Read on before you judge too soon. I am not posting another usual style post. It is a retelling of my self-realization journey through hooking up with an empowered autonomous designer – Sydney-based Sandi for Sandra Motallebi. From the moment I received an encouraging initial comment about La Mode by GV Miao from Sandi that she admired its refreshing and unique content which can hardly be found in other blogs, I already felt empowered and proud knowing that I am on the right track.

When I put on the signature Come Fly With Me Dress from Spring/Summer 2013 collection, it’s like magic, whoa! My self-esteem built, my confidence exploded and my performance level rose – everybody hear me sing “I feel pretty, oh, so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and bright! Lalalalalala……”

Sandi is always conscious of helping women to awaken and to live more inspired, authentic, empowered and joy-filled lives through her exceptional design. Her label Sandra Motallebi is based on the concept that every woman has light and darkness within her, together reflecting her mysterious nature. The debut Spring/Summer 2013 collection hence was named “True Beauty” aiming to explore different women’s beauty in their own way and accentuate their inner beauty rather than outer beauty, stimulating appreciation of their own unique personality and overriding the merely shallow and superficial physical attractiveness.

This Come Fly With Me Dress features superior craftsmanship, exquisite embellishments with a mix of fabrics and flowy drappy silhouette. I have had the most wonderful moment of my life by dressing in it. It has magically transformed me into an angelic fairy. My smile has never been this bright as spring blossoms. When I feel a change in me, the whole world changes. Feeling empowered is simply a matter of choosing to believe that the power to be fulfilled, gratified and satisfied lies in my own hands. I live happily and I act gracefully, therefore I am. Thank you Sandi, my guru.

On Vicki Victoire (Gwen Vikkey Miao):

Come Fly With Me Dress by Sandra Motallebi

Gold Plexi And Lace Earrings by the Italian vintage queen Evelyn La Starza for Maylily added a touch of vintage glamour to my soft and romantic look.

Classic Necklace worn as a headpiece, Pom Pom Bobble Bracelet and Blossom purse-like iPhone 5 Case by Cliché exuded girly elegance and celebrated the joy and warmth of spring.

Mary Jane heels by Staccato

Photographer: Jin Wong at JinWong.com

Styling & modeling: Vicki Victoire (Gwen Vikkey Miao)

Make up: FANCL make up service

Venue: Tai Ping Shan Street, Hong Kong (an area rich in cultural legacy and historical heritage of Hong Kong)

If you don’t, I suggest you better start getting to know her NOW as she is bound to be a STAR. At just 24-years-old, she has launched her own brand under her name and been invited to participate in major runway shows and exhibitions for the best up-and-coming design talents in Europe including Ones To Watch at Fashion Scout London and Zip Zone Paris Fashion Tradeshow taking place during London Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week respectively. In her final year of her studies at the design school, she was voted The Best Fashion Graduate by Vogue UK and won the WGSN Global Fashion Awards in the Most Creative Student Collection category. Who is she? Listen up! Her name is YEASHIN KIM.

Mini profile of Yeashin Kim:

Nationality: Korean

Occupation: Founder and designer of YEASHIN since 2011

Education: London College of Fashion, class of 2011

Spotted YEASHIN Spring/Summer 2013 collection “Garden of East” from the press package of Fier Showroom Fall/Winter 2013 (Berlin) happening in January for the first time, I have been totally captivated by the designer’s sensitivity to unique color combinations, unlimited creativity to experiment with different fabric textures and materials and imaginative expression in mixing and matching the seemingly irrelevant elements. Being a keen admirer of the 1960s British modern style and deeply inspired by traditional Korean costumes, Yeashin created the uniquely speechless and exceptionally cheery Spring/Summer “Garden of East” collection packed with vibrant, dynamic and vivid color pleated shifts stylized with a gat, a type of Korean traditional hat worn by men during the Joseon Dynasty, which exuded elegance and sweetness with a girly and fun touch, also best exemplified an exotic blend of retro-chic and neo-traditional, of east and west. Thank you Goran of Fier Management for coordinating my interview with Yeashin. Are you ready? Let’s journey into the creative mind and career of this future star of fashion.

Hi Yeashin, thank you for taking the time to speak with me……

GV Miao: Since when have you realized that you would decide to develop your career in fashion design? As far back as you can remember, did your interest in fashion start early (or let me put it this way, did your artistic ability start to show at a young age?)?

Yeashin: I graduated from an arts middle and high school in South Korea. At that time my major was in fine art, so I started doing fine art when I was very young. In my last year of middle school, I watched a fashion show for the first time and I thought fashion is a very splendid major because it brings different subjects together such as music, fine art, stage art, business, etc. That’s why I chose fashion which requires a lot of hard work but also very dynamic. And a few years later I entered the London College of Fashion.

GV Miao: How would you describe your design/your brand, YEASHIN (in terms of style, aesthetics, etc.)? I understand that many editors, fashion journalists and bloggers have written something about your collections, but somehow to a certain extent, I reckon those descriptions may be an individual’s interpretation of your works which do not necessarily represent the whole picture. I would like to hear it from you directly.

