chic hunters

Chic Hunters Has Moved to Style Intel

2011-08-06T09:18:00.000+08:00

Chic Hunters has now moved to a new and better site, STYLE INTEL. Please visit us there.

The Middleton Sisters Are The New Bouvier Sisters

2011-05-26T17:36:00.000+08:00

Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa are proving to be quite the fashion plates much like Jackie Kennedy and her sister Lee.

Could Kate and Pippa Middleton Be The Next Jackie Kennedy and Lee Radziwill?

Dressing The First Lady Michelle Obama

2011-05-26T17:28:00.000+08:00

Michelle Obama is proving to be a fashion hit in Paris.

Here's a great interview with Barbara Tfank, a designer who has dressed the First Lady three times including the most recent floral printed frock Michelle Obama wore to meet the Queen if England.

http://blogs.forbes.com/bluecarreon/2011/05/12/what-it-takes-to-dress-michelle-obama/

Michelle Obama is proving to be a fashion hit in Paris. Here's a great interview with Barbara Tfank, a designer who has dressed the First Lady three times including the most recent floral printed frock Michelle Obama wore to meet the Queen if England. http://blogs.forbes.com/bluecarreon/2011/05/12/what-it-takes-to-dress-michelle-obama/

Chic Hunters Has Moved to Style Intel

2011-02-11T10:27:00.000+08:00

Check out our new website/ design e-newsletter at www.styleintel.com

Subscribe to www.styleintel.com to get regular design news alerts.

2010-08-26T10:38:00.000+08:00

The September issue of US Harper's Bazaar features the Upper East Side home of Jimmy Choo owner Tamara Mellon. It's filled with tons of rich textures and colors giving the space this very glamorous feel. On my next apartment, I want to achieve the same kind of mood. A perfect combination of uptown and downtown.

Fall Guy Part 2

2010-08-24T13:58:00.000+08:00

H&M struck three major fall trends with this look: leather, chunky knit, and brown and blue combo. I cannot wait to attempt this look when the weather cools down. I like H&M more than Zara because the price points are friendlier and they don't aspire to be more high fashion than they really are. It is wearable, disposable fashion that is on trend. You may not be able to wear H&M's pieces next season because of the quality but at least you got to participate on the trend for 1/16 of the designer prices.

I GOT CHILLS

2010-08-17T08:17:00.000+08:00

In one of the hottest summers ever, all I could think about is wrapping myself up with this plush and punky cropped fur jacket from Burberry Prorsum. It looks like the warmest little thing on a cold winter day. Though it is not exactly my style, I would still dare and wear it to affect the rebel trend that is big this fall.

But Where Is The Logo?

2010-08-16T10:35:00.000+08:00

Is it a Louis Vuitton bag without the ubiquitous monogram? Would people buy it? I would. This is perhaps one of the best Vuitton bags to come out in years. Simple, handsome and best of all devoid of the LV logo that now reeks of a pedestrian's ideal of luxury. The bag, Shako Reglisse Sac Voyage, is made from shako cotton with rich chocolate brown leather trim and handles. It's best feature? The discreet V. Now, that's real luxury.

Beautiful Fall

2010-08-12T08:54:00.000+08:00

Now that most of the September issues are out, we can finally see all the ad campaigns that make them so thick. So far, my favorite series is the one from Hermes which has an equestrian theme to it. A horse drawn carriage piled with Hermes boxes. Isn't that everyone's fantasy? It sure is mine.

Riding into the night with a Hermes scarf soaring behind her

If only we could fish out Hermes Jypsiere bags from a pond/fountain

Chic Reads

2010-08-09T16:26:00.004+08:00

As someone who collects design books, I am very much looking forward to the release of these titles come September and November.

I have one of David Downton's sketches, the one used for the cover of 100 Years of Fashion Illustration. This new book, Master of Fashion Illustration, which he penned/edited/curated lists all the greatest fashion illustrators, as well as discusses the time when magazines only had illustrated covers.

More fashion sketches with Manolo's New Shoes

I love Cecil Beaton's work especially his photography. This tome Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook should let us into the mind of the creative genius.

Christian Dior's love for America is chronicled in this book by Kate Betts

I am waiting with bated breath for this book: American Fashion Designers at Home

because it is sure to be lush and inspirational. I saw previews of it on the Assouline website and it looks fabulous. I have all the American Fashion books and I can't wait to add this to my collection.

Thierry Mugler: Galaxy Glamour for all the futuristic fashion

These two books on Isabella Blow — Isabella Blow: A Life in Fashion and Isabella Blow — are sure you to be filled with amazing photographs of Isabella Blow and her extensive fashion collection. They would also give us an insight on the life of this tortured fashion maverick.

Chic Finds: Ceramic Garden Stools

2010-08-06T14:51:00.004+08:00

About two weeks ago, I became obsessed with Chinese ceramic garden stools and couldn't sleep thinking about them. So I made the decision to purchase not one but two of them (they were on sale) at a store called Indigo at Prince's Building in Hong Kong. I went to the store intent on buying just one, (the blue one above) but then the shop clerk showed me one in metallic silver and as I love silver and shiny surfaces, I had to buy it as well. I think they are the chicest, mutli-purpose little things. They also have that timeless appeal and can fit into all sorts of design styles as you will see from the photos I've gathered below.

I found these at the Lane Crawford home sale. Pretty but I wanted something more classic. Plus, even at the sale price, they were still three times what I paid for the ones I got.

I like how this still feels contemporary despite being so traditional. I think it's the use of colors.

This stool fits perfectly in an elegant setting

Aerin Lauder has the classic Ming blue and white kind

They work great outdoors too

So chic!

So Chic

2010-08-05T22:13:00.002+08:00

My birthday — and Coco Chanel's — is not until a couple of weeks from now, but my present came early. And it came in a scarlet box.

Isn't this the most handsome watch ever?

Fashion and Elephants

2010-08-05T10:13:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I have the weirdest dreams. Last night, I dreamt of Dovima and the elephants, the fashion photograph of Richard Avedon that is timelessly elegant. One of the photos that really inspired me to pursue a career in fashion. I just love everything about the photo — the gracefulness of Dovima in her classical pose, the long sinewy gown and how all this soigne and even fragility is contrasted against the hulking size of the elephants. The silk and chiffon material of the gown against the wrinkled and weathered skin of the elephants. Brilliant contrasts.

Since then, elephants have been making appearances in several fashion editorials.

Daria for Italian Vogue

Daryl Hannah for Italian Vogue

Kiera Knightley for US Vogue

Naomi Campbell for US Harper's Bazaar

German Vogue

Chanel Iman for German Vogue

Chic Reads: Patterns

2010-08-03T17:18:00.002+08:00

I was at a bookstore the other day and chanced upon a small volume of books called Patterns published by the Victoria & Albert Museum. The volume has four books (they are also sold separately) devoted entirely to patterns and prints from designers who had made their names with creating some of the most beautiful, intricate, colorful, riotous, ad infinitum patterns around. The books also come with CDs so you can print out the patterns.

The patterns below are from 19th century architect Owen Jones. I find it amazing how these patterns still work in this modern age.

Fall Guy

2010-08-02T11:00:00.002+08:00

I am so over summer. I am done wearing shorts and sandals. Why can't fall come sooner because I am dying to start wearing all my thick camel sweaters and jackets. I am glad that black is not the big color for fall and that camel has taken over the spotlight because it is more my color. Come fall I will be channeling the Prada look above.

And this Gucci. I already have a jacket in a similar shade and cut from Dolce & Gabbana and tons of white pants. I just need a chocolate turtleneck.

And this from Dries van Noten which hits two trends at once: Camel and Military

And this from Michael Bastian. I have a beautiful pair of velvet shoes that I have yet to wear. Fall, come already!

And this from Ralph Lauren

In The Clear

2010-07-30T09:57:00.004+08:00

My current obsession is lucite furniture. I like how you can transform the material to any shape imaginable from clean and geometric to fanciful and ornate. Plus, I like the illusion that it doesn't crowd a room. The bed above is one of the best pieces of lucite furniture I've seen by far.

This was our old lucite table which we got at Muji

Monique Lhuillier's home is filled with lucite pieces like these console and coffee tables

On Vivre.com there are several pieces of lucite accessories from designer Serge de Troyer including a trunk, bench and porch chair.

There pieces — a desk and stool — are in the new issue of Lonny magazine. www.lonnymag.com

This is our bar cart at home

Fall Has Arrived

2010-07-28T10:37:00.003+08:00

The fall/winter 2010 clothes have arrived at Lane Crawford and everything looks fabulous. I have always liked fall clothes over summer because there just so much more you can play with with the former: layering, texture etc. I've taken the liberty of posting my favorite pages from the Lane Crawford catalogue. My favorite trend by far is minimalism which Phoebe Philo single-handedly revived when she took over Celine.

I can't wait for the men's catalogue to come out although I have already made a mental note of my big fall purchase. Meanwhile enjoy the women's pages.

Jason Wu, Phillip Lim, Givenchy, Helmut Land, Alexander Wang, Stella McCartney, oh my...

