A quick post to let you all know that I am still alive. Barely perhaps, sore throat, not enough sleep, too much traveling and walking around all day, not enough coffee, not enough vegetables and fruits and definitely missing my boy and Sydney. But alive nonetheless.

I will be traveling around Europe for the next month or so then head off to the US of A! Woot! I will try to bring you some more street fashion from Europe in the mean time, but don’t hold your breath and count on my sore throat. Nothing promised, but I’ll try.

For now, let’s do bold patterns and florals! I went and bought the Christopher Kane for Topshop killer croc dress, how could I resist wearing these giant teeth, awesomeness.

PS. Yesterday I went to the opening of Paris Uniqlo, all for the +J, Jill Sander for Uniqlo collection and I didn’t leave empty handed. I’ve always always liked Jill Sanders designs but like most people, her clothes were of course out of reach but now alas I had a chance and I clutched at it with my 2 little paws.

I took almost a whole afternoon to find and buy the 1 perfect black peacoat thanks to the crazy queues (queues to get in, queues at the changing rooms and then queues at the paying counters). The collection is very Jill Sander, though the trench coats and skirts didn’t excite me much, but coats and jackets though are perfect for this season.

I am officially happy and ready to hit the NY winter now

I saw many young families in Stockholm, they made me happy to see that not every couple who settles down and have children become boring. They certainly don’t in Stockholm. I can’t see why because you have a mortgage, a kid or 2, then you stop having fun with your clothes. Seems like a lot of them stops trying, but I find that quite sad. I think I’ll be a cool mum… if and when… which is a loooong time away, I think I would really enjoy dressing my kids up.

Speaking of dressing up kids, I know I’m probably the last person on the planet to discover Milk the kids fashion magazine, but it’s so awesome, I saw it in the shops in Oslo, I couldn’t put it down and had to keep reminding myself that I don’t have a child to dress up u___u

Name: Jeanette
Occupation: Gallerist
Describe your style: First thing I grab, second hand, Pipi Longstocking.
Favourite fashion label: Katherine DePlace Bjørn
Favourite clothing store: Secondhand shops

Name: Robert
Occupation: Radio producer
Describe your style: Loose and filthy
Favourite fashion label: None
Favourite clothing store: Beyond Retro

Happy family, happy days.

One word, James Dean, oh that was 2 words. James Dean! The jacket? The boots? Maybe the hair? I’m not sure, but retro American look is definitely the way to go for guys this autumn, yep, my executive decision. Do it! It’s an order.

Name: Robin
Occupation: Musician
Describe your style: A little bit preppy
Favourite fashion label: Acne & Whyred
Favourite clothing store: None

Name: Lex
Occupation: Looking for a job
Describe your style: Mix cute with rock, cheap with expensive.
Favourite fashion label: Luella, Diana Orvving and Marc Jacobs.
Favroutie clothing store: Beyond retro, Diana Orvving and Acne.

It seems like almost everyone I photographed has said Acne is either their favourite fashion label or clothing store or both, so my conclusion is: wear Acne!

Lex’s jacket is by Diana Orvving, she is an up and coming Swedish designer. I hadn’t heard of her before, so I looked her up and I like what I see. A kind of relaxed luxury but very wearable at the same time, so very Stockholm. Check her out.

Remember what I said about how Stockholmians seem to have the perfect formula worked out? How I said “Trendy, tick, sartorial, tick, unique, tick, timeless, tick tick tick!” Well! Here’s more proof for you.

Name: Mathas
Occupation: Medicine student
Describe your style: Eclectic, one half natural country style, one half all black.
Favourite fashion label: Jill Sander, Prada and Lanvin.
Favourite clothing store: Acne

What Mathas is wearing can easily be described as old fashioned, but with a loose t-shirt under the blazer, untied shoe laces, a head of floppy blonde hair, a great smile and a spring in his steps, I have to say, this outfit is nothing but youthful and a perfect autumn look.

Name: Christian
Occupation: Risk management – Key account manager
Describe your style: Classic, a little bit straight edged.
Favourite fashion label: Ralph Lauren
Favourite clothing store: Rose and born (Stockholm)

This does remind me that I can definitely see that American influence in the way men dressed in Stockholm, that preppy, relaxed but grown up look perfected. I dare say they do it better than the Americans.