Yeashin: My brand’s mission is to make my customers joyful and their lives enjoyable and colorful. I hope to deeply move people who saw my clothes and please them with feelings of joy. I also want them to see fresh ideas and color combinations, too.
 I pay attention to clothes details and love playing around with a variety of materials, which I think make my design different from others. A typical YEASHIN girl is a playful mixture of bubbly and lively dressed in colors yet not without elegance.

GV Miao: Do you think the Korean cultural influence which exudes in your designs an asset for your career or somehow a stumbling block which may prevent you from attempting some groundbreaking ideas? 
(What I was trying to say is, taking some internationally known designers who are strongly influenced by Chinese culture such as Vivienne Tam and Wang-Chen Tsai-Hsia for Shiatzy Chen from Taiwan as an example, the fashion media automatically expects to see a China-inspired collection from them every season on the runway as they have pigeonholed them into the “East Meets West” type of designers. Designers of this kind may tend to think inside the box. I’m personally obsessed with oriental aesthetics and that essentially explains the name of my blog “an oriental perspective.” But I would like to know your thoughts on this as it can be quite a controversial subject. It’s often said art for art’s sake. Will it possibly take your designs to the next level if culture doesn’t take into account? But let me stress again, I personally love your Korean-inspired style though and would like to see more in your future collections.)

Yeashin: I love the concept of originality and inspiration of traditional Korean clothes in my design. Since I was young, I have been exposed to Korean culture and traditions through visiting exhibitions and shows. Therefore, I didn’t force myself to deliberately transfer traditional Korean elements into my design, they just came naturally to me. However, I want to say that keeping Korean-inspired style is not a must-do task. I wouldn’t do Korean looks if inspiration doesn’t show up. In fact, there is much more than just traditional Korean design details to feature in my collection every season. I just highlight Korean aesthetics with accessories and shoes.

GV Miao: YEASHIN has been very well-received in the fashion circle since its 2011 debut collection. How would you see the future of your brand?

Yeashin: Just keep doing more London-based fashion shows to maintain brand visibility, and further explore the possibilities of my design style.

GV Miao: How would you see the opportunity of entering the huge China market? (There is the Korean pop culture boom among the youth in Hong Kong. It could be the first stop (apart from Seoul) to expand your business in Asia.)



Yeashin: Of course I want to sell my clothes in China. Some selective retailers in China contacted me and they want to sell a few pieces from my collection. I like the idea but not yet ready to expand the retail network. Right now I just focus on doing fashion shows. I have to get prepared to launch a ready-to-wear line for sale.

GV Miao: If you didn’t choose to be a fashion designer, what do you think you’ll be doing today?

Yeashin: Like I said before, my first major was in fine art. I started doing fine art when I was very young, and I still love painting. Sometimes I like to do some paintings when I have the time. If I did not choose fashion, maybe I would become a painter from which I can gain more freedom. But until now I have much preferred working in fashion.

GV Miao: What’s up next? Anything groundbreaking about YEASHIN coming up? Can you share with me your inspiration for the next collection?

Yeashin: I just finished my Autumn/Winter 2013 runway show at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. The concept of my new Autumn/Winter collection is based on traditional Korean wooden furniture and David Hockney‘s paintings.

GV Miao: Lastly, fashion design is a super tough and highly competitive career. How do you stand out from the competition and what’s your life motto to keep you going?

Yeashin: I keep doing it because I enjoy it, that’s all.

Yeashin’s great fondness for bright colours and obsession with fabrics, textures and patterns were reflected to the utmost in her Fall/Winter 2013 collection “Woodland” which debuted at Ones To Watch catwalk show at Fashion Scout London during London Fashion Week two months ago. Inspired by the beauty of traditional Korean wooden furniture and intense and dramatic colors of the 1960s British pop artist David Hockney‘s paintings, the designer dressed up her models as woodland fairies in Alice in Wonderland style – fantastical, ecstatic and glamorous. The antique wood prints brought unity and cohesiveness to the hybrid collection of 14 outfits consisting of high waist bell shaped dresses which gave a hint of the silhouette of the hanbok, the traditional attire of Korea and short bolero jackets accessorized with Jacqueline Kennedy‘s pillbox hats, top hats symbolic of British high society and Korean gat-inspired headpieces. A delicate love affair between the young designer and colors continued through the next winter – burgundy, emerald, bubble gum, lilac, black, turquoise, tangerine, baby blue, ivory, caffe, cream – and she used them without hesitation.

Yeashin played with heavy and light fabrics and juxtaposed them to create an interesting contrast. So there was a mandarin collar polar fleece embellished satin dress with fleece fur trimmed cuffs and a leather belt, a fleece embellished tweed coat featuring a textured grid pattern, a chunky knit poncho paired with a leather skirt, fringes and pom poms on collars, leather peplum details and other materials such as gabardine, silk chiffon and wool.

Yeashin highlighted Korean aesthetics with accessories and shoes.

La Mode by GV Miao wishes Yeashin Kim all the best in her future career. I will do everything I can to bring the dazzling YEASHIN to the China market. Dear fans, our collaboration has just begun so please stay closely tuned. Isn’t it thrilling?

