Skip to content

Archive for January, 2012

Jan 31

Kildare Village, Dublin, Ireland

Coming Soon – International Designer Outlet Shopping

Apologies go out to all our subscribers who were notified of a new post “International Designer Outlet Shopping”. Unfortunately, it’s still in the works and was accidentally published…OOPs!

We currently researching and compiling locations from around the world as to the best places to shop for a designer bargain. The post is currently in draft form but will hopefully find it’s way to you shortly.

In the mean time happy shopping!

2OPINIONATED.COM

Jan 29

Philosophy skin care
18 Comments

LCP’s as a Philosophy

Philosophy Skin Care Update!

Hannah: ’Olya has always been a little disturbed by the fact that, until recently, I have always been fairly uncommitted to maintaining a regular skin-care routine. That was until the Traveling Stylista, Kimberley Horan recommended I try using the philosophy range (hope in a jar, purity and microdelivery mini peel pads). This is the only skin care range I have ever used that I can honestly say resulted in a visible improvement in the look of my skin and I’m totally hooked.

I was therefore totally disturbed to discover that Mecca in Sydney are no longer going to be carrying the Philosophy range. It has taken me this long to find a skin care brand that I can call my own and now I can’t find anywhere to buy it in Sydney. Sometimes life can be so unfair!’

Olya: ‘Don’t fret my dear, philosophy.com will ship it to you from the United States and they also have some great new products to try! My husband is purchasing them for me in NY as I write this! They have had brilliant reviews and I cant wait to try them.

PS. They can also be bought online in Europe from Sephora, or from QVC TV in the UK, however the selection is quite limited. Read more

Jan 28

Fine Lines Bra

Another LCP – Best Strapless Bra Ever

Our apologies to all the 2OPINIONATED male readers who may not understand the true significance of this post. To give you some context…for most women…discovering a comfortable strapless bra that actually gives you good shape is up there with the discovery of penicillin .

So without further adieu (drum role please)…introducing the Fine Lines Memory Strapless Bra.

This bra retails in Australia for $44.95 and is available in black and nude. So what’s so good about it?

This is why I love it: Read more

Jan 26

Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Fashion, Angelina Jolie, Stacy Keibler, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba
9 Comments

Fashion Trickle Down from the Red Carpet

Awards Seasons’ Fashion exhibits the Trickle Down Effect

Olya Bell : ‘Gentlemen, did Ricky Gervais’ burgundy TED Baker diner suit inspire you to take a fashion risk?’

Hannah Brooks: ’Who cares about the suit! You have to love an awards host who takes a beer to the lectern’.

Hannah: ‘When did it stop being all about the films and shows and start being all about the fashion? What will the Oscar’s bring?’

Olya: ‘Han it’s always about the fashion! It is a little bit of PR brilliance on behalf of fashion industry’.

Hannah: ‘These days it seems we care less about who actually won the award, and more about which star was lent millions of dollars worth of Harry Winston jewels and who wore what. We sit glued to the television, we tweet our opinions to the world, we text our friends when we see a disaster on the red carpet and we talk about the dresses for days after the event. Are we just living our lives vicariously through those who are lucky enough to be sample size, styled by Rachel Zoe or lent a dress from Lanvin? Do we really take fashion inspiration from the red carpet… what does awards season mean for the people who are their own stylists?’

Olya: ‘They say that imitation is a form of flattery, yet I am not too sure. Allen B. Schwartz has become synonymous with post-award show knock off gowns. He usually replicates the top four gowns that retail between $250 -$400 US. They have been a huge hit with the prom market in the USA. ABS even produced replica’s dresses straight after the Royal wedding. ABS is not only the company that do “inspired” dresses. Msnbc’s  Today show “get red Carpet looks for less” video features four Faviana gowns to get that star look for less, straight from the runways of the golden globes. As students we were cautioned against the evils of plagiarism, what I want to know is – how is this different? We have included some images from their “look like a star” collection compared with the actual dresses the stars wore at the bottom of this post so you can decided for yourselves. ’

Angelina Jolie wearing a Atelier Versace gown followed by an “inspired gown” by Faviana.

Read more

Jan 22

Cartier Singapore - Ngee Ann City boutique
3 Comments

The Cartier Mystique

The Power of the Panther

2OPINIONATED apologies for the belated announcement of our “Pick a Box” poll. The clear winner, with 55% of the votes, was Cartier. It was definitely the most favoured box to go under Christmas tree for 2011, followed by Hermes and Tiffany & Co. Surprisingly, Gucci or Louis Vuitton did not receive any votes! Is that because we all wanted jewelry for Xmas?

Cartier still manages to maintain an element of exclusivity in an era where luxury has become commonplace. We’re not sure of if it’s because Cartier never goes on sale, or if it’s because they control their distribution by only selling through their boutiques. Cartier manages to tell a consistent story across all it’s brands marketing channels, such as advertising, PR, editorial, digital marketing and in-store experience.

The Holiday 2011-2012 print campaign above plays on the traditional Cartier motifs. Below is a photograph of a Cartier advertisement circa 1950

(Click the link Read More  below to view Cartier Commercials and Store Displays) Read more

Jan 17

Karl Mania Net a Porter

Karl Mania – We don’t think so!

What’s so funny?

We’re all for having fun with fashion but at 2OPINIONATED we felt that this recent collaboration between Net-A-Porter and Karl Lagerfeld was filled with contradictions…

 

‘I received a notification from Net a Porter informing me of Karl Lagerfeld’s new collection. I love Net a Porter and use it frequently, so I check out the email link that they sent me. After watching the video I was perplexed thinking it was an April fools joke and then I had a strong negative reaction to the video. Was I only the one who thought it was not cool and also not funny? Read more

Jan 16

Screen shot 2012-01-16 at 11.19.15
2 Comments

Selling Short the Chanel Experience

Karl Lagerfeld’s love of the photo booths continues…

‘In May  2011 at the  amfAR Gala Karl Lagerfeld presented a series of black and white «Photo-booth» portraits of celebrities which was followed by a Chanel’s Fall 2011-2012 Advertising Campaign – “Cocomaton” . The campaign was shot by Karl Lagerfeld, featured Freja Beha Erichsen, and famously styled by Carine Roitfeld. I am curious to know if the Andy Warhol Photo booth pictures published posthumously in 1989 by the Robert Miller Gallery of New York and Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain were an inspiration point for these images’.- Olya Bell

Read more to see the Chanel PhotoBooth PRINT Campaign Images Read more

« Older Entries