Interesting how Christian’s outfit oozes a more grown up look than the outfit on Mathas, yet when you look closer at the individual items of clothing, Christian’s actually wearing a pair of jean with a pale denim shirt! Also note worthy is just the 1 roll on the jeans, not 2, which seems to be norm.

I recently visited Stockholm and what a little surprising gem it is! The day I arrived, I first noticed the colder weather, I second noticed just how well people dressed. After 3 months in London, seeing how people are courageous with what they wear and sometimes even outrageous, then 1 months in France where people dress very well but also very conservative. So finally I arrive in Stockholm, it’s magical, it’s like they have the perfect formula worked out, they’ve mastered that perfect thin slice between the Londoners and the Parisiennes. Trendy, tick, sartorial, tick, unique, tick, timeless, tick tick tick!

Name: Moa
Occupation: Behaviour science student
Describe your style: Black, dark colours, old fashioned, timeless.
Favourite fashion label: Acne, Wired
Favourite clothing store: Acne

As soon as I spotted her across the square, even with my short sightedness, I knew I had to snap her. Of course her outfit caught my eye, but above that, there was something about her, her look perhaps, the air around her was different, it’s somewhat ethereal, don’t you think? I know everyone says this, but most of the time it’s not what you wear, it’s how you wear it, it’s your attitude, your frame of mind, your projection, your presence that catches my eye. Moa’s same outfit on another girl probably would’ve looked quite average, but it gelled with her personality, most importantly, it was she who wore those clothes, not the other way around. That is something a lot of people don’t do well. So let me borrow a popular phrase at the risk of sounding totally ridiculous… “You gotta own it, sista!” (Complete with head bobbing and finger wagging, oh yeah!)

Did you know that my business cards are in pink? Not pale baby, not baby pink, but hot pink, oh yes! As a designer I hold no discrimination against any colour, but when one says pink, it brings up so many automatic associations, like girly, pretty, childhood, I guess I wanted to challenge that in a way. Did you also know that I own no item of clothing in pink? Sure some patterned dresses might have bits of pink on them, but nothing in a solid shade of pink. Funny isn’t it?

Pink is a bold colour to wear and I think this lovely lady below is also trying to challenge the image of pink in her own way.

Name: Murielle
Occupation: Sales admin
Describe your style: Freestyle
Favourite fashion label: None
Favourite clothing store: None

Do you all have pink clothes? And what’s your idea about pink?

The French don’t wear much patterns, certainly not much loud colourful patterns, but when they do wear it, they wear it well.

Name: Prue
Occupation: Freelance writer
Describe your style: Vintage pieces matched with new pieces.
Favourite fashion label: Akira, Alex Perry and Chloe.
Favourite clothing shop: Adornments (in Brisbane Australia)

You might have noticed Prue is Australian and only visiting Paris, but her outfit to me is very very Parisienne.

Name: Heline
Occupation: Pharmacist
Describe your style: Girly
Favourite fashion label: Nafnaf
Favourite clothing store: Nafnaf

The only pattern I got in my backpack right now is a blue checkered flannel shirt from Uniqlo… hmm… not quite on par with these lovely ladies, but if you have some great pattern tucked in your wardrobe, time to get it out and wear it!

Let’s not forget the French men, especially the young men, they all dress just as well as the girls. Their sense of style and fashion highly developed, sartorial and always spot on. I saw boys as young as 14 or 15 dressed immaculately and rarely if ever I saw a male sloppily dressed, I guess that is simply a French thing.

Name: Josselin
Occupation: Business student
Describe your style: Simple, classic, with some brands and some vintage and borrowed clothes.
Favourite fashion label: Lanvin, Acne, everything.
Favourite clothing store: Gap, Gallery Lafayettes.

Name: Jose
Occupation: Marketing student
Describe your style: Preppy
Favourite fashion label: Hiroshi Fujiwara
Favourite clothing store: Colette

Funny how only now I noticed that the elements of both outfits are almost identical, white tshirt with print, cardigan, shorts and casual shoes. Well, this one has got to be a staple summer outfit in any man’s wardrobe, big thumbs up from me!