Outfit for a holiday day in the office

It is the second day of Easter, usually free, but we are in the office to finish some urgent work. Since it was normally a stay-at-home day, i dressed more casually that normal (and now that i think about it, all the clothes were either extremely bargains at the time i bought them :) or very old )



* Terranova cheappie skirt with gold buttons (i bought it during an 80% sale, 3 euros)
* Trou d'Aiguille jacket (bought from a factory in Focsani, approx 2 euros)
* black hooded t-shirt my mother bought for me 10 years ago in France
* John Rocha for Debenhams black shoes (bought from a textiles factory fair last autumn, approx 30 euros)
* -the exception- Steillman red&black scarf (around 70 euros)

By the way, that is a picture taken in our newly redecorated office, featuring an Ikea high chair and a framed print painting, gift from my dad when returning from USA. We are still waiting for the new desks we want to arrive at IKEA (currently out of stock) and then i will post some pictures with the new office rooms.

Funeral by Catalin Botezatu

The main guest at Rapsodia Feminitatii was Catalin Botezatu with his "Funeral" collection, a heavy and dark Haute Couture show, previously presented at New York Fashion Week.

The dresses seemed to belong to some bad fairies, with lots of fur and lace details. The silhouettes are extravagant and transparency is extremely used. Shinning, expensive materials are involved, all keeping the same color: black.

The croc leather gloves with zipper might work with a normal outfit, if you just keep it simple, and are my favorite piece from the show.
Also, i quite fancy the multiple-pear shapes dress, although i am horrified when thinking how i would look i such a strange fit.





The bride had a black dress, but with white chandelier prints, to make the connection with the XXL hair style.



Click here to see the entire collection.

Fashion shows

Last weekend i was busy with redecorating the office, and beside that i was completely out of energy due to a lasting head ache, so i had no time/disposition to go to Bucharest Fashion Week at all.

Instead, Monday, with the office finally looking much better and me, myself and I feeling a little bit better, i went to a small fashion show directed by Catalin Botezatu (one of the well-known designers in Romania): Rapsodia Feminitatii (in translation something like the... Femininity Rhapsody or so :) ).

The show contained a number of collections by several highstreet stores: Kenvelo, TinaR, Motivi etc, both Romanian and foreign brands.

For the complete collections, click here: Fashion shows Rapsodia Feminitatii, but in this post i will only feature the looks that inspired me...

...blue and white stripes tank & red and white stripes shorts - the perfect sea side combination...



...a Missoni-inspired top & psychedelic shoes...



...layering a grey sleeveless top with a sexy knot over a hot blue shirt...



...the cute red belt, so chic and feminine, the gorgeous shade of aquamarine green...

Outfit for today

After an exhausting weekend of redecorating the office (pictures coming soon), a little black dress is all it takes to make me look fresh and not at all tired.



* gold racerback Osman Yousefzada dress for Mango
* M by Madonna for H&M ivory silk shirt
* my favorite pair of black shoes

Jackets

I think i have like a gazillion jackets at home, all colors, all shapes, with short sleeves, long sleeves, you name it.
But when spring/fall comes, i can't help but look every where for new styles, new colors, new jackets for my collection. The good thing with jackets is that you can wear them spring and fall alike, so the last fall ones, now discounted, of course, can make a great bargain.

Right now i am keeping an eye on several jackets from the sale section of Net-a-porter.com, but discounted as they are, the prices are still a little stiffy...

A beautifully tailored jacket from Moschino, an asymmetrical slick one from Vivienne Westwood Red Label and one fantastic jacket with the signature Rick Owens aesthetic.

Marimekko arrived at H&M

This weekend, while in Wien, i had a chance to check the Marimekko-H&M collaboration, entitled "A tribute to Marimekko". I do like Marimekko a lot, so I've expected with great anticipation to see the clothes in person.



The collection has a summery air, due to the vintage prints used by H&M, in color combinations such as pink&blue, pink&orange, orange&brown, black&red, blue&orange, all with big and bold designs. The designs itself were retro, and some mommy-daughter coordinated outfits are just darling.



From the very first preview of the collection, my absolute favorite were the pink shorts. So that was the first one i gathered to try on. Then there were some dresses, a deep v-neck silk one in red&black and a cute tunic in orange/khaki/brown, being my favorites. I've also bought the long black and white halter dress, but i am thinking of cutting it shorter, long dresses being not exactly ideal for my short figure.



Another thing i picked up is a massive necklace, with the same print as the tunic. It is an unusual piece for me, but i think it might work very well with a simple cream color dress. Yuki, my dog, received the Marimekko pink bear, and being the fashion dog that he is, he immediately adopted it, and the poor bear is currently hidden somewhere, so that the cat, Garfield, won't get a chance to play with it.



The swimsuits, in different styles, both 2-pieces and 1 piece, were cute, but i tried to not look at them, because i already have too many of them at home for this summer. Each of them has a matching big pareo.



