Let's Get Fruity! x

Fruits are in Fashion! Eat, wear or accessorize! Make a colourful, fresh statement using fruit-inspired fashion & accessories to add a burst of zing to your wardrobe. This season zesty coloured fruit prints dominated the runway. Citrus fruits were a big inspiration for a lot of the designers this year. A number of them brought out a Spring/Summer 2011 collection of bright, interesting pieces of tutti frutti prints, first showcased at the London, Paris & Milan fashion weeks. It seems like the fashion world has gone fruit-crazy with everyone feeling a little bit fruity this season. 

There were 70’s style fun banana prints on the Prada S/S '11 runway collection. Prada literally went bananas dressing the models in banana print shirts, skirts, nails & earrings, while Miuccia Prada, the designer herself wore banana earrings backstage.

Wunderkid with the collection of Spring/Summer '11 chose cherry & strawberry prints on excessively large & bulky skirts & dresses, along with a lot of colors & floral prints.

Stella McCartney’s S/S '11 show-stopping pieces were fresh, vibrant & came in a variety of vivid citrus prints. With a mix of bold prints of oranges, limes & grapefruits against white background to highlight the prints & the contrasts between them.

Dolce & Gabbana’s limited collection featured a smattering of cherries. Cute little cherry prints popped up on D&G dresses, cardigans, thong sandals & bikinis plus, across Anna Sui & Sonia Rykiel’s resort collections. Other fruits that took to the various runways included; oranges at Akris, strawberries, grapes & pineapples at Betsey Johnson’s resort collection. Apples were a popular choice for Suno, whereas Blumarine models carried lemon handbags.

At Moschino Cheap & Chic, the bold lemon print added a dose of divine vibrant color to the Spring/Summer '11 ready-to-wear collection.

Zac Posen RTW Spring '11 runway collection represented fruits only as a detail. Notice the melon brooch. With his wacky prints, fun fruit appliques, soft jerseys & ruffle look, Zac Posen’s Z Spoke line screamed young, fun, and fresh.

Miu Miu S/S '11 collection offered a repetitive apple pattern across dresses, skirts & trousers in a variety of colours with belt buckles & earrings featuring the zesty fruit.

Louis Vuitton’s Resort 2011 collection brings out pastel coloured prints of fruit vines & peonies worked onto flouncy skirts, shorts & trousers. Keeping it feminine, pretty & ladylike!

It all started when Anna Dello Russo, 48, Editor of Japanese Vogue, arrived at Milan Fashion Week wearing an off the shoulder YSL dress embroidered with little strawberries & accessorised with a big cherry hat! She’s known for her quirky fascinators & show-the-attitude-that’s-inside policy. She's a true inspiration to middle-aged women everywhere who think they are too old to still have fun with fashion.

In case you're wondering how to work a watermelon hat & let's be honest, who isn't? Here’s Anna’s 10 rules to wearing headpieces [AnnaDelloRusso] 

Talking about fruits, how can we possibly miss mentioning Carmen Miranda. She’s noted for her signature fruit hats from 40’s & 50’s. Miranda’s enormous, fruit-laden hats are iconic visuals recognized around the world. Much of the popular fruit jewelery seen today is often still fondly called 'Carmen Miranda jewelery.' 

Singer, Katty Perry wore a Carmen Miranda fruit dress designed by The Blonds during the 2009 Grammys. Check out some of the OTT pieces worn by the modern pop star & her stylish take on Carmen Miranda inspired fruit bowl get-up below.

So this season think bright colours & bold fruit prints to really stand out in the crowd. If you would prefer to ‘taste test’ this fruity trend, check out Charlotte Olympia’s banana clutch bag or mixed fruit platform heels or flats. The striking heels are decorated with interlaced pineapples, bananas, strawberries & watermelons. It is the perfect way to incorporate the trend into your everyday style with effortless flair.

Of her pieces, Charlotte Dellal, the designer behind the Charlotte Olympia label, says; 

“They are tongue in cheek but wearable, I like accessories which have a sense of humor.”

Love xXx 

Smile! It's Spring! xXx

Let’s welcome the Spring season - the best & the happiest season of the year & celebrate it whole-heartedly! Spring is synonymous to the revival of flowers, greenery & most importantly celebrations ‘n’ fests! With the emerging buds, all the flowers blooming & the trees ‘n’ grass appearing greener ‘n’ lusher, no wonder everything seems a lot pretty & cheery when Spring!

