BOTTEGA VENETA TAKES JAPAN

...you've heard of bottega veneta right? now i am hoping it's because of your borderline obsession with their well crafted leather goods, and not from a line in g-unit rapper, yayo's song. ("and that bag from bottega veneta cost an arm") the luxury brand, owned by the gucci group, has just opened their largest flagship store in - where else? - japan! luxe brands like chanel and cartier are already in the hood. this brand-new store store is nearly 10,000 square feet and has five floors. you will find the company's full range of jewelry, clothing, leather goods and even home furnishings. they are having a shindig this friday to celebrate the store, which has been open for about a month. tomas maier, creative director for the brand, and some notable models are all set to attend. good times.


leather goods and eyewear (wwd)


the front of the store (wwd)


fine jewelry from bottega veneta on display (wwd)

YSL FOR THE MASSES

items from ysl's new line, "edition 24," as seen in today's wwd.

yesterday i discussed the ysl muse bag, and the gurus at yves saint laurent must love my blog because today they announced a new collection that i am equally thrilled about. it's called "edition 24." ysl head designer, stefano pilati revealed in womens wear daily (wwd) that it's entirely seperate from ysl. there are 50 pieces in this new line all of which mix and match together. The selling point, of course, is that these pieces are hundreds (even thousands) of dollars cheaper than the ysl line. but can someone define cheaper? according to pilati's interview in wwd, silk t-shirts are retailing for a little less than $400 a pop, and pieces average at about $1,400 a piece. i don't know about you all blaynistas, but that doesn't sounds like a fashion steal to me. it sounds like a splurge. but in case you've got it like that, you can get these pieces at nieman marcus in the states, harrods in london,collette in paris and lane crawford in hong kong.

BEHIND THE GLAMOUR: LABORING UNDER DEADLINES

...my dear blaynistas. trust me. there's nothing mama wanted more than to blog about the best fashion findings of the day. but this deadline is real and i'm still grinding, so no post today. but do you know what that means? do you my little darlings? it means a super, duper, double post tomorrow! yeah baby! look forward to it. in the meantime, here's a lil fashion porn to feast on: my latest purchase, the ysl muse bag. (ofcourse, mine is a tribute version from the heart of chinatown.)


good: the white one is cute, but not really my cup of tea.


better: this toffee mettalic version is sexy. but doesn't work as an everyday bag for me.


best: now that's more like it! this is the version i have and it goes everywhere and with everything. it was love at first sight!

FASHION'S ONE NIGHT STAND AT THE MET

...oh to be at the metropolitan museum tonight. this evening is the metropolitan museum of arts annual costume institute ball. we're talking loads of "a list" celebs (make that a + +). we are talking tons of superstar designers (john galliano, fransisco costa, alexander mcqueen are a few of the bold-faced names expected to come). we are talking FASHON. not fashion. but FA-SHON! you have to add base and emphasis to that last part. and we are talking one sad, lonely little girl who wishes she could be there. i'm on deadline. two stories due. one publication. but my social life is SHUTDOWN for the night. not shut down. but SHUT-DOWN! you've gotta add base and emphasis to that last part. tear...


john galliano with his date charlize theron at last year's ball. i can't decide if they look marvelous or look a mess.

NARSICO RODRIGUEZ GETS PAID

so we all know - and love - narsico as a designer of fresh, classic, feminine pieces. well get to know another side: a smart, savvy business man who just announced that the liz claiborne corporation is purchasing half of his design house. now, although this means that technically liz claiborne owns half of his entire business - it now also means that he has lots more money to expand his clothing line across all categories. and according to what he told the fashion newspaper, womens wear daily, that's exactly what he plans to do. In an interview he said, "I feel great today. For so long, I wanted to branch into shoes in a bigger way and all accessories, and I haven’t been able to. For me, it’s so important to create the total look, and now, to have the opportunity to do that is really exciting.” I bet, and so is the opportunity to tell anyone who even thinks to look at you funny: "I'm rich bi*ch!"


designer narciso rodriguez flashes a smile. ummmm...wouldn't you be smiling too?

NYC: A PENNEY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

victoria's secret, bakers, the gap and now...jc penney!? there's talk that mass retailer plans on moving to new york city's 34th street shopping district. the area gets the pleasure of looking and feeling even more like your local mall with this latest arrival. i'll keep you posted on details as they develop.


one jc penney's neighbors on 34th street will be the landmark macy's store.

A SAD BLOW

editor at london's tatler, the london times, and assisting vogue's anna wintour: these are all things that made isabella blow well known within fashion idustry circles. but it was her sharp eye for fashion (she bough alexander mcqueen's entire first collection while he was still a student) that made ms. blow a legend. sadly, as with legends before her, she has passed away. according to media reports, she passed away early this morning in gloucester, england from cancer. may she rest in peace.


a photo that showcases blow's signature flair and quirkiness.

IT'S HAUTE IN HERE

big knip beach in curacao.

...okay,maybe not haute. but the island of curacao (pronounced kyur-o-saw) definitely has lots of mainstream couture. (i know that term is an oxymoron, but it's catchy, aint it!?) i just got back from curacao this morning. i was on the island for five days reporting on - what else!?- people, places and products for two publications and the blayreport. there was lots of substance to see (check out the slaverly museum pics), but there was also tons of style. as you can see from the pics, the bright, pastels they use to paint their buildings...


bustling streets of downtown, willemsted, the capital of curacao.

...are breathtaking, as is the natural terrain of the island. but nothing surprised, or impressed, me more than the number of american brands and stores there. i checked out lacoste, polo ralph lauren, timberland, and athlete's foot among other stores.


store front of the polo store


athletes foot, also downtown.


lesportsac, which had a super chic staff.

although i neglected to take pics of curacaons for the blog, take my word for it when i say there were a stylish bunch. the mix of over 150 nationalities on this tiny island off the coast of venezuela has created an eclectic, island chic style of dress. most of the pieces i saw were uber colorful, relaxed, and flowing. and ofcourse, as with any place with a massive influx of african culture the people were charming, friendly and absolutely beautiful. (i mean, i should know. i am a proud african girl myself.)

and speaking of africa, the island was once a major stop for dutch business men who traded in african slaves. to remember, and learn from this history, dutch millionaire jacab dekker, launched the largest slavery museum in the world. it is called museum kuara hualanda. more than any beach, store, or hotel - this is the number one reason to visit the island. the museum's artifacts are incredibly vast. below is very small sample of some of the pieces they have.




authentic kkk costumes, purchased for $2000 a piece from new york.


note the blood stains still on them.




this statue called "mama africa" greets visitors when they enter the museum.


proud slave owners used to place this in front of their offices to let others know their trade.


me and leo helm, director and curator of the museum.


zandile blay: reporting for duty. reporting in fashion.