5am je t'aime

Absolutely a Californian Bride in Tadashi Shoji & BCBG!

GABRIelle — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:15:37 +0000

What makes a Californian bride?! A Californian native? A sunny beach wedding? A free style dancing party with Ketty Perry’s music (lol….)? You might have a personal answer in mind. I would say that in my case, I opted for LA fashion designer gowns!!! OH YES!!! The gown searching process has been going on for months and I’m finally feeling relieved because I found my dresses^__^ On top of that, I plan to wear them again and again for the ...

Kok Fati di Custo Barcelona

GABRIelle — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 02:49:54 +0000

As far as I have my heart falling for high-end designer brands, I still keep my secret love for independent and artsy fashion designers. Custo Barcelona is one example. Interestingly, this brand was established by the travel-addict Spanish Dalmau brothers who were inspired by the Californian surfer culture and the psychedelic look.Their prints and pattern design are of the most daring that I’ve ever seen, which reminds me of Missoni, D&G and Versace…Currently based in Spain, they have boutiques all ...

Vera Wang Lavender Shoes/ Lela Rose Dress

GABRIelle — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:44:12 +0000

{Spring has come! Oh la la^__^ I feel so refreshing!} In the past two years, 5amjetaime has covered lots of aspects of fashion, including asian fashion, trend research, street style, fashion jewelry and shoe design. Since now on, 5amjetaime is going to be my wardrobe journal, focusing mainly on my own collection of designer apparel. I hope to share my love for design with all the fabulous girls out there!
Jeweled heels have always been a must-have for me. ...

New Look for 5amjetaime!

GABRIelle — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 02:40:52 +0000

Here’s a quick note to let you all know that 5amjetaime is currently going under construction!! We’ll keep you updated very soon about the new looks and plans about 5amjetaime! In fact, there have been lots of ups and downs in the past few months. I was totally ready for my Milano study trip but eventually ended up staying in San Diego and got a marriage certificate instead (OMG!) Life is full of surprises and you’ll never know what’s come ...

Ciao Milano, 2012!

GABRIelle — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:30:45 +0000

I have not been able to update 5am for a really long time. During the past month, I have been busy wrapping up my project and application for accessory design program at domus academy (my dream school in Milan).I did plan to apply to other design schools but I would have to say shoe design and leather production in Italy is the best on my list and Milano is one of the world centers for fashion & design and I ...

My lovely gift from Loeffler Randall

GABRIelle — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:02:54 +0000

Sometimes you are just lucky probably because of your horoscope says so, and I guess that was what happened when I received a lovely typography catalogue as the 2000 fan on Loeffler Randall’s 2000 facebook fan page. Yes, it was a very artsy catalogue (not a pair of free Loeffler Randall though) with 55 artist’s works presented. Graphic designer and hand typographer Michael Perry has selected work that represents the full spectrum of design methods and styles. It’s light-hearted, humorous ...

Shopping some fab shoe eye candies with Gabbie!

GABRIelle — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:24:31 +0000

Hello darlings! It’s the SALE season again! As we start to receive stocks of fall boots & booties, we are trying hard to promote our summer sandals!!! As some of you may know, I am now working part-time at the shoe paradise ( DSW- designer shoe warehouse), my love for shoes is growing insanely fast. Working at retail is really fun for the moment, especially for me, as an aspiring shoe designer. I get to talk lots of fashion-conscious women ...

Gabbie’s shoe design for Iggy’s B-DAY: Tantissimi auguri, my dear baby sista

GABRIelle — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:16:14 +0000

July 7th is a special day ’cause it’s Iggy’s bday!! I’ve sent her my greetings via text msg, fbook (as she has requested) and now, on 5amjetaime! {To Iggy! thanks for being the best sister in the world! I would be so lost and lonely without you! We are the happiest A-GO-Go sisters (Chicago+San Diego)} Iggy is now working in the beautiful city Chicago and planning to apply to Ph.D program in public health for next year. As workaholic as ...