Shoe Heaven

2010-07-27T09:46:00.004+08:00

This is the shoe wall at the newly-opened Lanvin store on Madison Avenue between 68th and 69th streets. As someone obsessed with shoes, I wish I had enough room in our apartment to build a shoe nirvana like Kimora Lee's below

or Paula Abdul's

Or Mariah Carey's

Or Jessica Alba's

Or Christina Aguilera's

Or Eva Langoria's

This is mine

Chic Colors at Hong Kong Market

2010-07-26T09:56:00.003+08:00

Sunday was spent searching for a small Chinese stool on Hollywood Road (famous for its antique and souvenir shops) and Queen's Road East (with rows of furniture shops). I had the idea of picking up a cheap, everyday stool and repainting it in a brilliant emerald green color for our guest bedroom. We didn't get so lucky with our mission because a lot of the stools we saw were actually kind of pricey. So we went to the street market instead just to see what they're selling as I have never been despite having lived in Hong Kong for almost four years. There were a lot of things for sale, a lot of tchotchkes but what really amazed me were all these wonderful colors and textures. It was like looking through a kaleidoscope or flipping through Tony Duquette's book. Emeralds. coral, turquoise, jade, bronze, silver, ochre, amethysts. It was all just fascinating. I ended up buying two brushes with unpolished coral handles for less that US$20!

Chic in Bangkok

2010-07-23T15:08:00.002+08:00

This is the first time I have ever bought an issue of Australian shelter magazine Belle and I purchased a copy because I was drawn to the stunning images of this show flat in Bangkok. The show flat is designed by David Collins to promote the Ritz Carlton Residences located in the MahaNakhon tower which will be completed in 2012.

I am in love with all the shades of blue especially these sliding panels in the dining room. The panels are actually embroidered silk.

The bedroom is just exquisite with its neutral shades. I am in love with the elegant moss green sofa in the small sitting area in the bedroom.

Isn't this such an inviting bath?

Chic Finds: Hermes Home Collection

2010-07-22T15:34:00.002+08:00

I love everything Hermes and I am loving their new home collection especially this reissue of the Home Valet which the house first launch during the Art Deco period.

There are also wonderful bed linens and throws. Who wouldn't want to be wrapped in a cashmere Hermes throw?

Chic Home in Atlanta

2010-07-21T08:33:00.003+08:00

When I flipped open the August issue of Town & Country magazine with Julianne Moore on the cover, I experienced real estate envy as soon as I saw this Miles Redd designed house. It's really gorgeous in every way — the architecture, the manicured lawns, the interiors.

I love all the rich colors and textures in the living room and library. The light blue walls and the dark plush furnishings in the living room are exquisite. And the brass border on the deep red bookshelves is absolutely glamorous.

Chic Reads: Summer Book List

2010-07-20T08:37:00.007+08:00

I returned to Hong Kong from New York with these books that I purchased at Barney's and favorite bookstore Rizzoli.

1. Yves Saint Laurent. Icons of Fashion Design. This is a book dedicated to the first 25 years of the house of Saint Laurent (1962-1988) and it is rich with wonderful images from renown photographers. Most of the photographs are from fashion editorials from different magazines. There are also runway shots and sketches by the designer.

2. Classy by Derek Blasberg. I picked up this book because it seemed like fun. Kind of like a modern Emily Post book of manners guide with a fab-bitchy gay twist. I have yet to sit down and read it but having flicked through the pages casually, I've found really funny bits.

3. I Heart Your Style. How to define and refine your style by Amanda Brooks. This would please a lot of fashion people as it touches all sorts of fashion styles and icons - from the classic Americans to bohemians to jet set to rock and rollers. There's lots of great photos too of every fashion icon imaginable.

I got my iPad while I was in New York and have been in love with the iBooks and Kindle applications. Above is my iBooks bookshelf which is really quite amazing.

I read this book on the flight to and from Toronto via New York. It's an easy read about a promising literary agent turned crackhead. There are a lot of sad and depressing turns as he struggles with his addiction. It's actually quite good and the author is quite good looking too.

Who knew that nobody wanted to touch Breakfast at TIffany's, not even its star Audrey Hepburn. This book is brimming with lots of juicy details above the film, Truman Capote, the actors and everyone involved in the making of the film. There's bits on Edith Head being disappointed at not being able to work on the major costumes as Hepburn wanted to wear Givenchy, which, in Head's opinion, was ridiculous because Holly Golightly was a call girl and could not afford French couture! And there's also the story about how Moon River was almost cut from the movie. Can you imagine!

A light summer read which I have just started reading. This is my treadmill read.

I had great hopes for this book as I thoroughly enjoyed Danielle Ganek's first book, Lulu Meets God And Doubts Him. The Summer We Read Gatsby is a beach read. That's that.

I am a huge fan of House & Garden and was saddened when Conde Nast folded the magazine. It's editor Dominique Browning tells of the days when the magazine she help buid was shut down and how she dealt with unemployment.

Adventures in Hong Kong's Flower Market

2010-07-19T09:32:00.003+08:00

This past Sunday morning was spent in Hong Kong's flower market on Prince Edward in Kowloon. We made the trek to buy flowers for our apartment for the photo shoot on Tuesday for a shelter magazine called Home Journal here in Hong Kong. All sorts of blooms were everywhere in the market and while there were the usual suspects — roses, lilies, peonies, tulips — I found myself and my camera drawn to the unusual variety. Those blooms that won't make a bride's list.

Chic Shops: Tod's Home Boutique in St Tropez

2010-07-16T06:50:00.002+08:00

What could be better than summer in St. Tropez? Summer shopping in St Tropez of course. Shorts, t-shirts and flip flops won't cut in this most glamorous of holiday hot spots. You'd need Tomas Maier swimsuits, Missoni cover ups, Borsalino hats, Goyard totes as beach bags, and Vuitton beach towels. If you're lucky enough to be in St Tropez this summer, be sure to make a stop at the new Tod's Home Concept store. As the name implies, the store is set up like a very stylish home with plush armchairs and sofas, and gorgeous end tables. I love the combination of regency blue and yellow armchairs in the photo above and it reminds me one of my favorite Mark Rothko pieces (below).

On the walls of the store are framed photographs by Elliott Erwitt especially commissioned by Tod's. The photos, some of which are used for the advertising campaign, evoke the casual chic spirit of the Italian house.

And We're Back

2010-07-15T08:39:00.003+08:00

After three weeks of not posting anything (on holiday in New York), I am back and I would like to share with you my new column with Harper's Bazaar Singapore called Manner Born which is all about modern social graces.

The first piece is about the importance of sending thank you notes, something that I firmly believe in and espouse as well.

Click on the image to enlarge

And it is cherry on top that one of my favorite models Carmen Kass graces the cover.

Chic Reads: LONNY magazine

2010-06-23T09:39:00.003+08:00

The New York Times Style section has a story this week on LONNY, an online shelter magazine started by a former editor at now defunct Domino magazine. LONNY aims to fill in the void left by the closure of magazines like Domino, House & Garden and Metropolitan Home. The first issue came out in October. Its online platform is fascinating as it allows the reader to flick through the pages as if one were reading a magazine. The photos are crisp and fresh and the layouts are clean and easy on the eyes. The browser also allows the reader to zoom in and out of the pages and it can also provide links to suppliers and sources.

Below are snaps of the current issue. For more photos check out LONNY

At Ralph's

2010-06-10T13:17:00.004+08:00

With his legionnaire award, Ralph Lauren opened a new store in Paris' Left Bank on boulevard Saint Germain, housing all of his clothing lines plus a restaurant called Ralph's.

The al fresco dining area reminds has the feel of Ralph Lauren's current home collection with its use of nautical stripes and varying shades of blue.

I love the Mediterranean blue color of these double doors

The decor inside the restaurant echo another theme that Lauren likes to exploit - hunting.

Photos: Elle Decor Italia

Summer's Here

2010-06-09T09:18:00.002+08:00

And we have three Elle Decor June issues to prove it. It seems like the magazine's US, Italian and German edition all had a consensus to show al fresco dining setting on their covers this month. What could be more lovely on a summer's day!

Chic Report

2010-06-02T10:49:00.004+08:00

A Swiss magazine commissioned me to write a feature story on luxury brands that originated in Asia and whether the label Made in China is losing its reputation as inferior quality. The issue is out this month and here is the piece and the cover of the magazine. Click on the images to enlarge.

At The Fair

2010-05-31T14:44:00.002+08:00

We spent Sunday afternoon at the Hong Kong Art Fair and found several booths that had really impressive art. We saw Picassos, Monets, Damien Hirsts(above), an Alex Katz and several James Nares. On hindsight, I wish I had taken more photos, especially of the Nares as they were stunning. Below are some of the art which I liked.

Pop art by Richard Prince

Figure by Pablo Picasso, 1936

David La Chapelle. There were several la Chapelle images as well as by Guy Bourdin and Tim Walker. I would like to save money for a Tim Walker photograph.

I failed to take note of the artist of this relief portrait. I like the technique of carving out a face out of wood and painting it. At first glance I thought it was by Elizabeth Peyton.

Skulls by Damien Hirst

Untitled by Tara Donovan, 2008. This piece calls out to me and I can't figure out why. I normally wouldn't not be drawn to something like it as it is almost comic book-esque but somehow I find beauty and mystery in the cracked surface.

9brushstrokes by Song Hyun-sook. This is one of my favorite pieces from the fair. I like that it is Asian-inspired but modern at the same time. It's timelessly elegant and would fit almost any interior design style.

Chic Report

2010-05-27T13:00:00.002+08:00

My interview with Alexa Chung for the South China Morning Post. She visited Hong Kong to promote her namesake bag from Mulberry.

