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17th-Jan-2010 04:18 pm - twitpic: Sunday afternoon indulgence
Duckie



duck liver paté, lumpfish caviar and caperberries on a garlic bagel crisp.

YUM!


Millionaire skull



well fun, flashy & frivolous won eventually.


here's a belated Christmas present to myself, the
Monogram Miroir Sac Plat in argent:




Monogram Miroir made its debut in Fall/Winter 2006 - a collection of Louis Vuitton's most iconic bags with a distinctly dipped-in-metal effect. these were inspired by Swiss artist
Sylvie Fleury's 2000 sculpture of a chrome plated bronze LV Keepall:





this first collection of silver and gold monogram embossed PVC bags proved to be extremely popular that Louis Vuitton has been doing one-shot limited releases of new Miroir bags and accessories since then. usually to mark a grand opening of a new boutique or a special event. for their Holiday 2009 Collection, they selected the Sac Plat to mirrorize. an undisputed classic, this bag in original Monogram canvas is one of LV's earliest shopping totes. its newest reincarnation keeps true to the original with rolled, saddle-stitched handles, gusseted side panels
and a spacious interior with flat pocket, mobile phone pouch and D-ring:






the highly reflective silver surface picks up colours from its surroundings in a somewhat "camouflage effect" as
a blogging friend describes it.




here's some varied displays with different light exposures:






this is possibly the flashiest bag i will ever own. it's absolutely shameless and i love it!


even my little
Edward seems to like his new "hangout" too:





one couldn't find a more awesome bag to kick-start a new decade.






spread the LoVe!
16th-Jan-2010 01:58 am - twitpic: Black Swan Lake
crazy banana


my favourite birds:



the majestic and world-changing (before 1697 all swans were thought to be only white) Australian black swans on Lake Burley Griffin.
15th-Jan-2010 02:53 am - twitpic: wonderful contra
phonograph

absolutely loving this:




downloaded it from iTunes as soon as it came out. but i just gotta have the CD too.


14th-Jan-2010 03:34 pm - iWish: iVictrola
me typed


this has got to be one of the coolest things i've ever come across the internet:





it is called the iVictrola, an iPhone acoustic amplifier designed by Matt Richmond for
Design Within Reach. it works by simply placing an iPhone/iPod Touch on the hollowed out “dock” of the wooden base and turn on your iTunes. the sound waves travel across a little tunnel on the base and then amplified out of the metal gramophone horn.




all without the need for electricity or any other extra power source. and since the horns are vintage, no two are exactly alike.

here's a video demonstration:





how cool is that?


it is beautiful even just to look at. the sculptural quality of this nifty device reminds me of a Marcel Duchamp
readymade. its simplicity makes it the perfect amalgamation of the past with the present.


and as usual, i only learned of this way too late. it sold out at
Etsy in four days (8-12 Dec '09). please please please let there be another batch.


12th-Jan-2010 02:48 am - twitpic: evil magazine
crazy banana



reading this fine Swiss torture device:




one day i'll be wearing one on my wrist too.

11th-Jan-2010 05:11 pm - summer staples 2: le nœud papillon
Rushmore



im on a direct path to "over the hill" territory. bought another bowtie.




its from Swedish label Filippa K. i've mostly reserved the use of bowties in the warmer months as it does give off a light & sunny disposition to the wearer. plus i find that neckties are more compatible with scarves for autumn/winter wear.

the ice blue raw silk of this new one sure goes a long way. from standard stripes and checks during the day:


(shirts: Polo Ralph Lauren)

to showy dots and floral for evenings:


(shirts: Burberry Prorsum and Oxford)

tied up with increasing flourish according to mood. and i like to do them up lightly off-kilter to distinguish it from a perfectly tied ready made.


40 is but ten years away, i might as well prepare to welcome it with a little panache.

10th-Jan-2010 03:04 am - twitpic: Broken Embraces
shadow




i thoroughly enjoyed this. easily became my fave Pedro Almodovar film to date ....especially since i love most of what he's made.

9th-Jan-2010 01:18 am - the return of the LV Vail Blanket?
the Mothership



Style.Com just posted pics of Louis Vuitton's Women's Pre-Fall 2010 Collection online and the thing that instantly caught my eye is this familiar jagged motif:





this LV pattern is called "Karakoram" - named after a large mountain range in Central Asia - and was first used on blankets and scarves back around the 90's. then it was rediscovered and transformed into the Vail Blanket Cabas (Feature Bag #6) for the Men's Autumn/Winter 2006 collection:

Photobucket



now comes its third appearance as women's RTW. im not particularly interested in that cape/poncho, but i wonder (more like hoping) if the Karakoram would also show up for the men's Pre-Fall collection once again. it does not necessarily have to be clothing, but maybe in small accessories or new scarves perhaps? i really like this bold geometric design and would love to see it utilized some more.



