-->

12.30.2011

[ ETHNIC ACCESSORIES ] ASOS Fashion Finder





Karma Ethnic Chandelier Earrings £10.00, Miso Epoxy Tribal Earrings - Womens £5.00,  Urban Outfitters Tribal Wrap Bracelet "Tribal necklace with faux turquoise spears" £52.00 , Karma Red Bead with Charms Ethnic Bracelet £10.00, Urban Outfitters Geometric Tribal Cuff £12.00, Kenneth Jay Lane Tribal Man Pendant £ 48.00

Have you tried the ASOS Fashion Finder yet? It's another playful style compiling widget that helps you pull all your favorite ASOS-stocked beauties together in themes, trends or product categories of your choosing. Much like Polyvore but, unfortunately, without an html embed code which means, sadly, no posting to your blog. Nevertheless I thought I'd give it a try and here's the result: My top picks from ASOS's current ethnic and tribal inspired jewellery. Give it a try and see what you think!

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE

12.24.2011

[ PINTER LUSTINGS ] Ethnic Fashion Inspirations


So, I've already mentioned my new-found obsession with Pinterest, and over the past few weeks I've been busy pinning my favorite ethnically inspired images all over my boards. I've already shown you some of my top picks from my Ethnic Interiors category so here's a  little taste of what you can find on my Ethnic Fashion board. Click here to see more ethnic inspired everything from fashion and interiors to homeware, accessories, global inspirations and editorials. I'll be posting my favorites on here now and again but remember to follow me on Pinterest if you like what you see!




All images sourced from Pinterest.com

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

12.21.2011

[ MEXICAN FLING ] Mara Hoffman SS2012


Keeping up with my current penchant for colour bursting brights and sunny prints, here's another of my very recent discoveries: Mara Hoffman. Coincidentally I stumbled across both ethnic obsessed designers Mara Hoffman and Holst + Lee in a rather serendipitous web session (as you may well have made the connection by now with my earlier post). A dream team of tribal style, Holst + Lee were called in to accessorise Mara's polychromatic, Mexican inspired SS 2012 collection at October's NYFW.
 
 
Known for her bohemian flair, Mara's 'Mexican Mama's' drew inspiration from the folksy patterns of indigenous costume and the vividly hued, evocative paintings of Mexican icon Frida Kahlo. The collection of jump suits, maxi dresses, tapered pants, caftans and the ever practical blouse and shorts staples were adorned with interlacing geometric neon embroidery, beading and wood block prints in tropical shades, offset with crisp white. It's designers like Mara that prompt wishful thoughts of one day setting up my own ethnic inspired line. Hmmm. Alas, for now I think I'll just wallow in the memories of my own Mexican summer of '08....ahhh.

All images courtesy of Ecouterre.com 

12.19.2011

[ AN ORIENTAL RETREAT ] Summer Palace, Beijing


Cast your minds back to China again for installment no.2 from Beijing. This time, a little dose of traditional Qing dynasty Chinese architecture (who said style was just about fashion anyway?) in the shape of another of the capital's famous landmarks, The Summer Palace.

Commissioned in 1750 by Emperor Qianlong as a birthday gift for his mother, the Summer Palace is apparently the largest Imperial garden in the world, and it really is a beautiful place to while away a summers day. I was lucky enough to visit in the month of September, the period of tiāngāo qìshuǎng which literally translates as when 'the sky is high and the air is fresh'. In the images above you can see the main complex of the Palace of the Parting Clouds (Pai Yun Dian) and the faux marble Qing Yan Fǎng or Boat of Purity and Ease. You've probably noticed by now that the Chinese will never 'call a spade a spade', as my mother would say. Buildings and structures all follow the philosophies of Taoism which promotes the concepts of symmetry and harmony. Each structure is built and named with symbolic accordance, meaning you get a lot of, well, identical buildings. Not so much fun after your fifteenth temple complex...

These Chinese characters look like paint, right? Wrong. Walking around the outskirts of Kunming Lake, I stumbled upon a man writing these rows of characters simultaneously, giant calligraphy brushes on long sticks, one in each hand. Now that's talent.
One of my favorite spots within the complex, the Garden of Harmonious Interests (Xie Qu Yuan, above) is evidently a place of peace and tranquility (go Taoism! It appears to be working). Thanks to the amazing climate and clear blue skies this time of year, China is a photographers dream. Look at how perfectly the pavilions are reflected in the clear, untouched lotus pond. Below you can see some of the intricate detailing painted across the ceilings and arches of the Xing Qiao Bridge , as well as some of the small boats ferrying visitors across Kunming lake, bathed in late afternoon sunlight. 
 
The Tower of Buddhist Incense, the tallest building atop of Longevity Hill (below) is probably one of the best viewpoint's i found in Beijing. From it you can see the entire landscape of the Summer Palace and the contrasting tower blocks and skyscrapers of modern Beijing beyond. Perfect!

