Despite the portrait of outward civility etcetera, don't we all know that there are underlying negative currents between Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld, the editors-in-chief of American & French Vogue, respectively? A negativity that was brought out in early 2005 when Roitfeld placed some photographs of Bee Schaffer, Wintour's daughter, right after what was called the most erotic picture in the magazine, not to mention that was the 'erotic-chic' edition of French Vogue.

Over the last year, both Wintour and Roitfeld have been seen attending movie premiers and runway shows with their latest chic accessory, their daughters. It's official. Julia Restoin Roitfeld, 25, and Bee Schaffer, 19, have been making the fashion rounds. Seems like a quiet game of 'Who has the better, more fashionable, more viable daughter?' is being played between Roitfeld and Wintour.

Now Julia Roitfeld has proved her mettle by bagging Tom Ford's upcoming campaign, debuting in November. Julia is set to star as the face of Ford's new perfume- Black Orchid.

Wonder what Mama Wintour thinks about that? Methinks she will be pulling some very fashionable strings for her little Bee to make a bigger buzz than what Julia Restoin Roitfeld will soon be making worldwide.

So, who are you rooting for?

Top by Moth. Skirt by Calvin Klein. Turquoise & silver earrings, gift from a Sri Lankan friend. Many stones such as turquoise, citrine and amethyst are mined in Sri Lanka. I would love to visit that country some day.

Kate Moss. Kate Moss. Kate Moss.

I was flipping through a few magazines, and there she was- page after page of ads featuring Moss. Moss for Burberry. Moss for Louis Vuitton. Moss for Cavalli. Moss for Calvin Klein (again!). And most recently, Moss for Versace.


2006 is without doubt the year of Kate Moss. Talk about MossMania.

Unfortunately, this could easily backfire. Soon, people might get tired of seeing her in literally every single campaign this season.

What say you?

photos courtesy of telegraph.co.uk & denimology.co.uk

Bianca Nygard skirt. The circles are navy, not black, and have shimmering pearly beading on the peripheries of some of the circles.
FCUK top. It's embroidered and beaded all over. White on white.
The picture doesn't do justice to the ensemble.

I bought these wedges from the Coach store on 5th avenue a few months ago, at full price. When I was in NYC last weekend, I saw them on sale, around 20-25% off I think. I have worn them maybe twice, at most. I can be quite an impulse buyer sometimes, and even though these shoes are the prettiest shade of pewter with a comfortable heel, that first feeling of love I felt for them when I bought them is no longer there.

Guess it's time to pass them along.

Is it my imagination or does Ashlee Simpson look like a whole new person? Wavy long blond hair. Tanner, thinner, new body. Not to mention the not-so-new nose.


She looks a lot more like her sister Jessica now. Then again, what with Jessica not looking so great lately, I must say Ashlee has one-upped her sister.

Made it back from the airport just in time for Canada's Next Top Model.

OMG.

Cannot believe they kicked Sisi out, I was totally rooting for her to win.

At least, Andrea won and not Alana in the end, if it had been the other way around, I would have screamed.

Work thing & then some shopping uptown. Only another day left in NYC before I am off to T.O.
Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent dress. The belt came with the dress. I love that fiery red color.
White, tan & red bamboo cut bangle. Torque bangle with swarovski crystal detail at ends. These earrings are a great combination of drop & hoop.
Wore brown platforms with this outfit.

This past weekend was amazing. I got to catch up with a bunch of my friends I hadn't seen in ages, most of whom have just started their investment banking jobs that allow very little wardrobe choice.


Of course, one can still wear sexy lingerie under the ultraconservative suits, so we decided to stop by Agent Provocateur on Mercer street during our rendezvous in SoHo. As luck would have it, they were having a huge sale (50%- 70% off) and we made out quite nicely.

AP is not usually my first choice for underwear, I feel their lingerie is best saved for special occasions or when you need that added dose of confidence. For me, La Perla is too expensive at retail prices. I prefer Aubade, Cosabella, DKNY & Calvin Klein. Of course, Victoria's Secrets' IPEX line is quite comfortable as well.

Nevertheless, if you are in the market for some risque lingerie and if you live in NYC, the Agent Provocateur sale should be on for the next couple of weeks, but go before they run out of merchandise.

