Margaret Shine by Three

ABOUT

I’m Margaret. I’m 18. I live a double life between Shine By Three and my second year of studying a Bachelor of Commerce/Laws at The University of Sydney. My BlackBerry is an extension of my arm, and my Canon 7D is an extension of my face.

Not many people know but I can...

Dance en pointe.

At the moment I'm listening to...

Case of You (Joni Mitchell - James Blake’s cover)

The craziest thing I've done for love is...

Gone without my BlackBerry, Wi-fi, and reception for four. Whole. Days.

The best advice I've ever received was...

You are what you Tweet. Own it.

My weakness has always been...

Pointless books, films, magazines, and music. Your intellect thrives on trash.

You'll never catch me...

In crocs and socks.

My current goal is...

To get through the next three and a half years of this Commerce/Law degree, and make a speedy move to a pretty apartment in New York City.

The best way to impress me is...

Red velvet cupcakes from scratch.

MY SS13 FAVORITES

Chai

"Light" was the first word Richard Chai used to describe his collections this season. The question is, what kind of light? There were many kinds on the runway today. There was the glassy lightness of sheer nylon, deployed effectively throughout both his menswear and his Richard Chai Love womenswear collections. There was also the gossamer lightness of digitally printed floral silk fil coupé inserted into halter tops, and the anti-gravitational lightness of the designer's abbreviated fit-and-flare skirts, a key item for Spring 2013. And there was the pastel lightness of the palette, at its best in the opening section of icy lavenders and powder blues, and the light play of lamé and holographic sequins. But maybe the most important reading of "light" for Richard Chai this season had to do with tone: There was a winning lightness of spirit to these clothes. They looked fun to wear.

Katrantzou

There was once a certain kind of child who would collect stamps, or gather the money that relatives brought back from foreign travel, and dream about what each piece of paper represented, where it might have been, who had touched it on its journey round the world. For that child, a stamp, a banknote were small passports to an exotic otherness. Or maybe they were instruments connecting cultures. That's how Mary Katrantzou thought of them. She loved the stories they told. As borders changed and currencies became obsolete, stamps and banknotes lingered as tokens of the past, literal souvenirs of the values of other, lost cultures.

All the romance, melancholy, and beauty of those ideas were swept up in Katrantzou's latest collection, an absolute fashion tour de force. She's already proved she can make a ravishing print out of almost anything, and she has applied those prints to some extraordinary silhouettes, but form and content blended so effortlessly today that this felt like the point she'd been aspiring to since she started. It helped that stamps and banknotes have an innate two-dimensional symmetry that loans itself to abstraction in accessible shapes. And Katrantzou's shapes today were noticeably direct: A-lines, shirtdresses, shifts, and sheaths, offering ideal canvases. A stamp's serrated edges, for instance, provided a striking geometric border down the leg of slimline trousers. And the whorls and spirals of a banknote provided a luxurious pattern for a pantsuit in midnight blue brocade, especially when shot through with darkly sparkling Lurex.

Klein

Francisco Costa closed New York fashion week with a collection that delivered a strong sexual charge. Backstage he said, "It's erotic again, a continuation of last Fall and Spring," and cited as references the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, the artist Carsten Nicolai, and the power and precision of cars. The Calvin Klein girl may be a pinup next season, but she's an intellectual too. Costa opened with a black satin conical bustier dress, the model's belle poitrine outlined in silver. All signs pointed to the bust as this collection's erogenous zone. But Costa didn't ignore the waist or the legs, either. Peplums played a starring role, and narrow belts accented most of the looks. A pair of putty-colored silk gazar numbers might go down as the shortest dresses this designer has ever put on a runway.

As we said, though, this show had brains as well as beauty. What made it trademark Costa was the interesting fabric play. Adding a white lining to the black mesh he used for a skirtsuit produced a vibrating moiré effect, as did the parabolas of what looked like leather embroidery on a pair of dresses. These weren't just experiments for experimentation's sake. They were great looking. Another provocative idea, this one inspired by cars: draping a strapless cocktail dress from a gold metal frame. Ladies, rev your engines.

