The fake, the real & the inspired...

So the fashion cycle goes… The head designers of every major fashion house previews their stuff on the catwalk, fashion editors influence the public on what we should all wear for the upcoming season, the designs hit the designer stores, the chain stores copy what they think is the best of the season and offer it to the general public to buy. Every season there are ‘IT’ bags, ‘IT’ shoes & ‘IT’ clothes.

But to stay on top of a trend do we buy now & wear forever or buy now & wear for one season only? And more importantly do we buy the real, fake or inspired version and how much capital should we fork out each season?

The Real

Yep it everything always looks stunning on the catwalk, possibly cos it is worn by supermodels... but I already want everything from the Marc Jacobs RTW 2011 Spring collection after seeing the show... the colours used, the lightness of the flowing silk halter dresses, the revival of the 70s, the gigantic flowers..... love. I forecast major outlay in my expenses for financial year 2011 already. Well worth I say, Marc Jacobs can be worn season after season.

Ever since Decarnin became designer for Balmain, I must admit I lusted everything that was on that Balmain show too. But seriously to spend an obscene USD4,000 on an extreme shoulder padded suit jacket to wear for ONE season from the 2009-2010 Spring collection? In real time we are only in Nov 2010 and who’s wearing them now?? Emmanuelle Alt surely isn't wearing hers anymore. I heard that there are extensively long waiting lists for those jackets in Land’s End store (in Sydney Woollahra) but no one would want to be caught wearing theirs now & look like a loser? As much as I love Balmain, I say stick with the Stella, YSL or Smyth suit jackets with no major shoulder pads & you could wear these for decades for a third of the price.

I love what Phoebe Philo has done to reincarnate Celine as a whole but not everything in her collection is fashionably worth it. Take the striped red & navy cotton long sleeve dress that Katie Holmes wore to the premiere of ‘The Extra Man’ in NYC July 2010. IT WAS A COTTON T SHIRT DRESS that costs USD2000 (there is currently one available in DJs in Sydney). I appreciate that the quality of the cotton is probably perfect but in terms of the occasion you can wear it to…. Not really to work in an investment bank cos it looks informal, not really to a premiere (Katie was blasted by fashion critics cos it was not special enough), not really to a party cos it’s not sexy enough, not really for everyday wear cos well, would you go grocery shopping in a USD2000 dress?? Lesson to learn here.... cool designers still will have at least one item in their collections that is not quite right.

I used to be an IT bagoholic. Then one day I realised that seasons go by so quickly that the return I get on these IT bags were not so great. What is the fashionable value of an ‘IT’ bag with high capital outlay when it no longer ‘IT’? Let me see… the no longer ‘IT’ bags sitting in my wardrobe… the black suede Gucci bag with the bamboo handle that was deemed so hot when Tom Ford bought Gucci back to life in the 1990s, the must have Prada bowling bag that I saw a pic of Elle MacPherson carrying & had to have back in 1999, the Fendi baguette… remember the baguette frenzy? I went crazy too when I first saw these & bought all I could afford back then. I mean USD 1500 for a denim bag??? What was I thinking??? I also invested heavily in a Selleria mama baguette. Deliciously red leather strap with hand stitched flowers on it and it was 1 of 100 in the world…. How happy must I have been then… and how about now???, the Murakami LV speedy on white leather with multi colour LV logos from the LV 2006 collection… I remember how Vogue Australia persuaded me to buy it, they showed the bag with a background of jelly beans in the magazine… it was so cute… I had to have it. I have not used the bag for over 5 years. Damage done? Over USD10k worth of funds tied up in illiquid stock.

On the upside, there are still forever ‘IT’ bags in my possession… a 1950s rigid Kelly bag, a couple of forever loved Birkins, a Chanel 2.55 reissue, some Jamin Puech totes, a black Bottega clutch, the Marc Jacobs Sophia bag with the divine gold chain handle, a couple of vintage 1920s totes… money well spent.

The lesson here... when buying the real, choose items that have an 'IT' element (think quality of fabrics, the fit, the cutting, the style & the design) but not something that screams 'that is so a last season 'IT' item' & ask yourself if you will wear or use it again in 3 years time.

