R.I.P. Kate Spade

The news came unexpectedly -- not because of timing, but because suicide was not something I ever imagined would befall fashion designer Kate Spade.

I had admired her namesake label since my early days of following fashion. Her vibrant, feminine designs dripped with sunny optimism. She became the go-to designer for women who wanted punchy, youthful handbags. Although Spade sold her company in 2006, her legacy remained with the brand and up to this day, Kate Spade continues to invoke childish glee in shoppers with fun, adorable accessories. Standing its ground against the industry's haughty exterior to declare a smile as the greatest accessory of all, Kate Spade truly is the candy of fashion.

So never did I expect Spade to have harboured such deep suffering. She is now the third prolific designer to have committed suicide in the past decade, following L'Wren Scott and Alexander McQueen. In a sense of renewed urgency, what Spade kept hidden has now shed light on the shadows of depression and mental health.

To the woman who spread happiness to others through her creations, may you R.I.P.

Image Source: Hello

Trend Alert

With only about a month left before I complete my undergrad, I am determined to make the most of my final days in the beloved university environment (my working friends are telling me they miss the campus life, so I may as well breathe it all in while I still can). Of course, besides taking up kickboxing and catching up with friends, part of enjoying my final year includes going to the mall with my roommate. We went two Saturdays in a row because she was getting her boots re-heeled, so I did what I do best: window shop. Here are a couple of observations from my two trips:

The Latest Trends (ie. things that are everywhere)

Ankle Boots + Gold Metal
Remember when metal tips were in style? Well nowadays, the hardware is taking a backseat by adorning the heels. I am a huge fan of this trend, and have a feeling it was influenced by Alexander Wang's cutout heel. While gold heels are seen on flats too, golden accents are most prevalent on ankle boots. As for the boots themselves, I notice they tend to be either chunky heeled (possibly with buckles and cutouts), or flat and streamlined.



Lace-up
This trend has been going strong for a while (especially on Instagram), although lately there seems to be an increase in the number of lace-up shoes and tops as the warmer season approaches. Seen most distinctively in Givenchy's Spring 2015 collection and popularized by the Kardashians, lacing has reached mainstream retail. I don't inherently dislike the trend - I think lacing is sexy and fun - but as is with all trends, I fear it will become overdone.

The Sixties & Seventies
We're having a blast to the past (as usual) with a '60s and '70s hippie/boho revival. I've been seeing a lot of suede, bell sleeves, fringe, button-up skirts, wide-leg sailor pants, and off-shoulder tops. It's an aesthetic I didn't think would be so popular with young girls (being a '90s kid, zip-up hoodies, flared jeans and skater shoes were the extent of how fashionable we were), but in some ways it's nice to see the newer generations have more fun with fashion.

Pendant Jewellery
This trend makes me laugh. It so explicitly demonstrates how easily trends come and go. Not too long ago, statement necklaces were all the rage. Big, bold and colourful. Now, we've scaled back immensely, and simple pendant jewellery is the sign of a modern woman. However, women are often still layering multiple pieces for a fuller look. I remember disliking my minimal jewellery years ago and wishing I had more eye-catching pieces. Guess I better make use of this current trend wave and give my jewellery collection some mileage!

Shrunken Bags
I'm not sure if I would classify shrunken bags as a trend, although it is something I have noticed. I call them 'shrunken bags' instead of 'mini-bags' because I find the designs more typical of medium-sized bags: structured with top handles. I've mentioned this phenomenon to my shopping companions to see whether I'm just delusional and imagining up trends, but they seem to understand where I'm coming from.

Long and Loose Coat

Even though I may struggle to pull off this trend with my shorter stature, I do like the look of it. I've come across a number of long coats and loose trenches, and adore the stylishly languid silhouette. These coats are a fantastic layering piece and would create great movement as you walk.

Interesting Products

Kate Spade New York Makenzie Aviators
My roommate and I got caught up in the Hudson's Bay eyewear section, and I came across this pair of Kate Spade aviators. I've tried Kate Spade eyewear once before and loved it - once again, I was pleasantly surprised! My face shape does tend to suit aviators better, although I often have trouble finding ones that fit. Kate Spade, again, fit my face nice and snug. You can't see in this photo, but the gold rim of the frame is slightly shimmery, which I loved. The gold and pink combo is so chic, and I like the sleekness of the gold arms. My only complaint is the thicker transparent pink frame, which looks a little cheap from the front. If it were slimmer, these sunnies would be perfect.