La Mode by GV Miao Year-End Gratitude Giveaway Campaign 2012 was finished perfectly on January 14 with some exceptionally touching, heartfelt, deeply personal and very moving thankful moments of the past year received. Thank you to all our contestants for their interest in taking part and their support for the giveaway which cannot be completed successfully otherwise. It was hard to choose just one winner, but Ms. Browne absolutely deserves to win because her story serves as a reminder to everyone of us that we should be grateful in all circumstances, be they good or bad, for God has a great plan for our lives. All we have to do is to cling onto God’s unfailing promises in the midst of uncertainty, and He will lead us into our land of milk and honey. Here let me share Ms. Browne’s encouraging words which shall become our blessings and the driving force to keep us going everyday in 2013. Live a life of full of gratitude, have faith!

“I am eternally grateful for all the wonderful things God has given me and shown me—not material things but life, friends, family, insight into my life, and the ability to love and be loved. The list is endless! He is truly the greatest and He is truly the way to all that is good! In this world economic downturn; as an up & coming designer it is very hard come up with funding to make a collection to show at Fashion Weeks-but God always makes a way for me. He blessed me several times during 2012 that afforded me the opportunity to go on a study tour in Europe & meet with Buyers (England, France & Germany), attend an Economic Growth Forum, & Cariforum/EU Business Forum that were fully sponsored. God is continuously making a way for my Label in the world of Fashion. Through the pain, hardships and discouragement I have encountered during 2012; I have realized God’s ever-loving presence no matter how hard things may be. For that I am truly Grateful!” - Tamiko Browne

Ms. Browne will be awarded with our one and only La Mode by GV Miao 2nd Anniversary canvas shopper bag. We will contact her directly for the details of gift collection shortly. Congratulations!

La Mode by GV Miao hopes that you find 2013 memorable, rewarding and full of moments of gratitude and joy. Stay tuned for more upcoming exceptional giveaways in 2013!

It is not like any other giveaway, it is wrapped in all my love and sincerity for you at this time of the year!

After all the excitement of quite a few boisterous Christmas parties, it is time to withdraw to my quiet place and count the many, many blessings I have, both past and present and continue to move forward in God’s grace. Reflecting back on this past year, I find myself being overwhelmed with joy because of the countless blessings that God has bestowed upon me. In 2012, I have had many experiences in the kaleidoscopic fashion world that I would describe as once in a lifetime – participating in Ukraine International Fashion Days 2012 (May), making my model debut at African Fashion Show “I Wear Africa” (August), being sponsored by the French couture designer Laure Kczekotowska (December, more stories about this collaboration will be published in 2013), just to name a few. One thing that has truly touched my heart and I am incredibly proud of for the past two years of blogging is the continuous support from my dear followers/readers (yes, that’s you, you, you and you!) without which I would probably have quitted (much earlier than Tavi did I reckon).

As promised some time ago, to reward my followers for their love and loyalty, I am giving away to the lucky one this one-of-a-kind (the one and only, in heaven and on earth) La Mode by GV Miao 2nd Anniversary canvas shopper bag sponsored by Bags of Love, the personalized gift company in London, which I designed with all my heart. This bag was very well-received when I first featured it on La Mode by GV Miao facebook fan page a few months ago. Now no more waiting, just follow three simple steps to register for a chance to win today!

Step 1: Follow La Mode by GV Miao facebook fan page

Step 2: Follow La Mode by GV Miao fashion blog via networkedblogs, and leave ONE of your most gratitudable moments of 2012 in the comment space below

Step 3: (For Twitter users) tweet La Mode by GV Miao Year-End Gratitude Giveaway Campaign 2012 with the hashtag #gvmiaogiveaway12 

Entry period: from now to January 14, 2013 (till 11:59pm Pacific Time)

Terms and conditions:

– In case of any disputes regarding the giveaway, our decision will be final.

– The winner will be announced here on our blog and on our La Mode by GV Miao facebook fan page on January 15 . We will contact the winner via facebook for prize collection shortly.

It is almost 2013! Let’s all take this last chance to express gratitude for every cherishable memory of 2012 both bitter and sweet. The one thankful story that moves me most shall win my bag.

Wish you all a grace filled and fruitful new year! Cheers!

Tavi Gevinson at Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2011 runway show at New York Fashion Week

Photo courtesy of The Wizard of Odd

Inspired by the news that the 16-year-old super blogger Tavi Gevinson quitted because of the disappointment she felt with the fashion game she has played in the past three years previously posted on Hamilton Fashion Blog by an insightful American blogger friend William Hamilton, I strongly feel the need to say a few words about the distorted evolution of the blogosphere. Before fashion bloggers have gradually expanded their sphere of influence to become a major media force less than ten years ago, only the commentaries made by high-fashion magazine editors, well-known fashion journalists and reputable stylists would be taken seriously (yes fashion is always an exclusive game for a small group of people). It was until 2009 when Bryan Boy was first invited to Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter show at New York Fashion Week sitting in the front row as a blogger (not an editor, like Anna Wintour or Anna Dello Russo, or a fashion celeb, like Alexa Chung) that the fashion industry has finally recognized the power of blog writing, unprofessional though it may seem, it has indeed officially overturned the traditional media ecology. Bryan Boy, Rumi Neely, Tavi and other super bloggers get a million hits a month on their blogs, which can absolutely compete with the high-end glossy magazines such as Vogue and Bazaar.

