BUGABOO X DIESEL ROCKS

skipping a little bit on my usual fashion articles into a mom-related blogpost for today! So, you guys know that I am a loyal Bugaboo user (see my previous post on the Dutch pram brand here)... Just a disclaimer, my actual Bugaboo unit was NOT sponsored (that would be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious if it was) , I bought the stroller before my first son was born and I am still loyal to it until now. Being a fan, I was very excited that their newest limited edition stroller is a another collaboration design with Diesel !

The new Bugaboo Bee 3 Diesel boasts same good compact but sturdy specs like all "Bees" do. (Trust me, when I say sturdy : I've shopped, chucked toys, diaper bags, groceries.... Plus with the kid on the stroller...) Except now... The Bee is adorned with cool studs, a screened tattoo inspired image at the back, special ed wheels.. All in a cool black color scheme.

I've always felt that kids are an extension of our style profile... well it doesn't hurt when that style profile is 'continued' to the gears we bring when we tote our kids around right?

along with the Mothercare Indonesia, Bugaboo team, and fellow mommy hosts of the event...

LaFLEUR // RED GARNET

I've always disliked how men associate women as gaptek (an indonesian slang that stands for 'gagap teknologi' or technology failure) creatures. But moreover, I dislike it even more when they apply the theory to me. You see, my relationship with gadgets has always been good ever since I was young. When the other girls turn up to their daddies to get the newest pretty phone, I am the one who’d ask for the smartest phone out there (my -6 myopic degree didn't just magically appear you know...) And up till' today, my main priority for gadgets is still it's technological features. But it doesn't hurt when a 'brainy' gadget comes with 'beauty' perks. One of those gadget would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 LaFleur Collection.

With the great features and it’s sleek “Red Garnet” glossy coating, what's not to love about this tablet? I can not only complete my daily tasks but its “Red Garnet” color also makes a great fashion statement. It’s even better because red garnet is one of my favorite colors of the moment and just by carrying the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, I can incorporate my favorite shade into my looks effortlessly.

RED THOUGHTS

The Jakarta flood has been keeping me at home today. I am grateful enough that my home itself is flood-free, electricity running and my internet has just come to life this afternoon ! Since my appointments were all cancelled, I managed to catch up with a lot of browsing (for fun and work) on my phone and I just happened to take a look at See by Chloe's Pre-Fall 2013 lookbook.

I have no idea when this lookbook was first published but it did change my vision on the color red. I'm not exactly picky for colors, but I've never really been a fond of red throughout my life (except the good ol' red nail or lips). I have some red stuff in my possession, but they're rarely my favorite item. On the other hand, whoever styled the See by Chloe lookbook made me want to try to pile up any red pieces I got in my closet and create that monochromatic look. Many times I see the color being used in a sexy manner but this whole nonchalant french girl take is just refreshing.

#BATIK DAY

When the afternoon light starts to peep into my room, I usually like to go out of the balcony, grab some coffee/tea, and just enjoy the moment. Random and weird ideas usually like to flow in but yesterday, this particular thought came up : I am an Indonesian, yet I've only featured batik once in this blog. The National Batik Day is tomorrow and I guess it's the perfect timing to share some more batik on Glisters and Blisters.

for a little bit of intro, Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique, plays an important role in the life of Indonesians being mostly the choice to be used in weddings and other momentous events. Its artistic side and design is also important since the creator needs the passion, patience, and skill to draw on the white cloth with the canting, to wax the lines to separate the sections of the drawing.

TOP OF THE CROP

It was the Balenciaga show the other day and I remember someone tweeting that so many guests showed up in star wars sweaters (that someone might have been Bryan Boy). After a more comical & sci-fi approach to this year's fall collection, Nicolas Ghesquiere went for a cleaner & fresher take for Balenciaga's Spring 2013 runway. White, black, and khakis dominate the runway while different textures of fabrics and unexpected details give the collection a more unique feel.

LET'S TALK STYLE

It may sound surprising to you, but I admit that 90% of my closest friends aren't as crazy over fashion as I am. In fact, I'm usually the go to person for some q&a session and I myself don't have many people to rely for advice. Not that I ask others' opinions much.. but there ARE times when you need to trust your friends when you don't trust your gut. And since I don't have friends to rely on, this is where Go Try It On comes in handy.

