The most amazing closet you have ever seen

I am a member of this forum for bag addicts called The Purse Forum. We basically show off our new bags and complain about how we want more bags. It's a vicious cycle of greedy consumption. But anyways. I found this thread in the Hermes subforum (yes, there are real women who can afford to buy Birkins) of a woman who posts photos of the completion of her brand new closet that holds designer bags and clothes. I'm not talking about Coach. I'm talking about the momma of all designer bags, Hermes, as well as some Chanel and Louis Vuitton. For most of us, it will feel as if we are diabetics walking into a candy store, but the eye candy is incredible. (Photos: The Purse Forum/Peanutbabycakes)
Here is a sample of what the other part of society spends their money on:


My fantasy closet.


Look. There is an actual island in the closet with drawers made to look like trunks.



And a chandelier.



Is that a Chanel dress?

30cm fuschia ostrich gold hardware birkin. For the rest of us, that means a really expensive bag. She has at least 20 of these. That's more than what my life is worth.

Nina Garcia and the "Ferosh" Christian Siriano on Ugly Betty

I've never watched Ugly Betty before but when I saw the clip of the surprisingly funny Project Runway winner Chrisitian Siriano making an appearance, I realized that my life has been incomplete. "Worship me bitches" was delivered with such passion. Forget designing, Siriano should be on more TV! Oh and Nina Garcia is there too. 'Nuff said.

Aggy, don't ruin a good thing

First model Irina Lazareanu sang at the Chanel show and she was alright at best, but now Agyness Deyn, she of punk chic, is warming up her vocal cords too. Vogue says that she is lending her voice to Who, a song by New York-based band Five O'Clock Heroes. Ugh, I just hope it's better than the crap that Scarlett Johansson just released. Whatever happened to the model mantra "Be seen and not heard"?

The girl who has the job a million girls would kill for

Meet Claiborne Swanson, Anna Wintour's new personal assistant. Apparently she was promoted from public-relations associate. Hmmm. Is being Wintour's slave really a promotion? I wonder if she really has to phone Smith & Wollensky every 15 minutes to order the boss's steak like in The Devil Wears Prada. At least she gets the chance to pillage the Vogue closet. I wish I were you Ms. Swanson, I really do! When you're tired of chauffeuring clothes around to Hermes, let me know. I'll be there in a New York minute.

OMG.

Apparently this is not photoshopped. Lauren and Heidi were actually in the same room together. I cannot wait to read this issue.

The Hills recap

"OMG. Rewind. Did you say Justin is coming?"

- MTV must be paying Lauren, Lo and Audrina shit loads of cash because that little house they bought, is not so little. But Audrina gets cast off into the guest house (yes, they are so rich they can afford an actual guest house) like an unwanted stepsister.

- When will Lauren stop acting like she's still in high school? Get over the whole Audrina-is-dating-Justin thing.

- OMFG. Stephen Colletti is back!! He isn't quite as cute as he was in Laguna Beach, but still a better-than-average hottie.

- Brodie traded up to a girl with big boobs. Lauren gives her the evil eye.

- Apparently Heidi isn't over her hatred of Lauren, like Stephanie thought. Instead of going to Lauren's housewarming party, she opts to watch movies with Heidi. At least they don't go out for another "girl's night."

- Holy crap I am loving Lauren's Chanel classic jumbo. I am so glad she finally cashed in her MTV checques and got rid of that other Chanel bag icky Jason gave her two seasons ago.

Awwww Stephen hearts Lauren.



- That dress Lauren wears on her "date" with Stephen is not flattering.

- Speaking of that date...How did I know that nothing would happen? Lauren, as the wise screenwriters from Sex and the City say: "He's just not that into you." He's still got the hots for Kristin.

- This episode reminds me a lot of Laguna Beach: Lots of squealing, pointless remarks about how Lauren and Stephen are going to get married and major disappointment for viewers hoping for some hot action.

Gossip Girl is back bitches!

