Dear Jean.

To Hermès It May Concern:

Being caught up in my world of study and artful daydreaming, I have not been quite as frequent (at all) in reviewing the international runways as is usually the case. So, on the final day of Fashion Month (so to speak), I thought I would begin with my favourite.

So, I write to appreciate the pure Hermès-ness of Jean Paul's latest and last design efforts for Hermès SS10/11. Just as I loved the equestrian dressage corps marching around under chandeliers, the smooth transitions that followed, between different cuts, colours and textures, demanded attention to detail and so an overall sharply glamorous collection. While the show did echo elements of last season's Sherlock Holmes, the subtle layering and accessories (namely body harnesses) set it apart on a wonderfully transeasonal trajectory.

This may or may not have been helped by the fact that these shots are taken on film (and I happen to be on the hunt for a good old school film SLR). Regardless, you have fueled my penchant for blazers, bright red, skinny belts, high-waisted wide-leg trousers with tailor creases, sheer chiffon of the floaty variety, and leather.

I'm also starting to think that MOSCHINO could, perhaps, learn a thing or two about the use of runway hats from you. Just saying.

Yours Sincerely,

Margaret Zhang.

P.S. If you have the urge, I really wouldn't mind owning that fire-engine red pantsuit and a hat.

P.P.S. I would greatly appreciate it if you would:

• vote for Shine By Three for H&M (last day!) HERE
  
• vote for my NastyGal.com look by commenting HERE
• and enter the Cristiana GIVEAWAY to win a gorgeous Del Mar Bracelet HERE (last day)
  

Note: I do realise I sound like an idiot :)

How's that for a runway review with a difference :p

*love*

xx

You're invited...

My dear Martina, the brains and beauty behind f.rau - the amazing Berlin-based label that you'll all be more than familiar with - is inviting you all to her presentation of the latest f.rau SS11 collection in Paris (for all of you who may be around Paris or are going to Paris Fashion Week). Given the brilliance of her last collection (and the philosophy behind it), I'm waiting with bated breath and excitement for this one!

So if you're in Paris some time between October 1 and 6, be sure to stop by the Tranoi Showroom Parc Royal, 10 Rue du Parc Royal, Paris 3. But, to get the best parts, stop in before October 3. And take photos and give Martina a hug from me :D I so want to be there!

For the rest of us who aren't so fortunate to be in Paris (sigh), I'll hopefully be able to get some lookbook shots for you very very soon!

P.S. I'll be announcing the giveaway winner this afternoon - and if you get the chance, do votey vote for Shine By Three HERE!

*love*

xx

Paco Park.

I've been in touch with the lovely Marianne and Carmela Diaz - two super sweet Aussie girls who are living the life in Paris (jealous jealous jealous... but Aussie pride all the same :D), working on their amazing label, Paco Park - a one-stop amazing-blazer-shop if I ever saw one. But what they do a bit differently from every other young and smiling designer out there is that they run around with their beautifully constructed jackets, and photograph Parisian guys and girls in them, which, might I add, gives us all a bit of first-hand confirmation of their jackets' versatility while standing out of the crowd. Literally.

I personally love the fun details that the pair work into their jackets that make them a little tribal, a little youth culture, and very much matching the smiles and sometimes bizarre locations that these jackets find themselves in. Really - it's like reading a picture book, but with attractive people in Paris :) clicky clicky!

And to keep up with Marianne and Carmela's design and life adventures, click HERE.

*love*

xx

Fresh-faced.

To put a halfway mark on an absolutely crawling week, I wanted to share my absolute favourites from New Look's latest Idol 5 collection. When Sophie from New Look showed me these pieces that had been an instant hit in stores the week before, guess who fell for the chin-down-glares-out vibe that pretty much drips from every piece?

What I love most in this collection is that there is nothing remotely in-between or no-man's-land about it. Hems were either high or low, finished or destroyed; heels were skyrise or nonexistent; and pieces were punked out, or undeniably sophisticated.

Extremes are for me. It clicks. I likey :)

Check out more HERE!

P.S. The mini-giveaway is now closed! I'll announce winners tomorrow. And never fear! I have a couple more well on the way :D Get excited!

*love*

xx

Hermès FW10.

tfs

With all the flurry over, I realised that I'd forgotten to put my stamp of love on the Hermès collection shown at Paris Fashion Week. Although I found that Mr JPG took a lot of the vibe and staging from his show last year, it still had the gorgeously mysterious and playful take on a concept that was so well chosen. Elementary, my dear Watson. (Apparently Holmes never actually says that in any of the books. How funny).

I've decided that pumpkin orange was nice here - it did remind me a lot of one of the Obama girls' coats at some point in some ceremony - I don't even know :)

I have also decided that Coco Rocha has this amazing presence - it's like she's performing, not walking, every time she hits that runway.

