Tuesday, January 31, 2012

2012 Hong Kong Fashion Geek Photo Hunt


We know you've been looking for a good enough excuse to get your butts off the couch and get a bit of exercise in, but there aren't any sample sales to motivate you... so instead, how about taking part in the 2012 Hong Kong Fashion Geek Photo Hunt? Last year we had a phenomenal response, so we decided this year (because we're masochists who like to give ourselves more work) as part of our commitment to Social Media Week, we'd reprise the competition.

How to play:

1. Visit hkfashiongeek.com on or after February 6 for the list of clues.

2. Travel to the participating stores and photograph the chosen items.

3. Email entries to photohunt@hkfashiongeek.com. Please caption your photo with its brand name and/or item name for verification, as well as your own name. You may email entries separately or all at once. Photos will be uploaded onto our Facebook page.

4. One bonus clue will be offered during the competition period, so check back to get that final clue, which may be instrumental in the event that more than one contestant achieves all seeded clues. Also, be sure to get your friends to rally for you by showing you love on the photos uploaded as that may also be a tipping factor if everyone gets clues and bonus clue! Although of course, we will also have some say on the final winners by judging your photography technical ability.

5. The person with the most items uploaded for contest period (February 6 to February 14) wins. In the event of a tie, see point 4 which will make or break your win!

For more information, email photohunt@hkfashiongeek.com
or tweet us @hkfashiongeek with the hashtag #SMWHKhunt

Of course, what's the point of a competition without fabulous prizes? Here's what's in store for the winners.

Prizes
Grand Prize is worth over HK$16,000:
- A Shanghai Tang Dragon wine glass set (including four wine glasses) and Dragon fine bone China dinner-plate set (including three plates), valued at $4,720.
- A Longchamp handbag courtesy of Harbour City, valued at $3,300.
- A pair of jeans from 7 for All Mankind, valued at $3,000 or less.
- A pearl necklace from Susan Sng Collection, valued at $1,500.
- A compact Clarisonic Mia Sonic Cleansing System, valued at HK$1,400.
- A voucher for four sessions of salt therapy at Inhalo salt spa to share with three friends, valued at HK$1,200.
- A gift voucher from Flaunt Boutique and a complimentary bra fitting, valued at $1,000.
- A PLAY mini recorder courtesy of Lane Crawford, valued at HK$500.

Second Prize is worth almost HK$11,000:
- A pair of jeans from 7 for All Mankind, valued at $2,500 or less.
- A Dooney & Burke Stripes Lambskin Orange Pink O Ring bag, valued at $2,330.
- A compact Clarisonic Mia Sonic Cleansing System, valued at HK$1,400.
- A watch and jewellery set from Italian watch and accessories brand OPS! Objects, including two Flat watches, a Love bracelet and a Forever ring, valued at $1,200.
- A gift voucher from Jack Wills, valued at $1,000.
- A gift voucher from Alexandre Zouari, valued at $1,000.
- A gift voucher from Alexa & Todd, valued at $1,000.
- A PLAY mini recorder courtesy of Lane Crawford, valued at HK$500.

Third prize is worth over HK$6,000
- A pair of jeans from 7 for All Mankind, valued at $2,000 or less.
- A compact Clarisonic Mia Sonic Cleansing System, valued at HK$1,400.
- A Chapman belt bag in khaki or navy, valued at SG$150, and a gift voucher for Doorstep Luxury, valued at SG$150.
- A Havianas set of limited-edition his and hers Valentine’s 2012 Havianas, valued at HK$680, and a gift voucher for havianashkcom, valued at HK$400.

The clues are up here!

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Marni x H&M Campaign Image?


We’ve heralded our excitement about the H&M and Marni collaboration previously and with the news that Sofia Coppola shooting the print and television campaign, we had been eagerly waiting for the finished product. Nothing official has come from H&M yet but there is a print image on Fashionista via The Fashion Spot a couple days ago and we must say this has only fueled the anticipation. Commentors from The Fashion Spot and Fashionista believe the model to be Imogen Poots who was recently signed on by Chloe to be the face of their fragrance campaign. What do you think? Is it her?

