Life's like a Runway

So really, what's all the fussing for? No emotional baggage, just big bags filled with Dior.

"Labels or Love" lyric-twisting aside, as someone who sees the world in fashion, I have come to the conclusion that not only love, but life, is a runway. You pick out that perfect outfit, strut down the catwalk, and right back into the dressing room. That's not that different from getting dressed in the morning, going to work, and coming back home. Maybe I'm more H&M than Balmain, and more Guess than Jimmy Choo, but the concept is the same. Thanks to years of religiously reading Vogue from cover to cover, a true fashionista does not have to rely on labels to pull off a perfect styling.

It is inevitable that in what we call the runway of life, there are moments of what-if's. Don't get me wrong, I am happy with where I am not and have no regrets. But it is also a fact that we all do have that what-if moment, especially in relationships.

Relationship is all rainbows and puppies until hurricane *insert name* hits. At that point, you really do what everyone does when faced with the onset of a hurricane: run. Bonus points if you can run really fast in the correct direction. I'll give you a hint: not towards the hurricane. In the midst of the running, we all can't help but wonder: what-if? What if I was more this or more that? What if this happened or that happened? 99% of the times, those what-if scenarios somehow comes true and leads to the happy ending. The tricky part is that you need to be the character in the Garry Marshall Land.

Then what does that leave us? Are we all forever possessed with the ghost of the relationship past? I'd like to think otherwise. For one, whatever happened, happened. Unless you can invent a flux capacitor (and you probably won't if you tried because by definition, flux is not a capacitor), you can't change what has happened. When something ends, we all tend to get fixated on all of the things that didn't go right, and tend to neglect things that did go right. Truth is, things did go right; it just didn't last. So instead of forever moping and being all angry, it's best to keep the best memory in your heart and move on.

When the ghost of the relationship past made you fall flat on the runway of life, moving on is probably the hardest thing to do. After all, we all just want to sulk away in the corner, binge on ice cream and chick flicks, and feel sorry for ourselves. But that is not a happy place. Like Carrie Bradshaw once said, "When real people fall down in life, they get right back up and keep on walking." It is comforting to know that your friends are there to lend you a helping hand or two. That's what friends are for.

Then if you're like me and adores Sarah Burton, looking at something beautiful, like Alexander McQueen's Pre-Autumn/Winter 2012 Collection will always make you happy. Actual post on that will be up later...at some point...just be patient with me? Please?

xoxo
N

Ding Dong, Color Blocking is Dead

When I first started this blog, I was posting every other day, which became every week, which became roughly every one-to-two months. Which means...it's time for a new post!

Aside from my real life keeping me busy, there was a solid reason why I was silent about all things fashion for the past few months. No matter how much I try, color blocking and I are not meant to be. Sorry, color blocking lovers, you may hit "exit" at this moment. Everyone else, carry on...

Color blocking is, in my opinion, a fashion savvy-er word that means: "I don't know a thing about color coding so I just smacked on whatever that I could find." It would work if you want to look like a middle schooler, but definitely not if you want to look anywhere near mode. No matter how hard the fashion ads try to sell you that color blocked dress, pink and red don't go together. Nor will purple and yellow. Instead, try pink & black and purple & gold/silver.

As such, I was thrilled upon reading June issue of W magazine (one of my favorite fashion magazines!), where they previewed fall fashions. I figured color blocking would be a one-season-trend, and I was proven right! Yes, my dear mode-fashion lovers, color blocking is gone!!!

Here is the fashion spread I absolutely love. I may be biased, because I love black & white (with a hint of red) styling, but even still, this spread is so stylish and chic, it's hard not to love. This spread is photographed by Craig McDean, and styled by Marie-Amelie Sauve.

Dress & Boots: Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere, Turtleneck: Alexander Wang, Gloves: Sermoneta Gloves, Tights: Leg Avenue 

Shirt: Jill Sander, Fishnet Turtleneck: Alexander Wang, Skirt: Lover, Gloves: LaCrasia Gloves, Belt: Yves Saint Laurent, Boots: Celine 

Leather Jacket, Top, Pants, Boots: Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere, Fishnet Turtleneck: Alexander Wang

Coat: Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, Jacket, Fishnet Turtleneck: Alexander Wang, Skirt: Celine, Visor: House of Flora, Gloves: LaCrasia Gloves, Boots: Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere 

Top, Belt, Boots: Celine, Fishnet Turtleneck: Alexander Wang, Shorts: Raf Simons, Gloves: Sermoneta Gloves

Jacket, Top: Emporio Armani, Fishnet Turtleneck: Alexander Wang

In fashion, I always wish we can bypass summer and fast forward to autumn, just because fall fashions are always the most stylish of all. Wouldn't you agree?

xoxo,
N

Rocket Scientist-Fashionista's Take on a Dating Site

Since all I write about is fashion and movies, I figured I would take a break and write about something about myself for once.

This weekend, I ended up being rather bored in my room with a laptop. So I did what everyone who has no plans on a Friday night would do: sign up for a dating site, and promptly go off of it in less than 24 hours. I'll explain why...

