the best of 2010

It was very difficult to compile a list of my favorite moments in fashion for 2010. Fashion is always ahead, so I had the FW10 and SS10 looks to choose from, but I was so in love with so many things from SS11, I couldn't just ignore it. So here are 15 of my absolute favorite moments/shows/looks/trends of FW10, SS10 and SS11

1. Louis Vuitton FW10

Surprised it's not anything by my ultimate designer crush Chris, right? But there was something absolutely magical about this show. For one thing, the women looked like women. I look back on the supermodels of the 80's and they were absolute bombshells- Elle, Christy, Naomi anyone? Today, the industry is dominated by rail thin 20-somethings with sunken eyes who barely look like they've reached puberty. Don't get me wrong, there are some really beautiful models out there, but the trend seems to be 6'2, 100 lbs., alien-like features. Marc celebrated the beauty of women and featured fuller-figured, gorgeous beauties in his fall line. Ok, I'll just say it- the girls had boobs! You never see that in fashion unless it's the Victoria's Secret show. Not only were the girls stunning, but the clothing was perfectly feminine and lady-like. I was in love with the full skirts, bouncy ponytails, structured bags and those phenomenal pointy-bow pumps. Easily my favorite shoes of FW10. This show was just pretty- one thing I think fashion should always be.

2. Burberry Prorsum FW10

Ok, so Chris didn't make the #1 spot, but he obvs is in the top 3. This was probably the strongest outerwear collection I've ever seen. I am always anxiously awaiting how Christopher Bailey will reinvent the iconic trench, and every season he never disappoints or fail to shock me. This season was very military with lots and lots of shearling and fur. Everything looked so warm and delicious and I thought the color palette was so appropriate for fall/winter/fall or winter in London. Had to include a shot of those intense buckle boots. Those things could seriously wound someone.

3. Lanvin SS11

I dedicated an entire post to this collection because it's STUNNING and so, so strong. Alber Elbaz is one of those male designers that always impresses me with how well he understands the female body. His spring collection was the perfect balance of strong and sexy. From the very first look, I was so impressed. This was one of the hardest collections to just pick 2 looks from, so make sure you check out that post, or better yet, the actual show. Whether it was flowy evening or neon bandage minidress, everything was very unexpectedly feminine. I was reminded of modern, almost futuristic architecture when I saw this collection. And weather, for some reason. I am literally obsessed with this collection.

4. Marc Jacobs SS11

This show was so much fun. I loved the bright pops of color and I die for all the giant flowers- whether they were on waists, necklines or hairpieces, I loved how playful and girly they were. I got a definite 70's vibe from this- like I could totally see Jackie from That 70's Show wearing the high waisted pants vacationing in St. Tropez. (I'm embarrassed that my best 70's reference is That 70's Show...) And we're all familiar with my infatuation with obnoxious ribbons/bows/flowers. The red and purple dress is one of my all time-favorite Marc looks. I think the colors together are gorgeous and I've always been a sucker for high halter neckline. Is that how you would describe it? You know what I mean- that look where it's high up on the neck and it's tied together by a bow or something giant. Idk, but it's my favorite neckline.

5. Burberry SS11

Rock. And. Roll. One of the edgiest Burberry collections I've ever seen. How did Chris reinvent the iconic trench this time? Why, in python, neon green, silver and studded shoulders of course! Let's not forget how every single moto jacket was perfect and his use of leather was absolutely genius. Whether they were leggings, dresses, or perfect little moto jackets, Christopher Bailey reminded us just how sexy leather is over and over again. Not to mention, I have never been a fan of studs but after seeing this show a khaki trenchcoat without studded shoulders and elbows seemed boring.

6. Oscar de la Renta SS11

After Chris, Oscar is probably my second favorite designer ever. I could never understand why on The Rachel Zoe Project, Rachel always had a hard time finding red carpet looks for clients when everything Oscar sends down is red carpet worthy. Seriously, if I was a movie star I would only choose his stuff for award ceremonies. His gowns and dresses are the perfect balance of old Hollywood glamour and modern. Glamorous is the perfect adjective to describe his collections, particularly this one. The man is a genius, and even better than Mr. Elbaz when it comes to knowing a woman's body. I loved this entire collection, but the eveningwear were some of the most gorgeous works of art I've ever seen. I think if I ever got the opportunity to wear an Oscar gown, I might cry and pass out shortly after the tears.

7. Dolce and Gabbana FW10

This is more of a moment. At the end of the show, Stefano and Domenico sent down an army of black leotard, blazer and stiletto clad models. The looks were very simple, kind of Fosse meets business, but altogether were such a strong, sexy statement. It was the epitome of cool.

