SheBreathes™ | Life. Fashion. Culture

Collection Love | Mikhael Kale

I'm smitten with Mikhael Kale's Spring 09 collection. There are plenty of pleats, and a few ruffles here + there, but the leggings are the showstoppers when paired with the perfect piece.

Fotos Mikhael Kale {Click to enlarge}.

Beijos.

Hommage | René Caovilla

As a shoe + handbag designer I'm often asked who is the one designer I admire the most. The question isn't hard to answer. I just don't like answering it, because I admire a lot of designers, but I dub very few as masters. But if there is one living designer I would freely apply the adjective to — it would have to be René Caovilla. In many circles where cobblers whisper secrets, he's dubbed a master, often duplicated, but they can never master the intricate details and excessive factor of his creations. And since I've never given him a proper feature, this is me sending a virtual adulation his way. Thank you Mr. Caovilla for inspiring me to make my dreams a reality, to indulge in flights of fancy, but to always bring them down to earth.Thank you for being the prototype.

Below are looks from his A/W 09 collection.

Fotos via Style {Click to enlarge}.

I own the book, Shoes: Objects of Art and Seduction, written by Mr. Caovilla's wife, Paola Buratto Caovilla {she's written a few others on fashion, etc} on her husbands art. I remember being so enamored with their headquarters near Venice, that I ran right smack into the construction of the museum that they plan to open {if it hasn't already opened}. I'm sure my enthusiasm scared all those I encountered that day. This is my second copy of this book {and it was bloody hard to find}, the one I purchased during that trip was stolen while I was training in Italy. I keep this one under lock and key. And, yes it's that deep. I plan on sharing all my "shoe-trips" when my website debuts, and keeping a separate blog for that.

 Fotos SheBreathes

Beijinhos.

Rediscovering | Neil Barrett

I'll never forget the first time I felt a Neil Barrett jacket, it was when I was in Florence, Italy running around like a crazy woman. My Italian was rusty and I was trying to find the cafe I was too meet a friend. I was walking in circles until I walked right into a nice young British lad, whose arm I couldn't stop rubbing. I fell into him like some damsel in distress. Needless to say he was wearing a Neil Barrett jacket, and it was buttery soft beautiful. From that day I've always associated Mr. Barrett's designs with menswear, so I'm more than thrilled to learn that I was in the dark concerning his reach. I'm in love with more than a few pieces from his A/W 09 collection for women. Below are my picks, visit and discover your own.

 I'd love to have both these pieces, rock on ladies!

Fotos via Style. {Click to enlarge}.

Beijos.

Fashion + Textiles | Karen Nicol

After learning that London-based fashion, interiors embroidery, and textile designer Karen Nicol, collaborated with designers Clements Ribeiro, I had see more of her work. Ms. Nicol's entire portfolio is inspiring, and below is a snippet of the pieces I dig. Visit and explore more.

 

The lace . . .

And some more of her work, love the details of each piece . . .
 
Fotos Karen Nicol.

Beijinhos.

Autumn/Winter Details | Clements Ribeiro

I really like the coats + jackets in Clements Ribeiro's A/W 09 collection. The brand was created by married designers, British-born Suzanne Clements and her Brasilian husband Inacio Ribeiro. The details in these pieces are the real cherry toppers. Click and take a closer look, and be sure to visit + explore the entire A/W 09 collection.


    Fotos Clements Ribeiro.

Beijos.

DreamCatchers | Be + Steve of Be&D

I've been a fan of Be&D for a while now, and they've been featured on SheBreathes before. So, it's my pleasure to add them to the DreamCatcher Series, as I find their collection of beautifully made handbags, shoes, and accessories lust worthy. While, I'm a bit late with adding this interview, I hope you enjoy getting to know the creative souls behind this awesome brand. So without further ado, I present the designers behind Be&D, Be and Steve.

L: Steve Dumain, R: Be Inthavong.

Be and Steve, could you please tell us a little about your background? 

Be: I was born in Laos. Then I moved to the States with my family and grew up in Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Now, I am currently living in New York City. 

Steve: I grew up on a horse farm about 2 hours outside of NYC. Spent the majority of my childhood in the woods alone of with friends or just hugging some trees. I was drawing from the time I was 3 and was very good at portraits for years, and later transformed that into sculpture. Although I lived in the country, I had a natural affinity for NYC even though it scared me to death — because when I visited in the 80's as a kid, we would see some seriously scary things in Times Square. That's all gone now, but if you're really quiet, you can still hear this memory of New York hidden inside what now seems like a Disney version of New York. 

Since there are two of you, what is your design process?  

