trend: Platform Sandals

Ever since I bought a pair of brown platform sandals at the Miu Miu sale last month, I've been seriously in love with platform sandals. Platform sandals make you feel so much taller, and they're really fun to wear!Usually when people see the shoes, they question how I can still walk as fast as I normally do. The lovely thing about my sandals is that the sole is curved, so you can sort of roll foward in them.

Anyways, here are so nice and mostly affordable choices of platform sandals: (Btw, I know the photos below only show one shoe each, but I'm just going to refer the sandals as 'a pair' below.)

OK, let's start with this pair of Chloe-lookalike wooden sandals by Top Shop. These are seriously platform-ed! Just imagine wearing them with the lovely and oh-so-trendy dresses. Sigh...

Another pair by Top Shop, but this one is inspired by Christian Louboutin. This pair is a bit lower-heeled than this season's trend, but I'm sure one could walk longer without feeling too tired in these.

This Bebe pair would look great with jeans, denim skirt, and basically most casualwear. (But be warned that they are oddly expensive for Bebe.)

These white sandals by Miu Miu may seem a bit similar with the Bebe ones above at first glance, but these Miu Miu ones are def more suitable for daywear, and a lot more funky!

These Strappy Patent Stacked Heels are from Urban Outfitters. The straps don't look like they're made of patent leather to me (since they're not even shiny,) but the white pair looks ok from the photo. This is a good affordable choice to wear with casualwear.

Oops I'm cheating here. These BCBG Max Azria Metallic Leather Sandals aren't platforms, but they look so daytime-glamorous that I couldn't resist mentioning them. And they're on sale now!

Another fun and funky pair of very high platform sandals, but this one is by Marc by Marc Jacobs. Depending on your personal style, these would look fantastic with bohemian clothes and liven up a trendy plain outfit.

I love this pair of Marc by Marc Jacobs Ankle Wrap Sandals -the golden colour matches all my outfits and the wrap is so summer-y. It's just soooo pretty and fabulous for daywear. Now that I think of it, I can't remember why I chose the Miu Mius over these. Hmm... I think it's because they ran out of my size.

The only thing I must warn everybody about is that the ankle straps are usually quite uncomfortable. But if you wear your sandals enough, the straps should stop hurting your ankles. Transparent band aids help too. So girls, have fun being tall and funky! Oh, and don't trip!

Summer Reading Goal

Most people I know have specific book genres that they favour and read a lot. Which is why I think it would be cool if everyone in our little I am Fashion community set themselves a summer reading goal. Let me explain:
The aim is to choose a book that you normally wouldn't choose. This does not mean you only read this book this summer and ignore the books you normally like reading. Nor does it mean picking up some random thick book and forcing yourself to read it. Choose a book that actually interests you; a book that you've always wanted to read but you haven't had the time to; a book that challenges you in some ways. Now I'm not saying we should all completely not read chick lits this summer, but it's fun to try something different every now and then, you know.

For myself, I chose The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath. I admit I really don't appreciate, nor understand most poetry. But Sylvia Plath's poems are the only poems I actually sort of understand and genuinely love. And Sylvia Plath herself fascinates me. We all know she was a depressed person, but was she always like that? How did she feel and react to things and events around her? This book basically consists of 12 journals Plath wrote, including two that were just released a few years ago. I just love reading about successful females.

So how is this a challenge? I've read the first few pages already and let me tell you, it's not easy! It's not like the language or topics are too difficult to understand. It's just that reading through someone's journals means that you don't get a smooth, connected story.

So go set yourself an aim and let us know what it is!

The Lancome Launching Event

The other day I went to the Lancome Secret de Vie launching event. I know, it isn't exactly my kind of product, but hey, it was an event and I thought they were promoting new make-up! Who knew what "Secret de Vie" meant from the looks of the invitation?

Anyway, the event started at 7pm and was located in an unit in a luxury complex in the fancy part of town. We arrived fashionably late at 7.40pm and was ushered in for drinks and tiny sandwiches. Although the unit was large by most standards, the event itself was rather small. The crowd was thin, with the photographers interviewing small local starlets who I have no idea who they are. But I did admire the decor of the unit. Mostly white and glass, white marble floors, white grand paino and white flowers + petals on the glass table- very elegant. We thought it was a very smart PR move to launch a new product in a house- they get to advertise two things in one move! There were also make-up artists there to help you put on a Lancome logo "tatoo", which I thought was neat. Oh and the lychee cocktail was yummy.
Then the "presentation" started. I was beginnng to wonder how one "presents" make-up in a dark balcony when I finally realised that Secret de Vie was actually their new rejuvenating face cream. People made speeches and then this guy (who turned out to be a magician) started to explain what was so special about it. Something about how it rejuvenates the 6 layers of skin we have using yeast (and he started adding these ingredients into a bowl), sugar, algae, yadeyadeya and POOF pink smoke and ribbons started coming out of the bowl and out comes a bottle of Secret de Vie! Expecting a boring recitation, that was an awesome surprise. LOL. And doesn't the design of the jar look so cool? Like an atomic bomb?