Banana Republic Blue Lace Button-Up
I have a soft spot for lace, but wasn't expecting to see it in this form. My roommate and I were coincidentally conversing on the topic of how conservative business attire is when we saw this button-up. I'm torn. I think the thick lace would make this a very difficult piece to wear, yet at the same time, I appreciate that it's different and would welcome the challenge to style it (my mindset is how can I wear this, not I can't wear this). Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend wearing this in a business setting, as much as I would love to shake up the world of traditional officewear.

Image Source: Lyst,Chaos-Mag, Trends.Jewelry, RhymeandReason, FashionAgony, MyLifeInPink, Zara, LeFashion, Bloomingdales

What's Up?

As boring as I sometimes think it is for you to read about my shopping adventures, I find blogging about specific fashion items to be a valuable exercise in exposing oneself to fashion's smallest, most fundamental unit of output. At the end of the day, these are the products that end up on the retail floor - these are the products that will have the most direct and intimate relationship with the consumer.

And so without further ado, let me share with you my excitement (and disappointment) over a couple of things I came across while shopping yesterday:

Marc by Marc Jacobs Metropoli Bucket Bag

Walking into Nordstrom, this was the very first item I took notice of. First of all, bucket bags are without a doubt this year's It Bag. I've seen a myriad of versions over these past few months, but this Metropoli Bucket Bag from Marc by Marc Jacobs has a little special something that makes it worth singling out - and that special something is a snap-flap envelope pocket stitched onto the exterior of the bag. While some of you may consider that pocket useful for carrying coins, I devise that it's the perfect size for slotting in a set of business cards. Forget those plain old metal business card holders everyone has. You have to admit that pulling a card out of your $400 Marc by Marc Jacobs handbag is much, much cooler.

Kate Spade Glitter Ursula New York Sunglasses

Remember how I tried on a pair of Kate Spade Shira Glitter Sunglasses last month? Well, I saw this glittery rendition of the Ursula New York, and I just couldn't resist! I slipped them on, and once again, Kate Spade surprised me with how good her frames look. Somehow she makes frames that fit my face perfectly, a rarity for a girl with a flat nose bridge and wider visage. I was pleasantly astonished by how chic, glamorous, and subtly retro the sunglasses were. Kate Spade, please continue to design eyewear because your frames are works of magic!


Freddy WR.UP Pant

Now on to something decidedly...less magical. Freddy is a new addition to one of my local malls, but my first impressions of it left me baffled. Its storefront was dominated by the Freddy WR.UP Pant, which according to the Internet, is a pretty popular product on Instagram and Facebook. The so-called WR.UP technology is said to shape and lift your derrière to epic, curvaceous proportions. If you ask me though, this sure is one unattractive way to achieve a perky behind. It's ridiculously clear that the jockstrap-like seaming is cut to create two exaggerated spheres on your rear-end; I don't quite see the appeal of so obviously declaring that you have to fake it to make it. Not to mention the seaming in of itself looks much too busy, with the bottom seam really just reminding me of visible pantyline. I, for one, am not keen on having my booty look like it's being pinched and pushed through a contraption which, let's be real, resembles a sort of strange wedgie. 

Image Source: Nordstrom, Catch of the Day, EmporiumDNA

Welcome Home

The city I go to university in has terribly underwhelming shopping malls, which means I find myself deprived of high-end window shopping for practically 8 months a year. So when summer rolls around, I try to hit up Holt Renfrew and Nordstrom at least once a month. Walking into these stores is like falling into a warm embrace that welcomes me home and comforts me with the promise of great fashion. Here are a couple of highlights from my latest adventures:


Theory Ruffle Shirtdress

My first encounter with Theory was with one of its impeccable blazers. I was in high school, finally confronted with the trials and tribulations of finding a job. Back then, I only had enough credentials for retail sales associate or office admin postings, but my parents insisted early on that I always present myself as a professional - which meant shopping for blazers and business pants. In my quest to find the perfect blazer, Theory stood out as a winner. Theory blazers are divinely tailored, skimming the body in all the right places to create a crisp silhouette. But it wasn't a blazer that made me stop in my tracks during my most recent shopping trip to Holt Renfrew...it was a shirtdress. I quite like the look of shirtdresses (see: Now that's what I call menswear-inspired), but this ruffled number from Theory took it to the next level. Not only was it tailored to a T, the ruffle at the hip highlighted the tension between dressy and casual. Juxtaposition - what I consider one marker of good fashion.


Balenciaga Wire Shopping Tote

I first came across this tote in a fashion magazine, and already then I fell in love with it. So when I saw the bag displayed in Holt Renfrew, I had to take a closer look. The lines were clean and minimal, and the tote exuded a slicing industrial edge. I loved the use of rough metal wire against the flawless leather and gleaming gold logo plate. It's one of those cheeky items that reminds us some of the best fashion comes with a good sense of humour.