Designed by Marni's founder and creative director Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni for H&M will be available in 260 stores worldwide and online as of March 8, 2012.

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Monday, January 30, 2012

Bag Lady: Burberry Chrome Yellow Textured Bridle Canvas Check Tote

I'm quite digging the Burberry Chrome Yellow Textured Bridle Canvas Check Tote. When I first saw it, I had my reservations but as I look closer into the details, I find myself admiring the subtle details of the iconic plaid, buckles etc. My only concern is that the bag might be quite heavy and being the type of girl who seems to have an inordinate about of things in her handbag, this might be the bag's only downfall. Priced at HK$17,500

Burberry
Shop G5, G/F & Shop 101A, 1/F, Alexandra House, 16 - 20 Chater Road, Hong Kong
+852 2868 3511

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Jailbreak Job


While I have nothing against John Steinbeck or Virginia Woolf, and devoured Pride & Prejudice like kids today ravage Twilight novels, it's been a real pain in my ass to have to stare at portraits of Jane Austen and other famed authors rendered as my Kindle wallpaper. So a year and a half after receiving the contraption, I finally made time last week to Jailbreak the device. Now, I get a lovely rotation of black-and-white Foxy Brown pix and random fashion editorials I googled. I figured I'd share it here because a lot of people probably can't be bothered to Jailbreak, or think that it will void the warranty, or didn't even know you could do it.

The process of Jailbreaking is a lot simpler than I thought -- all you have to do is download a file, drag it into the Kindle folder, and then unplug and click update. Then to add the wallpaper hack, you download another file and do the same thing. Straightforward instructions appear here (mirror site 3 worked best for me to download the appropriate files).

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Forevermore


It's been a looong time coming, and we've been hearing rumours that Forever 21 was due to land in Hong Kong for god knows how many years. A couple years back I heard that they were coming in and taking over the spot held by Franc Franc in Causeway Bay; late last year I was told it was four floors of Times Square. The fast-fashion behemoth has at long last staked its claim to a retail space, and if you track the trail of bright-yellow plastic shopping bags that flow from the belly of the beast on the arms of savvy shoppers, you'll end up right outside the Causeway Bay MTR station, at Capitol Center in Jardine's Bazaar. (Sidebar: does that mean the toilet restaurant is closed now?) When the full-fledged Hong Kong flagship is completely open, it will comprise six floors of colourful clothing and accessories for men and women, open from 10am to 1am daily.

I sadly missed the media preview due to food poisoning (and already gained back the 2lbs I lost, boo) and kicked myself when I found out everyone got $800 shopping vouchers. Oh well. But wait! There's still a chance at scoring some Forever dollars through a casting campaign. All you have to do is post a photo of yourself on Forever 21's fan page, embodying the spirit and feel of a Forever 21 style star. Winners are chosen weekly until March 31, and will earn a $1,000 gift voucher as well as an invite to the Grand Opening in Spring.

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Sam I Am




It was quite the fashionable week last week for Lane Crawford and Pedder Group what with the Taylor Tomasi Hill dinner on Tuesday and then the Sam Edelman event at Lane Crawford last Sat. While my Geek-in-crime was off in Bangkok attending a wedding, I ventured to the Sam Edelman event with some of my favourite tweeps to meet the shoe designer who was in town to launch his Spring/Summer collection and two exclusive styles: “Lizette” & “Addy”, available at Lane Crawford Hong Kong only. The store was full of people and there were these adorable cookie pops with his designs emblazed on it. While superficial me chose the shoe that appealed to me most, Hana was more practical and instead chose the flavour she wanted not caring about the design. During my few minutes with the designer, I ascertained that Sam loves dim sum but don’t know where to go as he always dine at the same place in HK and he’s a bit sick of that. Although that does mean if you’re a fan, be sure to stalk him at China Club.