Anna Wintour at Lanvin Spring/Summer 2013 runway show at Paris Fashion Week (front row)

Anna Dello Russo at Lanvin Spring/Summer 2013 runway show at Paris Fashion Week (front row)

Alexa Chung

Photo courtesy of Zimbio, Zimbo and of Alexa Chung’s Style

Based on Bryan Boy‘s success, I can certainly conclude that the essence of blogging is how an unprofessional fashion lover shares his/her innermost thoughts and most honest and significant personal beliefs about fashion without any commercial consideration, which touch the heartstrings of readers equally far and wide as, or even better than the glitzy glamorous editorial writing. The purpose of blogging is in the first place to make the door of exclusivity open to ordinary people, and create a democratic space in which every common person is empowered to build the unique, one-of-a-kind and genuine fashion world they own which is like a breath of fresh air, with that they counteract the clichéd luxury fashion market monopolized by the top fashion houses and their wowing marketing strategies and overwhelming media presence. If fashion is built on a cliquey network, the foundation of fashion blogging must be laid in people’s support. Ten years later today, however, bloggers seem unwilling to embrace such a down-to-earth spirit of blogging as they start to realize that blogging can be a shortcut to fame and fortune, and thus their intention becomes impure. Upon my observation of today’s blogosphere, a relatively large number of so-called bloggers tend to chase their dreams of blogging stardom at the expense of the integrity of the individual and an independent autonomous voice. Bryan Boy now being represented by CAA, one of the world’s most renowned talent agencies which represents some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and many more has become another celebrity and no longer blogs (he does but it is more appropriate to call his blog a celeb diary ever since he has turned into a fashion star). Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. This quote extracted from Lord Acton‘s letter written in 1887 seems so applicable to today’s bloggers.

Bryan Boy  at New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2013

Rumi Neely at Helmut Lang Fall/Winter 2012 runway show at New York Fashion Week

Photo courtesy of Exposay and Zimbio

There are some bloggers (yes they claim themselves as bloggers) who are in fact no different from fashion reporters. They unreservedly dedicate their blogs to serving the best interests of big brands and PR agencies, which has resulted in turning their blogs into an advertorial hub. Bloggers of this kind are able to make money from advertising and enjoy all the exclusive benefits, including product sponsorship and being entitled to receive first-hand fashion news offered by their “clients” in return. They may appear successful as they are very popular in the media circle, but let’s face it, they are some smart business opportunists rather than bloggers.

What is more, another type of bloggers who are particularly proactive in establishing their names and expanding their domains within a short time ally among themselves and with designers, stylists, photographers and even PR people and launch their team blogs in a high profile manner through which they boost their marketable and authoritative image to the utmost. Knowing the strategy of self-promotion and market expectations better than anyone else does, this kind of bloggers are acting as their own managers, meaning that they package themselves as fashion gurus and grab every opportunity they can to make themselves stand out and impress and hobnob with the top-tiered fashion elitists backed up by an extensive network of their allied teammates. In this sense, blogging is seen as a means to pride and reputation. Is there still room for sincerity, honesty and faithfulness to life where the true spirit of blogging lies when such an intention is present? I am seriously not sure.

The fashion blogging world has never been so dominated by elitism than it is now. Realizing the unprecedented impact of social media on today’s fashion industry and of course one’s reputation, celebrities, designers, editors, stylists and photographers all join the crowd and embark on a journey of blogging to further promote their names/their works. As aforementioned, blogging is supposed to be a great way to create opportunities for everyone – ordinary people to share with the rest of the world their intuitive fashion sense – something we were all born with. I don’t know since when the elitist attitude which has long existed in fashion has swept across the blogging world, which I reckon would eventually – sadly become another clique – the vicious cycle keeps spinning. Can non-elitist/ordinary bloggers’ voices still be heard by then? I highly doubt it.

Susanna Lau (Susie Bubble) 

Photo courtesy of The Guardian/The Observer

Speaking in an interview with The Observer, the famous British blogger of Chinese descent Susanna Lau (Susie Bubble) said: “You have to collaborate with certain labels and get involved in projects in order to make a living, but also hang on to your integrity and be true to your own voice. It’s tricky to navigate.” To strike a fine balance between monetizing a blog and keeping its authenticity is easier said than done especially when the blogger is climbing the fashion ladder gradually working his/her way to the top. The more popular a blogger is, the heavier the burden of fame h/she has to bear and the more conscious h/she will be of what rewards that can be gained in return, which would eventually result in the gradual loss of the ability to blog in a spontaneous and free flowing manner. Who knows if I will follow in Bryan Boy‘s footsteps to walk the path to blogging stardom someday (after all, people change and I am no exception). At least at this moment, I can proudly make my statement (friends be my witnesses) –

• I am not a fashion journalist. Neither do I like to see myself as part of the media circle.

