From Dragon's Back to Big Wave Bay

Instructor and client jumping off the Dragon's Back overlooking Big Wave Bay beach on the east side of Hong Kong Island

Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong

The blues and reds are stunning together

Buddha gardens everywhere

I love the intensity of the red bricks - I think they may be tiles actually

Thousands of Buddhas line the path to the monastery

There are not actually monks at the monastery though - so it all feels strangely devoid of meaning - but it's very beautiful in its messy, bright, disorganized state.

Today 30 January on the Peak in Hong Kong

I am spending some time taking stock of the lovely JDCamicetta fabrics we have bought for spring

Thinking of hemlines, wondering where some recent trends are coming from - short in front, long in back seems to have been done as early as 1927 by Chanel - photo Irving Penn

Taking breaks with ohso chocolate - a new probiotic product with lots of healthy goodness hidden inside delicious dark chocolate - who wants to drink a probiotic when it's available in chocolate form! No one has paid me to say this - it's honestly delicious and any excuse to eat chocolate is welcome at my house. ohso will soon be available at Great in Hong Kong.

Not an average Hong Kong night

Not an average night because I can see ships and islands in the South China Sea - most days I see fog, which is a Hong Kong euphemism for disgusting polluted brown air which even the sun cannot penetrate.

Not an average night because it is two days before the biggest party of all - Chinese New Year. The exuberant decorations all over town are making me smile at least 20 times a day.

Not an average night when you decide it a reasonable idea to put the table candles on the floor so that you can get a visible blog shot of your friends' Saint Laurent boots - I have been on a quest to recommend these stellar boots to my fashion friends - and the best thing is her husband even loves them. Sharing is caring.

Another jacket from Soong Tailors

In this latest installment of my obsessive love for everything Chanel - here is a jacket I've just had made at Soong Tailors in Tsim Sha Tsui. I very much love it but now need to find something to wear with it that will not make me look like a bourgeois little lady. And I think that might actually be kind of hard.

Soong Salon de Mode

2/F, Suite A, Hanchung Mansion

8-10 Hankow Road

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Telephone: 2723 1400

Valentino Spring 2014 Couture

At the Valentino Spring '14 haute couture show there were lots of beautiful embroidered pieces as usual. But the striking simplicity of these two dresses impressed me the most. Fashion people often entice us to "invest" in this or that, which always makes me laugh. But these dresses could be actual investments - as they would be as expensive as a proper investment, and they would look beautiful and timeless forever and a bit longer. And yes, I think Sofia would wear them.

But would Sofia wear it?

When I am doubting about an expensive purchase, the question I like to ask myself is: would Sofia wear it? If the answer is no, I don't buy it. Of course I do my fair share of impulse buying where no questions are asked whatsoever, but when I do ask myself the question, I never make a mistake. Here are some of my Sofia faves in black, white and blue.

Saint Laurent brings back the classic slingback

Saint Laurent via www.farfetch.com

Saint Laurent via www.matchesfashion.com

Saint Laurent sans Yves is bringing back the very classic 8cm heel slingback. I was both ecstatic and fearful when I came across these yesterday. Is it the most beautiful classic shoe ever? Yes for sure. But how big were the blisters on the back of your feet in the 90s? And how many times did you wobble dangerously close to breaking an ankle? The ecstasy is winning of course, because these are the perfect 2014 execution of a classic. I welcome slingbacks to the Year of the Horse with open arms. Natasha, you were on to something before everyone else.

Hong Kong is getting ready for Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year 2 Ways

There is no more perfect excuse to wear a bright red dress than a Chinese New Year's party - Kung Hei Fat Choi!