8. Chanel FW10

Actually, I was not a big fan of this collection. If the Abominable Snowman ever felt the urge to indulge in high fashion, this would be the ideal collection. The fur jumpsuits were a little too much for me, but ahem- THERE WAS AN ICEBERG IN THIS SHOW. Yeah. Karl Lagerfeld does what he wants and if Karl wants to recreate March of the Penguins, he does it. Those girls are walking in their CHANEL CALFSKIN BOOTS in ICE WATER. Yeah.

9. Prada FW10

The return of the sexy librarian. Count on Prada to make the unsexy, sexy. Nubby knit tights, chunky oxford heels, beehive hairdos and Lisa Loeb glasses never had sex appeal until Miuccia sent them down the fall runway.

10. Prabal Gurung SS11

Prabal is a fairly new designer. In fact, his first collection was presented at Bryant Park in Fall 2009, but you would think the guy is an old pro. Asian designers seem to be popping up everywhere, and Mr. Gurung is one of my faves ^_^ I call this the tangram collection, because the colors and silhouettes totally reminded me of tangrams and elementary geometry classes. This collection seemed very bright and clean to me, and I adore the neon. Die for the blue and yellow look.

11. Chloe FW10

I loved Phoebe Philo's work with Chloe, so I was skeptical when Hannah MacGibbon took her place, but this collection reassured me that Chloe isn't going anywhere. The signature minimalism of Philo was still present in Chloe's fall line, but had a touch of glamour, with the blown out hair and silky blouses. Chloe is the perfect design house for timeless pieces that every woman needs in her closet, especially all things camel.

12. Oscar de la Renta FW10

I didn't include a look, but I couldn't stop thinking of Anastasia when I saw this collection because of all the little fur berets that just reminded me of Czarist Russia. What I loved about Oscar's fall 2010 line was his use of jewel tones. Everything looked so luxurious and every look exuded elegance and class. I heart Oscar.

13. Dior FW10

I call this the Mad Hatter collection because one of the first looks had a huge hat. Besides the Alice in Wonderland vibe, I got a very strong equestrian feel from this collection. I thought John Galliano's over-the-top personality shown through in his fall line with all the ruffles and over-the-knee boots. The footwear was actually my favorite part. I loved every boot that went down. This show reassured me that over-the-knee leather doesn't always have to look like a stripper.

14. Valentino FW10

Every single look had ruffles. I think that's all that needs to be said.

15. Miu Miu SS10

Year of the naked woman print. Honestly, I am not a fan of this collection, but I feel like the prints are so iconic, I had to include it. A naked woman clothing print has never been acceptable until Miuccia Prada put them on satin and made a platform heel out of it.

Btw, this is my 50th blog entry! Wahoo! Thanks for reading.

there's a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy

merry christmas! this is my favorite day of the year. i hope everyone was able to spend today with the people you love. i'm thankful for jesus christ, my wonderful family, lovely friends and pretty clothes :) don't you wish you could bottle up a little christmas spirit and disperse it for every month of the year?

enjoy the rest of the holiday and have a happy new year! xoxo

Cute is when a person’s personality shines through their looks. Like in the way they walk, every time you see them you just want to run up and hug them.

-Natalie Portman

All this hype about Black Swan is making me rediscover my crush on Natalie Portman. I'm embarrassed to say that I've only seen a few of her movies, but I plan to have a Natalie marathon at some point over break, if not during the plane ride back to Provo. Black Swan looks so intriguing, especially the ballet aspect. I've always been a sucker for dance movies. And I like Mila Kunis as well.

I die for that yellow Valentino. It's everything I love in a dress. I like when people wear unexpected colors during the winter. Except I'm still hesitant about white pants in winter. Natalie is so incredibly gorgeous and sexy and smart! Harvard grad, nbd. I like when actresses have brains in addition to their talent and beauty.

And of course she was still gorgeous sans hair. Isn't she just radiant? I will never forget her performance in one of my all-time favorite movies, Garden State. That part where she makes noises and dances around in her room when she feels unoriginal and says "This is your one opportunity to do something that no one has ever done before, and that no one will copy throughout human existence." So darling. I really need to buy that movie. And if you haven't already, download the soundtrack at the very least.

