FTBC Hellas Barbie giveaway

FTBC Hellas and Barbie have joined forces in targeting breast cancer (Barbie must be a size D, no?). It's a Sunday giveaway and it's a cute hot pink one:
To win this rather meaningful tank top email me at aleccarox@windowslive.com with your name until Thursday, June 3rd (midnight as usual). Put 'Barbie' in the subject area to help me fish out the winner from my inbox chaos when the times comes.

*It's an FTBC Hellas competition so only entries from Greece this time please.

**This tank top is absolutely valid for FTBC's competition offering a trip to Milan so I'll make sure it's in the post the next day;)

Doll Parts for ss11

This is so out of the retouch suite and on to your screens. It's Celebrity Skin's latest styling and design work, get this, for Spring/Summer 11.

The concept: Doll Parts.
-click to enlarge.clothes/ celebrity skin
featuring:
black and white dress/ maria voultsou
swimsuit/ kostantina agaliou
photo/ fenia lambropoulou
model/ xenia - vn models
make up/ k.kontogiourgou
hair/ tzako plocation in berlin
styling assistant/ janine hopner

Konstantina Agaliou has been Dimitris Strepkos tutoring offspring and what a greater honour than a co-shooting with your master. Credits to Strepkos, who seems to understand well that the way forward is embracing new talent. After all, Eleni Barla his Celebrity Skin alter ego, used to be his student too.

This is a sneak preview of everybody's work for next year/fash-week, a visual experimentation and testing of shapes & fabrics selected for the new collection under construction. I like how they've escaped the dark era and have broken through to the other side, a much brighter and uplifting one.

Is this coming too early?
All the better then, plenty of space for constructive feedback.

Sharing the news

All credits to Fashion Algorithms for this discovery.
Well, well, well, what have we got here. A Greek eshop, selling Greek designers? No way!

Yes way. This is Pink Caro, featuring items as well we bargains by the likes of Two In A Gondola, Meet the Cat, Stelios Koudounaris and Grace Atelier to name a few.

I smiled at the sight of Fashion Algorithms closing line. Darn right, it was about time*.

*another fab eshop is a sneeze away from launching, stay tuned.

Striped 'n' Buttoned

Parcels like this have been travelling across Athens lately (I suppose they'd go further if they were asked to). What are they? They are Stripes 'n' Buttons goodness. Mine is a sunflower boutonniere I fell in love with whilst reading her blog a while ago.
It arrived in a handmade cotton case, double the joy. Have known the girl who is S'n'B for quite a few years now, but this talent of hers was something I came to discover just like you, through her posts. The minute she made the first item was like opening Pandora's box, no turning back for her, no stopping her!
I went for a yellow one to brighten my days/nights/outfits. The result has such a feel-good vibe, planning to put it in action soon.
The S'n'B signature buttoned bow at the back. This clever bird marks her territory. Like. This clever bird is also in Barcelona and about to start reporting on Primavera Music Festival. Envy.

Loving my sunflower Stripes'n'Buttons, hope you're having a sunny trip yourself!

On my feet these days

I've been wearing them with brief break intervals since March. I can officially say these are the comfiest shoes on my feet these days. (Dexim, 9 euros. If you were born in the 80's you can recall the tv spot :))

*if you're in Athens, check out what the Fashion Architect is up to tonight, your shoes may feel like joining.

FF Thought #10

There's a soundtrack for everything these days.

Euangelia for Summer

(Euangelia, photo by Natasha Andreou)

Euangelia's summer collection is being showcased at Occhi Concept Store until the 3rd of June. Euangelia creates unique, one-off pieces. Dresses can be worn from both sides, with details that allow each piece to take a new form and shape on the body. I think it's great this time she's going for vibrant colours. See all styles at Occhi's website - Collections.

Location: 35 Sarri str., Psurri, Athens

Sunday with Robyn

(via Stop That Sound, who's actually met her)

Listening to this since yesterday, loving it.
Hello new Robyn with baby blue manicure. Dancing on my own to it the moment I hit 'publish' - in 3...2...1...

Forest for the trees

Oh, puhrrrlease.
Some Greek glossy's editorial this month is naive if not infuriating.

It describes a Greek fashion blogger's project, the Not Shop Project, which is all about 365 days without shopping. This blogger, woke up one morning and realised she has too many clothes. So many, in fact she could go for a year without shopping and still have enough clothes to wear something different each day. The editorial goes on to say this is some sort of repression, totally unnecessary in financially difficult times like this and that this could potentially harm the local market.

Seriously? For years magazines have been bombarding us with luxury products, some people are working double shifts to pay off their maxed out credit cards, we have been brainwashed to buy quantity rather than quality and you write editorials because one dared to escape? She said she has enough clothes to wear something different every day, hello!? She's done her share of supporting this market for the next 2 years. Leave her alone.