Raphael Young, the new upcoming shoe superstar

GABRIelle — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:34:59 +0000

Besides Nicholas Kirkwood, Diego Dolcini, Pierre Hardy, Alexandre Birman, Jeffery Campell, Alexander McQueen, Alaia & Kamilla Skoogvard, we are adding one more name on 5amjetaime shoe star list: Raphael Young, the Korean-French shoe designer who just opened his flagship boutique at Paris last year. His design strikes me in terms of it’s architectural form and colors. While every other shoe addict knows the name of big shoe guru designers by heart (such as Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Manolo, Sergio Rossi & ...

California Ocean Breeze & Ayana Designs

GABRIelle — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:20:48 +0000

What another nice Southern California day! Sunny, warm & breezy!! La Jolla shore in June is absolutely fabulous! The colors of ocean, plants & flowers are way too beautiful to capture! I was very lucky to be able to collaborate with Anne from Ayana Designs for jewelry shoots. We picked one of her most stunning statement necklace , Selina necklace and the Claire multi flowers & leaves bracelet to shoot with. Anne creates handmade jewelry that’s part vintage, part ...

It’s the Shoe Time: latest editorials + shoots

GABRIelle — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 22:45:57 +0000

I’m in love with these fabulous shoe styling~ the colors, the mood and the beautiful design of the shoes! Btw, I’ve found out about some new coming shoe designer’s works & I will share with you next time! I’m lagging behind my working schedule now so I’ve got to get back to my desk…Will catch up more later!!!
Stay fit, healthy & glamorous! Happy weekend, darlings!
* move your mouse around the images & the image sources will show ...

Happy Birthday to 5amjetaime & Happy Anniversary to us

GABRIelle — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:26:26 +0000

5amjetaime is officially 1 year old now!!! Happy Birthday!!!

It’s been an amazing and fun time for us! I’ve met wonderful & pretty souls through this blog and we’ve also created great giveaway contests for our readers which I feel so happy to do in return of reader’s love & support. Blogging can be managed as serious business but I am taking it now just as a personal notebook of style, more specifically, jewelry styling and shoe design as ...

Summer giveaway: Vivre burnished amethyst earrings

GABRIelle — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:52:56 +0000

Hello darlings! This is a long overdue giveaway post which I should have been working on. However, recently I’ve been carried away by my design project & my part-time job. Actually, right now at this moment, I’m even more busier with my scholarship application for accessory design program in Milan due within a month. After several years of studying art +fashion history in graduate school, I gradually recognized my real inner calling. Life has opened up lots of chances for ...

Eye candies of fancy carved wedges

GABRIelle — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:13:53 +0000

Ever since I posted my bootie wedge design for the vince camuto shoe design contest, people have asked me if the carved wedge can be really produced and is wearable or not? I would totally say YES!
{DON’T FORGET TO VOTE FOR GABBIE’S DESIGN: click “like” button or share the link or comment!!!}

Shoe design masters Christian Louboutin & Guiseppe Zanotti have both commented the importance of the heel/wedge part of women’s shoes. Louboutin worked a lot ...

Vote for Gabbie’s bottie wedge design for Vince Camuto!!

GABRIelle — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:46:32 +0000

Vote Vote Vote it up for Gabbie’s Fall 2011 Bottie Wedge design!!!
Click the facebook “LIKE” button on the entry here!!!
Vince Camuto, the American women’s footwear designer who is known for co-founding and establishing Nine West has recently launched a Vince Camuto Shoe Design Contest on vincecumato.com. I’ve been a big fan of their craftsmanship and sophisticated design with the European shoe-making tradition and I did give it a try to enter an exclusive Gabbie’s peep-toe bootie wedge for ...

Wish all mamas a happy & sweet mother’s day

GABRIelle — Sat, 07 May 2011 21:43:49 +0000

For this coming mother’s day, I’ve made a pressed flower painting called “Le Jardin de Josephine” for my mom. (Her name is Josephine and she used to have a pretty garden in our house.) Right now is exactly the time which slowly passes through the blooming season and is an absolutely a great season to order freshly pressed flowers (if you are too lazy to press them by yourself like me.) I’ve ordered hundreds of pressed flowers from the ...

