Inside the whimsical world of Alejandra Quesada

Over a month ago I had the chance of interviewing Mexican fashion designer Alejandra Quesada, who runs her namesake label. We talked about a new collaboration for mass market brand "Sister", likely to hit stores early September.

For this new project she worked with Sister's head designer Nancy Rojo. Together, they even showed me some of the project's early sketches and samples.

As a reporter I have no likes or dislikes towards her work, but as an individual who enjoys fashion, I LOVE her designs. Whimsical is the word that best describes her creations. Since its inception in 2006, every single season Quesada delivers childish-inspired, playful, colorful and joyful pieces. Everyone of her pieces tells a whole story, whether it's inspired by opposite feelings like love and hate or the mistery behind a fig tree.

We talked at her studio-ateliér, a place that is as whimsical as her clothes. Color everywhere and the craziest inspirations, all of them wonderful.

Quesada, 29, has worked for Tata Naka, Isabel Marant and even Alexander McQueen and yet she is one of the few Mexican designers that has accomplished to create a well-defined, identifiable style that keeps on evolving with out losing her touch, which includes the usage of hand-made embroidery and fantastic creatures.

She has worked with Mexican Latin Grammy-winning singer Natalia Lafourcade to create prints and recently she styled the singer for her new music video "No viniste". Enjoyed to see a whole music video with her clothes. But I particularly loved seeing Lafourcade wearing the rainbow collar shirt from Quesada's Autumn-Winter 2010 collection (go to the 1.48 mark).

Within just four years, Quesada has turned her name into a respectable label. She has not only evolved in the fashion scene, but also as a whole entrepeneur. She now sells at Japan, she managed to introduced (at least for one season) her line to Palacio de Hierro -Mexico's biggest luxury department store chain-, she also created a limited edition line for Colombian shoe brand Dieppa Restrepo and recently designed the uniforms for Aeromexico, one of the country's biggest airlines.

I was pleased to have talked not only to a designer that is fully aware of the rough road that independent designers have to go on their own but also to a mature entrepeneur. (She is even selling through Facebook) No doubt she has gone a step further... and that makes young Quesada to stand out from the rest of her Mexican colleagues.

K is for Kidada

Hello everybody. Time for a whimsical timeless piece., part of the Kidada for Disney Couture jewlery line.

This is the Tinkerbell tresure chest. While I am not a big fan of Tinkerbell I am a big fan of cute things. And while its heavy, its worth... Once you open it you get to read a little "Tink was here" and see a lot of Swarovski crystals.

The line, created by the daughter of music producer Quincy Jones, is said to be inspired by Disney classical pieces, from Snow White to more recent ones like "The Princess and the Frog". The whole line has been donned by stars like Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan and from now on it will be around my neck.

Pixie dust...

M.A.C. Rodarte won't be released in Mexico

After all the turmoil of what I truly see as misunderstanding, M.A.C. Cosmetics announced today that they won't be releasing their limited M.A.C. Rodarte collection in Mexico, home of violent bordertown of Ciudad Juarez.

"The decision of not releasing the this collection in Mexico is one more opportunity to amend our mistake as well as showing our respect and solidarity to the women and girls of Juárez and their families,"John Demsey, president of MAC Cosmetics, said Tuesday in a press release.

The decision came after a second meeting between MAC executives and Mexican authorities, including the National Comission for Preventing and Erradicating the Violence Against Women (CONAVIM).

For me this is sad, given that both M.A.C. and the Mulleavy sisters have already apologized for the situation that started when they disclosed the names of the upcoming collaboration, which included things like "Bordertown", "Juarez", "Quinceanera" and "Ghost Town".

Despite the many apologies, a change of the names and the announcement of a new initiative by M.A.C. that will benefit the women of violence plagued Juarez, the sensibilities were bigger.

The company announced that the decission "will not interfere with the comitment of M.A.C. to make a donation to local organizations that work towards the improvement of the life of women and girls" in the Mexican city.

The most important and alarming thing is that the company highlighted that "the plans for the international release of this campaign are still being examinated by a commitee comprised by executives" from M.A.C.

T is for Tatei

I am such a fan of everything cute, from kawaii things like Hello Kitty to cupcakes and even the little Japanese anime characters.

My heart was like beating off my chest when one day I was walking in the Bohemian neighborhood of Colonia Roma in Mexico City. All of a sudden I spotted a store that looks like everything but a clothing store. But one thing is for sure: it is a whimsical place, seemed to be taken out from Candy Land.

At first it looked like a fancy bakery store -without cakes- . The open white space with touches of neon pink light and containers keeping little handmade cushions with images of cute lilttle things and playful characters in the range of fruits, cupcakes, cookies and ice-creams with smiling faces, made me think of a candy store.

But then I noticed a girly cushion, a girly sofa and... girly clothes. Yes, it was the store for Tatei, a Mexican brand with a super kawaii touch. The brand could be easily mistaken for a Japanese one due to its playful, colorful and girly designs. But luckily for us, is Mexican.