But apart from the items described above, and few others that i truly like, the collections contains some more that i didn't find that...wearable.
A large dress in pink and orange has absolutely no purpose at all, but transforming you into a big giant colorful ball and some long dresses and skirts in different color combinations are extremely hard to combine into a chic outfit.



The man collection was pretty devastated in all 3 H&M shops i entered while in Wien, but i managed to find a pair of white trousers that are great for summer dinners. My hb also tried some t-shirts, but the cut was not that great, and they looked more like pyjamas than casual wear. From what i saw online, i also wanted him to buy the long sleeves shirt with blue and white print, but the only ones i could find were in a smallish size S.

Shopping report: Wien

The main shopping target this weekend in Wien was the Marimekko collection at H&M, of course, but while there i've also picked a couple of other things as well :).

I don't know what happened to Mango lately, but they sure did some transformation. Among the collaborations and limited editions, i find my self wanting to visit their store at least once a week. This weekend in Austria i was irremediably attracted by a pair of color block flats and a large black belt. I bought them, although the official reason for entering the store was that my hb wanted to buy a jacket from the HE collection.





After the H&M splurge, and the unexpected Mango buys, i decided to lay it low while we visited the SCS mall (Shopping City Sud), the biggest shopping mall in Europe. So i ended up only with a pair of discounted gold Ipanema flip flops, the line designed by Gisele Bundchen. Part of the money will go for saving the waters of XINGU Brazil.

Elizabeth Hurley for Mango?

While visiting a Mango in Wien, i noticed a sign in the window: Elizabeth Hurley, among their limited collection listings.
I've googled it, but i came with zero results. What's the story with it?

Outfits for a weekend in Lisbon

I've finally managed to download the pictures from last weekend in Lisbon.

Plane trip: Bucharest-Frankfurt-Lisbon



Ysantis large blouse, Escada pink skirt, Antik Batik gold ballerinas

Friday: walking & shopping in center Lisbon

We spent the first day in Lisbon shopping and sightseeing in city center. A large boulevard full of luxury shops ends up in a auto-free zone, with lots of highstreet shops, among them the largest H&M i ever saw. You can notice the large Mango bag i tote, full of great Osman Yousefzada dresses.



Marius Musat jacket, Irina Schrotter yellow blouse, H&M organic skirt, Antik Batik XL bag, Penelope & Monica Cruz for Mango ballerinas

Friday night out: Bairro Alto

Friday night we decided to go to Bairro Alto, that is the epicenter of Lisabona's night life.



Silk orange dress, Limited Edition New York Mango cardigan, silver tbar shoes, Gold by Giles Deacon for New Look

Saturday: Car Tour in Lisbon - Castelo St Jorge, Atlantic Ocean beach, Belem Tower

We've hired a private car to take us on a car tour, to visit all the nice places in town. The StJorge Castle is a marvelous place, and you can see the all town in front of you, and the beaches at Atlantic are sooo romantic. Too bad it was a little too cold to take a proper sun bath...



Olivia Morris tattoo ballerinas, Penelope&Monica Cruz skinny white jeans for Mango, Marc Jacobs trompe l'oeil t-shirt, Antik Batik bag, scarf Matthew Williamson's Butterfly collection for Debenhams

Sunday: Elevator Santa Justa

The Elevator of Santa Justa is a practical tower, built to make a connection between lower and upper Lisbon. And on the top of the tower, a great little coffee terasse serving delicious cocktails.



Olivia Morris tattoo ballerinas, organic cotton H&M skirt, Antoni & Alisson for Debenhams blouse, Matthew Williamson for Debenhams scarf (Butterfly collection)

Plane trip: Lisbon-Munchen-Bucharest



H&M organic cotton skirt, See by Chloe blouse, M by Madonna for H&M belt, Olivia Morris ballerinas

Outfit for today: Electric pink

Feeling kinda blue today, so i decided to dress in pink...



* pale pink trench coat, Gold by Giles Deacon for New Look
* pink skirt, Escada
* pink shoes (the same shade as the skirt, even though in the picture they seem more intense), Christelen B. at Musette
* white shirt, H&M
* pale pink tights, Golden Point

Lust...

Aquamarine + zippers = the perfect shoes combination. From Sergio Rossi

Outfit for today: New purchases

My new pair of Oxfords shoes from Zara was itching me, so the outfit for today was combined especially for them.



* Richelieu/Oxfords shoes, Zara
* jeans dress, ITCHI (very old)
* white shirt, Zara
* gray and yellow, animal print jacket, Gold by Giles Deacon for New Look

Richelieu/Oxfords shoes

In English we call them Oxfords, in french Richelieu, and they are the shoes-of-the-moment for this spring. It seems quite right, after a winter with ankle boots all-over, that this spring we will be transitioning to the shorter version of shoes boots in Oxford style.

Louboutin

With high heels and open toes, zippers (like Louboutin's ones), contrasting stitches(Bottega Veneta), two tones (Miu Miu), precious materials - patent or brocade - like in D&G's shows or with laces for a more Victorian feel as Pedro Garcia did them, they look great with skirts and pants alike.