Now I know that most of you must be thinking, Spring? Is she serious? That’s probably because the weather has already gotten reasonably warm & humid pretty much summer-like in several southern hemisphere countries. Spring usually starts on different times in different regions. Though, in terms of complete months, in most North Temperate Zone locations where I’m located, spring months are March, April & May.

With spring in the air, we must brighten up a little & revamp our wardrobe. I’ve done my extensive research & I've scoured the catwalk for this blog to get what's going to be rocking your wardrobe this Spring. And ladies, it’s a fashionista’s heaven! Everything revives blooms & becomes more colorful! 

Top 10 Spring/Summer 2011 Fashion Trends for Spring Zing into your wardrobe:

1. Color riot:

It is no surprise that ‘colour blocking’ is huge this season. It’s the most popular new trend that includes mixing ‘n’ matching bold, bright & daring hues into your wardrobe. Do not shy away from experimenting with colour. The only rule is anything goes. So get your paint pot out & clash pinks with oranges, red & yellows -the brighter, the better. Keep shades geometric & lines clean for a look that's more Gucci than gawky teen. 

[Colour blocking were seen in the collections of Mark Jacob, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Moschino, Gucci, Prada, Prabal Gurung and Max Mara.]

Here’s some photos of Gucci Spring-Summer 2011 Runway Collection.

2. Flower Power:

Spring is all about floral prints. Embrace this season's lovely prints for a blooming brilliant look. The floral print comes in an array of colours that can range from vibrant, bold shades to softer, pastel hues. You can expect to see this print on maxi dresses, halters, shoes, tunics, hair accessories, jackets, shorts, etc.

[Florals were all over the runway from D&G to Marc Jacob, Dior, Chanel, Alberta Ferrati, Miu Miu, Vera Wang and you name it.] 

Adopt a cute floral number to jazz up your locks for an effortless feminine look this season. Need an inspiration? Here’s a picture from Marc Jacob’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

3. Jumpsuits/Plazzo Pants: 

Work the sultry 70's glamor trend with luxe fabrics, floaty jump suits, plazzo pants & platform heels. Even though they have been around for a few seasons but they're not going anywhere for 2011.

[The jumpsuit was all the rage in the collections of Marc Jacobs, Versace, Derek Lam, Dolce & Gabbana, A Detacher, Louis Vuitton, Sonia Rykiel, and Oscar de la Renta. While Wide leg pants were featured in collections by Hermes, Marc Jacobs, Cerruti, and Dior.] 

4. Floral/Printed Maxis: 

A maxi dress is always a must-have item for Spring/Summer. However, this time its the floral maxi that has everyone going gaga. It’s exotic, glamorous & easy breezy to wear. And it makes one feel like sipping cocktails on the beach in St Andrews. It screams Summer Chic. 

[A large part of the Spring/Summer 2011 Dolce & Gabbana collection consisted of floral maxi dresses. It also features in the collections of Louis Vuitton, Alberta Ferreti, Erdem, and Matthew Williamson.]

5. White Lace Dress: 

Add flirty, feminine pieces with intricate detailing of lace & a tad of vintage appeal! This falls in line with the romantic trend of this Spring. 

[White Lace dresses were featured in the collections of Diane von Furstenberg, Dolce & Gabbana, Alberta Ferreti, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Antonio Marras and Oscar de la Renta.]

6. Blazers: 

Being chic has never looked so good. Keep blazers loose & trousers with tapered legs in neutral colors. It’s classic! It goes with just about anything. A cute floral dress, legging, or jeans. Here’s some stylish ways you can work with your blazers! 

[Blazers were all over the Spring/Summer 2011 runway of Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Stella McCartney, Gucci, DKNY, etc.]

7. Crochet: 

Get ahead of the trends with neutral shades in delicate lace & knitted crocheted patterns. It’s big this season! It’s the laid-back take on romantic Spring 2011 trend. It's a lovely trend as it can be worn in many ways as seen below. 

[This trend was seen in the collections of Jen Kao, Emilio Pucci, Julien MacDonald, and Ralph Lauren.]

