Michelle would be stunning in Badgley Mischka. Photo from wwd.com

President-elect Barack Obama’s upcoming inauguration is causing quite a frenzy among the public eye. American residents compete for the 240,000 tickets available to witness the historical day in person and a good percentage of them face an extra challenge finding accommodation (apparently all hotels have no vacancy) for the upcoming nights spent in the nation’s capital.

Although snagging one of the tickets is almost as hard – if not, harder – as striking it rich during a trip to Vegas, another inauguration-related competition was unearthed immediately after November 4, 2008 when this question arose: which lucky designer(s) will dress the president and the first lady for the inauguration ceremony and the inauguration ball?

Many top designers hastily sketched drafts upon drafts of possible outfits to grace the bodies of these historical figures, hoping to make history as well. But it’s not only the historical trophy at the end of the road that’s alluring the designers, it’s also the youthfulness and lovable personality of the couple that can only be found in the perfect client; designers WANT to dress them.

Ideas first arose in the September issue of Harper’s Bazaar, where Michelle Obama’s possible outfits, modeled by retired supermodel Tyra Banks, ranged from a $5,900 Oscar de la Renta dress to a much affordable, more modest dress from Banana Republic. Which designer is more likely to get the first lady’s attention? Judging from her [online] shopping trips to J. Crew and the “effortless simplicity” label that is often attached to her ‘fashion resume’, perhaps a magnificently tailored gown where construction, or perhaps some jewel embellishments, makes the true statement. Personally, I think Michelle as a person IS a fashion statement.

Not too sure about this Betsey Johnson ensemble. Photo from wwd.com

WWD.com posted some sketches created by designers like Caroline Herrera, Badgley Mischka and Karl Lagerfeld. Both inauguration ceremony and ball were considered. If I was the stylist working with Michelle Obama, I would pick either Badgley Mischka or Monique Lhuillier‘s (can’t decide!) design for the ball because red flatters Obama’s skin so well. For the ceremony, I would have to go with Zac Posen‘s design. (The runner-up for this is Diane Von Furstenburg’s, but I went against it because the yellow/red clash reminds me of a fast-food restaurant.) Christian Lacroix and Betsey Johnson had some interesting designs that I thought might be too dramatic and perhaps too youthful for the first lady.

Oh but let’s not forget Mr. Obama. Obviously he won’t be giving a speech naked (a bummer, right?), so someone’s got to dress him. Fashion observers, like myself, remain iffy on the outfit choices chosen by him in the past – odd fits are usually the mistakes, and whether he likes it or not, a designer must be sent in to fix that! My choice would be Tom Ford because he always knows how to make a man ooze sex appeal while remaining professional.

So suddenly a $1,800 Balenciaga bag is not as appealing as it used to be, even to those with the most disposable income.

The hunk of a designer escorting Kate Mara to the Costume Institute Gala at the Met.

If you think about it, however, times like this bring magical moments where wishes really do come true, like 70% off that dress you’ve been eyeing on since it hit the racks of a nearby department store, and a lovely fairy by the name of Zac Posen dropped by and blessed us with another opportunity to afford his gorgeous designs. (He did a line for the Australian Target earlier this year, which sold like hotcakes.) A more affordable line is in the talking phase right now for the designer and his empire, but further information is yet to be released. If this hunky designer created something similar to what he made for the Met’s superheroes gala back in spring, I would jump on that even if it was the most expensive piece in this line.

When money (or lack thereof) talks, so does our taste in clothes. Mine has become more particular; nowadays, I pay attention to style and justify whether it’s worth even paying in the double digits. My rule of thumb: If I can get it at a Target or Gabriel Brothers, then I’ll pass – I’ll only pay if it’ll last me a lifetime.

If that’s our attitude towards clothing, I wonder what will happen to “status pieces,” especially luxury bags. This topic was brought to the table thanks to the Cut blog on nymag.com: a wonderful entry about “it bags” and how they have become an embarrassment to own. Take the big three who, whether they planned to or not, have unfortunately latched onto this stigma: Chanel, Louis Vuitton and the mastermind of the status pieces, Coach. Early in high school, I yearned to trot around the Chanel quilted lambskin bag with the giant logo branded off-center, but after living some years and experiencing college first-hand, I wouldn’t dare to be caught in public with one. In retrospective, the bag is not really that attractive.