Bottega Veneta

Wear them with a jeans skirt for a contrasting look, or combine them with a pair of large, short pants (if you have the courage) for a very trendy, out of the ordinary outfit.

D&G

Pedro Garcia

Not sure at the beginning of how i feel about those shoes, i opted for a moderate price pair, from Zara, elegant gray patent ones, with very high heels, side zipper and peep toes, similar to Louboutin's ones pictured above.

In my makeup bag: Feeling like a glowing feline

Continuing the Guerlain Mania era i find myself stuck to, i could not resist to the pink and grey combination of Fleur de Feu eye shadows. Plus the iridescent floral print over the 4 colors, and the cute, elegant box.



And after a few days of wearing them, i can honestly say that those are the best eye shadows ever. The pink gives a subtle glowing effect, while the grey adds shadow and contrast.



The other new buy is the LASH QUEEN FELINE BLACKS mascara, advertised to give you a Feline look intensity. I bought the gray black color, only to have a different tone that the other black mascara i have at home, and i find it a very good color for a discreet look. Compared to a black mascara, a gray one gives you a more elegant, not so obvious look, that seems to suit well with my office outfits and general state of mind.

Fashion a la portughese

As you can guess from a previous post, last weekend i was in Lisbon, for a short weekend break. While there, i attended a fashion show, organized in a trendy bar near the sea side (IN RIO Cafe).

I did not have a great spot, so the pictures are a bit blurry, but you can see the general impression.



The clothes were sport/casual, perfect for a walk along the Atlantic's beaches near Lisbon. Relaxed dresses in white or yellow, jeans and XXL tanks and a cute flowery printed mini dress.

The cuttest dolls

Anna Fredriksson is a fashion illustrator that was chosen by H&M for an Art by collaboration. Which means she did some amazing drawings printed on Divided t-shirts and tanks available on H&M this spring/summer.

Along her, another artists were chosen: Lina Boden did some sketch/computer art drawings, while Jo Ratcliffe was inspired by celebrities, Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan being the recognisable faces on the tshirts.



My favorites are the cutie dolls Anna Fredrkisson did, they some how remind me of my "Sailor Moon" period back when i was a teenager, especially the bunny ears girl. The characters are cute, in a cool kind of way, and i find my self totally in the sketch printed t-shirts area those days.



Ever tried to wash a piece of art?

To reinvent a LBD

Osman Yousefzada's capsule collection for Mango is already famous, everyone from celebrities, fashion editors and normal people wanting to own a LBD with a little twist.



I, for one, wanted very much to see the collection (unfortunately Romania has not yet received it), but i was out of luck in several locations abroad.

But this weekend in Portugal, there it was. The all lot of 10 dresses were lined nicely in the biggest Mango of Lisbon, waiting for me to try them on.





My initial plan was to buy one, or, hmm, maybe 2. But as trying them on, one after another, i realized i need a little adjustment in the plan, so, ya, i confess, i ended up with not 1, not 2, but 5 dresses from the collection.

The gold band dress is sensational, and the gold-collared one (evolved from Masai clothing, as the British-afghan designer confessed) has the right amount of spectacular for a night out.

The racerback tank dress, with pockets and gold details in the back will make a great office dress, easily to change in a go out dress for evening, as well as the blue waist band one.

I did not like the babydoll one, and the one with the ruffle on the waist, they are definitely not suiting well my body shape, but for the right figure they might be great as well.

Comme des garcons

Rei Kawakubo, head designer of "Comme des Garcons", known for his originality and fashion frontiers passing, was invited to create the fifth limited edition designer collection for H&M, in stores this November, first in Tokyo, and a few days later everywhere else.

The exact release day was not yet announced, but it will definitely be the beginning of the month, like all the other launches till now.

One thing is for sure though, you got to admire H&M for their diversity in choosing the collaborations: Karl Lagerfeld is an icon, Stella McCartney has a feminist/eco friendly style, Viktor and Rolf are so controversial and Roberto Cavalli is wild. How will you characterize Rei Kawkubo?

One questions remains: where should i go this November to catch the launching?

Outfit for today: Going dots...

I am so happy i've bought a high waited full skirt with coral polka dots from Mango yesterday...



* skirt Mango
* white shirt Zara
* black patent shoes, Principles, from Debenhams

Outfit for today: Pink Private Eye

I always associate trench coats with being a mysterious private eye, investigating some crazy persons/murder.
Well, a pink trench coat isn't exactly what you would call undercover, but for a rainy day like today it is more than perfect!



* pink trench coat, TCM (a very cheap German clothes brand, that sometimes produces the cutest things)
* denim skirt, Stella McCartney for H&M
* my favorite black shoes for this spring, All about black

Outfit for a sunday walk in the park

Sunday we went for a walk in a park, with yuki of course, who enjoyed it very much.



* Limited Edition Marks&Spencer t-shirt
* Mango pink skinny jeans
* Butterfly by Matthew Williamson bag for Debenhams
* Christellen B. patent pink ballerinas

Yuki is wearing a Harley Davidson t-shirt, his favorite.