8. Kitch: 


Mix ‘n’ match flirty florals & ginghams for a cute, vintage look that’s perfect for picnics or a day out. [Ginghams were seen in the collection of Chanel, D&G, Christopher Kane, Dior and Moschino.]

9. Scarf:

Enhance your look with with this spring's must-have accessory - the scarf. They can be used in all sorts of colors, prints, shapes & fabrics. Be it cotton, lace, silk, crocheted or etc. It’s a great addition to your wardrobe. Wear your scarf loosely around your neck, in your hair or even tied on your handbag to stay on trend. Here’s some chic ways you can play with your scarf!

10. Wedges Rock:

Keep up with this season’s hot trend with these classic incredibly versatile pretty ditsy floral print wedges. They’re cute, sexy, stylish & ready to go! Pair it with your floral tops, floaty maxis or denims! After-all Spring-forward fashion means flirty florals, big prints, fresh pastels, earthly tones with denims & wedges. 

[Wedges were seen in the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of YSL, Christian Louboutins, D&G, Gucci, Moschino, Prada Pierre Hardy, Lanvin & Valentino to name a few.]

STYLE IT!

Finish off the look with classic over-sized shades! The retro-chic sunglasses trends 2011 & if you're looking for a fast way to update your wardrobe for Spring, get on board this trend! It's a wow-fashion-statement for Spring/Summer 2011!

[Sunglasses completed the look for many major designers & retro seemed to be the theme taking center stage. Stella McCartney, Lowe, Fendi, Chanel, D&G, Tom Ford & LV were the few of them.]


Here's some ad campaign pictures of high-end fashion brands going the retro route.

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign.

D&G Animalier Eye-wear Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign.

Tom Ford Sunglasses Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign.

Kate Moss for Vogue Eye-wear Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign.

Floppy wide-brimmed straw hat is another fun way to complete the look. It'll ramp up any casual outfit to something a bit more 'fashion'. 

Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign.

Why Blog?

That’s the first thing that pops up into one’s mind when one thinks of starting up blogging.  Apparently, blogging has been pretty popular in recent years. But not without a reason!  And as a newbie while I’m just getting to grips with all this blogging, one of the first & foremost questions that most often would arise is why you or I should really join the blogosphere? I’ll tell you exactly why in a bit. It wouldn’t be me if I don’t get into detail & would get away giving you a one-line answer.

I wish all of us can just realize how valuable those who are dear to us truly are. We take so many things for granted & don’t even realize it & sometimes even don’t take our family & their words of wisdom too seriously, those closest to us & nearest to our hearts. But as the old saying goes, it all comes back to family. You eventually always come around realising they had our best interest at heart & are mostly always right for us.

After several unsuccessful attempts by family, especially my younger sister to convince me into starting up blogging & my elder brother who thinks I'm a great writer, it took a special effort by a dear friend of mine to make me realize that I could do more from my writing than just wasting that much time & energy just surfing around on the Internet.

Blogs as most of you already know are essentially web logs or online diaries. I was fascinated by the idea of an online diary although wasn’t sure & wouldn’t know where to begin. I am old enough to remember a world when an electric typewriter was a big deal so this is all so new to me.  Jks! ;) For me, it didn’t make sense to write in your diary every month or two. When running a blog it-self forces you to update it often.

Now as every new blogger must have at some point thought & went through this same stage as me.  A point where one asks; what kind of subject should I really write/talk about in my blog? That reminded me of my friend’s suggestion while she was on her quest to talk me into blogging that it doesn’t have to be limited to being just about my day-to-day life. I could than clearly recall that my little sister had earlier already advised me that.  Just that it was said in her typical version. She said, “Blogging gives you freedom of speech! Talk about whatever the hell you want!” Lol! She has always been the smarter one in our family. Wish I had taken her words more seriously earlier. I wouldn’t have gone through the dilemma at the first place. ;)

And should I write on one topic, or many?  That was one of the other causes that also made me pretty reluctant towards initializing off with blogging. The thought of the blog being of any one specific theme was something I thought would be too confined for me. That's just not me. Though upon putting deeper thought into it I realized that if it's my individual blog it has to be how I wish it to be like. If I’ve really got the freedom of speech, I should be able to write about as many things/topics I want. I love countless things in life & I understood that a limited & a restricted approach towards it wouldn’t work for me.  My blog should reflect my natural love for anything & everything I appreciate & adore. That's part of who I am as an individual. Plus, I believe a blog about something that interests you is a great idea. It’s always a lot easier to write about something that you are passionate about. That’s one thing I could probably go on & on & on talking about & I’d probably never get bored.

