Fashion’s Night Out San Francisco

By Maja

 Last night was fun! We toured the different venues and San Francisco’s fashion crowd really stepped it up! The party ended at Saks, which also was the only place with a continuous flow of bubbly – live and learn, NM.

The Marc Jacobs Circus tee launched last night was a little too bland for me. Not quite unisex enough to be cool and not quite circus-ey to be just crazy enough.

Neiman Marcus showcased pieces from their new collections on each floor. This fall is still looking grungy, but less army and more ladylike than the previous year. The just below the knee skirt length is really hard to wear – I know it would make my runner’s calves look like poles!
Both Lona and I totally loved the Haider Ackermann blazer on the far right, the shoulder cut is so elegant.

StylePal’s Lona and StylePal friend Kelsie looking gorgeous as ever, Lona rocking her DVF summer dress in spite of the cool SF night it was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love you too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New collection from 3.1 Phillip Lim, lots and lots of chunky knits of all kinds this season, love it.

Right, we also have a bunch of street shots from last night, they will come later. Be sure to check out our facebook page and our twitter too for extra goodies :)

 

About tonight and the love for Miu Miu

By Maja

 Tonight is time for Fashion’s Night Out as I’m sure you all know, and a lot of fun fashion events will be rolling out all over the country.

San Francisco might not be the hub for the big fashion houses, but there is still a lot of cool events to check out. At Neiman Marcus for example, you can decorate your own thong (!?) while checking out the latest collections from the God of Style and the father of all my sunglasses; Tom Ford, as well as the wacky stylist-gone-designer Rachel Zoe.

If I was in NYC tonight I’d make sure to hit the Miu Miu event hosted by Tavi Gevinson. Her blog Style Rookie has become hugely popular and obviously also very influential. Tavi has a great eye for style and the current influences, and I adore Miu Miu’s soft vintage and very feminine look. Just look at these shoes!

We will be blogging from the events tonight, see you out there! Make sure you follow us on twitter too: @stylepal

 

A word on street style

By Maja

As a fashion designer I get my inspiration from many places.

I have done collections based on the lines of the Japanese art of paperfolding, origami, been inspired by the silhouettes of eagles in the sky and the architechture of one of the last century's greatest architects, Le Corbusier.

Origami
Photo cred: http://www.joostlangeveldorigami.nl/

One of my main sources of inspiration for the collections I have done, however, continues to spring from the creativity of people and their own personal expressions of style. I can roam the Internet for hours looking for new blogs with pictures of street style from every counrty and whenever I travel people watching is one of my favorite pastimes. Equipped with my camera and my sketchbook I go through the creative process of continuously sketching, scribbling down ideas for patterns or fabrics and taking pictures of a certain mix of materials or an interesting detail in a shirt or a dress.

The beauty of street style lies in people's relentless effort to both stand out as a memorable individual as well as pledge belonging to a certain group. We will style ourselves to look the best we can, but at the same time define ourselves as hipsters, professionals, nerds or whatever we choose to express that day. And even though the result of mixing what you find in H&M with your mom's wardobe from the 80'ies doesn't always give an aesthetically pleasing result, these fashion dares are what moves trends and shift industry focus around the world.

One of my favorite blogs for checking out cool street style is the Finnish site Hel Looks. I don't know what they put in the water in Finland that makes the people there dare more and care less, but I do love their outgoing style, which seem in such contrast with the reputation of the Finnish being stoic and introvert.

(download)

Photo Cred: Hel Looks

Fashion's Night Out SF

By Lona

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is almost here and even though this year I will not be attending I'm super excited to be in San Francisco and celebrate along thousands of fashionable women & men @ Fashion's Night Out SF. 

