A/W '12 collection by Valerie

The autumn/winter 2012-2013 collection by Valerie really took my breath away... fabulous vintage style clothes...  retro but definitely not old fashioned! The collection had lots of jewel tones, sequins, embroideries and other luxurious finishings.

Many pieces would be very suitable for a cocktail party, Christmas dinner or even New Year's Eve! But the clothes can be worn in daily life as well, as Valerie states herself, her customer is "a dynamic woman who is confident enough to affirm her femininity and refuses to give in to dull everyday".

Even though it has a vintage look, the collection fits in perfectly with the latest fashion trends: Roaring Twenties, black and gold, new baroque, velvet and more!

For more information, please visit: http://www.valerie-stockholm.com

People... bohemian chic

Maria Cecilia is a Polimoda student in Florence. She caught my eye during the Pitti Uomo trade show last june. I immediately loved the colour combination of her outfit and how she put together vintage and new pieces.

Her handbag is actually made of real crocodile leather... not my cup of tea, but since it's a vintage piece... she does get away with it! And I have to admit, it looks great.

Summer in the city

The past week the weather was really good... finally. Finally summer! It was so nice to be able to go to the beach after work. When the weather is like this... I absolutely adore The Hague!

Hat: no brand
Shirt: H&M
Skirt: Met jeans
Necklace: Native American
Bag: Raftas
Sun screen: Estée Lauder
Home accessories: Lifestyle 94

Ps. part of these photos were taken with a mobile phone.

People... cherry on the cake

Sometimes I see people walking down the street that are just too good to pass up... so I chase them, begging them if I can take their picture....

This girl was a little embarassed (sorry dear). But if you look at these pictures, you'll probably understand why I took the effort!

The vintage cherry print dress, the hat with customized cherries on top, the golden heels... wow! Only in Italy...

Photos taken during the Pitti Uomo week june 2012, in Florence.

Ahhhh Italian food...

Ahhhh Italian food.... I love it! And I miss it now that I'm not in Italy.
These lovely appetizers were prepared by la Cantinetta di Verrazzano in Florence. It makes you wanna jump on the first plane out there, doesn't it?!

For more information, please visit:
http://www.verrazzano.com/en/the-place/

Catch of the Day: bikini!

Here's my catch of the day... a fish? No, a bikini by Spanish brand "Como un pez en el agua" (like a fish in the water)!
I can't wait to put it on....

To see more bikinis by "Como un pez en el agua",
read my previous review:
http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.nl/2012/07/como-un-pez-en-el-agua.html

Luisa Via Roma, Florence, Italy

Luisa Via Roma is one of the coolest stores on the planet!!! Located in the wonderful city of Florence, the store not only attracts local customers, but many foreigners as well. Can you blame them? After seeing so many pretty things in museums, churches and all… the Stendhal syndrome (hallucinations due to the exposure to large amounts of beautiful art) has to be cured in some way… So off they go to Luisa!

At Luisa Via Roma extravagance is key. Wherever you look, there are extremely luxurious fashion items: clothes, shoes, bags, hats, hair accessories, jewelry… anything you can think of. However, most of their revenues come through e-tailing. The actual store is more like a showroom. Make that a very cool showroom.

They got state of the art computer screens throughout the store, where you can see in a matter of seconds if the item you desire is still available, in what size and what the prize is. The owner, Andrea Panconesi, is what the italians call “avanti”! He understood a long time ago how important e-commerce would become and invested in the relative infrastructure, making luisaviaroma.com an important player on the global market.

For more information, please visit: http://www.luisaviaroma.com