Merry Christmas!

Wishing you sparkle,

Wishing you cheer,

For a bright Merry Christmas

And a happy New Year!

Recognize It When It's Fake: Louis Vuitton

For the end of the year, when everybody is hunting for presents and the merchants are taking advantage of everything, I thought I would start an interesting topic that is very close to my heart: shopping for luxury goods without the threat of buying an imitation. Who hasn't heard of websites boasting of having the best prices for a Louis Vuitton or Chanel bag or the occasional eBay seller presenting a vast array of designer bags and accessories? There are even regular and vintage shops selling so-called designer items, but can you really trust everything they say? If you are thinking of buying a luxury item, especially during the holiday frenzy, there are a few tips and tricks worth reading first.

The threat of fake goods is one of the biggest issues in the luxury industry, creating losses of about 9.2 billion dollars yearly. Due to its highly recognizable logo and extreme international appeal, Louis Vuitton is the most copied luxury brand worldwide. Only 1% of all products bearing the LV brand or logo are actual Louis Vuitton goods. Being their most noticeable asset, the bags pose the biggest threat of being counterfeits. Here are a few tricks to spot the difference between a genuine bag and its fake version:

December Magic: Christmas at the George V Hotel Paris

If this year Christmas is red, last year it was all golden at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris! As promised some time ago, this #throwbackthursday post is all about their 2013 wonderful Christmas decorations, designed by hotel's Artistic Director. Jeff Leatham's ability to enchant and delight goes far beyond his magical flower arrangements in this setting with a sculptured golden reindeer theme. Quite similar to this year's panda bears, this setting seems to be richer because of all the gold tones and blends perfectly with the overhead chandelier and the hall decor.

Which display did you enjoy most - last year's golden deer theme or this year's red panda bear one? I think it's really difficult to choose, but the red panda bears win it by a bit for me! Red is the ultimate colour for Christmas!


Photos: Guillermo Aniel-Quiroga for Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris

December Magic: George V Hotel Paris Christmas Display

Every year, the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris has a unique Christmas display in mind. This year, the Hotel's Artistic Director Jeff Leatham went all out and besides the Christmas tree made out of lights at the entrance and the pine tree forest in the yard, he commissioned two dazzling red polar bears to adorn the lobby. The giant sculptures designed by Leatham and produced by Michael Amann are made entirely out of 900 pieces of red mirrors and took about 1500 hours to build.

Inspired by Pinterest: Week 1

Some of you may know, others not, but I've also had a Pinterest account for a long time and like any other great visual media, it represents a true fountain of inspiration for me. I thought it would be nice to start sharing with you a weekly round up of the best snapshots that catch my eye every week. So here goes week 1: cozy knits, leather jackets, killer shoes, some travel inspiration and statement jewelry!

Sunday Illustrations: Famous People (1)

Maybe you don't remember it by now, but a long time ago I started posting funny illustrations Sunday mornings on the blog. I recently discovered another great series of illustrations by Vahram Muratyan, depicting famous people by their most prominent features or trademark styles. Here is the first extract of the series:

Can you guess who they all are?

Illustrations: Vahram Muratyan

Reincarnation - A Short Film by Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld created yet another beautiful short film, this time to accompany his latest Metiers d'Art collection presented in Salzburg earlier this week. Based on the local folklore and an intriguing tale from the history of the Chanel House, the film features Pharell and Cara Delevingne as the Austrian emperor and empress Franz Joseph and Sissi, and Geraldine Chaplin as Coco Chanel.

The film illustrates the story behind the four-pocketed braid-trimmed jacket that was to become one of the most recognizable Chanel trademarks of all times. The original soundtrack of the video, CC The World, was written by Pharell especially for this short film and is performed by both him and Cara Delevingne.

Have a look at the video below:

What did you think of this original adaptation of the royal power couple Franz Joseph and Sissi? I thought it was a really sweet moment and a very interesting way of presenting the story behind the Chanel jacket. Choosing Pharell to play emperor Franz Joseph was definitely a bold move, but in my opinion it paid off. What do you think?

Chanel Pre-Fall 2015 Show in Salzburg

Austria has a special link with the history and of the House of Chanel, as it was here that Coco Chanel found the inspiration for one of her iconic pieces: the four-pocketed braid-trimmed jacket. She saw a version of it on a lift operator of the hotel Schloss Mittersill and was immediately intrigued. Building on this story, Karl Lagerfeld took this year's Métiers d'Art show to Salzburg and the no less famous Schloss Leopoldskron, best known for being the setting of The Sound of Music. The rococo palace's interconnected appartments served as an opulent runway.

Inspired both by the iconic jacket itself, as well as by the traditional Tyrolean garments, the collection features both lederhosen and edelweiss embroideries, along with delicate lace, cashmere tights, feathered skirts or classical straight silhouettes. Velvet ribbon bows were of the essence in bringing back an aura of the past, being both used to tie the models' hair or as belts and chokers. The unexpected fun element were the hairphones worn by some of the models: they were actual headphones styled to look like braids Heidi would wear. Have a look at the atmosphere on the runway and be ready for a modern take on lederhosen and dirndls - menswear included!

Backstage @ Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014

 

As promised, here are a few backstage snapshots from the Victorias's Secret Fashion Show 2014. All fun and giggly, the girls seemed to have the time of their lives!

Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2014

Last night it felt like Christmas was closer than ever. Not all the shiny lights on the streets, the slow falling snow or the decorated trees could bring the giddy spirit of Christmas closer than the Victoria's Secret fashion show did! All the colorful outfits, the sparkles and ribbons and the perfectly choreographed moments were like gifts wrappers for our fashion hungry eyes. One of the biggest and most expensive shows on our winter fashion calendar, the Victoria's Secret show took place for the first time in London last night. The different looks were split into 6 themes: Gilded Angels, Exotic Traveller, Fairy Tale, Dream Girl, University of Pink and Angel Ball. Among the many other gorgeous Angels strutting the runway this year there were 10 new faces, while brunette beauties Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima celebrated their 15th appearance in the show in style, donning the famous Fantasy Bras at 2 million dollars apiece. Following last year's success, Taylor Swift was again in charge of the live performance, alongside Ed Sheeran and Ariana Grande. 

 

 

 

   

What was your favorite look? I would choose anything worn by Behati Prinsloo, but that might just be because I'm currently having a girl crush on her haha! She's absolutely adorable!

Check back tomorrow for some backstage pics ;)

Photos: Vogue UK, Fashionista.com