Although New York City may not be captured in a winter wonderland, certain parts of the east coast are. And in Europe, Paris, too, is captured in a wonderland, but of a different kind. Remember my excited post about the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie back in August? Well, Paris’s department store Printemps has decorated their window displays with current fashions but dressed on mannequins reflective of Alice’s imaginative world. For those of you that haven’t had the chance to stop by, they are a must-see for those of you in the city. Otherwise, these images will have to do (click for a larger version). And remember, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland releases in US theaters on March 5, and in French theaters on March 24.

Classic Alice outfit

Images courtesy of Printemps and Paris Daily Photo

Barb :: Feb.09.2010 :: Culture, Fashion :: 2 Comments »

If my resolutions included no more procrastinating, I would have to say that I completely failed that idea. I’ve been thinking a lot about this past year and the idea of resolutions, and I finally managed to bundle my my thoughts together to write a post on 2009.

At first, I didn’t think much of the past year in terms of significance. After all, on the surface, there was no monumental accomplishment of any kind – I only just started university. But when I started going through my pictures on Facebook and on my computer, I realized how different things are now from when I rung in the previous year at a friend’s house.

I came to college with the aspirations of becoming a psychology major, going to graduate school (wait for it…), and becoming a counselor (now there’s the punchline). I dabbled in fashion for fun and worked in graphic design for some pocket money. And as much as I don’t like to admit it, France changed a lot of my views. The amount of culture that existed and the multitude of things that were possible to do (e.g. fashion shows for a couple of euros and chocolate dresses for public viewing) were astounding. Working for a start-up fashion line is/was great for me, but aside from that, my exposure to the fashion world was so limited.

By opening myself up to new experiences, I allowed myself to doubt the goals that I had set before college and to explore new possibilities. Reinforced by what I was seeing in this foreign country, I was able to entertain new paths, as well as better direct my goals to meet the activities that I found myself to be pursuing.

And I suppose this is the point where I started caring a lot about my appearance and presentation towards others. I grew up with a lot of boys; of the ~45 kids I grew up with, about 12 were girls. The need for caring how I dressed never really existed because of that (and my school wasn’t hottie central anyway). But when I became more confident in knowing what I wanted to do, I also became more sure of myself and could take hold of how I wanted others to see me, which included my painful struggle with trying to wear contacts (I really did tack on an extra half hour to get ready for the first month that I started wearing them).

Aside from experiencing cultural things, my life in the career aspect boomed. I started this blog up again and gave it direction to make myself more visible, cranked up the social media, was offered an internship (coincidentally, it was because they found my blog off a network) before I even moved to New York City, was sought after by Like.com, attended New York Fashion Week, had a media pass for LG Fashion Week, was invited to various events, and met designers.

Let's compare me from high school to me in 2009: I'd like to think there's at least a bit of improvement.

2009 was a year where a lot happened, but was more so a year of trial and error for me. This next year only has good things to come. I don’t have a set of resolutions; rather, I have a list of goals that pertain to my personal life, health, and career. It makes sure that I strive to lead a balanced life, and by seeing them posted on my desk everyday, I won’t forget what I want to achieve with the deadlines that I have set.

For more on my view on goals and resolutions, check out my entry at The Ability Project.

Barb :: Jan.28.2010 :: Life :: 1 Comment »

As much as I don’t like to admit it, I really am a sucker for sweets. Attending last year’s Salon du Chocolat in Paris, I thought it’d be fun to hit up the same show but in New York City with a friend of mine. Don’t get me wrong, but the show here is far less exciting and doesn’t really command the worth of the $28 ticket price (of course, if you purchase at Ticket Master, you might as well just call it an even $40 with their ridiculous charges).

Held at The Metropolitan Pavilion, the venue is much smaller than that of its French counterpart; however, that shouldn’t be a huge detriment to the show since exhibitions have been held at smaller places and been fantastic (referencing Salon du Vintage). What brings the disappointment is the booths whose delights aren’t anything special or the booths that are irrelevant. While having sponsorship is great, the “Win a Bahamas” booth could have been put to better use, especially since all it was was a ploy to get people’s numbers to call them to give out their credit numbers for a low fee to gain access to a “great getaway.”

There were some highlights to be had, though. Some of the chocolate booths had amazing treats or at the very least, interesting ones (hello chocolate covered bacon!). Others were diverse with what they offered: liqueurs that were mixed with chocolate from another booth or wines that had suggestive pairings for different types of chocolate and other foods. And if you are the type to enjoy cooking and baking, there were several demonstrations going on throughout the day with free samples of the recipe to be had.

It’s definitely a hit or miss with this one, but it really shouldn’t be considering that this is its 12th year in New York City.

Dresses featuring chocolate pieces

Sculpting out of chocolate

The cooking demonstration where you learn how much butter goes into desserts

Logo image courtesy of The Chocolate Show website

Barb :: Nov.30.2009 :: Culture, Trendy Finds :: 1 Comment »