CLAIRE DE LUNE #1

good to be clicking the 'blogger.com' button on my chrome's most visited front page today. Alot has happened this week and it seems that my weekend is looking more like an extra Tuesday and Wednesday (I didn't choose Monday because Mondays are somewhat more daunting). But I ain't going to ramble on that..
Instead, I'll be rambling on Didi Budiardjo's marvelous 'Claire de Lune' (moonlight in French) show for today. After battling the infamous 5pm Jakarta traffic, I arrived at the venue and headed backstage. I was awed by all of the marvelous pieces some still hanging on the racks and some worn by the models. The Javanese tradition inspired collection was dominated with white, black, red and gold colors. In contrast with the traditional aspects, Didi tossed in many futuristic attributes such as the accessories created by renowned Indonesian designer, Rinaldy A Yunardi. These include chained loaded headgears, intricate ear pieces, and last but not least my favorite clear acrylic (or whatever it's made of) coral reef-like masks/hats. I'll have to split this post into two because there were alot pictures..

ANGELINA & MAGNUM

It's been almost a year since the time I went to Paris and all in 2010. I make regular clean ups of my computer hard drive once in a while and I encountered my photos from that vacation the other day. I flicked through it while I refreshed those fabulous memories. From the night I sat on the plane to London to the afternoon I stressed upon GPS breakdown in Milan and even until the day that car transported me to the international airport, every memory was pretty darn fresh in my head. Best trip of my life I can say. I can't help but miss my Jardin Tuilleries hotel room view and Angelina's chocolat chaud every morning... and the fact that my hotel was only a couple steps from Colette & other boutiques at Rue Saint-Honoré...

SHERBET LEMON

As you all might notice, I've been using Fashiolista for about a month. If you haven't tried it out, now it's a good time. For busy people like me, I find it quite impossible to keep up with the whole online shopping craze but this is where Fashiolista comes in. 

I simply follow other inspiring bloggers and I can easily keep track of the hottest items around the world wide web. OR . Whenever I stumble something that I love online, I simply click the 'heart' icon on my google chrome, and Fashiolista bookmarks that item easily. Very simple and useful for someone who likes to keep my tabs as little as possible ;) Less tabs = more organized = easier to find things in your computer.

DEEP REDS for @SHOPATVELVET

one of my latest styling works for www.shopatvelvet.com. Deep reds and burgundy shades were perfect for the upcoming Christmas holidays! Yes I know the numbers are not in order.. but I prefer putting the looks up in this order instead of following the numbers. Instead of linking the items one by one, I put together a little list via Fashiolista at the end of this post :)

WOMAN ON TOP

How many times have you heard people say "the world is a small place"? Lots I assume? I don't care whether or not you agree to the saying, but I always feel that whoever I meet, there's always at least one person we both know. I first found out about this local brand that specializes in women's workwear, Working Hour(s), through a multi-brand webstore. Months later, I was introduced to the founders of the brand through the lovely people at Tea Label. Turns out they all went to the same high school (see what I mean when the world IS a small place?) and little did I know, I would be teaming up with Working Hour(s) for their 'Woman on Top' collection for their store's grand opening!

The idea behind the Working Hour(s) is to change people's mindset where working apparels are boring (think black, white, blazer, straight pants combos you see in office towers). And so, they wanted to offer chic and sophisticated workwear that can be worn for other occasions too. This time, the brand looked up to powerful women such as Michelle Obama, Oprah, etc. as their inspirations. They wanted to create pieces for women who have style, yet have a power of their own. Working Hour(s) has collaborated with a local jewelry line, Tea Label for timeless and elegant accessories to complete the whole look.

LE PRINTEMPS @NIKICIO

I still have a clear vision of the first Nikicio Mixté show I went to one and a half year ago. One thing I find remarkable from Nina, the designer, is her vision on clothes. One of them being timeless. She says, “I want to challenge the notation of a fashion world. no trends. no seasons. no fads. my clothes have to be able to be worn & last forever."
Clothes with no season/trends? Sounded quite impossible to me especially when at a glance, Nikicio Mixté seems to have an edgy and 'street' vibe. These styles are currently "in" but will it still be "in" in the years to come?

Nevertheless, Nina proved me wrong. I have a couple pieces from her different lines, and for every single one of those clothes I owned, there isn't one that I get bored of. It came to me that the "edge" comes from the styling. When the pieces are examined one by one, they're more like updated classics. And with updated classics, any vibe evoked is possible. Thus, making Nikicio not only ageless, but also versatile.

For their Mixté Le Printemps 2012, Nina created a collection with a laid back skater girl with effortless style at her back of her mind. A nomad, light traveller - a collection for the coolest people with the coolest style.

PARIS MON AMI

When I bring up the question ; "what clothing or accessory do you think is the most versatile item out there?", answers such as a white shirt, a pair of jeans, or a trench coat for the winter-clads usually start popping out. It IS true that those three classics can be reworn over and over. But, there is also one more thing that is just as (..or perhaps more) versatile : a scarf.