The downside with the signature bags is the fact that they have heavily cheapened the “luxery” and “fashionable” aspects of the company. As far as fashion, these bags have somehow distorted the minds of many by embedding the idea that even though your clothing taste is unoriginal and smells like dung, at least you got your Coach purse. (I do know some people that are both snazzy dressers and own a Coach bag… but it’s not the signature logo bags.) And because many want to don their own to show off to everyone on campus, the company reacts by mass producing these bags and at such a high rate, that the quality isn’t worth the amount you’re paying for it.

Plus, it’s hard for status bags to gracefully survive through time. If you truly want your money’s worth and you don’t mind splurging your savings account, then you’re best to stick to the true professionals, or perhaps a bag that is not as often made by the designer’s house. In fashion, modesty is forever. Wear the brand in the bag’s interior, not disgustingly purged onto the exterior; make the most versatile bag your true investment and stick to neutral shades.

In the year 2009, high-end designers, especially newcomers (and many of them), will tackle the market Issac Mzrahi style, and the embarrassing “it-bags” will be rid of once and for all.

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In other news, rumors are circulating that “The Devil Wears Prada” moment might become reality when considerations of Anna Wintour being replaced by current French Vogue’s editor Carine Roitfeld. Though Condé Nast has been letting go of a lot of its titles, many created by current Vogue editor, it is not likely that they will lay off Anna due to her relativeness to the middle-class readers who make up most of the subscribers. However, she should do something about how tabloid-like the magazine has gotten, especially with the cheap text that has, particularly for December, intoxicated the covers.

Update: It is not likely. Anna Wintour has recently commented on the latest Cut entry that “she’ll retire when she gets too angry.”

It wasn't really a "Jingle All the Way" shopping experience, but it sure was for some others.

Although I was nail-biting eager to shop til’ the last penny drops, my wallet begged to differ for all of Saturday as I stepped outside into the debris of dented toy boxes, $300 laptops and pieces of flesh left from ‘Black Friday’ to hopefully stumble upon the remainder of the holiday deals.

Naturally I go straight to the mall; Saturday, however, I didn’t even go 500 feet near one. One reason was because nothing angers me more than going to a high-end mall with an attenuating budget, and the other was because I felt like stretching out what I do have as far and as reasonable as possible.

Which stores did I end up visiting? Target and the last-season goldmines of Marshalls and TJMaxx. Target has rapidly become the fashion stable for the budget fashion fiend, but it has recently started to attract even some of the most exquisite eyes (see Vogue’s December article “Hip and humble holidays: chain-store charms”) because as many of us have already realized: who knew spending so little can look this good!

For those who suffer the brand-affiliation syndrome, designers creating lines for Target like Thakoon (current collection), Jonathan Saunders, Richard Chai, Proenza Schouler, Issac Mzrahi, and Target’s upcoming GO International designer, Alexander McQueen, provides a detour to shopping high-end.

When I stepped foot into the Target located within the Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio, I was perhaps one of the 300+ people in the store, as it was packed like canned sardines. My first stop was the dollar section of Target, as it blows the dollar sections of every other retailers out of the water. Here I scored an interchangeable Hello Kitty pens and mechanical pencil combination and some stickers; for myself, respectively. I then hurried to the women’s section and browsed through the sales section where, with an exception to outerwear, I settled for items worth $15 or less. My thrifty fingers aggressively worked against the shoppers adjacent to me, especially in times when our eyes and hands meet on the same article of clothing of the same size and style. But it was a fight with etiquettes, as to declare defeat was simply moving on to the next few items on the rack.

After a session in the fitting room, I finalized my inventory to two items that tickled my fancy: the Jonathan Saunders for Target Ombre top and the color block top with red belt from the same collection, together under $30. There was a gorgeous jacket of my size that made my eyes glisten, but I was given the finger of disapproval from my bank account; I plan to make another visit in hopes of finding it available.

The second stop was TJMaxx, but I ended up not walking out with a shopping bag in my hand due to the shop’s overwhelming outcome of attendees and the lack of items that appealed to me. But within the madness laid a gorgeous Emile Pucci gown marked down to $150 from it’s original $1,500 price, which I obviously didn’t buy, but wanted in my hands badly.

My last stop was Marshalls, which had a great amount of salon hair products marked off from their retail prices and ready to sell (Chi, Tigi, Fekkai). I found a myriad of perfect gifts for the holidays, and even more items to self-invest. Out of this trip, which not only included a creepy, situation-straight-from-Resident -Evil trip to the bathroom, I ended up buying a double-breasted light Ninety jacket, which has a baggy yet chic silhouette.

When I arrived home I bought two more things, from Target.com. Even more sales lies online, which if you want to take the risk of not trying before buying, is a much better alternative than braving the retail battleground.

