Christmas 2013 Haul

Hope you all have been having an exceptionally stellar holiday season.  For the few years that I've had my YouTube channel, I've always told myself that I would stray away from filming and/or posting things I got for Christmas.  However, I somehow felt inclined to do so this year, so I did.  Along with this post, there is a video I filmed on my YouTube Channel (click here to view) where I generally go over the things I got.  There may be more in depth reviews to come on specific things in the future.  As I get older, the more grateful I am for the fact that I still get gifts at Christmastime from people, although I'm convinced I'm far too old to still be getting them.  Please don't feel offended or think that I'm bragging by sharing these things with you all.  I would be very delighted if you all shared some things you got for Christmas down in the comments, or something you particularly enjoyed this holiday season.  Also, let me know if you're interested in me doing a review on any of the items I got.  All photos taken by me.  =]

Le Pliage Large Tote in Slate by Longchamp

 Silver Stainless Steel Watch by Emporio Armani

 Bracelet by Isabel Marant pour H&M

 Fragrances I got for Christmas: Fame Black Fluid by Lady Gaga, Our Moment by One Direction, The Beat by Burberry

 Nintendo 3DS XL in Blue + Games: Pokemon X, Super Mario 3D Land

Sigmax Face Brushes by Sigma

3.1 Phillip Lim for Target: My Picks

The 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection that is being released tomorrow (September 15, 2013), has to be one of the most anticipated Target designer collaboration collections that I have ever come across.  There has been lots of hype building up to the release date, mostly contributed by the heavy press and media coverage showing glimpses of the pieces that are being released.  I have to say, as a fan of Phillip Lim, this collection is very exciting, and the pieces are definitely ones that are covetable.  Based on my personal aesthetic, there are a lot items I would definitely love to add to my wardrobe, particularly the leather motorcycle jackets, as well as the great assortment of bags and color blocked garments that are part of this collection.  This is a substantially large collection, encompassing over 100 pieces that range from menswear, womenswear, shoes, bags, scarves, and loungewear.  Being that this collection has such diversity, it isn't hard for everyone to find something from it that they like, especially when the price range is from under $20 - $300, with most of the bags falling under $50 price range.  However, I do warn you all that although the bags are amazingly gorgeous, they are very affordable for a reason, and that is the fact that they are made of manmade materials and not leather (I figured I'd mention that before anyone thinks otherwise...I'm a pretty firm believer in "you get what you pay for").  Nonetheless, there are fabulous pieces in this collection, and if real leather is what you are in search for, the leather motorcycle jackets fit the bill on that.  Though they are the most expensive items being released, I find the leather jackets are the best investment worthy items from the entire collection, at around $250 for the women's version, and about $300 for the men's version.  This is definitely a Target collection I will not miss, so you can be assured I will be camping out in the parking lot at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning.  Below, I have compiled images of the pieces I was able to find that I would be interested in picking up from the collection, so you can be sure to see a follow up post sharing the items I actually picked up.  If there were pieces you were interested in getting from this collection, I would love if you shared them with me in the comments, so I can keep an eye out for those in case I haven't given them much thought the first time around.  All photos taken from Refinery 29 (I don't own any of them).  =]

My top picks from the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection.

Bag & shoes from the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection that I would like to get.

Clothes from the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection that I would like to get.

Floral Frenzy

It has definitely been a while since I've posted an outfit post here, so I sure hope to get back on it in terms of consistently getting these up.  I feel like this year was the first time I really embraced the bright colored aspect of spring as far as my wardrobe goes, and this outfit definitely expresses this.  I fell absolutely in love with the sweatshirt in the First Date print that came out in the Prabal Gurung for Target collection that came out around March (which I did a haul post and video of nearly a month ago).  After picking up this piece, I knew it would end up being one of my staple pieces during the spring, so I made it a point to wear it before the season was over.  So far, I wore this outfit at least a couple times, and even though it is a sweatshirt the fact that I paired it with shorts made it bearable in the heat.  I'm hoping to get more spring related outfit, beauty, and accessory posts out sometime soon, so definitely keep an eye out for that, as well as related videos on my YouTube channel.  All photos taken by Zeric Villanueva.  =]

Outfit Details: sweatshirt in First Date print by Prabal Gurung for Target, black wool shorts by Banana Republic, Bag: Rocco mini duffel in black lambskin with black nickel hardware by Alexander Wang, Shoes: black flat sandals with silver plaque detailing by Prabal Gurung for Target.  See other photos for accessory details.

I know it looks like my eyes are closed, but I'm just looking down...damn my Asian eyes.