Rodriguez

The designer has been going from success to success lately, but this collection really got the blood pumping. And it wasn't just the girls in the crowd whose pulses were racing. Yes, there were pantsuits and beaded muscle tees and trousers that all nailed the way we want to look at work right now. But those slipdresses with the sheer mesh backs that plunged all the way to there—those were people-pleasers, and by "people" we mean those of the male variety. Satisfying both a woman's wardrobe needs and a man's eye, that's the whole package. And that's why this was the most successful lineup of Rodriguez's career. One high-profile retailer was so gobsmacked she said, "There's no reason why anybody should dress any other way."

How'd he do it? Backstage he played it modest. "I love my work," he shrugged, then added, "it's a good time in my life." It showed. Rodriguez dug into color for Spring: a blood orange sheath was bisected down the front and across the waist in brick; a teal and moss green crepe dress came with laminated-wood paillette embroidery; and one of those muscle tees was embellished with dense swirls of brick, marigold, and black beads. And then there was the sex. Rodriguez spliced shirts all the way down to the navel, and cropped the underpinning below the bust to reveal several provocative inches of midriff. He placed an arrowhead-shaped cutout at the solar plexus of an otherwise demure ivory silk sleeveless shift. 

Wu

"I want to do everything forbidden, everything you don't do." Helmut Newton said that. Surprisingly perhaps, the sentiment also fits for Jason Wu's new collection, which was influenced by the Newton retrospective that ran at the Grand Palais in Paris earlier this year. Provocation isn't traditionally part of Wu's arsenal; we don't need to remind you that this is the young man who dressed Michelle Obama for the Inauguration Ball. 

Lace and leather predominated and often came together, as they did on a backless black apron dress with laser-cut flowers at the hem and a fitted nude sheath with a point d'esprit bodice and tulle insets zigzagging down the torso. Lillian Bassman was another reference point, and her signature black and white images provided an x-rayed floral motif that was its own innuendo. A collaboration with the lingerie maker La Perla provided ample cause for all the sheer chiffons Wu used. Another time, a tanned and taut midriff was on full display between a lace bandeau top and kicky leather skirt.

Wang

"After last season's austerity," he explained, "I wanted to pull garments apart, experiment with volumes." Wang's is a precise kind of deconstruction. The clothes were all right angles—no asymmetries here—and the scalpel-sharp slices that separated the graphic panels of everything from a clinical white cotton shirtdress to a sand-dune-colored leather jacket were hand-tacked like sutures. As the show progressed, the splices became cutouts in wavy zebra stripes. The experiment reached its culmination in a series of sexy dresses that seemed to float on the body thanks to the invisible fish-line embroidery holding them together. The designer called the effect Tron-like. Fun fact: The first fishing line they tried melted under the heat of the irons used to press the samples, so team Wang had to devise a new one of their own.

Function often suffers when designers put so much emphasis on form, but that wasn't an issue here. Wang smartly stuck close to traditional American sportswear design. Spongy leather T-shirt dresses were modeled after baseball uniforms. Liberty Ross, a catwalker whose star appears to be on the rise after her husband's cheating scandal with Kristen Stewart, modeled a simple windbreaker. The black-light moment will be what people talk about and remember, but even without it, this was a powerful performance.

Heir to F1: P1

McLaren Automotive will use its first ever international motor show appearance to preview its next generation ultimate supercar – the McLaren P1 – which takes much of its technological and spiritual inspiration from the company’s Racing division. The McLaren P1 has one simple goal: to be the best driver’s car in the world on road and track.

Antony Sheriff, managing director of the operation, says outright pace is not the objective of the new model. “Our aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series-production road car on a circuit. It is the true test of a supercar’s all-around ability and a much more important technical statement. It will be the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made.”

Ahead of the public unveiling, McLaren is refusing to give any more details about the car. However, Autocar has managed to uncover some of the P1’s secrets. Despite the car’s dramatic exterior, it has a very similar footprint to the MP4-12C. 

McLaren sources say the P1 retains the “everyday usability” of the MP4-12C, with the same deep windscreen, narrow A-pillars and relatively slim width. In fact, the P1 is shorter than a current Porsche 911. 

