the it lists – fashion & trend blog

Online Sale Alert! Discounts at Acrimony Fab Sugar

BULGARI  “Between History and Eternity” 1884-2009 125 Years of Italian Jewelry Couture in the City

Q&A: What to Wear to Wimbledon Omiru

Fashion Designer & Stylist Margi Kent Coquette

I love Jessica Simpson…Shoes! Perhaps it’s the strong Christian Louboutin influence seen in most styles.  Or that her shoes look like high-end designer pieces, but at a price I can afford.  Undoubtedly the fact that they are hands down the most comfortable pair of heels I own; despite that they are the highest of any of my stilettos, yet never hurt my feet is a huge bonus.

You can imagine my excitement to find I no longer had to make the treck accross the border or shell out a good hundred dollars extra in markup for some Jessica’s when I stumbled across them at Le Chateau last week!  I have been sooo-o impressed with the improvement in Le Chateau’s Canada shoe game, hats off to them for picking up this line.  For spring the have open-toed and pumps in soft pastels to edgy neons.

Tip: I found this season fit a little large, so ask for your size and one size smaller when trying these babies on.

I’m humbly going to share my mineral mishap with you in case you can relate and learn from what I’m kicking myself about.

I tried Bare Escentuals bareMinerals a few years ago, loved the product but just never became a regular user. Instead played around with trying to find that drugstore alternative – and I’ve tried them all.

The drugstore brands just gave so much value – bigger and more for less. And just so much easier to throw into my purse – call that lazy or whatever, but honestly a factor.

Let’s chalk up both to ‘what was I thinking’ because on a recent trip I decided to splurge on a Sephora Exclusive  BareEscentials Get Started Kit. Splurge? I use 1/8 of the amount needed with the drugstore options now that’s a bargain.

And I found the best ever for purse travel! I’m so excited about this Bare Escentuals Beauty-On-The-Go Kit. It’s a refillable compact with mirror and a little kabuki brush. Perfect for mineral makeup on the go!

Elle claims that ‘designers are seeing the forest for the trees this season.’

About time because I think this is the first I’ve every seen wood prints - yayh something new!  Wood accessories and trim make for au natural spring dressing – and in the last few season prevalent in shoes especially, but not as an actual print. Love it.

Alexander McQueen rules on this trend, with his wood print silk jacket and skinny pants.

I’ve got mixed thoughts on these Micahel Kors wood panel pants. One moment I think they’re pretty damn cool, the next I think someone might sit on me thinking I’m an Eames chair. For Kors I think I’d risk it. Ha!

Stay:

The Mondrian Miami is described as South Beach’s main swimming pool surrounded by sun-soaked lounge pillows, lush gardens hung with hammocks, secret pathways and kissing corners. Great eclectic hotel, very modern glam.

Mondrian is part of the Morgans Group so that means you get beach privileges (insert cabana boys here) at its sister hotels the Shore Club and Delano. At the latter we got a close encounter with George Clooney and the paparazi (check this out).

Eat:

News Cafe - Versace’s old hangout just blocks from his home on Ocean.
Barton G - Fine dining with a kooky twist. From the ‘disco crab’ to sword fish literally presented by two waiters – on a sword – every course is a production.
Samba Sushi - A mix of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine. 25 different kind of sake. A cool dj and just a little crazy.
Nobu at Shore Club – Go early to first do cocktails while lounging in Shore Club’s candlelight Moroccan-themed poolside daybeds, and then I have just two words for you “black cod”. Omg.

Play:

Friday nites at Mondrian catch the fireworks and watch the lazy pool explode into a nightclub. Fontainbleu just re-opened after a billion dollar renovation, it has a stunning multi-level pool scene that might girlfriend Almira couldn’t stop raving about. And it’s also home to LIV which is one of the must do clubs. Bookmark LIV with SET and you are just that, set.

$1 Flip-Flop Saturday at Old Navy! Fabsugar

Level 99 the It Jean of the Moment As Seen on Jessica Simpson Couture in the City

Nom de Plume Checkerboard Dress Omiru

Fashion at Cannes Film Festival New York Times

Amber alert. Amber Heard that is. She’s about to be name to recognize – just check out her IMDB page. From All the Boys Love Mandy Lane to Pineapple Express, and next up she’s in The Informers, based on Bret Easton Ellis’ (Less Than Zero, American Psycho) novel of the same title.

