Apple Tree accessories, we heart very much. The Thai label crafts out some fantastic and whimsical designs in silver and sometimes resin. Its designs are characterized by simple and witty styles that are youthful with a tinge of childhood nostalgia. There are humourous overtones in tea party designs or the rabbit with a scissors stuck out of its head – slightly macabre but also fun because the rabbit is too cute! There’s always something ticklish in misfortunate bunnies.

Now available at Front Row | 5 ann siang road

The Hunter and the Rabbit

Mad Tea Party knuckle ring

Artichoke Ring

Resin Barnacle Cuff

A.P.C rarely veers off from their clean aesthetics, so their A/W09 ad campaign was a bit of a surprise. Shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, culturesinbetween.net describes the campaign images as a “… dark beauty, mixing woven thick colours with graphic and pattern prints that perpetuates a bright warmth within a hellish season of weather and changing skies.” Well, yes. If it’s the same sort of photographic design aesthetics employed on Bjork CD covers, hell, it’s interesting and pretty enough – we don’t mind that at all. .

The French anti-brand do what they do best for A/W 09. These are mix and match exercises of basic staples that implore you to infuse a fair bit of individual styling (come on, there’s no effort in sensational pieces!)

This season, the interest is in the texture and fabrics. The lads can dabble with cobalt blue jumpers with tiny red, pinkish flacks, or quirky palette combinations in ultra-soft plaid shirts. Say what you want about corduroy, but the mustard and cherry coloured corduroy cords are just dandy. The core theme of tartan plaid continues in the women’s range. Highlights are the plaid ruffled front shirt, cream t-shirts with a minimal/vintage flock print, and the straight cut sleeveless dress with cuffed shoulders. The crepe jersey material adds a nice weight to the flattering cut.

A.P.C A/W10 is now available at Front Row | 5 ann siang road

Remember L.A Gear? Those sneakers which had soles that lighted up as you walked? My sister and I had a pair each when we were kids. They were the essence of cool. I would jump around a lot just to show off the lights, much to the amusement of my relatives. Unfortunately the trend died, as did the battery, so the sneakers were chucked aside, and the excitement we felt when we gazed down at our walking feet accompanied by flashing lights, was forgotten. I kinda miss them.

But obviously Mr Jimmy Choo (or rather, Tamara Mellon), didn’t forget. Or perhaps someone in the Choo house got inspired by Chanel’s light-bulb heels, because look! Jimmy Choo’s with plexiglass heels that light up!

Very useful, I must say. Think of what fashionistas could do with these. (1) They could dance in beat to the music at some club, and provide extra visual lighting effects. You can then tell whether they have any rhythm too. (2) They could share gossip in Morse code with another fashionista seated elsewhere. (3) When crossing the street at night, the motorists and drivers couldn’t miss you. (4) They could provide some light in the case of a blackout by, er, repeated, constant stomping.

I wonder what’s next. Why don’t the great shoe designers create killer heels that boast the comfort of crocs instead? Practicality, practicality.

Source: Joe Zee’s Twitter

Style, September 2009- Cotton Shirt with deer embriodery, available at Front Row

CLEO, September 2009- Dr Marens, available at Front Row

Catalog, September 2009- Yoke Shirt by Woods&Woods available at Front Row

Seventeen, September 2009- Raf Simons X Dr. Martens available at Front Row

FHM, September 2009- (Left) White Halter Swimsuit by Fab & Jo, (Middle) Sunglasses by Yohji Yamamoto for Linda Farrow

Notice anything out of the ordinary from this set of runway photos?