Anyway, over all it was a fascinating experience seeing the "pros" at work launching a cosmetic (it must be hard as there is really nothing much to show!) and my mom was very happy with the huge jar of Secret de Vie I got when I left.

SS06 Fashion: Eyelets

We all think we know what the eyelet print is when we see one, but while I was researching on this topic I got confused. Was it the print or was it the holes? So just to satisfy your thirst for knowledge, here is the dictionary definition:

1a. A small hole or perforation, usually rimmed with metal, cord, fabric, or leather, used for fastening with a cord or hook.
1b. A metal ring designed to reinforce such a hole; a grommet.
2. A small hole edged with embroidered stitches as part of a design.
3. A peephole.
4. A small eye.

So we were only half right. Anyway, the definition no.2 part of eyelet has been all over the place, which is fab because it is just so pretty, delicate, feminine and cool. Here are a few of this season's picks:

I simple ADORE these two looks from Diane von Furstenburg and Tracy Reese. The cut is so neat and pretty. But alas, one has to be careful with these shirts because if worn the wrong way, one may look pregnant. Wear it with more fitted bottoms.

More pretty shirts from Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie. Black or white eyelet shirts have the best effect.
My favourite place for eyelet- on camisoles. It gives it that extra oomph of intricacy making it even more feminine and delicate looking. These two from BCBG and Rebecca Taylor are great to wear alone or inside.

These shirts are also very neat and pretty. And no, they are not the same shirt even though they look incredibly similar. The left is from Anthropologie and the one on the right is from Tracy Reese. Maybe great minds do think alike?

The other great way to wear eyelet is on blazers, the subtle pattern makes them look so elegant. I love this beige one from Classique Entier, my mom has something very similar from BCBG, its great for everyday wear. The white one from Carmen Marc Valvo on the otherhand is great to keep warm in the evenings.

They look gorgeous on skirts too, like this cream one from Nanette Lepore and this grey one from Robert Rodriguez. Looks incredible!
For one piece eyelets, these white eyelet dresses from Laundry by Shelli Segal and DVF are great for the daytime. I especially love the eyelet wrap dress from DVF (who else?).

For evening wear, we have these elegant creations from BCBG and Cynthia Steffe. Again black and white eyelets are the best!

Eyelets are even found on trench coats (DKNY) and BOOTS (Anthropologie). But frankly I just think it looks strange for such a summery material to be used on such wintery items.

Have fun with eyelets everyone!

Packing Troubles

Normally I am a brilliant packer. This is not because I’m a super-organised person, but simply because I’ve had loads of practice. One of my very few talents is that I’m very good at packing only the necessary things, and not packing the ‘what if I need it’ things. So here I am, packing to go to the States tomorrow and I’m actually having trouble!

You see, the problem is that I have to pack for three places and too many different activities. I’ll be going to New York, Boston and San Francisco, so that means I’m going to need:

- Nice clothes, shoes and bag for nice dinners in NY.- Sneakers to tour colleges (for my sister). You didn’t think I was going to walk around colleges in heels, did you?- Pretty, comfortable shoes (like low wedges, low-heel sandals or kitten heels) to visit pretty, indoor places, like shops and museums.
- About 10 outfits, since I can wash some of them in San Francisco at my aunt’s house.
- A travel set, which needs to be big enough for 2 weeks, of oh-so-important colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner.
-See the Jane blog about my skincare products.

Oh my gosh, I don’t think I’ve ever brought more than 2 pairs of shoes when I travel. Nor have I ever brought that many beauty products. This is going to be seriously a lot of hassle. Hmm, I think blogging this down actually helped me get a clearer picture of what to pack. Now I have to go do the actual packing. And I still haven’t finished my list of what-to-buy yet!