How awesome is that full length coat!?

I know I haven't done any outfits posts as of late! I don't currently have access to a camera of any sort, but I will soon, so bear with me!

Hope you're all having an ace weekend.

*love*

xx

Louis Vuitton FW10.

tfs

Is anyone besotted with elbow length leather gloves? And that leather skirt - so shiny. The LV monogram on those clutches are so gorgeous as well. I quite liked how muted the whole collection was from afar but, zooming in, you see all this insane little details that give this nicely balanced, aesthetically pleasing look.

What a star casting :O

*love*

xx

Alexander McQueen FW10.

tfs

All I have been thinking about all day is the Alexander McQueen FW10 collection. With 5 minutes to post something for the day before I continue power-summarising The Great Gatsby (which, by the way, is quite wonderful), I can finally explode this thinking into a post as best I can.

You can't live forever. You can't live forever. You can't live forever.

McQueen lives forever. His return to the medieval makes the collection so monumental and pulls it away from the mass-futuristic-innovation that has been happening this season. He brought back everything that runway was starting lose. He merged his individuality and a very rigid time period into this amazing, structured and organic sequence of art.

I think it's only now that we can really say R.I.P.

*love*

xx

Valentino FW10.

tfs

Is it possible for something to flow sharply? That was all I could think of to describe Valentino. Everything was calculated, clean, proportionate, but not restrictive - I think this showed in the models and the general vibe (makeup versus hair helped too).

I can't say I'm a massive fan of the pointed, awkward-height shoes that seem to be around this season (Stella McCartney, Lanvin, etc.), but I guess, here, they acted as conceptual anchors (I'm admittedly writing a pretty intense English essay at the moment :D).

Love those ruffles and layers though. Also good to see some Valentino Red once in a while :) Thoughts?

*love*

xx

Giambattista Valli FW10.

tfs

I am in love with this season's emphasis on sheer fabrics! Definitely experimenting this Winter.

This Valli show was just so right - everything jigsawed so nicely and the shoes were just *pop*

Thoughts?

On a different note, how was everyone's Tuesday? I'm so tired and run-down already - so many commitments and deadlines to meet. Tomorrow should be less packed though. Some fun little side things: was going through Mother's things and found some vintage knits! One is very Wang-cross-D&G (more Wang), and the other is a bit Vince, but in a more homemade way. All I want to add now is a giant belt - any ideas for finding a nice versatile one?

*love*

xx

Viktor & Rolf FW10.

tfs

I am at a loss as to how I can communicate to you guys how purely absolute Viktor & Rolf was. It wasn't even [insert adjective] something. It just was. And this amazed me.

Normally, I hate watching footage of shows, because it feels like it's taking away from the art and concepts that the designer intended - I don't even know. My mind makes weird connections like that :) Beside the point, I had to watch this one (or this) and I've spent the day trying to think how I can possibly encapsulate the show - the performance - into one post without posting the entire collection or the video.

And I clearly failed - apologies for this - because I've left out so many of the spontaneous silhouettes that went down that runway, and I really do want you all to see all of it! So off you go to Style.com or somewhere similar, to gobble up this collection. Please. :)

I've tried to show some of the transformation involved - for those of you who haven't heard/seen/read about this yet, the show opened with Kristen McMenamy strutting out in this monstrous pile of crystal detail, along with Mr Viktor and Mr Rolf, who proceeded to Babushka her (so to speak) onto the other models. Once she was down to just a nude bodysuit, we went backwards and finished up with a completely different, but equally beautiful pile.

The fact that everything was styled in plain sight with such precision, was what I found most incredible. The second point of genius in this was how much it sold the versatility of every piece - a body con, crystal encrusted mini dress could, with a few pullings around of drawstrings, become a leather cape.

How?

I can't even explain it. Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren are quite possibly, the new idols of my life.

Thoughts?

P.S. Sorry for the freakishly long-winded post. :)

*love*

xx

Lanvin FW10.

vogue.com

Once I got over the novelty of Constance with with black hair, I realised that this uniform look that made the models almost indistinguishable, and so I was focusing less on whether or not the looks suited the individual, and more on the very design - no questions asked.

I guess some would argue against this, and I'm all for individuality, identity, etc. but I must say, this time, I appreciated it. Alber Elbaz threw in so many subtle twists to complement the asymmetry and drapes, that looking at it now while I'm writing this, I see so many things I didn't see before.

I love the single glove in the first and third - cherry on the icing on the amazing amazing cuppycake, I tell you :)

Agreed?

*love*

xx

Peachoo + Krejberg FW10.

tfs

I know I never post anything other than full length runway photos, but really - everything from the waist up in Peachoo + Krejberg in Paris was far too stunning to avoid.

How great are the braids? Sequins and cuts and makeup are also so stunning.

*love*

xx