- I love the Breakfast at Tiffany's scene-turned-nightmare where Blair realizes she's searching for her cat in a garbage dump and Nate starts calling her Jenny. I think every girl's worst nightmare is when her boyfriend calls her by some other girl's name.

- "Lady Godiva, my only friend." says Blair over a box of chocolates. I thought Blair was anorexic? Or maybe they just decided to cut out the throwing up scene.

- Greatest. Line. Ever. "Then I suggest you get new hand towels," says Chuck to step-sis Serena after she says she never wishes to share DNA with him. Love it! I wonder if the teeny-boppers watching got it.

- Holy! Jenny and her new crew have invaded Barneys and Forever 21! The girls have humongous fab bright bags, a yellow-stripped jacket, scarves (Hermes?) and neon green and yellow headbands.

- Croisstants for breakfast. How New York of them.

- They mention Brody Jenner! Sigh. There is no escape from reality TV.

- Did Jenny drop the yogurt on Blair? What a bitch.

- Now I understand the perils of being a social climber. Slipping waiters $100 bills everyday to get a table was not a problem little Jenny foresaw. And why did I go into journalism?

- I miss the Asian sidekick. Who knew she was Jewish?

- Jenny walks into the equivalent of the Vogue closet. What I'm wondering is how she managed to steal a dress right in front of a group of girls.

- "The bitch is back." You go Blair! But that line is a bit corny.

- OMG! Jenny "Sticky Fingers" Humphrey is pawning a dress she stole from her new friends to get a new gown she can't afford to wear to her birthday party!

- This is how the truly rich bribe: They invest in their childrens' businesses in exchange to "be nice." The rest of us get $5 from a parents or else we get a beating.

- That dress that Jenny stole? It was a $15,000 one-a-kind Valentino. Big mistake Jenny. BIG.

- Of course we all know what must happen. You steal Valetino, you get kicked out from your crew. Sorry Jenny.

- Who is sending these stupid packages to Serena? Porn and then champagne. Actually those gifts are quite thoughtful.

- Ok, is Penelope that desperate for a man? How does Jenny get away with stealing a Valentino from her friend's closet so easily? That wouldn't happen ever. Poor Blair.

- Maybe G stands for God. Only He would give such wonderful presents.

The Hills recap

- Is Lauren wearing a dress from her own line to work? Kelly Cutrone should ban it. Also, we see Whitney for approximately two seconds during the whole show and all she does is ship fabrics to New York. Tres tragique.

- "I never thought we would be together again," says Whitney to Lauren. You did? Really? Wow Whitney is either more naive than I thought or really bad at reading the cue cards the producers are holding up for her.

- Is Audrina the next Heidi? It seems that Lauren keeps pushing her away and giving her evil eyes.

- Those "You're Hearing" boxes are really annoying.

- Everyone bends over backwards for Lauren. Lo mistakenly mentions Heidi and everyone goes all quiet and looks at Lauren who looks like she heard the Devil's name spoken until Audrina changes the subject and starts talking about...Lauren.

- Heidi wants another girl's night out. Didn't she learn from the last time that girl's night out=drama? Wait, we should know by now that MTV makes these life decisions.

- Who is that mysterious old guy in the black hat who is always sitting beside Lauren but never talks?

- OMG! Heidi and Lauren are sitting at the same table. It seems like these girls have never mentally left high school because even though Heidi is sitting one person away from Lauren, Lauren acts like she doesn't exist and whispers to Lo while Audrina tries to ease the awkwardness and talks to Heidi. Apparently Heidi's evil energy pushes Lauren to the brink and she leaves while staring at Audrina. She might as well called her Judas.

- Justin Bobby is back! And he has a new haircut and hat!

- "Oh I thought we could all be friends," says Stephanie to Heidi. In the words of your crazy brother Spencer: "You are delusional."

- Lauren freaks out when she hears Audrina is having dinner with Justin. Again, who does she think she is?

