Hero of the week: David Beckham - chivalry isn't dead

Celebrating thanksgiving in New York Victoria and David Beckham encountered the usual herd of paparazzi. Total focused on the super stylish couple one clumsy tomboy-ish looking photographer forgot to watch her path way stumbling right into a by standing bicycle. Exercising chivalry David took the noble route of offering a helping hand to the embarrassed photographer who ironically ended up getting photographed by other photographers.

Wearing a pair of unusually high waist trousers part of an extraordinary three piece suit David looked very right as he matched the swagger of her majesty Victoria Beckham. Not escaping anyone’s eyes are David’s interesting looking shoes what might evoke a gag reflex in some. One can’t deny that the shoes made the outfit and are an excellent choice compared with the typical gaudy shoes worn by soccer players on a night out. Living Scientology prophet Tom Cruise joined the Beckhams on celebration which probably included Victoria giving thanks to European shopping boutiques on 5th Avenue and Rodeo Drive.

Trendsetters IIII: Men in UGGs.

There are certain things in life that were designed for women and should solely be used by them for eternity. Just because some bored marketing manger had vivid visions of making name for himself by thinking outside the box, doesn’t mean that whatever product has “male” stated on the package should be used by a man. Such products include thongs, mascara, knitting kits and skirts.

Wearing something one would expect to see Mariah Carey dressed in after possibly divorcing Nick Cannon, Leonardo Dicaprio was caught rocking a deep purple velour tracksuit with contrasting beige UGGs. Missing gold jewellery and a Swarovski encrusted Black Berry in hand there is very little else to say about his choice of outfit but corny. Regardless if you’ve starred in Titanic, the biggest movie every, UGGs simply don’t belong on the feet of a man. Beside the warmth and cosiness their aesthetic attributes are negative as high powered halogen bulbs in an elevator are to someone late to a meeting having their sweaty head hit by them.

The championship belt for ghastly male outfit is Roll Stars extra ordinary Ronnie Wood. They say that behind every great man is a great woman but in this case the saying doesn’t apply as Ronnie’s 20 years old gold digger for a girl friend/ toy girl, Ekaterina Ivanova , most likely look more adorable in UGGs then him. Visually the monstrous shoes and puffy jacket makes his legs look like toothpicks. Taking his age into consideration there is nothing left to do but facepalm in dismay of this display of poor taste.

Ermenegildo Zegna AW08.

Those headlines in news are depressing aren’t they? Bold letters in large fonts slamming credit crunch carnage into our eyes creating the fear that we might be next in line to be made redundant at work. What the public are forgetting is that, there is chaos there is panic and possibilities.

Most of the biggest dictators that have ever lived all rose to greatness when their nations were in a negative state. An economic slowdown has the function as a reset button for the capitalistic markets All those who got a boosted net worth last year due to inflated house prices and values of IT shares like Google, are now devastated as their fortune evaporate into space. Suddenly your neighbour driving Porsche 993 Turbo has to trade it in for a VW Golf and is no financially reduced to the same level as yourself. This is the time for all the juniors, apprentices, interns and peasants to stand up and rise above their superiors. Ermenegildo Zegna has a splendid AW08 collection for underdogs aspiring to rise in classic style.

Blue is brilliant.

Colours are powerful tools in affecting our mood and feelings which is why we constantly play around with desktop wallpapers depending on our emotional state. Prisons use grey walls to bore the hell out of inmates to the level that the only sight of joy is the backside of another man. McDonalds’ used to decorate their interiors in bright red and yellow turning children into zombies forcing parents inside to hand over money in exchange for a oily fries and burger containing no ketchup. Blue is the most beloved colour thanks to the sky and the sea which dominate our vision throughout the day except Al Qaida accountants working in caves.

Vacheron Constantin Platine Patrimony Double Retrograde

Blue is a relaxing colour that is favoured by the large portion of corporations producing grooming and body care products. Just check your bathroom and you’ll see blue Nivea and Gillette products. Given the tranquil aura of this colour, a watch with blue details will form the basis for a lifestyle relieved of stress. Instead of panicking every time the eyes are focused on the watch a smile followed by closed eyes and a deep breath should emerge. Inspire yourself with these exemplary time instruments.

Corum Admiral’s Cup Challenge 48 Black Flag

Baume & Mercier Classima Executive Skeleton

BAA: Airport Gift List.

BAA announce Airport Gift List
http://www.airportgiftlist.com

Whether you find travelling a joy or a chore, shopping at the airport has just become even more exciting for fans of retail therapy and that bit simpler for those who are less keen. BAA has launched http://www.airportgiftlist.com which is a gift list shopping service. Indecisive Christmas shoppers are able to choose gifts from 6 lists containing gifts for him, her, kids, gadget lovers and people with an appetite for luxury.

