Samsonite Cosmolite

Quilted jacket – Barbour. Shearling vest – Muubaa. Bag – Couronne.

Coat – Mango. White Jeans – AG Jeans. Shoes – Isabel Marant. Scarf – Zara.

Coat – Mango. Boots – Margiela for H&M. Bag – Mansur Gavriel. Scarf – Acne (Similar).

Coat – Mango (blazer version). Boots – Margiela for H&M. Bag – Mansur Gavriel. Scarf – Acne (Similar).

Two weeks in Seoul boiled down to a mere 30 photos – yeah, either I’ve had my chronic indecisiveness miraculously cured, or someone broke into the flat during the night and magically edited down the lot. If it’s the latter I also wish they touched me before sneaking out. All kidding aside, once I’d dealt with the two-freaking-thousand files that choked up the ‘SEOUL 2014’ folder, I found myself at a bind, because even with a more manageable bunch my time in Seoul was just too big, dynamic, entertaining, nostalgic, and exotic to ‘boil down’ into one sweeping summary.

Over the two weeks, I reconnected with friends and relatives I hadn’t seen in about seven years, and visited my grandmother who fed me the same type of fried fish she used to hide inside my spoonful of rice when I was little; then my Caucasian husband arrived midway through, and together the city was suddenly an exotic new ground with every corner fascinating. All in all I found: the people supremely enjoyable, the fashion essential, and the food unbearably sexy. Tradition and modernity co-exist in great harmony, which is something I particularly adored this time round – especially how the young people embrace and pride in the heritage…

I do realize I’m technically tooting my own people’s horn here and may not be the best person to lend impartial image of the city but then again you’re not here for impartial reviews, are you?! Because in the next post I’m going to rave about honey pancakes and outline why it’s the bestest thing in the world  and you’re not allowed to ask what about donuts and macarons. 

A huge thanks to Samsonite (x Fashiolista) for the great adventure – do check out how I packed for Seoul, the first 24 hours, and more photos from the trip in the visual diary on Fashiolista.

Coat – H&M. Jeans – DIY slashed Supertrash. Loafers – Hudson. Bag – Couronne. Sweater – Topshop Cardigan worn backwards. Bar bracelet – Zara. Watch – Larsson & Jennings. Tiger bracelet – Kenzo. Rings – Monica Vinader.

I have but moments before the car arrives to take me and one embarrassingly large piece of luggage to Heathrow – Seoul, here I come, start heating up the food. I’m putting this up right before I run out because, if I know my mother correctly, she will compose a short but powerful message on Whatsapp reading something along the lines of those broken jeans in your blog better not be coming with you to Seoul and this time I can be all aw but I’m already in the car. No. Don’t worry ma, I’m fully anticipating to go up a dress size or even two on this trip, I’ve basically packed fifty variations of sweatpants. (엄마 청바지 꼬메지 말아쥬쎄요ㅠ) Plus, after road-testing the jeans in London and finding out getting a sore throat thanks to cold wind through the knee-holes is the very definition of irony, I’ve decided to leave it out of the packing.

On a side note, I know I’ve put this up on Facebook already but I’d really love to get some recommendations of places in Seoul – I’ve never lived there properly and the only places I know are basically the Big Ben equivalents so please do help this hipster out if you can.

Gilet – All Saints

Fluffy gilet – All Saints (on sale!). (DIY Slashed) jeans – Supertrash. Bootes – Kurt Geiger. Bag – Couronne. Silk & mohair sweater – Hoss Intropia. Watch – Lasson & Jennings. Rings – Monica Vinader. Silk bracelet – Hermes Petit h. Gold bracelet – Kenzo. Thank you Kit for helping with the outfit pics!

So… I may have skipped out on the annual rumble with desperate last-minute shoppers by finding gifts earlier in the month, but turns out none of that mattered because I was that person with the bulging Santa sack at the post office on the very last working day before Christmas begging for stamps. I don’t even get points for joining a 50-strong queue that snaked around the building because none of the gifts will arrive on time anyway. I was also the person fighting a lady with three kids over the last orange in Tesco’s thinking if I don’t buy this now we will get starve and DIE over Christmas, or get scurvy, then die. Oh, and the girl that got carried away buying winter essentials as if preparing for a snow disaster, and by essentials I mean fluffy gilets from All Saints (on sale, no less) that probably aren’t very practical for any disaster, really, unless I’m doing a style-off with the snow. In any case, I do hope for a bit of weather drama over the next few days, just so I can blame it for the gifts not arriving on time and hope no one will check the date on the stamp, or this blogpost. Oh I’ve screwed up this year, haven’t I.

Since I’m probably getting whips/handcuffs again for being naughty this year, let me know if you’re as bad as me with Christmas and maybe we can start a business together by selling them all. What do you think?

Bracelet – Swarovski ‘Interval’

Coat – Anywho x Brics. Leather trousers – Hoss Intropia. Sneakers – New Balance 574. Bangle- Swarovski ‘Interval’. Rings – ASOS. Bag – Couronne. Cashmere sweater – Boden. Scarf – Acne Canada scarf

Just a quickie before I head out for a day of chores, or as I’d like to say, excuse to drink five hazelnut lattes and stumble home feeling like a cow/squirrel by the end of the day. I’m hoping to finish my Christmas shopping this week so that I’m not forever remembered as that girl that keeps getting into rumbles with desperate middle-aged men in aisle 5 for the last tree-shaped candle. Although, I do usually look forward to February 13th because that rumble is usually for the last heart-shaped chocolate with desperate 20-somethings and seeing how I’m married that’s the most action I get in months. Oh I’m kidding. Sob.

Also, do check out a wee guest post I did for Wink, a blog by Nathalie Colin, the Creative Director of Swarovski, on matching jewellery with belt. Here’s a preview…:

Look 1: Belt by JinYoo103684, Earrings: Swarovski ‘Tody’

Look 2: Belt – ASOS. Necklace – Swarovski ‘Nice’.

Look 3: Scarf – Acne ‘Canada’. Bangle – Swarovski ‘Interval’. Belt – Next. Rings – ASOS. Bracelets – Bouton.

Outfit photos thanks to the help of Ellen!

Printemps x Prada Christmas windows

Gwyneth Paltrow, in all her goopyness and stuff.

Wearing: Coat – Anywho.dk x Brics. Cashmere sweater – Boden. Skirt – Zara. Shoes – Kurt Geiger ‘Stage’. Bag – Couronne. Outfit snaps thanks to Alice & Sabrina.

There’s a day in November when an email drops in my inbox that kick-starts the holiday season, attached, a return ticket to Paris and a promise of good, warm fun inside The Printemps department store. That email is my green light to start thinking about gifts and to dig out decorations from under the staircase, ensued of course by a chicken dance at the prospect of going back to Paris. I know I’ve bashed Paris a little in the past couple of months, but she is still my lover and I love me some glitter. Even better than saucy French maid costumes methinks. This is my third year (year 1, year 2) seeing the curtains come down for their Christmas windows and I have a feeling it’s become a bit of a tradition, and every year I go back after dinner to oogle at the animated windows with a similar fascination as when watching Ryan Gosling GIFs online. Occasionally I’d drool at a particularly glittery bauble, but not as much as when I do for special GIFs involving six packs. This year, Prada decked the chessboard halls with updated classics and limited edition satin pumps, and in the windows, let loose Pradabears to mingle, which I’m sure will stop a lot of children in front of the windows this season, if ye know what I mean*.

Thank you Ykone & Printemps for having me!