Haute Joaillerie

It's at T8 (level 8 typhoon) in Hong Kong today, which in theory should be a perfect pajama blogger day. But then a few neighborhood kids trickle in, and a few more (school is out during a T8), and your scanner breaks down, and the kids are getting rowdier and rowdier...

But I have erroneously told them (more commonly called lying) my husband took the laptop to Bangkok, so I think I have won...

I was just reading October French Vogue with one of the prettiest covers I have seen in years, Sasha Pivovarova as a pastel colored goddess. The issue has a lot of fine jewelry, the kind so fine that the French call it haute joaillerie. I love how the French support this industry in magazines, not just based on advertising revenue, but because it is a shrinking industry and its exquisite craftsmanship is worth highlighting. The magazine industry is a funny business and if you are interested in how those pretty pages are actually realized, read this funny excerpt from http://www.libertylondongirl.com/2011/09/26/llg-fashion-what-it’s-really-like-to-attend-the-milan-shows-part-four/.

                                     Harry Winston                                             Boucheron

Kate Moss gets in on the act too, with a small jewelry collection for famed jeweler Fred.

Ying Tai

Lauren Santo Domingo looking most extremely gorgeous in this Stella McCartney dress complimented by a jacket made in Hong Kong. It always sounds a bit affected when people say that "the jacket is by my favorite Hong Kong tailor Ying Tai". Honestly, who has a favorite Hong Kong tailor????? I mean, other than us crazies who have made this city our home. I guess if you ever wanted to make a custom jacket, this would be the place to do it. I have my own favorite of course, but my lips are sealed! Not that I am averse to a bit of affectation, though.

picture from www.vogue.com

Just an average JDC night...

The lighting was particularly good the other day as we showed some dresses to a visiting friend, so I figured I'd put up some pictures. JDCamicetta Fall dresses will be arriving soon - email me if you would like to check them out. Jane and I are big fans of a giddy tipsy shop - a pop-in to LC after a few late afternoon drinks for instance... so it's only fair we should re-create that environment in our own shop...

Go to Zara...

... and feel like a genius. Was talking to a very fashionable friend yesterday about Zara, and how it's just an irresistible treasure trove of snack fashion. I had a good laugh when she said I go to Zara, leave with a couple of brilliant inexpensive buys and literally feel like a genius for finding this stuff. Well said indeed - that's the secret of Zara - you walk out thinking you beat the system, why doesn't everyone get their Celine and Miu Miu here instead?

Fave new Zara find - their cashmere. Not the softest I have seen but the rust brown short sleeve cashmere T has a cute shrunken shape - very Alexa-esque with a little white collar. Hoping to wear it soon with my Duchessa chalcedony colored necklace.

Riot

I wish I was the person who had invented the expression riot of color - I often think it when I see something colorful I love, but don't want to write the words - they are not mine. I once heard Toni Morrison say that if an expression exists it is already a cliche. So without the riot - the colors in the D&G spring show were a feast for the eyes, mouthwatering, melt in your mouth..... you see where this is going. The show was probably a big old cliche too, all those scarf prints having been done before in many incarnations. Yet I loved loved loved it. But maybe a picture is worth a thousand words??? D&G final show as a separate brand....

www.matchesfashion.com

So worth a look - they always have stuff you can't find in Hong Kong - and that's probably because Hong Kong doesn't do London so well. Matches' headline for Alexa is "How does she do it?" - I don't know either but she seems to throw in a bit of dry-shampoo, a few stripes somewhere, any old jacket and ipso facto miraculo comes out looking gorg at all times. I have the biggest style crush on that girl, along with 500 billion others of course.

                               Alexa in British Bazaar

Fashion Must Read

www.keepitchic.com

Please check it out - run by 2 seasoned New York fashion editors, this blog always has an interesting point of view.

Sporty Spice

Rag and Bone SS 2012 via www.vogue.com

An early buzz word coming out of NY fashion week is "sporty" - seems we may all be wearing a lot of mesh and nylon netting next summer....  PS. Em, you did well to get those blue pants!