Visitors of the website can create their own lists that can be emailed to
family and friends, giving them a helping hand in selecting the right gift.
Alternatively givers can consult with the celebrity lists, one of
which has been created by actor Rupert Penry-Jones from the BBC TV-series Spooks. Amongst the tasteful gifts handpicked by Penry-Jones is a coolretro styled camera by Paul Smith, a lovely after shave by Dior Homme and an advanced Sony PSP.

Shop & Collect: UK passengers departing from any BAA airport to a
destination within the EU may purchase whatever items they wish in the
departure lounge and collect them from the Shopping and Collection Point in arrivals on their return.

Competition

One of the gifts on Spook's star Rupert Penry-Jones list is an exclusive
Mont Blanc Classique Fountain Pen that makes writing a pleasure thanks to anib made out of gold and platinum. I Luw Fashion readers now have chance of winning this fine piece of craftsmanship with an estimated high street price of £250. All that is required is for entrants to write a Christmas(must be in the title) related post on their blog while linking to http://iluwfashion.blogspot and http://www.airportgiftlist.com in the same post.

Readers without a blog can enter by leaving their entry in the
comment section. All entrants should submit their name, address and phone number to the email address listed below – All entries to be received by Wednesday 10th December 2008.

Prize is courtesy of BAA and The Pen Shop

Terms and Conditions

These rules are in addition to the standard http://iluwfashion.blogspot.com/.

1. This competition is open to I Luw Fashion readers worldwide, aged 18 and over except employees of BAA and I luw Fashion and its parent company, the promoter and their immediate families, the promoters advertising agency and promotion consultancy, and anyone else connected with the creation and administration of the promotion.

2. Prizes are non-transferable, non-negotiable and no cash alternatives will be offered.

3. In the event of circumstances beyond their control, the promoter reserves the right to substitute the prize for another prize of equal value.

4. Blog entries must link back to http://iluwfashion.blogspot.com/ and www.airportgiftlist.com

5. By entering this promotion, the entrant agrees to be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material accompanying the promotion.

6. By entering this promotion, the entrant agrees to the terms of the privacy policy which allow for I Luw Fashion to pass your personal information to the promoters and their data processors.

7. The winner’s entry will be judged based on creativity, wit, and general brilliance! Selected by I Luw Fashion.

8. The Winner will be informed by email, mail within 28 days of the selection date. The Winner is required to confirm their win within twenty one (21) business working days otherwise they will lose their entitlement to the prize and the prize will not be re-allocated.

9. Only one entry per person per valid email or member log.

10. The Promoter will not accept responsibility for lost through technical fault, incomplete, illegible or other damaged entries. Proof of entry is not automatically proof of receipt.

11. I Luw fashion’s decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

Images curtsey of BAA

Competition has ended.

Mercedes ConceptFASCINATION.

In the recent 15 years 4x4’s have gone along way. From crossing muddy terrain in Africa and South America, to becoming the number one enemy of tree huggers. While cannibalizing the sales of mini vans, the average SUV never touch gravel or sand during its existence but instead spend most day and night on tarmac. No longe is a man super cool for rolling the streets on board a 2 ton car. If the Lexus RX SUV is for house wives engaging in daytime TV shopping buying a kitchen knife set every other year, then the Mercedes Concept Fascination is for the modern and sensible dandy.

Giving a preview of the new Mercedes E-class and CLK coming early next year, Mercedes has designed a concept cars that blurry the line between style and practicality. An estate and a coupe has been morphed into a striking shape that won’t look out of place in the valet parking of a Ritz Carlton hotel but can at the same time transport a dry cleaned suit laying flat in the cabin. Additionally the generous space is perfect for transporting a Christmas gift for yourself like a 50 inch Pioneer plasma TV.

Covered in crème and deep brown leather accented by oak wood panels there is no need to put a sign “Boys only” on the door handles for admirers to understand that the car is designed for gentlemen. Resembling the ambiance of a cigar lounge there are intelligent compartments for recreational objects such as professional camera, Cuban cigars as well as two champagne classes for proposing a toast when secretly hiding in a underground parking lot with lover from administration at work.

The interior layout and the seats will be seen in the new CLK, while the front end and the masculine line swooping from the tail lights over the wheel arches will be seen on both the new CLK and E-class.

Shoe upgrade.

The difference between men and women is that men buy shoes because they have to, while women buy shoes because they like to. The average woman has more shoes than there are days in week. Given the amount a torture a pair of shoes have to withstand, worn out or uncared for shoes is the most common taboo amongst men. Filthy or damaged shoes automatically cancels out any dressing effort made on rest of the body as it’s the last thing someone will remember. It’s as bad as dirty teeth or hair that’s not combed, and gives a poor impression on one’s lifestyle.