So dark yet so divine. Source: hotbeautyhealth.com

The result of this weekend has donned on me the aftermath that would deem success upon many retailers: the buyer realizes the shopping does not stop here. I have kept tabs on the sales and the collection of new items that many retailers have announced to stock; suddenly I have a need and want to buy, buy, buy. Thakoon’s line for Target is set to launch December 28, and following that line is the much anticipated Alexander McQueen collection for Target. For MAC Cosmetics, Sanrio has collaborated with them to launch a limited edition Hello Kitty collection, including a small array of blushes, eyeshadow, lipgloss, and many more, set to release online on Feburary 10 and in stores two days afterwards. After the overly successful launch of Commes Des Garcons for H&M, Matthew Williamson will be debuting a collection for the popular store set to arrive spring 2009.

Given recent reports, it looks like my small contribution did not alleviate smugness from the suffering economy as many others have invested $41 billion into the Black Friday deals – more than what was spent last year, according to cnnmoney.com. (Also a good reason for retailers to show a little hint of happiness.) In return, however, these businesses had to drastically cut down prices and expect less profit in order to attract the reasonably stingy population of the United States.

Here’s to the Happy Holidays and an even happier time spent shopping!

Fashion Week in action. Photo: Getty Images

I will be stalking various sources covering New York Fashion Week and once it’s over, serve you a plate of trends that summarize the overall Spring 2009 collection. This will most likely be in segments. I will also highlight the drama, the memories, and the jaw-droppers. So in the meantime, take care of your eyes and repel from the monitor for once!

*Edit: Sorry for the fall-out of this. I won’t do this again next time.

Photo: overstock.com

When the book made its successful debut back in 2001, it was as obvious as the pink elephant spotted in a vacant room that a follow-up movie is bound to revive the mania surrounding “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” as well as three other books that accompany this tetralogy, all written by British author Sophia Kinsella.

It’s a crime often practiced but seldom spoken out loud: around the ripe era of a woman’s life, say 18-30, materialism, glamour and the sudden want for both seems to spawn out of nowhere. The majority of the female American population searches to find a detour down their road of the unsatisfying middle-class income – which, in reality, is as far from being disposable as some wish for it to be; and although this road is paved with erosion-prone bricks from the Mom and Pop’s store down the street, the slick lamination of a piece of paper with a number code embroidered on the front and a magic black bar slapped on the back can magically turn this abhorrence into a road made of the world’s finest marbles.

As easy as it is to obtain a credit card, it’s surprisingly much easier to forget reality and swipe to one’s content. After all, it’s an unwritten law to shop but don’t say a whisper as to where all this mysterious money is coming from.

This beautiful road is actually a walk-in closet, supplied by the world’s most well known retail stores. With a hefty credit generously given from a London bank, Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla Fisher) has no reason to abstain. Her months of joyful opulence echoes a situation that hits too close to home for many women and in my case, I have many reasons to sympathize with her.

However, let me bring my ramblings back to what I’m really trying to say: what a terrible time to release a movie like this! It’s already depressing to see homeowners oh so desperately trying to sell their home to an almost non-existing market and residence of the country frantically matching up the pace it takes to pick up their pennies to how fast these pennies fall out of the widened hole in his or her’s pockets. So much for catering to a recession-stricken country.

Although Rebecca quickly realizes she has a problem and gets a job to resolve all this, the amount of product placements, name droppings, and to-good-to-let-it-pass deals will just shoot eager spenders out of the movie theaters and to a nearby department store. Lastly, lets hope some viewers aren’t the type to re-create the movie world into reality, thinking that applying for a credit card and quickly getting a job afterwards to alleviate the debt will go by as quick as a 2 hour movie.

Truthfully, I’m very excited for this movie to premiere because a) I can never get enough of movies that shimmers fashion and b) the movie trailer made me scream in my seat. It has been six years since I picked up this book and religiously read through within a span of a few days. I predict a revisit in this series, as well as finally reading the last two books I have yet to read.

Sources: youtube.com, andpop.com, amazon.com

Alice + Olivia for Payless and drooling as I type this. Photo: payless.com

A couple of weeks ago, I had enough green in my wallet to splurge on a pair of oxford heels I’ve been DYING to own prior to actually purchasing it at the Nordstrom located within the Easton shopping center. It was a gorgeous pair of Vince Camuto’s Karl Oxfords with a giant gold statement buckle perfectly aligned along the side. Since then, I’ve been envying myself in front of my mirror with the pair hugging my feet like a long-term boyfriend.