The interior will be different from the 12C’s, with bespoke switchgear, but it is unclear whether the basic architecture of the cabin will remain unchanged. In contrast to the F1, which was unofficially the fastest production car in the world for a number of years, the company said performance characteristics of the P1 would skew toward quickness and ultimate lap times rather than top speed.Judging by the shape of the P1, the engine and transmission could be sitting much lower in the rear of the car. It looks as though the centre of the rear deck is rather lower than it is on the 12C. 

It seems likely that the intake manifold has been redesigned to sit lower on top of the engine and the exhaust system redesigned and rerouted.Also, judging by the huge air intakes feeding the P1’s engine compartment, there is a need to manage the high temperatures generated by the big hike in power. As well as the deep side intakes, there are also forward-facing vents mounted over the rear wheels, matched by large exhaust ports over the rear LED light strips.

The P1’s engine will not be a V10 or V12, and the latest information is that it will be a modified version of the 12C’s twin-turbo V8. Power will jump from just over 600bhp to about 800bhp at 9000rpm. This significant potential is supplemented by a KERS system — a pair of flywheels that can deliver up to 160bhp in short bursts.

Rumours suggest that the P1 will have a top speed of 239mph and a 0-60mph time of under three seconds. It is also said to have completely shattered the best lap time for a road-legal car at the Silverstone circuit. 

“The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage,” Ron Dennis, executive chairman of McLaren, said in the release.

The arrival of the P1 next year is consistent with McLaren’s promise that it will launch a new car every year until 2020. It is also likely to be an investment for buyers. Just 108 F1s were made, originally costing £540,000 two decades ago; they now fetch up to £3.8 million at auction.More information will be released following the McLaren Automotive press conference scheduled for Thursday, September 27th.

Have you heard of: CUSHINE ET OCHS?

SS 13 Highlight: Pinoy Pride

Michelle Ochs is half Filipino, and since that makes her label one-quarter Filipino (as she joked a few days before the show), Ochs and design partner Carly Cushnie decided to look to the islands as a starting point for Spring. Needless to say, Ochs' mom was pretty pleased; to ensure the designers had plenty of source material, she dug up and sent over traditional clothes and family heirlooms for her daughter and Cushnie to work from.

In addition to mining traditional Filipino dress, the designers were also interested in evoking an island vibe. This led to their first foray into swimwear, and a splash of aqua in an otherwise black and white palette. The pair's strong graphic sensibility and love of framing the body's angles and curves make swim a natural extension for the brand; there's not much to go on yet—the two bikinis on the runway could best be described as tiny and tinier—but there's retail potential there. 

Outside of the pool, the interpretation of Filipino fashion staples generated the best results. A sheer, sleeveless silk chiffon blouse with floral embroidery was reminiscent of a man's formal dress shirt; paired with a sheer-paneled pencil skirt it looked light, feminine, and totally fresh. Later, a screen-printed lotus blossom on a curve-hugging dress in black sateen gave the sexy silhouette some welcome depth; ditto the embroidery on a sleek white shift that was copied from the detailing on Mrs. Ochs' wedding gown. Embroidery and surface embellishment are not usually part of this label's lexicon, and it was nice to see the designers exploring new territory. If a few of the other dresses were too reminiscent of Fall's formfitting, scalpel-cut-out collection, at least front-row guest Kate Bosworth—in a second-skin scuba knit—will be sure to find something she likes.

That Missoni Girl (Part II)

Margherita Missoni is the 29-year-old face of the Italian fashion house—and a woman who knows exactly what she wants. (Just like me, a girl who knows what she wants like how I exactly know I wanna be all clad up in Missoni or Marni -- ALL THE TIME. anyway,) When she's not in Sardinia or on safari, Margherita is Missoni's accessories designer, responsible for everything from the famous 2011 Target line to the swimwear that she wears so well. Hero material indeed.

What she drinks: "I'm a red-wine person, but in the summer I'll have champagne on the rocks in a big glass. It's called a piscine, a swimming pool."