Summer Make-Up Fun

For me, one of the most fun things about make-up is the eyes. For summer, I like it to be summery, colorful and cheery. Here are some my favourite summery looks for your inspiration.
This look from Smashbox is summery with an edge. The strike of electric blue under the eye contrasts brilliantly with the nuetral color on the top lid, making the colors and the eye pop out more.
If that is a bit too edgy for you, try this softer version from Lorac by using a lighter, softer shade of blue. This is great for the casual daytime look.
Another way to use dual shades also from Lorac. I think this look is more dramatic than the last, because of the contrasting shades and the abrupt change of colors on the lids. Notice how green/blue has been very prominent in these few looks.
Another summery look I am in love with was inspired by Harrods Girl's visit to the Lancome counter. They covered her lids with a shiny white base and the upper lids with this gorgeous shade of pink that actually showed very well!! I've tried it with the shades I already had at home, but unfortunately due to the different textures, the effect has not been the same.

And lastly, for something more this season (its all about the nuetral palette) try these looks from the Shiseido Golden Kiss collection- but only if you have a tan (natural or self), otherwise it would just not be the same.

Have fun with these summer looks everyone!

The Inside Job w/Nick Verreos: Sandals and Summer

Since Frontiers is a local Los Angeles Magazine and most of you would not read it even if you were in LA, I thought I would post my columns here to share with everyone. The columns deal mostly with Men's fashions and fashion advice for style-challenged men. I'm really having a great time writing them and hopefully I am spreading around some good fashion advice (at least that's what my friends say).

Sandals And Summer. Two words that have become inseparable from each other, like Brad and Angelina, Nick and Jessica (ha!), Liza and the Gays. You get the picture. Sandals and flip flops are a wardrobe staple, especially here in Southern California, where we basically have no seasons and enjoy spring/summer almost all year round. What is amazing to me is how, say five years ago, sandals and flip flops were not as ubiquitous as they are now, and how the choices for styles have become unending. Years ago, you had rubber flip flops and get-out-of-the-shower-at-the-gym styles, or-shall I even go there?-yes, those nasty Teva hiking sandals that Americans in Miami Beach or even at the Louvre in Paris would be seen wearing. Times are a changin’, and we are happier as a result.
Chalk it up to “Queer Eye”, “Abercrombie & Fitch”, “American Eagle Outfitters”, MTV’s “Real World/Road Rules” as catalysts that brought flip flops and sandals into the mainstream and cemented them as a natural part of our wardrobe, no matter what the season. And now, with the airport security being as strict as it is, you can be in a winter snow storm in Buffalo NY and I guarantee there will be guys wearing flip flops at the airport for the sake of comfort and not having to take those shoes off and hold up the line any longer than they have to.
The variety of choices we have is great. On the inexpensive yet still cute side, there are those colorful Havaianas, that can be found in any surf shop from Venice to La Jolla. I also found this great pair of inexpensive flip-flops at H&M with “Italy” and the Italian flag colors emblazoned down the sole (they also have other “World Cup” countries such as England and Brazil). On the pricier side, DSquared has really stepped up it’s sandal styles by creating leather braided ones as well as a style that has Native American-inspired beaded straps. I know it sounds like a bit much to wear on your feet, but trust me, these were HOT. Of course, you can always count on Gucci or Louis Vuitton for some logo-crazy versions that will instantly let everyone around you know that: a)You went to the Cabazon Outlets in Palm Springs and bought them there, or b)you are a broke sales associate at Bloomindales but heck if that’s going to stop you from looking fabulous, or c)You are part of that 1% tax bracket that can actually afford to pay full price.
Whatever your taste or style, there are tons of choices out there in sandals and flip flops, yet the most important thing (besides how cute they look on your feet) is how comfortable they are. I remember several years ago spending over $300 on a pair of fabulous Miu Miu’s that had a powder-blue canvas strap and a heavy wooden sole. They were the most uncomfortable pair of sandals I have ever worn and people could hear me coming a mile away because of the click-clack of the wood. I felt like a pained Dutch milk-maid. At the end of the day, I would have been much happier with a pair of $14 Havaianas.

People.com Blog

Epidode Three: It's A Dog-Eat-Dog World :
Highlights include:
*Bradley needs a Red Bull!
*Laura dresses up Like Athena Onasis at the Equestrian International Competition.
*And Angela creates a fanciful story that beats my "Paris Hilton Goes To Mykonos"!!
You can find it all (and more): Go to People.com
You can also find my blog on Bravotv.com on the "Project Runway" site. Click below: BravoTV.com

On another note:
I wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone who attended my "Learning Annex" seminars on "How To Get Into The Fashion Industry" and "How To Get Your Dresses On The Red Carpet".
San Francisco , Los Angeles, and especially (big SHOUT OUT!) San Diego (best turnout of the three, thanks to FIDM San Diego and David's family for helping out with the advertisements) were great fun and, I hope , informative. I will be returning to San Diego to do an event with the W Hotels. Will keep you updated.