This is a worldwide event that takes place on the starting day of fashion week.  On the 8th of September numerous fashion houses and retailers join forces to put on a glamorous evening filled with trunk shows, cocktails and delicious treats while allowing everyone a chance to interact with the latest collections.  Some of the companies participating in San Francisco are Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, H&M, Banna Republic, Neiman Marcus, Macy's, BCBGMaxazria, Betsey Johnson, Alexis Bittar, Saks Fifth Avenue, Cole Haan, Bebe, Vince etc.  For more information check out http://fashionsnightout.com/

Looking forward to seeing everyone in the streets of fashion on Thursday.

Fashionweek1
(Photo Credit: Style.com)

Timeless Elegance

By Lona

So for the past 8 months I have been obsessed with the Calatrava watch from Patek Phillipe.   I adore this watch and its beautiful simplicity.  I think it is the ultimate timepiece that will withstand the test of time and fashion.  It exuberates elegance and nobility.  Yet it is very understated and unassuming.  Patek Philippe is not a name brand you hear of everyday like Rolex.  However ,their watches are synonymous with the highest quality, impeccable style, perfect design and superb performance. 

Patek Philippe has always amazed its fans by innovation in watch making.  In fact on May 10, 2010, a Patek Philippe wristwatch became the most expensive to be sold at auction when purchased by a Swiss museum, through Christie's in Geneva, for 6.26 million swiss francs ($5.50 million US).

Below is my favorite model. 

5120j
5119j_001-back

Style is knowing who you are, what to say and not giving a damn

By Lona

Ever since my early teenage years I have had a fascination with Kate Moss.  Her cool persona and her unique style have made her a global fashion icon and extended her modeling career through 3 decades so far.  Which by the way is very impressive for a model’s career.  Just as an example fashion and runway models have a career of 2-5 years and commercial/print models generally 10-15 years.   Of course Kate Moss is not just a model she is a super model which makes a big difference in ones earnings but still, as a supermodel she proved to have the most longevity out of the supermodels of her time despite her shortcomings in body dimensions and lack of curves.  She is only 5’6’’ compared to most supermodels which you find in the range of 5’9’’ to almost 6’0’’ and she is known for her boyish figure and very small size.   In fact she went on to become the “anti-supermodel” of the ’90s when supermodels like Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell were knows for their curvatious and tall bodies.  She made popular the heroin chic look of the 90s which worried even Bill Clinton who spoke against this growing trend.  Despite all the controversy and scandals in her life she is still at the top of her career.   Ultimately I believe that her distinct style and her ability to have endless looks in her repertoire make Kate Moss timeless. 

 

This is one of my all time favourite pictures of Kate.   Mario Testino (photographer) has worked with Kate since she was 16 and he also had the honor to shoot her wedding album.  Those pics can be found in the VOGUE September issue.

Vogue_brasil_maio2011_kate_moss_ph_mario_testino_cov

Reflection of Culture

by Lona

It is said that architecture is as much about style as it is function. I believe that architecture defines a place and gives it its uniqueness.  Algarve, Portugal a region I had the opportunity to visit just recently reflects its style in its beautiful architecture. The outfit below is inspired by their beautiful blue ocean, white walls, blue mosaics and intricate coble stone roads.

Shoes: Tods; Skirt: Leifsdottir; Sunglasses: Tory Burch; Bag: Chanel; Old T-shirt.

Img_5291
Sao_lourenco_dos_matos_church_algarve_portugal_pictures
Algarve-portugal

 

 

Simply Chic

By Lona

Although I think Christian Louboutin is an extremely talented designer for some reason I don't always find myself oozing over the latest collection.  However, last week while I was waiting for my flight in Tirana, Albania to board I saw these beautiful ankle boots on a very stylish woman and I fell in love with them.  I immediately emailed a picture of the booties to my two best friends in NYC wondering whether they were comfy. And of course they replied right away saying that they had already scoped them out and had tried them on.   Unfortunately as I had imagined they reported back that the booties were not the most comfortable.  But then again how often do you see fashion and comfort pair up to create incredibly beautiful high heel shoes? Almost never......ahhh the pain we endure in the name of style.

(download)