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Thursday, January 19, 2012

SHOErotica: Christian Louboutin Sex



So there was this backlash against logo-mania a few years back, when we realized that you buy name brands for quality and good design, not so everyone and their mommas know you shop in the land of the brown monogram. And then Mr Christian Louboutin found a way to make really nice shoes and embellish them with a signature that did the equivalent of the monogram logo, without the associated tackiness. And for a while that was fabulous, until the company started suing copycats, and people (read: me) started weirding out about the cachet of the red sole. I mean, it's cool and sharp and all, but it's the actual Louboutin shoes that we really care about.

Anyway, now the footwear maestro has found a new way to scream "look at me, me, me!" Sex always did sell. Although, ironically, if you think about these shoes, the best way to spell "sex" is to keep your legs together. Which is a little bit counterintuitive, if you ask me.

Get them at Christian Louboutin, 7 On Lan Street.

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Top of the Globe


Probably a little belated, but top five looks from the Golden Globes. Starting with Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci Premiere, because I love her and she can do no wrong, and especially not in THAT. So maybe she killed a peacock to get the dress. I'm not judging. I'm not a huge Gucci girl, so the fact that she makes me like the brand says something about star quality.


I feel like nobody was super-wowed by Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci but I loved it; so simple and classic and girly but with that loony Rooney edge. Because when you have a face like that, I honestly believe you should do as little as possible, fashion-wise, to detract from that. That's why I wear all manner of prints and accessories, because my face is not like that. Sad face.


Charlize in Dior Couture, another brand alignment that works perfectly. So pretty and pink and the folds sort of remind me of crab rangoon or some other fluffed up crispy wonton concoction, which is not a negative in my book.


THIS GIRL IS SO "IT" RIGHT NOW IT MAKES ME SICK. I wish she'd go back to blonde but red is now her thing I guess. That dress with that belt and those shoes, they put the "it" in "that shIT is so hot."


People are weird about Tilda Swinton, like, normal people don't like her. And fashion people looove her, but partly because she's really cool, partly because they're supposed to like her -- it demonstrates good street cred. I like her lots, mostly because of her haircuts and her fascination with Haider Ackermann, whom I luuurve, but also because she wears whatever she damn wants, EVEN IF IT LOOKS BAD ON HER. The ultimate supposed fashion pioneer is ironically the ultimate slave to fashion. I mean, here. She looks bad. That hair is trying to run off her head. The shoes are pretty fail. But that baby blue! And Haider! And she's Tilda-fucking-Swinton! So... ergo... it's fab!

Images: Red Carpet Fashion Awards

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Sweet Dreams

Food and travel guest blogger hkLifestyleGeek gives us her next scoop on fantastic restaurants around town and travel tips. Contact her at hklifestylegeek@hkfashiongeek.com

Disclosure: Jean-Paul Hevin is a client of FashionGeek’s day job company. All views are presented by guest blogger LifestyleGeek


Chocoholics beware -- there's another place in town to sate your deepest darkest cravings.Famed Parisian chocolatier Jean-Paul Hevin was recently in Hong Kong to officially open his newest chocolate boutique, and unveil his creations for Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day.

The Parisian-style "Boutique et Bar a Chocolat" is on Lyndhurst Terrace making it convenient for those in Mid-Levels so they don't have to schlep all the way to IFC mall or have to dig out their passport to cross the border into Kowloon at the other location in Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui.

The two-storey place is very cosy, with the delectable chocolates on view on the ground floor and then a small bar upstairs where you can sample the famous dark treats, desserts, macaroons or even lunch.
Apparently Hevin's chocolates are only on display for three days so one wonders what happens to them after that... This strict standard of quality I have yet to hear of in other chocolate boutiques, making his requirements quite extraordinary.
And hearing him talk about chocolates only confirms this man is passionate about what he does.

Hevin loves his chocolates so much he eats some everyday -- even just before going to bed, believing that it has health benefits, including stimulating blood circulation. He is very particular about his cocoa and travels to various countries, inspecting the farms where the cocoa beans are harvested, fermented and packaged. Once he gets his cocoa, he tries to make the best chocolate out of them without adding sugar.

During his Hong Kong visit he led some folks on a chocolate tasting of five different countries, each with their own distinct flavours, much like wine.

And here are some of his tasting notes:

Caracas, Venezuela: He recommends this chocolate for first-timers sampling his products. It's aromatic and intense, with spicy notes and hints of yellow fruits like banana, peach and apricots. The taste is round and soft.