The Inspired

Most ‘inspired’ items are found in the fashion chain stores or small upcoming designer boutiques. It’s not a fake but you will notice the elements that the designers here use have been taken from the major fashion houses. I reckon that it is more fashionably acceptable to wear or own something that is fashionably inspired because it is not a fake or an imitation, it is just another take on a designer item.

Salma Hayek to the Paris fashion shows with her husband in 2010) at Portmans but translated to a jacket format. Is it the same as the real? Nope… but it is an interpretation as such. You really can see the quality difference. I mean, how well can anyone interpret an Alexander McQueen dress??

 I bought a pair of Vivienne Westwood inspired pirate boots a few years back because I couldn’t get my hands on a pair of real ones. I saw a pic of Kate Moss with hers & I wanted it so badly. Quality of materials & craftsmanship wasn't bad & cost was around USD400. I did get good comments about them whenever I wore them. The problem was that it inspired me to get my hands on the real ones because I knew that the real ones would be even better if the inspired ones gave me that much satisfaction already…. I recently bought the real ones…  double damage done….

The fake

When you want something you can’t afford or when you know you can get a similar looking item for 1/100^th of the price, do you settle for a fake?

Living in a world where we are surrounded by constant luxurious wants do we settle for 3^rd  best? How many websites are there that sell fake Manolos, Louboutins, Jimmy Choos, LV bags, Hermes bags nowadays?? I myself am tempted to see what a fake pair of Louboutins look like in real life. Will people know the difference & more importantly will I feel just as good as if I owned the real?

I believe fakes are good for the fashion market. Obviously only the most wanted items are imitated so it is a sign that the item would be out of fashion very quickly. Imitators just want to make a quick buck. Another way to look at it is you might want to test the look of the bag or the satisfaction of owning it & just want it for the season then why waste thousands when you can buy it for a hundred?

A few rules for buying fakes…  make sure you do research on the real deal first (check out the detailing, the quality, the style & sizes available). Nothing worse than using a fake that screams nothing but FAKE…. You want it to look as real as possible… & be prepared to accept that the quality of a fake obviously will not be as good as a real. It will brake or fall apart much easier. Remember the reason why the real deal costs so much is the quality & the design. 

To remain fashionably stylish we must always keep up with the trends, there will always be trends that will never die & trends that will die before Vogue tells its readers but if you find the balance between the real, the fake & the inspired, you may be able to reach nirvana with your wardrobe.

Dollar Parity

Buying any international designers item has always been way too expensive in Australia... It's the GST & the luxury goods tax!!! Not to mention we are always one season behind the northern hemisphere which means it sucks that we have to pay full price for last seasons stock....

But with the AUD reaching its parity with the USD recently, it  makes online shopping on US websites a whole lot more interesting... nearly 20% difference in price on current season stock.... below is a quick comparison for the exact same item sold in shops in Sydney vs online from Saks (converts the USD to AUD already) or Shopbop.com

Item	Shop	Cost	US Website	Cost
Louboutin ‘Rolando’ Pumps	DJs	AUD1,600	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD817
Miu Miu Metal Flowers Square Toe Wool Loafer Pumps	DJs	AUD1,330	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD1,018
YSL Palais Block heel platforms	DJs	AUD1,150	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD802
Marc Jacobs ‘Single’ bag	DJs	AUD1,650	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD920
Fendi Mama forever	DJs	AUD1,550	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD1,224
Louboutin Jem slingbacks	DJs	AUD1,600	Saksfifthavenue.com	AUD1,229
DVF black dress with feathered shoulders	DJs	AUD999	Shopbop.com	USD795
Peter Pilotto dress	Belindas	AUD2,495	Shopbop.com	USD1,846

Come on fellow Aussies, take advantage of that AUD parity..... your shopping opportunities are endless.....for now.

Due Diligence on Maison Michel hat & hair accessories

• Details of Investment

Since 1936, Maison Michel has been creating perfect hats for the most prestigious fashion houses like Dior, Givenchy, Lanvin & Chanel. But it was not until 2006 when Chanel bought Maison Michel that its 32 year old Artistic Director, Laetitia Crahay made its hair accessories (Yes.... bunny ear hairbands) the hottest it brand to invest in right now. Want to know how super cool of a designer Laeitita is? Check out the recent Chanel accessories coz she is also the head of accessories & jewellery there.


