Results tagged “Discuss” from Style Flavors

With the recent ruling of Ebay VS LVMH - Ebay being ordered to pay $80.000 Euros for the unauthorized use of Givenchy, Kenzo, Christian Dior and Guerlain's perfumes brand name in the key word search on the popular site. It's not the first time Ebay has been fined; just this June, it was also ordered to pay LVMH 38 million Euros for allowing the sale of fake LVMH goods on its site. 

I don't know how Ebay is going to completely put a clamp on the alarming number of counterfeit goods on its site. If there is demand, there will be supply and there will also be individuals clamoring to buy passable counterfeit merchandise. It would be a logistic challenge to say the least for Ebay to check on each and every vendor to ensure that all goods sold are 100% authentic. 

I had a thought yesterday which led me to my search for vintage superheros tee-shirts. I somehow ended up on Ebay and I didn't know how fun it was to go through the lists of items that are up for sale. 3 hours, a couple of tee-shirts and multiple searches later (from Balenciaga to Christian Dior to Kiehl's), I realized just how vast and blatant the sale of counterfeit goods are on this otherwise great site. 

I did a search for Comme des Garcons Play and there were polo-tees going for US$9! Yes, I was stunned too but it's obvious that an authentic, brand new Comme des Garcons Play polo would never cost US$9. But it did catch me off guard for a moment. 

I abhor the counterfeit movement but I also know that it's going to be a long, uphill battle to eradicate it all because as mentioned, as long as there is demand, there will be supply. I have seen my fair share of people consciously seeking fakes and they don't see why they should stop buying fakes so deterring them won't be a simple them to do. 

That said, I think having a warning label - like a sticker except virtually; informing about the lack of authenticity of a clothing or accessory would serve as a more in-your-face approach. Of course, an extremely low price tag is in itself a good warning but for those less clued in about how to spot a fake, a warning label on every page of each fake item might prove to be quite helpful in turning some of these consumers off. 

The ones who don't give a damn about authenticity would still go ahead and shop to their hearts' content but the ones who are on the fence; well, it might not take a lot at all to sway them to the right side. 

GQ has a list of the 7 style mistakes that we all have or might have made - such as the Barack Obama Jeans (pictured). I remember my baggy jeans days - It was all the rage back then and I thought I was so cool. Turns out, I really wasn't and I cringe now when I think about all the things I used to think were cool.

A chuckle-inducing look at what we should all avoid and learn from. 

I know what works for me, what looks good on me and what I should generally avoid but I look  at these kick-ass rings and chains and I want to be able to add them to my daily dressing. I remember being about 9 and making my own rings out of those snap on studded chains that looked like tiny ball bearings. I thought I looked so cool and so grown-up. 

When I actually grew up, I realized I didn't really look that cool. In fact, I looked like I could take a lesson in being cool and trying to stuff my bony fingers with cool pieces did not make me cool automatically. 

I found other ways to accessorize with other things. I looked towards shoes for the sartorial platform that jewelery would grant other people and though I sometimes look on in envy as people around me threw on knuckle rings and fox-trap necklaces, I also know that for every ring I couldn't carry off, there was a pair of lace-ups or boots with my name on it and that is something I could certainly live with.  

Locker rooms are there for a reason: To serve as practical alternatives to your bathroom at the gym or the health club. So just like any bathroom, you would expect people in there to brush their teeth, slather on lotion, dry their hair etc. Well, Lea Goldman of Marie Claire doesn't think you should. In fact, she think all women should cover up - just because she gets squeamish at the sight of a fellow woman naked. 

In her ridiculous article, she goes on to describe how she "almost lost consciousness at a gym once'' because there she "caught sight of a doughy naked woman, her nipples the size of salami slices, holding aloft a compact as she carefully plucked her eyebrows". Wow, horror; because a woman who doesn't have the size 0 body like the models in the magazine she works for is actually making an attempt to groom - something Marie Clarie talks about in every issue.

She goes on to describe how she is "baffled, even horrified, by women who treat the locker room like their sandalwood-scented boudoir." and how she has "seen gals, still flushed from a workout, slater on lotion on their haunches like they were being filmed for the spice channel." And just what is so terrifying and confusing about taking care of your skin? Are those women supposed to apply moisturizers fully clothed and stick their hands in-between bra straps and button plackets to get to hard-to-reach areas? 

Her insecurities about her body reeks out of the webpage like dick-cheese. I am disgusted at her superior prudish views of public modesty but more so at how she tries to project her insecurities onto other women. And the worst thing is, it ain't public - it's a locker-room! Where else is a person going to dry himself/herself, take care of dental hygiene and get dressed after a workout session if not at the locker-room? 

