Sometimes, all you need is an all-black get-up and a killer haircut. Selma Blair and Ginnifer Goodwin sporting haircuts I really want and don't dare to get, and shoes that I need, like, now.

Image: Style.com

Even though I was pretty excited about the opening of Rue Madame in Lee Gardens Two earlier this year, I haven't quite gotten the chance to really appreciate the store, because I'm a lazy piece of ass who never walks to that area of Causeway Bay. Now that the shop is opening its second outpost at IFC on November 1, however, they might be able to earn a few of my hard-earned dollars... especially after I spotted this ridiculous Maje leather dress on Kate Moss in French Vogue. Hello la hotness. Regardless of whether I'm able to fill it out KM-style, something buttery and leathery is getting in my closet, I needs it like Joey Tribs needs sandwiches.

More leather lovin' after the cut, including this off-the-hook Maje quilted jacket that's like an amalgamation of everything good about Chanel and Balmain but without the price tag; a Maje top that's the perfect combination of camel and leather, two of this season's awesome-est trends; and a boxy-looking Sandro leather A-line minidress that demands to be tried on in store, to ascertain its level of Celine-ness. Oh, and what looks like the short-sleeved version of Kate's freaking fabulous frock.

What are the chances that Beyonce has been reading our humble little blog? Yeah, not high, I know. But it’s almost as if she knows we covet temporary tattoos and skeleton jewellery and create these awesome limited edition temporary tattoos under the Deréon label in response. Available starting Nov 1, these tats come in two packages, the basic for US$16 and deluxe for US$34. All are waterproof and designed to last for two to five days. So what’s the difference between the basic and deluxe? Not much apparently except that for double the price you get a signed photo by Beyonce and the opportunity to win a trip to NYC for a photoshoot. The tattoos will be available at Sephora stores in the U.S. and Canada, sephora.com, temptu.com and dereon.com. The deluxe edition is limited to 500 pieces and will be available only on temptu.com and dereon.com.

When you work for a magazine, you know what a pain it is do put together paginations, flatplans, whatever you want to call them. You want your stories laid out nicely, and inevitably your seminal piece, the one that's going to get you your Pulitzer, is somehow laid right next to an ad for something like piano lessons for the elderly. That's a lie, piano lessons for the elderly don't have the budget to place ads in Prestige. Anyway, the point is that deciding what goes next to what is not as easy as it looks. But whoever stuck Tilda Swinton for Pringle of Scotland next to Kate Moss for Isabel Marant in September's Elle... is a genius. Both are icons, quirkily cool for some reason you can't really pinpoint (besides Miss Kate's hotness). And the look of the ads -- colour juxtaposed with black-and-white, close-up versus wide shot, conventional beauty against awkward elegance -- is so eerily complementary. Although I must say, I do like Tilda better. She's just so weird, how can you not?

Side note: ELLE iPad app out September.. PHWOAR I hope this is good.

Feathered skull knuckle rings from Lane Crawford. Alexander McQueen, of course. Snapped this in the IFC outpost while waiting for Chris and Iona for 7 or 8 minutes. We went to see Anna Dello Russo, and then chickened out of talking to her even though there weren't really that many people around. I didn't want to be another Laura, asking "does your neck hurt?" on account of the giant (I mean GIANT) cherries she wore on her head. That girl stole my my opening line! So instead we sat on one of two couches and refused to get up, then watched Sarah Rutson sit opposite us and change from heels into flats. Was having a major fashion ga-ga moment... like when celebrity followers read Us magazine and see Keanu Reeves picking his nose, or Kate Hudson's son's friend's cousin's best friend buying a slurpee. Like, whoa.

Actress Michelle Yeoh wore an Alberta Ferretti resort 2011 dress in Venice last week looking like a Grecian goddess. It’s no surprise that I’m a fan of this look as I love anything that is draped (great for hiding unflattering bulges.) The gold clutch is a nice touch. I only wish that she had worn either the bracelets or the watch. Together, the combination feels a bit cluttered. What do you think? Are you a fan?