Check out the range from net-a-porter.com, brownsfashion.co.uk, jades24.com & colette.fr to see for yourself. If you are ever so lucky as to be located in Paris, then you should visit the store at 65, rue Saint Anne where you can order a made-to measure hat in 3-4 weeks.

 

 

• Financial Cost

Hairbands are available from USD200 (which would get you basic simple styles) & upwards (carefully constructed masterpieces with snowflakes, crystals, thorns, rabbits, frogs, nails, thick chains, feathers, pearls, veils & chains) while hats will set you back USD400-600. The craftsmanship is truly amazing (would expect nothing less from being a Chanel child company), but I guess the hairpieces or hats don't come cheap. I mean, I love hats & hair accessories but I find I have to be in a specific mood or have a special feeling to wear it (sometimes if lucky I might only wear a hat once a year) which means my investment would not bring me a low cost per wear each year. And even if I was in the mood, you need to have the outfit to wear it with.....

• Valuation & Returns of Investment

Remember when Bunny ears first popped up during the Marc Jacobs for LV 2008 fashion show?? then that same year Madonna wore them to the Met Gala?? then in 2009 we saw them on the Olsen twins spotting lace bunny & mouse ears by Maison Michel in Tokyo and then on Lady Gaga for the cover of NEO2 magazine whilst Lily Allen performed in them, then we saw them again in recently in 2010 on Frida Gustavsson at the Paris Vogue Masquerade ball. Given that the Bunny ears have still remained a 'fashionable' item among the fashionistas in 2010, perhaps it can be placed next to your Manolo Blahniks in the closet in terms of importance?


Clearly the bunny ears are not everyone's cup of tea. It's not a cheap accessory that you can use under all circumstances - you can't wear them while shopping or buying groceries or working in an investment bank!!!  They seem to be made more for fashion moments... like if you sing a lot in concert performances, have a life long list of masquerade ball invites & appear in more magazine covers than Lady Gaga then it doesn't hurt to get a pair.... otherwise best opt for the Maison Michel hats & hairbands which you can still appreciate, wear more frequently & make a fashion statement out of.

FYI...I noticed the bunny ears have diversified into being cat ears in the current collection (they have even made it in pink & without the veil that covers the face). I guess this could be a sign that the 'ears' will become one of Maison Michel's signature pieces.

• Risk Factors

As Dita Von Teese recently proclaimed:- 'You have to be brave to wear a hat. Wearing a hat says: 'I have confidence & I don't mind if people are looking at me'.

If you are thinking of investing in a Maison Michel hair accessory (where it be bunny ears or a top hat), you need to know that people will look at you (whether it be they think you are a weirdo for wearing bunny ears in broad daylight or just admiring the feathers of your Maison Michel creation).

• Overall Rating

If you want the Maison Michel bunny ears so badly, why not consider visiting the many DIY websites which will enable you to use your capital on other much loved must haves?? Maybe I might just give the more wearable hairbands & fedoras a try when I literally have nothing else to buy.....

Stella at Target & Moi

I went, I saw, but I did not conquer.... 

Target @ Broadway... what queues?

 

 The morning of  29th October 2010 at 8:35am I was waiting outside the Target store at Broadway and was astounded that I actually was 1 of the only 20 people there. Stylish fashionistas there weren't... Where were the queues of fiesty women from 2007?

As the Target doors opened at 9am, the now 30 people ran in to get whatever Stella they could get their hands on... Shopping until intense pressure, I managed to pick out my items in less than 3 minutes...the classic double breast suit jacket (that Stella does so well), a black lace dress, a dark fushia tulip dress & a navy tulip coat (which all seemed to look like a much cheaper imitation of her own AW 2010 collection).
 
10 minutes later & AUD700 less richer, I went home feeling content that I actually managed to score some Stella from Target..... (Seriously I reckon it's harder to get your hands on the cheap Stella than the expensive Stella from net-a-porter.com!)

My Stella purchases.... or should I say my Stella returns?