- I realized that without the unwashed hair, Justin Bobby has nice eyes. Except when he widens them scarily.

- Justin and Audrina are so going to have sex. "Oh, oh" indeed, Justin. "Oh, oh" indeed.

- No! Spencer is in this episode! I was hoping for the last 25 minutes that he would be absent. But he makes up for lack of screen time by being the biggest asshole in the world in less than a minute. That's a new record.

- Lauren and Lo want to move in together with Audrina and yadda, yadda, yadda this is old news.

- "Justin Bobby was just exceptionally dirty," says Lauren just as Audrina comes up behind her. Hey, what are best friends for if you can't tell them the truth?

- Why do Lo, Lauren and Audrina seem so obviously not excited about moving in together? Could it be they actually are not best friends as MTV suggests? All those side glances add so much tension and drama.

Manolo Blahnik at Aldo!

Haha just kidding!
I was browsing the Aldo website just for fun even though their shoes make my feet bleed (see post below) and I came upon these silver open-toe pumps with a jewel centrepiece at the front. Know what they really remind me of? The Manolo Blahnik D'Orsays (aka. the Carrie shoes) that I just bought a couple weeks ago at Holts. Are they a total rip-off or just "inspired?" Let me break down the similarities for you:
1. Both the Aldos and the Manolos are silver
2. Both of them have pleats in the leather
3. Both of them have a crystal-encrusted centrepiece at the front of the shoe
4. Both of them are open-toed

The only difference is that the crystal centrepiece on the Aldo shoes is held by leather straps, whereas on the Manolos, the piece sits on the leather.

My judgment: Manolo Blahnik should sue Aldo's ass for copyright infringement.

But this is one woman's opinion. The pictures speak for themselves:




The real McCoy. Manolo Blahnik D'Orsay shoes. (Photo: Chloe Tejada)

See? They are exactly the same!! The Aldo shoes may only be $80 but be warned, they will tear your feet apart. (Photo: Aldo.com)


That's beautiful Italian craftmanship right there with Swarovski crystals.


Notice that this Aldo shoe tries to imitate the crystal centrepiece of the Manolo? Pfft.

Sexy now online

Christian Louboutin Very Prive pumps are now available on Net-a-Porter. I want them so badly that I wouldn't care if my feet bled when I wore them. Well for $770 they better be damn comfortable. I bought a pair of Aldo black pumps that were "inspired" (ie. they had red soles) by Louboutin. Suffice to say that they were not hand-crafted by the finest shoe-makers in Italy. The first day I wore them I had to use five band aids on each foot and could barely walk after using them for about five minutes. I've been too scared to wear them since. I figure that for that kind of money, Louboutin would make sure his shoes do not cause massive foot hemorrhages. (Photo: Net-a-Porter.com)



These are the imitation Louboutin shoes that made my feet bleed. And they have never recovered.

The Gossip Girl look

The big day is here! Gossip Girl is finally back on the boob tube tonight and I'm looking forward to a) Whether Blair can regain Queen Bee status b)If Chuck will try to get it on with his new stepsister Serena and c) Seeing all those fabulous clothes. TV has been fashion-deprived since the show went off the air due to the writers strike and no, America's Next Top Model is not fashionable in the least.

To celebrate the return of my favorite show on Earth, I'm putting together a look-book of clothes you can actually afford that imitate the Upper East Side cool of Serena and Blair.
Too bad we don't have the limitless wallet as well. XOXO

The Blair look: Schoolgirl Princess

Blair wears a lot of high-collared frilly blouses, babydoll dresses, long coats, headbands, white stockings, killer shoes and preppy skirts. She kind of has that Lolita look going on but it's very stern and grown-up.

