When walking around markets nowadays, it's hard not to bump into a stall selling fakes. You know, the usual Louis Vuitton monogram bags or the faux-leather Fendi spy bag, the Chloe paddington, the balenciaga motorcycle bag, and so on...

The world of fakes only has one single rule, as long as the logo/brand is too obvious to be missed..!

Everyone knows the bags on the market are fakes, but when thinking you've got yourself a bargain on e-bay..how can you be so sure that it isn't fake aswell? There are fakes being sold that are actually made of good quality leather, the quality of the bag might actually come close to that of the original, but it doesn't make it orignal.

What to look out for if you suspect the bag you are willing to buy might be fake..

- An authentic designer handbag won't show bad workmanship, EVER.
No wonky, big, dodgy looking stitches...
No flimsy zips...
No puckered leather...
No messy trimmings...
And definately no faux-leather..(You can test this by holding your lighter against the bag for a very few short seconds, if it melts, you can be sure it's plastic, leather does not melt.)

- Designer handbags always have their logo imprinted or carved in just about every part of the bag... (except with bags from the even more exclusive brands like bottega venneta..) so the monogram/logo should be clear, not smudged or faded..

- Also, very often, when you've seen the real thing in the shop, you'll reckognise the reals from the fakes...when even only thinking: 'Is it real?' Nearly each and every time it is a fake...when you do see the real thing pass by, you'll probably be stunned by the beauty of the workmanship...it shows!

Also, I found a very good ad in Harpers Bazaar a few months ago...it said: 'Profits from counterfeit sales fund organized crime including drug cartels, child labor, and even terrorist organizations. It's estimated that more than $500 billion worth of counterfeit goods are sold annualy. If you have any information about fakes being sold, visit iaccsleuth@iacc.org or send a fax to 202.223.6668. You don't have to give your name'

I found this good as it makes people aware that not only the designers suffer from these counterfeit sales, our whole society too. This is a reason for me never to buy a fake.

Officially e-bay is not allowed to sell fakes, but it happens...a lot. So instead of facing the risk of ending up with a trashy looking so called 'designer handbag' you still payed 200 dollars for, you could take a look at websites authorised to sell designer labels, some are: www.net-a-porter.com, www.eluxury.com, www.yoox.com.

'Fakes are never in fashion'

Meet Zandra Rhodes

Zandra Rhodes...when I ask people, they're like 'who'?

So now, I thought you should kind of get to know this british designer and style-guru...especially if you're an aspiring fashion designer like myself, she could be a great source of inspiration for you...at some fashion schools, students are even asked to read her book, 'The art of Zandra Rhodes'..!

Here some of my favorite looks from her spring/summer 2007 fashion show...













What I love about her is that she's in fashion, but not a subject to fashion...

She keeps doing her own thing without getting old.

That's it for now...

xxx

Here's something i would like to share with you all...

This summer, silver eye-shadow is hot!

I would like to recommend the 'Hydro-powder eye-shadow' by Shiseido, it's available in a collection of great colors. I personally adore 'H2, White Lights'.

- It's easy to apply.
- It's stays all day long, where it should be! (No more worrying if your eye-shadow smudged all over your once perfect complexion!)
- It looks great alone or in combination with other colors.
- It comes with a very handy application brush.
- The colors look absolutely amazing on everyone!

(If you're like me and your eyes lie a bit deeper which makes it hard to ever see any eye-shadow you might have applied, this is definately for you aswell! It opens your eyes up and makes them dazzle!)

I'm just so enthusiastic about this product myself, I couldn't possibly keep this little secret (It would be such a selfish thing to do!)...


Here it is in: 'H5, Aqua Shimmer' (Another personal favorite..works especially well with blue eyes)

Is Vogue in vogue?

When going to the local news stand you will see dozens of glossy magazines filled with articles named like: 'How to lose those extra pounds in 2 weeks', 'The secret to looking great!', 'How to make every man fall for you!' or 'What to be seen with this summer!' etc. It never stops. Hardly any of these magazines come with a new innovative idea for an article. Still, most woman fall for the promises they make and believe that this month the magazine might just have found a true anwser to all her problems and the solution to her desires...

If that was so, wouldn't we all be a size 2, have the sexiest boyfriend and live a life filled with luxury en happiness by now?

I stopped buying these magazines 2 years ago. I think that by buying these magazines, following their advice and then failing to reach the unobtainable goals we set for ourselves, we woman are bringing ourselves down. These magazines are hardly doing any good for our self-esteem. Woman are becoming much too obsessed about weight and the exterior of things.
Of course, it is important to look good and feel great about yourself, but I think most of us are taking this a step too far. Plus, you would be amazed if you add up the costs of each magazine you nonchalantly buy each month.

Instead, every month, I now buy 1 single magazine. The british Vogue. I find that in the Vogue it is not all about losing weight and striving towards something that for most woman is unobtainable. In each issue you will find the latest fashions, truly helpful advice and amusing, witty articles on subjects that will appeal to any well-rounded modern woman.

A month ago, I also picked up the American Vogue, and found myself to be deeply dissapointed. I don't think that the American Vogue is of the same quality as the British. The American version is very much leaning on the world of celebrity's and tends to be somewhat like all the other glossy-magazines out there. Articles aren't written as well as in the British, the whole look, feel and experience of the American Vogue is much more shallow. And I, as an aspiring fashion-designer find it less inpiring.