Normally, what I’d do is start off my day by checking my Facebook. The Internet sometimes can be almost as addictive as nicotine or cocaine. Like, literally speaking.  Like first thing in the morning before washing my face, or even brushing my teeth & putting on make-up! Which btw will than lead me to checking my Hotmail inbox, then Yahoo, Gmail, Skype, Twitter, CNN, BBC, Cricinfo & some fashion blogs I’m extremely addicted to & before I’d realize I’d end up devoting way too much time in front of my laptop screen. And once I’m done with them all, it’s mostly YouTube or Facebook games or just browsing & then would wonder where my entire day has gone. I couldn’t leave for work without sneaking into it & if by any chance I wake up too late to get online in the morning & have to leave for work anyway, I would have Internet access on my phone & will find it difficult to spend even an hour of my waking life without checking or thinking about Facebook.

I know, for most of us, our affinity for Skype, Facebook, etc. usually begins with the simple desire to keep in touch with our friends, or make new ones online. Or perhaps we were just bored. But now Facebook or any other online website is like a big thorn in our side & possibly a bona fide addiction. The question though we should all ask ourselves is what we really gain off of it. Not much really. The harm it causes outweighs the good it does. Blogging on the other hand, for me was like the light in the end of the tunnel. It provides me with a platform where I could connect with people & be able to share/express my thoughts & skills & be able to actually help others like me & make a difference. For me that makes using the Internet & blogging worthwhile.

Now I know there are thousands of ways to make money on the Internet. Blogging is just one of them. And to be honest, blogging is not one of the better ones. It is a lot of work and takes a long time to yield any monetary results. But it has become so popular over the last decade because of its accessibility that everyone thinks this is the best way to make money online. I have personally taken up blogging because it gives me a creative outlet, therefore, it would be unfair to measure the results of this type of blogging by pounds & pennies.

I being new to this whole new blogging arena, what further motivated me to blog is that it gives me space to think, strategize & reflect. It makes you think about your topic, do research & it definitely helps one stay disciplined & forces you to keep up-to-date with new things in your field of topic.

Hence, this was like an instant click. I recognized that I have so many amazing creative ideas buzzing around in my head at times; it would be fun to create a space where I would finally share my thoughts & opinions & be able to help people who really need it & possibly also get others to post theirs.  After all, an idea on its own counts for nothing but it is the execution of the idea that counts. I often get asked the same questions over & over again by friends & acquaintances like, how I get my super tight natural curls straightened. Or my beauty regimen or the secret to my healthy hair, skin, long nails or even how I always appear so happy.  I wish there could be a one line answer to it & that I could help them out by sharing all the tips, tricks & info from my area of expertise & that I wouldn’t need to give the same answer again & again. Therefore, the best part of it is that they could just read my post & virtually experience & learn things which took me months or perhaps years to learn.

It makes me realize that this is just the right kind of medium for me to be able to say what I want to say once & for all & actually be heard. This would not just help me kill time in a more productive way but will give me a space to enjoy my creative outlet where I’d be able to play with technology ‘n’ ideas & have fun with it while giving me an opportunity to be able to help others, to stay connected with friends ‘n’ family, a chance to clear the air, help them know me better along with all the countless advantages of blogging. Plus, being part of the blogging world would allow me to share all the wonderful things that I love rambling about like the inspirational ideologies I live by, the latest trends, products I swear by, things in my shopping list & yet also be able to help, entertain & enlighten others like me.

So my answer to ‘Should I blog?’ is ‘Yes, I should’ & the response to ‘Why blog?’ is “Why not?’ There’s nothing to lose! What greater joy can there be to be able to achieve so much by just being myself.  The Internet, after all can be a wonderful tool if used wisely. Although, I would have loved to be able to finally have a life away from the computer drama but guess that’s not going to happen any time soon! ;)

Lots of Love! xoxo ♥