One of my recent finds is New York based, Russian born, designer Yana Gorbulsky and her line of cute, funky, one of a kind pieces known as Supayana clothing. They truly are one of a kind, not only in design but in the choice of materials and the genius way she puts them together. Most of her pieces will fit a small/medium, but she does plan to make larger sizes in the near future. One thing is guaranteed though, you will be hard-pressed to find someone else wearing exactly what you are in one of her tops. See for yourself here.

Thanks for all the support against the hurtful comment left on the July 12 post. Really appreciate it. When I started this blog last month, it was meant for my own pleasure, I am glad that others like my blog, but with some great readers comes some mean detractors. I love receiving comments, but please think twice before leaving a hurtful and untrue remark. The web is a public and anonymous space, but that doesn't mean it can't be navigated with a bit of common courtesy and general niceness. :)

Tommy Hilfiger shirt. I think those are dragonflies on it. It's a white and pinkish red striped shirt. Olive cropped pants. Green and yellow jade bracelets. Airport outfit, off to New York this weekend. Paired with Juicy flip-flops for all the walking around and metal detectors, etc.

For the L.A. girls, an invite I received:

You are invited to attend Red Carpet Boutique's social shopping event of the summer.

Prestige Shopping finds a new home at the Cabana Club in Hollywood on July 16, 2006 from 3pm-9pm.Red Carpet Boutique offers our guests the following luxury treatment:- Complimentary mini-makeovers- A showcase of over 50 upscale independent designers- Complimentary cocktails,gourmet HINT water and IZZE soda- Hor d'oeuvres from Crustacean Beverly Hills- Cold treats from Laloo Goat Milk Ice Cream- Modivations Mobile Spa with super luxe treatments- Celebrity guest DJs and live entertainment- Goodie Bags featuring great products from Beauty.com, Luxepets.com, Lola Cosmetics, Border Grill, CozmoCard, Jemma Kidd, Splendora.com, and more!

www.RedCarpetBoutiqueLA.com

THIS IS A CHARITY SHOPPING EVENT BENEFITING THE STEP UP WOMEN'S NETWORK.

Please contact piscespress@aol.com by July 14th, 2006 to RSVP.

Even Kate gets it wrong sometimes.

photo courtesy of us weekly.

Working lunch today. Spiffing it up for a conference.

Shirtdress by Diane von Furstenberg. I have worn it way too many times, time to pass it down to a friend/cousin/sister. Marc Jacobs blue slides. Wore silver hoops adorned with tiny blue swarokski crystals that my friend left in my bathroom, must return soon. :P

Linea Pelle just opened its online store and to celebrate, they have a 50% off sale going on right now and shipping is free on all purchases. Enter code 002 at checkout, offer expires on August 15.

Elegantly Waisted and Linea Pelle are two of my favorite accessories lines as far as belts are concerned. They can be pretty expensive at retail prices, so sales and discounts are always welcome.

I was really excited when the Stella McCartney for H&M line came out. Alas, by the time I made it to the store, literally every cute thing in my size was gone. But I am feeling that excitement again. Behnaz Sarafpour will be designing for Target's Go International line, with the collection hitting stores around November. Luella, Tara, Paul & Joe and now Behnaz, this is the best addition yet. I know November is still a long way away, but it doesn't hurt to be revved up, now does it?
Before launching her eponymous line, Sarafpour previously worked for several respected designers, including Isaac Mizrahi, who has his own cheap n chic line at Target.




photo courtesy of getty images.

I love to read other fashion blogs as much as I love to post on my own. To the right, is a list of very worthy fashion & style blogs which I regularly check. I try not to add blogs which I don't read myself or I feel are not that fun to read, so I would definitely recommend checking out my fellow fashion bloggers.

That said, it has been incredibly hot in Toronto this weekend and what with all the festivals going on, my priority was to stay comfortable and stylish for all the walking around. Here's an outfit from my 'supafun' weekend.

Dress by Porridge. It's a tad too low-cut so I layered a green C&C tank underneath (forgot to take a picture). Completed the look with a jade heart shaped pendant and a few bamboo cut bangles.