This article might be relevant in 1975 but in 2009. where millions of women are still oppressed daily and deprived of basic human rights - you would think Ms Goldman with a platform such as hers, would choose to shine light on the plight of her fellow female. But no, instead, she goes on about how it is an ''implicit courtesy'' to not stand ''bare-ass'' in the locker room. 

Some people just need to get over themselves and mind their own insecurities.  

(From Top: Martin Margiela M Tee (Fall 08), Diesel Black Gold Tybult Tee, KON Lines Tee)

It is common knowledge that the ever-elusive Maison Margiela is a visionary and a trend-setter whose pieces, genius as they are, mostly befuddle casual observers. And unlike the works of other high-profile designers, Maison Margiela's works rarely trickle down to the mainstream high-street stores. 

I was surfing around just the other day when I came across two pieces by Diesel Black Gold and KON; and immediately, they struck me as familiar - I know I have seen them somewhere before. After 3 seconds, it hit me that they look like the M Tee Maison Margiela released in the Fall of 2008. 

Look at them - The Diesel piece has an uncanny resemblance but looking way inferior with its printed-paint tape design and the KON piece looking sleeker than the Diesel tee with red thrown in for good measure and contrast. 

I don't stand for the blatant rip-off that high street stores often are guilty of but I also understand the difference of cost between the original source and the diluted, watered-down version. It's a personal choice of mine but I always go to the source because the quality, the workmanship and the crux of the idea resonates strongest from the source.

That said, I do applaud KON for taking an idea and putting their own spin on it - red contrast, similar sheen and more tape. In this case, you can actually have your cake and eat it too - have a thought-provoking design at a wallet-friendly price. So if you want a Margiela influenced piece, skin the cheap looking Diesel and go straight for the KON one (it's cheaper too!)

You can find the Diesel Black Gold Tee for US$65 US$26 at SSense and the KON Line Tee for US$24 at Urban Oufitters. 

The Daily announced that a skincare range costing 1 pound (approx US$1.64) will soon be on the market. The premise behind this is to cut out all the fuss that goes into 'luxury' skincare products - the marketing campaigns, the celebrity endorsements, the luxurious packaging etc so the usual cost of all that is not passed down to us consumers. 

It is common knowledge that a substantial chunk of the cost of a skin care product goes into the marketing of the product. Sure you have more costly ingredients that go into more expensive creams but what exactly do they deliver? 

It made me think and honestly, price is not an accurate indicator of how effective a product is going to be in eradicating wrinkles, uneven skin tone and the general aging concerns. I am a sucker for products and I will try most everything. In fact, I look forward to trying out new products and I do all the time for Style Flavors and I report it back to you all. 

But at what cost? Do I get a bigger satisfaction from using an expensive moisturizer from a reputable, distinguished brand? Certainly but I also know that that in itself is not a promise that it will deliver results akin to their copywriters' slogans.  

  

The New York Times Style Magazine has an interesting article on the future of moisturizers/serums and their ingredients. And it's not really anything new. Lancome just released its Genifique serum - it took 10 years of research to formulate this youth-activation serum that stimulate gene activity (review of it coming soon here - keep checking back!) and the iconic Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex has been a best-seller for years.

In the article, the colostrum; the first breast milk that protects newborns from infection is a new ingredient used. And it's not from humans (that was my initial thought too) but rather from cows. It is touted to renew, exfoliate and reduce wrinkles. This reminds of the sheep placenta craze a couple of years ago that was said to revive, protect and erase past damage done to your skin. And it's not just ingesting placenta pills; some have even asked their pregnant friends for their placenta after their delivery to cook and eat it. No kidding.

My question is how far would you go? I am a sucker for products and I love trying out new things - I've tried tons of products because it's what I do for this site.

The New York Times had an article 2 weeks ago that made me think about the perennial favorite: flip-flops and where exactly do they fit into the whole scheme of dressing up/down. In the article, Jason Kilar, the CEO of Hulu; an online video service - talks about his penchant for wearing flip-flips to work and the office.

Of course, he can get away with anything; being the CEO and all. But it is also a known fact that certain industries/companies like IT firms, Google, Microsoft, advertising firms leave the the choice of dressing up to their employees and I applaud that. While also at the same time understanding why certain industries say; law firms and banks, require a strict dress code. Would you want the private banker that you are going to trust him/her with your hard-earned dough to meet you wearing a Hawaiian shirt and rubber flip flops? No matter how you spin it - first impressions count.

I do get the greatness and comfort that is flip-flops. When I was working in Seattle for a great start-up company, there were no dress codes, and in the Summer, everyone came in shorts and flip-flops and that added to the relaxed vibe in the office. And since, it was a start-up, you could get away with most anything.

But personally, I just can't wear flip-flops to the office and I have a hard enough time to wear them with jeans while running errands. For a lack of a better term, I feel naked and exposed. Like something's missing.  

Picture of Zac Efron to prove my point and more after the jump!