Discrediting her shopping diet won't bring back your fat advertising budgets. And you know who created this monster? You. All these years you never bothered to substantially support local fashion. It all had to be so Milan/London/Paris, it all had to be "Kate Moss". So now what? Let's say how repressed this blogger is. This blogger who felt was a victim of media imposed consumerism. How dare she attempt to escape...

How about dedicating your next editorial to giving balanced shopping tips instead of telling us how repressed we are? And what was that all about telling your readers who travel abroad to refrain from shopping there and go for the Greek importers back home? One will be outside the 'X' french brand store in Paris but will buy the 'X' french brand in Athens? Shopping is no charity as you know. Maybe you should suggest we buy some Greek brands instead?

I'm afraid you can't see the forest for the trees.

Friday light post

(photo of happy me by LFoF)
I think I was unaware of the actual length of my hair before this photo(!) It is natural, brown hair, that goes seriously light brown around August and that's about it. It hasn't always been like this though. As a matter of fact, my decision to keep it natural is a result of a rather long period of experimentation between the ages of 16 and 20. You can't say I haven't tried stuff:)
I've gone raven black and plum too, but that was boring. It took me at least two years of treatments, visible roots and short haircuts to see my natural colour again and ever since I'm in denial. I just want it healthy, natural and as long as it goes - once the heat kicks in, i'll be taking that last one back, won't I?

Have you ever put your hair into a test?
What's the craziest thing you've gone for?

Meet Market goes Synch

Speaking of music festivals and fashion in the previous post, here's a piece of what's happening in the hood this Summer: the next Meet Market will be held in collaboration with Synch Festival. In their own words:

This June, the Meet Market presents its largest event to date, in collaboration with Synch Festival. Come find over 85 stalls of local creations and innovations from designers, artists, collectors, record stores and independent businesses, all under one massive roof in the “Nikos Gastos Hall” of 'technopolis', City of Athens.

Together with Synch Festival, and along side the musical & multi media lineup, the Meet Market will be joining forces with its own mixed media roster of clothes, accessories, vintage & retro items, art and objects, organic food, biological bath & beauty products, records, books, interactive games, free prizes, dj sets and good vibes.

June, Friday 4 & Saturday 5, 2010
19:00 - 04:00 each day
Technopolis, City of Athens, Pireos 100, Gazi

H&M - Fashion Against Aids

Today is the launch of H&M’s Fashion Against AIDS (FAA) collection in selected stores (Stadiou in Athens, Ag. Sofias in Thessaloniki). A special line for a very important cause, as in the past two years has raised over SEK 30 million to help raise HIV/AIDS awareness and fight the spread of the disease. This season, FAA has gone for the summer festival theme, a great choice for the young audience the brand aims to alert and with a rock-boho concert approach, lively captured by Dan Martensen's lense. The campaign illuminates concert vibes, bringing in mind flashes of famous past festival shots. I couldn't help noticing the similarities between the photo above and that below (Kate Moss & Pete Doherty, back in the days).
Whether images like this were used as inspiration I can only guess, but either way, the essence of the shoot is strong, realistic and up to date. All the better if extensive research was involved. There's also an excellent website supporting the theme online, check it out here for festival videos, fashion and survival tips. Quite a project.
Yet again, let me say it is great when a fashion brand chooses to use its popularity for such a humane matter, way beyond what we wear to look good. However, remember that a dress can only remind you to stay safe. Once that's removed, it's something else one's got to wear to actually be safe.

*Shopping Therapy was at the in-store preview of the collection last night. Check out her report here.

Sense_nu Spring Bazaar

It seems it's this time of the season, bazaars are blossoming.
Sense_nu will be on special prices mode as of tomorrow and till May 31st. I remember being impressed by the collection at the catwalk last November. If you were too, here's your chance.

Location: 47, Kristalli & Grigoriou E' Byronas
Hours: Mon to Fri 11.00-19.00, Sat 11.00-15.00

FTBC Hellas Bazaar

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer summer bazaar begins tomorrow, 19th May and will go on till Saturday the 22nd. T-shirts starting from 10 euros and the chance to support such a great cause while wearing it ever after, for free:)

Location: FTBC Hellas, Tritonos 119, P.Faliro
Hours: 10.00 to 20.00, daily.

Bloggers Preview chez Valuecom

(Ffffashionmixxxx - Life Full of Fashion - Fashion Paths)
It was bloggers preview time at Valuecoms headquarters last Thursday, a whole hour reserved before everybody else arrived for the showcasing of the company's represented brands' a/w 10 collections. It is safe to say that Valuecom ...values bloggers, as well as that that all attendants enjoyed the hospitality. It may be too early to talk winterwear right now, so here are a few refreshing pictures of what went on:
The colour palette of Benetton (above) and Sisley (below). Safe earthy hues and grey are suggested as a basis, with red, yellow, green, blue and lilac flashes.
Life in Athens encourages Valuecom's Penelope to go for the more imaginative styling of her necklace she had in mind all along. 'Wear it as you please' - a fash blogging value.
Summer shoes are already out. Summer is here then.
From left to right: The Soho Symposium, Las Ninas and Los Ninos, Fashion Paths & friend, Life in Athens, Life Full of Fashion.
An interesting initiative on a sunny, spring-summerish afternoon.

