Tag: Fashion

My Customized Ferragamo Shoes That I Don’t Plan To Buy Yet

Here at Finance MD, I advocate investing and smart spending. However, the reason why we have to manage our finances wisely is to ultimately enjoy the fruits of our labor.

One good way to spend your labor’s fruits is to buy some really cool high quality brand name shoes. It would be nice if you can customize and personalize them too. If you read further, there’s an arbitrage opportunity in these shoes somehow.

Here’s my own customized, personalized Salvatore Ferragamo shoe – that I don’t plan to buy yet. 

Customized Ferragamo shoes for thefinancemd
Fruits of Investment? Customized Salvatore Ferragamo driver shoe for thefinancemd.com (see the inscription above). Calfskin driver shoe in Ultramarine with metallic Cherry hardware and Cherry soles. Image created at ferragamo.com

 

Want to create your own customized, personalized Ferragamo driver shoes? The best part is you don’t actually need to buy it, if you don’t want to. Here’s how!

 

Continue reading My Customized Ferragamo Shoes That I Don’t Plan To Buy Yet

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With a Heavily Faked CDG Play Heart

Imitation is the best form of flattery. I’m sure this does not apply to trademarks and other intellectual properties. The Comme Des Garcon “GDG” Play line of apparel and accessories – specially the ones with the “heart face” – has been around for many years (since 1999 actually). However, it is only in recent months when I have seen a heavy presence of these CDG Play shirts.

CDG Play Heart
The Commes Des Garcon “CDG” Play heart – Loved by consumers. Loved by counterfeiters. Image by Comme Des Garcon

 

Unfortunately, most of what I see are fakes.  Continue reading With a Heavily Faked CDG Play Heart

(Re)Born This Way: The Importance of Brand Reinvention

The image of a product, company, organization or individual might get tarnished, outdated, or irrelevant. This is when brand reinvention becomes necessary. When Lady Gaga received a standing ovation from Hollywood A Listers after she sang “The Sound of Music” medley at the Academy Awards, many observers saw that as the culmination of her reinvention.

Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga “Sound of Music” tribute at the 87th Academy Awards. Gif by micdotcom of Tumblr from the Oscar telecast

 

When a brand loses a significant part of its relevance, fan base, or income – just like what Lady Gaga experienced in recent years – reinvention becomes necessary.  Continue reading (Re)Born This Way: The Importance of Brand Reinvention

Debt Crisis: Greece May Be Bankrupt, But at Least Hermes Made a Bag Out of its Flag

Eurozone ministers are gathered in Brussels today to determine the fate of Greece in the Eurozone, and by consequence, the fate of the Euro itself. Greece may be bankrupt (according to its Finance Minister), but it is the only country that can boast of having a Hermes bag made out of the image of its flag.

 

eu greece flags
European Union and Greek flags near the Parthenon in Athens. Image from bloomberg.com

 

The recent tensions began when the left-wing and anti-bailout Syriza party assumed power in Greece this January. Continue reading Debt Crisis: Greece May Be Bankrupt, But at Least Hermes Made a Bag Out of its Flag

Love All Kinds of Love: Did Bench Create a Fake Controversy With its Gay Couple Billboard Ad?

The “Love All Kinds of Love” ad campaign by Bench (a Philippines’ based clothing brand) is heating up social media with its “defaced” billboard featuring a gay couple. Was the billboard vandalized? Was the billboard censored? or Did Bench marketing staff do the defacing themselves to generate controversy? Is other words, is #PaintTheirHandsBack just an elaborate gimmick?

The Philippines is home to more than 100 million people, so there must be a lot of gay people in the country. Fashion is also one of the industries that seem to be gay tolerant. Bench, a Philippines based clothing brand that now has an international presence, unveiled its ad campaign just in time for Valentine’s. The campaign, titled “Love All Kinds of Love”, featured platonic love between a grandmother (veteran Filipina actress Gloria Romero) and her grandson, and romantic love between straight, gay and lesbian couples.

This was the gay couple ad photo. It features Vince Uy and Nino Gaddi Continue reading Love All Kinds of Love: Did Bench Create a Fake Controversy With its Gay Couple Billboard Ad?

Men in Capes: Will the Trend Make a Comeback?

Capes as worn by men, had been around for a long time and had been in and out of fashion every now and then. Are they due for a comeback any time soon? Will you invest in one?

Women have always been able to wear capes in a normal setting. But if you’re a man; unless you’re Batman, Superman or going to any type of cosplay gathering, a cape will probably make you look silly.

In Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” video, we actually see a man in a cape. The video is set in present time. However, I doubt if anybody actually walks their dogs dressed like that.

Taylor Swift and Sean O'pry in Blank Space video
You have Taylor Swift, Sean O’Pry in a tux, three Dobermans, a palatial mansion, and yet the wind-blown cape steals the show. Image by mtv.com from the Blank Space music video

 

Nobody has identified what brand the cape is (but many have posted that Taylor is wearing an Elie Saab gown, see related post about Elie Saab here). I checked some shopping websites (ok just one – lyst.com) to see if a cape similar to the one above is available.

 

Here’s what I found: Continue reading Men in Capes: Will the Trend Make a Comeback?

Fashion: Is There Such a Thing as an Investment Piece?

Since the focus of this blog is investments, I’ll post about what fashionistas call as “investment pieces”. From a perspective of an investor and not a fashionista, do these things really exist?

Fashion pundits throw the term “investment pieces” as if they were Jordan Belfort  – played by Leo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street – throwing money off a yacht.

Leonardo DiCaprio throwing money off a yacht in The Wolf of Wall Street
Because “luxury” confetti is so much more expensive. Image by popsugar.com from scenes of the movie The Wolf of Wall Street.

 

How do fashionistas qualify an item as an “investment piece”? Continue reading Fashion: Is There Such a Thing as an Investment Piece?