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!!!

Art Deco tour in South Beach

I have been living in Miami for 8 years but last week I was just a regular tourist taking my first walking tour of the Art Deco district.  And there is plenty to see and learn when you are taking a stroll in the largest collection of preserved Art Deco buildings in the world.




Congress Hotel - Art Deco District on South Beach

 
Architects and designers will fall in love with the number of hotels featuring the "Tropical Deco" style of Miami Beach with plenty of whimsical flora, fauna and ocean-liner motifs.  All building have some of the elements characterizing this period: glass blocks, decorative sculptural panels, eyebrows, round porthole windows, terrazzo floors, curved edges and corners, elements in groups of three and plenty of neon lighting.



Neon lights at the Art Deco District on South Beach


However, if you are just a regular guy or girl like me, there is plenty of stories about the period that will catch your attention.  For instance, the controversial Calvin Klein ad for Obsession perfume in the roof of the Breakwater hotel in 1987 that catapulted fashion to SoBe.  My favorite though is the facade of the Commodore hotel where rumor has it that Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier took the inspiration for her iconic cone bra.



1987 Calvin Klein Ad on South Beach





Commodore Hotel - Art Deco District


Truth or tale, it really doesn't matter.  What I guarantee is that you will have a wonderful time.  Make sure you take the tour guided by Kent, a Chicago native with a passion for Miami Beach history.



Kent - Art Deco Walking Tour Guide



Fashion night out: Fall Trends fashion show

Drinks, cocktails, music, friends and fabulous clothes are just some of the things you missed if you did not attend this year Fall Trends fashion show at the Neiman Marcus store in Bal Harbour.  It was a first for me, but definitely not the last.  I had a great time sipping wine, meeting new friends and enjoying my first runaway show with gorgeous styles by Valentino, Prada, Alexander McQueen and Oscar de la Renta among others.

The trends for the fall season highlighted in the show include: Colorblocking, Handheld bags, Bold Gold, LadyChic, Bordeaux and Pumps.

Let's start with Colorblocking which is very familiar to us by now.  This trend continues into the fall but the bright colors are transformed into the beautiful autumn tones like pumpkin orange and brown leaves.  Here are the runaway looks:

Second, I have to talk about Pumps because I absolutely loved this Alexander McQueen heart shaped pump displayed in the store.  After all what's not to love?  High heels, animal prints, bourdeaux accents and a to die for heart shaped peep toe.  It doesn't come cheap though, with a $955 price tag it is only good for my eyes, not my toes... unfortunately!!!

Another accessory turned into trend is the Handheld bag.  I love the runaway look below combining the handheld bag and the hat in Bourdeaux, which is another must have trend.  Since we cannot talk about fashion without the French influence, this deep purple color reminiscent of the French Bourdeaux wine made it to the runaway once again this year.  Finally, the last accessory trend for the Fall is Bold Gold jewelry, where large cuffs and tiered necklaces are definitely in.

Lastly, I hope we all have some LadyChic trend in all of us this fall. 

So, at the end, itt was a great Fashion night out... some of us couldn't get enough!!!



Hope to see you next time.  Until then, keep looking fabulous!!!
xoxo

Weekend Meals: Vietnamese Ribs and Lemon Sorbet

I had never tried Vietnamese food until recently when my good friend bragged that her husband cooks the best Vietnamese food.  So I figured if he can cook it, so can I.  Luckily, one of my cookbooks had a few recipes inserts from chef Luke Nguyen, owner of the world famous Red Lantern, a Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney, Australia.  My first attempt at his recipes was with the Shrimp Sauteed with Fish Sauce and it was delicious.  I have made it a couple of times when I've had friends over and it was a hit every time.

This weekend, since we are home bound with the visit of Emily, which now is only a Tropical depression, I decided to try his other recipe - Vietnamese Braised Pork Spareribs.  Let me just say it, it was delicious.  Even my 2 year old loved it!!! The ribs are first marinated, then roasted and simmered in coconut water with Asian spices, what's not to love.                                                                            

For desert, I made it for the first time Lemon Sorbet.  It's easy, light and refreshing, a perfect blend of sweet and tart to end the meal. 

Here is the recipe:

- 5 or 6 lemons

- 1 and a half cup of water

- 3/4 cup of sugar

- 1 tablespoon of lemon zest

Start by making the syrup, boil the water and sugar for 1 minute until it dissolves.  Add the lemon zest and let is steep for 10 minutes.  Add the lemon juice and cool it in the fridge for 3 hours before putting in an ice cream maker.

Bon apetit everyone!!!