Vicomtesse is now Duchessa

Some of the new Duchessa samples from the new factory. Nerida and I were elated like little children yesterday - they came out better than we ever could have expected. These necklaces have glass stones, made to resemble opal and chalcedony among others. The opal sample is soooooooooo beautiful, I'd rather eat my shoe than sell it. Mental note: having a business is about earning money, Dianne! Not your personal shopping trolley! The chandelier earrings are gunmetal and Swarovski crystals. Again, I am going to be eating my Lanvin wedges on these ones.

Made in China or Italy?

I showed you these sandals a while ago. They are Miu Miu, I bought them in their Pacific Place store in Hong Kong. One day I saw my friend, Tokyo Fashion Girl, wearing the same shoes, but in all pink.
Hers were from www.net-a-porter.com. She was a bit disappointed with them, cos she said they didn't have the usual Made in Italy stamp on the bottom. In fact, they had a tiny stamp on the inside of the shoe, saying Made in China.
I went home and checked mine immediately, and strangely enough, mine do have a Made in Italy stamp on the bottom... I have often heard people say that the Chinese do not like buying goods made in China. I know, it sounds a bit too ironic to be true, but it would explain why the shoes in the Hong Kong store were made in Italy, while the shoes for sale at Net-a-Porter, a Britain based company were Made in China. Is it possible that Miu Miu considers the average Western customer less discerning?? I do not know if TFG's shoes were cheaper.

                                       Made in China

Nutters

There's a lot of nutters out there in the blog world - you know the people who have forums discussing their dicker boots - wondering whether the 3 inch heel is too high, and maybe it would be better to go for the dixie boot, which only has a 1.5 inch heel, therefore making a long work day a whole lot more bearable. The good news is, stop the agonizing cos all dickers and dixies are sold out. Who would be crazy enough to obsess over these fleeting trends anyway, photographing them not only on grey linen but also on their favorite Ian Mankin yellow deck chair stripe, to see which fabric most enhances the dicker's rare maroon red color. Seriously, there are so many nutters out there.

PS: when I said they were sold out, I wasn't f-ing with you. You know how I know that? Cos I got the last pair. 

Anja in Isabel

The LVMH website hasn't worked properly for a few days. I have been wanting to check it so that I can find out every company it owns. And in the meantime I am praying it doesn't own Net-a-Porter, Carven or Isabel Marant. See below Anja in Isabel Marant. She even makes those butt-ugly boots look good.

Wise words

Jane often quotes her friend who once told her: "if you love what you do, you'll never work another day in your life". I happen to know the friend in question, and he is one of those people that shows those very wise words on his face every day. I have totally loved doing the JDCamicetta dress project, really every minute of it. And every time a dress is finished I still have this overwhelming urge to keep it for myself, because we decided early on that we will only make things we love. Below is the print of a maxi dress we have just gotten back, and I soo badly want to have an occasion to wear it... it's just gorgeous. But instead I will put in on the racks... with a substantial heart ache though.

Bernard Arnault wants Hermes

Dana Thomas, author of Deluxe, How Luxury lost its Lustre has written this article for the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903596904576517151602728260.html

Having just read half of it, my blood is boiling. Bernard Arnault wants Hermes. If he gets it, I will never buy anything Hermes again ever. I am sure my husband is rooting for the guy. In fact, I am going to make a much better effort now not to buy anything owned by LVMH.

£1,137.50

£1,137.50 buys you this lovely Preen cashmere cardigan. But is anyone in this economy going to buy a cardigan at $1,836.56 or €1,300.06??  (And that's not including VAT for those of you who would receive it in Europe.) I was having a recession conversation with a friend this morning and we were both wondering why hotels and restaurants still seem to be fully booked all the time - and similarly I can't believe there is a market for this cardigan. But surely the buyers at www.net-a-porter.com will prove me wrong and this one will too sell like the proverbial hotcake. Strange times.