Smooth Sailing

2010-05-20T08:52:00.003+08:00

The weather's been awful in Hong Kong for the past two days and as a form of escapism, I have been looking at photographs from our past summer holidays in Capri, Positano, Santorini. This had me thinking about nautical stripes, because really, what could be spell seaside-summer-sojourn more than blue and white stripes? Coco Chanel wore striped shirts on holidays in Deauville, Jackie Kennedy did the same at Martha's Vineyard. Jean Paul Gaultier built a fashion house based on a humble sailor's shirt. Two summers ago, I was in Capri and was fortunate enough to go onboard Diego de la Valle's (owner of Tod's) massive yacht. It was bigger than most people's homes and the rooms where decorated in beautiful blue and white stripes.

While we have yet to establish where we will build a summer home, I am keeping the images below from the current Ralph Lauren Home collection called La Plage and La Gran Hotel for inspirations. Wouldn't it be divine to be having breakfast in the dining room?

Chic Reads: Harper's Bazaar Singapore June 2010

2010-05-19T08:10:00.002+08:00

In the June issue of Harper's Bazaar Singapore (out in stores now) is my interview with shoe designer Rupert Sanderson. The designer opened a free-standing boutique in Hong Kong last March on On Lan Street, the city's answer to New York's Meatpacking District. Click on the photo below to read all about him: why he makes shoes, what inspires him and what he has to say about other shoe designers working today.

Shanghai Expo Part 1: Italian Pavilion

2010-05-17T17:08:00.003+08:00

Above is a rendering of the Italian Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. The colors of the Italian flag light up the structure. With the help of my friend Valentina who is currently living in Shanghai right now because her husband is working at the Expo, below are photographs that she took inside the Italian pavilion.

I have also asked her to take photos of the other pavilions so we can share the images with everyone reading this blog.

Chic Artist: Matt Albiani

2010-05-13T15:13:00.003+08:00

I first heard about Matt Albiani when he launched his book Lifeguard on Duty at Bergdorf Goodman last year. The book which features stylish - and some homoerotic - photographs of lifeguards was showcased along side clothes by Michael Bastian. I happened to be in New York two weeks after the launch and was quite taken by the photographs. More than anything, the photos captured an all-American ideal of young, able bodied men on a beach. The kind of images that come to mind when one says California, especially if one is not from the US. I bought the book at the Rizzoli bookstore.

A year later, I was back in New York and I saw that some of the photographs were still on display and below them was a caption that said they are available for sale. I took note of the contact person and emailed them when I got back to my hotel. A couple of hours later, Matt Albiani himself emailed me and said that the two photographs I was interested in were available. He said that he would be near my hotel that night and he could deliver the prints himself. Unfortunately, I had dinner plans. I missed him. But he left the photographs with the concierge.

These are the two photographs I bought from Matt Albiani, framed and displayed on our TV shelf in our master bedroom.

For more images, visit: http://www.mattalbiani.com/

Chic Reads: Vanity Fair June 2010

2010-05-12T12:33:00.004+08:00

Why can't magazine covers be more like the June 2010 issue of Vanity Fair which features soccer players Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba in nothing but their underwear. Men's magazine exploit and objectify women almost every month, why can't women's magazines do the same to men? Wouldn't they be selling more copies of their magazines if every other man they would have semi naked man candy on their covers instead of the B-list nondescript starlets and reality TV stars they love to banner?

For more man candy from the Vanity Fair issue, click on the link below for a video of the cover shoot and inside spread. More soccer players in their skivvies:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1569972706?bctid=82103561001

Chic Trend: Ikat

2010-05-11T11:35:00.003+08:00

In fashion or interior design, ikat is making its presence strongly felt. The fabric is often the go-to motif of fashion designers whenever they want to do a tribal-themed collection. Ikat is one of the oldest form of prints or dyeing techniques and it has almost universal roots: variations of it have been produced by ethnic groups in South America, Asia and Africa for generations.

Click To Enlarge

From top left: Ikat fabric from Pottery Barn; River ikat napkin from Dransfield & Ross; Dries Van Noten spring 2010; Oscar de la Renta ikat ballerina flat; Vintage Uzbek green ikat pillow from John Robshaw; Ikat clutch bag from Rafe New York

Click To Enlarge

Clockwise from top left: Purple ikat evening bag from Madeleine Weinrib; Gucci leather woven ikat dress; Studio sofa in ikat graphite by Nate Berkus for www.hsn.com; Diane von Furstenberg ikat shopper from Bergdorf Goodman; Topography primer napkin from Anthropologie.com

Chic Additions

2010-05-07T09:56:00.002+08:00

I couldn't resist not getting these wall sconces despite making a list of arguments against them. They were just to beautiful to pass up.

Met Ball/Costume Institute Best Dressed

2010-05-05T08:32:00.003+08:00

I am not a fan of ball gowns because they are simply so expected at fancy parties like the Met Ball or the Oscar. Looking at the red carpet arrivals at the Met Ball, I found myself drawn to the women who wore simple and elegant gowns that had a long, slender silhouette. And I am also loving the return of sleeves on gowns.

Amber Valleta in RM by Roland Mouret

Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior

Naomi Watts in Lanvin

Jessica Alba in Sophie Theallet for The Gap

Iman in Prada

Zoe Saldana and Diane Krueger both in Calvin Klein Collection

Nicole Richie in Marc Jacobs

Photos: Style.com

Chic Reads: New York Magazine Home Design Issue

2010-05-03T17:49:00.003+08:00

Get your hands a copy of the latest issue of New York magazine, or go to the website www.nymag.com The issue's theme is home design and the banner headline is The New Old. Inside are feature stories on interiors that are updated remake of classic interior design style such as Parisian, Victorian, Country and English. The photo below is the bedroom of Carolina Herrera's creative director, Pierre Herve, and it is done in Parisian/Versailles-esque style. I love the gingham canopy (the fabric was a gift from Herrera) and the trompe l'oeil panels (painted by the Herve) flanking the bed.

Herve also had the chic and clever idea of stuffing a Balmain glove and

using it as a curtain tie-back.

The photo above is a modern take on country home style

Also in the issue is a story on bedbug infestation on the Upper East Side and a new male mannequin with a 27-inch waist. The last time I had a 27-inch waist I was in fifth grade!

A Fashionable Home

2010-05-03T09:46:00.002+08:00

The pinstripes on a Ralph Lauren suit make their way into the

upholstery of a French-inspired Ralph Lauren armchair

So many fashion houses have dabbled in the furniture and home accessories market. Looking at their home collections and their spring/summer pret-a-porter, it's easy to see that they apply the same philosophy they use to create their clothing in their home lines. This begs the questions: Would you really want to sit on a couch that looks like your dress? Wouldn't having the same color palette for your wardrobe and your interiors be boring?

Black and criss-crossing detail as well as a gauzy texture

are both present in the Casa Fendi sofa and Fendi dress

Peach and silver are used to created a tufted occasional chair for Versace Home

and a flowy floor-length evening gown for Versace

Geometric shapes - rectangular and grid-like in the Armani Casa screen and squares

in the Giorgio Armani dress - unify the designs for the home and the fashion lines

Simple, stark and minimal at Calvin Klein

Understated luxury and the lasting appeal of neutrals are present in both the dress

and the desk from Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta 2010 Design Competition

2010-04-30T15:13:00.002+08:00

As part of its Salone del Mobile exhibition, Bottega Veneta unveiled the winners of its 2010 Design Competion which was participated by engineering graduate students of the University of Tokyo. The competition was launched in October 2009. Students who entered the competition where given the premise to design a piece of furniture that serves a function for someone seated while keeping the spirit and aesthetic of the Italian luxury house. As you can see from the group photo of the three winners above, they capture the very essence of Bottega Veneta; simple, refined and luxurious. Note that all made use of Bottega Veneta's intrecciato (woven) technique.

Below are the winning pieces on their own:

Domestic Landscape by Kentaro Fujimoto

Tube with Inner Luxury by Shima Suzuki

Origami Side table by Ayami Takada. This is the one I like the best

Are You Blue

2010-04-29T17:47:00.005+08:00

Cerulean, robin's egg, turquoise, sky, indigo, lapis, navy etc... Blue is the hottest color this summer judging from the fashion and home collections.

click image to enlarge

Clockwise from top left: Smythson stationery set; Junior Lampert Sofa by Jonathan Adler; Lanvin asymmetrical dress; Kotur Renna dark denim clutch; John Derian Faience Bluebird plate; Ralph Lauren Jamaica bed linens; Vivre.com blue coral; Manolo Blahnik sandal at Bergdorf Goodman; and Dransfield & Ross Willow Ware pillows

click image to enlarge

Clockwise from top left: Salvatore Ferragamo loafers; Barney's New York Backgammon set; Calvin Klein turquoise suit; Neiman Marcus bed linens; Calypso Home Cochin Dhurrie area rug; Ellsworth Kelly Blue 2001 artwork; Parsons coffee table in lacquered navy at www.bungalow5.com; Benjamin Moore blue paint; Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Quincy chair; Hermes silk tie

Chic Images: Bruce Weber for Dedon

2010-04-29T09:14:00.003+08:00

These new ad campaigns from Dedon photographed by Bruce Weber have me wishing for outdoor space. The downside of living in a city like Hong Kong is that very rarely can you have a balcony or a pool, unless you have loads of money. I miss waking up in the morning and jumping straight into the swimming pool.

The campaign is entitled Coming Home and centers around a tree house. According to the press release, Weber had always wanted a tree house when he was a child but was never allowed to. Decades later and with the help of Dedon, he's wish was granted.

