Forget Her Not.... A New Year, A New Start, GV Miao Wishes U a Prosperous New Year Abounding in LOVE

Forget her not!! In exactly one week is our beloved Gwen Vikkey, the founder of this fabulous fashion blog's 28th birthday. Time flies. Gwen had been through a lot this year; all we can do is to wish her weeping soul be comforted in God's arms. Gwen would love to see each of her supporters cherish their loved ones and understand the meaning of love. Wipe your tears and stay fashionable. GV Miao wishes you a prosperous year of 2011 abounding in LOVE.

The beautiful festive decors in one of the oldest Victorian-style shopping centres, The Strand Arcade in Sydney









Live music performance at late night shopping event in The Strand Arcade



The Christmas tree made of wheels found in Sydney city centre



The infamous Queen Victoria Building (QVB) in Sydney



Inside QVB





GV Miao's favorite oriental-style spiral staircase



Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very happy new year / Bonne Année / Buon Anno / Feliz Año Nuevo / Gutes Neues Jahr!!

Historic Clothing Encounters

GV Miao's fashion philosophy: “I dun believe fashion as an individual entity, it's gotta be linked up with history and culture.” – Gwen Vikkey Miao –

We didn't expect to find this lifestyle shop called “Brocante Place De La Bastille” (brocante: second hand goods in French) selling antique and vintage clothing from the 18th century Europe opened in the busiest commercial district of Hong Kong after having dined at the Italian fashion restaurant, Armani Ristorante/Bar to where Gwen always wanted to pay a visit in Asia on last Tuesday. We all agreed that it must be Gwen's spirit which led us there. Gwen had always been a fashion/museum lover and a seeker of knowledge who indulged in fashion, history and culture especially those of the Medieval Europe to the Napoleonic Era. Her research interests lay in Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), the infamous last Queen of France and Empress Josephine Bonaparte (1763-1814) as the iconic trendsetters (pls refer to our related facebook fan page albums).

The shop is nostalgically furnished in a rustic and old-fashioned style. We were thrilled to see the Marie Antoinette styled shoes, the 18th century panniers and balloon-sleeved peasant blouses which are not very popular in Asia at the shop front display. Do make a trip to “Brocante Place” the next time when you're in town in memory of our blogger, Gwen Vikkey Miao.



Brocante Place De La Bastille
Unit No. 1 & 1A, G/F Tak Woo House
No. 17-19 D' Aguilar Street
Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong

The Independent Fashion Blogger Fair Compensation Manifesto

Here we independent fashion bloggers proclaim our expertise, knowledge and place in fashion. Salute to The IFB Fair Compensation Manifesto, respect!!!

HK Museum of History Presents The Evergreen Classic – Transformation of the Qipao Crossover Shiatzy Chen the Taiwanese Designer of Neo-Chinese Chic

If yuu happen to be in town frm now to 13th September, dun miss out tis precious opportunity to experience social and cultural changes in the Chinese society in the past century thru analyzin' transformation of the qipao with time. Qipao, the traditional dress for Chinese women, has constructed a cultural symbol frm a piece of clothin'. Showcasin' sum 280 qipao, tis exhibition presented by Hong Kong Museum of History illustrates the origins of the qipao and its transformation between the 1920s and 1960s.

To embrace historical and cultural values found in the qipao, the Taiwanese designer Wang-Chen Tsai-Hsia for Shiatzy Chen which brand spirit's lustrous “neo-Chinese chic,” which celebrates traditional Chinese aesthetics in modern fashion design and the elegant blend of east and west, displayed several signature showpieces of hers presented at Paris Fashion Week in the exhibition to give new perspectives on how a contemporary fashion designer's injected fashion and modern elements into the qipao and reinterpreted the qipao tradition, makin' it transformin' continuously.

