DREAM IT...SEE IT...BOOK IT...

Romantic hideaways is a reality if you know where exactly you have to go with your mate. A tree house in South Africa? A palace suite?
 You both deserve it.
 Yes, you do.
 Don't worry you can thank me later!





1. ALILA VILLAS ULUWATU, BALI (alilahotels.com)











2. THE RESIDENCE, ZANZIBAR (theresidencezanzibar.com)






























3. RAYAVADEE, THAILAND (rayavadee.com)






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4. SAMODE PALACE, JAIPUR,INDIA (samode.com). No photos are here available, but you can easily access the marvelous palace through their site.





5. CHALKLEY TREEHOUSE, LION SANDS, SABI SAND, SOUTH AFRICA (lionsands.com)

BUSINESS SENSE BY VICTORIA BECKHAM

Girls are aware that Victoria Beckham has made her own fashion line. Her attempt has been succesful so far and below you can see the secret behind this endeavor.

1. SEIZE ANY OPPORTUNITY: 
" I started with denim because I found a company (Rock Republic) that wanted to collaborate. I just wanted to design.

2. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF:
 " I am me. I am selling an image, but it is real. I am not pretending someone I am not.

3. WORK WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE: 
" I had to build a team of experts. So I took on the right people to help me achieve what I wanted to achieve".

4. ...AND GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES.  
" I encourage people to grow while the business grows. Everybody is given an opportunity.

5. TRUST YOUR INSTICTS: 
" Yes, I have a team around me but I always go with my gut instict. I can live with my mistakes but if I didn't go with my gut, and it proved to be a mistake, I'd be really p***ed off with myself.

6. DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED: 
"I can't understand it when people get cocky; there is always somebody else in the wings.

7. NEVER FORGET WHO HELPED YOU: 
"There have been a lot of people in this journey with me, not just my team, but fashion media and retailers. I am terrified of some of those women-they are incredibly influential. But when I have an event to launch my diffusion line they were all there, and to see all these people grinning, proud of not just what I, but we have all done...Everyone feels part of it. And they are. I haven't done this on my own".
8. ...AND DO NOT FORGET YOUR FAMILY. 
" As a working mum you feel guilty, you feel torn. That is the biggest challenge, it is a tough thing".
Hope you liked it and got a little bit of inspiration during this Monday night!
 Yours, Angela

DATING 2013

Picture a scene: It is a Tuesday, you are out for a quiet drink with friends, and you meet someone. Someone ho makes your eyes shine. The chemistry could be bottled. You swap numbers with him. Thursday night he calls. Would you like to do something this weekend?
 And you say...No. 
Either you have recently taken leave of your senses-or you are Rules girl. Remember the Rules? It was so much more than a book. First published in 1995, this guide to succesful romance was essentially an elaborate approach to the age-old idea of playing hard to get. It has sold over two million copies in 27 languages.
 It has made stars of its two authors Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, been featured in an iconic episode of Sex and the City and its website receives tens of thousands of hits a month. For the digital generation the Rules change to the New Rules and it is aleady released. 
In a nutshell the book is all about: do not stalk him on Facebook and do not write mini essays when you text him. 
As for me?
Although we can say that we can keep in mind these rules for any circumstance, I believe that we are the real expert on our life and there is no other way to demonstrate that than to ignore this book and go with our gut instict! 





 

NEW MINIMALISM FOR SPRING SUMMER 2013

Minimalism is the latest trend in fashion at this point of time and in the coming months. Below you can see in details how the less is more trend is going to be wore during the coming season:




1. THE TROUSER SUIT. We have not seen this many trouser suits since the 1990s-they are the smart and clever way to dress.


















2. THE ALPHA SHOULDER. Modern power dressing involves a sturdy shoulder- Balmain's cartounish versions below follow the new trend.











3. THE CROP TOP. Yes, it is back! Those without a washboard midriff can rejoice in the high-waisted trouser.















4. THE MINIMAL BAG. For the ultimate objects of conspicious consumption, look for zero detail-less is more.


















5. THE SPORTY SILHOUETTE. The stripped back treatment goes casual with an athletic vibe-the sweatshirt is the chief piece.

















6. THE POWER FLAT. The minimalist shoe of the year is as flat as a wafer. All the better for power walking in. My favorite is the one of Miu Miu!!

ANGELA'S INSPIRATION...HOW THEY DID IT...

Looking at the biographies and records of succesful people in the fashion industry, below I have summarized the basic rules in order to help you achieve your life goals:

1. BE PREPARED TO DO EVERYTHING.
 In unlucky or good moments you have to get yourself adapted. Do not look back or ahead. Face the reality in the best possible way and act as natural as you can on the obstacles you are about to overcome. It is a cliche but you only regret the things you don't do in life. Keep in mind the following rule: "I can't bear "what ifs" and I generally do not have any because I just jump in and do it".