Yes, the models here — Hayley, Laura and Gwyneth — are definitely fleshier and rounder than the usual, average model. They are 12 or 14, much “larger” than the stick thin size-8 fembots we are used to seeing on the runwau. Mark Fast, one of London’s fast-est (sorry, couldn’t resist) rising fashion talents, chose to cast them for his SS10 show, re-introducing the sore topic of what is deemed “acceptable models’ weight” in the fashion industry. Fast wanted to show that “normal” sized women can also wear his cob-webby, ingenious knitted designs, as he was previously criticised for designing only for women who, well, possibly don’t eat very much. I say bravo! The “normal” sized women look great: sexy, stylish, and sophisticated. I would however, recommend some underwear to go with that, and an expression with more confidence and conviction.

Every season, one such topic or other will crop up, make its rounds during cocktails/after parties/idling-before-shows-gossip, and then eventually die off when something else happens, like Kanye being a dick again for the 82507 time. Last season we talked about colour — remember that iconic Vogue Italia issue? Then was it two or three seasons ago, when weight/size/BMI was all the rage when model Ali Michael came out to say that she suffered from anorexia and bulimia and had tons of issues, and some casting agents still called her “fat”, had “fat legs” and “fat ankles”. Why does nobody of influence do something about these crucial issues, or is health/eating disorders/racism less of an issue than a dwindling retail climate? I think it’s high time Diane von Furstenburg, or Anna Wintour, or, I don’t know, Andre Leon Talley perhaps, since he bridges these two issues (being honest here), do something about this. Nobody’s asking for fat models or Beth Ditto to be the role model here. We’re just asking for some normalcy. Models these days are way, waaay too skinny.

But in the meantime, let us appreciate looking at beautiful clothes on beautiful women who do not make us want to beat ourselves up for not being a size 8. Mark Fast, thumbs up.

If you’re a street-style-fashion-blog-phile, you might have noticed this one particular pair of shoes that’s been seen everywhere.

Susie/Style Bubble

Hanneli

Karla/Karla's Closet

Rumi/Fashion Toast

Rumi/Fashion Toast

From Facehunter

It’s the Acne Atacoma ankle wedge, and the blogosphere’s heavyweights have obviously given their stompin’ stamp of approval. I’m liking it a lot myself: the design is simple and effective, and the subtle skeletal outline at the heel is just brilliant. The best thing about this shoe? It goes with ANYTHING, as illustrated above.

It probably won’t be easy to get your hands on this beaut. Oak has it, but already the version with the mirrored bottom is sold out. Guess everyone has been busy clicking around for these. If I had a pair, I’d give them a shelf of their own. So awesome.

Pictures: Style Bubble, Facehunter, Karla’s Closet, Fashion Toast

With all the high tech synthetic stuff in skincare products today -all promising a ton of benefits & miraculous results it’s easy to get lost in the ingredient list. However, there is one underappreciated ingredient that’s been around for ages that can beat the crap out of all the current contenders for skincare supremacy with its hydrating and healing properties- Ladies and Gentlemen on the left corner: Shea Butter!

photo courtesy of nivea.com

Shea butter, an edible fat extracted from the fruit of the Shea tree which grows in several regions of Africa- provides non-greasyhealing hydration like no other ingredient out there. My love affair with Shea started with a frenzied search for the perfect lip balm. Having tried everything  from Burt’s Bee’s beeswax-based balm to petroleum jelly and even the ever reliable Kiehl’s Lip Balm # 1 only led me to suffer from luscious lip letdown. Skin salvation arrived when one day my mother handed me a tube of Nivea’s Repair & Protection Lip Balm which she bought on the checkout lane at the local grocer. Skeptical but desperate, I tried it and has   since never wanted another-like a loyal lip balm lover. Curious about how it stands out from the competition I compared its ingredients to products I’ve tried and narrowed down the difference to its high Shea butter content which heals broken skin and protects it from dryness and the elements. It provides matte moisture- so both guys & girls can use it.

photo courtesy of thebodyshop.com

Since then I have tried other products with Shea butter with the same brilliant results. The list includes the nourishing and non-greasy Body Shop Shea Body Butter which helps you do away with bothersome re-applications as it leaves your skin moisturized for up to 24 hours- even in dry air-conditioned environments.

Read on…