For the past week, ShoeGeek and I have been having so much fun whiling our times away with random Google searches after the How to Become post. As such, we decided to start a new column to showcase our findings. In honour of today's public holiday, we present the following search term: Tomorrow I will

US Version:


HK Version:

I am in Love. Capital L type of love. I was hunting for the next Bag Lady when I stumbled upon Tamlin & The Fall who just debuted the most divine capsule collection called The Space Between. A collaboration between the brand’s founder Jessamee Sanders and designer Elise Ballegeer, the collection encompasses sculptural clutches that fuse silver, leather, hammered-chain and featured into a work of art. Obviously inspired by nature, the clutches are available in three shapes, egg, crystal and shell.





My favourite is definitely the egg with the shell a very close second. The egg has a fissure that cracks open to reveal an alligator-lined interior while the shell slips onto your hand like a glove. Nearly every aspect of their minaudieres is created by hand in New York and each piece is custom made. These babies don’t come cheap though, starting price is US$19,800. I believe showings are by appointment only and of course, they are based in New York so I can’t pop over to admire the pieces in person. However, if you are lucky enough to be on the other side of the world and want to check out these creations, contact Jessamee

If, like me, you became hopelessly addicted to Supersize vs Superskinny, the Channel 4 show that aired on terrestrial TV until a few weeks ago, then you’ll know that a busy lifestyle often doesn’t make for the healthiest body. There was one guy who worked three jobs and ate chocolate bars for breakfast on the go because he didn’t have time to cook; the programme estimated he was undereating by something like three days per week. Crazy. Well if that guy had Bootcamp Chef at his disposal, he wouldn’t have had to go on global TV to put on the pounds.

In fact, whether you’re trying to gain weight, lose it or just stay in shape, Food by Web’s Bootcamp Chef service is probably going to save you a lot of hassle. Set up by Bootcamp, an outdoor fitness scheme, the service offers to-the-door service and meals that are portioned properly and cooked healthily, so no dish exceeds 416 calories, which is pretty darn good (I think, I’ve never counted calories, I love my love handles, I’d eat my own muffin top if push came to shove). Anyway as we grow older, it becomes more and more important to eat healthy, and this is an easy and fast way to do that. Or so the heathen preaches…

The image says it all. Perfect gift for your alcohol loving buddy who is a closet poker fan. (Do those even exist?) Comes with its own set of playing cards but if you are a serious poker player, I’m sure you have your own lucky set. Get it here

I loved the idea that VPL's inspiration this season was the human body, and how this central conceit was interpreted in so many different ways. On a more literal level, that took the form of body-baring fashions, some of which where layered with amazing harnesses that looked kind of like skeletal ribcages. But on the abstract side, the designer introduced prints made from a blown-up x-ray of her skull. Wowza. I've actually recently noticed that skeletons have slowly been making their way into fashion, mainly in the form of accessories, but also into garments as well. They're done in an extremely straightforward manner, so there's no questioning that those are ribcages you have on your chest -- perhaps an homage to the super-skinny models we're not supposed to be seeing anymore?


This piece below, by Delfina Delettrez, is a bracelet and ring hybrid piece, or a bionic hand, if you will. It don't come cheap, but Delettrez is actually part of the Fendi family, so luxury is in her blood.


A vintage ribcage necklace is also pretty genius.


Ribcage earrings that are very budget friendly.


And to go with all your bony jewellery... a lovely T-shirt dress that's perfectly worn in.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m terrible with my exercise regime. I’d go to the gym with the best intentions and then after a month of diligently working out, I’ll start making excuses to skip my sessions. So when Reebok offered to send us a pair of their latest EasyTone sneakers to try, I was initially hesitant as I’m not the most athletics of Geeks. However, Reebok’s EasyTone shoes are designed with style in mind, for daily wear AND promises to tone the calves, hamstring and butt so I decided to forgo the heels and test out the shoes. In the interest of an authentic review, it was best that I avoid the gym (or so I told myself) and it was off to the malls I head.

My initial thoughts were that I was bouncing up and down quite a bit as the EasyTone shoes have balance pods built-in under the heel and forefoot of the shoes. The theory is that by creating a natural instability, you are forced to use more energy while walking and your muscles are forced to adapt and tone. So essentially, by shopping in these shoes, I would be getting a firmer butt? This I gotta try. After five hours of non-stop walking, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was aching in areas that I normally don’t ache in, yet I’m not so tired that I wanted to kill myself. (I was able to strap on a pair of heels later that night and head to LKF and dance for a good three hours.) While it’s too soon to say whether or not it works, I’ll be happily testing these shoes out for some time to come.