To get the look:


Forever 21 pleated skirt. $25.80


Forever 21 chiffon blouse. $23.80

Forever 21 bow headband. $3.80

Oxford patent shoes. Town Shoes. $115

BCBG cotton coat with balloon sleeves. $318


BCBG tweed jacket. $278

Banana Republic bag. $278

The Serena look: Upper East Side Preppy

Serena is a lot more casual than Blair but she always adds an accessory or one standout piece of clothing that takes the outfit to a whole new level. Serena can be caught wearing sparkly mini dresses, vests, skinny jeans, a big bag, blazers, short skirts and boots over black tights.



To get the look:

Smythe double breasted schoolboy blazer.

Smythe double breasted vest in quilted floral with peasant top and skinny jeans.


Tory Burch sequin mini dress. $340


Coach leather bag. $798

Aldo boots. $180

See You Monday 3/4 length leggings. Want Boutique. $29.50


Bebe skinny jeans. $119

Interview with designer Natasha Ferro

(Natasha Ferro at Toronto Alternative Fashion Week)

Natasha Ferro is a 22-year-old Toronto-based designer who just showed her first namesake collection at Toronto Alternative Fashion Week. Natasha has just completed her undergraduate degree in fashion at Ryerson University and she is trying to make a name for herself in the fashion industry. I met Natasha on a Ryerson trip to France and we've kept in contact mostly because I've bought several pieces from her jewellery line One-of-a-Kind Jewelry which she designs and handcrafts herself.
I talked to Natasha on the phone a couple nights ago about her first collection at FAT, what her inspirations are and how she plans to stand out in such a competitive industry.



Chloe: What was the reception of your collection at FAT like?

Natasha: It went really well, better than I could have expected. One guy came up to me and said 'I want to be a designer too. You've inspired me, can I have my photo taken with you?' It was strange because I'm just a student too. A lot of people liked it. I got emails from people who want to buy clothes from the collection but I can't sell them yet because I am entering the collection in a competition.

Chloe: What was your inspiration for the collection?

Natasha: I wanted it to have a costume feel like ready-to-wear. I like plays and the Russian landscape inspired the colour palette of green, purple and red and the Russian tapestries inspired it as well. I picked fairytale characters with a Russian palette. I played on my costume background. The Grimms fairytale, the dark stories really inspired it.

(Photo: Greg Paupst)

Chloe: How long did it take you to make the collection?

Natasha: I started drawing the collection in mid-November (2007) and I found out in December that I was accepted into FAT and I worked on it until a week before FAT (April 8, 2008.)

Chloe: How challenging was it making your first collection?

Natasha: I was working from home so I didn't have fellow peers to give me criticism. I did it blindly and I thought that no one was going to like it so I got stressed.

Chloe: What kind of materials do you use in the collection?

Natasha: Metallic linens, cotton, sparkly denim, red twill, silk, wool. I like an eclectic mix of fabric.

(Photo: Greg Paupst)

Chloe: Who are your favorite designers?

Natasha: Etro. I love how it's all wacky and crazy with different colours. It's very different. They use a lot of different fabrics and textures.

Chloe: What do you think of your time at Ryerson?

Natasha: Overall I liked being at Ryerson. I did so much in a such a crazy time frame. I can see how much I've grown and I'm thankful now for the obstacles because it's made me a better designer.

(Photo: Greg Paupst)

Chloe: What is your dream job?

Natasha: My dream job would be an assistant designer at Etro. Even their website is different; it's humorous and it has their own Etro alphabet. I would want a job that has a sense of humour but where you can get work done.

Chloe: How competitive is it for those looking to break into fashion designing?

Natasha: It's definitely competitive. I don't even know where to start. I have to start over. There are so many design schools in Toronto but I think Ryerson is the best.



Chloe: Now that you're done school, what do you want to do next?

Natasha: I want to go abroad to Europe. Might do my Masters or an internship at a fashion house. I'm not going to get a job without experience.

Chloe: Do you think showing at FAT helped your career?

Natasha: The exposure alone- the stylists, phtographers made it worth it because I made the contacts and I got tons of experience.

(Photo: Greg Paupst)

Chloe: What was it like seeing the models wear your clothes?

