THE daily chronicle SHOW

philippine’s gorgeous television host and producer, daphne osena-paez, has collected antiques and vintage treasures for years. this one-time bridal magazine editor-in-chief grew up and studied in toronto with a degree in art history and urban planning - has an extensive collection of antique medallions, crosses and gems. started as a hobby (and she claims it still is), her love for jewelry has expanded to creating one-of-a-kind vintage necklaces comprising of lockets, pearls, cameos, precious gemstones and her hard-to-part-with antique religious petite artifacts. apart from these, she also has designed black onyx pieces and faux-pearl necklaces wrapped in tulle. i wonder if she will ever dabble on creating earrings and bracelets, too. i guess, time will tell!

photo credits : first four pictures from daphne. last shot from dix perez of philippine’s metro magazine.

in the meantime, if you’re interested please contact her at daphneosena@yahoo.com.

since winning the last project runway season 2, chloe dao has been busy with her expanding boutique in the rice village and has been creating a new collection that will make it’s debut this wednesday, june 28 at the art institute of houston. also in this event, partygoers will have a sneak peek preview of the upcoming bravo reality series project runway season 3, which by the way, will be premiered on july 12!

to join the cocktails merriment and front row seating, rsvp here and enter the code chloe.

the simple and uncomplicated structure of this bag appeals to me. it has that understated chic style that transcends to timeless, classic leather bag in the same league as celine’s boogie bag or LV’s damier line. i like that it got a similar tote shape as the hermes birkin but less complex with it’s plain buckle and padlock. of course, it also helps that our favorite trendsetter miss kate toted this bag a few months back. and the tag price is not that bad either, $ 995 from net-a-porter.

responding to closet therapy’s city guide, here are my personal favorites in my kind of town, houston :

Favorite…
one-stop shopping street? westheimer on highland village
one-stop shopping mall? houston galleria mall
store for clothes-shopping? mix and tootsies
store for discount clothes-shopping? saks off fifth
store for premier designer handbags? neiman marcus
store for handbags? joseph
store for premier designer shoes? neiman marcus
store for shoes? gregory’s
store for designer jeans? barneys co-op
store for accessories? sloan/hall
store for beauty products? sephora
store for lingerie shopping? top drawer lingerie
store for home-shopping? kuhl-linscomb
store for doggie-shopping? - -
store for groceries? central market
place to window shop? uptown park
place to hem jeans? ultra design on westheimer
place to tailor other clothes? styles tailor in the rice village
place to fix handbags and shoes? shoe hospital
sale of the year? pre-christmas shopping with holiday card sale yearly
spot for waxing? helena’s
spot for celebrity watching? derek hotel/hotel icon
spot to workout? the houstonian
spot to soak up the sun naturally? kemah boardwalk
spot for a salad lunch? andre’s
spot for ice cream? marble slab
spot for sinful dessert? dessert gallery
spot for night-time hangouts? escalante’s in highland village
spot for yoga? dahn yoga
sample sale? alexandra knight sample sale in her studio
nail salon? isle pedi spa
hair salon? jose eber ceron
tanning salon? malibu tan
place for a massage? trellis at the houstonian
place for eyelash extensions? edward sanchez at jose eber ceron
full-service spa? trellis at the houstonian

… and any other special hotspots in houston that other cities don’t have? happy hour at el tiempo mexican restaurant!

if you’re from houston and if you have any favorites, feel free to drop me a comment. i’d like to hear from you!

a major two-day houston fashion party will be held this weekend starting with a preview brunch on friday allowing early birds to eat, shop and get the latest in trends and sale scoops before the runway show even begins. the fashion show will be headlined with collections from project runway’s first season alumna vanessa riley, betsey johnson, hip boutique gurej, lucho for men and so much more. for further information and ticket details, check it out here.

proceeds will go to The Rose, a non-profit breast cancer organization here in houston. too bad, we’re going out of town this weekend!

banking on the success of the original chloe paddington, spin-offs on this once-upon-a-time it bag design has endlessly evolved in a variety of choices if you’re tired of the first one. the line has expanded to shoes and camera bags - personally, i find them uninspired creations. the advent of these products just goes to show that the chloe designers are running out of concepts or this line is still going strong that calling them “classics” are what they’re hoping for.

all available at neimans and net-a-porter

much has been written and talked about the most awaited movie of the summer for fabulous fashionistas, the devil wears prada. so big, that merchandise are popping everywhere from a dedicated amazon shop to sephora. products include t-shirts and tanktops, limited prada scents and a patricia field designed purse.

watch out, the movie hits the silver screen soon - even better for LA residents, it debuts at the LA film festival on june 22, eight days before it opens nationwide!

a la nora jones, corinne bailey rae has a soulful emotive sound reminiscent of the previously mentioned artist. she’s also been compared to no less than billie holiday and erykah badu! to listen to her album tracks, check it out here.

photo swiped from amazon

it never fails. whenever i’m in a fashion crisis - which is often - and i can’t make up my mind on what to wear on a last minute party invite, i totally depend on my instincts to wear a crisp white shirt with either a slim black skirt with jeweled mules for a cocktail party or jeans with heels for a casual get-together. worn with pearl studs or big funky hoop earrings, they never cease to save the almost fashion faux pas that i would have been. they’re classic, timeless and always party appropriate wherever the festive jamboree may be. here are a few of my white shirt picks :

important note : keep make-up to a minimum. white shirts light up your face. hair can be combed stiff or tousled (i prefer a loose ponytail or chignon) and a luminous look with barely a hint of color makes the over all look ethereal and heavenly!

photo credit : neiman marcus

kate spade teamed up with british artist hugo guinness to create this limited edition IT bag, only available at kate spade lifestyle boutiques and colette in paris. with only 150 pieces made, grab your’s now!

as soon as school is out - we’ve zoomed past the dragging school zone and headed towards a promising warm and hot summer. lots of non-working holidays ahead and the itch to head to the beach and face the sun just looms above our heads. whether you’re headed to an exotic beach in some tropical island or to an exciting expedition in some foreign country, summer essentials complete this season’s rituals. here are mine :

and lots of shorts and tank tops! what’s your summer uniform?

photo credits : eluxury, amazon, essie, kiehls