• I do not feel obligated to catch up with the pulse of fashion (though I prefer to).

• Without a sense of urgency, I write at my own pace.

• I have full autonomy over what to and not to write.

• I let my thoughts fly without worrying about what others might say about me.

• My blog is probably not the right place to visit if you aim at gossiping about celebs and socialites attending events and chasing closely after the latest fashion trends (why not simply read Vogue and Bazaar? They have got the best team capable of capturing the hottest fashion news from all over the world).

• All the way I have kept my intention pure to share only my personal taste in and my personal experience with fashion.

Fellow bloggers, my advice to you is to be still. It is the distinct character that exudes from your blog that will become your signature. Always stay truthful, authentic and focused and in time all good things will come to you. Why overdo things?

Not a big fan of dancing? The venue was lavishly decorated with brightly colored African handcrafted works. The guests could leisurely browse the beautiful displays of African fabrics, wood and other colorful handmade works and kept themselves in a delightful mood for the show.

More guests flocked to the bar fifteen minutes before the show started. After a short while the music stopped and the MC came onto the stage to announce the start of the show with a speech in praise of the designers’ creativity and the beauty of the models. Wows could be heard as each model came out in her stunning look. The models did not grace a typical runway; they catwalked through the audiences showing warm smiles and friendly gestures and welcoming close-up snapshots by the crowd. The African fashion show was all about everyone, no matter who they are enjoying and participating in a fun and fabulously chic party on an equal basis. So who cares about Anna Wintour?

Amina’s designs exuded eclectic African charm and style. Her traditional African inspired robe and headdresses and vibrantly colored maxi dresses featuring ethnic tribal prints paid tribute to the African cultural heritage.

The collection devoted a great deal of attention to multi-patterned African prints of bright colors such as lime, yellow and orange red and bold designs which reflected passion, enthusiasm and optimism, so intrinsic in African people. The model’s ice blue lips formed an interesting contrast against her kaleidoscope outfit in vivid warm colors.

Amina herself is a dress maniac (so am I). She thoughtfully designed plenty of colorful printed one-piece dresses with different silhouettes and styles perfect for busy metropolitan women who need a convenient wardrobe with various kinds of dresses for all occasions: sexy body hugging mini dresses, flowy dance dresses, adorable mermaid dresses, stylish chic tube dresses and off-shoulder dresses, classic elegant dresses, you name it being showcased in the fashion show, a dress extravaganza, to be precise. Amina fancified her favorite dresses even more with layers of ruffles, frills and ribbons that added a pretty touch of texture. All prints in this collection were exclusively designed, and each piece was sewn with a sewing machine by the designer herself (respect!). If you are thinking of what to wear to make yourself uniquely beautiful and be admired by the crowd like the models were, you have come to the right place – welcome to Amina’s Tailoring!

It is hard to pick just one must have item from the collection as each piece was so well tailored with particular attention given to design, character and quality. But if I could only choose one, I would most definitely go for this open back mermaid dress. With this super cute shoulderless backless dress, the wearer can show off her fun and flirty side. A row of flouncy ruffles across the high waistline with a girlish mermaid hemline and an obi-like ribbon at the back combined youthfulness, liveliness and sexiness as one. The back of the dress adopted the design of backlessness which was the entire point of the outfit. It is too hard to pick just one, can I pick two?

Neon colors are a global fashion hit for this summer. Amina mixed bright colored exotic tribal prints and African tradition with postmodern neon colors, which reflected the designer’s exceptional sensitivity to fashion, and took her collection to the next level by setting the “fluo meets ethnic” trend.

The neon colored dresses surprisingly and stunningly went well with the vintage style metal and leather jewelry by the French jewelry designer Virginie Villa for Miss Bella. Miss Bella’s signature feminine butterfly motif and classic fretwork design helped tone down the edginess of these electric colors: electric blue, neon green and neon orange.

If you happen to be in town, drop by Minimi and get your favorite little treasures by Miss Bella. You don’t want to wait till your next trip to France? No problem. Let’s now explore the treasures together, ta-da!

Minimi

Shop address: 31 Galerie Bordelaise
33000 Bordeaux, France

Me and Amina Lamarre, the French-African businesswoman turned amateur fashion designer

Me and the French jewelry designer Virginie Villa for Miss Bella

The “Year of the Dragon” watch features a fierce yet revered Chinese dragon flying through misty clouds high above the raging sea, which is a popular scene in Chinese scroll paintings. The blue and white color palettes inspired by Chinese blue and white porcelain perfectly enhance the oriental and exotic style.

Each limited edition Dragon watch comes attractively packaged in a deluxe gift box with a cut-out dragon design.

Get this exceptional limited edition “Year of the Dragon” watch here in Swatch online store for your friends and family and wish them exuberantly joy all year long full of luck, pride and oriental glitz and glamor.

Gongxi Gongxi!

Valentine’s Day is not just for couples,

it’s about love to share;

so think about the people you love,

and let them know you care.