here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten

It's 4:40 AM and I'm absolutely giddy because the day I've been looking forward to since I left Lancaster on August 28 has finally arrived. I have spent an entire semester memorizing every bone, muscle and organ of the human body. Too many hours I've pretended to be a United Nations delegate. I have failed more than my share of pop quizzes regarding vocal nodules and pediatric hearing loss. Every night this week has been consumed with 10+ hours in the library. (I blame this entry's poor writing skills on the fact that my entire history final consisted of meaningless essays, including one asking how I would choose to design a building. I may or may not have drawn a picture.) But it's over. Finals are over. Fall semester is over. School is over, until January. I am done. Done, done, done. My flight leaves SLC at 9:55 A.M. and arrives in Philly at 4:16 P.M. The flight itinerary I turned to for comfort whenever I wanted to cry about school is actually coming to pass. I'm going home for the holidays :)

I can't wait to be back in Lancaster. Christmas break in college is so different from Christmas break in high school. There's absolutely nothing to do. Exams are over. No projects are looming over you. Everything is done and the only thing to worry about is getting new textbooks for winter semester. I can't wait to sleep and eat real, healthy, delicious food. I can't wait to watch hours of Gilmore Girls and browse the Spring 2011 RTW shows I've diligently ignored. I can't wait until CHRISTMAS MORNING. I'm just so happy. And exhausted.

...my flight leaves in 4 hours and 50 minutes and I love airports.

100

I did this when I first got a blog. So here it is again- 100 things about me:

1) I read and type very fast. 110 WPM, if you were curious. I'm unsure of my reading speed, but it's pretty fast.

2) I have a diverse taste in music, but my favorite kind is folk-ish. Like, not too eclectic but I seem to really dig bearded artists, and all their stuff is very folk-y acoustic. I could listen to Iron & Wine all day.

3) My parents speak Tagalog at home but I can only understand it. I'm planning on taking some classes at school because I want to be able to speak it to my kids.

4) I don't know how to put make-up on or do my hair. For dance we would always have to wear intense stage make-up and I was always the only teenager backstage that still had her mom doing her make-up and hair. I don't wear make-up or do anything to my hair. I think my lack of effort in my physical appearance is made up by my clothing obsession.

5) I know how to knit. I've made scarves for people as gifts, except my scarves tend to roll around the edges so they look like a tube sometimes. But they're still pretty cute.

6) I love the smell of indoor swimming pools, clean laundry and coffee.

7) It bothers me when people wear those fake, obnoxiously big, plastic glasses. Like, you're not any more hipster because you're wearing fake glasses. I have a pair of prescription glasses that are similar to those trendy ones and I would just like to say that I had them before it was cool. I am also aware that that statement sounds just as pretentious indie hipster as the people that wear them claim to be.

8) I collect headbands. I try to wear them regularly but I usually forget and most headbands don't stay in my hair very well.

9) I think J.K. Rowling is a genius and the Harry Potter series will become classics when we're old. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one of my favorite books of all time. I could easily get into a heated discussion over these books that could go on for hours.

10) I'm obsessed with babies. I love babysitting and then seeing the kids at church or in public and they remember you. I think that's just a taste of how awesome it is being a mom. I'm in no rush to get married, but I'm so excited to have my own babies to play with.

11) I'm very particular about my iPod/iTunes. For example, it makes my skin crawl when I go through someone else's iPod and this appears: The Beatles, The Beetles, Beatles. Absolutely no repeats or spelling errors and album artwork makes my listening experience so much more enjoyable. It even bugs me when I have album artwork, but it differs between songs in one album.

12) I'm flexible. I used to be a lot more flexible when I danced, but I can still do a split and other odd contortions. However, I don't consider myself grossly flexible.

13) My favorite color is pink and I love pairing it with green.

14) My favorite food is mochi and I recently discovered why. Mochi is ice cream wrapped in a rice-cake-y thing and the texture of it is kind of gummy. Ice cream and gummy candy are two of my favorite things in the world and mochi is the exact mixture of those things. Green tea is my favorite flavor, followed by mango.

15) I hate wearing pants to bed. Even in the dead of winter or with a broken heater, I just sleep with a t-shirt on.

16) 8 is my favorite number.

17) I'm a very good speller. I won the 8th grade spelling bee and even went to the county one where I misspelled ethology. All the participants got a gift basket though, and I got $25 in cash, which at the time felt like a fortune. Still kinda does...

18) I think quick wit is sexy. If a guy can banter wittily or just be able to make witty comments and jokes, I will have at least a mini crush on him. If a girl can, I will probably have a mini crush too.

19) I have girl crushes. Not in a weird way, just in a I-want-to-be-best-friends-and-go-shopping-together-with-you kind of way.

20) I always make my bed. I've made myself late to places because I have to make my bed. And if I've slept in it all day or it's messed up and I'm about to go to bed, I still re-make it before I go to bed.