Channeling my inner Temperance Brennan, I would say that my brief stint on the dating site was a good anthropological study of a general population outside of my nerd bubble. I have obtained a good survey of the female profile that is the most desired among the male population, which then proved that I myself do not fit the profile in any way.

How was my Bones impression? Well being the rocket scientist, I have to examine and analyze each traits that was discussed in the said profile. Also, it's just plain fun.

"I want a laid-back, down-to-earth girl..."

Oh the cliche. First of all, I'm a rocket scientist. My job requires me NOT to be down to Earth. Literally. Now talking about this more figuratively, I'm a fashionista, so I'm still not down to earth. Let's face it, those people are the kind who thinks fashion is stupid, waste of money, and vain. I have had plenty of those comments thrown my way. What they don't realize is that by writing off fashion as vain, they are proving themselves to be a closed-minded people. I am not asking everyone to appreciate fashion, but the very least they can do is to show respect to the art.

I also have recently discovered that I get very depressed if I'm not moving at 100mph and staying up until 2am working. I don't know about you, but that doesn't scream "laid-back" to me.

"I want someone who is low maintenance..."

Let's see. The entire shelf of my closet space is filled with shoe boxes. I do not leave my house without a make-up on, because I believe in being at my best at all times. Recently, I caved and bought a few more pairs of yoga pants because I did not own any sweat pants that are not PJ's. I do not own a backpack. The only pair of flat shoes are my running shoes. I'm a Sephora VIB (like a VIP list).

Definitely not low maintenance. Thing is, this is just who I am as a person, and I'm not apologizing for it. I think everyone has a right to be who they are, as long as they aren't causing any nuisance. I know this is a popular misconception, but being high maintenance does not equal diva attitude.

"Are you a real person!?"

No, darling, I'm a terminator. John Connor sent me to kick your ass, and then I'm thinking about running for the governor's office in California.

In all seriousness, I got asked this for real. Is it so hard to believe that a rocket scientist can also be a fashion stylist!?

Channeling Bones again...Upon careful examination of the evidence presented, I have concluded that dating site is not for me.

Then again, I'm too busy anyway and I would like to spend the spare time (when I have one) with my friends. :)

xoxo,
N

PS: Going along with my nerdiness, I think I'll catch up on Fringe... <3

Hugo, and how a rocket scientist/fashion stylist was born

As someone who deeply loves movie, it is only fitting that my first post of the year 2012 is on the night of the Oscars. The night that is all about dressing up, smiling, and hoping that your wardrobe does not malfunction. The night that is all about stressing out whether you are going to be on the stage making that "I would like to thank the Academy..." speech, and god forbid you leave someone out in the state of Oscar-winning daze. But above all, the night is all about celebrating the love for the movie.

Hugo, by far one of my all-time favorite movies, won 5 Oscars tonight.

The movie goes far beyond the face-value of a fantasy movie about a boy in search of a key that unlocks his robot. The movie is filled with love and gratitude towards the art of film making. I think anyone who grew up loving the movie will understand this underlying message. I also love how the movie that is all about the beginning of the motion picture is filmed by using the most cutting edge 3D & CG technology. Hugo, in a way, pays homage to the movies when it was still shot in 8mm films by filming it in digital 3D.

The technology has advanced far enough that we can create just about anything on film. When filming Gone with the Wind, which was released in 1939, "the fall of Atlanta" scene was a huge deal. Lots of real sets had to be burned, thus there was just one take, no mistakes were allowed, everyone's stress level is maxed out, you get the picture. Fast forward 70-something years and there is Pandora (not the radio station, the one with blue aliens), cars-turned-robots (or robots-turned-cars?), and of course, Paris in the 1920's, recreated in the most amazing way ever done.

I read the interview piece on the director, Martin Scorsese, and it really hit home. The article talked about how he was a sick kid with asthma and spent a lot of time watching movies. The world of film (and books, for that matter) is the one place where you can go on an adventure, and you only need just one thing: imagination.

Growing up, the majority of my friends existed in the world of books and movies. As someone who lacked playground skills of any kind (read: nerd), and had a unique fashion style (I didn't dress like a mainstream middle schooler), I was the real-life Luna Lovegood. Seriously, no one told me that going on and on about Apollo projects at the playground would result in balls getting thrown my way! When the "cool chicks" in middle school were just discovering the existence of Chanel bags, I was all about Roberta di Camerino trompe l'oeil bags. There might have been some incident about a 13-yr-old me claiming that sandals with 3in heels are considered flat shoes. I actually still believe that statement to be very true.

I didn't care much about not fitting in at the playground, because I knew I had my books and knowledge, and that's something no one can take away from me.

Like Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." You need knowledge, but if you are severely lacking the imagination required to make good use of that said knowledge, then that's just...very unfortunate. The world of books and movies are the best place to work on those imagination skills.

Since I'm lacking the luxury of time to indulge myself in the world of 221B Baker Street, I'll have to make do with the latest issue of Vogue. :)

xoxo,
N