Versace at H&M Istanbul !!

Life is great....life is fantastic...Versace is great...and with H&M, it's even more fantastic!! What am I blabbering about? Well...through out the whole globe today, Versace with H&M is launching their collaboration and Istanbul's point of sales is strategically closed to me..wow!! So....this is one time I don't mind walking the few kilometers to get my dream pieces. Yeah..I know, its very shallow of me...but hey...the therapy and the exercise would do me good!


For those of you who are too young or too old to know Versace, just go ask Uncle Google, perhaps then you'll understand the significance of Versace, especially its original designer, Gianni Versace. He was a genius...i guess that's why he died young, they all did. The geniuses......Gianni Versace, Steve Jobs, Micheal Jackson.....to name just a few. But today, Gianni's sister, Donatella did a great service to him because most designs launched were mostly archives from his time...thank you, Donatella. What great pieces...what great designs...and what great prices! It was really a feast to the eyes...well..to me, at least. Previously it would be 'breaking a bank' to buy many Versace designs but with the collaboration with H&M, everybody can afford those beautiful collections.

Don't get me wrong, the affordable prices does not mean that they had skimmed on the quality. The quality is almost similar with the usual silk, velvet, leather or other materials in the couture range. In fact, they gave more this time with the beautiful dusting bags for bags, beautiful boxes for shoes and accessories and beautiful garment cover bags for dresses! Its just beautiful and did I mention the carrier bags? Everything is beautiful and I am so lucky to be in Istanbul at this time of the year to be able to collect and buy the pieces.

Why was I lucky? Well....I read every where else, people had to queue overnight to get to buy the pieces. Elsewhere, there were lots of disappointment because most items are sold out. That's why I said that I was lucky. I went to the shop at 10am and got almost everything that I was eyeing for except for the leather jacket and the silk scarf. Thank you God.....I am sooo happy.....

All shots taken in the store were from mobile phones...so that explains the grainy photos, but hey....I was not there to take photos....its just that I couldn't resist not taking the shots he he....see all those colorful items? I was outside of the railings, waiting for the "early birds" to shop during their time slots. The early birds were given tags worn a wrist with different colors. They had 10 mins to shop according to their colors. I and the rest of "late comers" are only allowed in at 1.30pm !!

Ahh.....the jackets that I missed and was sold out by 1pm...sigh! In a way, its good...then I didn't have to spend so much...see..there's a blessing in everything !!

the "late comers" like me had to wait till 1pm to start buying.....see those forlorn and worried faces as they watched the pieces being 'snatched away' by the "early-comers'? ...so near....yet...so far....

the agony of waiting....and praying that there'll still be some left behind for you to choose and buy..arghhh

what lovely colors....what lovely designs....what a temptation....notice how limited the items are....

there goes another group of "early-comers"...I couldn't bear watching so I left the store to calm my nerve down....it was too much...too painful to watch....the diminishing return.....

 

Istanbul also had its share of queuing and stampede but I guess there's nothing to complain about if I compared the situation in other parts of the world. Sure...I was swept off my feet in the stampede, ladies were screaming in the stampede, clothes racks were falling down from the attack by the ladies....and I'm sure some friends ended up being foes after the event but...hey....when you go home, and you take a look at those beauties.....my dear readers...I can assure you...it was all worth  it! At the very least, I now know how to handle a stampede... you don't cross the flow, you just follow the surge. Or...let the drift carry you he he...till you get to where you want to be. Then..you can start to elbow your way in to the spot that you really want. Really..its that simple. Of course, when you are in a stampede..you will start to wonder if you'd ever get out of it alive. One thing for sure...those of you out there who say that women are weak...you definitely had not been caught in a stampede among ladies. They can bring the whole house down if they wanted to...so beware you guys!

I got the leather bag due to luck because it was on the floor. When I got up, the lady next to me said "benim..benim!" meaning "mine..mine!" Of course, I replied back by saying " bilmem...bilmem!" meaning "don't understand..don't understand!"...he he...it pays to be a Yabanci (foreigner) at this moment! Ignorance, they say...is bliss. 