21) I love gummy candy. Gummy bears, worms, sharks, spiders, octopus, Swedish fish etc. I would take a box of gummies over chocolate any day.

22) I've lived in the Philippines, Chicago, Tennessee and Maryland before my family moved to Lancaster, where I've grown up and consider home.

23) I'm definitely a beach person. I would pick a beach house over any kind of house.

24) I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but I always see people wearing really pretty necklaces or bracelets and it makes me want to buy more jewelry, but I never do. I have trouble spending money on things other than clothes.

25) I get annoyed with people easily and it's probably one of my biggest flaws. It definitely contributes to my inability to make friends easily.

26) I love yoga.

27) I have a huge appetite and I'm always hungry. I think it's because I eat very fast.

28) I hate losing chapstick and having to start a new one when I know I haven't finished the one I lost.

29) I'm a very light sleeper.

30) Summer is my favorite season. I hate snow.

31) I'd take a skinny guy over muscle-y any day.

32) Soccer is my favorite sport to watch and I'm jealous of people that can play it well. I'm sad the World Cup is over, but before I die, I plan on attending one.

33) I'm very much in love with fashion. I am so fascinated by the history of the industry, design houses and the influences behind designers. If I could, I would spend all my money on clothes, bags and shoes. Christopher Bailey is my favorite designer because I think everything he has done for Burberry is genius and I love how classic his clothes are. My dream job is to work as a fashion editor. Along with attending the World Cup, I want to attend a Fashion Week.

34) I can only drink milk with sweet foods. If I'm eating a big breakfast with pancakes, eggs, and bacon, I have to have a bite of pancake before I can take a sip of milk.

35) Math has always been my worst subject since the beginning of my schooling. I remember in first grade we had plastic bears we would use to help us with addition. We were learning to add double digit numbers and I remember sitting and counting out 32 plastic bears and adding 12 plastic bears and then re-counting all the plastic bears. Everyone would always finish before me and I felt so stupid. I've hated math ever since.

36) I like the Jonas Brothers a lot.

37) I like Apple products the best of all tech-y products. Mostly because I think they're the prettiest. I guess they run pretty well too, or something.

38) My mom is the best cook I know. I've grown up eating Filipino food and having rice with everything and I love it and appreciate it so much more after finishing my first year of college.

39) Mango is my favorite fruit and I'll usually pick mango-flavored over any other flavor.

40) I started dancing when I was 8 years old and took lessons and danced with a company up until my senior year of high school. My favorite part was performing onstage and being a completely different person depending on the dance you were doing.

41) I double space papers at the end and it makes me feel even more accomplished.

42) I wish I practiced piano more.

43) It bugs me when you're on Facebook and you write on someone's wall that you haven't written on in a while and you expect a wall post back, but instead they just comment on your post. I mean, I comment on my posts but usually because my response would be frivolous, like "yeah" and it would be a waste of a wall post anyway.

44) I love wearing dresses. I would wear one every day of the year if I could.

45) I prefer to have all of my clothes ironed. I grew up with my mom ironing all of my clothes- even pajamas and t-shirts. Now I can't stand not having a crease in my bermuda shorts or khakis.

46) I love giving presents. My favorite is giving someone something they mentioned wanting, but never bought for themselves and then seeing their reaction when you remembered that particular thing.

47) I think the best compliments on appearance are "pretty" or "adorable."

48) I tend to use a lot of napkins when I eat. Usually 6 or more.

49) I think drinks taste the best when you're at the very end. Like with a milkshake, the part that makes a slurpy noise when you drink it is the best part to me. Same with soda cans. Doesn't apply to water bottles though.

50) I really like airports.

51) When I was younger, my parents would take all of us to Ikea on Saturdays and we would spend the day playing on the furniture and then would eat at the cafeteria thing. We all got Swedish meatballs every time. Afterwards we would go to the Filipino market and stock up. I think that's why I have a soft spot for Ikea and adored the part in 500 Days of Summer when they went on a date to Ikea.

52) I don't like when people use "lol" online or in texts. Like, really, you're laughing out loud? It's usually used when something's not even that funny.

53) I never had to wear braces.

54) I use the word "cute" too much.

55) I love ruffles.

56) Breakfast at Tiffany's is my favorite movie. I fell in love with Audrey Hepburn in 7th grade when I decided to do a report and presentation about her life. I'm still so fascinated by all things Audrey.

57) I'm emotionally attached to Grey's Anatomy.

58) Of all the countries I someday want to visit, I want to visit Greece the most.

59) J. Crew if my favorite store ever. Closely followed by Anthropologie.