Nick and the Misses

CORONATION BALL

Here are some final photos from the "Miss Universe" Coronation Ball that occurred afterwards at the Shrine Auditorium. They had a grand buffet as well as several bars. Funny I did not really see the Misses eating. However , "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" star, and commentator for the telecast, Carson Kressly, and myself, sure took advantage of the buffet. I went for seconds! Here we are with the 6 feet 2 inch-tall "Miss Ghana"(I mean, really what hormones are these beautiful women taking!!) and Scandinavian beauty "Miss Denmark". We also took a photo with the lovely "Miss Cayman Islands", who another six-footer. We were (almost) dressed the same and he commented that somewhere in some magazine there will be photo of us with the caption: "Bookends". Carson was telling me that he had just gotten back from Manila and was leaving for Hawaii to shoot a film. He told me that his "tour" of Manila, Philippines was incredible, complete with HUNDREDS of screaming fans at a local mall, and a bodyguard that had to SLEEP in his bedroom. Lucky him! It was fun mingling with all the titleholders from all over the world. Some had their sashes on, some did not(they were over it by then). Notably absent was "Miss Venezuela" who left in a hurry ,in casual day clothes, right after the the show ended. Venezuela has had a strong record in turning out beauty pageant winners, but their spotlight seems to be dimming. She did not make the top 20 Finalist and therefore when she returns to her country, she might have to be in hiding for a while--it's that serious. The "Miss Venezuela" pageant organizers might have to rethink what their vision of a "beauty queen" should look like.
I did get to take photos with my other compatriot, "Miss Greece", "Miss Sri Lanka", "Miss Bolivia" as well as the Caribbean stunner from "Trinidad and Tobago" and a former "Miss Puerto Rico" wearing
a"Marilyn Monroe-esque" black and white halter dress. Fear not Fishtail Hem/Train-haters--none of the dresses were mine and there were no fishtails in sight!
All in all , the "Coronation Ball" was loads of fun but David and I were tired and wanted to get back home so we could watch the show we TiVo'ed in the comfort of our home.

Miss Universe: Behind the Seams

Boy was my humble Los Feliz studio busy this week! After all it is not every day that the "Miss Universe Pageant" rolls into Los Angeles. It is usually held in some far-flung locale such as Thailand, Cancun, Cyprus or Manila. A week before the contest, I got a call from Nancy O'Dell's stylist, whom I have worked with before and is such a great friend. I proposed to design a gown that Nancy would wear at the live telecast of the pageant. ONE WEEK before the contest!!! David and I went on OVERDRIVE(as well as my faithful seamstresses!). Mind you, I had classes to teach, and had to fly to San Francisco to do a "Learning Annex" as well. Needless to say, I think I slept maybe a total of 4 hours last week. The gown , as seen here, turned out to be a "showstopper", complementing her figure and her skin color and showcasing my design aesthetic.
About a month prior to last night's pageant, I learned my friend Brook Lee would be attending as a former "Miss Universe" and the last "Miss USA" to win the prestigious title back in 1997. I designed her a fabulous gown of navy and cream flower-printed silk, featuring my "Angel-Wing" cascade-ruffle back and a tulip silhouette. I told her she looked like the beautiful mistress of a wealthy European sugar-plantation owner in Hawaii. All she needed was a fan (she had one!)
A day before the big night, Tamiko Nash , "Miss California 2006" and the First Runner Up to Miss USA, also came by my studio and she chose a one-shouldered canary-yellow asymmetrical silk charmeuse dress that looked glorious against her copper skin color. My beautiful sister, Rita Verreos, who is a former "Miss Venezuela" finalist and now trains the "Miss California USA" winners, also made a visit to round off my contingency of "Nick Verreos/Nikolaki" beauties of the world. She wore an emerald green silk gown featuring a criss-cross bust drape and (wait for it!) yes, my infamous FISHTAIL HEM!!!
You might have thought that I would be on "Cloud Nine" with so many stunning beauties wearing my dresses but all I kept thinking about was if the sweat (Ok, they do not sweat, they perspire) was staining the expensive silk under the 100 Degree humid weather that we were suffering Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. All in all , I was ecstatic to have lived this great moment and did feel that I had gotten a "Coup D'Etat" of sorts, by having so many of my gowns worn on one night. At the "Coronation Ball", it was a unique experience hobnobbing with all the "Miss Universe" contestants and VIP guests. At one point judge and famed photographer, Patrick McMullan, approached a group of us because we were all in Black and White and started snapping away. This little surreal group included ,"Miss Ireland", Nancy O'Dell, her husband, Carson Kressley,"Miss Sri Lanka" and myself. It doesn't get much better than that!! After the contest, I also felt proud for fellow "Project Runway" designer, Kayne Gillespie, who basically got his "Barbie moment" and career zenith by winning the "Miss USA Challenge" and having Tara Conner wear his design for over 600 million viewers in 170 countries to see. Congrats to Kayne for getting that coup!

