Two in a Gondola looks fine.

" Two in a Gondola" is a couple in Venice, floating on water, kissing and vowing eternal love. "Two in a Gondola" is a couple of friends, killing time in Italy, both lives aboard the same boat in every way. However Elena Pavlou's Two in a Gondola is a fashion brand, floating alright, on your body.

All of the designs she comes up with her team can be worn in more than one ways, "polymorphic" as they'd call them. Discovered them a few months ago and back then I was certain I was trying on some mysterious new Italian brand. Elena's email set things straight: this line can only be found in Greece, Cyprus and Czech Republic!

Quirk and comfort in balance, what's out in stores at the moment is created using wool, cotton and laqué fabrics. Which stores? This gondola may be closer than you think: all noted at twoinagondola.com.

H&M party for Sonia Rykiel, the people

A show is all about the clothes & styling. However we all like checking out the hosts & guests, especially when talking about this lot:

Nathalie & Sonia Rykiel
Eva Herzigova
Micky Green
Elodie Bouchez
Sonia Rykiel & Jean Paul Gaultier
Kate Bosworth
Nadia Auermanm
Bai Ling
Emmanuelle Béart & Sonia Rykiel

H&M party for Sonia Rykiel, Grand Palais

The highly anticipated show presenting the fruits of the collaboration between Sonia Rykiel and H&M, took place last night at the Grand Palais, in Paris. A few words borrowed from the official release will put you in the picture and then... some pictures you'd really wish you were in;)

Held on the first night of December, the H&M party for Sonia Rykiel truly marked the start of the festive season. Embodying the essence of Paris as much as Sonia Rykiel herself, the glittering city inside the Grand Palais was like a sparkling and surreal theme park for adults. The collections were displayed on floats which emerged from a recreation of the Arc de Triomphe, with a Parisian funfair as backdrop.

Seated under a specially made Eiffel Tower, guests were given a preview of the Sonia Rykiel pour H&M lingerie collection, which debuts in around 1,500 H&M stores worldwide from December 5, as well as the knitwear collection for women and girls, which arrives in around 200 stores on February 20, 2010.

Diane von Fürstenberg in Athens. TODAY.

image came from: therunawayscoop.com

In case you've missed this, Diane von Fürstenberg, the designer who made the wrap dress big (among other lovely creations) and current president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) is in Athens as we speak.

A guest of Rakas Group, she will be visiting the DVF store in Kolonaki today at five and will hold a fabulous show tomorrow, presenting her S/S 10 collection themed 'Oasis'.

I was informed that the visit at the Xanthou Str. store today is open to the public so if you'd like to meet the Grand Dame of American fashion and/or snap some photos, you'd better get going!

Tomorrow's show will be held at "Theatron", Kentro Politismou "Ellinikos Kosmos".

I guess this visit is somehow special for Diane von Fürstenberg too as Greece is the birth country of her mother, Liliane Nahmias.

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Giveaway winner: iro_ma3!
Big thank you to all the lovely people who participated, hang in there, another one is coming soon!

Tee with a twist

We all love a good jersey t-shirt with a design twist. I guess the right length as well as the fact that it's handmade are all precious bonus points for me. Apart from the quirky two faces of this one by Mary Wants A Purple Dress, the freestyle vertical frill that stands in the shape of a suit-jacket lapelle with the help of a tight belt, is such a playful detail. I think I am officially over message tees and plain tees. Hello design twist tees!

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Reminder: THIS giveaway ends tonight, at midnight;)

All I want for Christmas

You know Christmas is approaching fast the minute you come across Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" whilst switching stations on your radio. I am informing you that this has just happened.

What also happened though is Psarokokalo's excellent Christmas Tree, made from fabric scraps! I give it a week before I O.D. on Mariah's vocals, but this tree, I just can't get enough. Unique, arty and a member of the fashion family - well, a shredded cousin!

And whilst browsing at Psarokokalo's Etsy shop, I realised that All I Want For Christmas is this wool detail tee. Is this special, or what: 100% handmade, hand knitted, one of a kind. Come on Santa, this is an easy one.

Tic-toc...26 days to Xmas;)

xmas shopping list

*yes, you can download;)
It's less than a month to Christmas and last year I'd promised myself I am not leaving Xmas Presents Shopping last minute, ever again. So right now is a good time to get organised and a helpful list is how it starts: I left a space for my total budget (or balance in my piggy bank) right at the top, so that I have some sort of limit to what I can spend. Then I split my space into: Names, Budget, Possible Gift and a "mission accomplished" (or Done) space to tick in relief.

It's best to write down the names you want to offer gifts to so that you don't leave out anyone important. Then you split your budget to how much you are willing to spend on each person (you'll probably like to keep the list secret!) to avoid running out of money half way. Once that's sorted, you note the best possible gifts for the amount vs the person. When the list is completed you can get xmas shopping out of the way within a day of good leg work: you know exactly what you're looking for!

If you wish to try it out too, just click on the image to enlarge (should be A4), then save as, then print. Knock yourself out planning and above all, enjoy!

Inspiration: Le Creative Sweatshop

Is it me or are these shoes simply wicked? (yeap, it was a boy who made them) Have been meaning to show this to you ever since the Prêt-à-Porter . At first I noticed the shoes. Then I realised those cone-shaped papers were everywhere:

They had an out-of-this-earth space of their own, but they were spreading fast beyond that, being stuck on walls, images, handbags, even people.

They were quite simple to make, in a pre-cut coloured piece of paper. All you had to do was get one from Le Creative Sweatshop's stand, ...

...fold it and remove the tape from the small yet powerful sticker adjusted to its base:

Then you were free to go wild with it. Four simple steps: Fold it, Take it, Glue it, Spread it.

"What on earth is this?" I had to ask the Creative Sweatshoppers. "It's a virus campaign" they got back to me with a french accent. "A virAl campaign?" I was too quick to correct them. "No, not exactly. It's a virus campaign 'cause it spreads like a virus". Indeed, it was taking over the huge exhibition area, from isles to toilets, to snack bars! Genius...

The stand:
Post-it creative mayhem on the wall and more paper (possibly wearable) stuff.

So that's my 'Thursday Inspiration' for you. Not bad for a communications agency, no? Leaving you with this, borrowed from Le Creative Sweatshop creativity-boom website:

Black Friday

Hellz is full of surprizes this winter: after the recent release of its Holiday Collection , Hellz declares this Friday, November 27th, "Black Friday" and presents the Hellz x Reebok collaboration shoe.

The sneaker bootie comes in one color way, with stud detailing and a punk rock attitude to go along with it. Although there is a high demand for the collaboration, the shoe will only be available to the public at selected retailers, as well as the Hellz soon-to-drop online shop. The brand promises that if the shoe is purchased through the Hellz online shop, customers will receive a special gift.

What the Hellz? This brand is making headlines...

Looking good

Spotted in Paris.
They look like they've just walked out of the pages of a magazine. I find myself saying this way to often in that city...