Yves Saint Laurent high-top Malibu sneakers

My latest asset for the winter of 2012 are the YSL high top Malibu sneakers. I bought them at Amicis in Vienna. They are available in all kinds of colours and fabrics. Mine are charcoal anthracite with patent leather / suede / flannel. One of the more plain versions I must say. These signature YSL sneakers also comes more luxurious materials e.g. treated handwashed python skin, cowhide, deerskin or with a leopard print. Let me highlight some of the details while having a closer look.

A subtle mark are the Y shaped holes on the vamp.

On the backside of the shoe you can find a patted ribbed ankle,  

the script version of the name Yves Saint Laurent embroided on the heelcap

and the YSL logo on the heel.

                                              

At the front is a contrasting logo on the tongue.

The unavoidable shiny bag is included. ☺

All in all the abundance of logos present, aren´t distracting your attention of the iconic design of the sneaker which is why you buy em in the first place.

Till next time !

Tap here to Discover the YSL Sneakers

Restaurant Sea Grill - Harrods Knightsbridge London

Sea Grill is one of the many restaurants inside of the most famous department store of London, Harrods.

The set up is a bar in a big hall where more theme restaurants are located. Although very crowdy it was very enjoyable.

The menu is rather limited, but you will find something to your liking I m sure. I went all out and had the warm garlic and Parmesan bread as a starter and a main of mixed grill of ´´today´s freshest catch´´, which is a line caught Icelandic cod, tiger prawns, scallops and lobster claw, with a fresh herb citrus and sea salt. I also took a side dish of saffron new potatoes. And for good digestion guarantee the Harrods N.V. Champagne.

Although a bit sceptic due to the apparent high touristic factor of the place. I must say that it was certainly no letdown. the fish was very nicely seasoned and the scallops were huge. Though people are waiting in line for a seat, you re not rushed. An enjoyable lunch that comes at a price. Till next time ! 

Tap on photos to enlarge

Restaurant Magis * - Tongeren (BE)

With star in the Michelin guide, a 17 in the GaultMillau guide and a ´´young top chef of Flanders 2012´´ award, you know you are in for a culinary adventure when you dine at Magis. We chose to take the Magismenu with complimentary wines to experience the complete package of this fine dining restaurant. It was a 3 hour fest of flavours, an indulgence powered by a fluent service. And a selection of wines, that tought me that I am not a very good drinker, more of a sipper :)

No point in disecting all the artworks you see below. If it would contain an ingredient you think you normally don´t like - like I ve had a few in the past - you will see that these people make it work. You will discover surprising structures and tastes in originally presented combinations. All in all it was a memorable restaurant visit which I m more than happy to recommend if you are not dining on a budget that is. Till next time !



 Discover Restaurant Magis

 

Diesel DZ7193 watch

ATTENTION ! This thing is a monster! The biggest object you ll ever wear on your wrist, as you will see at the bottom of this post. It´s a real eye catcher and conversation starter when you meet fellow watch lovers, cause it gets attention. It´s available in a variety of colours and combinations, but mine is black on black as the one in the detail photo, I find other combos to be less attractive. Due to the fact that it´s completely black, you have to look closely to the discover 3 dials, a date, a chronograph and a digital display of which the colours have also been nicely inverted. Nice detail on the textured dial to.

You have to look out for one thing though: When you pull your hand out of your pants pocket, you tend to draw the big button to the side, so one of your clocks will stop. This happens to me regularly. I even tore that button right of on day 2 that I wore it. I didn´t notice it right away but found the button back in my pocket. It was repaired though under warranty. A watch with a happy ending :)

I m a real watch lover and this one has given me a lot of joy. Till next time!


Update 6 months later : the big button came off again. I need to have it repaired again ( I saw no traces of the previous repair - I ll ask how they do it ). To be continued !


Update about 2 year later : The watch is still hot and when I had it sent for repairs, the guy at the jewelery store told me it s a frequent problem with this watch. So be warned guys. Watch out for breaking your big button !

Dondup T

In search for a great T I stumbled upon this piece in Luxembourgville ( @ Smets ). It immediately spoke to me through it s funky character and the quality of the detail. Never having heard of Dondup I bought it anyway. It ´s the first item I ever bought that got me so much remarks on the street.

The litl dude on the front functions as an eye catcher at first but the detail on this thing is awesome as you will see on the pictures. The straw hat, the aviator glasses, the tattoos, the painters palette, the jeans, ... He might even have launched the trend of the mustache, the anchor and the espadrilles. :)

Looking at the label, the name and logo on the shirt though I had no idea what else I could expect of this brand. Certainly the logo at the bottom ( thank god it s not on the neck on the back ) adds no appeal for me. After visiting their site, I learned that it s an Italian brand founded in 99 with the name as a refurral to a tibetan lama Myngar Dondup who stood for the philosophical principle of ´´ all men being equal: race, colour and faith have no meaning, all that counts are one´s intentions and actions.´´ They want to experiment with fabrics. I ve enjoyed wearing it just as is or under a jacket.

I saw variations of the character in previous collections but none for spring/summer 2012. I m pretty sure we haven´t seen the last of him. Till next time !

Tom Ford Olivier Sunglasses

As summer is bound to hit Belgium I discovered Tom Ford sunglasses in the currently raging storm of Ray Ban Eye wear. On a previous search for sunglasses I tried a Tom Ford aviator model and although it felt the best on my face I still went for a pair of Armani´s.

This time round, still being in the back of my mind from the previous experience, I tried the Olivier and the Blake model being more in line with the current trend. As the Blake was too heavy for my face, the Olivier was the way to go. They come in different styles - I only saw one but I liked it : Striped brown, with brown gradient lenses.

Now the interesting part of buying these in a store and not online is that they can still make some slight adjustments to make sure they´re straight on your face and not pressing to hard on the side of your head. They do that by heating them a bit so they can bend em. I wouldn´t recommend trying that yourself. I looked for them online but there was no price difference. I even bargained a bit and got 6 % off. No spectacular deal done there, I know. A plus was the hard case although the fabric is a bit too shiny. The gradient lenses are not so harsh as blacks and people can see your eyes through them when they are talking to you wich is more pleasant for them then starin at 2 black circles on your face. ( GUY HEADS UP : PEOPLE CAN SEE WHERE WE ´RE LOOKIN´ ! You´re welcome, we have to look out for each other right :) )

So to conclude check these babies out and till next time.

@ Jumeirah Beach Dubai