Chic Shop: Roger Vivier Hong Kong

2010-04-27T11:17:00.004+08:00

I meant to post these images before I went on holiday. This is the new Roger Vivier store at the Landmark in Central. Above is the VIP room filled with furnishings and accents handpicked by Bruno Frisoni and Ines de la Fressange. Both creative visionaries were present at the store opening. The VIP room is filled with haute couture Roger Vivier pieces which would make any woman salivate with lust.

This is the entrance to the shop. The mobile is by a contemporary French artist.

I love this display case in the VIP room. It's very chic and glamorous.

This is an antique French commode which Ines de la Fressange sourced herself.

On the walls of the store are original collages done by Roger Vivier, inventor of the stiletto heel. I am sure these pieces are worth a lot of money.

Back From The Maldives

2010-04-23T11:51:00.000+08:00

Monocle Shop: Yay or Nay

2010-04-15T08:19:00.003+08:00

Readers of Monocle magazine and fans of Tyler Brule would be happy to know that a section of Lane Crawford Home at Pacific Place has been temporarily devoted to a Monocle Shop. It opens today until May 23 and carries a lot of utilitarian merchandise from totes to furniture to notebooks to briefcases to a small selection of Monocle-approved literature. Of course, complete issues of the magazine are also for sale.

I've bought Monocle several times but I never really enjoyed it. I found it too cerebral, and frankly quite boring for my taste. I also used to read Tyler Brule's column in the Financial Times Weekend edition but grew tired of it when all he ever wrote about almost every week was Japan this and Japan that. It felt like he was being paid by the Japanese government to say that all the best things are in Japan.

I've seen Tyler Brule in person couple of times in Milan during men's fashion week, at the shows or at the lobby restaurant of the Park Hyatt Hotel during breakfast. In fact, a couple of his invitations were accidentally sent to my room. He is a very good looking man and has great style and vision, I just wished there was more gloss to his new magazine.

Chic Gift from Bruno Frisoni of Roger Vivier

2010-04-14T08:43:00.004+08:00

I've always wanted a sketch from Bruno Frisoni ever since I met him several years ago. Yesterday, I met the designer once again at the fabulous new store of Roger Vivier at The Landmark and after our interview, Bruno grabbed his sketchbook and his markers and started doing this sketch for me right on the spot!! I would have been happy with one of his doodles that didn't make the shoe production. But this one that he specially drew for me is completely amazing and it will have pride of place in our apartment! Thank you, Bruno and to Catherine Ku of Roger Vivier.

My interview with Bruno wasn't until 4pm yesterday. But after lunch at 2, crossing the bridge from Chater House to Exchange Square on my way to gym, I bumped into Bruno which I thought was so surreal. You often see designers out and about in New York, Paris and Milan but never in Hong Kong.

I will post photos of the Roger Vivier store later, including a very candid photo of me and one of my style icons Ines de la Fressange. Meanwhile, I have to pack for the Maldives.

A Single Stroke

2010-04-13T09:08:00.003+08:00

One of the first things we ever bought for our Hong Kong apartment was this James Nares artwork. We were still living in Singapore when we ordered it from a gallery in the US. This was a couple of months before our actual relocation. We wanted the gallery to ship it straight to Hong Kong and so the art had to stay with them until we moved. Waiting for two months for an artwork was rather difficult as I wanted to see it hanging on my wall right away. I have have wanted a piece from James Nares for the longest time and I was over the moon when my wish finally came true.

How Nares work, according to literature I have read of him, is that he suspends himself from the ceiling and using a brush, he creates one single stroke across the canvas as seen below. What I like about his work is that you can feel the energy, passion and even emotion in that singular fluid brushstroke. It's as if every curve and stray ink has a meaning, a story to tell. Plus of course whatever symbolism you associate with the color. We chose green for our Nares because it's calming and draws you in. I quite like the purple and the fuchsia too (below). Maybe for a birthday gift?

Photo: Sebastian Guinness Gallery

Photo: www.amk.ch

Photo: www.suzannerandolphfinearts.com

Photo: www.karenmann.com

Photo: House & Garden

Photo: Elle Decor. Josie Natori's apartment

Photo: www.lendrumfineart.com

Chic Escapes: Maldives

2010-04-08T10:19:00.004+08:00

It's been gray and wet and miserable in Hong Kong and we haven't seen the sun since Friday. It's very depressing and I can't wait until we leave for the Maldives next Thursday. I am excited to try both the Four Seasons Resorts in Kuda Haraa and Landaa Giraavaru. We haven't had a beach holiday since Bali last February 2009, so I am looking forward to a relaxing and massage-filled vacation.

While I wait for Thursday to come, I hope to survive the gloomy Hong Kong weather by planning the perfect Maldives outfits. Here are my inspirations.

I love this look from Michael Bastian. Beach party chic. Although I would change the black shirt to white or something lighter.

An unlined powder blue blazer from Burberry Prorsum would be perfect especially when paired with linen trousers.

I love all the prints in this Hermes outfit. I love the shorts. Must go to Hermes. I already have the early version of the sandals.

This ombre-esque cardigan from Bottega Veneta reminds me of Prada's women's cardigans and skirts from 5 or 6 years ago. I love the look of it but not sure I can pull it off. It's worth swooning over nevertheless.

This straw and white leather tote from Gucci would be the ultimate beach bag. It's roomy and great for stuffing magazines, books, a beach towel, sunblock, sunglasses and iPod.

Now I have to find pieces in my closet to substitute with given that the prices of these pieces would cost more than our trip to the Madives.

Chic Finds: Waylande Gregory at Vivre.com

2010-04-01T16:12:00.003+08:00

I first saw these ceramic trays by Waylande Gregory at Vivre.com one mindless afternoon of wishful online shopping. I liked the patterns and the color combinations. I've never been much a fan of gold but I am discovering its glamorous appeal.

At Bergdorf's I chanced upon a display of the exact same trays as well as vases from the designer. I snapped up the one above and below and I am loving them.

According to Vivre.com, they are reissues of Waylande's old design which his nephew discovered in his uncle's basement. The tray are glazed with 22k gold.

Turquoise and gold combination has a retro-glam feel to it.

Photos: Vivre.com

Chic Reads: My First New York

2010-03-31T15:31:00.003+08:00

Photo courtesy of: New York Magazine and Amazon.com

I miss the launched of this book by two days when I was in New York last week. I saw it advertised in a new issue of New York Magazine and ran to Barnes & Noble to buy it but was told it wasn't in yet.

It is a collection of essays about people's early experiences in the Big Apple and contributors include Graydon Carter, Naomi Campbell, Harold Evans, Rufuf Wainwright, Diane von Furstenberg, Liz Smith, Lauren Hutton and many other personalities - famous and infamous.

Judging from the excerpt from Nora Ephron's piece published in New York Magazine, it seems like it will be an excellent read.

However, this is the kind of book that will not be distributed widely in Asia. So, I kindly ask my local bookstore in Hong Kong to order it for me. Now, I just have to wait for two weeks until I can finally devour the essays. I am most especially looking forward to Andre Aciman's piece as I loved his book Call Me By Your Name.

Chic Finds: L'Objet

2010-03-30T12:35:00.005+08:00

A lot of people really liked my gold lizard magnifying glass and letter opener from L'Objet which I found at Saks. I also bought the bejewelled crocodile napkin rings in silver and black from Bergdorf's (photo above.) I first saw these napkin rings in the New York Times where they asked Colin Cowie to dress a table Oscar's style and he picked the crocodile napkin rings but in gold and emerald.

I am now in love with L'Objet and I look forward to owning more of their pieces.

A product shot of our napkin rings

These wine stoppers are divine.

A pagoda shaped napkin ring. It also comes as a salt and pepper shaker.

Let There Be Light

2010-03-27T09:15:00.002+08:00

I've been debating whether we should get these candle wall sconces from Altfield and hang them on both sides of the lip picture in our dining room.

Would they take the attention away from the picture and the black glass chandelier which was our very first purchase together? I've visited Altfield so many times now, looking at the sconces and trying to imagine how they would like at home. I have yet to decide. Maybe you can help...

Chic Comeback

2010-03-26T07:45:00.002+08:00

Mrs John L Strong stationery is back in business. I discovered this because I took the chance of going to their shop on Madison Avenue and was pleasantly surprised to find them open. Last September, news came that they closed. The people at Mrs Strong told me that the company has a new financial backer and that they have resumed operations.

While at the shop, I picked up note cards with a shell motif and envelopes lined in orange. I also bought menu cards with a Chinese pagoda design.

The gold lizard magnifying glass and letter opener are from L'Objet which I found at Saks. And the orange shagreen pencils are from Dransfield & Ross.

On The Shelves 2

2010-03-25T09:21:00.003+08:00

I spent the afternoon accessorizing and trying to make my books fit on the shelves.

What do you think of the result?

On The Shelves

2010-03-23T15:32:00.003+08:00

Upon my return to Hong Kong after almost two weeks in New York, I was greeted by the sight of this:

Now I just need to recover from my 24-hour flight (a gruesome 6-hour layover in Seoul) so that I can start arranging the books and accessorizing.

Open House

2010-03-20T19:57:00.006+08:00

We went to the Architectural Digest Home Show at Pier 94 on the West Side Highway yesterday hoping to see a lot of fabulous things. Sadly, we left uninspired. We should have known better as Architectural Digest has really been rather dull for the past couple of years. Like the magazine, the show need huge doses of glamour and style. Except for the 1stdibs pavilion and The New Traditionalist booth, everything else looked humdrum and derivative. For the first time, I went to a show without feeling an urge to buy anything.