On this year’s Valentine’s Day, I spent the sweetest moment ever with another 29 bloggers and friends invited to Tif & Tiffy Valentine’s Day DIY Workshop where we used our creativity and aesthetic sense to DIY with love a winter accessory chosen for our beloved friends and families (or ourselves). Launched in 2007, Tif & Tiffy is a local brand specializing in high quality knits and furs, first starting with the European retail market and now expanding its business back home in Hong Kong and China.

Fall/Winter 2012 collection

Tif & Tiffy is the brainchild of Ms. Kitty Poon who shared the story behind the brand inspired by her close relationship with her two daughters, Stephanie and Tiffany after whom the brand was named.

Derived from the loving mother-daughter relationship, the brand’s core philosophy is to embrace and celebrate the tasteful life which is built on a foundation of love and of healthy human relationships.

Tif & Tiffy X Keenable Crossover Tote Bag: Tif & Tiffy shows love, compassion and support for the disadvantaged people by collaborating with charitable organizations such as Keenable Creation, a non-profit social enterprise with a mission to promote the disabled artists in Hong Kong and sell their artistic creations, and explore opportunities for them to expand their creative talents to the full by which their quality of life can be enhanced through participation in art and design to convey humanist values that everyone, whether they have a disability or not should be equally entitled to the freedom to create and enjoy their own life full of love and happiness.

We were as excited as kids in a candy store when we saw tons and tons of beautiful colored DIY materials – glass beads, crystal rhinestones, fabric buttons, brooches, you name it placed before us for our selection.

Considering that I spend much time per year in Europe with my beloved partner, I chose to DIY this adorable pair of knitted ear muffs to keep our ears warm in the winter months while my friend, Caroline picked these stylish purple striped gloves.

After almost an hour of “hard work,” ta-da! ladies and gentlemen, my debut DIY ear muffs were finished! I glamorized the headband with matching colored crystal beads and rhinestones of different shapes and decorated the right side of the muff with a super cute butterfly brooch. How do you like them? My friend in the US offered to buy them. What a nice surprise!

It was totally out of my expectation that Kitty picked my ear muffs as her favorite among other DIY designs. Another nice surprise for me! Thank you, Kitty.

When I entered Asia’s Top Glam Bloggers Contest, I was asked to describe my favorite fashion moments. This Tif & Tiffy Valentine’s Day blogger event celebrating the spirit of true love was undoubtedly one of my picks. 30 bloggers including me had all become the most beautiful angels as we shared love with others through fashion, and from which we might even inspire and enlighten the world through creativity. Such core values should exist in each blogger.

Long live love! Everyday is Valentine’s Day.

I can’t believe that there are tons of contestants entering the design contest by unitedstyles.com every day and my design was chosen as the winner. Bloggers can also become designers now. The result was also announced on unitedstyles’ facebook page.

I never thought of designing my own clothes but with unitedstyles.com things are becoming possible. Everyone can develop his/her design potential and create one-of-a-kind outfits according to personal taste with the help of the choice of silhouettes and styles suggested by unitedstyles.com. Did it bring back your memories of those days when you loved playing dress up games with your sisters?

This mini cocktail dress exudes sweet sensation and femininity meant to be for girls with a cheerful and adorable personality who fancy bright colors. The design brings your attention to the sexy ruffled off shoulder neckline. I picked the floral prints for their sense of summer and youth conveyed.

If you want to test your creativity and enjoy the fun, come join the contest!

Just like Christmas in the west, Chinese New Year is a time for gathering with family and friends. Let’s grasp the last chance to throw a Chinese New Year masquerade party to celebrate this special Year of the Dragon before it’s too late. My Taiwanese born designer friend, Jade Chiu, graduated from Parsons School of Design has got an amazing idea for turning you into a party queen this Chinese New Year. She collaborated with Muffinhead, the New York pop culture artist to launch a versatile exotic accessory collection 3Dragons™ inspired by the Year of the Dragon. The plexi laser-cut pieces can be worn as necklaces or eyepatches at a masquerade party.

Ming collection: I especially like the pendant which is like the Ming princess’ crown. The 3Dragons™ collection comes in several colors: gold, purple and red which represent wealth, royalty and happiness in Chinese culture.

Dragon Kiss collection: How about wearing the geisha white make-up to enhance the oriental look? It’s absolutely my style.

Tai-Pow collection

Start the Dragon year with an exotic glam look and it brings you good luck all year round. Xin Nian Kuai Le! Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year!

We are delighted to announce Stephanie Drayton as the winner of our GV Miao X *LittleBlackDress* – Christmas Gift Giveaway Campaign 2011: T-shirt Slogan Design Contest. Congratulation! Stephanie will be awarded with a LittleBlackDress slogan tee with her winning slogan printed on it, and her winning slogan tee will be mass-produced to be sold on LittleBlackDress‘ official website.

On behalf of our GV Miao fashion blog and LittleBlackDress, I thank all the contestants for participating in this gift giveaway campaign or it can’t be completed smoothly. Stay tuned for more upcoming giveaways, see you in 2012!

We will contact the winner directly for the details of gift collection shortly.

