Letter from Charliefrankie

Sole Obsession Christian Louboutin
Madame Butterfly Bootie. 

The most mentioned pair of heels right now in the latest editions of Harper's Bazaar & Elle magazine are Louboutin's booties.  The French designer knows style and never ceases to disappoint, the latest:  Nappa leather platform peep-toe bootie with triple bow detail and side zip. 150mm thin heel with signature red leather sole. Made in Italy.  This image perhaps does not do Madame Butterfly justice, and  may instead appear heavy and bulky to the eye.  But just imagine how they would feel once you put them on, the soft leather lining moulding to your foot, secure and firm fitting, ah the picture now comes to mind, divine.

Price: $1,195.00 (US)  
www.elle.com

Shoe of the day

Tuesday, June 22, 2010


"Gladys" spike-heeled pump in leopard print, Gianluca soldi for Te Casan, 2008.
www.pageaday.com

Another lovely example of leopard print shoes back with force.

Letter from Charliefrankie

Baggy pants, also reffered to by some, such as my husband, as nappy pants.. You know the pants that have the baggy front and behind with skinny legs? Interestingly enough girls love to wear them because theyr're comfortable and extremely practical during the winter months when one eat's that little bit extra to insulate yourself from the bitter winter cold. I was surprised to read in a recent newspaper a column compiled by a female that baggy pants were not favoured by most men because they lacked visibility of the female figure. 


I don't think I've ever dressed for the comfort of other men but for the comfort of myself, so I found the comment made by the male, that they simply don't like these pants was quite a shock. Although I may have an extra layer of insulation this winter, I'd rather feel comfortable and hide my lower half behind my baggy nappy pants than to shamefully try to squeeze in to my skinny jeans and display muffin tops. 


Take your pick boys, but I'm sure both parties will be much happier if they can have their cake and eat it too.

Day 3

ELLE magazine

第三天 - Day 3

Wednesday October 14, 2009

Today is fashion house day! Hooray! 

I’m dropped off in central Puxi on a gorgeous sunny morning in Shanghai where I’m meeting the Fashion Editor on our first fashion stop at H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) and I’m excited already…

I make my way through to the lobby of the building which leads to a corridor lined with elevator doors on both sides and an extensive list of tenants written in Chinese and an attempt in English… so I take a guess and hope for the best.  The elevator doors open at the 23rd floor and I step out in to unknown territory as I walk through the door of the fashion house and realize why this amazing space is kept hidden from those who don’t know it’s location….

It’s amazing; I’m taken away by what’s behind the door of the H&M fashion house on the 23rd floor of a busy Shanghai city scraper.  Lined with floor to ceiling windows looking out on to the city skyline and bustling traffic below, the walls of the room are filled with racks of glittering outfits, posing mannequins, Fashion Editors from various magazine and merchandise buyers.  Tucked around the corner is a small open plan space for H&M PR which equally gets a share in the magic view. 

Next stop is Max Mara, which is not only less impressive as the last stop in terms of location but also because Editors from other fashion magazines have already picked through most of the clothes.  I have no idea which fashion houses are on the agenda for the day so I’m constantly excited wondering - where to next?

We arrive at Miss Sixty and pass Fashion Editors from Vogue in the lobby, the conversation is in Chinese and sounds friendly, I’m amazed at passing them by, but of course it’s common.  Much like their label, M60 has a great office space that is hip, funky, modern and ‘out there’ a pair of M60 jeans hangs on the wall and bright bold colours are painted on the office walls in yellow and green, typical of M60.  The range of clothes to choose from here is great and we find some interesting clothes to include in the Mix & Match shoot.

We stop off to have lunch at a noodle bar and get the chance to sit down and chat outside of work which is great because we can get to know each other.  There are so many interesting people who live and work in Shanghai and I am lucky enough to be having lunch with one of them. 

After lunch we continue to catch taxis all day from one fashion house to another in what seems like covering great distances across the city.  Once clothes are chosen they are packed in boxes by suppliers and sent back to the Elle home base.  It’s a big sense of relief to know we don’t have to carry bags let alone boxes of clothes with us and although it’s a fun day it’s also quite tiring, my excitement must have used up my reserve of energy because by the end of the day I am absolutely exhausted. 

Our last stop was accessories house: Dyrberg Kern.  Great stuff, it’s a Danish brand which sells accessories; watches, sunglasses, and fabulous pieces of jewellery with bright bold colours, chunky necklaces, jeweled and modern – we saved one of the best until last – it was the perfect way to end the day having some fun accessorizing with the jewellery; statement pieces as Debbie the host put it.

Fashion house fun

Shelves of clothes at the H&M fashion house.

Fashion house fun @ Miss Sixty

Miss Sixty was really great fun, we found some great pieces. Lots of colour, layers, textures and interesting designs in the M60 range. Edgy, grungy, fun stylish pieces which work well for the Mix & Match shoot. There was plenty to choose from as you can see the walls were packed to the brim - cest la vie.