Other than the exhibitors showing off all sorts of furniture and accessories, there was a section dedicated to an exhibition called Dining by Design which features table settings done by different designers. There were a couple of really good ones, but the others really looked amateur and unfinished. See the photos below and judge for yourself:

At The Museum

2010-03-18T20:37:00.008+08:00

The big ticket draw at the Museum of Modern Art is the Tim Burton exhibit but I found myself breezing past the exhibition as I expected to see a lot more than sketches, movie posters and animated features. I expected to see costumes from the movies, life-size tableaus of scenes from Sleepy Hollow or Alice In Wonderland. There were a few displays of this sort like a model of Johnny Depp as Edward Scissorhands, but I found this lacking.

So I rushed through the exhibit to move to other galleries and found two walls of black and white Richard Avedon portraits in a room dedicated to photography. I love Avedon's work especially his fashion photographs and portraits of society women like this one of Marella Agnelli, wife of Gianni Agnelli, owner of Ferrari. Despite her already swan-like neck, Avedon was said to have manipulated the picture to lengthen her neck a little more. I love the elegance of this photograph.

On the bottom left corner is a portrait of two of my favorite style icons: the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I love their style and sense of fashion, especially the Duke's dandy look which remains relevant to this day.

Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe (bottom right) continue to be referenced and serve as inspirations for many people, especially those in the creative field. I love the photograph of Coco Chanel because it's sort of candid, as if she were mid-sentence, perhaps in the midst of uttering one of her fashion bon mots such as "Elegance is refusal."

The pictures of Twiggy, Veruschka and Brigitte Bardot (bottom) were also part of the exhibit entitled Avedon Fashion 1944-2000 at the International Center of Photography last year.

Also worth seeing is the retrospective on the work of performance artist Marina Abramovic but be warned though that there is a lot of nudity; not only in photographs and videos but in person as well. I found the exhibit very thought-provoking as it explored so much more than sexuality. It questioned couplehood, loneliness, sacrifice, deliverance and many other existential themes. Abramovic's performace was featured in a Sex and the City episode as the setting for Carrie's and Alexander Petrovsky's first meeting and first date.

Window Dressing

2010-03-17T02:39:00.004+08:00

Fashion and Interior Design Meet at the Windows of Bergdorf Goodman

Derek Lam

This Carolina Herrera display with the upside down sofa on the ceiling reminds me of the Viktor & Rolf store in Milan

New York State of Mind 2

2010-03-15T20:51:00.004+08:00

One of the first shows we watched on Broadway on this trip is Looped starring Valerie Harper. It is about a recording session of Tallulah Bankhead for one line for movie which turns into a whole day affair of raunchy comedy with doses of catharsis. I didn't know much about Tallulah Bankhead before the play except that she's inspired several designers.

Valerie Harper as Tallulah Bankhead in Looped

I walked out of the theater wanting to learn more about her because she was quite the revolutionary with a tongue that was fierce, cutting and full of sexual bon mots. Kim Cattral's Samantha seems like a virgin next to her. For example:

"I am a bi-sexual. Buy me something and I'll get sexual"

"I've tried several varieties of sex. The conventional position makes me claustrophobic And the others either give me a still neck or lockjaw"

"The worst position I can think of is on a hammock... standing"

Tallulah Bankhead photographed by Eugene Robert Richee

It's a really hilarious play and if you are in NYC, make sure to see it.

New York State of Mind

2010-03-13T22:49:00.002+08:00

Since we are in New York right now, I would like to reprint a quote from Donna Karan — the quintessential New Yorker — from an interview with Women's Wear Daily about the current state of fashion which we totally agree with.

She said:

"Pre-fall shouldn’t exist, I’m sorry. Wrong. Let’s start there. We’ve got to bring clothes into season."

Plus:

"Resort screwed up spring. And then pre-fall screwed up spring. Everything screwed spring up. Spring got sort of caged out. I’m saying to reinvent spring again, reinvent fall again, reinvent the season we’re designing for."

This all makes sense because when it is the dead of winter (January-February), when the weather is at its coldest, you can't find a warm sweater or jacket in the stores as they are filled with pre-spring or spring merchandise. And in July and August, you'd be hard-pressed to find a straw hat or linen trousers because the stores are stocked with cashmere and shearling coats.

I've made a career about writing and analyzing fashion and while I get excited about seeing new fashions all the time, I'd like to be able to buy clothes when they are in season, not months before.

Photo courtesy of WireImage and Getty Images

New Delivery

2010-03-09T09:15:00.002+08:00

This came yesterday:

The chaise for my closet/study in peacock blue velvet. I cant wait to organize this space so I can start lounging on it while looking at my clothes and shoes.

Waiting Game

2010-03-08T10:50:00.002+08:00

I thought that by now we would have already settled in quite nicely in our apartment. But a month and half later several things are still missing due to the long Chinese holiday break and the unusually humid weather, at least that is what we've been told. Things get usually get done quickly in Hong Kong.

Right now we are still waiting for our bookshelf which would look like this:

So we can sort these out:

We are also waiting for our TV shelf which would look like this:

Meanwhile we have to live with this:

The dining table's new legs are supposed to come today. As will the chaise that's to go in my study and the headboard for the guest bedroom. We shall see...

Chime In

2010-03-04T09:35:00.001+08:00

With Hong Kong winter over, we finally got to test our central air conditioning in our new apartment. Anyone who has ever moved in to a new place would know that you never really find out what’s great or wrong about your apartment until you’ve lived in it for a few days. For example, on our first week when Paul was staying with us, we discovered that there was a design flaw in the bathroom. Even with the shower curtain in the bath and shower area, water would still spill onto the floor when you shower because the tub is slightly raised than the border surrounding it. So the water would splatter on the border, collect and flow onto the bathroom floor.

As for our air condition, the first time we turned it on it kept making a vibrating noise. The repairmen came the next day and it seemed like it was fixed after they gave me a demonstration. But that night, it was the same story: the same vibrating chugging noise akin to a train about to leave the station. But that wasn’t the only noise, the air blowing from the AC unit would hit our crystal chandelier and the crystals would sway and hit each other and produce a sound similar to those of wind chimes. It’s been three nights of more or less the same thing: crrrkk, crrrkkk, crrrkkk, chug, chug, chug, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong. It’s like were roughing it out somewhere in the woods with the cacophony of noises.

No wonder I keep having weird dreams. Last night’s was especially strange as I dreamt that Andre the Giant’s son was our houseguest and because he was so huge and tall he would step on all our furniture and destroy everything. I wonder what it all means.

South China Morning Post

2010-03-01T15:29:00.005+08:00

In last Monday's South China Morning Post, I wrote about my search for man-Spanx in my effort to conceal my gut.

Cropped version. Click on the image to zoom:

Chic Reads

2010-02-26T12:55:00.004+08:00

I am obsessed with design books and I have a compulsion to buy them whenever I am at bookstores. Whenever we go on trips, I always come back with an overweight luggage filled with heavy tomes. When it came time to look for inspiration and references for the apartment, I only needed to go to my bookshelf as you can see from the Post-it filled book Hue by Kelly Wearstler (above). I love her Domicilium Decoratus and Modern Glamour books.

Orlando Diaz Azcuy and Elle Decor's So Chic (opened to Candace Bushnell's apartment)

These books really helped me set the tone for our apartment: Metropolitan Home's Glamour, Elle Decor's Style and Substance and Jan Showers' Glamorous Rooms

I know this one is old but I leaf through it all the time and I always find or learn something new. Bright Young Things by Brooke de Ocampo

Making An Entrance Part 2

2010-02-24T16:56:00.002+08:00

I was unhappy with how our entryway initially looked like with the marquetry table and gilded mirror. I felt that it was too traditional and wasn't consistent with the classic chic look of the rest of the apartment. (See previous post for the photos)

Today, however, they delivered our new console table which we found at Altfield in Prince's Building. People who know me would be surprised that I bought a table with gold legs as I am all about chrome and silver. But I think the gold legs and its lattice-like design gives that entryway a wonderful dose of glamour and a touch of chinoiserie. Noticed how I accessorized it with a lot of silver - frames, vases, tray - which I think works really well despite the old rule that you should never mix gold with silver.

I am over the moon with the result!

Making An Entrance

2010-02-19T16:06:00.002+08:00

Contrary to popular belief, I didn’t get rid of all of BB’s belongings in favor of my better taste. Whenever we get into arguments over who has better taste, I have a ready answer, which instantly knocks out all of his. I say, “I get paid for my taste.” Having made a career out of editing lifestyle and fashion magazines, I’ve got this one right in the bag. I’m sorry I digress.

True, I got him to dispose of most of his “I am a white expat living in Asia” tchotchkes like his Buddha’s, pottery and all sorts of wooden accessories purchased randomly on trips to Bali, Thailand and Vietnam. It is also true that we have stashed away his collection of Chinese and Asian art under our beds for more Western art. However, we’ve kept a couple of his pieces like the ones adorning our foyer: a gilded mirror and a semi-lune marquetry console table which have graced his apartments avant et après moi. I also happen to like both pieces.

Looking at how they are styled now though, I find that I need to break them apart because the overall look doesn’t really go with the rest of the apartment. Our key words when it came to the design of the apartment were classic, modern and glamorous. Looking at the photos above and below, all I get is classic.

I am faced with the conundrum of whether should I move the mirror somewhere else and find a replacement or move the console table and look for a substitute. As it is, we have run out of wall space. We have art everywhere even in the bathrooms. So I suppose the best way to go is move the console and look for something more modern to give the classic gilded mirror and edge, to make it ‘now’. And I may just have the perfect spot for the console!