A gift, unwrapped: "My fiancé [race-car driver Eugenio Amos] sent me to his tailor to have suits made for me as a Christmas present. I take off all my clothes every time I get fitted at Missoni; I didn't know that men get measured with their clothes on, that they don't get completely naked. My boyfriend said I made the tailor a little nervous. I think he forgot to take some measurements."Where to eat in Milan: "Latteria in Via San Marco. It's tiny, and the menu changes every day. Get the pasta with lemon and peperoncino, if you can."She's up for anything: "I'm not a big sleeper. It just feels like wasting time. If I wake up and it's after 5 a.m., I stay up."Feet First: "Shoes are the first thing I notice on a man. I like classic styles—not too square, not too pointy, not too fashiony. There's a fine line between too much and too little effort."

My travel itinerary: "I went to Machu Picchu after Christmas. For my next trip, it's Bhutan and Burma, and then Namibia and Botswana for a bit of safari, a bit of landscape. I'm not a hang-out-on-the-beach type of girl."Lou Reed: "I want to walk down the aisle to Lou Reed singing 'This Magic Moment.' "

My Rock: "I'm not an easy person to give a ring to, but my boyfriend did a good job. It's 1920s Italian. But this isn't my engagement ring you see here—I wear mine on my middle finger because it looks better."Town and Country: "I bought a place in Milan, but Missoni headquarters are out in the country, in Sumirago. My whole family eats out of the same vegetable garden; my mother raises chickens. I love the city, but if you're always bombarded with stimulation, you get numb to it. I need to get bored to create."   (GQ.com)

Now here's more MM wearing Missoni:

Link to my previous post on Margherita : http://smileyserious.blogspot.com/2011/03/margherita-missoni.html

Pagani Zonda: Passione

It’s hard to believe but the Pagani Zonda, arguably one of the most colorful super cars of this generation, is already 12 years old. For a niche supercar brand like Pagani, that in itself is an outstanding achievement.

But since the Huayra is now in the fold, the Zonda’s life has been on borrowed time and over the past few years, Pagani has resorted to producing a limited number of one-off, special edition models for a select number of customers.

From the HH to the Rak to the Tricolore, and even Lewis Hamilton’s 760 LH, the Zonda is ready to say goodbye in a manner few exotics of its kind get to do.

But before that, there’s still time for one more one-off: the Zonda 764 Passione.

Pagani has yet to reveal official photos of the 764 Passione but there’s word that the supercar will feature a naked carbon fiber body with pink accents on the car. By pink accents i mean, pink painted brake calipers, pink trimming lines in the body, some pink elements of the engine and the word “Passione” is etched in pink onto the valve covers.. Perfect for a girlie girl car enthusiast like myself.

Under it’s hood, the 764 Passione will carry a 7.3-liter V12 engine that’s expected to produce 760 horsepower - 764, maybe? - akin to Lewis Hamilton’s one-off LH model. Speaking of the Zonda LH, the 764 Passione will also feature a six-speed manual transmission instead of the sequential paddle-shift gears of some of its other contemporaries.

So now that the Zonda is finally ready to say adieu, do you think the 764 Passione is a fitting send-off to one of the best exotics of the past decade?  Ahhhh, I certainly think so.

2012's Most Surprising Holiday Destination: ARIARA, PALAWAN

Ariara is one of over 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines in the principality of Palawan, At the right end of the Palawan archipelago, Ariara is one of the last remaining undiscovered Calamian Islands. 

After experiencing the natural beauty of this 125-acre island, Owners of the 125 acres, Brits Charles and Carrie McCulloch, sought to create a private refuge for travellers who, like them, just 'don't do' hotels. The pair decided to adapt it into a luxury private retreat, accommodating up to 18 guests on an exclusive basis. 'I have always disliked the lack of freedom and individuality imposed by hotels, however stunning the location.' says Charles.

Life on Ariara is lead very much at your own pace. You can eat exactly when you choose, and the island cook prepares traditional filipino and international dishes according to clients’ individual tastes. If you prefer to bring your own cook along or employ a Michelin-starred chef for the duration of your stay, that would be fine too. Ariara grows its own bananas, mangos, pineapples, papaya, coconuts and cashew nuts alongside herbs, salad leaves and vegetables, supplemented by the huge selection of unusual fruit and vegetables grown in the region such as delandan (a type of orange) and kalamansi (Filipino limes). Local fisherman then bring their catch – lobster, crab, Spanish mackerel, tangigi (tuna), maya-maya (snapper), lapu-lapu (grouper), and a variety of game fish to name a few. Excellent quality meat is also available.