Silver plaque bib necklace from Forever 21, silver stainless steel mesh band watch by Skagen, electric/neon yellow hinged bangle by Vince Camuto, silver stainless steel armor ring by L'mond (non shown in this photo).

Stuff I Bought: Prabal Gurung for Target Collection

I realize that this collection came out what seems like forever ago, and only remnants of it are still available in store and online (aside from ebay)...but I still wanted to share with you the couple items I picked up from yet another designer collaboration at Target.  Months ago, upon hearing of the collaboration between Prabal Gurung and Target, I was very eager to see what types of pieces this collection would encompass, especially from such a popular up and coming designer.  After seeing the lookbook pictures that Target had released, I was pretty set on only a couple of pieces that I really wanted, although there were a lot of great pieces being featured in this collection.  The two "must have" pieces I anticipated were the pullover sweatshirt in the First Date print, and the black flat sandals with the silver plaque detailing.  Since spring was still approaching at the time, I felt as though those were two great pieces that I could wear together to bring in the warmer months, and were definitely stand outs of the collection that fit my personal style.  Nonetheless, I was able to get both the pieces I wanted without much searching (and without having to wake up at the crack of dawn), since there wasn't too much madness surrounding this collection.  Aside from the two pieces I got, other ones I had interest in were the two toned cardigans, the gorgeous printed dresses, the adorable clutches, and the jewelry (that had been sold out by the time I got to look).  Overall, I was pretty pleased with the quality, selection, and range this collection shown, all of which are perfect for this spring season...and I would encourage checking it out if any of the pieces still remain at a Target near you (or if you're daring, and really want a certain piece, you can cautiously check ebay).  Below are product shots of the pieces I picked up at a couple different angles, along with detail shots of the collateral that came with the pieces (box and tag), and the haul video where I talk about these pieces that I picked up. You can be sure to see an outfit post wearing both of these items as well as an OOTD video in the near future.  All photos taken by me.  =]

Pieces I got from the Prabal Gurung for Target collection.

Sweatshirt in First Date print by Prabal Gurung for Target.

First Date print.

Black flat sandals with silver plaque detailing by Prabal Gurung for Target.

Box the sandals came in.

Tag that was on all of the items from the collection (closed) 

 Another view of the tag (open).

Rag & Bone Ready

Last week before attending the Honolulu Night Market, I went strolling around with my dear cousin Rowena to see the murals completed by Pow Wow Hawaii down various streets in the area.  Since it was a gusty day, I wore my tweed-like cardigan by Rag & Bone along with a pair of shorts also by Rag & Bone, so I wouldn't get too warm through the night.  We did our best to see all of the murals that were completed, but there are still more to be explored, so I'll try to see those sometime soon.  Below I have some outfit shots in front of some of the walls we passed by, along with shots of just the walls.  All photos taken by Rowena Salanga.  =]

Outfit Details: white cotton v-neck tee by Ralph Lauren, wool blend tweed-like shawl collar cardigan by Rag & Bone, rust colored frayed edge cut off shorts by Rag & Bone, Bag: black lambskin with black nickel hardware Rocco mini duffel by Alexander Wang, Shoes: distressed black with black spikes Lita by Jeffrey Campbell.  See other photos for accessory details.

White geometric pendant necklace by Givenchy, silver stainless steel rings by L'Mond, antique silver chevron stacked bangles cuff by French Connection.

Some of the walls we passed by...there were more, but they were still in progress.  Not sure about the artists that did these, so check out Pow Wow Hawaii for more info if you're interested.

Event: Pow Wow Hawaii Artist Gallery Show 2013

On February 9th, I attended the Pow Wow Hawaii artist gallery showing at Fresh Cafe with bestie Ericka and Davis, our good friend from college.  Pow Wow Hawaii is a collaborative artist movement primarily focused on urban street art here in Hawaii, that annually has a week long string of events showcasing artists from both here and around the world.  An amazing artist friend of ours, Remi Mead was showing and participating in the festivities for Pow Wow Hawaii, so of course we had to stop by to support her work.  Being the dorky fangirl that I am, I wore my Remi Mead buttons so everyone there could see my support and pride.  Below are a couple photos of us at the show, as well as some outfit details, pieces of artwork I liked, and an overview of the showing.  Photos taken by Eric Baranda of Nonstop Honolulu, Ericka Nicole Bueno (Mixe Medium), and myself.  =]

Davis, Ericka, and I at the gallery showing.  Photo Credit: Eric Baranda of Nonstop Honolulu.