SUNINA daydreams in Californian spring

GABRIelle — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 19:20:30 +0000

The newly opened on-line jewelry boutique SUNINA has generously offered me their gemma bangle as a sample. (Thanks Patricia! You are so awesome to work with!) It’s a set of eleven bangles with two gold-plated twist bangles, two gold-plated bead bangle, two cubic zirconia-embellished bangle, one gold-plated dash bangle and four rope fabric twist blush-pink bangle. Playing with them around on my arm was really a fun experience. They are very feminine, modern and chic and can be worn whichever ...

5am Highfive: bling bling love for SUNINA

GABRIelle — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 00:23:14 +0000

My recent jewelry styling obsessions absolutely includes SUNINA, the New & Chic on-line jewelry boutique Sunina which has just launched its newly designed e-shop!
Highfive, fabulous fashionista Sunina ladies from NY!(check their style blog here.)Their shop offers quality curated, hand-selected, and branded jewelry to satisfy the fashion palette of any style connoisseur. Product categories include: Rings, Bracelets, Necklaces, and Beauty items such as a non-surgical face lift mask. Jewels range from $50 to $220 for a 14K rose ...

le noir joue en dos majeur- Fiona Paxton

GABRIelle — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 03:45:41 +0000

Fiona Paxton- the london based trained textile designer has established her namesake accessory brand since 2008. Her pieces are striking hand-beaded jewelry creations. As a globetrotter Fiona has fused her love for Indian artisanship with the iconography of the British punk era she grew up in, conceptual Japanese fashion of the 80s and the German Bauhaus movement. Having worked in New York, London and Bangkok, she consulted for various fashion companies such as Armani, Chloe, Moschino and Michiko Koshino. I ...

Sexy jewelry styling SS11

GABRIelle — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:31:07 +0000

I absolutely can’t imagine how plain these fashion editorials would be without these fab jewelry styling. The absolutely killer looks of layers of necklaces, beads, geometrical forms of earrings, anklets complete these stunningly beautiful SS11 editorial shoots….Pose sexy, JA-CUM-BA!
~ Harper Bazaar Korea April, FASHION May edition with Pamela Love‘s necklace, New Wave magazine, Madison Australia May with Hermes necklace, Vogue Japan April, David Yurman SS11, Vogue Italia April.

~ Daria Werbowy wearing Pamela Love for FASHION may. ...

Fashion Job huntING

GABRIelle — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:31:15 +0000

Job huntING….doesn’t sound super fun, but as for fashion related jobs, it is kinda of fun because you can discover a lot of fashion lines, designers, boutiques and companies that are new to you (at least for me!) I have to admit that I spent more time searching for fashion jobs because I have always been distracted to employer’s websites of beautiful and new fashion lines, works of designers, on-line shops (some LA based e-retailers are really killers! I ...

Bling bling kick’in for SS11

GABRIelle — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:14:14 +0000

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S, yeah
G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S!
* LV/SS11, Roberto Cavalli/SS11, St John/SS11, Swarvoski crystals anklet, Lacoste/SS11 with Anja Rubik, (Gabbie’s pick: Casadei Satin Sandal w/ swarvoski crystals ), Giuseppe Zanotti/SS11 with Anja Rubik(again!)

The glamorous, the glamorous, glamorous
By the glamorous, ooh, the flossy, flossy
The glamorous, the glamorous, glamorous
By the glamorous, ooh the flossy, flossy

Jewelry styling inspirations for spring

GABRIelle — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 02:39:35 +0000

…enjoying the fabulous beach view with several snap shots, taking a sip of cappuccino (most of the time it’s a freshly brewed honey mint green tea) and flipping through some pages of awesome & romantique jewelry styling editorial for this season…I think life is totally a blast!
Luv Aj; hanne gaby odiele for Vogue Korea; Kendra Spears for Allure, April; Abby Lee Kershaw for Portmans Fall2011; Dree Hemingway for numéro.

– join ...