Tis exhibition provides a broad cross-cultural look at fashion and its place in society. It's gonna be academically inspirin' yet entertainin'. For more details on Shiatzy Chen's designs, plz click onto mine another post http://lamode-gvmiao.blogspot.com/search/label/Shiatzy%20Chen

Period of exhibition: 23 June – 13 September, 2010
Opening hours: 9am – 6pm
Address: Special Exhibition Gallery, Hong Kong Museum of History, 100 Chatham Road South, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Shiatzy Chen signature showpieces presented at Paris Fashion Week



These fotos show noble Manchu women durin' the mid to late Qing dynasty. The gowns reflect a design typical of the time. With a loose, straight cut and wide sleeves, the long gowns fall to their ankles. Embellishments and details were especially important in Qing dynasty attire. The gown of the period often featured complicated patterns with the body, collar, cuffs and front-flap adorned with extravagant embroidery.





The early qipao of the 1920s' a loose body with straight cut, reminiscent of the long Manchurian gown. Yet, like other clothing' worn daily, the hemline of the skirt's been shortened to the heels. The sleeves, meanwhile, take on the bell-shaped style extremely popular at dat time.



In the 1920s, the qipao featured a wide, straight cut and inverted bell-shaped sleeves.



In the 1930s, the fashionable women of Shanghai always wore a qipao of long and slender cut with a pair of high heels. Tis foto shows the Shanghai film celeb, Chen Yanyan, around 1935.



The see-through qipao's extremely popular durin' the 1930s.



Qipao, 1940s.
Tis qipao belonged to Ms Lam Yee-mui. Ms Lam's a renowned Cantonese opera singer in the 1920s whose stage name's Soo Chow Mui.



A typical qipao of the 1950s and 1960s, with a slim cut at the waist to highlight the feminine curves.



The elements of the qipao were adopted in the design of uniform worn by the ceremony hostesses of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.



Creatin' a light and modern effect, transparent fabric's used on one shoulder of tis qipao designed by Blanc de Chine. The skirt adopts a western floor-length design, thus embodyin' a fusion of Chinese and western elements.



Evolution
Designer: Ms Jin Lam



The Deconstruction of Qipao
Designer: Ms Gloria Wong



Capture the Significant Figure of Women
Designer: Ms Wing Choi

Hong Kong Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011 – “Non Solo Bianco” by Espen Salberg: Glamorous Delight

Tis the 2nd time I attended Hong Kong Fashion Week. The last time I shot the models on the runway in Fall/Winter collections 2010 by sum brilliant young emergin' local Hong Kong designers' in January. Bein' 17 years old, Hong Kong Fashion Week's evolved into one of the biggest and most glamorous fashion events of its kind in the world, and I was thrilled it drew in not only the Hong Kong-based designers but also the leadin' ones frm the Asia-Pacific region and around the globe to present their latest collections for Spring/Summer 2011. The Norwegian designer Espen Salberg who's been based in Bali, Indonesia for nearly 4 years where he cultivates his interests for fashion design's one of 'em.

Espen Salberg Spring/Summer 2011 collection runway show titled “Non Solo Bianco” took place on the mornin' of 6th July, the 2nd day of Hong Kong Fashion Week in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. The stage's clean, modern and was minimally set to allow audiences to focus on the collection itself. As the name “Non Solo Bianco” meanin' not only white in Italian suggests, there're more colors other than white in tis collection, which color palette ranges frm white, beige and black to animal and black/white graphic prints. The collection consists of 5 groups, separatin' for day and evenin' as well as short cocktail and evenin' gowns. The inspiration's the cool feelin' the color white givs to a sun-kissed skin but not only.

Group 1's purely white featurin' unfussy and clean lines. Silhouettes are simple yet made especially feminine and sexy by the predominant use of soft jersey fabric with a slight stretch and a comfy handfeel, which fit a female body perfectly.

Group 1: Pure white
The models in the pure white jumpsuits of an absolutely feminine and flowy silhouette were juz like the livin' goddesses on the runway.