Colombia: This is a well-balanced chocolate that tastes of caramelised biscuit, a roasted coffee flavour.

Cuba: Floral and spicy, with a strong intensity and aroma.

Madagascar: Acidic cocoa that is very rich. Hevin says he uses this chocolate mostly in cakes and mousses. He considers this chocolate one of the best in the world.

Piura, Peru: Spicy vanilla, chestnut flavours, and can have floral notes.
Hevin also demonstrated how to make his signature hot chocolate, where he added fresh whole milk with chocolate powder and whisked them under low heat for several minutes. After pouring them into the small cups he added raspberry foam on top to add more dimension to the taste.

Needless to say the hot chocolate was definitely welcome on a chilly day.

Prices are competitive with other high-end chocolate boutiques such as La Maison Chocolat, with a box of eight pieces for Valentine's Day going for HK$240 or macaroons for HK$130. The Jean-Paul Hevin tasting tablettes from the countries mentioned above is HK$580.

It's worth indulging here -- Hevin definitely uses high-quality ingredients and makes sure you come out with greater appreciation for chocolate.

Jean-Paul Hevin
13 Lyndhurst Terrace
Central
2851 0633
www.jphevin.com.hk

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Oodles of Boodles



I love the name of jewellery brand Boodles. It’s such a fun word to say and whenever I hear it, I start thinking of poodles and noodles and then I get nostalgic for the dog that I traded in for a Marni handbag or get hungry and go on a tangent. But that’s irrelevant to this post. This post is essentially an excuse for me to use the header and also tell you about the gorgeous pieces this over 200-year-old British brand has in store for CNY and Valentine’s Day. There’s the Blossom collection in rose gold and the Waterfall collection in platinum. The Blossom collection showcases oriental charms on pendants, bracelets, earrings and a cocktail ring. The decadent Waterfall collection is chockful of diamonds, case in point 11 carats of white diamonds in the necklace and pink diamonds in the ring. So why not head over to Lane Crawrford this CNY and try on some pretty jewellery. Come on, you know you want to.

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Nail Files: Newspaper Mani



When I gave myself a newspaper mani last week and posted it on instagram, lots of people asked for a tutorial. It’s amazingly easy to do and this trend has been around for a while but I never got around to doing it. So here’s a short tutorial on what to do and how to achieve this effect:

What you need:

Base coat (I used OPI’s Natural Nail Base Coat)
Base colour (Essie’s Playa Del Platinum, a gorgeous khaki colour that looks quite newspapery but you can use any light colour as a base.)
Top coat (Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat)
Newspaper (The type where the ink is likely to get your hands dirty and not the nice glossy supplements)
Rubbing Alcohol
Small container (I used the lid of the rubbing alcohol bottle)

How to:
1. Apply the base coat and colour onto your nails. I recommend applying a thicker base colour as the rubbing alcohol dilutes the polish in later steps.
2. Wait for the polish to dry completely
3. Cut 10 small strips of newspaper (for short nails, that means about four lines of text each)
4. Pour some rubbing alcohol into your container
5. Dip the newspaper into the alcohol (most tutorials recommend dipping your fingers into the alcohol but I’ve found that it dries my hands out and doing it this way is just as effective.)
6. Press the newspaper strip firmly onto your nail for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat for each nail.
7. Add a layer of top coat to seal the print.

Easy peasy right?

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Tissue for your Issue?


So, the first time someone said "A tissue for your issue?" (and offered me a Kleenex) I thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever heard. I kept repeating it and people thought I was crazy/stupid. And they told me the person I heard it from must also be crazy/stupid (hi Brad!)

Anyway, clearly there's a reason for this anecdote, and it's because at work I received from Benefit Cosmetics a little CNY gift bag with a blush, some lai see packets and a box of tissues. And I being crazy/stupid, got most excited about the box of tissues, which comes emblazoned with instructions on where and how to use them -- to ditch your gum, blot your lipstick, wipe your tears and (my personal favourite) stuff your bra. My favourite "issue," though, is for blotting my oily face. Yeah I'm SEXAY like that, don't you know it. I'll let you guys know how the blush is once I get around to using it!