Prada

A new pair of shoes makes us walk gracefully as the Queen of England as we walk carefully in order not to trash the precious things our feet are wearing. Like a set of new rims on a car, an addition to the shoes we already own can be very uplifting for our appearance.

Paul Smith

Yves Saint Laurent


Comme des Garcons


Burberry Prorsum


Dries Van Noten

Retail warfare: Comme des Garcons for H&M.

It’s that time of the year, H&M releasing a designer collaboration range warming people up ahead of Christmas shopping. Having previously collaborated with designers such as Victor&Rolf, Roberto Cavalli and Stella Mcartney, H&M has randomly given Commo des Garcson the privilege of enoying retail consummation with a giant.

Style-wise falling between Costume National and Ann Demeulemeester, Comme des Garcons has brought restrained grunge fashion to the scene. Not to be mistaken with similar designs from fashion houses like Cloak, CDG do occasionally have fierce and unexpected edginess seen in Wivianne westwoods’ collections. By collaborating with H&M they are hoping for a commercial success that will drive frantic customers into their own stores, but unsurprisingly the exact opposite will happen. Next year order will be restored as CDG will miserably falls right back to the bottom of Google’s top searches.

Right now hobby shoppers are revving their engines by brain storming excuses for coming in late to work on Thursday when the collection is launched worldwide. The mayhem that will take place in the stores lucky to receive the collection will be beyond civilized. Therefore men should not engage contact with women heading to an H&M store on Thursday morning, as women will in those a hours be classified as a dangerous splice. Given that stock for the women’s lines gets depleted faster than the men’s line, a vulture approach is recommended to any sensible man. Just visit desired store between 11:00-13:00 when the scuffle has calmed down, and the chances of nabbing any of the hot picks such as the trenchcoat or blue polka dot shirt in peace shall be good.

Review: Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte.

Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte

3G/Tri-Band
420x320 OLED Display
4GB Internal Memory
Bluetooth
3.2 Megapixel Camera
Battery: 3h talk/300 standby
Extras: Leather case, Bluetooth handsfree and table stand/dock.

MRSP: £1 000

In today’s increasingly superficial world ,dressing flawless from top to toe is just start of a shining image. Anyting you own can and will be used against you by people in the surroundings. We use cellphones everyday and harly ever leave home without them which isn’t surprising that we spend a hefty sum of money making sure our cellphones mirror our character and taste.

If a Blackberry is your company phone then the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte is your personal phone. Rather than treating of phones as tools that manage our diary, display our emails and lets us make phone calls Nokia wants us to open our eyes up to the world of phones for the successful and style conscious individual. Speaking the same language as pair of designer jeans, exclusive trench coat of Swiss watch the 8800 Carbon Arte speaks the language of emotions. Bridging the gap between standard Nokia phones and their super exclusive Vertu handsets that are highly popular amongst oligarchs and wealthy poker players. Most striking is the built quality of the Carbon Arte. Composed of exotic materials such as titanium and carbon fibre immaculately welded together into a sublime art deco design the phone feels as grand as an Audemars Piguet or a Hublot watch. Astoundingly there are no squeaks or glitches in the construction and it even feels more exclusive than one of the Vertu phone that is just made out of metal and leather but cost a preposterous £1 600 more.

The semi-finger print resistant screen is a welcomed attribute that prevents the screen from getting smudgy as you’re average glossy gadget. Yao Ming wouldn’t be smile at the size of the buttons but they happen to be fairly usable for people with big hands. If typing message is an agony, one can use a computer to remotely control the phone thanks to the Bluetooth connect and the Nokia PS Suit software that automatically detects and sync contacts and messages when the devices are within 10m reach of each other. Syncing emails is possibility as well but would you really want to read messages on such device?

Sadly the Carbon Arte is more like table ornament on at a busy Friday night restaurant rather than a high-end phone. Although simplified and polished up the technical features of the phone are equal to those of a top of the line Nokia in 2004. The phone can be explained as Fred Flintstone dressed in an Iron Man suit. Unlike the legendary 8850 it lacks the technical innovation you’d expensive in a product that commands twice the price of a top end phone like the Black Berry Storm or HTC Touch HD. Providing a tranquil, sexy and compelling experience the Carbon Arte does fall short of substance compared with similar status products like the Bugatti Veyron or a Bang & Olufsen home cinema system which both perform as good as they look. In other words I can gladly recommend you not to buy the phone since Nokia are capable of create a product that is more convincing.

+
Extraordinary build quality in a sleek portable package.
Sophisticated design with an incredible tasteful character.
Nokia PC Suit software.
Bundled accessories.
Phenomenal clarity in the sound quality.
Applications like translator and size converter. Perfect for jetsetters.