Style icon Anna Dello Russo will be coming to town tomorrow and Thursday to meet with Lane Crawford’s VIPs and share styling tips. Fashion Director at Large and Creative Consultant for Vogue Nippon, Anna has an eclectic fashion sense that transforms the most ordinary into the whimsical. Anna is rumoured to have over 4,000 pairs of shoes and us Geeks would die to take a peek into her closet. For those coveting Anna’s style, runway samples pre-selected by her will be available for Lane Crawford customers to pre-order. We ask Anna to tell us her three go-to outfits for the following occasions, and weigh in on her choices.


1. At the supermarket or the gym:
Abercrombie and Fitch.


Since neither of us has really shopped at good ol' A&F since our high school/college days, we were behooved to check out the brand of American classics. And yet... we couldn't imagine the gorgeous, always put-together fashion editor rocking items such as "Perfect Butt Sweatpants" and pseudo sports team tees. Then again, if Kate Lanphear can wear a Princeton sweatshirt to New York Fashion Week and have it be the coolest thing ever... then why not Anna in Abercrombie? Of course, when we mortals wear Abercrombie to the gym, we look like crap. But that's because we're mortals. And anyway, we don't go to the gym.

2. At a wedding or a gala dinner
Head-to-toe runway piece from the current season. For this season, I like Balmain, Dolce&Gabbana, and Emilio Pucci.


What surprised us here was the head-to-toe bit. With her love of statement pieces, outlandish accessories and let's face it, the spotlight, we would've thought she was more of a mix 'n match girl. A little bit 'o googling proved us right. In fact, the only head-to-toe look found was this Balmain... But anyway, like FashionGeek and ShoeGeek, that dress and those shoes really shouldn't be broken up anyway, they're like two peas in a pod.

3. At the beach
Marc Jacobs Bathing Suit


Now for the money question -- does Anna wear a one-piece or two? Or, God forbid, one of those things that can't decide if it's a one piece or a bikini or something the swimsuit pattern-maker dreamed up one night when he had leftover scraps of fabric and a leftover doobie. Since Marc Jacobs doesn't make such asinine garments, and Anna normally doesn't wear very revealing things (well, save for a see-through lace skirt here and there), we're going to go with one-piece, especially since Marc by Marc Jacobs has such wonderfully psychedlically chic pieces. A ruffle here, a polka dot there... the perfect example of restrained, cheeky glamour. We picked these photos because the model has similar hair, so we don't have to replicate that poor photoshop job up there. Your eyeballs are saved, and so is our precious time.

Back when Twins first became popular, I never understood why people thought Ah Gil was the cuter one as ShoeGeek and I always rooted for Ah Sa. In fact, I always thought that Ah Gil was too generic looking and if she weren't together with Ah Sa, I wouldn't have any idea who she was.. Of course, this is all pre Edison so things have changed quite a bit. So last Saturday, Ah Sa went to the Music World Music Awards organised by Metro Radio in a Blumarine Fall/Winter 2010 dress. My immediate reaction is how on earth will anyone regularly sized, such as us Geeks, fit into a dress like this if Ah Sa who is TINY in real life looks like she's oozing out of it? And trust me, she's tiny. We get our hair cut at the same salon and I would bump into her all the time. Then I realise, wait, she's NOT oozing out of it, it's only coz she looks chubs next to Chanel Iman... and so begins a downward spiral of self-doubt where I realise I am never to wear this dress at all under any circumstances which is a bit of a pity as I think it looks quite cute when styled with that jacket.

Both ShoeGeek and I are devout followers of fashion blogs and one of the ones that we love reading is Red Carpet Fashion Awards where we can check out what international stars are wearing on a regular basis to the red carpet. And I always get a source of pride when I see Asian celebrities featured but it’s far and few between. Then I thought to myself, well why don’t we start a column where you can see what stars on this side of the globe are wearing? As we mentioned before, we don't claim to be fashion gurus but we do know what we like and don't like.