Be: Our design process is always evolving. We’ve done everything from mood boards, to reviewing our business on what’s selling, to just simply being inspired by the material and each other.

Steve: It depends on our mood. Sometimes Be comes to me with an idea and I expand on it or sometimes I begin the process and he helps me finish it. Even though we often find it difficult to agree in the early stages, we always agree on the end result, which is when our whole team knows we've hit something people will respond to.

You're relaunching the "Garbo" bag, which is one of your signature bags, how does it feel to have so many clamor for something you've created?  

Steve: It's been constantly exciting to see something we make cause so much excitement in women’s eyes. The craziest thing for us was to watch, was how much that design affected what was happening in fashion with hardware, and the look we started at a time when hardware had recently been evacuated from the business. It was like a computer virus for fashion. I'll never forget almost every day of our first 2 years of business as long as I live — and I'm pretty forgetful.

 

What inspires you both? 

Be: Being alive and being able to do something that I love. And of course my environment and dream inspires me too.

Steve: Live music. The women we love. My friends, great art, and my friends who make great art. The mountains, ocean, all beings in nature, an amazing meal, and people doing what they believe in — what is good not just for themselves but for others. 
 
Do you have any favourite designers?  

Steve: Right now Be and I are huge fans of our good friend Doo.Ri. We just did a collaboration together of special handbags and belts for her A/W 09 show. I've also always had great respect for a jewelry designer by the name of JAR — Joel Arthur Rosenthal. We met him in Paris on one of our first business trips there about 4 years ago. The first time he brought me into his studio to see his many masterpiece works, I honestly felt like I was watching an opera just looking at what he made. He is originally from the Bronx and moved to Paris at a very young age.  

Be: As Steve mentioned, I’m really moved by Doo.Ri’s work. I also love the beautiful fantasy of John Galliano.

What is your advice for those who wish to become luxury handbag/shoe designers?  

Be: Just focus on making special things that you believe in and never ever loose the detail of that.

Steve: Hold tight and follow your dreams with great strength. 

 

What can we expect from Be & D in the future? 

Steve: More draping, pinching, tucking, and showing leathers that we love. There should be a flagship store in the near future — when all the stars align.

Be: I’m very open to what the future holds. Perhaps travel bags

Besides your beautiful handbags and shoes, what else are you passionate about?  

Be: I am passionate about my native country Laos, and I am passionate about staying true to myself.

Steve: My best friend! A great artist named Joséphine Faure. I enjoy reading — I’m into a Murakami book right now. Live music, I saw Helloïse and the Savoir Faire 2 weeks ago, and traveling. Because of work, I'm spoiled and get to do a lot of it, even if it's tiring. I'm off to Paris for fashion week in a few days, and need to get to Spain and Italy soon. I miss them a lot and all the great food!

 
What's your definition of a "Dream Catcher"?  

Be: My definition of a dream catcher is someone who realizes anything is possible.

Steve: People’s eyes when they see and feel something beautiful,  it's as if they are seeing the world for the first time. There's almost a layer of shiny liquid over them that seems like they are crying.

I really enjoyed this interview with Be and Steve, and I thank them and their awesome PR person! Below is a glimpse into their A/W 09 collection, and it has me drooling!

Please visit Be & D for more information on their stockist, and to see more from all their collections.

All Fotos Courtesy of Be & D for usage on SheBreathes.

Foot Candy | David Wyatt

I'm diggin' a few looks from shoe designer David Wyatt's S/S 09 collection. Cool splashes of fuschia and cobalt makes my heart skip a beat. Visit + explore more looks from this collection.

Fotos David Wyatt {Click to enlarge}.

Beijinhos.

Sephora Giftcard Winner + More Puerto Rico!

UPDATE: The only person I can't reach is Amee, unfortunately your e-mail address etc didn't come through via your comment, so I'm sending-out an SOS! Hopefully you'll read this. Please leave a comment or send me an e-mail.

We have a Sephora gift card winner! But before I announce her, please note anyone who left a comment after 11:59pm est on the 22nd, wasn't entered, so sorry about that, but those were the rules. Now, the winner of the Mischo Beauty Feature/$75 Sephora Giftcard Giveaway winner is Marsadie! Congrats! Please check your e-mail as you have 48 hours to get back to me.

And in honour of Kitiya doing such an awesome job + so many of you entering, I threw in 3 $25 gift cards to Sephora! And those go to, Amee, Shara, and Browngirlgumbo! Thanks to all who entered, and again to Kitiya for her awesome post! I hope to have you back here again in the very near future!

If you'd like to see the entire list of names entered, please click here.

