I love Russian designer Alena Akhmadullina's feminine yet strong designs, mixing 'Russian audacity with Parisian sense of style'. She presented her latest Spring/Summer collection in Paris late last year, and there were plenty of floaty floral designs, juxtaposed with amazing crochet harnesses, that I'm sure Susie of Style Bubble or Queen Michelle at Kingdom of Style could pull off effortlessly (I wouldn't mind giving it a try either), flowy silk pants, and gorgeous drapeing...Beautiful yet easy-to-use pieces that I wouldn't mind having in my wardrobe:
The lovely Deanne at Dream Sequins, recently interviewed me for her amazing blog, which boasts insightful posts on emerging fashion designers and independent boutiques... She frequently introduces me (and her readers) to beautiful labels I hadn't seen before, and often posts on some of my favourite online stores (although she sometime gets to visit the actual 'brick & mortar' store, of which I'm very jealous) and labels. Thank you so much for the interview and sweet words Deanne! You can read the interview HERE.
Elle's Fashionista Questionnaire
The amazing & glamorous Carrie of Couture Carrie tagged all her readers to answer a Fashionista Questionnaire adapted from Elle, and as per usual, I took forever to answer mine:
Who is your favorite designer?
I have to pick two: Dries Van Noten & Akira Isogawa (surprise, surprise, say those who visit my blog frequently).
All Brazilian ‘salgadinhos & docinhos’: pastel de palmito, pao de queijo, coxinha, brigadeiro, beijinho de coco, ah this list is endless…
What are you most vain about?
My wardrobe...but can't think of anything I'm vain about, about myself.
What are you most shy about?
Receiving compliments, I probably come across as rude, as I blush furiously, mumble something unintelligible and change the subject...but I get incredibly shy & awkward.
If you could come back with someone else’s body, whose would it be?
Someone like Gisele Bundchen, as she gets to look the way she does yet still eat like a horse...
Who are your fantasy dinner-party guests?
Friends & family that are spread out all around the world (yep, it's still fantasy because it'd be so hard to get them all to the same dinner).
Fantasy celebrity one-night stand?
Ooh, I found it hard to pick someone, and not only because hubby might stumble over this…Ok, not a one-night stand, but a dinner-date, maybe with Hugh Jackman...he sings, he's charming, loves his family & is devoted to his wife...It'd make for one fun & entertaining date, I'm sure...would have to wear my Stella McCartney wedges though, I've seen him in real life, and he's incredibly tall!
Favorite place to have a drink?
On a beach in Bahia sipping on a caipirinha listening to Bossa Nova.
Compare the painting with the real thing, we took this picture 20 or so years after the painting was painted (different season, and the greenery needs a bit of a trim, but stunning nonetheless...)
click to enlarge
What are your favorite vacation spots?
Parati (or anywhere in Brazil), and anywhere in Europe…
Most treasured possession?
Fashion-wise, my Dries Van Noten beaded & sequinned sandals.
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, Bebel Gilberto, Gotan Project, Rosalia de Souza, Nicola Conte, JT etc...also some Diva music (ok, this may be embarassing): Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey (in her olden golden days), Whitney Houston (ditto), Beyonce (her first album)...
If you had another profession beside your own, what would it be?
Food (critic, photographer) or fashion (stylist, designer, buyer) related, or a singer (love singing, but would have to get over stage fright...and have a more interesting voice, rather than what my cousin calls 'a Disney voice')
What current trends would you like to see disappear?
Acid wash jeans…sorry to all the Balmain fans out there (I also love Balmain, just not the acid wash jeans)
A couple of days ago when the clock struck 12pm, I met up with a few friends who were also affected by the recession, to have lunch at Mcdonalds.
Sometimes you might wonder what do people actually do when they're affected by the recession. When I say affected by the recession, I mean literally losing our jobs.
Now, when you lose your job, it does not necessarily mean we end up as drug addicts or convert ourselves to monks or become thieves or end up as beggers on the streets or try our luck in Genting Highlands casino's hoping to earn something to continue living.
What really happens is that....
You'd probably hear less of us. Our phone is forever engaged because we can no longer pay for the subscription any longer to Maxis.
Even if you do get to reach us by call, we would have no choice but to squash all chances of meeting to not only avoid shame but to avoid expensive places that we would be meeting.
You won't even see our facebook account anymore because we have cancelled it as there isn't really anything more to share other than the tough times that we are going through.
Even if you do see our facebook account, literally you will not see any form of action in there, almost like as if we left earth to go to Mars or something. Most probably because there isn't anymore internet line to check our facebook account.