 

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

12.16.2011

[THREAD LUSTINGS ] Holst + Lee

i{Thread Lust} Holst + Lee by wandering-threads on polyvore.com


Whilst I'm sunning myself on the beaches on Vietnam, back in the UK you must all be snuggling up to the fire, wrapped up in your woolens or maybe even splashing about in your wellies (sorry, did I go to far)? OK so enough of the gloating, I just wanted to give you all a mental picture and cast your minds forward to the myriad of style possibilities awaiting us in SS'2012. Take these Holst + Lee beauties for example, what more could and ethnic style junkie want of a summer accessory than vividly coloured, oversized, tribal-inspired statement jewellery? Can't think of a thing.

Hailing from the beautiful south (of the USA that is), designers Natalie Holst and Rochelle Lee met whilst working in the NY nightclub scene, of all places. Naturally the pair are flaunting their jewellery line all over New York right now, having accessorised runway collections for designers Yigal Azrouel and Mara Hoffman. I'll definitely be adding these to my SS'2012 wishlist (emphasis on the plural). 

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

12.12.2011

[LE AFRIQUE C'EST CHIC ] Australian Vogue December 2011

Whilst combing the shelves of an English language bookstore in Vientiane, Laos, a few weeks ago, my eyes were immediately drawn to the colourific, tribal-centric December issue of Australian Vogue. On its cover, the beautiful Isabel Lucas festooned with brightly beaded tribal inspired jewellery, her head overtyped with a somewhat unusually ethnic-patterned 'VOGUE'. Evidently, I snapped it up and being pleasantly surprised by the plethora of sunshine ready apparel and summery shades (reminding me that yes, back home you are all suffering through -2°C while, thankfully, the rest of the world is not), I have promised myself that from now on I shall endeavor to purchase an Australian Vogue through the bleak and dreary English winters.
 
So, in aid of my timely discovery and its coincidentally ethnic theme I thought I'd share some of these blazingly colour saturated shots from my favorite editorial of the issue, the African inspired Le Afrique C'est Chic. Shot by Max Doyle and starring model Kate Fogarty, stylist Naomi Smith fuses vivid graphic prints and dazzling statement jewellery from the likes of Diane von Furstenburg, Emilio Pucci and Burberry Prorsum to create this eclectic blend of tribal chic. My favorite - the artfully styled printed silk head wraps! I could use one of those to tame this unruly hair of mine! 
BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE

12.08.2011

[ FORBIDDEN INTERIORS ] Beijing



Though I am currently in Vietnam, as promised, here's a little token of my very first day in China. Starting, naturally, with the capital city of Beijing, I thought it only right to make my first visit a trip to Beijing's legendary  Forbidden City, home to 24 emperers during the Ming and Qing dynasties . I could show you the exteriors of the somewhat repetitively symmetrical Taoist buildings within the 74 hectare complex, but you've probably seen images of them a thousand and one times (if you haven't you should watch Yimou Zhang's epic Curse of the Golden Flower). So here are some of examples of the opulent intricacies and  grandeur interiors of Beijing's Imperial Palace.



 
Notice the recurrence of the two principal colours: yellow and red. Each carries symbolic significance: yellow, an auspicious colour associated with the earth was used extensively and exclusively by the Ming and Qing emperors who were regarded as the Sons of Heaven and supreme rulers of humanity. Red, on the other hand was symbolic of solemnity, happiness, wealth and honour, another auspicious colour that is to this day traditionally associated with China. 
 
BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

12.05.2011

[ THREAD LUST ] Mary Katrantzou AW 2011

{Thread Lustings} Mary Katrantzou AW 2011


This is one designer I can honestly say I fell in love at first sight with. Back in 2008, during a stint interning for London fashion PR RelativeMO, I was lucky enough to witness the birth of this designer's career at her Central Saint Martins MA Graduate Show. Three years on and she's still going strong. Ladies and gentlemen: Mary Katrantzou.

Having just spent almost two months bombarded by traditional, oriental Chinese printed silks, my desire for some kind of modern, fashionable alternative was making itself quite apparent. Luckily Mary came to the rescue, with images of her AW 2011 collection being plastered around the web. As you can probably imagine, by the nature and content of this blog, I would give my right arm to get hold of one of these supremely ornate, digitally printed beauties. Anyone want to lend me 1.5 grand?


12.03.2011

[ BACK TO DECEMBER ] WT Changes


In case some of you may have noticed, I have indeed been absent from Wandering Threads for October and November whilst roaming around China (and a quick stint in LAOS). I would just like to say a massive SORRY to everyone who started along the journey with me back in India in May and have been following me ever since. Unfortunately me, my mac and I were caught up in the Great Chinese Firewall and thus had no access to, well, anything. Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Google...you name it, they blocked it. Thanks China!

