My Top 10 Travel Essentials

My friend and super travel bug Malou over at Skip to Malou recently posted her Top 10 Travel Essentials and I thought it might be fun to do my own. I mean some things are standard Travel essentials: cameras, ipods, etc but there are some things I literally do not board a plane without, especially on those trans-Atlantic flights I used to take between home and University in the UK. I won't be making that trek any time in the near future but I still love thinking about travelling, and how I used to prepare for my long haul and EU trips (mostly to Holland). Find my top ten travel necessities below.

1. Travel Necessities: Sleep Mask, Earplugs, Neck Pillow 2. Travel Adapter - indispensable for travelling through Europe 3. Comfortable attire: Leggings or Jeggings & Cardigan 4. My usual choice of travel bag is the spacious Cole Haan Denney 5. Kindle to cut down on the bulk of books 6. Magazines - nothing distracts from turbulence like fashion on glossy paper 7. Blackberry Torch - must remember to turn my roaming on 8. Camera: depending on my destination either my Canon Rebel XTi or my more compact Canon Powershot 9. iTouch - for the occasional music and 'Guess the Flag' game 10. Comfortable shoes that are easy to slip off and on - flats or TOMS



January [Excitement]

I think I'd like to list some of the things that I'm very excited about for this month of January. I mean, a lot of things interest me, but there are a few things that I will probably follow up on in the weeks to come because they've peaked my excitement. Here are a few of the [random] things for January that have me wound up:

The Daphne Guinness Collection for MAC

This was actually released last month in the United States but MAC Trinidad recently sent out an email teasing for it, which means it should drop in Trinidad branches some time this month. I'm a fan of earth tones and a smokey eye so the pigments are very intriguing to me. My go-to beauty blog Temptalia rated the eyeshadow quad pretty poorly so I won't bother to snag that, plus I've already built my own palette with similar colours.

Here is a look at the pigments that I will probably be getting:

Aurora

Circa Plum

Nebula

All photos are credited to Temptalia. Take a look at the review of the pigments here and the video review of most of the collection here.

Jason Wu + Target

My experience with Target Designer collaborations has been in flux. One I was extremely excited for: Mulberry + Target was a huge let down in my opinion and the opinion of a few bloggers that I follow. However, I know the Missoni + Target collab shut down the retail giant's website and cleared the shelves in store. I'm optimistic that the Jason Wu + Target collaboration will have the same effect, since the collection's Lookbook has me all antsy.
My go-to for fashion news, Fashionising says the following of the collection:

"As far as designer / high street collaborations go, Jason Wu for Target is a winner. The 2012 collection is prim without being stuffy, ladylike with a flare of 1960s retro-chic, yet basic enough to come with the promise of wearability. There’s little to fault in the vintage-inspired prints, full pleated skirts, and straight-cut minidresses.
The accessories have a similar appeal to the clothes: woven handbags and kitty-print scarves are the kind that would add a dollop of retro sweetness to the simplest of outfits."

Word is that the prices will range from $19.99 to $59.99 which is amazing considering the aesthetic of this collection. Here are a few of my favourite looks and items:

I'm hoping to be able to grab a few things on the website...though that didn't go so well the last time I tried with Mulberry. Check out the whole collection here.

Matthew Williamson Pre-Autumn/Fall '12

Holy crap do I love this collection. Like...I would wear every look barring [maybe] two and that's rare for me to say. I've said that only about Balmain S/S '12 collection to date. The bold prints and bright colours are signature Williamson but his designs have evolved...a few beautifully structured pieces, heavily beaded clutches with fox tail adornments, sleek and sexy evening gowns. I mean, Williamson has always done sexy well but his hand seemed heavier in this collection, it's a mature sexy, a career woman sexy.

Check out a few of my favourites from this collection:

♥

♥

Check out the entire collection here.

Trinidad Lookbook

It's finally here...the much anticipated first print issue from one of the bastions of style and fashion in Trinidad & Tobago: Trinidad Lookbook

Needless to say, it exceeds expectations. Abovegroup Ogilvy gave this publication a sophisticated and yet charming feel...

There were quite a few highlights for me in this debut of Lookbook:

I absolutely LOVE the writing and photography in '10 with Anya', a revealing and intimate sit-down with the formidable spirit that is Anya Ayoung-Chee, Trinidad's fashion warrior. The description of Anya running her trademark 'shield-like' ring against the placemat in Buzo made me feel like I was reading a poem...truly beautiful observation by the writer, who I believe is Ms. Gabriel, though the photography and writing is credited to BBS? (Edit: Seems BBS stands for Mr B.B. Sparrow, who was actually my first guess ;))

Wendell Manwarren, Catherine Emmanuel and Christiane Steel are incredibly convincing in Laura Ferreira's capture of a love triangle come to light. You believe the descent into despair and madness evoked by Catherine and the cool aloofness of Manwarren, who seems to defend his innocence to the end - a vicious and emotional screaming match between the two main protagonists.

Another of my favourite pieces is the Fashion Diary of Ayana Riviere...I loved dissecting her looks and I covet those green tassel loafers in the last photo on the right. The Look with Krista Clarke is just as intriguing and the fact alone that this woman has access to pieces of costumes as accessories...well that's just not fair! I liked the simple but interesting compositions, raffia clutch in the fridge below a shelf of nail polish and juice, shoes interspersed between the Harry Potter series and French textbooks. Well done to Remi Blunden who is a young and passionate photographer on the rise.

As usual, the consummate cover girl, Wendy Fitzwilliam never fails to intrigue in a piece written by Zindzi Morris-Alleyne. I remember the night Zindzi finished this interview and bbm-ed me to tell me how disarming she found the former beauty queen. In my opinion, Wendy is the personification of an 'it-girl'...'it-woman' if those exist? I echo Zindzi's question about who exactly Wendy means when she says 'people like me'. Who is like Wendy? I think there could only be one and all of the strong, independent, proud, ambitious females can only hope to one day stake their claim to a namesake like hers.