Ahh...feels sooo good...what a a good therapy to chase the winter blues away.....and the items are really beautiful. It has lots of Gianni Versace taste in his favorite pink, turquoise, green, gold and silver colors...just breathtaking....beautiful collections. What lovely day....this has been....I am so bliss-ed! So, how was your day ??

for a start...don't you think the carry bags are lovely? as I said...no quality was forsaken....Versace splurged and optimized its "killer" designs....and the shoppers did the advertisement as they walked away with these gorgeous bags....

safe at home.....I wanted to immortalize the moment...the shopping spree..the stampede..the walk..and to just remember the moment. In my country, there is a saying...."loser at purchase, winner at owning"..i felt triumphed...really!

and...baby pink makes three......love these beauties...unfortunately, some people used this event to make quick bucks on the internet, eBay especially. Within 24 hours, these beauties are being auctioned off at starting price of twice the selling price....  

you call it handbag....I call it "work of Art".....

you call it baby pinkie bag.....I call it "cutie pinkie"......

it may not be of thousand of dollars but...it sure packs lots of fun and excitement as compared to its over-rated and over-priced B****n or L**** V*****n or whatever.....at least you don't look like a grandma when you swing and fling this cutie around.....

gone to sleep....in its sweet duster bags....now...doesn't that lift your spirit up.....a little ?? No..?

you call it scarf...I call it "work of art" and deserve to be on a wall....what do you think, huh ??

Donatella carried this cutie when she went to the launch in London...cool !!

would you believe that this is the garment bag for dresses .... really...

see the cute box to hold the accessories......even the boxes are too pretty to throw away and made good gift items...

this is not just a cushion....to me, it's a Masterpiece...

may your days be as bright and sunny as these bags are....and hope you had fun in sharing my indulgence !!

Maybe the new Italian Monti technocrat government should pool all the Italian designers....whether in fashion, cars or other industries to jointly do what Versace did and launch a similar global events with their respective products globally. Maybe these creative and talented designers should commission their masterpieces and the Italian government and people conduct the event as H&M did. The proceeds can be used to settle their debts and help to speed up recovery of Italy. Perhaps...it is time for the talented and creative Italian designers to do their "National" service to the country. There must be a reason why God pooled almost all the best designers in Italy, don't you think? My 2 cents worth.........

Watch more of the Collections HERE

READ MORE ABOUT THE LAUNCH IN LONDON

The Day Turkey Stood Still for her Father

Today, November the 10th. at exactly 9.05 am, everything and everybody stood still for two (2) minutes! Cars and other vehicles will stop in the streets, loud siren will be blasted and drivers come out of their cars and stood still at attention. Head bowed as if in remembrance and I could swear that I saw tears in some of the eyes around me! Those who remained in their standstill cars would blast their horn for the next two minutes or so. It is so systematic....so in sync and seems so natural and normal. 

I, of course...have been tipped off about the event and had waited right smack in the middle of the road, camera in my hand and waited. I wanted to see this phenomenal event and would not miss it for the world. At first, I thought I was wrongly informed as everything seemed  normal as compared to what i was told. But..true enough...at exactly 9.05am, there was a siren and miraculously......everything stopped and stood still. Drop dead...zilch! I truly believed that I was the only one moving about  as I took my shots.

 So..what is so special about today? Well...for the last 73 years, since 1938.....Turkey remembers and pay tribute to her Father of Modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk. You see, 73 years ago, Kemal Ataturk breathed his last breath at exactly 9.05am in one of the rooms  in The Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul. It was alleged that when he was drawing his last few breath, the Navy sailed passed the Palace as a final salute to their great Leader. Now, every year, at 9.05am on 10th November, Turkey will stand still for few minutes in loving remembrance of this Great Man, Leader, Father, Visionary ..... and all flags will be at half mast in his honour. 

Getting ready to lower the flag to half mast......and this is just a shopping centre !!

this man is getting ready ...even though the siren has not started, and so is the man in the background....getting out of his car..