When it comes to scarves, Hermès' le carré is one those iconic ones. first made in 1937, the 90x90 cm scarf requires about 450,000 meters of fine silk and 1,500 - 2,000 hours of labor to finish. The Carré may seem grandma-ish to some. But, I'm sure that after seeing what these four girls have to offer, the scarf will no longer feel ancient to you. Remember J'aime Mon Carré from last year? Well, this year Hermès has launched another one of their interactive online fanzine campaign known as Paris Mon Ami. Set in the magical city of Paris, four 'IT' girls from different backgrounds gathered together to showcase a fresh take on the classic carré.

MINUS SEVEN

For about 80% of my friends, a party or dinner invitation means a great excuse to dress up, head to the hair salon, and to get some pretty makeup on. As for me, I was a part of the 80% number. But now? I've turned into a lazy arse when it comes to curling irons and eyeshadow palettes. If you read Garance Dore's "10 Degres de Sophistication", my level has dropped from an 8 or 9 into a 5 (minus the messy bun part as my hair is pretty easy to tame without much labor anyway) for the weekends. and if I got nothing important to do, I would drop to a level 4. These photos represent that "level 4 weekend", as I like to call it now. No makeup, a breezy tank dress, and a pair of sunglasses to hide under... oh, and the hat would be a nice add-on if I lived somewhere outside indonesia (with the exception of bali..)

tresses

Many of you have been asking about my hair.. some ask what I do to it, how I style it, and etc. Well, the truth is I don’t do anything other than regularly washing it (I’m not even that diligent with conditioner). No fancy salon treatments or anything. In fact, I’m actually one of those anti-salon person. Not that I don’t like being pampered, but I just don’t like having my hair look “too done”. But at certain times of the year, I might just say “yes” for a salon trip. One of this occurrence happened to take place on Monday. The Sunsilk Hair Studio had just opened a month ago, and because of its temporary existence, I decided to give it a go anyway.


CLICK HERE FOR MORE
What’s unique about this beauty parlor is that it’s the first Sunsilk salon in Indonesia. The concept is a collaboration between Sunsilk and Qiqi Franky, an established makeup artist and hair stylist. If you have no idea what to do with your mane, try out one of the hair trends that they’ve set up. From the Fierce Crop to the Retro Red Carpet, there’s something for everyone.

The futuristic looking salon is divided into two areas : Zone 1 and Zone 2. The first zone which measures 249.95 m² holds a reception, photo booth area (yes, photo booth with those fancy lighting sets), a lounge, and a cafe brought to you by Spinelli. For shopaholics out there, you can also check out product displays where local brands such as Petite Cupcakes have their pieces for sale!




Now, in between those 2 zones, there are 7 gorgeous creations by some of Indonesia’s leading designers. These designs all reflect the 7 hair trends Sunsilk Hair Studio offers.

gold ornament cheong-sam style dress by Sapto Djojokartiko for the Sunsilk Hair Fall Range

intricate sleeves and collarline by Denny Wirawan for the Sunsilk Straight and Sleek range

The second zone is where all the beauty magic occurs. 10 washing booths, 26 treatment stations, and a team ready to help you out. Although you can get some creambath, a haircut or even your makeup done, I just opted to do the simple wash & blow dry process. Since my hair was ‘normal’, the stylist offered me to use the Smooth & Straight range. She first washed my hair twice then applied conditioner only to the ends because my roots were oily. I then moved to one of the chairs were another stylist named Harris blow-dried my hair. I told him that I don’t want the “vavoom big hair” effect, just make it natural and he listened to my instructions carefully :)




Verdict : I loved the results! The waves were not “too done” and they looked natural. My tresses were also soft and they smelled nice. With the friendly staff and stylists, Sunsilk Hair Studio is defo worth a comeback.


Sunsilk Hair Studio is located on the 2nd Floor of Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall, East Mall.
To book an appointment, call 021- 23581974.and remember ! it’s only open until 31 July. So, head there while you can
For more info, click on Sunsilk’s Facebook page or follow Sunsilk’s Twitter for updates or special promotions.

technically fashionable

two things I'd like to show you today. first is the new Hermès scarf. I've always thought Hermès scarves were very formal and old-lady-like..but after seeing J'aime Mon Carre, I totally changed my mind. Turns out they were just as fun as McQueen skull scarves. Mine has this oriental/japanese-inspired balls all over it and it's got pretty all of my favorite colors in one square. definitely a love at first sight item. now i'm planning to collect more of these silky beauties.. and maybe pass them down to my daughters/grand-daughters in the future? ;)



NEXT . is my new netbook courtesy of Gateway Indonesia! Most girls have a bad relationship with gadgets, but that doesn't apply to me. I love trying out new gizmos. There's something fun playing around with them for me. I was really happy when Dita, a rep from Gateway, offered me this LT Series laptop. The 10inch size and  800grams weight is perfect for travelling and for girls who hate carrying weight around. Bonus: the battery lasts for ages (8 hours to be exact) *hooorrayy for no carrying cables*



most netbooks don't come with a really good display but this Gateway LT25 has a fabulous one. Crisp & vibrant colors ensures precise photo editting for a photoshop-geek like me. The keyboard & mouse was top notch as well. my fingers didn't get that crammed up feeling I dislike. a little webcam is a great final touch to keep intact via Skype when travelling :)


there's a dedicated scrolling section in the mouse pad which enables you to scroll without dragging your finger up & down [helpful for those loooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggggg web pages].. I also loved the SD-Card slot! I no longer have to bring my memory card reader when I need to transfer photos now. lightweight & functional is my summary of this device...



