THE daily chronicle SHOW

and for a great cause, too. 10 % of the profit goes to the underprivileged communities health and education provision from each country source.

project runway season 2 winner, chloe dao, will debut her winning collection in her hometown boutique, lot 8, this friday march 31. for those that neglected to be a part of the project runway cult this past season, chloe was the quiet yet confident asian (she’s from laos born in vietnam) who bested all equally talented (and some egotistical) young designers. rightfully picked by michael kors, debra messing, nina garcia (of elle magazine) and host, heidi klum - as project runway 2 winner, her collection boasts of classic elegant wearable pieces!

her collection will be touched, tried and picked upon by hundreds of houstonians who will be part of the fashionable mob of people flocking to her boutique this friday and saturday. so, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, stop by and maybe even grab the most-coveted lot 8 tank tops that are flying off the shelves!

an entry ago, i was in a fashion dilemma with only a few days left before the big event, a friend’s nine-years-in-the-making wedding. a fashion crossroad leaving me no choice but to wear the same outfit i wore on another wedding last year. thankfully, it’s a totally different crowd but i believe some friends of mine would remember my blouse when i wore it several months ago in another party.

since my silver silk charmeuse two-piece outfit is very versatile, i wore the top with jeans in a cocktail party. i believe i have worn it with black trousers, too, now that i remember. i certainly worn it more than twice! horrors!

but i think the dress is simple and elegant enough to pull off a grand entrance to a wedding of the century, repeat offender or not. that’s why i still chose to wear it. i have an arsenal of accessories i tried it with but i have finally decided to wear it with my old strappy silver heels and blue alligator purse with some diamonds and sapphire jewelry. now, if i can decide what i’ll do with my hair. believe me, i’ll style it the way to camouflage a familiar dress!

hard to admit it but i will be a repeat offender on what’s touted to be the “wedding of the year” here in houston. there’s no creative explanation to the lack of dress to friend katherine’s wedding but simply no time and no money. so after long thought and deliberation, i will again wear my custom-made two-piece silver dress made especially for me by jenny kim, the same lady who did my wedding gown five years ago. this dress was only worn once at a niece’s wedding in austin last year and i had worn the top with a pair of jeans one cocktail party ago.

after splurging on daily garbs not yet worn, i found myself too late to scramble for some good deals on gorgeous gowns fit for the wedding. i have multiple entries in the past echoing fashion magazines on what’s in for spring but when it comes to my own game, i choke.

i need to seriously update this dress. i had worn it with a pair of strappy black jimmy choos with rhinestones and a long black satin clutch. i am thinking of wearing it next saturday with silver heels and my alexandra knight croc purse with silver bow. i am still contemplating on what jewelry to wear.

are there any thoughts or suggestions? i am running out of time and buying a new dress is not an option. help!

in a recent weekend afternoon tea bridal shower honoring bride-to-be friend katherine, the intimate party gathered some fashionable and accessories-loaded women who were just as happy to don their gorgeous hats as the giddy bride. each one carrying matching purses and sporting jewelry typical of southern belles who get really excited at the sound of luncheons and tea parties invites.

there were quite a few more chanel dainty purses, an LV, a classic lady dior and of course not to forget, my own jean paul gaultier hermes mini-kelly pochette in cyclamen suede.

funny, how purses can be just as essential as putting on coordinated lipstick and shoes to achieve a well put together wardrobe. hopefully whatever bag we tote seals a stamp of approval from fashion critics’ keen eyes, even gaining envious stares and glares!

this post is tribute to a quintessential bag hag/hog, tresor makati, who i find inspiringly funny and hilarious!

spring is such a popular season for weddings. maybe because the birth and renewal significance of spring influences wedding date decisions primarily since getting married is somewhat of a new beginning. or maybe the season brings abundance of gorgeous blooming flowers not just your common garden variety kinds. flowers being a main character in a wedding extravaganza meant to be romantic and dreamy. so, with a myriad of bridal showers, luncheons, bachelorette parties and the main event, the wedding - we are faced with dilemma on what to wear or what not to wear. after a few absences, saturday stakeout is back with some favorite looks for a wedding guest (not the bride!) on three wedding themes :

* URBAN CHIC : i envision sleek minimal monochromatic look for an urban chic wedding. the reception may be in a loft, a museum or an excellent restaurant - the look calls for a simple outfit free of frills and excess.

* GARDEN WEDDING : even if spring season is synonymous to allergy season, no one’s sending their regrets for a garden wedding in spring. the fresh garden colors blend against the bride’s immaculate ivory dress. the birds chirping along the string quartet and soothing floral scent is in the air as everyone cries along with the bride.

* FORMAL EVENING : as ladies are escorted by their tux-clad dates into the grand ballroom, the newly-wed couple steps out a stretch limo unto the arms of well-wishers and the party is about to begin. a showband is hired and champagne corks are ready to pop for celebration up to the wee hours of the morning.

finally, a toast to the newlywed couple!

photo credits : neiman marcus

everyone wants a good deal, an irresistible bargain. no one wants to sacrifice bankcruptcy for good looks. lo and behold, as we all know you can be as trendy as any “it” girl of the moment without breaking the bank. here are some great finds :

finally, what is an outfit without lovely bags and accessories? here are three purses you’ll definitely love :

photo credits : banana republic, target, gap, j.crew, anthropologie

these are not fierce high-end designers. they are not excessively pricey. the designs are young, fun and colorful - wearable for any occasion. be it in the office, luncheon parties, cocktails or simply a casual day outing - these are my current fave designers with distinct looks carrying a playful and witty theme.