What I’m most amped for is that Heard just began filming Hunter S Thompson’s 2nd novel, The Rum Diary. Johnny Depp is her co-star, and Heard reportedly beat won out over Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightley for the role.

Image [source]

You’ll be hard pressed to make it through this spring/summer without adding a bit of reptile into your life. Snake prints are in bold, bright or beige naturals – and are everywhere and anything you can think of.

Best options though are shoes – especially gladiators or slinky sandals; and hand bags – especially hobos or boxy totes. This Sang A River Square Tote is to drool over.

But if you want just a splash of python-like print try just adding stockings to pop out from pants. Secret Legwear spring collection in Coolmax has knee length in beaded leaves, giraffe (shown here) or aztec diamond. They give the same illusion as a snake print to finish an outfit.

So we all know that one of the biggest trends to hit not only the runways but our favorite stores last season was… the jumpsuit.

Well spring is no different in keeping with the trend of a one-piece ensemble, this time with a slight variation.  The romper is a shortened version of the jumpsuit that is perfect for those hot summer days because it will allow you ladies to bare those sexy legs.

Rompers are making an apperance in most of your favorite lines from high to low end with slight variations like halter tops, spagetti staps or a simple tube top. One of my favorites was this Doin the Jive Romper from Roxy.

You can have your cake and read it too. Perfect summer reading! A collection of chick lit essays by Sloane Crosley called I Was Told There’d Be Cake.

The title alone should hook you, but what’ll really get you is the blunt wit of a chickie-pooh who writes in a style beyond her years. Crosley is credited for writing the cover story of the worst-selling Maxim, well now she’ll charm the pants off you in this collection of prose with her take on growing up strange.

Those important life reflections like: her failed quest for a one nite stand or “as I using tampons before or after I learned to tie a cherry stem with my tongue?” And I’m sure she lost a few friends over her candid recall of bridal party horrors like counting all forty-two bobby pins that you remove from your shellacked hair-do, aerosol overdoses, and bad toasts.

My favorites are “You on a Stick” and “The Pony Problem” – where “Coffee, tea, a pony?” can have consequences.

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld’s Boudoir! Fabsugar

Emmanuelle Chriqui Look for Less Couture in the City

Garment Dyed Belted Linen Cargo Bermuda Shorts Omiru

Pa-pa-Plueys- Get Splashy Urban Bloc

Relive childhood games of jack, pickup sticks, and hangman with the new jewellery line, The Docent.

I’m struck by the witty details, from the Wounded Ring (antique brass tipped with blood red) to brass jacks with a ball made of moss agate or burgundy carnelian.

Cora Thomas, the designer behind Docent, is a recent Parsons graduate and must be the studios dedication that makes her trek from her NYC studio to estate sales to recycle vintage chains and charms for her collection.

Image [Elle]

Lately it’s been sad to see a bunch of Vancouver restaurants saying ‘ado’ – a sign of the times. I will miss the Earl Grey Martinis at Chow! So I’m pretty excited to see a grand-daddy of a space launched on Granville Street, as the new neighbour to Sanafir (a huge fav).

Last nite I went to the media launch of Circa Restaurant & Lounge. Circa is a 192-seat, two-level huge room. The top level is a little darker mood, edgier and more my style and with a great view of the vast room. And I love the Bocci lights & DJ to dine by.

But the private dining room is by far the coolest feature to this spot. Sliding private doors, dark wood and elegant lighting to set the tone for a perfect dinner. Very nice room, and they’re all about the shared plates! Hopefully they keep on the menu the Urban Legend cocktail – my reco.

1050 Granville, Vancouver, BC

Do your friends always borrow from your closet? Then you’ll be fascinated by this stylish experiment which aims to explore the secret life of borrowed dresses.

The brainchild of Ivana Helsinki (Finnish line) designer, Paola Suhonen, is called “Dress-Go-Around.” 10 winners are each given a cotton shift from her new line, and each wears their dress for a month before passing it along to one of their finds for a month, and so on and on.

After one year, the dresses will be returned to the designer who will display her well-traveled designs in an exhibition.