-
Small screen that lacks a bit in brightness.
Useless internet browsing capabilities.
Pricing.
4GB of space for songs and video yet the device doesn't come with headphones.
Somewhat prehistoric specs with zero innovation.

Grade: 6.0/10 There are many reasons to love this handset and it is an amazing phone that shines like the polar star during a cocktail party. Sadly it isn’t worth the £ 1 000 for anyone with love for technology. It’s time for Nokia to get their R&D department to put some work into the 8800 series because they looking less advance for every new model. This calls for a revolution.

Greatness.

In the midst of all the Obama hysteria I encountered this beautiful 1970s inspired editorial. Contrary to popular demand it depicts a young Mohammed Ali rather than the newly elected president of the United States who prefer basketball over boxing. The model in the gorgeous shots reminds me of plans to do something with my hair. My afro is of similar shape but needs to spend quality time with a trimmer for perfection, but you’ll see more of that in the next coming days as I’m preparing a little editorial of myself. Until then enjoy the glorious images below.

Der Kaiser.

Karl Lagerfeld loves coloured clothes but only as long as they are in monochrome. Inconsistent in his consistency of only dressing in black and white, catching him dressed in a colour you don’t see on a chess board is worthy of celebration. Wearing an autumn-ish burgundy coloured blazer covering warming stripped shirt, Lagerfeld is showing all pensioners that fashion doesn’t have to end when you hit 50. To see him dressed this colourful is as unlikely for a drunken young man to wash his hands after taking a leak in the toilet of a night club. Finally Lagerfeld demonstrates that he’s warming up to the world of colours existing behind the sunglasses he constantly wears.

Competing.

Going to your parents be can an emotionally overwhelming visit with flashbacks from primary as well as high school. Strong joyous feelings are evoked by the sight of childhood medals and trophies that bring back memories of the days when one could run 3 kilometres in under 15 minutes or do 40 push ups on an empty stomach. Whether it was having the record for most consecutive chess championship victories, becoming the class representative or setting the record for the fastest 100m time becoming the best is the epitome of manhood.

With a 9-5 day job consuming most adults’ energy and time, the athletic fit reached during the days in high school constructing a time machine to go back is a fictional dream for many. Becoming a millionaire before the age of 30 is fancy achievement that unfortunately falls short in fulfilment against beating other human beings in competition or championship. The glory of coming on top in a physiological war against someone else is enough to keep a man smiling for several years. Great struggle and stiff competition tend to result in an even more glorious victory.

Around the world hungry men have turned to triathlons to feed their cravings for a dose of adventure and possibility of triumph over others. Poker is also a highly rewarding mind games that has attracted millions of everyday people. But ultimately battles involving physical activity gives most thrills. Team sports are out of order for many middle class heroes as the commitments one have to make are too big to deal with while juggling other things in life. Badminton for instance is very enjoyable while being highly easy to learn in a relatively short time. With multiple badminton halls and clubs scattered all over most big cities it’s not an exhaustive job to get started. If time nor money is an object go karting is a marvellous hobby to engage in offering technical challenges as well as sharp racing skills.

In the end one should try to find their way of keeping the spirit of big headed competing alive since it gives life a higher meaning and makes every morning a great experience.

Welcome to winter.

Happy Halloween folks! See this entry as the revival of the blog which has technically been in a coma half paralyzed because the absence of a computer. A cookie goes to any drunken Halloween celebrator who can withstand a slow 30 minute Yoga session out in the oblitbagerating cold that suddenly descended on Londoners the two 2 days ago. With many people flocking to stores shopping for gloves, hats and scarfs this calls for a justifiable purchase of a bag.

Humans suffer from ignorance attacks that can even struck the most street wise patrons. Having been out in sub zero weather entering a warm environment, it’s common behaviour to take off outdoor accessories like gloves, hats, bullet proof vests and what not. The biggest trap in doing so is onboard public transportation. With a non-vacated seat next to you it’s common to rest glove on the lonely seat with warming up the fingers with some good old cell phone fiddling. When it’s time to get off amnesia while any sense of awareness or responsibility for your belongings leaves your body automatically making your body fly off the ride. 5 minutes later, reality hits as one remember that something is missing but then the train, bus or tram is long………….gone. Therefore the best way to avoid losing 2-5 pairs of gloves during the winter is by keeping everything in a bag when it’s not in use.

Presented here is the David Blaine of travel bags that comes with a playful print relying on optical illusion fooling human eyes into thinking that what’s before them is a bag wide open like Jenna Jameson’s legs during a shooting with everything fully visible. Attracting curious eyes and shoplifter hunting for vulnerable Christmas shopping this Paul Smith bag is exciting but casual enough for everyday use during the winter.