Anna Dello Russo at H&M ( aka. Reptile Mania!!)

I'm happy to report that Bangkok finally opened its first H&M last week! As is the norm with all new things here in the Eastern City of Angels, people queued up for hours during the first few days to get in. I decided to forgo the those opening days and decided to drop by today as I was in the area, hoping that the crowds would have subsided.  What a surprise to find that today is the day H&M launches its Anna Dello Russo at H&M line - and no lines either! Yay!

People were hustling and bustling at the AdR display and I managed to elbow my way through to the front of the display. Things were disappearing fast and people were literally grabbing boxes from right under one another - I actually had one box in my arm when a man ( Yes, a MAN! ) tried to reach for it FROM OUT OF MY HANDS!!! How crazy is that?!? Here are a few of the beautiful pieces from her line - 

Love love love the reptilian theme! I apologize for the bad picture quality - the staff didn't allow me to take pictures of the actual pieces so I had to take pictures of the picture of each piece! But I did manage to sneak in one shot of the turquoise snake necklace when noone was looking! hehe.

Seeing things being snatched up left and right from all around me, I knew I had to act fast! I looked and immediately grabbed, going by the theory that your gut instinct is always the right one. If my gut said a piece was nice, that was that. No second guessing, no time for pondering! Luckily, my gut is well seasoned when it comes to making choices in high pressure moments like these, esp. when it comes to accessories!!! 

Here are two pieces I got from the Anna Dello Russo's collection line. Love this reptilian line! ( my own name for it, not hers! ). Even though there was only a limited selection left by the time I got there, I am very happy with the pieces I managed to get!

Snake Attack!!

Besides the lovely pieces, I also fell in love with the shopping bag for her line - take a look...

Isn't it cool?

My inaugural visit to Bangkok's first H&M and I am extremely happy with my purchases! As all of you know, I am an accessories gal at heart so I am thrilled that I happened upon Anna Dello Russo at H&M today. Her collection is trendy and modern yet so timeless as well. Love!

A few of my favourite things...

First off, I have to apologize for disappearing for so long! Things have been quite hectic since I got back from my trip and although I have so many fun things to share, I haven't had the time to actually sit and formulate my thoughts! I decided today to write about about some of favourite things - accessories!

I think I have mentioned before in my blog how much I love accessories. I mostly choose very neutral colours and patterns in my clothing palette, and use accessories like necklaces, bracelets, scarves and even bags, to add character and a unique touch to each outfit. Lately I have been putting more time into carefully selecting each accessory to match my daily outfit, as I find that the one right addition can really make or break an entire ensemble!

One of my all time favourite designers for costume jewellery is Kenneth Jay Lane. I find his collections and pieces so timeless and classic, yet at the same time they manage to stay fashionable and trendy and can  give any outfit a special "pop"! During my recent trip to the States I got this beautiful Kenneth Jay Lane gold studded cuff which I love, due to the fact that besides that it is so pretty and versatile, it is smaller in circumference and doesn't look massive on my wrist when I wear it! I find it amazingly easy to match with an assortment of bangles and bracelets, and each match create a totally different look. Love!

A bohemian-ish look - my Kenneth Jay Lane gold studded cuff with a "peace" bracelet from Ginger, a local Thai designer. I love this combo for casual days!

The Kenneth Jay Lane mix - a combo of my gold studded cuff with this charm bracelet, also from Kenneth Jay Lane. The mixture of gold, ivory and wood accents can dress up any outfit - don't u think?

Thanks so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post!

calling scarfaholics!

Even though I live in the tropics, I am a big enthusiast of scarves. I think my love of scarves stems from my college days back in New York and Boston, where scarves were a necessity to weather the freezing winters. They kept me cozy and warm and safe from the horrid winds and snow! College was such a fun and happy time for me - maybe its a subconscious thing, but even now somehow wearing scarves, even in the 39c heat, seems natural and  is so comfortable and cozy!