60) I really enjoy public speaking. One of my favorite memories from high school was speaking at graduation. I had my speech memorized, but I had a copy of it just in case. I gave it to my advisor to put on the stand so I didn't have to carry it while I walked. When I got up to the podium my speech wasn't there, so I had to do it entirely from memory. It was fun though.

61) I don't know why I have a Twitter.

62) I like the noise keyboards make when you're typing a lot.

63) I'm very bad at saving money and very good at spending it.

64) "Vegetable Car" by Joshua Radin is my favorite song.

65) I love sushi. Especially the Las Vegas roll at Happy Sumo.

66) I am the worst singer. When I sing the hymns at church, my voice is completely monotone. It's really unfortunate.

67) I don't like animals.

68) I like a lot of ice in my soda.

69) My favorite computer font is Georgia Ref.

70) I think Uggs are ugly but I still wear them sometimes.

71) I like nice calves.

72) My mom's opinion is the only one I care about when I buy clothes or put together outfits.

73) I hate getting my hair cut. To me, 3 inches always looks like 8.

74) I'm very good at memorizing things.

75) Very few guys can pull off a headband, but the few that can get so many hotness points in my book. Sooo many.

76) I've always wanted to learn how to play the harp. How many people do you ever hear say, "Oh yeah, I play the harp"? Yeah, none.

77) I had my first kiss when I was 13.

78) I always set my alarms for odd times. Like 7:32, 6:01, 5:58.

79) I really like my handwriting.

80) I was a cheerleader for one year in high school and my favorite part was flying. But I was really bad at it.

81) I am deathly afraid of all rodents.

82) I love buying and using new school supplies.

83) I'm mildly obsessed with the Top 25 Most Played songs on my iTunes. All of the songs on that playlist have to be good songs, or I'm embarrassed to have them on my most played list, so I'll put songs on repeat to move up the list and get rid of the stupid ones.

84) I love it when people play with my hair.

85) I like spicy foods. I always have hot sauce with eggs, unless they're dippy.

86) I have the worst sense of direction of all time. I still don't know how to completely get around Lancaster, and I've lived there my whole life.

87) I sort my gummies by flavor when I eat them. From first eaten to last: orange, yellow, green (unless they're apple, then switch with red), red, white.

88) I hate having e-mails in my inbox. I delete them as soon as I've responded or taken care of whatever they say.

89) I hate wearing socks. My favorite shoes are Rainbows and Sperrys.

90) My little sister is the same person as me, except she's smarter.

91) I'm a terrible swimmer.

92) Crosswalks stress me out.

93) Nick Jonas and James Franco are my two celebrity crushes.

94) East Coast > anywhere else in the U.S.

95) I can only use mechanical pencils. Specifically those twisty ones that are the same color as normal pencils.

96) When I go to potluck dinners, I never eat what I brought or what my mom brought.

97) I'm young for my grade.

98) I started playing the flute in 4th grade and I quit before I started high school. I was awful. I alternated between second to last and last chair.

99) I was born in the Philippines and moved to the United States when I was 2 years old.

100) I wear a heart-shaped ring every day and lose it once a week.

you are so sweet dancing to that beat

Last night I sat outside on the cold sidewalk with my 3 roommates anxiously awaiting the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. I alternated between knitting and re-reading the DH (I finished it a minute before the movie started!!) I thought it was absolutely fantastic. I've been so disappointed in the last 4 movies, so my expectations were very low for this one, but I think they did a fantastic job. I'm just wondering where all this cinematic brilliance was when Prisoner of Azkaban came out and the 3 disasters that followed? But on to the purpose of this post. Let's talk about my longtime girl crush, the beautiful and witty, Emma Watson. Look how fabulous she is, even with no hair. You know someone is truly pretty if they can rock a pixie cut and still look as feminine and perfect as she does. And that dress?? I'm obsessed. Spanish designer Rafael Lopez, if you were curious.

Came across this interview amidst my stalking. (Headband! So darling). Basically I want to be best friends with her, exchange witty banter and hang out with Christopher Bailey. (Did you notice the part where she says what a great person he is? *sigh*). She is a gem among gems.

Of course after hearing about her collaboration with Alberta, I had to check out her FW10 line. Definitely don't regret it. I could see Emma wearing all of it. I got a flapper, 1920's feel, especially all of the evening gowns with the beaded accents towards the end. I love the look of a peacoat and fur trim, because I'm not brave enough to rock entire fur. First look was perfect. Obsessed with the black toile coat. I'm so excited to see the organic creations Emma and her are devising.

Ok, just one more of that Rafael Lopez masterpiece. Oh, she is just darling!