First up is Kelly Chan, singer and mother of ‘Har Gau Zhai” (Shrimp Dumpling as she affectionately calls her son) at Raymond Lam’s recent concert wearing Burberry Prorsum Autumn Winter 2010. Quick note to the PR folks, we like to see the whole ensemble and that means shoes! (The other picture of Kelly was rather unflattering and only showed the soles of the shoes. Yes we realise that she is onstage and that the photographer can only shoot up but still, if you can take the above pic, I imagine it wouldn't be that hard to just pan down a tad lower so we can see what shoes she wore with the dress.) That peeve aside, I am a fan of this ensemble although that might be my perchance for anything that ruched and draped to hide unflattering bulges. Kelly definitely doesn't have this problem. The lace overlay with peekaboo thighs is a nice touch seeing as exact knee length dresses are hard to carry off unless you are Mrs Incredible and have the ability to stretch your calves to unnatural lengths.

It seems like Geeks aren't the only fans of True Blood... the incomparable Snoop Dogg has just immortalized Mizz Sookie Stackhouse in his anthem, Oh Sookie. (Maybe not "just" though, this is like a month old I think.) Besides the fact that this song features the best lyrics EVER (Bill ain't for real / he ain't true blood / Snoop is a G / I smoke true bud), there are also a million other reasons to watch this youtube vid in excruciating detail...

For example, the fact that Snoop rocks both a statement necklace (trend alert!) and a multi-finger ring (multi trend alert!) emblazoned with the word SOOKIE. Or the fact that, despite being unwilling to give Snoop a role on the show, True Blood mastermind Alan Ball did allow the rapper to film on the actual set, at Merlotte's. A favour which Snoop repays by saying, of Merlotte's owner, "Sam ain't a man he done turned into a bitch." Which seems a liiiittle unfair from a guy who's name is Snoop DOGG and who is wearing a brown fur coat. Mr Dogg essentially spends the rest of the song convincing the coveted Miss Stackhouse to go to bed with him in the daytime, just as five Sookie wannabes gyrate and grind in the background. The lyrics are typically dirty and offensive, but given the subject matter (a sex and violence-filled TV show), it's arguably no worse than maenad-induced orgies on the beach.

Oh and before we go to the lyrics after the cut, let's take a moment to appreciate the gratuitous addition of the buxom "Fangbanger," who is meant to be a sexy embodiment of a generic vampire-loving slut, but strangely reminds me more of the character Pubes from Conan O' Brien.

[Intro]
I wanna do bad things with you
I wanna do real bad things with you

What’s happenin’ Sookie
It’s Snoop Dogg
I’m only in Bon Temps for one day
Come close baby
I’m the Dogg that don’t bite
Woof, woof

[Chorus]
Oh Sookie
Let me get in your head
Oh Sookie
We can lay in the bed
Oh Sookie
Choose a player like me
Do it in the daytime with the D-O double G
Oh Sookie
Can I take you away
Oh Sookie
You ever been to LA?
Oh Sookie
Come and play on my team
Oh Sookie
We’ll do it in the daytime
Bill won’t know a thing

Oh Sookie
Take this mary jay cookie
And roll with the Dogg, vampires can’t hook me
You outta Bon Temps
You need a Bon pimp
A real Don Juan
You might get whipped
Yellow cars ain’t fly
So hop in my jet
Try to read my mind
You might get wet
Choose big or lose big
I know all the spots
Then order you a gin and juice at Merlotte’s

On LYBIO.net you can find - The Largest community of social networking with text-script-video blogging service. http://www.lybio.net
[Chorus]
Oh Sookie
Let me get in your head
Oh Sookie
We can lay in the bed
Oh Sookie
Choose a player like me
Do it in the daytime with the D-O double G
Oh Sookie
Can I take you away
Oh Sookie
You ever been to LA?
Oh Sookie
Come and play on my team
Oh Sookie
We’ll do it in the daytime
Bill won’t know a thing

Leave a stain on my brain
Can a dog get some love
Won’t trick you like Eric
And make you drink blood
Sookie Stackhouse but Snoop he stack a grip
Sam ain’t a man he done turned into a bitch
Bill ain’t for real
He ain’t True blood
Snoop is a G
I smoke true bud
Wanna be a vampire
Gotta listen up
I hit you with a glamor
I think you wanna suck these nuts

[Chorus]
Oh Sookie
Let me get in your head
Oh Sookie
We can lay in the bed
Oh Sookie
Choose a player like me
Do it in the daytime with the D-O double G
Oh Sookie
Can I take you away
Oh Sookie
You ever been to LA?
Oh Sookie
Come and play on my team
Oh Sookie
We’ll do it in the daytime
Bill won’t know a thing