Shop List
Reebok Store (All models are available except J04983)
Shop OT 271, 2/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: 2736 7010

Marathon (All models are available except J03497, J03946 & J05958)
Shop 616, Time Square, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2506 3139

Royal Sporting House (All models are available except J03947, J05413 & J02518)
Shop 601, Times Square, Causeway Bay
Tel: 2506 2522

GigaSports (All models are available except J02518, J03946, J05958)
Shop 124, Level 1, Phase II, Pacific Place, Admiralty
Tel: 2918 9088

London Fashion Week isn't always my cup of tea -- the excess of print and punchy colours is gorgeous, but their sense of style differs from my own aesthetic in general. It's like looking at a painting, being able to acknowledge that it's forward-thinking and exciting, but never really wanting the piece to hang in your house all the same. One designer that I consistently love, however, is Christopher Kane. This spring, the 27-year-old wunderkind put forward very, very girly versions of gingham and plaid, which I'm loving. Problem is, it's not that easy to find fashions inspired by this guy, at least not at prices I'm willing to pay. (Ignore the CK x TS collab that isn't available in Hong Kong.)

But I'm a true believer in alterations and putting together outfits that pay homage to the look without directly taking it from the runway. What you'll notice in the collection is lots of girly juxtapositions -- gingham & lace; floating chiffon silhouettes with daring slit panels; volume mixed in with heavy corseting. It's not hard to find plaid out there, but it is more difficult to find it in pink in the mass market. So here's what I'm thinking would work instead.

Searched Etsy for vintage pink gingham dresses, and discovered this beaut, a simple country-girl creation. I thought it would look amazing, toughened up with a black corset for some serious contrast.


This All Saints dress is on my wishlist anyway, but I think it could work with a shocking pink corset. I could be very wrong about this, maybe a white corset is the way to go, like in the top right photo... and if you really wanted, you could also get the slits put into any old plaid dress.



One last go, I'm thinking this Love Yaya dress from Revolve Clothing, paired with a cool tulle skirt... or even an artlab bustle?

So these are the Acne Atacoma wedges that everyone, their mothers and their dogs are all on about. The black and silver ones, that is (picture from fashiontoast). But I'm equally feeling the other ones. The pale bottom rim for some reason gives it more of a sneaker-ish vibe, plus, I have a certain fondness for light-coloured footwear. It elongates the leg, and I need all the elongating I can get.

Oh la la. Check this out. Get it at Net a Porter

For those who don't read Chinese:

Bring this e-coupon to the La Prairie counter at Tsim Sha Tsui's Sogo and receive free trial sizes of La Prairie's Cellular Repair Complex Complex Anti-Aging Day Cream SPF 30 and Anti-Aging Night Cream. If you spend HK$3000 and above, you will receive a 7 item trial pack. Enjoy!

Okay, I'm sure you all are sick of fashion week and trends that aren't gonna come into play for another six months, so I'll give you some respite with a nice trip to the spa. Did I say "trip to the spa"? Strictly speaking, that's not true, as this spa comes to you. The Fleming hotel in Wanchai has just introduced an in-room spa package for ladies, with services provided by Xi Shi Well Being, a group of mobile massage therapists.

While all women can enjoy in-room treatments, which are reasonably priced at $399 for a 60-minute head and shoulder massage, there's a "Her Space Escape" package going on right now. For HK$1,380-$2,180 (depending on room category) you get the room (duh), a one-hour massage, breakfast and a four-course set dinner at the in-hotel restaurant, Cubix. Other treats include complimentary aromatherapy oil, fruit plates a welcome mocktail, and free access to California Fitness.

Of course, you should realize that if you live in Hong Kong, Xi Shi will also come to your home for the same prices. Check out their website here. How cool would it be to have them come to your office, though, and have someone work on your knotty neck muscles as you work on that dratted Excel file?

The Fleming is at 41 Fleming Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: 852 3607 2288, email: sales@thefleming.com

It’s the middle of the week and the weekend is still too far away so I’m a bit uninspired at the moment. Instead of giving you our usual witty postings I figured I’ll let the images do the work. Yesterday on Twitter, @JayOatway brought to my attention the Google search for the term “How to become…” What’s so special about it? Google’s automatic results show that the first result for this term is how to become a vampire, followed by model and pharmacist. Who knew that being a pharmacist rates higher than being famous? Anyway in the interest of seeing it localised, I did the term for Google Hong Kong. See the results for yourself.

Minidresses are here to stay. And will continue to make me wish that I had legs like a chihuahua, the kind that are PERFECT for wearing these thigh-grazing fashions. Straight men should really be loving these right about now too. Thankfully, we've moved on from the extreme body-consciousness that we were seeing in past seasons, in a movement led by the likes of Herve Leger and Balmain. And they're not all bandage-y or sequined up the wazoo. Although Max Azria might be taking his Herve Leger duties too seriously, his line for BCBG (pictured above) looked eerily similar to early Leger.

