the it lists – fashion & trend blog

You’ve seen Apple’s latest invention – iPad – are you going to get one?  I’ll admit, touch screen technology hasn’t really wooed me enough the shell out the dough. Apple’s new tablet starts at $499 (for only 16GB) and goes up to a thousand bucks.  For the purpose of travel and convenience, I prefer a netbook over a tablet.

For all you fashionistas, you’ll love ASUS’s new Eee PC 1008P Seashell designed by Karim Rashid, a renowned industrial designer (and he’s Canadian and tons of his designs are in the MOMA – very cool).

It’s ultra slim at just 1″ and weighs a mere 1.1kg.  So, now that we know it’ll fit perfectly in your handbag, the exterior is striking with a mix of grids and wave-like patterns.  Priced at $499…not bad for a trendy netbook!

Eee PC comes in two colors – a matte finished coffee brown & glossy glazed hot pink. With an ergonomic chicklet keyboard, your fingers have enough space to type quickly and freely. Plus, the netbook comes with a webcam, in case you want to Skype your relatives in Europe. Battery life lasts for 6 hours.

It’s stylish, it’s light – I love it, I want it!!!

Tomorrow we’re back to our regular broadcasting. Until then here’s our Olympic Wrap up!

Wow- Time flies!! That cliche holds true when you’re having fun for the past 17 days of the Winter Games. Vancouver was on cloud nine. Vancouver & Whistler had been injected with a large dose energy while the spirit of the entire nation sang louder than ever. For most Vancouverites, it’s time for recovery. Our throats are sore from all the cheering & screaming. Daily diet consisted of beer, nachos, and chicken fingers. And of course, the lack of sleep as SO much was happening in SO little time. Here are some highlights:

- Canada’s win for hockey gold. The city went nuts over the win, and walking around Vancouver was amazing with everyone high-fiving (even the cops) and horns honking for hours. Even the trains rang with singing: Oh Canada!

Quebec House: Much milder ambiance than the German house. A place to have $10 Quebec beer and see amateur Cirque du Soleil performers on the stage. At one point, a man dressed as a lion in a leopard leotard was getting wiped by another man. Someone in the crowd blurted “this reminds me of gay porn.” Touché!

Canvas Lounge: Different sponsors like Vitamin Water, Le Vieux Pin, Ferrari Maserati hosted one night that would attracted a golden guest lists, as Olympians like Alex Bilodeau, Maelle Ricker, Ashleigh McIvor would head down to the lounge and celebrate their gold medal win. Woo hoo!

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Jennifer Heil, our February “It” Girl, introduced some new pieces for her Birks jewelery line.

More to add to your wish list as Heil launched five stackable rings and bracelet, all with the same texture and words.  Each piece from the collection uses five rings symbolizing Heil’s ingredients for success: Team, Joy, Courage, Focus, and Dream.  Here’s a video link from brunch at Birks in downtown Vancouver where she showed us here new jewels. Here’s a clip from the event, recorded from my new Flip video HD.

By the way – adding to Jennifer’s victory…our Canadian babes are kicking ass with their medal wins. Women have won 12 of this country’s 16 medals outright! Girl POWER!

WARNING: What you’re about to read will feed your shoe addiction! Try not to mention this to your Shoe-a-holic Anonymous leader.

Bergdorf Goodman has released the Shoe Salon App for iPhone or iPhone touch!! So, every morning, you’ll get Bergdorf’s choice on a “shoe of a day.”  Plus, you’ll have a 24-hour access to exclusive and must-have shoe styles. The iPhone application works as a shopping tool since you can buy any shoe, instantly.  Might be dangerous option for your bank account.  Tho, good news…Bergdorf will offer free expedited delivery and complimentary return.

Check out BergdorfGoodman.com to download the Shoe Salon App. You’ll be in shoe-heaven!

Jennifer Heil, is the first Canadian athlete to win a medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics. She won silver in woman’s freestyle mogul. Woo Hoo!

She’s also the ambassador to the Canadian jeweler, Birks.  Designing a Jennifer Heil Collection for Birks’ 2010 Winter Games jewelery line. An Olympic champion with an strong artistic talent; Heil has SUPER talent!

Each piece from the collection uses five rings of varying sizes and textures, symbolizing Heil’s ingredients for success: Team, Joy, Courage, Focus, and Dream. She uses sterling silver for the necklace, earrings, and bracelet. I’m a BIG fan of the necklace. Her collection is classy and meaningful.  And a perfect piece to remember the biggest multi-sport event in the world.  Price ranges from $295-395CAD. Check out the Jennifer Heil Collection by going to Birks.com.

Go Canada Go! that’s an “it girl” worth watching

Image [Metro News]

Today Vancouver welcomes the world to the 2010 Winter Olympics.  Insert hometown pride here!!

Vancouverties and all Olympic followers will be adopting a more sportier look for the next couple of weeks as they get into the spirit and support their country’s athletes.  Let me say: GO CANADA GO!

Kudos to Canadian retailer, Holt Renfrew, for their sporty window display (in their downtown Vancouver location) as they embrace the Games with high fashion.  Why not, eh? Only, HR can make hockey looks stylish. Imagine if I could skate gracefully in a Dolce & Gabbana fuschia dress. Well, a girl can only dream.

Let the Games begin!!

I’m still in love with the bold shoulder Balmain dress Madonna wore in her music video for Celebration. Luckily for me, designers are embellishing the shoulders even more for 2010. Goes beyond the ‘80s power suits with the shoulder pads (not a personal fav). Now, we’re seeing shoulders grow upwards into more futuristic, space age look from Balmain.