See Sookie
You should come try some of this
You know I get more pussy than your brother
Oh yeah and bring a friend
Matter fact bring your best friend, Tara
I got some real eggs for her to eat
And these eggs come with a whole lot of cheese and greens

When we talk about the Met in New York, most people think art or culture or fashion... Sadly, thanks to an overexposure to '90s American sitcoms, I don't think of any of those things. I think of Charlie telling Joey she wants to go to the Met, and Joey telling her that the Mets suck (and that they should go see the Yankees instead). Digging deeper into my consciousness to find a better reference, and I start to get vivid images of Joey talking about chiaroscuro while gesturing at the wrong painting. Don't let your kids watch TV, people.

Obviously, though, this isn't so much an ode to my geekiness as a convoluted manner of introducing a blog post on the Costume Institute Gala at the Met that's happening as I write. The biggest wow moment for me was seeing Jude and Sienna on the red carpet together, as if they had never been apart. Uh, hello? What locked room have I been hiding in? When did this happen? I kind of hate them together because I find him to be a philandering and scrawny loser, but I like Sienna, and I like that she's glowing and happy, so I'll just put down my Jude hatred to the fact that I've seen Closer too many times, and will try not to hate on him and his rather small, uncircumsized you-know-what (thank God for The Superficial).

In other, more fashion-related news, here are some of my Met Ball "observations," shall we say. I am no trend-spotter or fashion guru, after all... but I do know what I like. And dislike.

And I like Emma Watson in custom Burberry.


I also like Kristen Bell in DvF, though as usual, I'm biased by my undying love for and obsession with all things Veronica Mars.


I DON'T like Kate Hudson's new boobs. I always thought she had the perfect flat, almost concave chest. Probably not the sexiest thing but it made it so easy to wear clothes.


I like (love) fuschia on the red carpet. And anything pink in general. And the colour of Thandie Newton's skin.



I like short dresses that pack a punch, especially if that "punch" comes in the form of Blake Lively, who has the best fake tan + T&A combo in the biz, and she isn't afraid to show it. I love that Chloe Sevigny is so weird and looks persistently cranky and a little bit slow, no matter what makeup she has on. And I love Proenza, but who doesn't?




I don't like poufy, golden ballgowns, and I don't like Anne Hathaway, she is a funny looking girl and waaay too earnest in films, making me want to smother her and her oversized lips with a big pillow. I used to like JLo (used to LOVE JLo) but she is getting a bit boring these days. And who doesn't love Carrie Bradshaw, but SJP is better dressed down than dressed up, in my opinion.




I also hate skintight long-sleeved sheaths, not because they look ugly, but because they show off every flaw, and should only be worn by the skinniest of skinny girls, to the point that I don't think that Marion Cotillard or Diane Kruger look any good at all. You know who WOULD, though? Kate Hudson, pre-boob job. But I guess I will continue to long for things remembered, such as a flat-chested Kate and an art-retarded Joey, without them ever really coming back except in reruns.




Images: Popsugar

Rarely do I turn to local celebrities for styling inspiration, but while I was cleaning my desk and figuring out what was actually on the 300 CD-ROMs stacked around the place, I came across Wyman Wong at a Versace dinner wearing a rather subdued ensemble (by Hong Kong standards) of a typical tuxedo, turned tough with super studded loafers and a series of chunky metal chains that act as a cummerbund (you may need to click the image to see it closer). Love it when classic meets gangster, and this look goes perfectly with the image of him in First Love Unlimited (aka 初戀無限Touch) threatening the other boy in the park: "lei la salle?" Maybe that's an esoteric reference that only teens of the '90s will get, but the look, I suppose, is universal.

When the Sassy girls did an interview with each of the Geeks sometime last year, they asked us to name our style icons. At the time, I kind of wanted to skirt the question and say "oh my style is my own" blah-di-blah, but a) that's not true and b) I hate it when I interview people and they give bull**** answers. So I named two of my favourite ladies, DJ-slash-party gal Leigh Lezark, and the inimitably cool Elle editor Kate Lanphear.