Natasha: It was really cool. I didn't actually get to see the models because I was backstage but it really hit me when I came out at the end for the walkthrough with the models. I was happy and sad but felt very confident with my collection. It was bittersweet.

Chloe: What else are you doing besides designing clothes?

Natasha: I'm doing more jewelllery. I'm trying different pieces and trying to get them into boutiques. There's a masters program in Italy and I have family there so it would make sense if I went there. I'm also just getting ready for the competition.



Chloe: What are the challenges to being a new fashion designer?

Natasha: It's hard to promote myself. Some people have a natural talent to sell stuff without sounding arrogant. I want my reputation built on word of mouth but I need to be stronger at selling myself. The competition is ridiculous especially in the city because there are less jobs and more people.

Chloe: How did you know you wanted to be a fashion designer?

Natasha: I always thought I would go into art. When I was in Grade 11 a teacher started a fashion class and I took it on a whim and I fell in love with it and I became obsessed with fashion and making clothes.

(Photo: Greg Paupst)

Chloe: What are your favorite fashion magazines?

Natasha: I'm a fashion magazine whore. It's inspiring to see something in someone's design and try it in your own way. That's what designers do, they learn from each other. I really like Lucky magazine believe it or not. It's more for people who buy clothes and go shopping. I don't care to read the articles in Vogue or Vanity Fair. I like the UK edition of Elle too.

Chloe: Tell me about your jewellery.

Natasha: It started with being a Type A personality. I cannot not do something. I made a necklace for a photoshoot in 2006 and someone wanted it so I just made one. In Jan. 2007 I was working on my final collection for school and my mind went 'I'm going to teach myself how to make jewellery' so I went to Queen St. for supplies and I just started selling them.



Chloe: Anything else you want to say about your collection at FAT?

Natasha: One girl told me my colection made her emotional. It was a different kind of recognition. It's so different to have complete strangers react to your work.


You can buy Natasha's jewellery by contacting her through her Facebook group One-of-a-Kind Jewelry
and you can purchase her clothes from her F/W 2008 collection through her Facebook group Natasha Ferro.

And back to fashion...Agencies fight over Karlie Kloss

I first saw Karlie Kloss on the cover of Teen Vogue with superstar Chanel Iman and the recently disgraced Ali Michael. She is very young (15 years old) and judging interviews, very sweet and charming. Of course she's sweet. She's 15 for God's sake.

But I didn't realize how quickly she shot to fame until I noticed her getting gossiped about on fashion blogs and newspapers (rumour has it that she has anorexia. Can't gossip hounds find any syndrome more exciting than anorexia to pin on models?)

I also noticed her opening and closing many prominent shows for Fall 2008 in New York and Paris such as Carolina Herrera, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Marni and Pucci.

Basically, she's hot stuff and she has just started her career which may be why Elite Model Management is suing Next Models for allegedly stealing Kloss.

A source told Page Six: "Elite is especially angry because they are the agency responsible for launching her career." The suit also says that Next "'poached through improper means' other Elite models."

I would be angry too, especially since Kloss (inexplicably named Klosshave in Page Six) is becoming a hot property. And what are these "improper means"? Do they bribe the models with free Manolos and LV bags? Well I can't blame them. If I were given a free anything I would be there before you could say "Naomi Campbell."

And just for fun, here are pics of the 15-year-old Kloss.

In a Numéro editorial, April 2008. Photographed by Horst Diekgerdes. (Photo: Numéro)


Doing her best death stare at the Alexander Wang show. (Photo: Imaxtree)


Backstage at Calvin Klein, September 2007. (Photo: Imaxtree)

With Ali Stephens at Roberto Cavalli, February 2008. (Photo: Imaxtree)

Backstage at Versace, February 2008. (Photo: Imaxtree)

Backstage at Sonia Rykiel, February 2008. (Photo: Imaxtree



(Photo: Elite Models)