Dampening my mood is the question of “when to wear them” and “how often should these be worn?” Granted, the style is casual enough to be worn in an everyday manner, yet oil-slick sleek for even the most formal occasions. Like seeing your dog come home with a wound on its paws, it’d tear me apart to see even the slightest scuff on my precious oxfords; and as similar as taking your wounded dog to the vet, a little bit of maintenance for every scuff and ripping seams can add up, which is why I seldom wear them unless a special occasion arises on my agenda.

Athens, OH is definitely on the list of towns with the worst terrain for one’s stilettos to clack through. The town is notorious for it’s lack of maintenance with its brick roads, as well as having a ton of brick roads and sidewalks in the first place. (Call us, “Brick City.”) To take public transportation or even transportation in general during a night out is absurd and unnecessary when the destinations within the college town are walking distance. Mais dans le nom de la mode, there must be an alternative to this sacrifice!

Alas my prayers were recently answered in the September issue of Vogue (surprisingly). Of course the answer wasn’t tucked away within an editorial or featured article, it was within a three page advertisement for Payless.

I circled around a particular pair of Booties designed by Alice + Olivia for Payless and the circles continued to makes its rounds until the pen’s last drop of ink, because that’s how giddy I was about this particular collaboration. Payless has recently, since last year, jumped on the designer hook-ups bandwagon, along with Target, H&M, UK’s Topshop, and many other retail shops. Alice + Olivia joins the list of designers which includes Abaeté, Lela Rose, and Patricia Field, who is the known stylist for hit series “Sex and the City.” (On that note, I was slightly disappointed with how “cheap” – quality wise – that collection looked.)

At a deal breaking $48.00, the brand’s Jane Back Zip Boot is an ultimate must-have to accent my wardrobe and delightfully enrich my collection of shoes. I’m not too wacky about the other shoes in particular (maybe a few of the Mary Janes), but maybe that’s just my reaction to a tight budget. I think the open-toe version looks like one too many steps have been taken in the editing process, thus the step back is satisfyingly picture perfect – which is what I’m excited to be with the right dress and jacket, and a sigh of relief from the daunting sacrifice of the other pair of the too nice shoes.

Sources: payless.com, allbusiness.com

Realistically, it’s hard for some of us to part with $70 for a face cream when we’re better off spending that on clothes, or invest that chunk of cash into our savings jar for the Marc by Marc Jacobs bag we’ve been drooling over. And why should we anyways?

I am a victim of department store cosmetics and for a while thought the quality, selection and brands were the only way to go. Instead of taking a walk down the CVS beauty aisle to overwhelm myself with its excessive selection, I preferred a personal consultation by a beauty adviser from the Clinique counter, to save both the time and headache… yet not so much my wallet. Although their Acne Solution line works like a charm on my face, I start to wonder if the other products they’ve handed out to me could be offered at a better price from a different source. The first product that came to mind – and was still absent from my medicine cabinet until recently – is a jar of night cream.

Last Friday, I took the opportunity to take a stroll down one of the many beauty aisles at Wal-Mart in search

Nightly affairs. Photo: amazon.com

of affordable, yet high quality night cream. A jar of night cream is a must-have for any beauty regimen, as a bottle of face moisturizer with SPF is during the day. Although my face is oily and acne-prone, my experience with many acne solution drug store brands have been less than memorable. In fact, disappointing.

One particular brand that, surprisingly, hasn’t been given a chance from me is Aveeno, even though the brand alone has been paraded by many as the go-to brand for top-quality moisturizers. That Friday, however, was the start of a relationship between me and a jar of Aveeno Ultra-Calming Night Cream. When my friend Erin dropped me off from our trip to the castle of low prices, I proceeded to my bathroom to complete my nightly beauty regimen and threw in the night cream to give it a go. Once the cap was twisted off, there lies a small amount of cream, which started off very thick to the touch, making me a bit apprehensive about its potential result. If a user is sensitive to fragrance, this might not be the cream for him or her as the odor could fragrance a whole room. When applied, the cream transform into this weightless mask and you forget you’re even wearing it in the first place. Night becomes day, and I wake up to a refreshing face: oil-free, baby-butt smooth, smaller pimples and lack of redness.

A miracle cream and a drug store delight.

My friend Heidi and Amy at Cedar Point. Photo: Rika Nurrahmah

You know how it is. You finger through pages upon pages of a fashion magazine and 95% of them are advertisements – at least in the September issues. They’re fantastic and amusing when your state of mind is passive, though not so much when you’re digging for an actual article to read.

