FHM, August 2009- Yohji Yamamoto for Prototype Sunglasses, available at Front Row

CLEO, August 2009- Cut Out Top by Yovia Jogia //+9 available at Front Row

I-Weekly, August 2009- Christopher Lee wearing Short-Sleeved Shirt by Woods&Woods, available at Front Row

Elle, August 2009- (From Left to Right) Deconstructed Dress and Hooded Jacket with Zipper, both by Demisemiquaver //+9; available at Front Row

Catalog, August 2009-  Tshirt with Embroidered Pocket by A.P.C, available at Front Row

Catalog, August 2009- 50s Cardigan by A.P.C, available at Front Row

The S/S09 collection of Raf Simons x Dr Martens is now 20% off. Keep an eye on the iconic 3-eye shoe and heroic mandals in chromo leather and wet patent; finished with a red welt stitching and signed off with the Raf Simons signature on the footbed.  Also look out for the same Raf Simon’s attitude and mood translated into Dr Martens in the upcoming A/W09 collection. It will be pewter, gold, brassy… and amazing.

Raf Simons x Dr Martens S/S09 is now 20% off at Front Row | 5 ann siang road

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I have a fascination for taxidermy. I do… I think it’s absolutely beautiful. I once wandered into a taxidermy shop in North London and it was filled with the most amazing jungle of stuffed animals. Peacocks, beavers, bears, birds, fishes - I felt like Alice in the rabbit hole of morbid Wonderland. And before you judge me or go all Peta warfare on me, taxidermy can be done ethically. Some say it’s a new form of Memento Mori (latin for ‘remember you shall die‘, a genre of art that serves to remind people of their own mortality.) That excuse aside, artistic taxidermy doesn’t need to be cruel.

A case in point: Reid Peppard, a london-based designer uses taxidermy in her accessories line, RP/Encore, but only with creatures that were victims of roadkill, pest control, or those that died from natural death. Her only exceptions are ‘feeder rats’ (rats that are bred and killed for the sole purpose of feeding snakes).

“RP/ENCORE challenges our attitudes towards fur, leather and waste.  In a world where leather is worn with out question by most, and replaced by un-biodegradable plastics by the rest, it is ironic that the image of an animal preserved using taxidermy is still enough to cause widespread outrage and fist banging. It is for this reason I taxidermy the prolific, consequential vermin result of London’s excess.  A member of the UK’s Guild of Taxidermists, I use both traditional and alternative methods of taxidermy to preserve and embellish creatures that are widely thought disgusting and unnecessary. When they become sculptural headpieces, necklaces and cuff-links, the specimens cease to be waste and become objects to behold. RP/ENCORE makes use of the city’s leftovers.” (Source: Kingdomofstyle)

And btw, she’s a vegetarian.

RP/Encore is both abrasive and fascinating in equal measure. The Vermin collection features a Rat Bowtie - literally a leather bow tie with the corpse of a white mouse’s head protruding from the center (morbidly cute, actually). Large White Rat Wrist Chain is a good-sized taxidermized rat that dangles from your wrist (I can imagine twirling this to good screaming effects at the bus stop). Slightly grisly and a tad diabolical though is the Large White Rat Coin Purse - you put your change in the rat’s belly (lined with black velvet).

Read more of Reid Peppard’s motivations in her interview with DazeDigital.

Speaking of which, I had a sneak preview of the new MELISSA A/W10 shoes. It had a plastic-fied rat that lay across the straps as a design feature… It’s as quirky as it is ethically correct. Boss refuses to buy them for the store. Tsk tsk, what a waste. They are too cute. Running a petition to get this in.

photos courtesy of style.com

Sorry ladies (and gentlemen) this article is not about Zac Efron. It’s actually about two of the “fairiest” fashion designers in the world, who want to help you become the fairest of them all through make-up. Designer du jour Alexander Wang and Project Runway winner Christian Siriano are both launching their own cosmetics collections and by the looks of it it’s going to be one HOT TRANNY MESS of a fall!

photo courtesy of teenvogue.com

Siriano who rose to fame via the reality show route, has hooked up with lingerie company Victoria’s Secret (no doubt with a little help from an angel named Heidi Klum) to launch the limited edition Christian Siriano for VS Makeup line. (more…)

Image source: Hermès

Hermès is calling in the recession. The luxury house’s Collier de Chien cuff bracelet can now be yours - free, with a little effort and glue. Possibly one of the most knocked-off cuffs, you can stave off buying the fake and make your own in any pretty paper you fancy. Simply download the pdf, cut along the lines, and follow the step-by-steps.

Make your paper Hermès Collier de Chien bracelet here.

And don’t they have humour. The flash to the pdf gratifies the less fortunate with a knowing line: “I want it, I’ll have it!” Easy, you get the iconic dog collar cuff bracelet in paper. Nevertheless, the helpful suggestions are some very good looking examples when made out of graph, purple tartan, or water-colour splashed pattern paper. Art Attack gone haute!

As luxury brands would go, the Hermès website is a bit of a pleasant surprise - fun things packaged in both luxe and wit. Alongside the usual run through of the brand’s history and iconic products, they’ve allowed bandwidth for quirks such as a charming, stop-motion animation of an aeroplane assembled from the distinctive Hermès orange boxes, and a classic fruit jackpot slot game using its Fruits and Arche de Noé wallets.

Progressive luxury branding that makes for a fun click-around. Yay! I’m youthful, not rich yet, but I’m impressed.

If you’re gonna go all CHOLA on me you might as well go the extra mile and do something cute like this! It’s trashy, it’s educational & it’s delicious! Enjoy!

 Watermelon Nails  <<< CLICK ME!!!

Japanese art and fashion initiative Cosmic Wonder Light Source has seemingly taken its A/W09 collection to a prairie where the knowing gather to diffuse light. Find melange knitted pullovers paired with patched denim;  softly worn madras checkered shirts, decked with a jaunty bow tie, and tiled mosaic pattern dresses that sometimes have circular plastic and foil screen printed on. Welcome to Alternative Prairie Fashion Week. Not the easiest pieces to wear perhaps, but if you could… the light is yours.

Cosmic Wonder Light Source 3 A/w09 is available at Front Row | 5 ann siang road

photo courtesy of Givenchy Parfums

One could argue that my first foray into designer brand love was done in “blind faith” which would be accurate because it came in the form of my first scent obsession. I was 13 years old then and after 3 months of saving my lunch money I finally got myself a bottle of Givenchy Oblique-Play, other variants of which were Rewind and Fast Forward, but the fresh sweet scent of Play was the one that really appealed to me. Unfortunately, after loyally patronizing the scent for several years it was discontinued and I was left alone and scentless. A similar thing happened to my sister when after finding the perfect (and cheap) Maybelline Great Lash Mascara; it was all of a sudden discontinued.

photo courtesy of fragrantica.com

Almost a decade later they’re baaaaccckkk, promising to be better and (in the Great Lash’ case) BIGGER than ever. Givenchy’s new scent now called “PLAY Intense” was arguably the most beloved of the original Oblique range. Coming out this September and pimped out by no other than Mr. Justin Timberlake, Play Intense, has definitely grown up along with its market namely moi. Still in a playfully shaped bottle (frosted glass shaped like an MP3 player with a rubberized button), the scent maintains its fresh sweet scent with notes of bergamot and mandarin replacing the lemon from the original. Added spice comes from pink pepper and tonka bean and the woodiness has been upped with vetiver, coffee bean wood and amyris wood. All in all PLAY Intense is a deserving contemporary to a much loved scent. We all have to grow up after all.

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