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Monday, January 16, 2012

SHOErotica: Fendi heels


I got these over a year ago at the Fendi friends and family sale for the whopping low price of $800 (Fendi sales are generally pretty good, wide selection and reasonable lines to pay since they're usually all the way out in Quarry Bay.) Since I packed for wedding #3 in Bangkok really late, I didn't realize there was a dress code (blue or silver) and the only thing I owned was a maxi dress that was way too long. Cue super-high heels (that don't really match the maxi but you can't see them anyway.) It was unfortunate that I found out shortly before the wedding was due to start, that it was to be a standing wedding! Bride's fortune teller said that she could only have eight tables total in the ballroom, even though something like 400 people showed up.

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Wear & Share: Wedding Workout


I'm becoming a professional at attending weddings. That expression, "always a bridesmaid, never a bride"? I'm giving meaning to "always a guest sitting on some side table wondering when the next course is being served, never a bride."

Attended three weddings in the past eight days, which I guess partially explains my absence on the blog somewhat last week. These are pre-photos for the second one. Dress code read "formal," although you never really know if that means short or long dress, so I went with the either/or option. They call these "mullet dresses" and that term alone is reason enough to invest in one. Business up front, part at the back! And so party I did. If party means setting your camera timer and walking back and forth five times to get a good shot of the train and shoes (and Foxy Brown, such the camera whore).

I let Loretta borrow my gold bow tie and she got so many compliments she now wants to get her own, since every time she received a positive comment she had to retort, "Thanks. It's Christina's." Because she knew that if she didn't, I would tattle on the fact that when I first showed acrylic bow ties on this blog, she said they were ugly.

So, the rash of weddings is now over! Until February. I'm just at that age where everybody I know is getting hitched. As my boss pointed out, "Better weddings than funerals." Good point.

Dress: BCBG
Shoes: Sergio Rossi
Ring: F21

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Bag Lady: Loewe Year of the Dragon Amazona

I'm kinda torn between loving the early arrival of CNY this year and giving me some time off next week and hating that because Chinese New Year is next week, we won't have any public holidays in Feb and March. Also, the fact that it's only been a few weeks since Christmas is making me all sorts of behind in preparing for CNY. Case in point, my Christmas decorations are still up as the poinsettia is still thriving and I can't justify throwing a living plant away just coz CNY is coming up. Anyway, before I keep rambling on, the whole point of this Bag Lady is to show you the gorgeous Loewe Limited Edition Amazona created for the Year of the Dragon. The signature padlock has been issued in the shape of the dragon and is the perfect shade of red, not too flashy or gaudy. With CNY being the time to wear new clothes and what not, isn't this the perfect excuse to shop?

The Amazona Handbag retails at HKD21,850, the Amazona 28 at HKD17,900 and wallet is at HKD8,850.

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Friday, January 13, 2012

Star Dishes at SPOON

Food and travel guest blogger hkLifestyleGeek gives us her next scoop on fantastic restaurants around town and travel tips. Contact her at hklifestylegeek@hkfashiongeek.com

The day before the Michelin star ratings came out Alain Ducasse was at SPOON by Alain Ducasse in the InterContinental Hong Kong and had his doubts the restaurant would receive another star But when the announcement was made that SPOON was indeed awarded two stars, the staff called up Ducasse early in the morning in France. His response? "It's a nice idea."
The staff at SPOON are thrilled their hard work has paid off, from the renovation of the restaurant and revamp of the menu to suit Asian palates. Changes included putting tablecloths on tables and wait staff wearing waistcoats and ties. The transformation which was completed in a few years has led to memorable results especially on the culinary side. When I was there, executive chef Philippe Duc presented a mesmerising seven-course menu that included two desserts to showcase his prowess in the kitchen. That also meant pacing ourselves and our stomachs.

For starters the cep mushroom and lobster light veloute with the mushroom soup poured into the bowl tableside with a small dollop of creme fraiche. It had a strong mushroom taste that was creamy and delicious, with small chunks of lobster. An ideal winter dish.