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on the Fashion Emergency editorial with Zindzi as an assistant stylist. We spent all day in Macqueripe with very little reprieve from the heat, shuttling our model Christie back and forth between the set and the makeshift changing room between two cars in the parking lot. Needless to say I learned A LOT in a very short space of time. It became clear to me that styling is something I want to pursue more seriously this year, and that would require paying close attention to the collections released by local designers and the clothing and accessories available in the less mainstream boutiques.

Look! My name! :)

All these praises aside I do have one note of constructive criticism (I think anyway): Perhaps it is the type of paper or maybe this was a production 'flaw' but some of the photographs are far too dark, losing a lot of detailing in the clothing and accessories, which really, is the whole point of the thing. This was especially evident to me in the set with Manwarren, Steel and Emmanuel where clothing was described in the caption and I could not distinguish it.

As an aside, Robert de Gannes of Tribal Caribbean opened my eyes to an angle of this magazine that I hadn't considered before: the move from digital to print may seem backward to some, but it is exactly that zag to everyone else's zig that Mel believes makes this publication a stand-out work. Check out an interview Tribal Caribbean did with Editor in Chief, Mel Gabriel about Trinidad Lookbook becoming your new luxury collectible item...

Tribal + Trinidad Lookbook

Trinidad Lookbook Issue 1 is available now at Meiling, The Pallet Stick, Bang Bang, Indulge and Runway Street.

Highs and Lows...

I love shoes

I can't even pander about with words to lessen or intensify the truth of that statement. I won't talk myself in circles. I love shoes. I love handbags and purses more but I love shoes.
As some persons who read this blog might have noticed, most of my Christmas Wishlist was comprised mostly of shoes. When I got the telling shoe box-shaped gifts from my little brother and boyfriend's parents my own parents looked at me in shock "Ceola! Not more shoes! Where will you put them?!"
"I'll find somewhere. I have room." was my reply. But I lied...I really don't have anywhere to put these shoes. I'm in the process of discarding older, less-loved ones to make room for my brand new Cadellee heels from Steve Madden, my leopard block heels and my faux snakeskin moccasins. I like to think that I order my shoes based on frequency of wear but that would be another bold-faced lie; I organise them based on which ones I like to look at the most and which I think, were someone to walk into my room, would make them stop and go "WTFOMGILOVETHOSESHOES".
Yes...my mind works in a simple way sometimes.
That explains why my coveted pair of ASOS Terror Wedges, whose soles have never touched the ground outside of my bedroom, occupy the illustrious spot of the top right hand corner of my shoe rack.



ASOS Terror Wedges (the real terror being the non-existent width of that heel)

But back to the real reason I wanted to write this post: heels versus flats. You're probably wondering how the hell I arrived at that after the ramble above, but, well...my mind works in not so simple ways sometimes too.
These days I've found myself more and more attracted to flats...more specifically, loafers and moccasins. There is just something about the comfort and casual ease of flats that draw me in as of late; perhaps my own aesthetic is changing to something more easy and breezy and as a result, the effort required to pull off a heel or wedge is just not coinciding with that. Granted I own some comfortable wedges...and heels too come to think of it (Zara wins for that). 
I don't know...flats make it seem like you're not trying too hard but you can still exude style and keen fashion sense based on your choice of flats. Brogues and oxfords for example...how freakin swanky are those? It's like you're English or summat! I have a pair of white cut out oxfords from Steven by Steve Madden that I live and die for...such a cool, easy shoe to wear.
Living in the Caribbean I suppose the norm is to veer towards the expected...you're either going to find slippers or sandals during the day and stilettos at night, it's a given. People don't really experiment much with shoes around these parts from what I've noticed. My experience has always been that I am told I like "weird shoes" and yet, when I buy said shoes and wear them, everyone and their uncle loves them and ask me where I get them. Yes, I tell you where I get them and you probably still won't buy them...
Maybe it's a confidence to deviate from the standard that has me in this weird shoe-place right now. It's hard though, I feel like I'm cheating on my favourite wedges with my new moccasins. I've made the proclamation several times that I am only buying flats from now on...yeah...that hasn't worked out.
So my new shoes find their spot on my shoe rack and I watch and wait...will I wear them? Will I find somewhere to wear them? Or will I return to the now familiar ease of a slip on moccasin...?

It just occurred to me that I've written an entire blog post about shoes...not too sure how I feel about that...
Look! Pictures!



My next shoe delivery should be my burlap TOMS which my friend Zindzi once described as 'granola ass white girl burlap TOMS'. Lol. So hipster it makes me retch, but good Lord I love them.

New Years Resolutions

1) I will be more dedicated to this blog...I've been slacking and I really need to step it up if I want to do this seriously...and actually show it to people lol.

2) I will spend less money on cheap mass marketed clothing and focus on collecting high-end designer items over a longer period of time.

3) I will support more local designers and try to buy clothing and jewellery locally when I can in lieu of foreign stores.

4) I will start styling and writing for fashion publications this year.

And my last resolution is on more of a personal note:

4)  I will be a warrior this year. I will not be afraid of the unknown. I will be brave and be strong and face all my apprehension with a calm and calculated, but daring approach. I am not happy with my job, I will face the prospect of venturing into the field I love and try my best to make it work, even if it means less pay for longer hours. In the end the only thing I should fear is an unfulfilled life. As it stands now, if I died tomorrow, I'd have some regrets. I want those regrets to be fewer and farther between by this time next year. I will work to make myself happy no matter what life throws at me and I will not be unrealistic about the sacrifices I have to make to achieve that.