Or maybe I should paint the foyer walls black lacquer as in the master bedroom?

Sharper Image

2010-02-18T16:50:00.004+08:00

In the March 2010 issue of American Vogue with Tina Fey on the cover, Hamish Bowles featured the London home of Suzanne Sharp, the designer of the Sellarsbrook Blue rug that is now on our living room floor. The interview is insightful: Sharp started The Rug Company with her husband Christopher. When they were living in Riyadh (Christopher was working in film), they started collecting Afghan rugs from souks. When they finally returned to London, they opened a store and started selling the rugs. This led to the production of their own rugs by Nepalese weavers. They also invited top decorators in London and when that proved to be a success, they invited fashion designers as well.

Below is a photo of the Sellarsbrook Blue rug in the Sharp's study.

Close-up:

Our own Sellarsbrook Blue rug:

Chic Transformation - Ikea Billy Bookcase

2010-02-17T15:46:00.005+08:00

Before:

We had thought of throwing our Ikea Billy bookcases (pictured above) in favor of something more solid. While they are practical, easy and cost-efficient, they weren't the most sturdy especially when laden with the fashion and design tomes that I collect.

Instead of just disposing of them, we came up with the idea of using them as shelves for my shoes, bags, magazines and other trinkets. We lined one wall of my closet/study with the bookcases. To give them a new life, my interior designer friend, Paul and I came up with the idea of painting the backs blue to match the drapes and the chaise that I had ordered. However, we were told that it would be difficult to do so because of their glossy finish. We would need to sand them down first.

Since Paul had spent his first day at our apartment taping cardboard to our guest bedroom windows because we didn't have curtains yet at that time, we had the idea of doing the same to the bookshelves. We went to the paper store on Lyndhurst Terrace and bought large sheets of blue cardboard. When we got home, Paul did the measurements and the cutting, and we pasted them onto the back of the shelves with blue tack.

After:

I must say that I like the results. I like the hint of blue peeking from behind the shoes and piles of magazines. It's a nice surprise and such an inexpensive way to breathe new life into something that would otherwise have gone to a dumpster.

What do you think?

P.S. I am not done organizing yet...

Cocktail Hour

2010-02-15T10:47:00.005+08:00

We purchased this bar cart from a store in Singapore called Platform which sells Italian pieces. We acquired it a couple of days before the movers came to pack all our belongings for the move to Hong Kong. We haven't had the chance to use it. Now that we are more or less settled in Hong Kong, we hope to make great use of it. We just have to figure out what kind of drinks to put on it as we are not heavy drinkers. I personally am always for popping open a bottle of Champagne.

We placed the bar cart just by our foyer so that we can easily offer drinks to guests. Hanging above it are out cut out silhouettes by this brilliant artist called Karl Johnson which I had commissioned last Christmas - www.cutarts.com I first saw such artworks in a magazine feature on Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan's home and after that I kept seeing them in all sorts of shelter and fashion magazines. I think they are a good alternative to oil portraits. Flanking it are lithographs (one black and white, the other in color) by Alexander Liberman who served as editorial director of Vogue and mentored the legendary photographer Irving Penn. He was also a renowned sculptor and painter. Some of his works are on display at the Met and the Guggenheim.

A Work In Progress

2010-02-12T10:07:00.004+08:00

There is still much to be done but we are getting there. Here's a look of the apartment thus far.

P.S. Don't mind the black Bourgie lamp on the floor. That is to go in the guest bedroom.

P.P.S. If only we could paint the floors matt black and the door jambs and doors white...

Table Manners

2010-02-10T18:41:00.009+08:00

When we were looking for a dining table, I really wanted the Warren Platner wire dining table. I called Knoll stores in Hong Kong and Singapore looking for it and comparing prices but gave up when I was told that it came only in one size. It was too big for our dining table.

We needed a small dining table with a 100-meter diameter, way below the standard size. I went to www.1stdibs.com hoping to find one. Four pages later, a Piero Pinto table showed up with beautiful removable legs. How I wanted it but it was too expensive and the legs were gold and badly scratched. Our place is mostly silver and chrome and if we are to pay a premium for something, it’d better be good quality even if it’s vintage.

I obsessed about the table though. And leafing through my old issue of Elle Décor, I found that Brian Atwood has a similar table at his apartment in Milan (see below). We have met Atwood a couple of times, in Milan and Singapore and we are also fans of his bf, Nate Berkus’, work. Atwood got his table from www.spazio900.net but it was a rare piece.

Since we couldn’t get our hands on an original, we decided to have something similar made. The beauty of living in Hong Kong is that anything and everything can be reproduced. Our contractor, Andy, was up to the task and he delivered it yesterday. It is beautiful with chrome legs in mirror finish and a crystal glass. Only, it won’t become stable. It kept on shaking despite the efforts of three people. I suppose it is a feat of physics to make something made of three pieces act solidly like one body.

Unwrapping the legs

Our contractor and his team attempting to stabilize it

It was decided that Andy would make new legs, this time with thicker chrome. Meanwhile we would be using the faulty one until the new legs are delivered. It looks really beautiful and modern and we can’t resist.

What do you think? And imagine how the dining room will look once we have the mouldings! Tres chic!

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2010-02-10T08:41:00.002+08:00

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Chic Transformation

2010-02-09T08:27:00.005+08:00

Before:

We bought these faux Louis XVI stools at a store called I Wanna Go Home in Singapore. We placed them under a mother of pearl console in our apartment's entryway. The legs of the stools are unfinished and the seats were in a rough linen material giving them a sort of French provincial look.

After:

For Hong Kong, I wanted to make them more chic than shabby. I knew I wanted to use velvet and debated between peacock blue and a green that is in between moss and hunter. I also wanted to paint the legs white but decided against that at the last minute.

I like how they look now. I like the plushness of the velvet and the rawness of the unfinished, natural wooden legs. It's amazing what a change in fabric and color can do to old pieces.

Woof 2

2010-02-08T11:40:00.003+08:00

Brighton, ever the curious dog, never left the side of the electrician as he installed the light in our bedroom last week. I like to think there is a decorator in him.

It's Here!

2010-02-06T15:13:00.003+08:00

The Sellarsbrook Blue rug by Suzanne Sharp from The Rug Company has left the premises of Lane Crawford and has found a permanent home in our apartment. We all love it, including Brighton as you can see in the photos.

I really like the how the pattern on the rug is almost identical to the legs of the tables.

Fringe Benefits

2010-02-05T20:58:00.006+08:00

For years I was partial to modern design - sleek, geometric and clean. But after being exposed to designers like Kelly Wearstler, Thad Hayes and Robert Mishaan, my style has evolved to something I like to define as updated classic.

A testament to this shift in aesthetics is my current fixation with tassels. I never gave tassels much thought before but today I spent a good deal of the afternoon looking for them.

There is a place in Hong Kong that sells expensive fabric and drapery accoutrements called Cetec (now located on the 18F of the Printing House building on Dudell Street.) They are expensive because their fabrics and hardware are from France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland and their selections are tasteful and well-edited.

They have great selections of tiebacks with tassels - from the classic and ornate variety to the more contemporary ones. I found one a simple one in olive which would look exquisite against our emerald green drapes. I like it's clean look.

My second choice has two tassels on both both ends and each one has a metal upper part instead of the usual knots or loops. I asked for it in olive as well.

Cetec has sent my request to the manufacturer in France and I am to find out tomorrow which one is available. They said it will take 10 days for it to get to HK.

Chic Inspirations: Moving to Hong Kong Part 4

2010-02-04T08:37:00.005+08:00

When I first met with our contractor Andy, I had a scrapbook of images of how I wanted the apartment to look like. They were carefully edited images that all evoke the three words I had in mind for the apartment: classic, modern and glamorous. I know classic and modern don’t always go in the same sentence but you’ll see what I mean when you view the photos below.

Versace designed apartment at The Plaza

On our initial meeting, I really stressed that I want mouldings on the walls, especially in the living, dining and guest rooms. I wanted an apartment that had the same feel of a pre-war apartment on the Upper East Side. I have been obsessed with mouldings since the launch of the The Plaza apartments in New York decorated by Versace. While I am not a fan of the Medusa motif, I found the use of white mouldings against black walls very chic. And I wanted to replicate that.

The bedroom at The Plaza apartments

On our Christmas trip to Italy, we stayed at the beautiful Four Seasons Hotel in Florence and our room had beautiful mouldings in two shades of green. When we went to Rome after Florence, we stayed at a suite at the Westin which was painted in pale gray and accented by white mouldings. These two places made me want mouldings all the more.

Our room at the Four Seasons in Florence

Our suite at the Westin in Rome

Right now, we are still under discussions as to whether we would install mouldings or not. The biggest pro is that it will make the apartment look extremely chic. But there are a lot more cons: it will be an extra expense; it’s a rental so we would have to reinstate everything back to its original state; reinstating the apartment would also cost a lot of money. Andy said it wouldn’t that be difficult to reinstate to original conditions because installing mouldings is a lot like hanging a framed artwork on the wall, but with only just the frame and no picture in the middle. And besides, we’ve already drilled holes for all our artworks.

Dior's mouldings are also very chic

So the question now is, should we or shouldn’t we?

Chic Covets

2010-02-03T13:12:00.005+08:00

We are loving this Sellarsbrook Blue area rug from The Rug Company designed by Suzanne Sharp. Fell in love with it the first time we saw it at Lane Crawford. According to the www.therugcompany.info, it is handmade using Tibetan wool. The interlocking circle motifs echo the design of the legs of the Lyric tables we ordered from Baker furniture, which arrived from the US today.