In between meals the excellent staff are there to cater for your every need. There is a yoga instructor and also masseuse on the island, and even an island dog who loves to be taken for walks, but by far the best activity on offer is the diving and snorkelling. The diving, with the island’s own PADI divemaster, is spectacular with hundreds of coral reefs and an incredible diversity of marine life. Incredible wreck diving is found around Busuanga and Coron Bay where US forces sunk 13 Japanese naval ships in 1944. Some of the world’s finest dive sites: Tubbataha (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and Apo Reef are also accessible on longer trips. On the fauna front, there are four endangered species of turtle including Hawksbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Green turtles to see, many of whom return annually to lay their eggs along Ariara’s main beach.

They commissioned Filipino architect Jorge Yulo to design the contemporary eco-resort and furnish it with pieces from local carpenters and craftsmen, who weaved their own rattan, sewed cushions from tribal fabrics and carved a bath from a single block of Romblon marble. 

All in all there is extremely comfortable and spacious accommodation for up to 18 guests as well as a central Lodge for dining and entertaining with a master bedroom suite above, an infinity pool and deck area, beach cottages, and a jungle villas on stilts. All the rooms are situated along the main beach and have wonderful and uninterrupted views out to sea.

The South wing comprises a spacious lounge with oversized comfortable sofas to relax and unwind, equipped with a cinema style projector and a huge screen. The lounge leads onto the infinity pool and deck area and from there onto the beach. Above the lounge, reached by a bridge from the gallery, is a master bedroom suite With suitably impressive views.

In addition there are four beach cottages, each consisting of a large bedroom with vaulted ceiling, a four poster style bed and walk-in wardrobe. There is a huge marble bathroom and an open-air shower. Each cottage is surrounded on two sides by wide verandas with hammocks and a breakfast table. To the rear of each cottage is a private terrace with a secluded pocket garden.

From Manila to Ariara: A short flight from Manila to Busuanga where guests are transferred to Port of Coron nearby to board the Karen-Joy, Ariara's 100ft trimaran. Cruising time: four hours. Alternatively, up to eight guests can make the journey in Ariara's 33ft speedboat in just over an hour

Understated

"Its not trend based, it comes down to the fabric and fit."

This is what I live for and this is why my bank accounts always zeroed. LOL

VALENTINES DAY (delayed)

My dearest made it seem like he had no plans for us. My day started with 2 dozens of pink roses delivered to my office. Attached was the sweetest note: 

"My wife, 

I have nothing more to ask for and I am truly grateful for you. 

This is a good start. I love You. 

Love, your husband". 

Midday he called me to ask where I wanted to have dinner and what time he should get me. I was surprised that he didn't make any reservations. But i honestly didn't mind since I don't think I've ever went out on valentines and it was just really a normal day for me.

He picked me up at home. I wore a Zimmermann Batik print mini dress. We headed to Sofitel. When we arrived, the events director introduced herself to us at the lobby and handed us our welcometinis. I was so surprised and impressed that they had such great service. We were lead to the pool area of the hotel, I saw lots of tables enjoying a grill buffet. I was excited coz I saw lechon and roasted calf! But no, we walked past that commotion and was brought to the most quiet and highest part of the garden where a floral decorated-canopy lit with tivoli lights was was sitting, facing the sea. WOW. The butler who was already waiting for us sat us down, then a bottle of Moet Rose was popped, then came the hotel's executive chef to introduce to us and give us a little background of the 6 course dinner he had prepared for us. As soon as they started serving bread, the string quartet also started playing quietly for us.

I found it funny how elaborate everything was. I never expected this from this anti-romantic boyfriend of mine. This was seeming more and more like a proposal than a valentines dinner date I told MD and the sweetest intimate surprise everyone has every done for me. It was like a scene from the movies. <3

The food came. We started off with Tempura oyster in a bef of lobster mashed potatoes, then seared foie with a side of poached pear in red wine, pumpkin and cauliflower soup, apple sherbet, surf and turf. Moments after our mains were cleared, a private fireworks display started. Yes, it was surreal. For dessert a louis XV looking (but so far from tasting like it) cake came. 

Unforgettable. How could I not fall in love with this man more and more each day. Now that's hard to top next valentines huh?