Below are a few more fotos of the beach in Puerto Rico, because I'm truly missing it. I shared the fotos of "Old San Juan" on Love + Dreams, hehe.

 

 

Understated Chic | Laila Azhar

I adore some of the pieces from Laila Azhar's Spring 09 collection. They're perfect for just about any occasion. She has some very pretty separates, like the yellow pleated corset. And I'd love to have the grey dress with it's cinched waist and perfectly sculpted shoulders! Be sure to visit + discover more from this collection.

Fotos Laila Azhar {Click to enlarge}.

Beijos.

Limited Edition | Melissa + Esther Mahlangu

I've been a long time fan of South African artist Esther Mahlangu, so I was thrilled when I learned about her collaboration with one of my favourite Brasilian footwear brands, Melissa, dubbed "Afromania". I've sent off an e-mail to the good folks at Melissa to get more images, but for now I found some via Diane Pernet's Shaded View on Fashion {she's always 20 steps ahead of the pack}. I love this because Mama Esther's work needs a global audience! You can pop over to Love + Dreams {which is an extension of SheBreathes} to see more of Esther's art. Below are fotos of the artist Esther + a model in the limited edition shoe for Melissa, taken during SPFW. I really wish I could've seen her when she visited Bahia — the things I miss.

And the shoes . . .

Fotos Diane Pernet|A Shaded View on fashion, Style, + Melissa.

Beijinhos.

Guest Blogger | Kitiya of Mischo Beauty {Spring Beauty Trends}

Greetings! I'm Kitiya from Mischo Beauty and I'm so honored to have been asked to be a guest blogger on SheBreathes! Today’s post will focus on makeup trends for spring/summer 09. I hope you enjoy, and there is a giveaway at the end of my feature!

I was invited to attend New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this past September, to preview the Spring 2009 collections. Beauty is my passion, so not only couldn't I wait to see the clothes, but most important I was looking forward to backstage access to witness the newest trends in hair, skin, nails, and makeup!

Smokey eyes were the focus of the makeup look for Diane von Furstenberg’s Spring 09 collection. While smokey eyes aren’t necessarily a "new" trend, the look can easily be updated for spring/summer by using various shades of grays, blues, and purples. To achieve the traditional look, try NARS Black Eye Set, $60.

Red lipstick is back! Or did it ever really leave? I was so happy to see red lips on the models at Michael Kors. I don’t know about you, but I'm ready to retire the nudes I’ve been wearing all winter for shades of reds, rich pinks, and berries. I currently love Chanel’s Rouge Hydrabase lipstick in Coco Red, $28.50

Full and natural looking brows are in, as evidenced at Bottega Veneta! Resist the urge to over-pluck, over-tweeze, over-wax, or over-thread them. During your brow service, simply request a clean-up and to keep your natural shape. If you must fill them in, never ever use a black eye brow pencil — even if you have black hair! The result is just too harsh for the face. Use a shade of brown!  Celebrity makeup artist, Sam Fine (my absolute favorite makeup artist) suggests using Maybelline's New York Expert Eyes Twin Brow & Eye Pencil, $3.49.

 

As the temperature begins to rise you’ll put away the hats and scarves, and begin to show off more of your skin. Why not accentuate your facial features with a highlight/glow? We saw it at the Anna Sui show. My suggestion is Benefit’s High Beam, $24 — remember a little goes a long way

 

Blush isn't a trend, it’s a must, so I had to mention it!  It awakens the face and really does add life to an overall look. I never leave home without it! Not only did we see it at Versace, but at just about every runway show. My favorite at the moment is YSL’s Blush Variation, $44.

 

Fotos Style, Sephora, and various links within  this post.

So there you have it, makeup trends directly from the runway. I hope you’re loving them as much as I am. Enjoy!

Thank you Kitiya! And in honour of you giving us a proper beauty lesson, there is a giveaway!

Giveaway: 1 $75 gift card from Sephora. Open to US + Canadian residents only.

Please leave a comment in this topic, letting Kitiya know your favourite beauty products, provide names, links, etc. Be creative, have fun, and good luck!

Duration: Begins today, 3/18 and ends on 3/22 @ 11:59 pm est. A winner will be randomly chosen and announced on 3/23.

Sole Happy | Matt Bernson

I'm a huge fan of Matt Bernson's sandals. I own a few pair and they kept me quite happy during my time in San Juan. And, while I traded them in for some height during my time in France, they're still some of the cutest flats around! And of course the fact that they're "Soulfully Made in Brasil" earns them extra points with me. Check out my picks below + visit the site to discover your own.

 

Fotos Matt Bernson {Click to enlarge}.

Beijos.