Bravo TV!

It's FALL in the United States and the start of fall brought plenty of gloom to Wallstreet and the outlook of the economy is not pretty, which I sort of expected few months ago but not to this effect, really. In fact, it will only get worse in the months to come. So be prepared to tighten your belt and I think we all MUST eat, pray and love more. Hehehe...

Anyways, on a slighly brighter note, most TV stations in Hollywood had kicked off almost all the new season for most TV series ie Desperate Housewives, Dexter (yay!) Heroes, Grey's Anatomy, Prison Break, Amazing Race, etc. Project Runway season 5 is already in it's 12 episode and is almost coming to an end - my top 3 favorite has got to be (in no particular order), whiny, arrogant, insolent Kenley, the lovely Karto Momolu (I love her name which is simply great for a fashion label, no?) and of cos, the geeky, nervy, Leane. Who do I want to see win the title of top designer? Perhaps, Leane but I feel more for Kenley's retro quirky chic designs.

Aside from Project Runway from Bravo TV, I am currently hooked on 'Top Design', the reality show in finding Top Interior Designer ala Project Runway. The reason is simply too obvious to mention *grin* tho I wasnt really thrilled before until of cos, Ad finally introduced it to me on youtube no less. And, there aint no turning back since.

Last week's challenge was a triathlon challenge and it was also an individual challenge to all contestants - finally, a calling to most designers cos for the past weeks, it has all been group challenges and many of them are frustrated because it could not show their talent entirely.

Challenge #1 - The Chair Challenge. Fav challenge of the 3 cos I love seeing transformation of things (I get a kick out of it, that's why design shows never failed to get me all worked up). The winner, Nathan, deserved it and the person come really close to him has got to be Eddie, the primadonna who's work can be quite Martha Stewart. I think he pairs really well with Wisit (he's j'adorable lol). The 2nd challenge is really more on styling a dining table -  I used to do that quite often back in my old co and am missing it much. And, the last challenge is to transform a space, white boring space, to something stylish but using only garden accessories.

So coool. I could go on but if you are like Serina C who loves Interior Design (see OK magazine, Msia ver) don't miss this one. Here are some trivias of the show: -

• Todd Oldham has been bumped from host to the Tim Gunn role as mentor, where he definitely belongs. In his place as host is India Hicks, who Bravo says "is the daughter of famed interior decorator David Hicks and Lady Pamela Hicks" and "has enjoyed a successful career as a fashion model." She has also published two interior design books: Island Life: Inspirational Interiors and Island Beauty.
  
  
•  Judge Kelly Wearstler, the irritatingly chic designer (I called her irritating cos of her voice!), is a mother of two has her own firm in Los Angeles, KWID, (AKA House of KWID) and the author of two design books, Domicilium Decoratus and Modern Glamour: The Art of Unexpected Style. A self-confessed Christian Louboutain shoe-fanatic (with 30+ pair), Kelly has two other, yet to be titled books set for release in 2008, one of which will showcase her grande home in Beverley Hills. F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S! (ok, well that's just my musing ... but, goodness, look at her) source
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I thought she tried tooo hard in the show to be fashionable (sometimes), no?
  
  
• Jonathan Adler! Most famous for his potteries work (I love the iconic horse stand for a table lamp). Get his style tips all from his blog here
  

Quirky, sexy, naughty

Some pretty interesting stuff I've come across on the internet like this billboard by McDonald's at Chicago (by Leo Burnett) in the form of an egg. Yes, and egg that cracks open displaying a sunny side up.

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Self-promo (which INSPIRES me *wink*) of two budding Art Director and Copywriter. I love the whole concept and photog.

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Gene Ho, Spotted! I love that she makes a borrrring raincoat look so refreshingly stylish. And, who wears raincoat anyways these day? Of cos, aside from making raincoat so chic, she also dabbles her art on furniture, and home accessories like cutlery. Tres chic.

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The Paul Smith's Ping Pong table. Make no mistake. It is THE Paul Smith's ping pong table. What's the diff from your regular lawn green ping pong table at school? This is definitely more gay. LOL

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Latest campaign by WWF ... and this is NOT as cool as Abraham Sapien from Hellboy, yeah. (And, btw, I'm rating Hellboy 2 one of the top 10 movies of 2008. Guillermo Del Toro is a great story teller, and a visionary Director.)

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Can architecture ends the Arab-Israeli conflicts? And, has architecture gone a little whack? I don't think whack is the right word but definitely a whole lot more creative than say 5 years ago. Budding architects in Msia, it is time to change the skyscrapers in the city.

Vulgar or Couture

If you are Tom Ford, you can get away with almost anything. Even if your latest ad campaign is a little risque, attention-grabbing and quite pornographic.