MIU

My concept Japanese Restaurant

Last week my dad's partner and my dearest boss gave me a task I couldn't resist. He told me that he's actually friends with the executive chef in CONRAD Tokyo and this guy is interested in partnering up with us and open a restaurant here. He asked me to make a business Plan/ Feasibility Study for a ultr-highend Japanese restaurant he wants to open at the Fort. 

I never thought I'd in a million years be able to finish this project in 3 days. Yes, he gave me a 3 day deadline to complete the whole study. 

Here's a sneak peak at my ideas.

MIU

"So fabulous, its almost beyond words." is what we aspire to hear from customers after dining in our restaurant.

The menu will be comprehensive and alluring. Japanese cuisine is known for its emphasis on the seasonality of produce, fresh ingredients is the backbone of the cuisine because food is prepared to retain as much of its natural flavor as possible rather than concealing it with layers of oil and fat. Japanese cuisine also puts the delicacy of color and fragrance of the dish to a high regard. Unlike modern plating where food is almost made to look almost unedible, at MIU we make sure that every plate which is served to your table will surely evince with finesse.

At MIU we believe that the environment is as important as the food. The restaurants surroundings should be able to inspire indulgence and make the customer feel at ease.

The interior will be achingly minimalistic. The menu, sophisticated. Décor of wooden screens, granite pillars, unyielding wooden surfaces , natural stonework, and sunken tables lit subtly by gauze lamps is wonderfully understated so as not to distract from the only indulgence here that competes with the food: people watching.

Our highly trained wait staff will be deceptively invisible but instantly at your service when needed. Why? Because again we believe that there’s no necessary pandering or flourish, you, the client should simply be left to enjoy all that’s on offer.

In short, MIU is precision and poise encapsulated.

And my favorite part of course is creating a menu. Here's a saple of some set menus we will be having.

For lunch, we will only be serving a limited menu including these 4 very affordable set menus.

POWER LUNCH 

perfect for those who only have 30-45 mins to spare.

Salad, Chawanmushi, Amuse bouche, 3 small main dishes (one grilled, one teriyaki and one tempura), Rice, Miso Soup and Fruits

STEPFORD LUNCH 

perfect for chatty housewives 

Salad, Amuse Bouche, 2 kinds sashimi, Grilled fish, Tempura, Cold green tea noodles, Dessert, Coffee/tea

MIDWAY

great for business lunches in our private room

Amuse Bouche, Sashimi, Maki, Gyoza, Tempura, Wafu Steak, Fried Rice, Miso Soup, Ice cream

DIET 

ah, healthy eaters are most welcome in our abode

3 kinds sashimi, All-veg tempura, Tofu steak, Mushroom 3 ways, Rice, Miso Soup, Fruits

MODERN KAISEKI 

for the students who are on a budget

Salad, Gyoza, Maki, Yakisoba, Miso Soup

A more extensive menu including tepan table sets, yakitori degustasion and kaiseki and omakase sets will be available.

MIU SIGNATURE 

for the ultimate indulgence or to simply impress a date.

Saketini, Steamed oysters in sake and red wine vinegar, Trio of sashimi (smoked salmon modern sashimi, seared hamatchi with ginger miso wasabi sauce, wagyu tartare meatball), Grilled asparagus, Champagne butter garlic scallops, Baby octopus in sweet and spicy coconut sauce, Grilled lobster tail and mango salsa, Kobe beef cubes, Clear seafood soup, Chocolate caramel espresso

KAISEKI 

the spectacular

Saketini, Tofu salad, Bamboo Shoots in vinegar, Wagyu tartare balls, Sashushi plate (2 kinds sashimi, 2 kinds inside out maki), Miso grilled black cod, Grilled asparagus, Wafu Steak with lime salt, Rice, Lobster clam miso soup, Red bean ice cream

OMAKASE 

lighter but nonetheless fabulous

Edamame, Seared tuna salad, Chicken karaage, Under the sea plates (Gindara teriyaki, Tempura soft shell crab, Grilled king prawns), Rice, Lobster and clam miso soup, Fruits.

A make your own BANQUET MENU will be available too for 4 or more heads and a 24 hour advance notice.