A gold waistband completed tis gorgeous look.





The silhouette's consistently sexy fittin' a female body perfectly. A display of whole of the model's back naked surely wows yuu.



Group 2: Patterns dat pop! Timeless black/white graphic prints







In spite of the simple and wearable designs, tis collection's not without details; in fact, it has plenty to appeal to female consumers – animal prints on chiffon, heavy pleats and drapes, ruffles, bead embroidery, yuu name it.

Group 3: Wild animal prints
Animal prints symbolize an inherent wildness in women's. The bra top with pleated cropped pants and the long leopard print chiffon overlay tank are super hoootttt!!!



One of my favorite outfits, classic animal prints in a beautiful camel color truly accentuate formal business attire.



The romantic ruffles blouse with wild animal print chiffon skirt creates an interestin' contrast.



Group 4: Pure black



The pleated top embellished with tonal sequins and fringes



The mysterious and sexy black off shoulder beaded chiffon tunic's certainly the best pick for evenin' cocktails.



The last group focuses on evenin' gowns and couture dresses inspired by dance floor costumes. The models looked stunnin' in the finely crafted floor length dresses with an exaggerated mermaid hem or floor-sweepin' fishtail tulle train, which remind of special costumes for the Viennese Waltz. Soft Nets, cotton, organza and tulle are worked in great harmony to produce Espen Salberg's signature couture look.

Group 5: One glamorous nite
The model in the tea length pannier skirt in which the panniers are a strikin' touch to the outfit



The full floor length 3-tiered organza dress in black, glamorous yet timeless!!



Yuu can't miss dat exaggerated tulle mermaid hem and floor-sweepin' fishtail train frm tis evenin' group, simply fab!!





The Indonesian-based Norwegian designer Espen Salberg



Salberg chose Eartha Kitt's “C'est si bon” as runway music to be played in the background, which incredibly enhanced femininity and sexiness of his collection on the runway. Ow du I like the show? The song's said it all – it's sooooo GUD!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK2Li67ln68

Rodarte x Maggie Cheung x Joyce Boutique = Dream Combination Eva

Du yuu no her? Yes she's Maggie Cheung, the Chinese actress frm Hong Kong plus the international superstar and fashion icon. If yuu hav watch'd her bravura performances frm In the Mood for Love as a married woman caught in an ambiguous relationship in Shanghai in the 1920s, or frm the French movie Clean as a drug addicted mom, yuu wil not be surprised dat Cheung's gain'd respect frm most reputable directors like Wong Kar-Wai and Olivier Assayas, and is always consider'd an eva favorite stylish gal for years.


Rodarte’s distinctively talented Mulleavy sisters—Kate and Laura who made their first visit to Hong Kong last week to showcase an exclusive four-piece collection designed in homage to Maggie Cheung at Joyce Boutique. The one-off pieces themselves were auction'd off to benefit UNICEF. The sisters hav a powerful knack at makin' visual entities to compliment their collections, and tis time there's no exception dat they created a stunnin' short film with the Hong Kong-based photographer Wing Shya to spotlight the collection, inspired by four great performances frm Cheung’s films: In the Mood for Love, Hero, Clean, and The Heroic Trio, so we're all lucky to be able to enjoy the pieces without ownin' 'em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4ac5QqbmQ

Rodarte's creativity and inspirational fashion concept plus Maggie Cheung's unique style basically form a brilliant collaboration of two artistic powerhouses frm the East and the West. It's noteworthy ow Wing Shya the director presented the film in black and white with beautiful piano background music, which effectively created artistic and melancholic aura which easily reminded of dat nostalgic feelin' convey'd by the film In the Mood for Love. I particularly like the yellow flowy fringe dress reminiscent of Cheung's heroic image in Hero.

