Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Everything is illuminated


One rainy HK afternoon, I decided to venture out into town. I gave the car a break, took the train and left the decision to the gods of public transport to see where they would lead me when lo and behold, I found myself at Pacific Place in Admiralty. At that exact moment my friend called and asked me to meet him outside the Lane Crawford Home store in half an hour's time as he needed help with choosing a lamp for his new apartment. While waiting for him I decided to entertain myself the best way I know how- through Lane Crawford's shoe department. Now don't worry, this isn't another story of me latte'ing a racist expat. It's a story that ends happily. Well. Kind of.

In between browsing and trying on numerous pairs of shoes, I overheard a conversation between two rich expat ladies. To give you an indication of just how rich, one of them had a matte crocodile Birkin in black ( I could be wrong but it's around GBP 38,000) and the other had a Lindy crocodile also in black ( GBP 14, 700).  And if you're not familiar with both Birkin and Lindy, they are bags made by Hermès.

The two ladies were discussing the merits (and demerits) of having more than one domestic helper.
'Oh yars, definitely. Having 3 helpers help out at home is bliss, I tell you...' said the crocodile Birkin carrier.

'Hmmm, yes but when you have 2 labradors, 3 cars and a jet-setting husband, having 3 helpers isn't enough', replied the other.

The crocodile Birkin lady, looking slightly alarmed, replied 'But it's just you, the husband, the dogs and the cars. Surely 3 is enough?!'

'No!!!! (insert husband's name here) is so fucking demanding!!!! I swear to God, every time he's at home my pubes go a shade greyer!!!!! Plus I constantly need to have my wardrobe re-arranged! And with a huge walk-in closet?! It's a big job!' said Ms. Lindy, losing her composure and looking visibly upset. 

Cue me sitting comfortably on the couch, latte in hand, enjoying every bit of the conversation. Is this classified under schadenfreude? Surely, not. 'Er, excuse me m'am, but could I have the other pair of the Balenciaga?' asked the saleslady. 'Oh shoot, here you go, I've been sitting on it, sorry.'
I was so engrossed in the conversation that I'd been inadvertently privy to, I was sitting on half of the shoes I'd been trying on, and my friend!!!! Oh shit, I'd forgotten about my friend!!!! I ran out of the shop thinking 'my god, these ladies worry about who walks who and who cleans what on a daily basis?! They've definitely got it easy...' Money and the power, power and the money, minute after minute, hour after hour...

I found my friend hovering outside Lane Crawford Home listening to his iPod and after I apologised for being late, we went inside the store and proceeded to the lamp section. The space had a nice, warm glow that was welcoming. Every corner I turned, a lamp stood quietly, illuminating the space it was occupying. It was mesmerising and like a moth to a flame, I was poking, flickering, pressing light switches and manipulating fixtures. Again, I'd forgotten about my friend who needed my help. I must stop switching off mentally. Admittedly, some of the lamps and light installations were ridiculously priced for what they were. I could make one at home with just chicken wire and an eco- friendly light-bulb and pass it off as 'installation' for not even a third of the price they were charging. Oh well, my opinion.

After a while I got bored, so I ventured to the 'bath' section. My friend, sensing that I'd had enough, followed. Don't ask me how or why this happened, but for some bizarre reason, we started arguing about Coolio. Yes, Coolio- Gangster's Paradise - Coolio. He claimed that he was dead and I said 'Na-ah, he's very much alive'.  He pulled out his iPhone to google him. I followed suit, in the off chance that he might be right, but I stood my ground 'I think you're mistaken, I think you're thinking of somebody else'.

He said, 'NO. He is DEAD' quite sternly.

I was starting to get annoyed at this point. And so I said, 'hang on a sec, are you talking figuratively here?! Is he DEAD to YOU?' He insisted that he was physically dead.

Mort. Muerto. Morti.

I thought, you know what, fuck it, I couldn't be bothered with this shit. So what if he was dead. But then I just remembered something,
'Well, ok, if he's dead then who was the Coolio performing at the Dragon- i anniversary party a few Saturdays ago????'

'OH.' Said he, standing under a huge lamp. It was a lightbulb moment. A switch had been switched on somewhere.

'Yes, exactly', cocking my head to one side, 'oh' I added, ready to pounce.

'I must have had him confused with TUPAC!'

Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Joey Ma for ✯ ✯ ✯

What better way to end the year than with a blog crossover and a resounding fashionable BANG! in the form of HK style icon, Joey Ma. Not only is he celebrated for his love of fashion but also for his INDIVIDUALITY. To all the haters who have mocked Joey's sense of style, I pity all of you.  May the gods of fashion have mercy on your pathetic little souls.
 

Joey Ma's Best Buys for the Year 2010


 
When Sharon asked me to write a post for her blog, my first reaction was like "Oh...I don't know if I am capable of doing it or not...". As some of you might know, my blog, www.joey-ma.com is just a blog of me posting my wardrobe photos. I never wrote a long post about fashion before. I did write about my thoughts on some movies that I love, however, as for fashion post, I am giving my first time to Sharon  ^_^
The main idea of this post is "Joey Ma's best buys for the year 2010". I divided my "best buys" into 5 different categories, hope you guys will appreciate what I've come up with, thank you.


"Best Buys for Tops"



I never liked anything with fur before. However, ever since beginning of the last winter, I started to like things with fur. I still have no idea why I suddenly started to like fur. All the fur stuff that I have are faux fur.
This amazing Louise Gray two tone fur jacket is the best fur jacket that I got this year. I just love it so much. I still havn't wore it out on the street yet, hopefully the weather will allow me to wear it before new year's eve ^_^.


This amazing cape is made by my favorite designer, Ziad Ghanem. And it is a one of a kind piece. I am very grateful to be able to own this piece. Thank you so much, Ziad. For more information, please visit www.ziadghanem.co.uk.


"Best Buys for Pants"




This crazy gold ruffles pants are from KTZ. I really need to thank Asai, the buyer of Kniq who ordered thess pants for me. I am going to wear them tomorrow on the Christmas day lol. 



This amazing leggings with fringe was a gift from Ziad Ghanem. I love the design of it so much. One side is like wearing underwear, with the other side is full of fringe thats touching the floor. The contrast is amazing.

"Best Buys for Headpieces"



 The left black headpiece is from Tomihiro Kono. I got it from www.notjustalabel.com . Can you guys see the crystals hanging inside the black belt stuff? This headpiece is so amazing. 
It is perfect for photo shoots.
The right one with all the long studs is also from Tomihiro Kono. I got this one from Machine-A  6 months ago. I also love the details so much. They look like blood vein. Sometimes, I just love hardcore things ^_^


"Best Buys for Accessories"


 
These amazing necklace and bracelets are made by Ziad Ghanem. I love the designs so much. They are just so fun to style with.
 

One of the best discoveries of this year would definitely be Butler and Wilson. The price of their stuff is very reasonable. As you can see from the pic, I got a lot of stuff from them. Well, the first time I bought their stuff was from OnPedder. After that, I googled the brand online and found out they are from London. And guess what, if you get their stuff in London, it's almost 50% cheaper than getting them in Hong Kong. I think it's normal for a big company like OnPedder to mark up their prices so high because they have so many employees that need to be taken care of.


"Best Buys for Shoes"

 


Besides the real best friends that I have in my life, shoes are my second best friend lol. I just love shoes so much! I got these amazing Givenchy sandals back in Feburary. And then in October, I got the clutch to match with these sandals lol. Givenchy has been having amazing collections for the last four seasons.I just love how Riccardo Tisci has been pushing the limits in menswear. Bravo!


I am addicted to Rick Owens's shoes so much. Rick Owens is the only designer to create men wedges shoes. My shoe size is Euro 44, therefore, it's so nice to see Rick Owens making all these shoes for men. The left pair was from S/S 10. I wore them during my birthday on Janurary. The right pair was from F/W 10. I got them in Joyce. I know I am very tall already, but I couldn't help but just love these wedges shoes so much. I've already ordered another two pairs from S/S 11 collection through www.luisaviaroma.com..........


At last, these are my final "best buys" for shoes. These crazy platform sandals are created by Wali Mohammed Barrech. He is still a student at the Royal Academy in Antwerp. Graduating next year for his Bachelor Degree, and will study more for his Master Degree. Please send the best wishes to him. I hope he will become a successful fashion designer in the future.