So it was kind of exciting to come across photos of them together, one night while I was losing myself in the black hole known as the Fashion Spot. Sigh, major girl crush.

Okay now there's actually a fashion-related angle to this whole Robert Downey Jr gushfest, courtesy of Cole Haan. You don't hear that brand name mentioned too often in relation to the red carpet, probably because Cole Haan is known more for comfortable basic shoes you wear to the office if you have to take the MTR. They're comfy but not the sexiest thing you've owned, by far. Surprisingly, Cole Haan made an appearance at the Golden Globes, and beyond that, made a pretty loud statement when it came to Monsieur Downey Jr, who wore a pair of combat-boot-inspired dress shoes to pick up his award for Best Actor in Sherlock Holmes.

The gents I've seen in formal attire tend to default to shiny oxford wingtip type shoes, so it's refreshing to see RDJ rough it up a bit in accordance with his personal style. From the full-length shot, he seems no different from any oxford-sporting male, but I bet when he sat down that boot collar peeked right out of the bottom of his pant leg. (Well, that is, if he'd had his tux trousers properly hemmed.) Straight boys, take notes -- You can mix up your shoe choices beyond the typical black or brown lace-ups.

The particular shoe in question we are seeing on Mr Downey Jr is the Cole, Rood & Haan Bearcat Boot, which is part of Cole Haan's new handmade shoe line that's a bit more rough around the edges than the brand's regular fare, and is inspired by vintage designs (what isn't these days), in particular the "classic and dangerous leading men of the infamous Jazz revolution era," or so says the press release. The Bearcat retails for HK$4,150.

It's never really bothered me that Robert Downey Jr was a bad-ass, except in the sense that being in jail or on probation or coked out or whatever prevented him from making movies and TV shows. His presence onscreen makes everything better, and he is in my humble opinion the only man who can carry the suffix "Junior" and still retain an aura of coolness. Not to mention the fact that he is the hotness. There's not really a point to this post except to say that, and that I'm glad that he won the Golden Globe, and please can I have his babies?

Cate Blanchett in Armani. That's all.

It would be superfluous to write about Audrey Hepburn as a style icon; everything there is to say has already been said, and you don't come to HKFG to read that Audrey is stylish, or that Mozart wrote good music, or that Shakespeare had a way with words, or that Pamela Anderson has big boobs. These are things you already know. But I've been in a movie mood lately and I can't seem to locate my copy of Charade, one of my all-time favourite movies (next I'll post on the other of my must-see films, Hedwig and the Angry Inch... completely different thing altogether). So in frustration, I'm posting images from the movie so you can all be reminded to watch it if you haven't already. Then we, together, can ooh and aah over the classic elegance she exudes...

And also over the fact that her wardrobe would be oh-so-chic and relevant even today. Those cocktail dresses rival any Bottega Veneta sheath or Roland Mouret column you'd find on the runway today. And the colourful coats paired with distinctive head gear makes me wonder why anyone would bother with bunny ears when a simple headscarf or bowl silhouette are so painfully practical and glamorous.





Images: Mark my words, dcist.com, movie mail online, slsvgg fashion.

While I'm not overwhelmed by the rest of the images released thus far on Style.com of Cate Blanchett's US Vogue December cover shoot (blah blah high fashion lean silhouette gorgeous blonde, yada yada yada), I do really like the image above. And not just because the faces are sort of akin to the stupid looks I give cameras that snipe at me during various events. (I know it's their job, but they're never going to need MY photo for anything.) I do love Cate, she's such a natural movie star.




Images: Style.com

I always wondered what the big deal was about Charlotte Gainsbourg, darling of the art and fashion worlds. That is, until I saw a screening of the new Merchant Ivory film (or just Ivory, as it were), City of Your Final Destination, at a film festival screening last week. I didn't recognize her immediately, since she wasn't clad in her typical Balenciaga ensembles in the film, but when I did, I instantly realized why the girl is golden. She has that amazing, hypnotic quality without even trying, that enchanting voice that makes you wish she'd sing you lullabies every night before you go to sleep. As a fellow moviegoer noted to me, "she's so ugly, but so beautiful" which kind of sums it all up.





Images: Style.com