But much to my disppointment,  nothing fitted me too well... definitely not Stella tailoring & proportioning.... being a European size 36 my shoulders were not broad enough, hips were too big & waist was too small for a Australian size 8. Clothes were definitely not Stella quality either... the zips of the dresses were hard to zip up, the material was very ordinary which was a let down yet expected from Target & the finishing stitches was coming off in many of the items I saw.


I visited the Bondi Junction store yesterday and found that there was so much left over... (proof that the collection didn't do too well perhaps??) Apart from the tulip jacket, I returned everything else as per Target's refund policy.... now that's something you can't do when you shop Stella's main collections...


Stella for Target 2010 collection....well apart from the Stella label tag & the hint of Stella design, every element of the collection screamed 'Target'.....They should actually call the collection 'Target for Stella'... Call me a snob but I think I will remain faithful to Stella's main 'made in Italy' line for now, available from net-a-porter.com.


   

The night before Stella for Target is launched....

One more sleep before the release of the Stella McCartney for Target collection launches across Australia. 

It has been 3 years since Stella first collaborated with Target that was reportedly sold out in a record time of 7.5 minutes!!!!

It was in the year 2006 when I first invested in a (made in Italy) Stella McCartney black jacket (from her own collection) because I was simply mesmerized by her ultra sharp tailoring skills and her fabric choices. The first time I wore it, I was ‘Stellarised’…. I had the sleekest silhouette and felt the sense of being powerful yet at the same time being ultra feminine. Since that experience, I have always been a true fan of Stella and her designs have and always will play a part in my wardrobe.

I have to admit though that I don’t quite remember the designs or the fabrics used in the Stella for Target 2007 collection at all but I did remember distinctively these images as a result of the collection:-

1/ all those feisty women fighting in the aisles

2/ the odd slapping match & wrestle because everyone just grabbed whatever they had their hands on regardless if they were a size 8 and the piece of clothing was size 14

3/ the ripping of Stella’s designs off from the display mannequins…. Imagine doing that yourself at Harrods

4/ the massive explosion of Stella for Target anything that was listed on eBay an hour later but for 500% of the RRP.

Which led me to wonder why people were buying her 2007 collection for Target… was it because everyone else was??, that it was a Stella creation??, that it was way cheaper than her own line?? or simply so they could make a quick buck on eBay from this limited edition??

A couple of weeks ago I had a look at her 2010 designs for Target (designersfortarget.com.au/sm) and sussed out a couple of items that I would contemplate on trying – the Tulip shaped trench in white, the black lace dress, the wide leg black trousers looked nice on the catalogue and the model of course…. But I am sceptical and have to admit that somehow cheaper clothing shops hire a certain type of photographers that make their clothes look so damn good in the catalogue that when approached in real life, up close & personal, it looks crap… I know it will be Stella’s designs but it would also be Target’s budget on the choice of material and country of make which can make or break the pieces of a collection…  (FYI, don’t even bother with the accessories, they look awful…)  

I hear in 2007, people were queuing before dawn at the stores….

Due Diligence on a pair of 5 inch Christian Louboutin Pigalles....

Considering investing in a pair of Louboutin Pigalles?  Read on.....

• Details of Investment

Since the 1990s, the trademark of glossy red soles (which was accidentally discovered by the creator painting the back of a pair with red Chanel nail polish) found on a pair of Christian Louboutins has become an iconic fashion item.

 The low cut shape of black patent Pigalles exposes more of the foot and leg to make its owner look sexier, more beautiful and make me (a tiny 5 foot Asian) appear to have long Gisele Bunchen legs.

 

Self made Pigalles in Felt

 

• Financial Cost

I managed to purchase mine online from net-a-porter.com which set me back USD500. Other websites such as brownsfashion.com charge USD600, saksfifthavenue.com cost USD595 and on eBay, you are looking at between USD300 to USD800 (all prices excluding shipping). In Australia, Sydney from DJs you will be expected to pay approx USD1000.

The upkeep fee for any Louboutins will be the cost of maintaining or repairing its soles which varies depending on the shoe repairer. Bear in mind, these are Louboutins so you should take them to a good shoe repairer. In Sydney, I pay USD50 at a shoe repairer at the Strand Arcade. But if you are fortunate enough to be located in Paris, they specify you and your much loved Louboutins should pay a visit to ‘Minuit Moins 7 Cordonneire’. Anyone been there?