Forever21 button-down shirt via Charlotte's Closet, 7-for-all-Mankind denim shorts, Hermès silk scarf, Chanel sunglasses.

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5 Past & 5 Futures

2010 was definitely one year full of highlights for fashion enthusiast. Anna Wintour and Hollywood stars were no longer the only ones sitting front row. These days, bloggers like Tavi from Style Rookie, Rumi from Fashion Toast, Bryan Boy, "Susie Bubble" could even become designers' muses. There was also Carine Roitfeld's resignation, the death of Alexander McQueen, the most anticipated collaboration of H&M x Lanvin, clearly, 2010 was full of surprises. In addition to current events, Fashion Week runways were just as eye popping as ever. New trends, crazy shoes, the list is never ending. Here's a little recap of my Top Five for 2010.

Jersey Dressing

Move away bodycon dresses! Slouchy is the new sexy. First popularized by Alexander Wang (remember his genius sporty luxe spring/summer collection?), jersey is no longer reserved for athletes but now for fashionistas. With the perfect cut and draping, the fabric is the new definition of 'comfort dressing'. Who could reject comfort and chic at the same time anyway?

Satchel Bags

It all began from the infamous Mulberry Alexa & Proenza Schouler PS1. From then on, the satchel or schoolboy bag become the No 1 wishlist amongst fashion enthusiasts. The Alexa & PS1 was extremely popular that replicas and similar models were produced by high street brands.

Armadillos & McQueen

One of the pieces that bombarded the blogging sphere. I remember seeing it on everyone's blog when the photos from the show aired up in Style.com.

Mini, Midi, Maxi

All lengths were considered cool in 2010 ! Whether you like it short or long, there are tons of styling ideas to keep your looks interesting. The midi & maxi length is definitely an on-going trend.

Ffuuuuuurrrrrrr

They may not be common in Indonesia, but fur is taking a storm in 2010's wintry countries. It is probably the easiest way to look chic within a giant pile of snow.

And soooo 2010 has ended but do we have in hand for 2011? These are the five trends I look forward to. Yes, some of them are repeats from the past, but there's nothing wrong with repeats if they look good right?

Christopher Kane for Burberry SS11

One of the most anticipated RTW collections to hit instore. Burberry's Spring/Summer pieces features some of the best trends for SS2011. Sophisticated edge is probably the best description I could come up with. The collection boasts biker jackets, pops of neon within sea of neutrals, animal prints, lots of leather, and stud-worthy pieces.

Nudity

One of the most long lasting trend I've ever encountered. Camel was "the" nude color in 2010. As for 2011, we can expect a bigger range of nudes, browns, and all sorts of earthy shades to match all the skin tones available on the planet. Try mixing up neutrals with a pop of neon (ala Burberry Prorsum) for a dash of youth for spring.

Lace Up Boots

They were a big hit in Fall 2010's runway, and we can expect more of these in 2011. Pair lace up wedges for spring and bring those serious combat boots or the classic Doc Marts for winter. Best of all? Lace up shoes don't have to look rugged or tough. Check out McQueen's lace up stilettos (top right hand corner). Aren't they the perfect compliment for a party dress?

All Nighter

Dolce & Gabbana, Spring Summer 2010

there were hints of this in Prada's Spring/Summer 2010 show, and turns out, there were more designers jumping into the nightgown as daywear bandwagon. There's something seductive without being slutty when wearing satin, sheer, or airy blouses with the right pieces. Take cues from Rumi of Fashion Toast when you need some jump-start ideas for this trend. She does it the best.

Downsizing

YSL, Celine Box bag, Hermès Constance.Big is beautiful, but small can be just as appealing. The return of small messenger purses are back and better! I'm even learning how to downsize the things I stash in my bag for the sake of being able to make use of these luxuries. These bags make a nice touch when wearing bulky knits or layers. They're also a party animals' best friends as you no longer have to worry where the clutch was left when drunk.

sources: style.com, net-a-porter, solestruck, stockholm streetstyle, jak and jill, sea of shoes, chicmuse, fashion toast, carolines mode, fashion gone rogue, Cailin Klohk via Lookbook, Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters, couturism.blogspot.com, lelalondon, jeremy cost