The year is coming to a close soon and we’d love to thank all our dear fashionista friends and followers for their friendship and support in 2011. Please click on La Mode by GV Miao Christmas & new year e-card dedicated to you all. I found the background music so cute, I hope you will like it.

More great posts are coming up in 2012, stay with us!

On Vicki Victoire for GV Miao fashion blog:

“Not Interested In Being A Fashion Icon” slogan tee sponsored by LittleBlackDress

Floral bubble skirt by iBlues

Pink monogram fedora by Furla

Polka dot scarf by Kookai

Pink suede ankle boots by InNIU

Gold large hoop earrings by Juicy couture

Grey faux crocodile skin handbag with pink ribbon embellishment sponsored by Alison B. Bags

Styling, modeling & make-up: Vicki Victoire for GV Miao fashion blog

Venue: Stanley, Hong Kong (the Victorian-era Murray House exudes European colonial charm, elegance and style, a perfect venue for my debut fashion shoot)

Alessia picked her favorite shot and featured it on LittleBlackDress‘ official website/online store (pg. 5). If you haven’t joined our GV Miao X *LittleBlackDress* – Christmas Gift Giveaway Campaign 2011: T-shirt Slogan Design Contest yet, I hope my photo shoot will help inspire you to think of your life’s slogan which means something to you. Come join the contest!

Want your design be seen and worn by thousands?

GV Miao and Alessia Caliendo for LittleBlackDress will grant you your wish. Here are THREE EASY STEPS TO WIN

TAKE ACTION NOW!

The winner will be awarded with a LittleBlackDress slogan tee with his/her own winning slogan printed on it. The winning slogan tee will be mass produced to be sold on LittleBlackDress‘ official website with the winner acknowledged.

Step 1: think of your slogan in life which means a lot to you (better make it creative and fun).

Step 2: click here X’mas T-shirt Slogan Design Contest – leave your slogan to leave your slogan.

Step 3: invite your friends to vote for you, the slogan that gets the most “Like” will win.

Contest entry period: from now to December 25, 2011

Terms and conditions:

– Double-voting under false identities will not be counted.

– In case of any disputes regarding the giveaway, our decision will be final.

– The winner will be announced here on our blog and on our facebook fan page Fashion Blog: La Mode by GV Miao – an Oriental Perspective on Boxing Day. We will contact the winner via facebook for prize collection shortly.

My young Italian designer friend, Alessia Caliendo and her African print dress, I especially love those ethnic patterns and bright and uninhibited color combinations. Alessia is best known for her cheerful and colorful designs which are a true reflection of her personality. Her lively spirit is beautifully reflected in all of her ingenious creations.

Photo taken at FashionCamp Milano 2011

I have got my “Not Interested in Being a Fashion Icon” slogan tee as a gift from Alessia. Slogan tees are one of LittleBlackDress‘ signature items. Now you get a chance to win your one-of-a-kind slogan tee. Read on.

Many young jewelry designers of Alessia’s age are keen on creating collections of fancy, bling bling jewelry intensely embellished with colored crystals or faux expensive diamonds. Alessia’s jewelry pieces, nevertheless, are unique in the way that they are made of gold with a simple and clean design. How can’t you not fall in love with these cute purse pendant bracelets? I reckon they are the best gift idea.

The designer Alessia herself is the best image girl for her own brand.

LittleBlackDress‘ brief brand profile: first launched in 2007, the brand represents simplicity, versatility and cosmopolitan elegance. It offers all the must-have items for every modern girl’s wardrobe, from slogan tees and sartorial etiquette dresses to accessories of the Italian innovative design tradition, all are designed by the fabulous and talented designer, Alessia Caliendo. After the successful exhibition at FashionCamp Milano 2011, Alessia expands her business into the flourishing market in Dubai while sustaining an outstanding sales performance in Europe.

This Christmas, we are honored to have LittleBlackDress to be our sponsor for the t-shirt slogan design contest. Alessia will award you, the winner the most heart-warming festive gift – a LittleBlackDress slogan tee with your winning slogan printed on it and acknowledge and sell your design on LittleBlackDress‘ official website. For full contest details, please click to read 3 STEPS TO WIN GV Miao X *LittleBlackDress* – Christmas Gift Giveaway Campaign 2011: T-shirt Slogan Design Contest. We cordially invite you to a creative Christmas experience with us. Take action now!

Photos by LittleBlackDress

Just like any other bloggers, I used to be traffic-conscious and had been through a lot of frustrations when my blog’s hit rate did not turn out as fantastic as I thought it would, but now I realize that a high-traffic blog does not automatically mean a high-quality blog in terms of content. After all, blogging is all about nurturing original thinking and extending creativity. In order to be a successful blogger, you need to be able to identify the factors leading to the endurable success of a blog: blog only what you believe; express your true values and convey your unique style in your writings rather than pleasing the readers with cliché hot topics which would cause a spike on your traffic statistics, but without followers’ loyalty. Let your personality and passion shine through your posts and your readers will find you and get to know you through your blog, and that’s how you build a relationship with your readers. If you are able to give them reasons to further explore the kind of fashion experience that only exists in your blog and keep revisiting it for more, they will surely follow you eventually.

