On the wild side: Michael Kors 2012 Spring/Summer Collection @ NY Fashion Week

I became a fan of Michael Kors recently when I started watching Project Runway.  Alongside with Heidi Klum and Nina Garcia, the trio is in search of the next designer who is able to combine both creativity and style without compromising commercial appeal.  After all, to be successful you have to make clothes that women will want to buy. 

That is why I love his 2012 Spring/Summer collection featured at the NY Fashion Week.  The designer took a gamble by imposing a safari inspired theme to the collection which featured earth tone colors mixed with animal prints and large buckled belts and bags.  I love how simple and wearable the clothes are with great style and definitely a huge "wow" factor. Here are my favorite looks.

Let me know if you are a fan of this collection as well.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week New York: the J. Crew story

J. Crew 2012 Spring collection debut at the MB Fashion Week New York



 After Miami hosted the relaxed, cool beach vibe swimsuit fashion week back in July, the fashion world now turns its eyes to the Big Apple.  New York is home of the MB Fashion Week from September 8-15th at the Lincoln center where 99 designers, thousands of fashion insiders and celebrities are gathered to see the Spring 2012 collections.

This year's show includes the glamour of veteran designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Vera Wang and Michael Kors, but it also marks the first of many brands that are making its debut in the runaway such as J. Crew.  Not a bad move specially given today's economic downturn.  High-end retailers are among the few companies that have reported higher earning during this period, so positioning your brand as a "fashion" icon as opposed to a "popular" mass market brand gives the company instant access to thousands of consumers that are less sensitive to the economy and are always looking for something special. 

The fashion week debut is also giving the company instant publicity to launch its brand internationally - J. Crew is launching its online site at the UK tomorrow.  So, J. Crew has officially blurred the line between high-end and low-end markets and it will be interesting to see how it will impact the company's future earnings. For now, let's enjoy their collection which highlights the signature American casual look, with bold colors and elegant style.  I also love the accessories - bags, pumps, hats and jewelry complete the looks to make a big fashion statement. 

Beyonce backstage at the J.Crew fashion show in New York

My bread, my way: The Tartine diary.

Bread - the most basic food that is shared at almost every meal in every home across the world.  We eat it fresh, toasted, on a sandwich or bruschetta, cuban style or french baguettes for breakfast, lunch and dinner without giving it that much thought.  In Brazil, I remember my dad going to buy fresh "pao frances" every morning at a bakery for breakfast.  But it was not until I went to Spain with my husband that I gained new appreciation for bread.  For the first time in my life, I saw fresh bread being delivered home just in time for lunch - at 3pm.  It was the perfect side dish for every meal and the perfect combination for the wonderful Spanish tapas.

Since then, I have always kept my eyes open to where I could buy good bread here in the US.  Unfortunately because there is not many local bakeries, I settled on buying bread in large grocery chains thus compromising freshness for convenience.  Little I knew, this was about to change when I stumbled upon the book "Tartine Bread" at Barnes & Nobles recently.  I immediately became inspired by the author, Chad Robinson, owner of a very successful bakery in San Francisco - Tartine Bakery.  In the book, he describes his search for the perfect bread made the old fashioned way, with natural leaven and calls upon the baker within you to replicate his bread at home.  So, I wanted to share with you my journey into baking my first fresh loaf of bread.



My first loaf of bread

 I started by creating a starter, or a natural yeast culture that would be used to ferment my bread about a month ago.  "Jake", the name I call now my third child, after my daughter and dog, had to be fed every day until it grew strong enough and looked like this.

The bad news is that after this stage, there is no exact instructions to follow.  In other words, the book gives you an in depth explanation on how to make bread and the things you need to look for in each stage but you need to use your guts and call upon your inner baker to complete the process.  That is why I love this book, because I think cooking is a passion and you need to invest time, thought and care into doing it in order to come up with something great. 

The truth is the first time I attempted to make bread didn't work out.  I prepared my leaven the night before as the book suggests only to wake up with a sour culture that had fermented too long.  I figured it is because it is too hot here now in Florida, so I needed much less time to prepare the leaven.  I tried it again yesterday starting in the morning, which allowed me to finish the loaves at night for the final rest and have them ready to bake in the morning.  The good news is that I enjoyed my fresh hot bread for breakfast and it was priceless. 

I hope I have inspired some of you to go into this adventure.  I recommend it to anyone with a passion for cooking.  I am truly amazed at the results and still can not believe that a bread that looks this good and tastes this great is coming out of my own oven.  I know that my husband is happy and we've enjoyed our bread for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the way it is supposed to be!!!