There is a way you can retain a modicum of propriety should you need to venture out into the real world -- for example, in slinky draped jersey by Wayne, or the structured and folded Jeremy Laing. For those of you who do have the body to do it, though, Carlos Miele has some great and not-boring sassy little numbers. Continuing down below: Cushnie et Ochs' orange sherbet dress uses clever draping to hide figure flaws; but the white leaves nothing to hide; and Doo.Ri's cobalt confection works thanks to a voluminous silhouette that will set off mile-long legs.








Images: Style.com

In the quest for eternal youth, many a brand has come up with innovative ways to market their products. Lately, I’ve noticed a trend where beauty products use herbal ingredients to pitch their case. Obviously Korean skincare brand Sulwhasoo is one of them and now Covermark has launched an all new Cell Advanced Series which uses seven types of Chinese herbs in its ingredients; gingseng, ganoderma, bark of mulberry tree root, cois, aloe vera (it’s Chinese? I always thought it was a western thing), angelica acutiloba and shiitake mushroom (isn’t shiitake Japanese?). Introduced to the Hong Kong market just a week ago, the Cell Advanced Series claims to target the skin’s mother cell, where skin cells are generated, and utilise nano-technology to introduce these ingredients to the skin’s epidermis to rejuvenate and repair our cells. The new product line includes the Cell Advanced Lotion, Serum, Cream and Mask. Prices are as follows:
Cell Advanced Lotion 150ml HK$1250
Cell Advanced Serum 40ml HK$1600
Cell Advanced Cream 30g HK$1850
Cell Advanced Mask 6 pieces HK$990

Covermark Shops are located at:
Central Wellington Street 35B G/F
Causeway Bay Times Square Basement Level Shop B247
Kowloong Bay Telford Plaza Phase 2 Shops 325
Mongkok Langham Place L207

"My, she looks like she isn't wearing anything!" In this case, though, the empress' new clothes aren't invisible, they're just the same colour as her skin. Nudes were all OVER the place in almost every single collection seen at NYFW, layered on top of each other and in different shades of the same. SO ready for this. I love that in Hong Kong, it gets cold so late in the year, you can start incorporating Spring 2010 trends right away without having to freeze your butt off. For Asian skin tones, you're going to want to stick to lighter, whiter/pinker shades instead of camels, to better show off that pearly white skin you've been hiding under an umbrella to cultivate. If, like me, however, you've been prostrating yourself under the blazing sun to achieve a lovely brown tan, then go crazy with the layering, I believe any hue would work.

I've only gone through maybe half of NYFW, and less than none of LFW, but it's already clear that a few of last season's developing trends are here to stay. I'll be doing a daily trend alert this week so you guys can keep up with what's going on from the comfort of your own computer. There are also a couple of new must-have items we're seeing. I've also decided to upload the shots from my phone so that they're probably labelled, how intelligent of me! I can also zoom into items as I see fit, and hopefully you, the reader, will benefit from the experience as well. Now, onto the trend watch...

If you grew up in Hong Kong, you’d find 肚臍餅 (belly button biscuits, how’s that for alliteration?) a familiar sight. It was one of my favourite biscuits to eat as a kid. Mind you, I’d just eat the sugary top and leave the biscuit but I think that’s true for every kid. It was a nice nostalgic moment when I walked into Causeway Bay’s GOD and found a plate of these biscuits lying around. Thing was, the biscuits smelt much better than I recall with this delicious vanilla scent coming from them. Then I realised that they were clay aroma diffusers! What an ingenious idea for bringing a childhood memory back to life.

Available at GOD for HK$90

Happy Friday!

I absolutely love big chunky statement jewellery and I do mean big, hey look at me kind of jewellery. Although I am over the term ‘statement’ piece. Everything from a two strand pewter chain to really over the top pieces are now labelled as statement and we really need to come up with another term for it. Anyway, I digress. It is with a great squeal of glee that I check out the Spring/Summer collections and find some pieces that I absolutely adore. Here are some that made it on FashionGeek’s wish list (with more to come I’m sure)
Let's start with the above necklace from 3.1 Phillip Lim. Is it a collar? Is it made out of origami? Who cares. I want.

Check out the giant beads from Michael Kors. I do hope they are resin and not glass. It must be heavy yet I will risk neck pains for that piece.

Necklaces down to the waist are always so hot. You can always double strand it, or multi-strand it as a bracelet but Oscar de la Renta keeps it simple here.

Vera Wang takes the term bib necklace to a whole other level.

I'm of the camp that pearls need not be for old ladies and Reem Acra obviously agrees

Chains, thick, thin, and in between are so sexy and this Helmut Lang chunky chain necklace is hot hot hot.
Images: Style.com