I own some pieces, most of them accesories, and every single one of them offers something unique since they all have handmade touches like sequins appliqués or homemade neon splatters. I love their playful scarves and I fell in love with their colorful tags.

Tatei, which means "mother" in the Huichol dialect, was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Most of their pieces and its chilidish approach can appeal to every women - and risky boys- that want to add a funny touch to their wardrobe.

The best: they are all cheap. $20 USD is the average price of an item but I have found scarves for just $7 on sale.

I fell in love with the white t-shirt with the smiling face...

To learn more about this über kawaii Mexican brand, go to Tatei´s website

Think pink...

Today I had a blast when one of my colleagues in the office gave me the August issue of italian Marie Claire. I could not believe it he just came back from Italy, where he spent some days after covering the FIFA World Cup in South Africa..

The magazine came in a fiucsia metallic wrap announcing "IN REGALO IL LIBRO DELLE SFILATE". Basically it highlights the F/W 2010 collections.

And besides that bonus, Marie Claire Italy looks so different from its Mexican siblling. The cover is so clean, so edgy, so different...

I just loved the fact that it matched my desk. I think im just lucky to have to flip thru glossy magazines as part of my job. Just love it!

Love pink, think pink...

Yes I have a pair of old-school 3D glasses sitting on my desk.

More fashion for fanpires

OMG!!! This is a good one.

Twilight frenzy has been around for a little while and the marketing sorrounding the phenomenon of sparkling vampires and bulky werewolves seems non-stopping. Twilight inspired fashion might be funny, a little edgy and I items like t-shirt with phrases like "team Edward" or "I like boys who sparkle" might add a fun touch to any wardrobe, but underwear is like too much.

My jaw literally dropped when I learned, through the Guardian, that British retailer Marks&Spencer will be releasing a men's underwear collection inspired by British hottie Robert Pattinson. For real?

Under the name "R-pant", the low-rise briefs and trunks line is envision as one to be worn with skinny jeans an trousers. It is slated to hit shelves in September.

To me it sounds like a cheap strategy to attract consumers. But according to Richard Beale, head of merchandising of M&S, "The new range is designed to appeal to a younger, fashion-savvy customer." Which could be easily translated into: aimed for hardcore fans of the saga, aka as Twi-hards.

Would you buy it? Me?... Yes. But just as an object of study. I do not feel shame to admit than I am a fanpire and that I play on the Team Edward side, but even for me this is too much.

Besides the stardom issues, what does it take to inspire underwear? Rob is hot, sexy and all the blah, blah, blah qualifications that a teen idol needs. But unlike other stars like David Beckham, Kellan Lutz and soccer sensation Cristian Ronaldo, Robert does not have a well-shaped body and from pictures I could say he would not fill a pair of briefs? So, what's the inspiration?

Not having a bulk type of body myself I can handle the lack of a well-shaped anatomy but what really gets me is the fact that we all have seen Robert and, well, he does not always look, let's say, so clean. So thinking in a not-so-clean guy and undies sounds like EWWW!!!

Sad thing is that the only thing we know first-hand that the actor can inspire won't be around since Pattinson won't be part of the campaign, despite reports that he has been seen in the aisles of M&S shopping for undies.

Katy Perry confirms fragrance. Would you wear it?

We all saw this one coming and now is official. Singer Katy Perry is stepping into the fashion industry.

But don't panick, for the moment you won't see any gowns with LED lights, a carrousel-shaped skirt or watermelon jumpsuits in stores. However you will smell like a kitten since Perry will be launching "Purr", her first fragrance in November.

The perfume, which will sell in $45, will be available in Nordstrom and the store's website.

Perry told WWD that "I saw a lot of my peers getting into this world, and, as with my music, I thought I could bring my touch to the category and make it competitive."

The "California Gurls" singer is aware that she has a long way to go in a sea of smells that feature names like Beyoncé, Britney, Mariah Carey, Kim Kardashian, Jessica Simpson and even Eva Longoria. Perry says, after a year of secrecy on the project, that "what I’m bringing is not like any other”

“It wasn’t just like, ‘I love gardenias.’ That would have been the easy route. I really wanted to develop a scent that was completely unlike anything I’d smelled before and not one that smelled like a knockoff of another scent,” she told.

And so she got to work and poured top notes of peach nectar, forbidden apple and green bamboo here. A heart of jasmine blossom, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose, there and finally she added a drydown of vanilla orchid, white amber, creamy sandalwood and musk and voila!!!... "Purr" was born...

Oh, but obviously she had to put the new elixir in a container and so she came up with a real groundbreaking concept for the fragrance's bottle, which will be cat-shaped with bejeweled eyes and metallic accents -a little bit Kimora, I'd say.

Given these all and her funny sense of "style" would you wear Katy's perfume?