The French Vogue is of good quality though. I'm not very fond of the advertisements they use but the photoshoots are great! However, I did miss the good articles, It often only has 2 read-worthy articles...the rest are only half a page long.

Then there is the Italian Vogue. I adore their photoshoots, very original, very inspiring. It is like they live in their own little world of fashion. I get the feeling that everything is looked upon from a different perspective by the Italiens. Also, the Italian Vogue contains good advertisements, they tend to pick the shots that other magazines don't take. How good their photoshoots and advertisements may be though, they lack articles.

And then, an other popular Vogue is the British one. This is my personal favorite. In each issue you will find the latest fashions, truly helpful advice and amusing, witty articles on subjects that will appeal to any well-rounded modern woman. It is a perfectly balanced magazine with depth. But don't now think of Vogue as being too serious! We remain woman and we all love to gossip and talk about not-so-important-things from time to time and lets be honest, since when was fashion about not looking at the appearance of things..? Well, never. But still, we don't all want to become mindless sheep that follow the crowd without thinking for ourselves, do we?
My conclusion is that the British Vogue keeps things fun and furfills our needs fashion-wise by the great fotoshoots and handy fashion/beauty advice but also informs and inspires us on intellectual aspect by amusing, witty articles that will appeal to any well-rounded modern woman.


(First issue of Vogue, September 1916)


(Latest issue of Vogue, April 2007)

The short cut

Last winter, a woman couldn't go wrong with the pencil skirt. A somewhat safe move by the designers, I mean, who could go wrong with a pencil skirt was my thought? To my surprise, It wasn't so easy, and pencil skirts proved to be easily mis-matched. The right shoes are essential, and you must be quite long to look good in one too, or at least have long legs.

Now, this summer, the world of fashion has taken the completely opposite direction of what was expected...
No more neat, sophisticated, office-chique pencil skirt looks anymore...all I can say about the new trend this summer is: 'The shorter, the better'. Now i can hear most woman thinking, oh my god, how am I ever going to get myself in to one of those...! Well, I can tell you, it's not that hard! Everything is allowed to be short: skirts, dresses and shorts, it all goes! When we 'normal' woman think of short skirts etc. , we think of skinny young girls with beautiful tan long legs...and most of us aren't blessed with these assets.

But, there is no need to worry! There is a way for every woman to wear something short and still look great..!

Here are a few examples of short cuts from the spring/summer 2007 collections I personally liked..



Dsquared2, Any young girl should not have a problem with going for this style, it's young, it's fresh and it's SHORT. I love the combination of neon-colors thrown together. It gives the shortness of the shorts some extra power.



Here Valentino opts for a more romantic look. The colors and materials that were used give it that romantic, girly feel. The flats are a definate plus too for this look!



This is naturally, Roberto Cavalli, the king of sexiness. No other could have pulled this look off better. It takes a lot of guts (and natural flair) to wear this type of thing, but once you've got it right, you got it right!



The classic print of Emilio Pucci has tastefully been used for this short number. The brand's iconic look and the cut of the dress work together very well. Also, we learn from Pucci that platform shoes go with the short cuts of this summer. Platforms, flats, sneakers...It's your choice!



If you are looking for something more sophisticated, check the Emporio Armani collection out! What I love about this look is that it is great for the summer. The cropped jacket make the heels go well with the rest of the outfit, even under the shorts! This type of outfit can go with just about anything, it is very versitile. Flats would go too!



As i mentioned before, not many woman are blessed with the same long, tanned, slim legs all the models have. There is always a perfect solution though! Etro thought of combining these black panty's with their short designs, and it works! So, if your legs have aged a bit or are not in perfect summer-shape just yet, get the perfect type of black panty's to combine with your short skirt of dress, or whatever...it goes!



For every age and body-type, there is a variation of this season's short-cut that will look good on them. If your legs are long, and look out of proportion in a short cut, ballerina's will help balancing it out. But, if your legs look shorter in a short cut, platform shoes are the option to go for! And experiment...don't shy away from bold colors, it emphasizes the fun of the short cut, and that's all we want with it isn't it?

Isn't that what we want with everything fashion-wise?...To have 'fun with it'?


(Here a quote I like...

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same." - Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel

So why not enjoy the fashions while they still last?)

Hi Guys..

When browsing the web I came across these great pictures of topmodel Izabel Goulart..

Here she is on the red (pink!) carpet for the Victoria's Secret fashion show in this lovely Roberto Cavalli dress:






Personally, i LOVE Roberto Cavalli, i love almost everything he makes...many people find his clothes vulgar.

Yes, they are sexy, but vulgar? I don't think so. A lot of trashy people might wear his clothes but that doesn't make the clothes trashy..! As Roberto Cavalli uses a lot of animal prints and glamorous fabrics the wrong type of woman occasionally are attracted to his creations and think that they can pull the look of elegantly. A while ago, i read this article on Roberto Cavalli and he mentioned something about how awfull he found it that many woman nowadays lack taste and wear his clothes in a 'not-so-stylish' way..out of this, I can conclude that he also does not want his clothes to be seen as distastefull.

It's all about balancing it out. If you're planning on wearing a short, sexy skirt, play it safer on the top...as long as you don't look like you just came walking out of a trailer-trash park, that's the most important thing.

And look at Izabel Goulart on the pictures above.. I think she looks fabulously sexy but not vulgair.

There is a very thin line between looking sexy and looking trashy, and i think Roberto Cavalli maneges superbly to walk on the right side of that line but stay true to the message he wants to send out through his work..!

That's about all I have to say for now..

-xxx-