Siren blaring and eveybody at a stand still.....paying homage and respect to their 'Father'......the horns are blaring, too !

Everything stopped.....!!!

Some still chosed to stand still even after the siren......note that they are all of various generations....young, kids and old alike...

the guy in white might be too young to know Ataturk....but from the look of it, he must truly love him,too.....

Whether at the Anıtkabir Mausoleum or on the Bosporus Bridge, people remembered the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, on the 73rd anniversary of his death. 
(Text and Photo: Today's Zaman, Kürşat Bayhan, Nov. 10th. 2011)

a solitary half mast flag for Turkey's Father.....

a half mast flag and Ataturk's monument near my house...

I am not an authority or good enough to write about Kemal Ataturk but I hope someday, I'll gather enough strength and courage to write about this phenomenal man who brought Turkey to its greatest height and had shaped Turkey to be what it is today. Turkey has become a model and symbol of progressive and modern (Islamic) Nation and is a 'Big Brother' to turn to for many of the Arab and African Nations. Sure...the Ottoman empire was already powerful and successful but Kemal Ataturk brought Turkey up when it was on a brink of collapse due to the foreign occupancy at that time.

Kemal Ataturk  lost his father at a very young age and as such...took it upon himself to take care of his mother and sister. He was already playing a fatherly role at such tender age and continue to become the Father to the Nation not long after. He was a Visionary  and was able to steer Turkey into a Nation to be proud of at home and Internationally. He didn't just go to war but upon victory....set up the language (sometimes borrowing from other European languages), introduced the usage of surname...he even gave some surname to the people, change the writing from Arabic to Roman alphabet, even changed the way they dress up, the way they eat....and got rid of the Canon Law (Fatwa) and many many other changes and advancement. He also got rid of all the 'titles' and made everybody simply Bey (Mr.) or Hanim (Ms.) And...everything he did has got nothing to do with popularity drive or gimmicks. He was just building the character, integrity and self esteem of the Turkish people.

And he took the surname Ataturk...meaning....The Father. And that exactly...was what he was to them! If there is a leader who really loves his people...Kemal Ataturk is the man. Everything he did, he did it for Turkey. The BIG difference between Ataturk and other leaders of the world was....other leaders of the world were and are too busy building a Dynasty. While Ataturk was too busy building a Nation. Too busy was he...that he died without a wife (tho' he was married briefly but divorced and not because he was not good looking. He was very handsome !) , without an offspring and almost without an asset. He however, had several adopted children and one adopted daughter became a millitary pilot and the Sabiha Gokcen Airport was named after her. 

He was truly a GREAT man and i can't find the right word to describe to you just how much the people love him. I, too...love him. Go read the book ' Ataturk by Andrew Mango' and perhaps you will understand how I could fall in love with this man as did millions of other Turks. His was the only biography where I cried when the hero died.  But then again..this is not just a hero...this is KEMAL ATATURK!  

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk......Leader Extrordinaire....this image is found almost everywhere in Turkey

Always immaculately attired, Ataturk taught and insisted that his people must always be well-groomed and properly attired. You can see the effect of this as Turks (especially the ladies) are always well coiffured and attired, even when they were performing the Haj. the Truks are almost always smartly dressed...

don't you think that he looks like Clark Gable? ( Last three images are taken from Google Images.)

Perhaps now...you can understand why I saw tears in some of those eyes today. I know that I have this lump in my throat as I write this piece and as I remember this GREAT man who gave everything for his people and his selfless sacrifices. May God bless your soul always, Kemal Ataturk......Seni Cok Seviyorum !!!

" The centuries rarely produced a genius. 

   Look at this bad luck of ours that great genius of our era 

   was granted to the Turkish Nation. "  

    David Lloyd George , UK Prime Minister 1922

" This Nation has never lived without independence. 

   We cannot live and shall not live without it.

   Either independence or death. "  

   Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

READ MORE OF THE CEREMONY HERE