Seeing double?: Prada or Zara

Is it right for fast-fashion retailers to copy designer wear?


Where do you think we should draw the line? Is this a growing problem of lack of creativity?
Although we looooove Zara, is it right that we support their tendency to copy off the designs previewed in Prada's runway?

Runway pictures are from the Prada runway, while the clothes are spotted on Zara clothing racks

thing is, its also not the first time (or designer):

Fashionista.com reports their side of the story.

Lacquer Lovers: SPRING!

corals, pinks, nudes? read more here

How do they do it?

ADVICE for the GUYS

because GQ has this ask-advice blog that is genius...
and very applicable to the boys we know:

How do they do it?

How do you wear $2,000

using a 50 dollar bill?

Your first response would possibly be: "yeah right". 

But really and fact is: Yeah (you actually can do it), right.

Lending a memory and if memory serves right, this has happened to many of us more than once. You skim through the most recent Vogue issue and there's this beautiful, perfectly hemmed, looks-like-the-right-kind-of-fit dress thats just staring back at you.

Kind of like this:

WELL, good news. That fresh-off the runway dress is yours for $50. Catch? One night.

Before listing down all the reasons why you wouldn't want to rent a dress, here's why maybe you should:

We keep buying from "fast-fashion" chains that sell decent looking dresses that can be worn for 1 ocassion (and one ocassion only). Say, if you buy a Zara version of the dress above, you'd spend around $60-$80 on it, good news is you'll own it.

But the truth is, the fit, fabric, and fabulous feeling wont be the same. Besides, it saves you the worry of running into someone who picked out the same dress from the same retailer in another branch.

In essence, this is how RENT THE RUNWAY was conceptualized and its also the same reason why this NY-based web company is doing so well. How they do it? "Rent the Runway buys designer clothes wholesale and rents them out, charging between $50 and $200 for two days. That may not sound cheap for a rental, but these are current and recent-season dresses that mostly cost between $400 and $2,000 at retail. Generally, rentals are priced in the neighborhood of 10% of the retail price." (read more here)

It literally is "dressing for less"- 'dressing' here being the operative word and in other words, STYLISH.

and in the lack of a better analogy- its a cinderella story. Wear it for the night, return it. But remember, you dont always buy clothes to own them, you buy them because you think they make you look good. and for an important social event, looking good is 50% bulk of your reasons to even be at an event.

Need another angle? Why would you prefer to buy a Apple laptop over a Toshiba or Acer?

think about it.

Marketing!: print ads

Just a few things to tickle your creative minds:


For a drive-through Safari in India:



For Purina (Dog food):

For an event by Purina:

An Australian Butchery:

Some Typography campaign:

Anti-smoking:

 and finally,

Award-winning Ad from Bangkok for health awareness:

Wish upon a brand a day

Being a brand just by himself, Justin Bieber totally deserves to be our "J".


Not only does he sing, play various instruments, have nice hair, his own nail polish line for the ladies, and a platinum album- he's so lovely that even David Beckham will pose next to our man's cut-out.

ANYWAY, the real reason why he's here though is because even the gods of the Fashion Industry are waiting on the wings to throw Biebs a party.

Yes, cute... but who might they be? No other than D&G.
read:
"We are fascinated by his capability of communicating with his music to a wide variety of audiences, from the teenagers to a more adult public," Stefano Gabbana says. "We do love Justin's music," Domenico Dolce adds. "We have been listening to his last album during our fashion show preparation and in our freetime[;] it's in our playlist! He belongs to the new generation, he cares about fashion. We are very happy to dress him and we admire him a lot." 


How can you not loooove.

The Break-up Relief

You know how there are always those tell-tale signs of someone trying to get over a break-up or being rejected?


New hair (color, cut, style, the works), new clothes, new drinking buddies- new everything. Sure, can't say that the whole make-over idea doesn't work because it does.


BUT in the event that not everyone is super vain, or feels in the mood to shop or drink, here's one more quick-fix solution to your broken, aching heart:

YES, Tylenol can help soothe your feelings too.

Dont believe me? read this

Though honestly, dont do it everyday- even if you're feeling bad everyday. It still causes liver damage and other stuff.

Retail Spotting: Forte dei Marmi

Use your eyes: Flea Markets at their best.

Jumping off from an interesting article published in the Wall Street Journal, I can't stress enough the true importance of understanding the countless possible retail scenarios.

With the whole culture of fashion blogs eating into the industry, rarely do you find outstanding outfits put-together simply from shopping at a mall.

These days, the best and most followed fashionistas are those who know how to get deals from hole-in-the-wall retailers and at the same time, use established fashion brands to accent their outfits.

So, in light of embracing how people today love to shop, we will be dropping tidbits on the great flea markets around the world.

Here's our first choice:

FORTE DEI MARMI, Italy- Piazza Marconi is  "a shopping Mecca every Wednesday and on Sundays during the summer. This is the place to be if you are visiting Forte Dei Marmi. The market opens at 8.00 and stays open until 14.00. Various traders from all over Italy ravel down to the market to sell their wares. If you are looking for some big designer names, you will find them too in Forte Dei Marmi’s weekly market. Valentino, Gucci and Prada Armani are just some of the designer brands that you will find here.

'This market has something for everyone, from expensive and exclusive designer wear to cut-price imitations of some of your favorite designer wears.'

Apart from clothing and accessories, the open air boutiques also offer you an exceptional collection of linens, exquisitely crafted house hold items, ceramics and shoes at real bargain prices." (world66)

Great Articles: Wall Street Journal

Wish upon a brand a day

Have you ever wanted to be a good photographer? or just be able to take ONE good picture that people will actually look at and commend you on how great your angle or lighting is?

Well, the rest of the world wants that for you too and the best part is that you can get it free.

Instagram is an application that can be downloaded for you iphone (and hopefully BlackBerry too someday) that- "includes 11 filters for your photos, turning the photos taken by the camera phone - photos that even under the steadiest of hands and keenest of eyes tend to be rather mediocre - from the mundane to the spectacular." (read more)

Personally, I would use it just because it literally makes memories more colorful.

And it doesn't hurt anyone to get that random pat-in-the-back once in a while. hehe

And if you don't believe me, 100,000+++ people are raving about it:

Wish upon a brand a day

There are always so many rumors about H&M coming to Manila,

and if they actually are coming in by 2011- 

The truth is simply (and it is a fact) that it probably wont be happening soon.

So for now, this brand will have to stay on our wish list..

Just a thought though, if H&M does come to Manila,

which of your current brands will you give up/ replace the big retailer with?

Wish upon a brand a day

          Dear Boys,

Not only do girls think it's good for you to look good- but so do other men. (other straight men)

Though you think that you may look a little off at times,

 truth is, 

we (girls) love boys who know how

to dress/carry themselves well.

Fact is- it's really as simple as knowing how to mix up different colors and patterns.

It's kind of the same as knowing what combination of guns to use when playing Black Ops.

Anyway, if you need advice, try checking out GQ's blog.

It has great tips for those days when you cant seem to get your shaving right, 

or your hair to fall properly (without looking like you spent an hour fixing it)

or quick fixes when the universe decides that your zipper should break.

Help yourself to a little manly grooming- 

cause really, in the end it will only help you.

BESIDES,

Do you really think that Brad Pitt (and all other godly men) look the way they do without help?

Get real. 

Dont be scared, 

and Be a Man.

Sincerely yours,

Girls-you'd-date-any-day