Award Friday

Friday is a good day to give awards.
Especially the one I was crowned with by fellow blogger Sugahspank (her blog is an ongoing party around Greece lately, have you seen?). So according to protocol, I am passing on this award to three queens:

Queen of island blogging:
Fashion Butter

Queen of les diy boutonnieres (& that's not nearly all):
Stripes'n'Buttons

Queen of I-love-my-fashion-and-I-do-my-research!:
FFFFashionmiXXXX

Wear it with pride mi ladies and keep writing those posts that have me clicking back for more.

Charm-ing

What's hanging from my belt in this post is not exactly a charm, although I often use it as one.
It's a necklace by Sugarline Productions which I tend to wear a lot. It's pop, it's bling, it's got a lot of potential, I tell you. But to me, it's also a shiny image of a car that got me to all places beautiful in my teens, my grandad's Honda Civic - which was silver but this is close enough.
Accessories come in many shapes and colours now but seeing sweet memories in them, this kind of connection does not happen every day. Well, unless you visit Sugarline Productions headquarters every day. I find all of her hand-made pieces emotionally charged.

Speaking of "everyday", soon that won't be a problem. Sugarline Productions -among others- will be just a click away before you know it. A rather promising eshop is about to hit our screens, a little bird told me.

Online shopping, hello Fena

Going through last Saturday's papers, I found this really interesting piece of statistics: at the moment, 57% of Greek consumers is willing to shop/already shops online (TA NEA). That is a very encouraging percentage, even though we still got a bit to go to reach UK (83%) or Ireland (74%). The online consumers for Greece are currently some 620.000, four times up since two years ago.
Greek eshops are popping like mushrooms and to be honest, I'm quite pleased, among other reasons for the speed of delivery as well as not having to face the fat postage charges from abroad. Fenastock.gr is a new kid in town that recently challenged me to shop with as little as 50 euros of spending money. The variety of choice was great and Thessaloniki (where the store is based) became as close as the click of my mouse.
Since all prices are stock - reduced, I loaded my cart with a new pair of MEXX shorts (priced 21 euros), a purse by Nice Day Nice Things (priced at 19,50 euros) and a Petit Bateau baby body (for 8,10 euros). I must say this challenge could not have arrived at a better time: I urgently needed some new summerwear for this weekend, a purse that fits my money, keys and mobile and a gift for my friend's baby, but had no time to go out shopping.

So shopping came to me. It was easy, fast, efficient and quite a bargain-nest therefore I'm sharing. Did I hear you say it's time for a new swim-suit?!

At the moment, online shopping for clothes and accessories attracts only 15% of Greek online shoppers. It seems that this is about to change fast so start exploring. "Buy what you truly need" rule still applies;)

The Greek Cinema Costume Design Award goes to...

...Vassilis Barbarigos and Strella. Last Monday, May 3rd, was the Awards Ceremony of the new Hellenic Cinema Academy (our national 'Oscars'). The award for Cinema Costume design is (and should be) a big thing for anyone with an interest in clothes - way beyond temprary fashion. Congratulations to Barbarigos and wish him and Greek costume design every success in the future.
This blog had exclusively presented you the making-of of Strella's Traviata paper dress, a very complicated and award-deserving construction alone. However, I feel like mentioning Barbarigos' light piece too (seen here), now back to its original place, in his atelier's working space.
Apart from an award winning costume designer now, Vassilis Barbarigos has always been a fashion designer too, with his personal collections being sold to date at his Kleitiou str. atelier in Athens.
Last time I visited was in March and caught him working on yet another cinema costume project*, testing the effect of various types of fake blood on lace. "I know this looks good to you right now, but I think I'll go for that one which produces a realistic dry effect on camera", he had told me and for the first time I realised how much work it takes on the designer's part to get the right result in the scene. Acting is not all it takes. (*not allowed to reveal the project just yet)
Other awards for Strella:
Best Actress (Mina Orfanou),
Best Make-Up (Apollonia B. and Mary Stavrakaki),
Best Music (Michalis Delta) and
Best Set Design (Penelope Valti)

Congratulations, Strella.

Final thought: so it was the Greek Cinema Awards. So we have great talent and we reward it. So why isn't this a BIG thing on national television and press? I wish it grows.

Female Desires @ TAF

Tuesday evening will be quite interesting at TAF, you may want to stop by around 21:00. TAF (The Art Foundation) presents the exhibition 'Female Desires' in collaboration with the Whitebox team of designers, hosting the homonymous fashion performance by Eva Pyr. Each of the usual rooms will be decorated by a designer, reflecting a type of woman of their choice. The participating actresses will then bring those women to life, projecting their desires whilst mingling with the crowd.

The exhibition will be open till May 25th.