We Heart Japan

GABRIelle — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:49:20 +0000

Besides our warm wishes for Japanese people who suffered during this disastrous earthquake & tsunami, we can also do something by wearing our love support to Japan! Tory Burch‘s new design for Japan relief T-shirt just came out! Ready for Pre-order from today at $29. They will ship as soon as possible!

{We ♥ Japan. 100% of the net proceeds of every Japan Relief T-shirt sold through September 15, 2011, will go to the American Red Cross to benefit ...

La Femme Fatale

GABRIelle — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 21:26:54 +0000

Happy weekend, darlings! Nothing can be more relaxing than picking up your favorite book or magazine, slipping in a beach wear outfit and lying on the beach like a mermaid! Cheers to the gorgeous weather of SoCal!!!
Here is a series of b/w femme fatale champaign from Guess by Marciano from last season to the latest SS11. They just did an excellent job in re-staging Marily Monroe’s charming and killer sexy style. I just totally totally totally got smitten again ...

Lovepray-yoga inspired jewelry spring giveaway

GABRIelle — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:21:43 +0000

So, for me, how does the yoga-inspired jewelry catch my recent attention? Simply put, it combines two of my recent interests together, jewelry design and yoga. After I came back from my asia trip, I tried to going back my yoga classes at corepower yoga (famous for heated yoga practices). {picture: haha, me & my yoga parter look soooooo NOT pro!}

However, I could never explain well my love-hate relationship with yoga. It’s such an useful exercise that helps ...

Some spring looks I would love to work on!

GABRIelle — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:16:25 +0000

Aloha dear friends de 5amjetaime! I’ve been traveling out of California during the past month and was not able to update as much as I could. Anyways, I’ve just came back a few days ago from a sweet Catalina Island trip with my beau to celebrate my birthday and his new job. It was very relaxing, umm…maybe a little bit way too relaxing, I guess.
Life has been rolling on smoothly and I am looking forward to some more surprises ...

Love is in the Air-Spring 2011

GABRIelle — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:49:13 +0000

My makeup artist friend just asked us if we are interested in doing a couple shoot with her recently. She’s not only a makeup specialist but also is now even trying to start her photography studio. I’m always amazed by these talented people in fashion related works!!!
I haven’t been shooting seriously for a while and now I am very excited to give it a try again- and with my bf this time! We are planning a semi-formal couple ...

Santa Lucia in Californian style

GABRIelle — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 04:52:25 +0000

I started 5amjetaime without thinking of showing my real face with readers. I was just aiming for a simple purpose-to exchange my ideas of fashion with other fashionistas. 5amjetaime has been running for half a year now and I gradually wanted to do something different for 2011. I am not only interested in covering Asian related fashion but also every fun happenings around the fashion globe. Now, I would also love to share a bit of fun about my style ...

Window shopping fun in Rome

GABRIelle — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 01:03:48 +0000

I’ve been a diciple of Italian fashion design for a long time. For many people, it is convinced that Milan is the fashion capital of Italy. However, Rome, the eternal city is gradually considered as the fashion capital of haute couture and exquiste boutiques. Milan has famous fashion houses such as Prada, Armani and Versace, while Rome has Sorelle Fontana, Valentino and Gattioni.
My sister went to Rome for her holiday and one of the assignment she got from ...

Antik Batik, the eye-catcher !

GABRIelle — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 05:15:07 +0000

This is a long over-due post for Antik Batik, one of my favorite French bohemian & ethnic style boutiques. I’ve listed their name of my blogging schedule for an extended period of time. Not until I received their happy new year e-card did I remember to post about them. Et voila!

After traveling around the world, cruising the remote area with rich ethnic cultures mostly in Asia, such as Tibet, Bali and the Chinese silk road, the French designer ...

Dresses in Detail- European couture show in LACMA

GABRIelle — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:44:01 +0000

Time flies! It’s already a few days after the NY! Welcome back to 5amjetaime!
I forget if I ever mentioned about my applying to fashion design programs or not…after devoting most of my graduate student life in researching about historical fashion illustrations, I finally came to realize my genuine interest lies in the creative process of design. I am thrilled to know that lots of my good friends are very encouraging and supportive. Anyways, I am starting working hard ...