However, my situation was the former. My mind was less of a solid cogitative machine and more like milllions of gigamolecules participating in an endless game of Pong with the walls of my skull. Thrown in with that was the fact that I won’t be wearing my newly purchased Yves Saint Laurent glasses for a week or two since they’re currently in the process of having prescription lens installed into it. So within the drive from Pomeroy to Athens, I had to somehow occupy myself for the next 20 minutes in order to get away from this awful tattoo debate on NPR. The option of completing Precision Language homework during a car ride almost had me going bonkers, so I got out my copy of Harper’s Bazaar‘s fall fashion issue.

Amy's Diesel campaign

About 100 pages into the magazine, I did a double take because someone familiar caught my eyes. After careful evaluation of this mysterious visage, I immediately figured out who this model gracing the pages of, Italy’s own , Diesel ad campaign was: it was my high school friend Amy Hixson!!!

I remember going into discussions with some of my friends from high school and some conversations would eventually lead into someone saying, “Oh! I saw Amy in some ad in [insert major magazine here]!” Until now, I’ve ardently observe the content of these “fashion bibles” from cover to cover and have not been able to find her at all. A possible fault for that could be that I don’t really focus on the models, but more so the actual fashion – clothes, bags, accessories, etc. Or maybe she was there all along and the joke’s on me. Who knows.

Anyways, here she was staring into the mirror with a look of vengeance while decking out in Diesel wear. That ad was pulsing with attitude! To make sure I wasn’t really wrong, I hopped on a wagon to cyberspace to clarify my sources. According to her modeling agency Vision’s blog, she booked the new Diesel campaign back in May with John Scarisbrick. She also did a spread in C Magazine.

Amy in C Magazine. Photo from Vision LA's blogspot

I messaged her via Facebook not too long ago about her possible presence at New York Fashion Week because I didn’t want to be a lone rider walking around Bryant Park in a haphazard manner. She informed me that she’d be very busy. It seems the future looks bright for Miss Hixson, from sneaking me a slice of pizza from her former job at Goodfella’s to owning the runways worldwide. Next thing I know, she’ll be appearing on the big screens in front of my eyes. You go girl!

C'est magnifique! Photo: My desktop.

Although this major to-go to site for everything fashion never really sang Jimi Rodgers “Train Whistle Blues” in the first place, it recently took a major turn from its former layout consisting of flash, slides, headlines and a lot of blue, to something much simpler (though holding much more content than the former) and, well… professional.

So far, I’m quite content as my first click (at an alarming time of 2:30 a.m.) into this site didn’t result in a pop-up ad from Acuvue – a pet peeve I’m openly not fond of, with Acuvue and just about any unnecessarily gargantuan ad that interferes my web surfing pleasures. The site is formed in tables, sans flash, and contents are sectioned for visitors to easily gain access to anything they desire. Front and center are the latest news and the obligatory style file blog lies on the right of it.

Like Fall’s collection, the site is accent with slick lines and clean cuts to direct wandering eyes in the right direction (as a spectator should view an outfit approaching him or her down the runway). The main page really gives you that one-click access to just about anything you’re searching for. However, my main downside to this renovation is the minuscule text that hovers over style.com’s logo banner, which contains the username’s profile, personal lookbook, and logout option. You’d really have to put on a pair of frames for that process!

To see for yourself, go to www.style.com

Percy Irausquin with model. Photo: lesplash.com

In the midst of his promising career, Dutch designer Percy Irausquin was found dead in his apartment on Thursday. Later discovered by his ex-boyfriend, he apparently slipped in the shower and banged his head, resulting a fatal head trauma. It is unfortunate to see him go at such a young age.

In July 2007, Vogue UK deemed him as one of the up and coming talents expected to explode in the international fashion scene when he showcased his autumn/winter 2007-08 collection, which was inspired by fifties models and Suzy Parker. After graduating, Christian Lacroix was dazzled by his talent and Irausquin worked with the atelier in Paris before moving on to Givenchy.

He showcased his recent collection at Amsterdam Fashion Week shortly before his death. His techniques included signature drapings and innovative cuts, and he had a keen eye for color, intricate fabrics, and shape. The designs he has brought to life elegantly clothed Dutch it-girls and actresses as well as frequently featured on the cover of magazines such as Elle and Marie Claire.

It’s a shame to see something happen like this a moment before his detonation into popularity. (Who knows, he could’ve been the next Go International star.) Where his designs would’ve gone in the future, we’ll never know. He will be greatly missed.

Sources: Dutchnews.dl, Vogue.co.uk, fashionunited.co.uk, lasplash.com