2. BE BRAVE. We have read and heard so many times for young post graduation job seekers that took a plane to find their dream job in New York pennyless. And then after hard work they accomplished their dreams. Listen to your inner self and heart and whatever you strongly believe. Sometimes you have to be brave in order to be succesful.

3. BE A TEAM PLAYER. A lesson that many succesful fashion creative directors have learned is: "Believe in yourself and the people around you".

4. IT WON'T ALWAYS BE EASY. You will for sure face obstacles for instance balancing your professional and personal life. You will also do miss your family or feel nostalgia for your country. But do not give up because as distinguished personalities say, "If you do what you love and work hard, at the end the fruits of your harvest will appear".

5. ALWAYS BE THE REAL YOU. It is really important that whatever you do, especially the higher you go, you remain who you are. When you go for an interview you should be your real self. It is never going to work if you pretend to do something you are not.

6. TRUST YOUR INSTICTS, DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE SAY. Trust you feelings and things will work out. You definitely have to go with your gut instict.

MARY KATRANTZOU DOES DENIM

Mary Katrantzou is an exceptional and distinguished designer of greek nationality based in London. She’s the digital print queen of her generation. Her hyper-real designs have been a global retail sensation. So how would she push the boundaries of print this time? 
For spring/summer collection, Mary collaborates with Current/Elliot gets inspired from passports and visa stamps and designs on denim. This is a line accesible to all. My favorites? The Ashade dress, Boarding Tee and Boyfriend jeans. 
These are great examples of her simple yet dynamic denim. 
"The best thing", says the designer," will be watching how girls style it their way - I can't wait to see it". What are you waiting for?

MILANO: MISSION POSSIBLE

Milan is a place for the fashionistas and for luxury lovers. It combines romance and futurism and it is above all a trendsetter in fashion, design, luxury and party and event lovers. I used to live in Milan for a year studying Fashion Management and after this experience I would like to share with you the hot spots in the city:
Hotels:
1.Bulgari Hotel. Via Privata Fratelli7B. TEL: +39 028058051. www.bulgarihotels.com. It is situated in the heart of the city and it is synonumous to luxury. Do not forget to visit the spa. The inside swimming pool and the lighting bring out a unique atmosphere.
2. Four Seasons Hotel. Via Gesu 6/8. TEL: +39 0277088. www.fourseasons.com. It is like an old monastery with a marvelous view on an inside garden.
3. Maison Moschino. 12 viale Monte Grappa. TEL: +39 0229009858. www.hotelphilosophy.com/en/maisonmoschino. Built on the place of an old station it differs from the other hotels in terms of its decoration which is based on Moschino motives.
4. Foresteria Monforte. Piazza del Tricolore 2. TEL: +39 02 76318516. www. foresteriamonforte.it. If you are about to plan a weekend in Milan this B&B is the perfect choice.
Restaurants:
1. Alice Ristorante. Via Adige 9. TEL: +39 025462930. www.aliceristorante.it. For fresh sea food.
2. Paper Moon. Via Bagutta 1. TEL: +39 0276022297. www.papermoonmilano.com. One of the oldest and the most prestigious restaurants in Milan.
3. Orti & Commenda. Via della Commenda 43. TEL: +39 025450765. www.articommenda.it. Organic ingredients and much attention to the taste. It also offers cosmetics with ingredients that can be eaten.
4. Controvapore. Via Carlo Goldoni 3. TEL: +39 0276390636. A hidden restaurant that only a few know. Before you enter knock the door. Trattoria Ottimofiore. Via Bramante 26. TEL: +39 0233101224. A tiny restaurant with hospitable sicilian atmosphere. Do not forget to taste fresh fish.
Pizza:
1. Geppo: Via Giovanni Battista Morgagni 37. TEL: +39 0229514862. Angela's tip: Taste pizza with apple and gorgonzola.
2. Nuova Arena: Piazza Lega Lombarda 5. TEL: +39 02341437. Very cozy place with delicious pizza. Pasta: 1. Acquasala. Ripa di Porta Ticinese 71. TEL: +39 0289423983. www.acquasala.it. Just perfect!
Cafe:
Biancolatte: Via Filippo Turati 30. TEL: +39 0262086177. www. bancolatte.it. Home made ice cream, fresh sweets and delicious coffee. The secret of coffee recipe? In the milk of course.
Hot Spots:
1. The Bar Restaurant , Lounge of the Armani Hotel. Armani Hotel-Via Manzoni 31. TEL: +39 0288838888. www. armanihotels.com. Here you can enjoy one of the best views.
2. Finger's: Via San Gerolamo Emiliani 2. TEL: +39 0254122675. Here you can drink asiatic coctails and you can meet celebrities.
3. 10 Corso Como: TEL: +39 0229002674. www.10corsocomo.com. A unique place with a gallery, a bar restaurant and a wide variety of clothes and books.
Shopping:
1. Banner: Via Sant'Andrea 8a. TEL: +39 0276004609. www.biffiboutiques.com. The shopping paradise!
2. Boule de Neige: Corso Como 3&8. TEL: +39 0262910777. www. bouledeneige.it. Perfect coctail dresses and avant garde brands!
3. Tea Rose: Via Croce Rossa 2. TEL: +39 0286998767. www.tearose.it. Here you can find one of my favorite shoe brands! Those of Charlotte Olympia!
4. Lo specchio di Alice: Corso di Porta Ticinese 64. TEL: +39 028378969. The paradise of military clothing.
Best district for shopping:
Quadrilatero della moda: Via Monte Napoleone, Via Gesu, Via della Spiga, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Santo Spirito. There is not a single girl that can get satisfaction here!
Beauty: Violette: Via Panfilo Castaldi 20. TEL: + 39 02229519283. Relaxing atmosphere, celebrities and nail polishes in every single color!
This is my Milan! 
I have never enough of this place! 
Even if my home is Athens, I visit Milan every year for leisure and fun! 
The above guide will help you get into the Milanese mood and leave the place with the greatest memories!