*And yes, if you look closely at the first picture, that IS the back of Donald Trump's head! David was sitting a few rows behind him. Good job Mr. Trump, no bald spot!!

Nancy O'Dell in Custom Nick Verreos/Nikolaki

Miss Universe Telecast, Sunday July 23:

As I was sitting in the audience last night, front row, next to the beautiful Brook Lee, Miss Universe 1997, wearig a gown I created for her, I was nervous as heck, waiting to see if hostess Nancy O'Dell was going to open the show with my gown. As she was announced , my heart pounded faster, she began walking out, and there she was wearing the design David and I created for her: a black lace with hand-applied paillettes Mermaid gown with ice blue silk charmeuse backing. She looked glorious to say the least. David was many seats away from me so I could not enjoy the moment immediately with him, but you can guess that Brook and I were grasping our hands like CRAZY!! I will post more photos soon, but I wanted to show a photo of the gown since many of you might not have realized which one was mine. And by the way: it is NOT a fishtail!! This is just considered a "Chapel Length sweeping Train".

Colour-Protecting Shampoo & Conditioner

Last Friday, I decided to make the most out of my holiday from work and get my hair dyed. While the technician was applying the dye into my hair, he warned my that the hair dye might come off (after many washes) and the hair colour before would show up again. He said that colour-protecting hair products do actually prolong the hair colour, and I believe him because he didn't introduce the hair product line the hair salon sells. This totally freaked me out of course, since I did just pay to get the hair colour changed. So I did a LOT of online research after I got home.

OK, so my problem is that I need a brilliant colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner. Sounds fairly simple, but with all the products available out there, I really need more information and opinion.

My first thought was to buy the Reflection line from Kerastase, (my favourite haircare brand). But I have heard that Kerastase shampoo is a bit 'thick' for summer and I'm concerned that it might not wash my hair thorough enough. On Friday, I only ended up buying a tiny travel pack for my trip to the US next week. But I got a bit curious so I already tried the shampoo this morning and my hair felt clean enough. Maybe I'll go buy this tomorrow.

Another colour-protecting line I am considering is the L'Oreal Professional Vitamino shampoo & conditioner. I have used another product line by this brand a long time ago, and even though I can't even remember which shampoo it was that I used, I remember liking this brand. Also, a lot of hair salons use this brand, so it must be somewhat good quality. But this brand is fairly expensive, and the MUA reviews didn't seem overly impressed (or disappointed), so I don't feel absolutely sure about this line.

And of course, how could I not mention a deep hair treatment. This is oddly the only product I don't have to waste any more time researching on. Since I'll be going to the US soon, I'll definately be buying Terax Crema. I've heard only positive things about it -it's supposed to make your hair super soft. Hopefully it will save my seriously dehydrated hair!

So if you have used any colour-protecting hair products, let me know which brand and product it is, and your opinion of it please!

Project Miss Universe

I am so thrilled and excited to announce that Nancy_O'Dell the Beautiful Hostess for the Miss Universe Pageant will be wearing a Gown I custom designed just for her! What an amazing night it will be for Project Runway. With Kayne dressing Miss_USA, Santino judging and my gown on Nancy O'Dell, it will be a PR Triple Threat!
Be sure to watch the Pageant at 9pm on NBC and Telemundo and show your Project Runway support.
I will be there, of course, and will report back with fun photos and stories to tell!
Click HERE for details on the airing of the pageant.

Dior Shades

Always on the look out for the perfect shades, this season I am loving the Dior collection. The shape is gorgeous and it fits so well (at least for me it does).

I especially love these Dior Couture shades- in black that is, this color just does not compliment me. The shape and fit is fabulous and the "D" on the sides with flowers on it is just adorable and oh-so-pretty!

Another one with a cute logo is this Dior Extralight I, where a heart replaces the "o". Although the shape looks a bit flat for my tastes.
I also love the rounded shape of these Dior Glossy. Unfortunately I do not have the face shape for this, but if you do, it'll look awesome!For something more subtle and different from the classic plastic frames, there are these Toreadior aviators with swarovski crystals on the side.
I know the heading is "Dior" shades, but I can't resist sticking these Chanel shades in. I am not so hot about the shape though, maybe they have a different style. But I just adore the quillt and camelia flower on the side, its so pretty!