TV Show Review: What Not to Wear

Honestly, I do not see TV shows often at home because I just have a standard cable TV in my apartment without many choices, and also I sometimes feel so tired of listening to English. I got to pay more attention on those TV shows because of being an international student; English is not my first language.

However, there is one show called “what not wear” I really like because from a fashion angle I think that they are very practical and informative to change your attitude of a personal style. They teach you how to get away the stuff that does not fit well on you, and tell you how to pick the right thing to make you look better and beautiful. Their goal is no matter your shape, your size, or whatever physical liabilities or hang-ups you have, you can be beautiful.

For me, I can learn and get inforamtion from what they say and teach the person who need some changes. From their point of views, I understand that not each person can follow the fashion trend at the time but they can own and show off their personal taste and style.

Music Video Review: Jolin Tsai

Butterfly

Jolin Tsai is a Golden Melody Award winning Taiwanese Mandopop singer. To date, Tsai is one of the most successful and popular singers in the Mandarin music market. Jolin’s new Mandarin album, Flower Butterfly (花蝴蝶), was released on March 27. Early images that were released indicated that the album’s image would be based on the concept of a “colorful butterfly”, namely it being colorful and able to fly freely without worries. It is of her view that the songs in the album seek to encourage her fans to follow their dreams and not allow anything to hold them back from succeeding, thus the meaning of “flying high, flying freely” just like a butterfly.

With a fashion angle, I think her style and outfit in this video is intense and dramatic. It really matches with the concept of a colorful butterfly. A corset and ballet dress makes a dream of feminity. The two tone of stocking reminded me about the chanel collection from last year. Is she a copy cat? Or I say that it is just a guideline from the fashion.

 

Michelle Obama Fashion Review

Since her time as the first lady, Michelle Obama is turning the page on American design. People talk about her style, and the media take pictures of her apparels. Right now, she is the icon and noticed by the world

By wearing clothes by up-and-coming designers such as Narciso Rodriguez, Thakoon Panichgul, Maria Pinto, Maria Cornejo, Jason Wu, and Toledo, Obama is helping to promote a new generation of talent, and write the next chapter in American fashion.

Personally, I think that her style is appropriate and fitting because she knows her advantages and flaws. Actually, I think the first lady always has to wear a high-end and expensive designer brand of garments and accessories, but Obama does an opposite way to that. Obama knows how to do the high-low thing. For example, She wore J. Crew for the Kid’s Inaugural Ball night; it was stunning and beautiful.

For me, Obama is leading the new way and trend for the first lady outfit.

Ivory tulle tweed coat with grosgrain trim by Thakoon worn over a black Michael Kors dress and paired with an oversize rose jewel brooch

J.Crew Constellation sweater in ivory with beading and sequins paired with Dazzling dots mint green pencil skirt.

Cropped, double-breasted black jacket with leather detailing at the seams by Azzedine Alaia, paired with black trousers; floral Etro top and white blouse worn underneath

An Art Exhibit Review: Yves Saint Laurent

In march, I had chance to see an art exhibition at the de young museum in San Francisco. Honestly, many years of living in San Francisco, I never thought I wanted to go a museum or see an art exhibition because I am not really interested in arts. However, being a Fashion Merchandising student, YSL, a well known upscale fashion brand, I have read the legend and bought the products as a lover from Yves Saint Laurent. Sadly, Yves Saint Laurentm passed away last year because of brain cancer. Maybe it was the reason that urged me to see the only one exhibition in the states for his works.

In the 1960s Yves Saint Laurent made an indelible mark on fashion with clothing emblematic of the new modernity. Yves Saint Laurent, organized by FAMSF and The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, explores the designs that made Saint Laurent famous, and his inspirations drawn from art, theatre, history, literature, and nature. This exhibition contains nearly 130 accessorized garments and sketches illustrating the lines, colors, and fundamentals of Saint Laurent’s work.

I went the exhibition with my friends. Unfortunatlly, we were not allowed to take any photography inside of the exhibition. Actually, it did not take too much time to finish the exhibition, I browsed and looked at each of pieces of garment made by Yves Saint Laurent. The details, materials, fabrics, decorations were stunning and beautiful. I did not see those pieces as a garment, instead it’s an art piece and tresure to me. I believe that no one will replace the prestige and importance of Yves Saint Laurent, was considered one of the greatest figures in French fashion in the 20th century.

