New necklace

The new necklaces look fantastic!!!! We have done a new finish that looks like gunmetal but with a bit more sheen to it. Check out www.nerida1.blogspot.com for more information on our Georgian inspired jewelry and our Anna Wintour inspired necklaces. The necklace in the picture will be available after summer along with matching bracelets and earrings.

Read this

Two fascinating reads: In Poorly Made in China Paul Midler tells true stories of working with Chinese manufacturers in his role as consultant to American companies who are searching for cheaper production. It is actually really funny as well as depressing (when you are in the shirtdress business...). Quite a bit of the book focuses on manufacturers of shampoo, and now I can't wash my hair without wondering whether my shampoo has been tampered with.

Dana Thomas' Deluxe, How Luxury Lost Its Lustre, reveals the history of some of the world's most well known and exclusive fashion companies, among others Louis Vuitton and Hermes.  It then goes on to expose where most "luxury" products are made nowadays - you guessed it, we are back in China. She also describes the fake bag industry in great detail - scary stuff but very much worth knowing.

Fashion Calendar

The Italian, French and American fashion mags are showing a lot of fall clothes - and they are so totally gorgeous that I am getting super excited. But wait - we first got 5 more months of summer ahead of us!!! Since I have been in Hong Kong the fashion calendar seems even more absurd than it used to. My fave online retailer www.net-a-porter.com is now selling serious winter coats and jumpers with abandon even though its May 29th, and summer in England, where Net-a-Porter is based, has barely started. I need bathing suits! Even in New York the summer season is just starting - who is ready yet to think about their next winter coat?

Summer is here

And this picture is combining all the funnest summer trends - rose gold, neon yellow, colored aviators, bright pink lips. See more in this month's Paris Vogue. Balance it all with neutral accessories - Louboutin doing some totally gorgeous sandals, see below, available at www.net-a-porter.com.

Don't believe the hype

        

Marc Jacobs has been a bit off the hype radar the last few seasons - fashion always needs someone new to write about and new faves have been Nicholas Ghesquiere, Riccardo Tisci, and Hannah Macgibbon to name a few. I walked by his shop in the Landmark the other day and saw these shoes - he's taken his ever popular mouse flat and made them into ballet espadrilles. I vividly remember the first time I saw a mouse flat on one of Kate Spade's directors back in 1997. She wore them with a full skirt and a men's shirt tied at the waist. I desperately wanted them but my design assistant budget was never going to cover those!
Just shows what a steadfast presence Marc Jacobs has been though, still doing those mouse flats after all those years.

On the left my own original mouse flats compromised by Hong Kong black mold....

Below Marc Jacobs' current version.

Neutrals in a season full of color

After a season full of brights (which I still love!), I thought these pictures of Jenna Lyons of JCrew looked so fresh. I love how she did her face with natural colors when wearing the dark tuxedo suit, while she is brightening her pale jumper and skirt with very orange lips (photos from www.zimbio.com and www.vogue.com.)

We do a lovely beige silk dress at JDCamicetta and I have been wondering if I can pull it off with my pale skin and light hair - going to give it a try with something bright.

We love color

Some more pics of JDCamicetta's designs.... we loooove color!

and a kid's dress below...

Shirtdress, Slipdress, and Belt, all JDCamicetta

It's getting to be quite a habit for me to take pics of myself in the mirror! Everytime I am experimenting and taking goofy and frankly bad pictures I think of the movie Lost in Translation where Scarlett J says in passing how she tried her hand at photography but her pictures were "so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses... taking pictures of your feet". 

Ines in 1985

The other day I did a post on Ines de la Fressange (http://hendricahubertina.blogspot.com/2011/04/sequins-for-day.html) and here she is again, but this was in her younger days when she was Karl Lagerfeld's absolute fave. I love the dress!! It could be dowdy and oversized on the wrong person, but Ines just makes it look playful and easy.  Loooove the Chanel chain belt around the blue cotton as well. Must definitely try that on one of my blue shirtdresses. And maybe get myself some Chanel flats to finish it all off - they are still totally super cute after all these years. Dress from summer of 1985 Chanel pret-a-porter.

Hong Kong on Labor Day

A pretty tile-inspired print tote at Prada.

On the left two very sparkly outfits at Dolce and Gabbana - back in New York or London these type of clothes would rarely appear on people in the streets, but in Hong Kong on a Saturday night, there are people dressed up in the most sparkly, fashion forward, and delicate clothes you could ever imagine. It is a different world entirely, a lot less edgy than in London, but very pleasant on the eyes for sure. In the Hermes window on Ice House street giant versions of their pretty enamel bangles.

Another Lanvin shop opening, this time in the Landmark. Very few cities in the world can support multiple stores of the most exclusive designer shops. Hong Kong has no less than SEVEN freestanding Gucci stores if you include the airport. And that does not include its concessions in Japanese department store Sogo, or both DFS stores.

Two very simple but beautiful clutches at Dior. 

Some deliciously retro shoes at Marc Jacobs on the right. I imagine Ines de la Fressange would wear these beautifully with some dark jeans and an impossibly chic little black jacket. On the left a jacket which unfortunately looked much better in real life... It's from a store called Shiatzy Chen in the Landmark, and they always have very interesting outfits in the window. This one, I am sorry to say, doesn't translate so well on camera.

Birkin Basket

This image appeals to me on sooo many levels. First of all the gorgeous building behind her. I want to be there right now. Looks like the South of France to me. Then her jeans/trousers. Love that wide leg seventies style with the square patch pockets on the front. She looks extremely cool and relaxed carrying a basket and a baby at the same time. And then her hair. She has a fringe, but yet it's swept to the side so easily, nothing heavy about it at all. Jane Birkin at her very best.

JDCamicetta

Over the past few months I have referred to "our" shirtdresses and shown you pictures of some dresses. Well my friend Jane and I have finally launched our capsule dress range, JDCamicetta.


Jane and I met 2 years ago when I had just moved to Hong Kong thru an introduction of our mutual London friend Dora. We would talk about fashion all the time and before long we realized we very much love the same things and we both particularly loved shirtdresses. Yet for all their simplicity, good shirtdresses are not easy to find. Often they are over-designed with too much detail (decorative stitching) or hardware (zips or buttons) which makes it hard to combine them with belts or bags or shoes. We both craved a very simple style, that can be dressed up or down with any belt, bag or shoe style you already have in your wardrobe. Also, there are few things cooler than a girl casually wearing her boyfriend's work shirt as a dress with the sleeves rolled up above the elbows and a pair of sandals.

On the left Leighton Meester looks hot in the simplest of shirtdresses. We are convinced our shirtdresses work exactly that way!

Read more about JDCamicetta on our Facebook page.

And below, the gorgeous Fleur, or better Melbourne Fashion Girl, she makes every dress entirely her own. We are so pleased she is a JDCamicetta fan.