Seoul Fashion Week Runway Review – J Koo

Sports, lace, water colour prints. That's what J Koo was all about this season. Lace, frills and pleating were strategically placed to give a feminine, almost lingerie feel to otherwise sporty looks. Paired with oversized anoraks, soft jersey dresses and jumpsuits, the bustier details created a perfect balance between separate pieces as well a coherence amongst the rest of the collection.

Seoul Fashion Week Runway Review – Ultimo SS16

Designer Kim Dong Soon of Ultimo proves fashion is all about the details.

The show started off with gorgeous feathered masks among sheer black tops with gorgeous beadwork, and ended with romantic sheer dresses and flowing chiffon skirts with soft floral prints (which could easily be layered over those gorgeous black tops from before). But not everything had such a romantic vibe. Ultimo quickly switched to summer themes reminiscent of a vacation to the white sand beaches of Cuba. Flowing ponchos, over-sized, western belts paired with pepper necklaces and bohemian tasseled blouses were all seen before Ultimo once again moved on to retro inspired work wear. Polka dots, swing coats and red leather detailing made this a memorable part of show, until once again, black and white romantic ensembles came out.

While every look was gorgeous on it's own, the collection felt more like two or three different collections stitched together. A few more transitional looks would have made the show amazing.

Seoul Fashion Week Runway Review – ROMANCHIC SS16

ROMANCHIC... It almost sounds like "romantic" doesn't it? And let me tell you, the ROMANCHIC show was definitely romantic. All white monotone looks mixed with cotton candy pastels and bold coloured florals against a simple backdrop of black. Basically... all my favourite trends at the moment in one show. In other words, I loved it. 

Despite the amount of ruffles, over-sized pearls, and and ribbon details, most of the looks managed to maintain an air of feminine minimalism. Long flowing pants and perfectly tailored (yet relaxed) crop tops or ruffled tunics were reminiscent of the cotton candy designer Choi Hye Jung loved as a child. While the collection and clothes themselves hit both notes of romantic and chic, the accessories were almost distracting and left something to be desired. 

Blue and pink ribboned sweater with kimono sleeves? Yes please. Giant beads and ruffled shoes? No thanks.

DDP

All photos taken by Nam Hyunh

Hi everyone! Long time no see. Things have been very busy! I just moved to Korea a month ago, so pictures will be few and far between from now on as I don't have a remote for my camera anymore. Yes, I remembered to bring a tripod, and completely forgot the remote. Silly me. Luckily, Nam Huynh took these gorgeous photos during a weekend trip to Seoul to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza.

This is probably my favourite outfit that I packed from home. Truth be told, I'm in a bit of a style rut at the moment. My wardrobe is limited to a lot of basics, which... isn't really my style? You all know I'm not a t-shirt and jeans type of girl, and the items I love aren't exactly meant for everyday wear either (oh non-versatile pieces and short skirts, how I love you), let alone work. I just brought what I thought I could wear in a conservative professional atmosphere. In reality, the school I teach at is pretty laid back, and some of the teachers will just wear jeans and a t-shirt, but still, I've already been told I look "young" when I'm wearing a cute dress (ok, said dress might look like a British school uniform, but that's not common in Canada!), so I feel like wearing some of my skirts won't help that image. On the plus side, the kids like me and think I dress well. 

Anyways, enough complaining about a lack of clothes. This is probably my two favourite pieces that I brought with me. The suede skirt and organza back shirt are both surprisingly versatile, at work as well as on my days off. I actually ripped apart an old shirt and redid the back after seeing one of Marissa Webb's designs. This is what happens when you're poor – you go on a DIY spree. But it looks cool, and is surprisingly versatile (unless you're in rural Korea, in which case one needs to wear a tank top underneath the sheer back, which definitely takes away from the look).

Top: Original from Old Navy, DIY

Skirt: H&M (similar here)

Shoes: Sam Edelman

Bag: Botkier (similar here)

Linked up with - Style Elixir - The Pleated Poppy - Momfluence -

Bird of Paradise

Summer calls for bright colours, and I couldn't ignore this canary yellow dress from Zara during their spring sale. I was originally looking for a bright yellow skirt, but this has satisfied all my needs for the colour.

A bright, warm yellow is surprisingly versatile in my wardrobe. The key is to pairing bright colours with more brights is to match the underlying tones. This dress pairs best with warm, saturated colours, as the yellow is also warm toned and saturated. Or at least, that's the easiest way to pair this dress. I can't wait to winterfy this dress – it'll be a challenge, but I think it'll look gorgeous under sweaters.

Dress: Zara (old, similar here)

Shoes: Barbie by Townshoes (old, similar here)

Bag: Celine (loving this orange accented trapeze, and a similar Michael Kors here)

Linked up with - The Pleated Poppy -

Seattle-Vancouver Travel Diary

Road trip! Warning, picture heavy.

 My family and I decided to take out bi-yearly trip to Vancouver and Seattle a few weeks ago... namely because somebody needed to go and get a visa (I'm leaving in two weeks guys!).  Anyways, as per any road trip, lots of food was eaten, lots of selfies taken, and more food eaten. PS, you should go all the way to the bottom for cute otter pics. I may have not taken any other pictures in Vancouver, otters are distracting.

Pike Place Market... oh god, all the seafood... And the chowder. Can I eat here forever?

My Dad insisted we visit the Utilikilt flagship store in Seattle. It's right by All Saints in downtown Seattle.

Road trip!

Starbucks Roastery. They have a lot of specialty coffees that you can't get anywhere else. Totally worth the trip (and you won't be waiting as long compared to the original Pike Place location).

Vancouver Boardwalk

Full post is here.

This frog will steal your soul.