• Valuation & Returns of investment

Judging by the number of imitation websites there are for Louboutins ‘wannabes’ and that Kate Moss owns a few, you are definitely investing in a blue chip fashion item. The joys that the Louboutin Pigalles can bring you are endless, you will feel and look hot, sexy and dangerous and loved by all...need I say more? Pigalles definitely provide a 100% return of satisfaction....

• Risk Factors

Walking with 5 inch Pigalles is not the most comfortable & easiest thing unless you are Kate Moss who can glide through the uneven pavement @ McQueen’s funeral or Victoria Beckham who runs her errands in them like they were sneakers…. I found that the 5 inch Pigalle is so high that at times I have lost my balance but to date have never fallen flat on my face. I walk 1.5km between two offices daily and normally it takes me 10 minutes on flats. With my beloved 5 inch Pigalles, it takes 30 - 40 minutes. Also as the Pigalles are quite pointy, it could lead to many later years of bunion suffering.

Note that Pigalles have now diversified into being flats (have you seen the spiky studded ones currently out? Absolutely delicious….. But not sure about not being able to see the red of the sole of flat Louboutins… does that defeat the trademark of Louboutins?) There are also more manageable 3 & 4 inch heel versions in various materials and colours which I highly recommend. I recently bought a pair of 3 inch dark red glittered ones for my brother’s wedding last year and I lasted for more than 8 hours without any pain.

• Overall Rating

Invest right now!!!! What's not to love? Yes it takes longer to walk to & fro places but it's all about mastering the skill to walk in them like a lady.... If Victoria can carry her kids wearing them and Dita can perform her fabulous burlesque routine who's to say you can't? Pigalles will give you many years of high dividend income return that would leave you nothing but satisfied.

Snobbishly Asian.....

My favourite editor Carine Roitfeld famously once said ‘With French women you first see the woman and then you see the clothes. Imagine countries like Russia or China, even Eastern Europe. They don’t have the culture of clothes so they want to show that they can afford to buy a Dolce & Gabbana bag, they want to show labels. In France you cannot see what labels we are wearing. It is very snobby.’

Although being Chinese (born in HK and raised internationally), I have to agree with this a little. On my many holiday trips to HK I see people queuing for hours outside expense designer stores to buy handbags, watches, shoes and jewellery. I, myself have to queue up with them so that I can actually touch and feel and lust over the latest designer creations of my beloved designers that I have seen from the fashion shows via the internet.

I think at a point in time HK use to have the most Mercedes ownership per headcount but seriously I think they should get the most Hermes bags per headcount….. Come on, a Hermes Kelly or Birkin bag would set you back at least USD10,000. Considering the average Honkie earns USD2,000 a month, how is this even possible? Oh sorry, I forgot the fake imitations that is easier accessible from China or that you can buy second hand bags from Milan Station and use for 3 months and then sell back to them for 30% less.

My Honkie hairdresser (who charged USD130 a haircut) once told me he owned about 10 Rolex watches (which I had learnt later they were fake). He told me it gave him a sense of prestige but I think it is so that he can make people think he has made it in the world. My best friend in HK would use her entire salary to buy a LV bag and then survive on nothing for the rest of the month.

If you ever go been to HK you will understand that the society is all based on your place in society, class and how rich you are. You are better treated if you are considered rich and can afford exorbitantly expensive luxury items. As much as I would hate to admit, the majority of Honkies all own a LV bag not because they love it but because they want to fit in with the rest of the society.

This really defeats my love for designer luxuries…. I love an item for its design, for its smell and for its touch and most importantly for the happiness it gives me. I love the workmanship of my 1940s Hermes Kelly and the history it carries, the design of my five inch Christian Louboutin pigalles as it elongates my legs and the exquisite details of any Valentino masterpiece.

Today, I love that I went to work wearing a wafer thin black cashmere Rick Owens top matched with a pair of Stella McCartney well tailored pants and my newly purchased humongously big bowed LV shoes from the ‘God created women’ 2010 Autumn collection because only I would know how good it feels on the inside. So Carine, as much as I love you there are a minority of Chinese people out there that are just as snobby as the French.