MAKE UP BIBLES

Make up is a ritual for all women all over the world. Below I have summed up three make up bibles that each one of us should have in our library for everyday make up or a special occasion. Three beauty and make up giants are the authors of the following books:




1. Les couleurs de ma vie. Author: Olivier Echaudemaison (ed. Le Cherche-Midi). Price: 30 euros. You can find it inside Guerlain boutiques or through the web.













2. Pretty Powerful. Bobbi Brown (ed. Chronicle Books). Price: 21,80 euros. You can find it through Amazon or Bobbi Brown stands.










3. Makeup Your Mind: Express Yourself. Author: Francois Nars. (ed. Rizzoli International Publications). Price: 37 euros. You can find it in english through narcosmetics.fr.








Which one would you choose?

BELSTAFF SPRING 2013

Belstaff is one of my favorite brands basically for its super coats and special bags. I would like to share with you the Spring 2013 campaigns to get you into the concept of the new collection. 
The advertisement that took place in front of an antiquated European building is inspired by the romanticism of travel and pays homage to the brand’s ethos of daring, adventure and luxury in motion:

MY VALENTINE'S WISHLIST

February is here and the most romantic day of the year approaches. S.Valentine's day is a day when you can get rid of your daily problems and routine and enjoy passionate moments with your love partner.
 Special gifts is something that all couples exchange during this day in order to show their emotions to the other half. 
After a research I made through magazines and the internet I would like to share with you some ideas for inspiration to help you made your choice. 
ENJOY!!

Valentine Gifts for Men:

1. BLACK TEA COLOGNE

2. PERSONALIZED SQUARE CUFFLINKS

3. PERSONALIZED MONEY CLIP

4. PERSONALIZED CLASSIC BEER MUG

Valentine Gifts for Women:



1. HEART SHAPED DRINKING STRAWS

2. PERSONALIZED POP ART PRINT

3. THE SMURFS BOOKENDS

4. AMAZON CURATED COLLECTION-
 Sterling Silver Black and White Diamond Triple Heart Pendant Necklace

LIFESTYLE BRANDS: A GUIDE TO ASPIRATIONAL MARKETING BY STEFANIA SAVIOLO AND ANTONIO MARAZZA

Stefania Saviolo is professor of management in fashion, luxury and creative industries at Bocconi University and SDA Bocconi School of Management, Milan, Italy. As a graduate student at Bocconi university, I have gained precious knowledge on fashion based companies and the techniques they use to market their products and services. 
Through time, Stefania has published many interesting books in Italian and English. Her latest publication in collaboration with Antonio Marazza who is general manager of Landor Milan, Italy is the book Lifestyle Brands: A Guide to Aspirational Marketing. It talks about Icon Brands and Style Icons.
 Below you can read an abstract from the book for more information: 
" Within the universe of symbolic brands, Icon Brands become the carriers of universal values and stories that they express through a range of products characterized by instantly recognizable and iconic codes. Adopting these brands is a statement that generates emotional hetero-directed benefits for the consumer (“when I buy or use this brand, I am …”). Icons are timeless: even those born as phenomena of fashion, once gaining the status of icon, avoid the fashion cliché. This happened for the French luxury brands (such as Chanel and Hermès) or for globally admired jewelers such as Bulgari, Cartier and Tiffany: fashion brands become iconic when they are able to move beyond fashion by offering the iconic elements that have made them successful over time in products, communication and in-store. 
Since the 1950s, Bulgari has been identified by the ornamental “parenthesis” design that, when applied in jewelry and glasses, recalls ancient Roman roads; for Cartier the “animalier” motif that was so liked by maharajahs and princesses speaks of and recalls a luxury that no longer exists but many still aspire to. 
Besides fashion, Armani has become an icon of Italian style and understated elegance that is found in the wide range of products, from clothing to perfumes, linked to the first line of the designer. 
Icon Brands often come from a position of “authority” or “cult,” extending the range of products and their popularity outside a more or less restricted circle of followers. At the height of their success, they become well-known brands, both loved and desired, and success is mainly determined by their ability to be in tune with the deep values that people share, often going beyond age and geographical boundaries. These values generally evolve slowly but, as noted by Holt,2 when deep cultural changes occur the mythology of Icon Brands loses relevance and people go in search of a new myth.
 But, at the same time, Icon Brands cannot betray the core values that brought them success to pursue business opportunities that do not belong to them. In the late 1990s clothing brand Gap was an icon of American casual style, namely “an American classic with a twist.” After fast fashion chains entered the market, Gap decided to follow in their footsteps, quickly losing its iconic status and for some years also its economic success. 
While European luxury brands can be excellent authorities (e.g. Berluti shoes), cults (Riva motorboats) or icons (Hermès), the fashion houses such as Dior, Gucci or Dolce & Gabbana are brand typologies that are harder to classify.
 By often founding their authority on a style expression rather than on product features they were able to offer, often from the very beginning, a wide range of products. Strictly speaking they are not Icon Brands because they follow the changes in fashion; and they are not Lifestyle Brands because they don’t necessarily offer a perspective on the world and a call to action. They aren’t a Solution Brand, given they offer hetero-directed benefits. We refer to these types of brands as “Style Icons.” They require constant evolution while maintaining their characteristic expressive codes intact. 
Brands such as Prada or Stella McCartney are always ahead of the fashion – in fact, they must create the fashion that subsequently others will follow, even if in the end the products that ultimately sell are the most recognizable in materials, details, forms and, in fact, style. In fashion, we can identify Style Icons.
 Style Icons are different from Icon Brands because: 
1) They refer to values of elegance, status and clothing styles that have higher volatility and sensitivity to changes in customs and tastes;
 2) They are particularly influenced by the processes of “viral” diffusion – they have cycles of adoption, development, success and decline that are much faster than for other types of brands, especially the Icons. 
When their leader (typically a fashion designer) leaves the company or passes away, these brands tend to lose the ability to anticipate or influence clothing market trends, or gradually disappear becoming less relevant, or are repositioned starting a new cycle based on iconic elements of the past, as has happened in the case of Moschino, Gucci, Dior and Versace. 
The complete info in order to order this exceptinal book is: 
Stefania Saviolo and Antonio Marazza, 
Lifestyle Brands: A Guide to Aspirational Marketing, published 2013, Palgrave Macmillan. Reproduced with permission from Palgrave Macmillan.
 As for me?
 I already ordered the book from Amazon for my library!

MARC JACOBS AS A DIET COKE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Marc Jacobs has been named the Creative Director of Diet Coke. After Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs will give the Diet Coke can and bottle a whole new look. The news of Marc Jacobs as the Creative Director of Diet Coke coincides with the celebration of Diet Coke's 30th anniversary. In the pictures below Marc poses shirtless with Coke cans in commercials that will run across Europe. Marc said at WWD:" “I still think it’s hysterical people want me to take my shirt off”, “I’m going to be 50 in two months, so I guess I should be glad.” 
Love you Marc!!

AWESOME J BRAND COATS-AUTOMN/WINTER 2013 JUST OUT OF NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

Last week I bought Vogue.UK magazine accompanied by a Caramel Machiatto from Starbucks and I was digging through it for two hours. What I would like to share with you is the new amazing coats from J Brand Automn/Winter 2013 that were advertised inside the magazine. J Brand may be known for their fantastic denim but for Automn/Winter 2013 they are killing it with the coats. For their ready-to-wear collection you will find tall coats, short coats, leather coats and wool coats. The J Brand woman for autumn winter 2013 is definitely one that has a slick and sophisticated approach to her daily outfit choice. I was starring at the photos like a fool. The whole collection caught my attention and I am sure I am gonna get one next fall. I loved the black one with the fur. Here below I would like to share some pics with you in order to give you ideas and inspiration for the next fall outfit...