8th-Jan-2010 09:40 pm - les musiques que j'aime 19
phonograph



Vampire Weekend - "California English"






Miike Snow - "Cult Logic"






Róisín Murphy - "Royal T"






Noisettes - "Never Forget You"






and an oldie but oh-so-goooodie: Plastic Bertrand - "Ça Plane Pour Moi"



7th-Jan-2010 11:13 pm - summer staples 1: CdG pimsolls
brown bag


i picked up a couple of Comme des Garçons SHIRT shoes during the Boxing Day Sales in Sydney:





multicolour fluoro jersey is not something i would normally pick up at first sight i must admit. but the rather garish colouration actually grows on you. its ugly-beautiful. goes great with summer brights and plain chinos. i like it.






and this metallic silver printed black canvas sneakers are unashamedly flashy. a fun pair to wear with pretty much everything.





being from past seasons, they were heavily reduced in price. so i thought, why not?




these will get a lot of mileage throughout our Antipodean summer.
4th-Jan-2010 03:40 pm - the Devil made me do it!
LV Drip



"Non, rien de rien. Non, Je ne regrette rien......."


3rd-Jan-2010 02:31 am - twitpic: Bright Star
shadow


"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."





this movie certainly is. for all the suffering romantics out there, a must-see.


balloon dog



our baby brother turned 20 today. we're having lunch at the Sculpture Garden Restaurant at the
National Gallery of Australia.


here are some of the 66 bronze heads watching us eat at the pavilion:



"Heads from the North" (2004) by Dadang Christanto.


Auguste Rodin, "The Burghers of Calais" (1886) and "Floating figure" (1927) by Gaston Lachaise.



Fujiko Nakaya "Fog Sculpture" (1976), this cool fine mist is a most welcome respite on a particularly hot and dry summer's day.


more info about the Sculpture Garden
HERE.
31st-Dec-2009 06:41 am - party on!
me typed


.gif from ThreeFrames.



i can't believe another decade has come and gone. its been a pretty good run for me and i hope it was the same with you =)

here's to heaps more blessings, fantastic opportunities, awesome adventures, good health, great friends, and the bestest shopping in the next ten.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!


spread the LoVe,

DeluxeDuck

30th-Dec-2009 03:19 am - give yourself permission to go nuts
crazy banana



have you been wanting to do something wildly adventurous, extremely indulgent or completely out of character? something you would like to do only once in a blue moon? then your chance has come.

normally, a full moon only comes once a month or 12 times a year. a "Blue Moon" occurs whenever any calendar month has two full moons. and this only happens approximately every 2.7 years.

December 2009 saw its first full moon on the 2nd. but another one - a Blue Moon - will appear on New Year's Eve, December 31st.

so go for it. do something that you wouldn't normally do. and on New Year's Eve too! what could be a more appropriate time than that?


better do it now, as the next blue moon is not until August 2012.




nb: the moon will not literally appear blue by the way. this even rarer phenomena only happens when excessive smoke or dust particles are released into in the atmosphere. mainly caused by huge forest fires or volcanic eruptions.
29th-Dec-2009 08:00 am - save the date boys!
the Mothership




Thursday, 21 January 2010 14:30 Paris time.




photo from the F/W 2009 presentation



for Louis Vuitton's Autumn/Winter 2010 Menswear Show.


i would like to see them take more inspiration from the past once again. just as they did for Fall 2005. something Edwardian or the Industrial Revolution. but im sure Mr Helbers would come up with a completely out of the box amalgamation of references once again. i can't wait!


so tell me, what would you like to see?



28th-Dec-2009 11:37 pm - fully booked
me typed


people who know me, know i love books. but those who really know me, know that its best to stir clear from giving me novels as i am very picky when it comes to fiction. best bet are coffee table books on art, style, interiors or architecture. this Christmas was particularly good on the book-receiving department:





first up is this year's highly anticipated style bible, The Sartorialist by Scott Schuman. a collection of the best photographs and looks from his most influential
blog.




its even signed and dedicated to me:




one of my brothers queued 3 hours for it. god love him!