Our contractor Andy likes the rug because he said the circles look like coins, which in Chinese culture mean good luck and fortune.

Moving to Hong Kong Part 3

2010-02-03T09:52:00.008+08:00

Curtain Call

The apartment is coming along nicely. Yesterday, one contractor installed our new curtains and another contractor hung our art while selling me the idea of installing mouldings on our walls (more on this later).

For the curtains, the colors are pretty much like our wall colors. A jewel tone green for the drapes in the living room in a lush silk-like material. The living room sheers are recycled from our apartment in Singapore. In the master bedroom, we used the same material as in the living room but in a different color. We used ecru with a black 6-inch border on the sides and the bottom to go with the black lacquered wall. We also installed them on the ceiling for more impact. It’s an old decorating trick that is employed to lengthen a room and to give an illusion that your windows are actually longer than they really are. The sheers are in a gauzy silvery metallic like fabric. For the guest bedroom, we used the curtains we had in our master bedroom in Singapore: drapes in pewter and sheers in charcoal. For the study, we used drapes that look like the color of blue sapphires. It will take a couple of days before the curtains will fall gracefully and for the creases to iron themselves out but needless to say, we are very pleased with the result. And again, the photos don’t do justice. I should use a camera and not my iPhone.

While the curtain installer was drilling holes for the rods in our bedroom, the other contractor was drilling holes on our walls. We placed our newly-acquired green James Nares artwork entitled Epigraph 4 against one pale green wall, above a mother of pearl console table with chrome legs. Our Richard Serra etching (Extension #3) went on the adjacent wall. The other Serra (Out the Window at the Square Diner), a lithograph, went on the opposite wall, right beside what will be a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf with a working ladder come March. Both Serra’s we acquired on our trip to New York in September from Gemini G.E.L on Madison Avenue. A small orange Ellsworth Kelly is on one wall.

In the master bedroom hangs an oil pointing by Paolo Troilo which we bought one summer in Positano, Italy. A painting with such powerful and moving brushstrokes that it makes you wonder whether the subject is in pain or ecstasy.

As in our study in Singapore, we have a one wall that is a gallery of pictures and artworks we’ve collected over the years, some bought, others printed from past fashion editorials I worked on. The piece de resistance is the Alex Katz woodblock print.

Woof

2010-02-01T10:29:00.003+08:00

Sleeping has become rather difficult for me for the past couple of days. On one side of the bed is our Cavalier King Charles, Brighton, and on the other is side is BB. I am stuck in the middle with little wiggle room because Brighton likes to sleep horizontally, and BB is big-boned. Or so he describes.

But this isn’t the problem. The problem is that they seem to have a snoring battle every night. Who can snore the loudest and the longest? On the right corner weighing 175 lbs and has a deviated septum as an excuse is BB and on the left corner is the white and brown spotted dog who can launch into a snore fest as soon as he closes his eyes.

If you were to blindfold me at night, I would not be able to tell whose producing which noise as their snores both begin as muffled noises gradually increasing to the loud throat clearing kind, followed by a deep sigh.

Yes, our dog likes to sigh. He also makes a lot of odd noises like snorting like a pig, deep breathing as if he had asthma and he is prone to loud and rude sneezes typical of old Chinese men. He also has a habit of going on your head when you are resting on a pillow to sleep. He would rest his snout on your forehead or your ear and fall asleep. He is probably narcoleptic.

But he is cute and adorable. And could you possibly get angry at a dog who falls asleep like this?

Moving to Hong Kong Part 2

2010-01-29T10:15:00.004+08:00

Color Theory

After two days of paintwork, our apartment is feeling more and more like a home. In our old apartment in Singapore, we painted the walls ourselves – three walls in shades of charcoal, pewter and silver – over the Chinese New Year break. While I can say that we did a decent job, we decided to hire someone to do our Hong Kong apartment.

The process of choosing paint color is a lot like trying to figure out what you want to do in life. Questions like these arise: Is this what I really want? Will I be happy with this decision? What if I go for the safe choice instead and just coast along? Shall I follow my own vision? I like to refer to it as the Dulux equivalent of an existential crisis. I would say Farrow and Ball, but sadly they are not available here.

We were never much for color. When it comes to interiors, I am inclined to varying shades of gray while it is a stretch for BB to use anything brighter than beige or anything darker than chocolate brown. And so it is quite a derring-do for us to introduce new colors to our home — a pale blue that is close to robin’s egg and a shade a tad brighter than sage. Hardly daring I know.

Our painter, a Mainland Chinese guy whom our contractor hired, started with the one wall in the master bedroom I wanted to be painted in a very high gloss black. We chose Deep Onyx which took long to dry because of its consistency and the moisture in the air. Our painter who knows very little English and who has a habit of showing me his work permit and pointing out that it says he is a decorator and painter kept uttering the word wet to me whenever I entered the room.

“This wet,” he would say pointing to the wall. Then he would scratch his head followed by this off-putting gurgling noise. I would ask how long it will take to dry and he would reply, “This wet. One wet. Dry two,” plus the point, scratch and gurgle three-part body language. I didn’t quite figure out what he meant until our maid, E, walked in the room to tell me that the first coat is wet and that when it is dry he will do the second coat. I should mention that E doesn’t speak a word of Chinese having just moved here a week after we arrived.

For two days, our painter went from room to room, applying paint with the barest tools – a bucket of paint color and a 7-inch wide brush. No roller, no painter’s tape. How he managed to paint on a straight line or how he was able to avoid getting paint on the baseboards and the other walls was impressive. I guess he is an expert and perhaps that is why he kept showing me the notation on his work permit that he is a decorator and painter.

When I woke up this morning, I walk around the apartment and checked the rooms. The guest bedroom looks like a Tiffany Box (Alice Blue), the curved wall on the dining room (Veil) looks dramatic especially with the black glass chandelier and the huge photograph of model’s parted lips painted a very glossy red hanging above a tufted banquet, and the living room (Shy Blossom) is soothing and calming. The master bedroom with its black lacquer-like wall is very sexy.

The photos below do not give justice to the paint job but they give a hint of what’s to come.

Living Room

Dining Room

Guest Bedroom

Master Bedroom

... And We're Back. Moving To Hong Kong Part 1

2010-01-28T09:27:00.003+08:00

We've been missing for a few months due to lots of changes in our lives. We are happy to say that we have moved back to Hong Kong after two years in Singapore. Our moved happened about a week and a half ago. You would think that after moving several times we would have mastered the process. But that isn't the case.

We arrived at our apartment in Hong Kong that was furnished

with rented furniture until ours arrived. Thus, we had a bed that felt like brick, mismatch dining table and chairs, a TV console that was larger than the sofa and towels that had seen better days. It was a good thing that one of us had the foresight to bring with us our own towels, sheets and comforter. By that time we checked in at the airport, we had 10 checked luggage plus a dog.

Almost immediately, the whole process of putting the apartment together began. Two days after we arrived, my friend P, who is an interior designer from the Philippines flew in to help me sort out everything. There being no curtains in the guest bedroom, we spent his first day taping black cardboard on his windows. Followed by a meeting with a contractor who would do the paint job and the floor to ceiling bookshelves. We also spent several hours with a curtain maker who between showing us different fabric swatches and tassels revealed that her marriage hasn't been working for a long time and that she's found herself attracted to women.

Our furniture, home accessories and personal effects were delivered to us a week after we arrived. Some 200 plus boxes. The first day was madness as the rented furniture company had to pick up their stuff early in the morning to make way for our own. When our movers arrived half an hour after the furniture company had left every inch of the apartment was covered in boxes. It also turned out that we have accumulated an insane amount of art and framed photographs. Piled together, they ate almost a third of the size of the living room.

We spent four days sorting out the boxes, organizing the closets and the kitchen, deciding on where best to hang the art. As for the furniture, we already knew where everything was going as we had toyed with the floor plan for several weeks.

We leave you for now with images of the mess that is our apartment and sketches of how we envision it will be once we've cleared the rubble. We will also update frequently to show you the progress.

Handymen trying to sort out our chandeliers

The living room is one big mess at the moment

A rough sketch of my soon to be closet/home office

Chic Shop - ION Orchard Singapore - Louis Vuitton

2009-06-29T17:56:00.003+08:00

While ION Orchard looks like it is still in various stages of construction, there's no stopping Louis Vuitton from opening its boutique at the chic new mall on Thursday July 2. From the looks of the artist's rendering below and what one can make out from Orchard Road, it looks like the new Louis Vuitton store will give Singapore retail a much-needed facelift. Louis Vuitton is one of the six two storey stores at ION Orchard which includes Prada, Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, and Christian Dior.

Things may just start to look chic in Singapore once ION Orchard fully opens. Despite the countless number of shopping malls in and around Orchard Road, there is no true luxury mall in Singapore comparable to IFC Mall in Hong Kong.

We can't wait for the rest of ION Orchard to open.

Chic Flick - Vogue The September Issue starring Anna Wintour trailer

2009-06-26T12:36:00.003+08:00

After catching the Valentino The Last Emperor movie when we were in New York a few weeks ago, we kind of sad that we won't be able to see the Vogue movie The September Issue which will be shown in the US on August 28.

For all the negative publicity and questions raised about her relevance, Anna Wintour for us remains the single most important name in fashion. She turned Vogue around and made it glamorous again after the reign of Grace Mirabella.