We've been hearing for a while that Madonna and H&M are teaming up. Well, it's definitely happening. H&M recently released the first few pictures of Madonna wearing a tracksuit she designed for H&M.

Personally, I don't see anything special about this outfit. But fans of the singer/actress/trendsetter might want to get a piece of, shall I say, 'Madonna' history. The tracksuit comes in black, white and purple and will be available at H&M stores in mid-August. Madonna and her dancers are slated to wear pieces from the new collection in her 'Confessions' tour.

Bottom line is, this is one collection for which I don't see myself lining up outside H&M.

15% off of everything on Revolve's website. Use code: JT. The offer will expire soon, so hurry!

My suggestions:

This dress is not only a great color, but has intricate detailing and a figure-flattering cut.

This dress by Heatherette is currently on sale for $117 and if you are a size 6, you're in luck! Corset styling around the bust line, flowy silk and that sky blue color. Grab it before it's gone.

100% cashmere cropped sweater with draped sleeves in cocoa on sale at only $63, sizes available are medium & large only. A steal for Lily McNeal cashmere.

These were just a few items I liked. I used my discount to stock up on some basics. BTW, it's free shipping to anywhere in the U.S.A. and Canada. Why are you still here? Go shop!

If you do end up using the discount, don't forget to drop by and let me know what you bought.

Happy Shopping! :)

BCBG Max Azria skirt. The skirt has a faux wrap front, tied with brown leather ties.

INC. brown lace top. The body is knit but the shoulders, collarbone and sleeves are all lace. I love INC., they make really pretty, affordable pieces.

Summer's not yet over and designers are coming out with their FW '06 lines. That means my bank balance is taking multiple blows. On one hand I am still buying the flowy dresses of summer while craving the soft comfort of cashmere sweaters and fleece hoodies.

Speaking of hoodies, the current king of all things 'hoody' is none other than designing duo Mike Gonzalez & Christine Gonzalez of their eponymous line, Mike & Chris. Even though the line hasn't been around for long, it is fast becoming a favorite of celebrities and stylists and has been featured in numerous magazines, from Vogue to Lucky.

I was just surfing around their website the other day, and saw that the new collection is out. I couldn't pick a favorite, each piece is lovelier than the other, with all the signature Mike & Chris detailing to boot. This season the duo has added an extra design detail in the form of pleats.

How cool is this heavy fleece belted trench hoodie?

This scarf is on the top of my list for Fall.

Check them out for yourself and be prepared to whip out the credit card when the full collections hits stores like Barneys and Couture Candy.

photos courtesy of mikeandchris.com.

Skulls, skulls, and more skulls. Remember how I talked about the skull scarf craze a few posts ago? I first noticed skulls when Grail came out with their signature skull/rose symbol but the skull craze has gone into overdrive recently and I think Alexander McQueen is to blame for that.
Most recent designer to jump on the bandwagon? Rachel Pally. She just came out with some skull printed tops, leggings and obi belts. Available exclusively at Shopbop.

The tops are ok but the leggings I just wouldn't go for. I think Grail makes the best skull-themed tops. This thermal by Morphine Generation is pretty cute too. The candy colors nicely offsets the skull motif.

My new favorite is this top by LaRok, but then again I literally love everything by them. This retails for $148 at Shopbop.

Scarves by either Thomas Wylde or Tiffany Alana would be a quick fix to any fashionista's skull lemmings. They can be worn as a headband, bandanna, belt or even a handbag accessory. A smaller scarf can also be tied around the wrist.

Skull charms on necklaces and bracelets have been around for ages, but all these old things are new again. So if you've stored yours away, it's time to bring 'em out.

Check out these Vans decorated with, what else, skulls. Very punk rocker-ish. Very Avril Lavigne before she got engaged.

The newest places to be adorned by skulls are our temples. Yep, designers are using the symbol to decorate the arms of sunglasses.

What next, I wonder?

***EDIT***
After publishing the post below, I decided to hunt some more for a pic of my favorite outfit from DWP, and here it is. How great are those necklaces???

SPOILER WARNING!

I assume everyone has seen The Devil Wears Prada by now, and if you haven't, you might want to skip this post since I am about to give away some details.