Alexander Wang Sneaker Bag

Speaking of humour, Alexander Wang is chalk full of it with his latest sneaker bag. No, this is not exactly the prettiest of handbags, but it is definitely among the most creative. My curiosity was initially piqued by the two air bubbles; I remember thinking I had never seen anything like that on a handbag. It wasn't until I turned the bag to its side that I saw the heel of a sneaker materialize. I was floored. What a great design concept! While you might not carry this for purely aesthetic reasons, you could very well carry it to make a statement.


Valentino Rainbow Rockstuds

Being the Red-Soled Fashionista, most people tend to think I'll spend my first paycheque on a pair of Christian Louboutins. Even though I certainly love the famous red soles, my dream shoe is actually a pair of Valentino Rockstud flats. I have lusted after Rockstuds ever since the they first appeared parading down the Fall/Winter 2010 RTW runway. It won't be my first paycheque, but one day, I do plan on being a proud owner of Valentino. While I will likely buy these now-iconic flats in red (staying true to my blog in some way), I found this multi-coloured version a fun way of transforming a classic pair of flats into a trendier option for potentially new audiences. I'd never invest in this rainbow rendition, but I certainly do appreciate it.


Mackage Arrow Bag

I feel as if I've come across the name Mackage before, but despite having heard of the brand, I don't recall having ever seen one of its products in person. Our official meeting, therefore, was at Holt Renfrew when I saw this Mackage arrow bag. The body of the bag is a design typical of our modern minimalism - angular and spare - but I found the silver arrow closure an adorable feature. To unlock the purse, one must twist the arrow 90 degrees and slide it out. I can imagine all the cool girls deftly unlocking and locking their purses with an insouciant air, making this particular sleight of hand more coveted than the handbag itself.


Kate Spade Shira Glitter Sunglasses

As I've mentioned before, Nordstrom is a gold mine for sunglasses. What I found on my latest trip there was golden - literally. I have a guilty attraction to things glittery and sparkly (but classy, not tacky), and these Kate Spade shades were just begging me to try them on. I've been searching for a new pair of glasses over the past year, and I've come to find that cat eye glasses just don't jive with my face shape. So I actually wasn't expecting these sunglasses to look so good! The bridge fit my flat nose, which helped the frame sit up past my eyebrows (a rule of thumb my dad has passed on to me). When I put the sunglasses on, they felt so right and looked so chic. It's rare that a pair of glasses melds so well with my face structure, continuing the lines of my visage like an artist with a slick wrist. Maybe it's not that I can't do cat eye frames - I just need to find the right one!


Kotur Glitter Globe Clutch

On another glittery note, I found this stunning Kotur Glitter Globe Clutch as I walked inside a boutique selling evening attire along a hip and artsy avenue. As a kid, I remember having a fascination with shaking snow globes as hard as I could, and as it turns out, that childish quirk can be satisfied even as an adult. Once shaken, the outer shell of this perspex clutch fills with glitter. The glitter you see in the centre is actually a sparkly pouch that can be removed to make the clutch entirely see-through, giving you options for different looks. I'm obsessed with this idea of dynamic fashion, where movement and metamorphosis play a role in making your outfit wholly unique. This clutch strikes me as a more elegant approach to Christopher Kane's gel-filled clutches (which I also adore!), and I would highly recommend checking out Kotur's other gorgeous creations.

Image Source: Theory, Balenciaga, Alexander Wang, Valentino, Mackage, Kate Spade, Kotur

Queen of Spades

I remember very precisely the first time I stared in awe at a Kate Spade bag.  I was checking up on one of my daily fashion website reads when I came across this Kate Spade Folly Beach Makenzi Straw Clutch from her Spring 2010 collection:

Never really one to admire straw bags, I was amazed at how well the smooth leather paired with the texture of the straw.  And the grapefruit colour can make anyone excited for sunshine and summer dresses.  Since the discovery of this clutch, I have continuously found myself praising numerous Kate Spade bags.  The latest one on my list is the Essex Bike Scout made from smooth cowhide:

Something I've realized after looking at Kate Spade bags is that no one can do leather like Kate can.  There is something about Kate Spade leather - how smooth it is, how polished it is, and how positively unblemished it seems.  The same goes for colour.  Kate Spade bags are always bright and summery, without being loud.  Messenger bags are also becoming increasingly popular, and are a great option for going out hands-free.  This bag is structured, refined and I love the coffee brown colour.  Here is an ad showing the more colourful counterparts (the bag comes in two sizes):

Image Source: Clutch, Essex Bike Scout, Ad