Wow, I can't believe I am doing this. This post is finally coming to an end. I am writing this on Christmas Eve sitting here at the Peninsula Hotel Suite with the love of my life. I wish everyone merry christmas and have a great new year. And to Sharon, I love you. I am only doing this for you because ever since knowing you this year, 2010, my life has been way more exciting than before. With your invites, I've been trying to go out more and not just staying at home and taking pictures all the time. Life is short, I need to be more active. Thank you so much, Sharon.

Love always,
Joey



Saturday, December 4, 2010

A cup of coffee a day keeps the loonies away...


While killing some time waiting for a friend to turn up for afternoon tea, I was at a high- end boutique perusing the shoe section on Friday afternoon. Now I'm not really a big fan of this brand but I wanted to try on a pair of studded patent kitten heels from their FW 2010 collection when I caught a lady in my peripherals staring at me. She looked vaguely familiar so I smiled and she smiled back. A few minutes later, she came over and said hi. While exchanging pleasantries, I was racking my brain, trying to think of how/when/where I met her. It turned out that we met at an OnPedder event a few months ago.  So while I was trying on the studded heels, she mentioned that she was a fan of my blog. I thanked her and after talking for another 5 minutes or so I excused myself and turned to speak to the saleslady. While I was asking the saleslady if they had the shoes in a different shade, I caught my number one fan  giving me a Manhattan once over or MOOing as they say Stateside. She was eyeing my YSL Muse Two bag in patent grey and suede leather. So I stood there and allowed her to get her fashion fix. After she was done, she said 'I don't get it...' so I answered back and said 'what don't you get?!

What happened next was a blur as I was so enraged by what she said. I left the shop and sought refuge at the W hotel where my friend was waiting. My friend asked me why I was all hot and bovvered and so I told her about my encounter with this superior race bitch at the shop and how one minute she was friendly and next minute she was making comments about how Filipinos are at the bottom of the food chain and 'can't really afford high-end luxury goods' and that my YSL bag must've been a fake. On any other day, I would've walked away and ignored the CUNT. But cunt chose the wrong day to mess with me- I was at the Lane Crawford anniversary bash the night before where I got up-close and personal with a few bottles of Veuve Clicquot, so I was nursing a very bad hangover. 

If you're going to be racist, make sure you can defend yourself. Don't act all superior race on me just because the colour of your skin is different from mine..... 



......did I mention that she was wearing a very expensive fleece-wool jacket from a top Italian brand and I had a huge cup of latte? 





Friday, December 3, 2010

160

Half of the population of Hong Kong (or what seemed like it) was guzzling special-edition Veuve Clicquot champagne and noshing on grilled lamb chops on Thursday night at Lane Crawford's 160th anniversary bash. The fashion tribe was out in full force, of course, and so were the try-hards. As predicted there was a parade of girls in Lanvin x H&M dresses, but we won't hold that against them- just relieved that there were no handbags thrown! Phew.
 
The star of the party was definitely Joey Ma, who wore a show- stopping cape like jacket teamed with matching slim fit trousers by Sasa Kovacevic, under the label SADAK. People were almost curtsying and prostrating when they spoke to him. Even bryanboy (Lanvin jacket, Pucci top and Fallon neckpiece) stopped mid-scream 'I want di- ' when he spotted Joey. 

The people who run Lane Crawford definitely know how to throw a party but I hold them responsible for my hangover. Happy 160th!



 Alberto Guardiani lipstick shoes

blast from a Chanel past - jumpsuit from the Cruise '08 collection

pièce de résistance- an art- piece made completely out of paper

Thursday, November 25, 2010

If the mountain won't come to...

After getting a few media editors excited about the possibility of Marc Jacobs making an appearance at the opening of his flagship store on Canton Road last night, nobody was more disappointed than me and my friend AV. Yes, us two who were responsible for starting the rumor in the first place. The story we made up was so elaborate even I was convinced. Ha! 
So you can imagine our faces when we were finally told that Marc was safe in NYC, chilling in the hood...

'Hu-whaaaaaaat? We got out of the house for this? No Marc Jacobs?!?!??!?!' 

 Apparently he hates flying. Oh well, looks like we'd have to go to NYC instead.


Wednesday, November 24, 2010

ADR the GREAT

An apartment just for her clothes and accessories! And what does ADR say to her outfits after wearing them?








Watch the promotional video for ADR's perfume, The Scent of Anna Dello Russo, where she dances in her apartment accompanied by Kanye's Runaway, wearing a gown designed by Peter Dundas and corset by Roberto Cavalli.





Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Anna does Asia


Shot by Steven Meisel and styled by none other than Grace Coddington for US Vogue's December 2010 issue, the fashion shoot is supposed to be a modern take on a portrait Cecil Beaton shot for Vogue in 1948.
With the statement 'A new crop of models from China, Japan, and South Korea is redefining traditional concepts of beauty', it features 8 top Asian models of today: Du Juan, Liu Wen, Bonnie Chen, Lily Zhi, Hyoni Kang, So Young Kang, Lee Hyun Yi and Tao Okamoto.



As the fashion story is outside Vogue's 'norm', it has, of course, caused controversy. Yawn.

excerpt from the Telegraph UK:

"Traditional concepts of beauty where, exactly?' asks Disgrasian on The Huffington Post, 'because there are plenty of places in the world where, traditionally speaking, Asian women have long been considered beautiful. Like in, um, Asia, for example?"
Criticism has been fuelled by a feeling that Vogue lumped all the girls into one shoot together rather than giving any of them the importance they suggest in their own editorial, in the form of a bigger story, or even a cover.
"I do sincerely hope that American Vogue will continue to use Asian models, and that this is not some 'flash in the pan trend" comments JP on Models.com. "After all, American Vogue has never featured an Asian model on its cover, and I can't remember the last time I saw a single Asian girl story in the magazine."
Another disgruntled reader whose username is SS concurs: "What a joke. TWO pages? Why isn't there a full-on editorial or a cover?"

Whether or not Anna is intending to feature more Asians in Vogue in the next forseeable future is anybody's guess. In the meantime, stop fucking complaining and just admire these Asian beauties. Fashion is F-I-C-K-L-E and you should all know that by now. In the words of that old wise sage Heidi Klum, 'In fashion, one day you're IN, and the next day you're OUT'


 The Cecil Beaton original featuring models wearing Charles James gowns
Vogue, 1948

Pandemonium [pan-duh-moh-nee-uhm], n. 1. a place of anarchy. 2. wild confusion, commotion, chaos.

The poet John Milton coined Pandemonium as 'the capital of hell' in his poem Paradise Lost. I guess you could say that the 3 major H&M stores in HK were exactly that today- the capital of hell.

My fellow fashion bloggers and I watched from our 'ringside seats' as men and women decimated the Lanvin pour H&M section this morning. There were people tripping over tulle dresses, fighting over embellished t-shirts and buying shoes that were 5 times bigger than their shoe-size! There were people just grabbing stuff off the shelves without even really looking at them...and this made us all wonder.... are they genuine Lanvin lovers? Or just garden variety eBay hawkers?!??!?! 

Oh, well at least there were no stabbings!

I'd never seen anything like it. It was a fashion equivalent of supermarket sweep! A lady asked me if I was going to queue up, and to borrow the words of my friend Johannes, I  replied 'bitch, please....'

In a way, I appreciate collaborations such as this because it gives us a chance to purchase a bit of couture we can't afford otherwise...but at the same time, I would rather save up and buy something that wasn't mass- produced. There'll be a lot of cat-fights come December, the official party season. Can you imagine walking into the annual company Christmas party wearing the same dress as your colleague? Oh, the shame.


from this...

...to this

 ...and everything else in between...






Tuesday, November 16, 2010

But is he bringing sexy back?



After a six year hiatus, Tom Ford re-emerges with a small and exclusive womenswear collection that evokes his YSL, rather than his more famous Gucci, past. Chic rather than super sexed-up.
A lot has changed over the years, now preferring discretion over excess, Tom Ford debuted his collection 2 months ago in New York in the presence of only 100 guests with Terry Richardson being the only photographer hired to take photos. The photos will be unveiled together with a film of the show, on Tom's website in December. The collection itself won't be available in his stores until early next year. So why the discretion?

I do not understand everyone’s need to see everything online the day after a show, I don’t think it ultimately serves the customer, which is the whole point of my business—not to serve journalists or the fashion system. To put something out that’s going to be in a store in six months, and to see it on a starlet, ranked in US magazine next week? My customer doesn’t want to wear the same thing she saw on a starlet!” (quote from US Vogue)

Amen.

Bombastisch!


Peep Karl Lagerfeld's Inca -inspired, limited- edition, jewelry collection for Atelier Swarovski F/W 2010- 2011 which was unveiled in KaDeWe in Berlin at the beginning of the month.