First of all, I loved the movie. I liked it better than the book. The director/screenwriters definitely took quite a few liberties with the movie so there are quite a few differences between the book and the movie.

For example, in the book, Andy graduated from Brown, whereas the movie depicts her as a Northwestern graduate. Her boyfriend, Nate, is a school teacher in the book, but in the movie his ambition is to be the head chef of a good restaurant, which by the way, he achieves in the end. Her best friend, Lily works in an art gallery in the movie, but in the book she is a graduate student of Russian literature. The trio is joined by another friend who appears gay and was never mentioned in the book. The movie also shows Andy and Nate living together which isn't the case in the book.

While the movie does show both Andy and Emily carrying lots of orange Hermes shopping bags full of scarves for Miranda, it does not do justice to her penchant for the white scarves as told in the book. Movie Miranda is not seen wearing the Hermes scarf everyday like book Miranda.

Andy is shown to be a lot more adept at her job in the movie than in the book. For example, the Harry Potter incident. In the book, Andy barely manages to get the unpublished manuscript and that too only one copy of it, resulting in another of Miranda's scathing remarks. However, the movie Andy is clever enough to not only have made two copies for her boss' twins but she also gets the books to the twins ahead of schedule.

Remember how Andy takes Emily's place in the Paris trip simply because Emily becomes horribly sick and bed-ridden? The movie shows Miranda telling Andy that she must come to Paris with her and she must tell Emily of this decision as well. So in the movie, we get to see that Miranda has started preferring Andy to Emily.

During the Paris trip, Andy and Nate take a break from each other and Andy has a one-night stand with Christian, the writer guy. All she does in the book is kiss him, there is no hint of any 'sleeping together.'

The movie definitely makes Miranda a more human, more sympathetic character than the book. She is shown to be in a bad marriage which ends in divorce (something that does not happen in the book). She is shown to give Andy a good recommendation for her next job (again, something that never happens in the book). The movie also shows Miranda's position as Editor-in-Chief of American Runway to be in peril when there is talk that the Chairman of Elias-Clark is planning to replace Miranda with the younger Editor-in-Chief of French Runway. The book never discusses anything like this. Hence, the book also does not have the event where Miranda uses her right-hand man, Nigel, to get out of her predicament.

All in all, I felt the above-mentioned twists and turns added further depth to the movie and made the protagonists more real than in the book. Of course, it was much tougher keeping up with the clothes than with the plot itself. I dared not blink for fear of missing a great sweater here or an amazing necklace there. My favorite look on Anne Hathaway was the white shirt/boatneck sweater/black pants/ Chanel layered necklaces/ newsboy cap she wore in one of the scenes when she is at Miranda's townhouse to drop off the Book. I searched all over the net for a picture but sadly, couldn't find it. So I'm posting a still of my second favorite outfit of Andy wearing a simple yet beautiful olive Calvin Klein dress.

If you've seen the movie, let me know what you thought!

photos courtesy of 20th Century Fox.

I once went through a phase where I would watch home decor shows back to back on HGTV. I have sobered up since then, but I still love beautiful furniture, tableware and other items for the home.

I recently discovered EQ3, an IKEA like store, but edgier. EQ3 products are available in a number of locations across USA and Canada. They are also sold at certain locations in Latin America, Mexico and Australia and plan to expand into Europe and Asia.
For more information, check out Eq3.

NYC locations:

Straight From the Crate
261 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016

Straight From the Crate
1251 Lexington Avenue New York, NY 10028

Toronto locations:

EQ3 Toronto
222 King Street East, Toronto, ON M5A 1J7

East-West Futons
464 Bloor Street E Toronto, ON M6S 1P1

Carbon Orchid blazer.
7 for all Mankind jeans.
Generra tank.

Carbon Orchid is a Canadian brand and they make some seriously cute clothes. Canadian designer Sujeet Sennik previously worked for Dior, Balenciaga, Ungaro and Marc Jacobs before creating his own label. It's sad that there aren't many great online Canadian stores, but you can check some Carbon pieces out here. It's high time Canada gets some homegrown Shopbops and Barneys Co-ops. Luckily, I have NYC as my other home.