You'd probably won't even see us online on msn anymore.
and if you have a hot girlfriend
which isn't going to accept Mcdonalds as her lunch for the next few years since the economy has been expected to get much worst before it gets better, then its time to take a step back and "BE A MAN, DO THE RIGHT THING!"
All this is happening because we'd have to save. Every cent spent will be coming out from our own savings.
Now...When it comes to eating, we recession people make sure that we spend money on food that is of value worth. It doesn't take alot for us recessionary(jobless) people to find OUT that there is this one amazing value for money meal in town which is the Mcdonalds McValue Meal.
Its everywhere!!
From the newspaper!
To my own blog!
To posters pasted on walls.
I mean, gosh its even on FACEBOOK!!
Mcdonalds has came up with this fantastic deals for the past few months, targeted to us recessionary people out there to help us during this trying times.
Its like a discount handed over to you every single day.
In Malaysia, sometimes you just don't really see the effect of recession. Some people say that Malaysia is not affected because we have strong banking fundamentals and etc. etc.
But while I was queueing up to order at Mcdonalds, I experienced some of this small things that show we are actually in fact in a recession.
People are donating much much less.
Don't get me wrong, people are still donating. Maybe just enough to make some kids in south Africa happy for a brief moment with a few packet of hacks.
Couples on their first date have to share a Mcvalue meal.(I suppose he know's that the mcvalue meal is the most valuable meal in town to bring his girlfriend )
Children have to work harder by acting cuter to get the toys they want but eventually not getting anything.
There was also this couple which after some misunderstanding added more value to their Mcvalue Meal by asking for a plastic bag which probably will be used later to bring back some left-overs to keep their children happy at home with mcdonald french fries.
Ok, so you're probably wondering how my friends and I had our Mcvalue Lunch.
WE SHARE!! You heard me right. The four of us would share a meal.
We would just order one Mcvalue Meal which is the McChicken at RM5.95.
Not Spicy chicken Mcdeluxe at RM7.95.
Not even tasty Big Mac which is also at RM7.95.
We wouldn't even get carried away by making our meal larger for RM1.20 knowing that the burger doesn't get any bigger than it already is.
Our budget was RM5.95. Even then, we knew we would already be off budget. Knowing Mcdonalds, we even came prepared with a few more cents, knowing that after tax, what you see on newspaper and what you pay is different.
Our McChicken totaled up to RM 6.25. (If there was anything that the government can learn from Mcdonalds, its time to slash your tax as well!!Recession????)
The good thing about sharing though, is that, everybody comes on time.
So everyone had their share of burger that is proportionally divided by the size of our mouths.
and when it came to the Coca-cola, as much as we were sick sharing over-licked burger,
we made sure the drink this time was shared properly.
Being at Mcdonalds, straws were free.
The straws were then placed at an angle almost like as if everyone just knew which were their's to make sure there was no mix up.
and when the cup eventually dries up, there was always a free refill. A self-service jug filled with coke so there's always enough drinks for everyone on the table. It is well known that people like us would eventually pour some of this coke into an empty bottle to be brought back home.
This free refill alone is enough to put a smile on the many faces of people affected by recession like us.
While the free refill happens to be one of the more reasons that makes this Mcvalue Meal so valuable in town, there are other benefits as well.
For RM5.95, you get Air-Cond. Something we do not have in our homes ever since we have been hit by recession. Its nice and cold environment definitely lets us enjoy the Mcvalue Meal comfortably.
For RM5.95, you get to use their basin. They have a basin so that we can enjoy and practice a certain amount of hygiene before and after eating, something we do not get to practice in our homes ever since we cut down on soap.
For RM 5.95, we get to use their free wi-fi. Which means we have free internet access. Combination of free Refilled Coke, Free Wi-fi, and free air-cond, there is definitely no other place that gives you a better time with Facebook.
While, I must admit that there are definitely cheaper food in Penang called Char Koay Teow, it definitely does not provide a balanced and nutritious meal like McValue Meal does.
You have protein, salt, carbohydrates, energy..
I mean how wrong could you possibly get!
So at the end of the day, before everybody left to figure out what else they can do to survive through this economic downturn, the bill is divided among the four of us which came up to RM1.56 each.
RM1.56!!!
WHERE IN THE WORLD CAN YOU FIND A MORE VALUABLE MEAL IN TOWN!!
So, if you ask me have I had my Mcvalue Lunch this week?
Well yes i did!!
Not only did we have McValue meal for lunch, we made Value out of McValue Meal.
p/s: For those of you guys wondering why I made value out of Mcvalue meal, this is for the Mcvalue Meal Contest that is running from April 29 to May 31st 2009. Here are some other interesting blogs that you should read as well. I know I can't be that lucky to win that iphone but i thought it was an interesting topic to write. I hope you enjoyed it!
