Fashion prints

I have been meaning to give my room a little bit of a revamp for a while now. Apart from the fact that it's in a constant state of chaos, the walls are bare and in need for some art. One thing I've always loved is fashion in art, especially from the 1950's and 60's. I've been browsing the Victoria and Albert Shop website for some much-needed inspiration and am drawn to these two beautiful prints below.

The first black and white print is a photograph of model Tania Mallett in a stiffened net hat with leather gloves and some form of stole around her neck. The lighting accentuates her impeccable bone structure and the photo exudes elegance and sophistication. The second is called 'Le Jugement de Paris' and was actually published in 1924. I love the use of colour - the warmth of the yellows and oranges - and the stylised silhouettes of elegant women wearing flapper-style dresses. Both prints are £15 for a standard size so I would probably buy frames separately and put these up in my room to brighten the place up. Not too shabby, methinks.

New Year

It's over a week into 2013 so I'm pretty sure many are already turning their backs on the well-intentioned resolutions they made last year. Indeed, I'm suffering from the 'must be thinner/ more interesting/ more intelligent etc.' January mindset. But alas, we must plod on.

Anyway, in fashion terms, we are still very much in the winter season which is great for me. Finally purchasing a winter coat before my short break to Edinburgh, I thoroughly enjoy wrapping up with copious layers and thermal leggings (yes, I'm sad) on my commute to work. There's something incredibly comforting about it.

Although one of my resolutions is to be far more careful with how I spend the old pennies, this hasn't stopped me from doing a little 'window shopping'. I usually partake in a bit of this every few hours when I feel I can no longer use my brain at work and instead, quite fancy looking at pretty things for a while. The other day, I came across Markus Lupfer collaboration with ASOS Black where he acts as one-off designer creating a capsule of leather pieces. I've known about Markus Lupfer for a while but his collaboration really caught my eye, with its beautifully gothic, high-fashion pieces. As expected, they’re pricier than the normal bits and bobs you get on ASOS but as they’re 100% leather, that should go without saying.

A favourite of mine is this gorgeous leather dress with a digital kaleidoscope print (leather + prints = amazingness), coming in at £175. It’s in a skater style which makes the look a little more feminine and the geometric cut-out to the chest adds a cheeky flash of skin and propels the dress to designer status. This would look absolutely amazing with deep plum lipstick, bold eyebrows and black ankle boots...

Festive fun

It's nearing December and the radios have already started blaring out the same tired Christmas songs. And as is the case every year, retail stores are focusing on what to wear for the awaited 'office party.' For me, this conjures up images of Granddad dancing, awkward conversation and David Brentisms. But for many stores, it's little black dresses, high heels, faux fur jackets and sequins all the way.

It's a time when you're *allowed* to go all out - you know, wear that turquoise eyeliner you've always wanted to but not quite built up the courage to... who cares about the photographic evidence?!! Throw caution to the wind.

I bought a midi black dress with lace panels at the waist which give the illusion of an hour glass shape - never a bad thing! However, the extreme side slit which I've noticed is featuring more frequently this year is something I'm not entirely comfortable with.

I would probably spend a lot of my time making sure I'm not indecently exposing myself which is not really the ideal way to spend the Xmas party. Also, I think it can look a little 'Strictly come dancing' and can easily become tacky. So I've sent that ASOS number back.. despite loving the lace panels...

Looks like it'll be some last minute shopping for me then...

Burgundy love

Burgundy's a big colour this season, if you hadn't already heard. As a fan of rich jewel tones, I've gone a little crazy on the burgundy accessories front. Usually I hate matching stuff but I am so in love with my new suede burgundy bag from Karen Millen and my burgundy pashmina is super easy to throw on to combat the chilly morning commute. Please ignore the messy desk - I work in organised chaos, obviously.

Ombre dip dye

I've wanted to dip dye my hair for a while but was considering the various ways to go about doing it. Initially I wanted to dye the ends of my hair turquoise but seeing as I have to look somewhat professional/ corporate at work, this was a categorical no-no. Instead, I settled upon the ombre effect which is a much subtler take on dip dye and was sported on the catwalks of last year (yes I a am a little behind, I know...)

Being Asian, dyeing my decidedly thick and stubbornly dark hair has always been somewhat of an issue so I immediately assumed that I would have to get my hair dip dyed professionally. But, after some research, I came across Loreal Preference Brush on Dip Dye, which allows you to dip dye your hair from the comfort of your own home. I was initially sceptical as there have been countless times where I've tried to dye my hair at home and rather than transform my hair, it's remained the same colour, albeit with a slightly different tint to it, and dried it out. But I decided to go with it anyway and was really pleasantly surprised. It was incredibly easy to use and apply and most importantly of all, it worked. As you can see in the picture, it's pretty subtle which is what I wanted. The good thing about this trend is that it's very low maintenance - no touch ups required, just let it grow out and fade naturally with time.

I'm pretty pleased with the results and it's saved me a fair few pennies doing it at home.

The importance of being charming

I’ve always had a “thing” for charm bracelets and necklaces. Perhaps it’s to do with the fact that I tend to hoard things for sentimental value or maybe it’s just because they can be so darn pretty. Anyway, I’ve been on a long quest to find a great charm bracelet to invest in. I’ve considered the cute tactile Links Sweetie bracelet and the sterling silver Thomas Sabo charm bracelets that have become increasingly popular. However, I tend to veer towards gold as I think it suits my skin colour better and the complete ubiquity that they have enjoyed puts me off somewhat. Part of the inherent charm, pardon the pun, of charm bracelets is the fact that they feel personal to you. If everyone is wearing the same bracelet, its specialness is somewhat diluted.

I’m still holding out for finding the right charm bracelet. I’m currently veering towards Astley Clarke’s beautiful classic collection of yellow-gold charms. I mean, how cute is this ‘Nut King Squirrel Charm’?

Granted, I would probably only be able to afford the bracelet void of charms as it stands (damn my bank balance) but still I’d like to think, I could amass an enviable collection of charms eventually... it would be an investment, clearly.

Mulberry: the decline of the luxury sector

Mulberry, the British heritage brand that is best known for their classic bags with celebrity fans such as Alexa Chung and Lana del Rey, seems to be struggling in today's tough economic climate. Their shares lost nearly a quarter of their value today indicating the steep fall in international sales (yes, yet again, we are looking at the ailing Asian demand).

The Chief Executive, Bruno Guillon, is pretty optimistic though and maintains that Mulberry is still a profitable firm. In fact, in the 6 months to the end of September 2012, UK sales increased by 13% compared to the same period in 2011. It's almost impossible to walk around London and NOT see several people with their Mulberry armcandy. Their classic and beautifully crafted designs are loved in the UK by women of all ages and the recent celebrity designs have pulled in a newer, younger generation too. But whether Mulberry will pull in the punters in Asia is yet to be seen.