A Restaurant Review: Gary Danko

Gary Danko, a famous American cuisine restaurant in San Francisco, last Thursday I finally had a chance to dine with two friends at Gary Danko for a girls’ night out. Gary Danko is a bit of a surprise being in the midst of the Ghirardelli-tourist theme park.  The windows to the place are blacked out.  No peeking in.   The place presents an appearance of such a grey stone wall and black marble window deco. Inside the place is fancy, up-scale in a way meant to let me know that the size of my bill should not come as a surprise.  The staff is friendly, helpful, and warm. 

 

If you cannot plan weeks ahead for a reservation, it is possible to have the full menu presented to you at the bar.  Get to the place at 5, a half hour before seating in the restaurant proper, and grab a seat.  The menu is clever, flexible.  You may order 3, 4 or five course dinners comprised of any combination of appetizer, fish courses served as the main or an appetizer sized portion, and a meat course (which cannot be downsized). The night, I went four courses.

As an appetizer I started with perfectly al dente risotto that came with lobster, shrimp, asparagus and stinging nettles.  What made the plate was that the lobster and shrimp were perfectly prepared, perfectly fresh and perfectly tasty.  The asparagus gave a taste of the season.

Second course, it was Mushroom Dusted Sea Scallops with English Pea Purée, Shimeji Mushrooms and Meyer Lemon. I had to say “the tender of sea scallops makes me feel in the heaven.”

I finished with a main course of roasted loin of lamb that tasted more like beef than lamb to me.  But it did have taste.  The meat was over perfectly prepared couscous with English peas and sided by perfectly seared spring onions, artichoke and some mint.

 

After the meal they brought us a plate of assorted small dessert treats and a raspberry sorbet while we were waiting for our dessert coming. I picked Baked Chocolate Soufflé with Two Sauces for a perfectly ending at Gary Danko. It’s my best Chocolate Soufflé that I have ever had. So creamy and rich.

 

Gary Danko is offering a two course dinner for $44 in which you may choose any main course and any appetizer or appetizer sized seafood plate or any dessert.  If money is of little importance to you, this is actually a deal, a bargain and a good one at that. 

 

Overall, I think that it worth the money that I paid for Gary Danko. The place, food, wine, and services is flawless. I can not wait to go back for a perfect dine again.

 

Gary Danko

800 N Point St

San Francisco, CA 94109

 

(415) 749-2060

A Picture of Me with A Celebrity!!

Hello Dino,

It is no doubt…these pictures with”celebrities”

I think…IT WORKS…

A Concert Review: The Phantom of the Opera

Two years ago, it was my first trip to Las Vegas, and I decided to see the two most significant shows; the “O” by Cirque du Soleil and The Phantom of the Opera, strongly recommended by my friends. Especially, I had heard Phantom to have long enjoyed a good reputation before me came the states.

It happened exactly as expected; The Phantom of the Opera was so touching and romantic to me with the music and plot. I shed my tears for what a beautiful musical show of mixing of love and anger.

The theatre was stunning and beautiful. The opening of the performance with the chandeliers was breathtaking. The actors are a group of people that not only have a lot of chemistry with one another, but each of them is an extremely talented person with great ranges and each deserves their individual attention on stage. Also, the details of the sets and costuming were fabulous and grand. The production (although shorter than the original) was beautifully done. It is worth every penny to see this show. They do not allow any photography in the theatre at all…..not even to take a few pictures of the grand theatre itself. This was the only thing that really disappointed me at that night.

This is a 90-minute, intermission-free, heavy-on-the-special-effects, costly staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ubiquitous musical The Phantom of the Opera. The show’s fans (and they are legion) will doubtless yowl, but they survived the movie adaptation, while the rest of us might be a little happier with some of the fat trimmed away, though somewhat befuddled by the plot. The lowdown: There’s a guy in a mask, and he loves a girl who sings, and she loves him, but she also loves another boy, and there are caverns and canals and romance and tragedy and mystery and murder and light opera. Staged on the former site of the failed Guggenheim Museum (transformed into a $40-million theater), the musical is even more high-tech than the original Broadway staging, with increased special effects and whatnot (like anything can top that chandelier crash). Phantom is over the top, but then, so is Vegas, and this seems like a good fit.

Show time: At the Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas

7 pm. Monday – Saturday, with an additional performance at 9:30 pm. Monday and Saturday.

Prices:

$62.00 Parterre

$82.00 Mezzanine

$122.00 Orch/Mezz

$157.00 Golden

Circle $250.00 Exclusive VIP*

My Outfit by a Haiku

 

Love leopard print!

Without bag is a man!

They are my life!