Yes. I'm talking about the kind where mothers, religious or not, will march down the street holding up placards which say, TOM FORD IS PORN! BAN TOM FORD.












But, you know what. After looking at it in a different perspective, I think his ads are very effective. Seriously, you will start noticing them clothes .. boobies and erm, flacid penises aside. My fav are the last three pictures.

Another kudos for TF. This will go down the fashion history well... well? Very well if it hasn't already.

Jean Touitou's Rules

1.
We’re not living in a very creative era. That’s not good or bad; it’s just the way it is. I think it’s in very bad taste to buy art right now. People should leave it to the hedge-fund owners who want to satisfy their wives. “Hey, I bought a Chinese avant-garde thing.” Good for you.

2.
I think it’s very important to look sexy at home. I hate it when people say, “I will take this to the countryside because it’s not fashionable anymore.” I love being well-dressed when nobody’s looking at me.

3.
At hotels, they always mess up the cleaning. They will do a crease when it’s not necessary. You give them a cotton shirt and they dry-clean it. It smells funny, so you have to rinse it again. So I travel light.

4.
If you can tell a man’s sexuality by the way he dresses—like a “gay” uniform or a “macho” uniform—that’s disgusting.

5.
Nowadays, people work out way too much, and they look like invaders from another planet. A guy who works out two hours a day—focusing on his chest because he thinks it’s sexy—you can’t dress him, even if you send him to the best designer or stylist in the world.

6.
Finance men have money but no taste. They’ll say, “My wife thinks this tie looks good on me.” They don’t focus on what’s beautiful and what’s not beautiful—they leave it to women.

7.
The rock star who uses a personal stylist to dress him should go to jail. If you’re doing rock and roll, you should know how to dress. You shouldn’t need to hire anybody.

8.
Anybody can be a good guest for dinner. When it gets delicate is after one day. The worst guests are the people who come to your place and in the morning they say, “Okay, what do we do today?”

9.
I once wore a pink, ruffled shirt for dinner, and I wish I had never done it. I thought it was funny, but I felt so bad in it I realized I don’t have the humor to deal with ugliness.

10.
After you’re 35, it’s difficult to drink unless you’re running 10 miles a day. I’m not talking one dry martini every Saturday or something. I’m talking three dry martinis a night. And I don’t think that’s possible—it’s too much poisoning. It’s not a very sexy way to talk about drinking, but that’s the truth.

I simply adore this man who speaks nothing, NOTHING, but the truth. Don't you think? LOL

Article from Details magazine, April 2008

Style, design and ... pimping.

I always enjoy the thrill of rushing for a project or overseeing a project in the aspect of installation i.e furniture, ledges etc and fitting out i.e. accessories, at a client's place. Installation, well, could be the least favorite cos of the dust and the heat at site while planning stage is the best.

Planning involves a lot of research and by research I mean, searching for the right stuff to fit out for every space of an office, or a private residential. In short, it means, shopping! Shopping is fun especially if you have a client with a deep pocket and good taste. Shopping is not fun when your client likes tacky and cheap stuff.

I had two jobs done for a friend and my sister. However, both did not materialise not because they hated the design, or we blew their budget. It is just, I dunno *shrugs*. If I have another opportunity, I'd like to do it again. So I ask Chatty_Jane:


Me: Hey! You just bought a new house, right?

CJ: Yeah! Finally I can move out from that pathetic, pee-smelling pig-sty! (She was, of cos, referring to the lobby, the carpark, the tenants of the condo, incl. the management ppl. MK something.)

Me: Yeah. But I will most certainly miss the "art nouveau" grafitti on the wall in the lifts. Haha! (You see, I see everything as art even if it is bloody "conteng" on the wall).

CJ: Shit you lah!

Me: Haha...So. Can I pimp it? Please? Please? I will do it for you for some cupcakes, scones, and truffles. (She bakes heavenly scones and truffles!)

CJ: Hahaha....Shit you lah. I am so recycling everything from my place lah! Maybe just paint job.

Me: Seriously, you still need advice cos your current place is kinda missing something. Not the chic-factor nor the contemporary-factor cos I can't expect you to come up with that mah. You good at baking only.

CJ: Shit you la! FYI, you and I are in the same industry, OK!

Me: Ok, look sweetie. Your place is nice. But, it COULD be better, serious. I know you'd probably think I will suggest expensive stuff eventhough I would but still. I'm just saying it could be better. Let me pimp it, cmon!

CJ: Hahaha..... See how lah!


And, that was weeks ago and we haven't discussed since. I guess I can just focus on pimping my client's place now.


I get dizzy lookin' at beautiful houses like these...