So, now I'm back with a vengeance and with so much content to add that, well, quite frankly I'm going to have to change my methods. So from now on Wandering Threads will continue to bring you wondrous finds from around the globe but with a somewhat more eclectic and culturally sporadic feel (i.e I won't be blogging a whole country as I go, I'll be weaving in content from my various travels along with current content). For all you stalkers out there, have no fear, you can still find out my whereabouts and keep up to speed on my daily antics on the WT twitter and facebook pages. Remember you can also see more images from adventures around Asia on my flickr page, as well as a wider source of image inspirations from Wandering Threads and around the net on the tumblr mini site. Oh, and don't forget to sign up for all the new updates by following WT on bloglovin!

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 


10.01.2011

[ GOODBYE NEPAL ] Swayambhunath

Nepali Prayer flags, traditional culture, buddhism, Nepal, KathmanduSo the time has finally come to leave Nepal. Tomorrow I will be flying off to China! For the next two months I shall be making my way down and across the country starting, naturally, with the big red capital of Beijing. I will, obviously, be blogging my ethnically and culturally charged discoveries once again so make sure you stay tuned for the latest! For now, as a final goodbye from Nepal, I'd like to leave you with some of my finds from today's visit to Swayambhunath, a Buddhist temple complex that towers over the city of Kathmandu. See you on the other side! 

Swayambhunath trinket shop, souvenir stall, mask shop Nepal, handmade Nepali
handheld turquoise prayer wheel,


BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE

9.30.2011

[ DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING ] Pinterest



So, once again I have to admit I'm a bit behind in the social networking front. What with my recent discovery of Polyvore, Stumble Upon and Fancy, I am slightly ashamed to admit that I have, only now, discovered the wonders of Pinterest. And wonderous it most  surely is! I love this idea of digital scrapbooking, it makes nomadic life a little less stressful knowing that even if my beloved Mac gets stolen (god help me) at least I can rest assured all my inspirations are locked away somewhere in digital cyberspace. So, making full use of this beautiful site, my eclectically patterned brain has been busy pinning away ethnic inspirations, catergorising them into boards of interiors, fashion, accessories and homeware. Go on, have a look at my pin boards for more ethnic inspirations like these spectacularly vibrant interiors!!!


All images on this post are copied from Pinterest. 
BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

9.29.2011

[ INDRA JATRA ] Bhaktapur, Nepal

 

Whilst meandering around the beautiful red brick streets of Bhaktapur the other day, I came across masses of these costume clad girls. Adorned head to toe in brightly coloured fabrics: red and gold patterned metallic silks, luminous pink veils, marigold-yellow headbands and sashes, and copious amounts of dangling silver jewellery, it must be time for the Indra Jatra Festival

One of the most important festivals in the Newar calender, the eight day Indra Jatra takes place in and around the Kathmandu Valley in early to mid September, marking the end of the rainy season. Giving thanks to Lord Indra, the God of Rain and the King of Heaven processions and dances are performed, one of the most important being that of the procession of the Royal Kumari Devi, a preadolescent 'living goddess' who is taken around Kathmandu's Durbar square to give thanks to the rain god and to bless the President of Nepal.

So, with the plethora of pomp and traditional dress on display, obviously I couldn't help but take some snaps. If you like what you see and fancy a look at some more traditional Nepalese dress, take a look at my earlier post on Dhaka Topi hats!






BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

9.28.2011

[ FALLING FOR FRINGE ] Free People


In case you may be new to this blog (welcome along!) I'd just like to readdress the issue of my undying lust for everything made by the wonderous Free People. There yet fails to appear a rival to this brand that endlessly delivers me with beautiful, folksy, bohemian, ethnic inspired fashion. My only wish is that it would pack itself up and fly over the Atlantic to London so that I wouldn't have to pay the postal fees! Anyway, to the point, today I would like to draw your attention to Free People's tasslerific AW 2011 collection of fringed bags. Below are some of my favorite picks from the collection - they'd go great with that Native American Fringed Blanket Coat from Etsy, or a pair of those winter moccasins, don't you think? Click on the links below to make a speedy impulse buy through Polyvore, or at freepeople.com before you change your mind! 

                                        
BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

9.26.2011

[ HEMP PIXIES ] Patan, Nepal

Nepalese shoes, handwoven, hemp, sustainable style, ethnic style, wandering style
Nepal, shoes, handmade, woven, ethnic style, traditional culture, wandering style, Kathmandu
Aren't these the cutest little shoes?! I found a bunch of these traditional, handmade Nepali hemp slip-on's being sold around the craft laden streets of Patan on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Like little pixie shoes, they'd be great for wandering around these dusty old UNESCO heritage streets, not so great in the rainy season though! If you're a fan of hemp or want to know more about its sustainable properties you should check out my earlier post from Pokhara (hint hint!).

BLOGLOVIN' - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - TUMBLR - PINTEREST- POLYVORE 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...