Our only beef is the actresses on the covers - especially July cover girl Sienna Miller (and cover of the September issue featured in the movie) who is dull, uninteresting and looks commonplace. Plus, she is really not doing anything significant or noteworthy.

Anyway, enjoy the trailer below. Haven't quite figured out how to attach a video just yet so hopefully this work. If not the link is below.

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/06/video_the_september_issue_coul.html

Chic Finds - Vanilla Home and Inside Living by Ziegler in Singapore

2009-06-23T10:46:00.004+08:00

Chic home furnishings at reasonable prices are hard to find in Singapore. The really good pieces are always priced so steeply that it takes a toll on your wallet should you wish to furnish your place with beautiful, well-made furniture and home accessories. In Singapore, there is nothing that bridges the gap between the beautiful and expensive kind and the cheap and tacky variety.

That's why we were thrilled when we discovered Inside Living by Ziegler on Cluny Court when we were on a hunt for a Greek urn. Who knew urns would be so difficult to find in Singapore.

Inside Living is stocked with Upper East Side-worthy table top accessories and other home accessories like multi-tiered tea trays in classy patterns, hurricane lamps reminiscent of Ralph Lauren without the scary price tags, waffle pattern hand towels, urns, silver picture frames etc. It's all classic chic. Again, forgive the photos I took them from my iPhone last weekend.

Another home furnishings and accessories store we love in Singapore is Vanilla Home. The prices are not cheap, but all the pieces are really super chic. We love the oversized coffee table with chrome legs and the woven leather trays with bamboo handles that look like a cross between Bottega Veneta and Gucci. They also have Pinetti scrapbooks which we collect, exquisite table lamps, shagreen tables and boxes etc.

Chic Inspirations - Women of Summer Part 2. Aerin Lauder - Elle Decor July 2009

2009-06-18T15:01:00.005+08:00

On the heels of our Women of Summer post with American icons CZ Guest, Babe Paley and Marina Rust comes the July 2009 issue of Elle Decor with American society's current style icon Aerin Lauder. We have always been a fan of Aerin Lauder's taste and we've joked that we could probably give her a tour of her own homes as we've devoured photographs of them in the book Bright Young Things and in magazines like Vogue Living, Harper's Bazaar and House & Garden. Aerin's festive House & Garden December 2007 cover was the final issue of the magazine.

The July Elle Decor cover story features both Aerin's East Hampton and Manhattan homes, 12-pages of stunning photographs and a sidebar where Aerin talks about her taste, where she likes to shop and decorating tips. One of her quotes resonates with us:

"I love floating around Paris. I'm always looking for chandeliers there. I have an obsession with them. But I've always said that even if you have no furnishings at all, if you have a chandelier, you can create a special atmosphere."

We love chandeliers with the same passion as well.

We also love Aerin's collection of artworks especially those Elsworth Kelly, Alexander Calder, Yves Klein and Lucio Fontana.

But what we love the most is the pool house!

Forgive the quality, the images were taken from an iPhone.

Chic Inspirations - Women of Summer

2009-06-17T18:03:00.004+08:00

Now that summer's here, we'd like to revisit images that evoke that All-American summer spirit: fresh, sunny and carefree. No other photographer captured this than Slim Aarons, photographer of high society. The photo above of CZ Guest and her son is probably one of the best examples of a true American summer. The overall feel of it: the blue of the pool and ocean water, the light and CZ Guest's all-white ensemble all add up to a fantastic image.

The photo of Babe Paley below is also a source of inspiration. It helps that Aarons focused his lens on America's style icons whose homes were as chic as their wardrobes.

The photo of Marina Rust with her daughter below, though not photographed by Aarons, captures the same relax mood. It could very well be advertisement for Ralph Lauren or J. Crew. Rust, like Guest and Paley, is also a society woman who style is admired and emulated by many.

Chic Discovery - Adrien Linford

2009-06-15T17:36:00.004+08:00

While we were darting in and out of shops along Madison Avenue one Friday morning, we came across Adrien Linford, a home accessories store which was teeming with shoppers. The reason, we were told, was that the store was closing its business and everything was on sale. Inside we found very nice table top accessories such as clear oil lamps — which we found out are the store's signature — plate chargers, silver napkin rings, shagreen boxes and coral accessories made of resin. We ended up buying a silver salt and pepper shaker set that looked like bamboo for less than $30 and a coral accessory mounted on a Lucite platform (less than $120.) The latter was the last piece in the store and we clutched it close to us as other shoppers were eyeing. Thankfully it made its way back home to us intact and without any damage. It now sits proudly on top of coffee table books in our home(see photo above.)

It's such a shame that businesses like Adrien Linford and Mrs John L Strong which sell the most beautiful things are forced to close because of the economy.

Chic Discovery - www.paperlesspost.com

2009-06-14T19:06:00.005+08:00

We were in New York when news broke that Mrs John L. Strong stationery closed its business. We had plan to visiting the store months ago to get ourselves a box or two of the famed stationery but just as we were mapping out the location of store on Madison Avenue we came across a news item on www.nymag.com that the business closed that day.

This came as a very sad news to us as we are all about personalized stationery and thank you cards. We like to send thank you notes to people who send us gifts or guests who come over dinner. We are old fashioned that way. A couple of days after hearing the news, we decided to try our luck and went up to Madison just to see if they have a closing out sale. But as feared, they've closed with this note on the door: "Closed for inventory. UPS guy ring the door bell." We trudged back to our hotel rather disappointed.

On the heels of Mrs. John L. Strong's closing is a customized online stationery company called www.paperlesspost.com. Like Mrs. John L. Strong, paperlesspost.com also has beautiful stationery and they can custom-make cards according to your style and taste. The only difference is that the stationery is electronic so you won't get an actual card. The designs are quite elegant and are nothing like the ones you get from Hallmark's website. As an added feature, paperlesspost.com can also help electronically send out letters and invites (they have designed an e-stamp) and track RSVPs.

While we still prefer actual cards, paperlesspost.com is quite a novel idea which we may embrace if only for sending birthday cards and Christmas cards to friends and family overseas. This way we'd be reducing our carbon footprint and become a little green.

Chic Eats - BG Restaurant

2009-06-14T16:10:00.003+08:00

While in New York, Chic Hunters really enjoyed the ambience and the food at the Kelly Wearstler-designed BG restaurant on the seventh floor of luxury emporium Bergdorf Goodman. BG has all the hallmarks of a Wearstler project: think Hollywood Regency. There are robin's egg blue chairs, high back cocoon-like seats in a subtle shade of yellow, glamorous spindly lighting fixtures, and the walls are covered in hand-painted wall paper. The food at BG is divine especially the beef au poivre, the tuna tartar, the crab salad etc. Expect to bump into live versions of Bergdorf Blondes with their Birkins and Verdura jewels lunching at BG.

After lunch, just outside the restaurant is the mini Kelly Wearster boutique filled with glamorous home accessories. Chic Hunters loves the gold and silver starburst tabletop accessories and the turquoise eggs. However, the pieces do not come cheap.

Chic Escapes - New York City

2009-05-20T22:08:00.004+08:00

Chic Hunters is in a New York State of Mind. Big Apple, welcome Chic Hunters. Watch out for chic updates.

Chic Inspirations - Alexey Brodovitch and Fabien Baron

2009-05-20T17:26:00.004+08:00

The earlier post which mentioned something about a vintage Bazaar cover had us thinking of the glory days of Harper's Bazaar. If you look at the history of the magazine, it was very successful only during the reign of Carmel Snow (1933-57) and Liz Tilberis (1992-1999).

It helped that both editors in chief had strong, creative and brilliant art directors on their side. Snow had the trailblazing Alexey Brodovitch whose layouts energized the fashion magazines at that time. And Tilberis had the minimalist Fabien Baron.

Alexey Brodovitch

Fabien Baron

Both Brodovitch and Baron believed that type and photographs are equal in their power. A single letter magnified to the size of a page is just as provocative and inspiring as a photo of a model wearing the latest fashions. Both also believed in the power of dead space - be it black or white. This is something that is missing in a lot of magazines now. The common practice now in magazines is that every space on a page is littered with text and images; there is no breathing space.

Alexey Brodovitch

Fabien Baron

If you look at the images and layouts, including the covers, produced by Brodovitch and Baron, there is a lasting elegance to them, a quality that is missing in American Bazaar right now. American Bazaar it seems is confused in its direction: month after month, the covers, the fashion editorials and the stories are weak. Their only saving grace are the photoshoots they do with the designers. They pale in comparison to the UK and Australian editions.

Chic Photo of the Week

2009-05-20T17:05:00.002+08:00

Chic Hunters loves this desktop especially the orange pencils, and the vintage Bazaar cover and mood board in the background.

Chic Reads - Model As Muse and Avedon Fashion 1944-2000

2009-05-19T22:01:00.007+08:00

Models are everywhere right now especially with the Model As Muse exhibition at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum and the Richard Avedon exhibition at the International Center of Photography. The two exhibitions couldn't be anymore better timed as both supplement each other. The books from the exhibition are equally divine.

Avedon photograph many of the fashion legends like Dovima and Dorian Leigh (pictured below).

Chic Hunters is in eager anticipation of the delivery of these books from Amazon.com.

Chic Fashion - Cool Summer by Michael Bastian

2009-05-19T21:14:00.004+08:00

Ah, if only men can dress like these guys this summer! Michael Bastian has really succeeded in modernizing the preppy look by cutting the clothes closer to the body.

If you look at the clothes, they are really basics that should already be in a men's wardrobe. But what makes Bastian's desirable is that the silhouette is young and modern. The great styling helps as well.