The Way We Live: With The Things We Love by Stafford Cliff with photos by Gilles de Chabaneix, is a must for all hoarders and collectors like me. its choc-a-block full of awesome collections from homes all around the world. it even includes a couple of ancestral homes in the Philippines.








another must-have book this year is Snowman in Africa by Michael Roberts. not only is it an entertaining read for kids and adults alike, 100% of the sale of each book - sold exclusively at Gucci boutiques worldwide - goes to UNICEF.









and lastly, The Private World of Yves Saint Laurent & Pierre Bergé written by Robert Murphy and photographed by Ivan Terestchenko. i've had the hardest time scouring the best bookshops for this one. but now im so pleased another brother has fond me a copy. it is a glimpse of one of the most exquisite private collections of old master paintings, modern art, rare furniture, and the finest antiques, objet d'art and antiquities the world has ever seen.







these men sure have the best taste. i've been drooling over these photographs since Christmas.

it's my kind of porn.



all-in-all, these are very well thought-out gifts and im very excited to read them.

i trust you too got what you love or love what you got this Christmas. i sure did =)
25th-Dec-2009 06:33 pm - we can't stop laughing
crazy banana

saw this at
chuvaness, i just had to post it here too:




it made my Chirstmas just a little bit more merrrier =)
22nd-Dec-2009 11:29 pm - naughty or nice?
crazy banana


three more sleeps and its Christmas kids. YIKES!!!

have you filled out and submitted the Santa's Visit Application form yet?




i already have, but i can only expect this for Christmas:



....if im lucky. *GULP*
LV Drip



i just previewed Louis Vuitton's newest sunglasses collection and ad campaign photographed by the super hip Parisian graffiti artist and nightlife impresario, André Saraiva shot on location at the Standard Hotel in NYC and modeled by himself plus a number of Paris and New York's brightest young things:




these are the ones i like best:




the LV Spring/Summer 2010 Sunglasses collection will be available worldwide from March.

excited? i am.

20th-Dec-2009 05:36 pm - Moore with less
me typed

here's a sneak peek of the
Bvlgari Spring 2010 ad campaign photographed by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggot, starring one of my favourite actresses Julianne Moore:



entitled "Eccentric Charisma", a complete departure from their past campaigns, it shows Moore like never before - extremely sensual but not overtly sexual ....possibly the effect of wearing such awesome baubles - you won't need for anything else, a promise to whoever buys their jewellery. i wonder if Tom Ford had anything to do with this. i love it.

ETA: here's a short behind-the-scenes clip of the shoot -



out in February.
20th-Dec-2009 02:22 am - crèche moderne
Rietveld Chair


i just got the coolest Christmas Nativity scene today



it is the
Presepe (it means crib in Italian) Set designed by comic-strip artist and illustrator Massimo Giacon for Italian contemporary design brand Alessi's A di Alessi "Figure" line of pop-infused decorative objects for Christmas.



this has been in the works since the 1990s and was finally produced in 2007, these hand-decorated fine porcelain figurines echo the traditional European crèche, but updated to suit the modernist homes of today.



it includes: ox and donkey (my faves)



Joseph and Mary



and the star of the show looking quite chuffed to be there:



the traditional grotto or stable is stylized even further into a spherical pod almost resembling Eero Aarnio's iconic
Ball Chair from the 1960's.



i shall be hunting down the rest of the cast soon:



hopefully they would release an angel and a star to complete it.


the A di Alessi
"Figure" line also includes a few secular Holiday pieces:



which are just as irresistibly adorable. here's a short promotional animated clip:





don't you just want to collect them all? i do. i must control my collecting hoarding frenzy for now and just enjoy admiring and playing with this one first




19th-Dec-2009 03:44 am - hunting & gathering
Duckie



my 2009 Christmas shopping is now complete.


hunting & gathering can be such a challenge for me, particularly when i am shopping for other people. what i do look forward to is wrapping them all up. i believe that presentation plays a major role in gift giving too. and every year i do make a point never to repeat a look or theme.


i am very pleased with this year's packaging:







last year it was
poptastic yellow fluoro, this time i've gone for matte silver paper, mini gold tinsel and coral red gift tags





i particularly love these retro style bauble shaped tags. reminds me of gift wrappers back when i was little.





 
im relieved and happy to get these all done a week before the big day. this saves me from braving the mad throng for last-minute gift shopping. but now im almost flat-out broke and i blame the Magi for it. grrrr...



nah, it's all good. for chrissakes, it's Christmas!



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