Not to mention, Lavin’s aim for sculptural ruffles  High shoulders give women a sense of power. Chick Power! I’m down with that. A history lesson: big shoulders date back from the Victoria era, as high society European women would wear tailored dresses to emphasize that part of their body. Shoulders speak volume. Trust.

Photo: Lanvin’s Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear (designer Alber Elbaz)
Photo: Madonna in a Balmain dress for her Celebration music video

Not satisfied with your boyfriend’s style? Plus, you have a tough time taking him out shopping.  Hmmm, how to change his style in 10 minutes?

Answer: Shirtsmyway.com. This user-friendly site can help you customize a dress shirt to your liking.  There’s over 25 different fabrics to choose from, plus any colour for the collar and cuffs. Apparently, there are 7 trillion different dress shirts to pick. You’ll become an instant fashion designer.  Now, you’ve earned some bragging rights.  Shirts ranged from $75-$85USD and that includes customization.  And it’s FREE shipping worldwide.

Your boy is worth it, right?

Ladies, only five more months until Sex and the City 2 is out in theatres.

What will Carrie Bradshaw be wearing? Let’s be honest, SATC2’s storyline is not the main reason we enjoy the movie series. We get a fashion high just by living vicariously through Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, and Miranda.

Soon, you can get your hands on jewelry inspired by these sexy ladies. Yes, Dogeared is coming out with a SATC jewelry line. You can choose from either a gold or silver chain adorned with charms like a diamond, the Eiffel Tower, or stilettos. Each piece is accompanied by a famous quote from the show, like when Charlotte York said, “I’ve been dating since I was 15. I’m exhausted! Where is he?”

Prices range from $55 to $200. The line will be available this Spring at HBO.com and Dogeared.com. Please be fashionably patient!

Yesterday we shared about Shoe Jewels – now we found another cool way to shake up your shoe wardrobe…

Between juggling career, drinks with friends (or with that cute guy), hitting up the gym, and attending networking events , there’s sometimes zero time left to change, refresh, and re-style. Hate to say it, but never enough hours in a day. How to deal?

Footwear adornments by Dekkori, will help you kick your style up a notch, in less than 30 seconds. Founder Stephanie Kim designs shoe accessories to temporary transform any pair of shoes into a completely new style. One leg cover, Charisma, comes in lambskin and will give you that sexy knee-high look. Other dekkori pieces that’ll revolutionize your perception of footwear include midrise boots to the gladiator-esque look.

Baby, it’s cold out there. In case you couldn’t get your hands on the 2010 Olympic red mittens, Down Ice Scraper Mitt from Eddie Bauer.

It may seem lame…but for me, it was love at first sight. Plus, I bought another pair for my mom. (FYI, she loves it).

One hand won’t have to suffer in the freezing cold while you scrap the ice off.  This mitt is filled with premium northern Euro goose down…it’s super warm, trust!  To really polish up your style, some come with a faux-fur trim.

Did you ever think scraping the car window could be fashionable, eh?   Do you think Burberry will make a version? Stay warm.  It’s on sale for $14.50. It’s win-win.

Donna Karen’s sweater wrap is a hot seller. Why?  You get 10 sweater-looks for the price of one.  Sweet deal, you say.  Well, it’s economical, if you know how to properly twist, tie, wrap, or whatever to get the various styles.

Me, on the other hand, require a stylist to get those different looks (cuz it seems complicating to do on my own).  Solution. The fashion label just launched an iphone application called DKNY Cozy, which offers an instructional video and step-by-step visual guide on how to style the wrap. So, your iPhone works as a personal stylist (for FREE). Sweetness!

Clever idea as the app is more cost efficient for the company and environmentally friendly over the glossy printed guides.

Hudson Bay Co. unveiled the 2010 Olympic apparel.

The consensus on the street is the designs are FAR better than last year’s loud pajama-style outfits Canadian athletes were forced to wear at the Beijing Games.  Design went from psychedelic to simplistic yet chic, some are even saying Canadian Old Skool.

HBC’s design team used the colours of the national flag: red and white with compliments of black and grey. The black jacket with “CANADA” across the chest resembles the quilted outerwear from Burberry’s collection last season.  Love the knitted sweater with the deer. It’s a nostalgic design but not an original, but that in itself is the design. You probably have the one your grandmother knitted!  Price range: $10-$350

P.S. Note from Shelley, We also have to give kudos to HBC for their launch event. From the Gap-like models, to the perfectly lit antlers (hey, it’s the Bay).

The red carpet clashed with vibrant colors at the annual JetSet VIFF party. A crowd of actors, directors, producers, and film-istas celebrated VIFF’s opening weekend at Canvas Lounge in Gastown. If you say red carpet, Vancouverites will dress to impress.  Side note: I never get why there’s always someone that ends up wearing jeans at gala events in this city!!??!!?  I’ve been to four JetSet parties and this was by far the best.

If I could hand out an award for best outfit, it goes to the 10-year-old actor Quinn Lord. This cutie wore an ivory colored three-button suit with a red bow-tie. And finished it off with a pair of blue converse…I could just pinch his cheeks.  He’s been on the festival circuit, promoting Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus at TIFF and VIFF.

Quinn also got his new buddies to autograph his suit collar (that’s Emmanuelle Vaugier’s signature on his lapel). Not sure who but probably stars of the movie…wonder how much the suit is worth?  Could Quinn be the next Justin Timberlake of style? I’m a fan!

P.S. Speaking of Emmanuel here’s a pic of her (in local Blushing Designs) getting interviewed by The It Lists’ Leila.