On the left:

Black star ring by Forever 21

Red and black dress by Jason Wu

Black box clutch by Acne Studios

Red/White/Black pumps by Christian Louboutin

On the right:

Diamond ring by David Yurman

Cobalt clutch by Givenchy

Black boots by Gianvito Rossi

Red dress by Christopher Kane

The beautiful eighties

amazing color combinations and coat by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac

I spent a few hours reading my treasured old issues of Vogue Paris, because I had to be around while men with giant hoses invaded my garden to de-clog the sewage system under the house. Nothing better than a bit of 80s fashion to take your mind of sewage of course. People laugh about the eighties, and fashion from that era is always described with the word excess somewhere in the sentence. Maybe that is because excess and over-the-top abundance usually get most of the press. Here are a few beautiful pictures from the eighties we often don't remember.

dress by Krizia

coat and dress by Versace

Suede shirt and jodhpurs by Complice

Coat by Erreuno

Tod's and Chloe sitting in a tree... K-I-S-S-I-N-G

I have always quite loved these old Tod's shoes - they are sort of ugly or odd looking but when you put them on they just look really good on the foot, and they go with virtually anything. When I do wardrobe clean ups, they are never in danger because I always love wearing them, no matter how old they are.

And look what I found in the Chloe Pre-Fall 2014 presentation - a cool slightly chunkier version of my old Tod's. They have the rubber soles, the wooden heel, but a higher vamp and a wider ribbon closure around the ankle. If these shoes actually make it into stores I will be the first one buying them. They have just the right amount of kookiness and cool. Once again Clare Waight Keller knocks it out the park.

In store now

adorable pumps with 8 cm heel from the Zara basic collection - a great choice for people who prefer not to wear leather

Beautiful picture of Kate and Catherine in February Vanity Fair

Catherine is 70 and Kate was almost 40 in this picture

A bit of flash on a cold Wednesday morning

I am going for a bit of flash today - old Zara cashmere jumper, COS white shirt, and necklace bought from a friend who sources jewelry in India

Martin Margiela's pre-Fall 2014 trousers

extra fabric is folded into the front of the trouser from the sides

these are both low and high waisted

pleated volume in the waist and skinny at the ankle

(photos from Vogue)

Céline brings back an old favorite

These chunky wooden wedges make any set of legs look like chopsticks - I love them

Gold for dinner

Will be trying out this new JDCamicetta top for dinner - black silk short sleeved top with gold lace overlay on front panel.

JDCamicetta silk top

Old Prada bag with Reed Krakoff luggage tag

Chloe gold shoes from last summer

Impetus

Some days go by when you just do what you have to, go to work, bring your kids to school, do the grocery shopping, fill out your tax forms. And then on other days something gives you an impetus to spend your day with urgency, purpose, or uncontrollable delight over even the simplest of pleasures.

I have done this blog for three years this month, and still often struggle to define a purpose for it (other than the fact that I love doing it). As I was wondering this morning how pathetic on a scale of 1-10 it would be to once again put my skinniest picture ever on this anniversary post, I suddenly thought of the word impetus. It is a beautiful word, and I was reminded of it when I re-watched the movie Working Girl the other day - evil boss Sigourney Weaver is asked to reveal the impetus behind her stolen idea, and is exposed as the fraud she is.

With this blog I'd like to be an impetus sometimes. If once in a while a photo I took, or something I wrote makes you walk through your day with a brand new idea, a resolution, or a giggle... well that's a pretty decent purpose... 

It may now be time for a big awkward pause after so much neediness exposed. I wonder if any psychologists read this blog? I bet I have given you lot a whole new impetus! Guilt ridden fashion blogger hopes in vain the shallow message she spreads can in some way do good in a world where millions have no clean water to drink. Yikes (a really big one). Let's just go back to pictures without words - here are (without any connection to this text whatsoever) my dream house in the city, and my dream house in the country. Both in England of course.

I don't ask for much

weekends in the country to rest from the heavy burden of living in Chelsea's prettiest garden square

Going on vacation at Downton Abbey

yes, that'll do

 and this is where I'll sleep

Well not exactly but you can pretend it's Downton. I am dreaming of a holiday to Ireland, to Ballyfin Hotel. Find it HERE.