Nowadays my scarves lean more towards the silk, linen, and light textures so they don't overwhelm me in the hot Bangkok weather, and I always have one in my daily bag "just in case". For the most part, I tend to choose more neutral palettes for my clothes, so my scarves really add spark and colour to every outfit - when it comes to scarves, I go all out with colour, pattern, and texture - the brighter, bigger and bolder the better!

from top left - Louis Vuitton Leopard Stole, Tory Burch, Zara, Alexander McQueen

These are some of my everyday scarves...I've been going a little nuts for patterns lately so I love interesting and fun designs on scarves!

from top left downwards - J.Crew, Metropolitan Musuem of Art Gustav Klimt scarf, Nina Ricci, Emilio Pucci.

 Have a wonderful day and I hope you enjoyed reading my scarf post!

beauty lies everywhere...especially in necklaces.

When I decided to write this post I got so excited and giddy because it's about something that is on the top of my "trending" list right now! I really hope you will enjoy it too (a small warning - word heavy post ahead!)! A few months ago a friend came to see me and she was wearing this beautiful necklace - it was designed and shaped like a diamond or gemstone chandelier necklace...but was made completely of rubber! I know my description totally is inadequate, believe me, my words do not do it justice! The necklace was amazingly intricate and detailed and I fell in love with it! I immediately asked where she got it and it turns out it is from a Thai designer named Ek Thongprasart. Now this got me even more excited - I love local designers and am so proud that many current Thai designers are earning a worldwide reputation for their creativity and artistic talent. I came home and googled Ek Thongprasart and found that he sells his line in very exclusive high end boutiques in Europe which is totally fitting given the quality and design of his work. I also found that his jewelry collection can be found here at Club 21 accessories at Siam Paragon ( Bangkok ) - so of course how could I resist a visit there!!!

The saleslady was super nice and brought out every single piece of his S/S 12 that they had for me to try on - here are a few of them! Aren't they beautiful?

I confess I did go abit crazy trying them all on and once or twice I felt a true sense of despair as I asked the saleslady over and over "which one should I get?" like an insanely obsessed person, which I was. The saleslady was so patient and wonderful though and let me take my time.

Aren't they just wonderful? I feel they are so distinctive and besides being unique and beautiful, they they are very lightweight as well! Finally I made up my mind and guess which one I got?

This light purple one! I love this one because it fits around any neckline perfectly and the teardrop design just feels complete and elaborate enough without being overly so. The colour in this picture (above) is however not true to life - the real colour of the necklace is actually more muted, almost a light grey - let me try posting another picture in natural light.

This is the true colour of the necklace in its box taken in daylight. I love it! Actually I love his whole collection but right now I am having fun and enjoying wearing this gem - I wear it during the day casually with a tank top and jeans or at night a bit more dressed up with black slacks, a silver top and a clutch! Its the perfect addition to any outfit.

Obsession of the day - exotic textures

I am a tried and true bagaholic and lately I have been so obsessed with exotic skins and diffferent textures of leather...for some reason they really draw me in and I can never resist! I have been on the prowl for bags of various skins and textures and have found some that I really love and cherish. Whether they are true exotics or embossed doesn't really bother me, what I appreciate most about them is that they are truly timeless...I can see myself using them in 5 or 10 years and they will still be fashionable and classic.

I found this ostrich skin hobo in a leather shop here in Bangkok where I live. What I love about living in Asia is that you can find really high quality leather goods for very reasonable prices. The leather is buttery soft and what I love most is that it just gets softer and more supple with use. I use it everyday!

Another true love of mine - red and embossed! This is a furla bag I bought during a recent trip to Singapore - the deep red colour, leather texture, and shape caught my eye immediately. It is very easy to use and goes with just about everything in my wardrobe. Red is truly one of my favourite colours for hangbags because I normally dress in very neutral tones and a red bag is a great way to add a pop of colour. Don't you agree that this is a classic?