Next came the Bresse chicken and foie gras "pate en croute". It was too pretty to eat, as the French chicken and foie gras were incorporated into a loaf covered in a thin crispy pastry that was sliced thinly accompanied with spinach leaves. While the pastry was light, the contents inside were heavy and rich, playing on crunchy and soft, light and decadent.

We were already half-way full when the pan-seared sea scallops, pumpkin and white truffle arrived. The fresh large scallops were fantastic, meaty and tasty, accompanied with finely cubed pumpkin and thin slices of the aromatic white truffle dressed with a bisque sauce.

The only fault with the meal was the baked Atlantic brill, shrimps "bouquet". The fillet was unfortunately overcooked, making the fish more on the tough side, but was salvaged by the large halved mushrooms and rich sauce seasoned with shallots.
Stuffed saddle of lamb from France with lemon flavoured cauliflower semolina was quickly declared the highlight of the dinner. Duc explained lamb from France is not as gamey as other countries; the meat cooked until it was a beautiful pink colour and wrapped in pastry. To complement the lightness of the lamb were hints of lemon zest flavour. We thought we wouldn't be able to tackle this dish, but it was so good, we finished it.
By now we were completely stuffed but there were two desserts to go. First was the coconut-pineapple vacherin, a light dessert featuring two scoops of each coconut and pineapple topped with small meringue tear drops and baked thin pineapple slices. It was nice and refreshing, but not too memorable.
That was not the case with the chocolate-hazelnut bliss. The low, round cake was irresistable with wafers inside but overall sinfully rich and topped with a golden hazelnut. Again for some reason we managed to find room in our stomachs to finish it, but then again who wouldn't?

Does the restaurant deserve two stars? Minus the overcooked fish, it definitely does. The consistency of the restaurant is getting better and with two stars under its belt, surely SPOON will endeavour to do what it takes to keep them.

SPOON by Alain Ducasse
G/F, InterContinental Hong Kong
18 Salisbury Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Taylor Time


Fashion bloggers dream about the meet and greet with street-style stars like Taylor Tomasi Hill, so when the Geeks got invited to Lane Crawford's dinner with the accessories director for US Marie Claire, we were understandably thrilled. I'm way past the point where I imagine that me and XX celebrity will become best friends by the end of a chance encounter, so all I was hoping for was the chance to ogle her footwear, shake her hand and finally try out Heirloom Cafe, where the event was being held. (When I met Dries van Noten, and was unexpectedly thrust into a one-on-one conversation for a good ten minutes, we did finally resort to talking about the weather. Sad.)

As you can tell by the photos, and the video I posted yesterday, we got to do more than shake her hand -- I got to blow her up from my seat three or four people away; we got to take impromptu street-style photography lessons from her ("We're walking, we're walking, we're not looking at the camera, we're cool..."); we got complimented on our unplanned coordination of green outfits; Tina got to wear one of the skirts she designed for Lane Crawford. We also got to eat s'mores and tacos, meet some of the bloggers from China, and right before dinner at 208 grabbing a drink with Virginia and Superwowomg Denise, a random dude asked me where my shoes were from. Not creepy at all.

Check out her collection for Lane Crawford, in stores now!



They asked us to write or draw what we love about Spring/Summer... here's what Denise and Virginia want.


I love sandals, of course...



I said to LC PR Cher that the backdrop thingie reminded me of the LC store in IFC, to which she replied, "You know our store too well..." UH YEAH OF COURSE.


Denise H loves smores.


Taylor loves her own collection, haha.


Tina loves shoes, too! Or maybe that's all we know how to draw...


Brogger group shot!


The skirt. Fab skirt, although I hear sitting down takes you from "flashy" to "flasher"!


While we were upstairs taking photos of ourselves, everyone went downstairs to take photos with Taylor. This is the excellent "about to jump" jump shot. Good work, iPhone cam!


Denise's oh-so-studly jacket from Electricsekki.


"Which way should I cab?"


So many accessories including V's new McQueen skull ring which I bought her for her birthday, or rather which she bought for herself and I will be reimbursing her for.



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