Do not take Rumi Neely, Bryan Boy or Anna Dello Russo as your role model though bloggers always tend to do otherwise. Rumi, BB and Anna are fashion celebrities, not necessarily bloggers (Rumi and BB might start as a blogger but we’d better admit that their roles as bloggers have changed). Simply because these people are celebrities, and people will care no matter what they wrote on their blogs, whether it is about an exclusive interview with a top designer, or getting the front row seats at the “Big Four” fashion weeks, or even as trivial as what they had for breakfast. The lives of celebrities are so different from our reality. Before you continue your blogging career, the first thing to do is to sort out your blogging identity, ask yourself whether you want to pursue a glamorous yet impossible dream of becoming a fashion star or stay down-to-earth and be a faithful blogger working hard towards long lasting success. For me, I don’t need to be a glossy fashion star; I just want to be a down-to-earth brilliant blogger. Fashion blogging, after all, is about having fun.  Why get frustrated?

Rumi Neely and Bryan Boy

Anna Dello Russo

Maggie Fall/Winter 2011 runway show, featuring an urban chic, Maggie combined the modern cosmopolitan style with romantic feminine elements, giving birth to Maggie‘s signature image which has character and strong personalization, yet stylized with a sense of feminine grace. Women choose to wear Maggie to show off their attitude and create a statement that seems to say “hey look at us! Yes, we are women, and we are conscious of the power of femininity and not afraid of showing it and of displaying our sexiness. Let’s dress ourselves up with Maggie and we are ready to conquer the world!” Isn’t it cool? Are you one of them?

The Maggie booth at FashionCamp Milano 2011

Denim cell phone covers as promotional event giveaways, I’ve got one for myself.

This Cubic Lorena jacket with a shiny effect from the luxurious Extremely Maggie line is the perfect companion for any evening occasions.

This pair of leather coated denim jeans also belonged to Extremely Maggie line once worn by Lady Gaga in her concert tour.

My most favorite military trench coat “Renata” made of heavy 21 oz denim from Maggie Superior line allows women’s persevering spirit to shine in their everyday lives.

Maggie held a contest in July to select a blogger who is being sponsored to travel around Europe for one year to explore and report stories about women saving the world. Maggie has been looking for its new Maggie all over the world, and Maggie(s) are just right there. Three remarkable women’s effort and perseverance striving for the safety of women and for women’s rights by non-violent means in their countries where women’s social status is rather low have paid off. Africa’s first female elected head of state, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, a Liberian peace activist, and Tawakul Karman, a leading figure in Yemen’s pro-democracy movement jointly won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. It is absolutely the best example of women displaying courage and faith to change the status-quo. I cordially suggest Maggie to sponsor our three heroines to celebrate their fearless spirit and everlasting faith for women’s rights to live in dignity and equality. What a marketing strategy! It can’t ever get better than this. Think about it.

The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Winners, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakul Karman of Yemen. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty, Frederick M Brown/Getty, Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

Being an architect-turned-designer, Giulia has designed jewelry collections which fully reflect proportional beauty, strive for aesthetic and structural harmony, and play around with the use of materials. Her latest collection of exclusive leather jewelery showcased at the camp is called “Leaves.” Producing this signature flower leather necklace required a lot of hand quilting and collage techniques, which took a long time to complete according to the designer and therefore no two pieces are exactly the same. Customers do not only pay for the design which is uniquely theirs, but also for the designer’s passion for perfection and handcraftsmanship. Accessorizing Chiara’s one-piece dress with Giula’s flower leather necklace was the best way to manifest the gracefulness and tastefulness of European women.

I have got my necklace like this one as a gift from Giulia. It goes perfectly well with my white beaded tunic top. Thanks Giulia!

Le Chou Chou adorable miniature jewelry by Annapaola Rapacciuolo can absolutely capture every girl’s heart. Inspired by Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way, the designer named each item from the “La Petite” collection after the characters and places in the novel. The vintage teacup and cookies bracelet, the most darling whimsical little teacup ring and pendant, the classy teapot bracelet, and the heart shaped chocolate cake ring (yummmm!!!) all reminded of the good old days. How can you not feel the sweetness of wearing any of them?

Chiara’s collection is classic, elegant and timeless featuring deluxe fabrics and refined details, and this style is most evident in the design of this printed silk lined jacket made of upholstery fabric. The multicolored printed silk lining and earth-toned furniture fabric used as the face fabric created the most distinct contrast possible in texture and color, which best represents the designer’s thoughtfulness and sensitivity which bring creativity stimulation in the fashion world.

Having the chance of meeting face-to-face with the local Italian designers during this memorable fashion trip to Milan made me realize that what really won my applause and eternal respect for these three talented designers was the way they show their devotion and commitment to fashion. They are not in a hurry to quickly design and produce that they sacrifice quality for quantity as a result, nor do they ever go for the second best. Their creativity and originality overflow with abundance; they would only give their customers the best of their designs which are unique and extraordinarily special with typical Italian design flair. Trust me, you will surely get addicted to the Italian designs like I do after reading this post.