Betty or Veronica. Message boards have been ablazed in indignation that Archie will finally choose, after 68 years of wimpy indecisiveness, to propose to rich-bitch Veronica rather than wholesome girl-next-door Betty (Yawn.) The epic moment in the #600 issue of the well-loved comic has had many netizens rooting for Betty, and many predict that while it is an engagment, it remains to be seen if Veronica will actually get married to indecisive Archie (I’m sure Ronnie’s dad, Mr. Lodge will step in at some point). Clearly in the bid to sell more pulp, the news is as “OMG” inducing as it can get. If you want to lay bets now, the eternal love triangle will continue for another 1000 issues - but  he will marry Betty eventually.

With Archie comics as the epitome of wholesome 50’s Americana and all, I can’t actually see the comic grappling with issues of divorce, pre-nuptial agreements (there are speculations that Archie will marry broke), or backstabbing drama in the run-up to the wedding/non-wedding. However, MSNBC.com reports that movie producer Michael Uslan who resurrected the Batman movie franchise in 1989 is writing the story so there might be a bit of Hollywood soap opera bite in all-american Riverdale afterall.

From Scorsese’s adaptation of Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence, protoganist Ellen Olenska asked: “Is fashion such a serious consideration?” To which Newland Archer replied: “Among those who have nothing more serious to consider.”

How dare he, the dog.

Then The Cut reported this - “Coming Soon: The Fashion Week Video Game“. A video game based on the going-ons of Fashion Week is going to be launched next year. This is clearly a serious game with hefty realism- It’s created between game developer 505, global fashion week producers IMG, Makeup guru Pat McGrath and fashion insider Noel Gordon. No doubt, long-suffering IMG needed to vent (so clever to be making money out of it too!) And Pat.. where does she find the time?! According to the The Cut, the game will “include ‘World-class industry gurus’, models and celebrities’.

What’s the fashion game if not for the industry players and front row pawns? The game absolutely must have all the requisite famous first-nam-ers -  Anna, Carine, Andre, Suzy, Karl, Marc, Giselle, Kanye et al … these are staples. Seasonal folks and everyone else will just make the game very expensive to upgrade every season with the who’s it and who’s not.

Oh yes, fashion’s a serious consideration and spectacle - enough that a video game can be made out of it. All the most successful movies have one. Loves it. XOXO.

Just when you thought the world had enough of green washing, you hear about luxury group PPR’s huge enviromental film project. PPR lent financial muscle ($10 million Euros) to Home, a film directed by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and distributed by Luc Besson. The film is entirely made up of a succession of aerial footages shot in over 50 countries and incites its audiences to be aware and environmentally vigilant. As official sponsor of the film, PPR’s involvement ensures alot of people will get to see this groundbreaking film for free (according to PPR CEO Francois-Henri Pinault in the release notes). It’s due to be release silmultaneously in 50 countries on World Environment Day, 5th June 09.

Other nice things that have come out of PPR’s involvement include these fashion-greens - Alexander McQueen, YSL, Boucheron, and Sergio Rossi are all contributing to the Home project with limited edition pieces. Profits will be donated to www.goodplanet.org.

Alexander McQueen: A scarf with a manipulated photographic image of earth morphed into a skull.

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Got this in the in-box yesterday: www.anothermagonline.com - Jefferson’s Hack antidote to fast-moving editorial news in the form of a collectible; a slowed-down publication that mulls over fashion as social+cultural theory. As lovely as it would have been to recieve this old-fashion via the letterbox, it made no difference that the magazine, digitised or not, still came resplendant with glossy DPS ads. Ad after ad after ad, it read like a gallery of S/S09 ad campaign trends. A visual feast of the choicest ad campaigns though: Madonna for Louis Vuitton in a smokey french bistro, Dolce & Gabbana’s roccoco conflict on celluloid, Burberry’s greenhouse party, Pamela Anderson and her bosom friends for Vivienne Westwood, alongside Viv herself and husband, Andreas Kronthaler… and so forth. This went on till I found the “View pages as thumbnails” button. Tadah! the full magazine in its thumbnail glory: all the better to skip or further view the ads in a line-up. (I really like the Comme des Garcons Shirt ad.)

The thinker’s muse, Tilda Swinton, is the cover story: “an epic spoken portrait” woven from “anecdotes and stories from many who have collaborated with Tilda on her most notable work.” A very nice article with esteemed accolades from the industry’s heavies, ranging from Victor& Rolf to Hamish Bowles to Chalayan to Spike Jonze. Stunning fashion spread too - she wears seminal pieces by the newest generation of IT designers - though she does look a little shell-shock. All part of her charm, I’m sure.

The Stephen Jones feature and spread is also a mad delight…

Will luxury designer bottles turn sky-juice into champagne?

Christian Lacroix Ice Queen Haute Couture and Ready-to-Wear Evian bottles

For those who can’t get enough of Christian Lacroix after the National Museum’s exhibition (Christian Lacroix the costumier), try getting your manicured hands on these exquisite Evian bottles designed by Monsieur Lacroix last winter when Evian paid tribute to fashion. One fashion writer very aptly called the fancier one Evian Haute Couture and the other, you know, the plainer one, Evian pret-a-porter. I have seen the latter around, it comes wrapped in a coppiced lace pattern, which gives it a classic frosty-wonderland look, while hinting at the winter flora that are found on the French Alps. The one-to-die-for is the sculptured Ice-Queen bottle, regal and majestic, it’s awe inspiring enough to send chills down one’s spine. On a sober note, it is afterall, just aqua, not much different from the dollar-fifty water you would buy at the store. So what sets it apart? Apparently just the design. (more…)

eco-Muji: A new lease of life-style

Muji's bread-crust redux

Eco Snack

I discovered this little eco-snack on Muji’s rack. A recycled snack? No way! Not recycled, but more like waste-not feel-good snack. Made from bread crusts cut out from bread, they are put to good use by remaking them into crunchy little bite size snacks.

When I was a kid, I loved the slightly burned parts of the bread fresh out from my neighbourhood’s mom-and-pop bakery. I loved it so much, I would peel off the crust and…leave the white bread aside. Take about being an early eco-adopter!

Organic Denim with prices that don’t pinch

Muji, is certainly turning up its already famous feel-good factor by introducing more eco-conscious green-living products, in that quiet Muji way. Float around the store to their franco-ambient music, and you will be quite pleasantly surprised. Early this March, they introduced their organic jeans. The prices range from $63 to $69 (at Uniqlo prices - very affordable.) (more…)

Consider it the designer scent for your designer sunday’s best.

Milanese fashion house has launched a line of laundry detergents, Aspesi’s detersivo (detergent) and ammorbidente (softener), so that fashionistas with deep pocket can now add whiffs of designer chic to their spin cycle. Marketed like perfumes, the detergents and softeners are named No. 1 (a whiff of exotic incense) and No.2 (a burst of floral euphoria), all bottled in cutely designed bottles designed by Dirk Van Dooren of UK superstar design group Tomato.

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Obama might have won hearts worldwide with his advocation of Change, making “change” the top buzzword as chosen by Time magazine for 2008. But my favourite has got to be “Staycation”– the concept of going on vacation by just staying put.

That, which is a sour alchemy of Stay and Vacation, Staycation was created in the US last year when soaring oil prices caused flight ticket prices to skyrocket. Expensive fuel cost also obliterated long cross-states road trips as the second best option. Many Americans packed away their suitcases and chose to spend their vacations at home or in nearby cities.

Contradictory? Not so. Noone said you actually needed to get away in order to take a vacation.

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