photo credits : neiman marcus, bergdorf goodman, nordstrom, saks

shopping is always a treat in l.a.

line after line of boutiques, ranging from specialty shops to high-end designer brands lure each shopper for temptations hard to resist. last weekend when we were in beverly hills and robertson blvd., i was a slave to fashion delights i want myself to be sporting and flaunting immediately. even if my bank account may suffer, i readily comforted myself with these stuffs happily purchased. here’s what i scooped up :

luckily, i got a darly k black jacket from barneys co-op from the sale rack. the weather was so cold, i was not prepared for it. this was one good excuse to splurge on yet another black jacket. but i really like it due to it’s lapel detailing and back pleating. i also got a new pair of juicy couture white flat sandals with a cherry charm bought from a corner shoe store called david’s. an emergency purchase after realizing that wearing cork wedges on a shopping spree is going to make feet numb and horrendously painful after only a few blocks. embarassingly enough, i also got a new bunch of on gossamer underwear and you guessed it right, another crisis buy. oh well.

after arrival in houston on sunday, my husband and i directly headed to target for some grocery shopping and i ended up getting these, unplanned :

homegirl chloe dao is the new winner of project runway season 2! i knew this was coming. her popular boutique closed in the past few weeks for some major renovation. a planned expansion was finally realized. that would have been a hint for us all.

i still have some doubts but after watching her runway show tonight, i knew then that she was the winner! the previous slides/shots of her show on different fashion blogs and sites did not do justice to her collection. seeing the clothes’ movements on the models made me realize how fabulous her workmanship was. they were perfectly cut. they fit very well. i love the silhouettes and i’m crazy about the colors. i love the fabrics, too, they’re stiff but yet romantic.

l.a. was bursting with glamour air this past weekend. as we arrived on a cool thursday night, katherine and i had plans already lined up for the exciting oscar weekend. first, we were there primarily for her wedding gown fitting, then some serious retail therapy and reuniting with other girlfriend, grace. we were not really there to party anywhere remotely related to the oscars, but we feel like we were.

as soon as we got freshened up at the hotel after our late flight, we committed to our reservations at spago for a late dinner and nightcap drinks. we had delicious celery and apple soup (which we heard was served at the governor’s ball oscar night), hudson valley foie gras, striped bass with clams and spinach matched with fine pinot grigio. service was excellent and ambiance was classy yet cozy.

friday morning we got up early to get some warm breakfast at le pain quotidien, a friendly bakery serving all organic flour grains for breads. they sell organic teas, coffee, honey, wine, chocolates and also serve quiches, croissants and many carb delights. after gulping some hot tea and coffee, we walked along rodeo drive in the rain to content our shopping desires. we hit neimans, hermes, barneys, saks and a few specialty boutiques. by two in the afternoon, we retraced our steps back to the bakery where in front was monique lhuillier’s boutique for katherine’s fitting.

after an hour of gown bustling dry run and pinning to fit the bodice, we decided to head back to the hotel to get ready for an early dinner at koi’s, reserved for six thirty. we totally pigged out that night, it was truly uncool. we started with some classic edamame, creamy rock shrimp, yellowtail and salmon sashimi, dragon roll, smelt egg, miso bronzed black cod, some foie gras special for that friday night and finally, their trio of creme brulee flavors for dessert. let me remind you that we both left our men at home. it was just an army of two ladies taking on koi. no amount of paparrazzi were going to dampen our appetite adventure as they hound the outsides of the restaurant armed with their deadly-looking camera lenses. unaffected, we hailed a cab and headed back to the hotel, tipsy with wine and sick with too much food. celebrity sightings : steven cojacaru, jennifer flavin and maria shriver.

saturday was another early start. grace picked us up and we headed to trendy robertson blvd. we first went into tory, then worked our way down to the ivy, where we had two o’clock lunch reservations. the place was packed as usual. we were seated outside in the famous patio where paparazzis stalk celebs. wanna-be actors and want-to-see-celebs individuals were checking out everyone wanting to make that celebrity sighting while lunching. we ordered scrumptious lobster stuffed with spicy crab meat, lobster with linguini and another pasta dish with mussels, clams, crabmeat, squid and shrimp. halfway through our meal, we recognized houston socialite becca, who shares katherine’s hairstylist, who’s salon just hosted a fundraising opening shindig the night before in houston. afterwards, becca made a quick weekend trip to l.a. to attend elton john’s post-oscar party. how fab! we just created our own drama and commotion in the patio, loud texas twang were exchanged while paparazzis were probably wondering who the heck they were? are they worthy of a few snapshots? LOL!

side note : keira knightly was inside the resto, according to a paparazzi we befriended. none of us saw her but there were a hundred people lining the sidewalk to see her! more celeb sighting that day : henry winkler at our hotel’s lobby and nicole richie was at kitson for a book signing engagement - we didn’t want to be juvenile and fall in line, we ended up not seeing her.

for our final night in l.a., we got lazy and ordered in food in our room - hamburgers, pizza and the highlight of the day, chocolate ganache cake. melts in your mouth! yummy!

more pics here.

it’s that time again! i know, some have more important priorities than spending $ 85.00 for some make-up and frangrances, but it’s all in the spirit of free tons of goodies! neiman marcus beauty event promises some exciting free stuff in this cute tote! free samples from darphin, kiehl’s, cartier, fresh and orlane, are included in this limited offer until march 12!

so hurry, shop online or simply stop by the store to grab one!