 

With artist Remi Mead at Fresh Cafe.  Outfit Details: white cotton v-neck tee by Ralph Lauren, black denim jeans by Levi's, dark wash blue denim vest with triangle detailing by Levi's, black suede Areas boots by Jeffrey Campbell, black lambskin with black nickel hardware Rocco mini duffel by Alexander wang.  See other photos for accessory details.

Remi Mead artist buttons that I wore on my denim vest.

 Cobalt blue leather studded wrap bracelet by Barneys New York, stainless steel silver mesh band watch by Skagen, cobalt blue leather stud detail bracelet by Vince Camuto.

 Artwork by Remi Mead (top left), and some of my favorites from the gallery showing.

Overview of the gallery on the bottom floor at the Loft & Space at Fresh Cafe.

 Nifty bear jar and neon sign in Fresh Cafe.

Shopping & Sunflowers

I've been meaning to put this post up for quite some time, being that the photos featured were taken over a month ago, but nonetheless I am persisting to post them up as I have intended to for multiple weeks.  Anywho, I went to the launch of the Target + Neiman Marcus collaboration collection for CFDA (that I already posted the things I bought here), which was on December 1, 2012.  It was a lovely event, and I'm glad I decided to attend at Neiman Marcus rather than Target, since the experience was quite pleasant...and we got free cookies (which is always a good thing).  I attended this event with my dear cousin Rowena, and we were there super early so we could get all the things we planned to get (and so we didn't have to wait for ages to get inside).  While at the event, we ran into our friend Valerie of the Valerie Joseph Boutique at Ala Moana Center, who had nearly twice as many bags full of things as we did since her primary goal was to purchase gifts.  It turned out to be a very good shopping experience, although some crazy people felt the need to push and shove their way into getting the things they wanted.  Aside from that, after finishing up our morning at the mall, we decided to go for a drive to the countryside and visit the sunflower fields just to keep the day fun and spontaneous.  It was gusty, full of red dirt, and it was hard not to be bombarded with bees while walking amongst the sunflowers, but being out in the sun was nice.  We only ended up spending less than an hour at the sunflower fields, just enough time to explore and snap a couple photos.  I thought I was cool, and jumped around all "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" all over the place, but seriously just looked a fool.  All in all, it was a fun filled random day of shopping and sunflowers.  Photos of my day can be seen below, and were taken by Rowena, Zeric, and myself.  =]

Standing outside Neiman Marcus with Rowena and the nifty lady carrying the box.

We got Neiman Marcus cookies and water...how cool is that.  I got the green ones.

...and Rowena got the pink ones.

Ran into Valerie of the Valerie Joseph Boutique while shopping.  She definitely outdid us in terms of how much she bought.

Outfit Details: black cashmere slouchy sweater by Ralph Lauren, charcoal acid washed jeans by Forever 21 Men, camel leather cowboy boots from Buffalo Exchange (Seattle, WA), black lambskin Rocco mini duffel with black nickel hardware by Alexander Wang.  Accessory details in other photos below.

Camel scarf by H&M, antique silver cross ring from Brandy Melville.

Knotted camel leather bracelet by Beach 2 City, tan leather wrap bracelet by Cara New York, silver stainless steel mesh band watch by Skagen, tan beaded skull charm bracelet from Valerie Joseph.

Leaping through the air...cuz I can.

Stuff I Bought: Target + Neiman Marcus Collaboration Collection

As many of you may know, Target & Neiman Marcus teamed up this year to have one of the best designer + affordable collaborations I have ever seen.  The launch of this collaboration was to commemorate the CFDA's 50th anniversary, so there were many exquisite designers that were featured in this monumental partnership.  This designer collaboration launch was on December 1st, at both Neiman Marcus and Target locations nationwide, although I went to Neiman Marcus to pick up the items I wanted out of fear of being trampled at Target.  I will also be having a separate blog post about my time at the event, along with outfit shots from that day that I will hopefully have up soon after this one.  Below are pictures of the items I purchased from the collection, some of which are Christmas gifts for others, but majority of them I bought for myself.  The haul video for these items will be embedded below, as well as linked (here).  Hope you all are having a joyous holiday season.  All pictures taken by me.  =]

Front side of the tag on all of the items.

Back side of the tag on all of the items.

Wrist band from the Neiman Marcus event.

Printed canvas lunch boxes by Tory Burch ($19.99 each)

Stud detailed black leather gloves by Brian Atwood ($49.99)

 iPad/mobile device case by Proenza Schouler ($39.99)

 Animal printed house slippers by Derek Lam ($49.99)

 Set of 4 ornately printed dessert plates by Tracy Reese ($39.99)

 Wool and cotton blend shawl collar cardigan by Rag & Bone ($69.99)