As WWD reported Rodarte's view 'bout Hong Kong and their people's sense of fashion: “It’s our first time here and I’m in complete awe of Hong Kong,” said Laura Mulleavy. “There’s something so futuristic about the city. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Blade Runner was shot here. And the women are so open to fashion.”

Wud any promisin' talents follow Rodarte's step to dedicate their special designs to another Chinese inspirin' public figure? I suggest Elie Saab crossover Zhou Xun. Watch Zhou's performance frm Perhaps Love, which won her the Best Actress Award in the 25th Hong Kong Film Awards and yuu wil no why.

Elie Saab Fall/Winter 2010 collection at Paris Fashion Week


Zhou Xun the Chinese actress in Perhaps Love

Mine Favorite Designer 4: the Taiwanese Designer Wang-Chen Tsai-Hsia for Shiatzy Chen – “Neo-Chinese Chic” at Paris Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2010

I got dat attach'd feelin' to the Taiwanese designer Wang-Chen Tsai-Hsia for Shiatzy Chen probably bcuz I myself 'm half Taiwanese (mine mom's Taiwanese) and born in the States. Wang-Chen started her fashion career in the 1970s as a seamstress in a clothin' store in Taiwan, and has become the founder/design director of Shiatzy Chen and the only Chinese member of the French Fashion Federation 30 years later. Her designs hav always been beautiful full of oriental elegance since the debut of Shiatzy Chen at Paris Fashion Week in 2008. Wang-Chen blends Eastern and Western fashion senses into her clothes. They're crafted in Western cuts, in top-quality brocade and silk with exquisite, hand-stitchin' craftsmanship like embroidery, appliques and beadin'. The brand spirit for Shiatzy Chen's “neo-Chinese chic,” which transfers traditional Chinese aesthetics into modern fashion design, and therefore its collections always result in a beautiful amalgamation of oriental aesthetics and western splendor. Each season Shiatzy Chen picks one of the Chinese elements as an inspiration for the new collection such as traditional Chinese calligraphy and classical ink and wash paintin' for 2010 Spring/Summer collection, Chinese porcelain works for 2009 Spring/Summer collection, and the Silk Road for Fall/Winter 2009 Collection. Wang-Chen's inspiration tis season's the essence of jade. The show took place at the Grand Palais on the 8th day of Paris Fashion Week (9th March).

Spring/Summer 2010 collection inspired by traditional Chinese calligraphy and classical ink and wash paintin'


Wang-Chen got inspired by Chinese porcelain works for Shiatzy Chen 2009 Spring/Summer collection.




Fall/Winter 2009 collection “the Silk Road”




In Chinese philosophy, jade embodies Confucian virtues of wisdom, justice, compassion, modesty and courage. Shiatzy Chen Fall/Winter 2010 collection seeks to produce exquisite designs by integratin' these inherent qualities of jade in ancient China to modern craftsmanship and tailorin'. The collection's inspired by the innate characteristics and persona of jade culminated with modern aesthetics and imagery to form new compositions.

Feminine charm's created thru light fabrics such as silk, flowin' chiffon, vibrant satin, woven cloths and intricate lace on a color palette of gold, emerald green, red and black.

The runway set sumhow reminds mi of Divine Road – the road leadin' to heaven....


The classic chin length bob and oversized sunglasses are reminiscent of women in the 1950s.






As the title "Essence of Jade" suggests, the model's accessorised with the luxurious jade pendent and earrings.




The model stunned in the woven jacquard dress with metallic details.


The model in the beautifully crystallized silk-satin evenin' gown with layers of chiffon at the hem




The collection, themed "Essence of Jade"s convey'd by heavy use of the color of emerald green.






An oriental aura's created as the collection's composed of elegant simple H line silhouettes. I specially like the silk-satin embroider'd knee length boots in emerald green so rich in Chinese motifs.




The luscious silk-satin dress in red adorn'd with precious jade and crystallized Swarovski elements


The Taiwanese designer Wang-Chen Tsai-Hsia for Shiatzy Chen