Frenchman Stephane Mesnil knows quality very well….he is surrounded by it. His exotic skin cuffs and hairbands are not only excellently and painstakingly made over a few days but are also shockingly well-priced! Incidently Stephane has been making exotic skin cuffs and watchstraps from his workshop over the past decade and has an active private label business for international brands.

Crocodile cuffs for just $99 are one the highest priced items in his collection at Q. And if you do not like croc (why?), try stingray (shagreen), pony hair or ostrich leg cuffs all available in a festive riot of colours from citrus green, tangerine orange and cherry red to opaque black and sombre brown. The cuffs like the hairbands come in a few widths so you can wear one on its own or with a companion cuff of another thickness.

News Flash from Q: The Morning After Bag (MAB) and its mini me - the MAB Mini is in-stock for all its die-hard fans who have shown that it is more than a flash-in-the-pan, “It” bag of the moment…here today and gone tomorrow…   Named very cheekily by Rebecca as a party girl’s bag that can take you from day to night and then day again with nary a visit home to change into new duds or even brush your teeth! The extremely capacious  bag can hold everything including a toothbrush and a very tiny kitchen sink – though we haven’t tested that cliché yet!

So if you have one MAB and want another OR if you are an MAB newbie we offer a colour palette sure to satisfy…espresso, mocha, tomato, sage, eggplant, evergreen, midnight blue – makes you feel like you’re listening to Simon and Garfunkel c. The Graduate. Get tomorrow’s classic today at Q!

We always knew Canadians had a great sense of humour…Jim Carrey, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, John Candy and Lorne Michaels (the creator/writer of Saturday Night Live). With that sort of comic heritage, Vancouver-based Cajo’s range of products lives up to and surpasses expectations. I am pleased to tell you that my favourite range of small purses and passport holders are now in stock…but subject to dwindling numbers as we speak!

If all you need in the morning or at any time of the day is a daily dose of good humour then check out Cajo’s Passport Holders which say….Bad Hair Day, Upgrade Me, Jetset, Your Jet or Mine…or their fluorescent purses with taglines like…Daddy’s $, Play $, Casino $, Shoe $, Spa $ or their super funky pill boxes which say…My Happy Pills, My Chill Pills, Highly Medicated, Drugs, My Crazy Pills…Great for gifting for oneself or ones’ pals.

When at Pacific Plaza grab a meal at Cream Bistro – one of the friendliest places in town. My faves: Spaghetti Goreng - if you love spicy food, otah sandwich – inventive and delicious, tofu salad  - when I feel virtuous and T’s fave the Tonkatsu Sandwich which she says is simply delish!

What can one say about Kenneth Jay Lane…an ex-shoe designer for Dior, a sell-out at Saks, a guest at Truman Capote’s see-and-be-seen Black and White Ball. Lane is probably the best-known costume jeweller in the US with an illustrious list of clients who ushered him to recognition, including stylish Jackie O – remember the infamous pearls…Liz Taylor, Diana Vreeland and Audrey Hepburn all of whom were photographed draped in his faboulous “baubles’.

Current fans include the Olsen twins, Paris, Jessica Simpson, Misha Barton and Britney. Singapore fans are lining up at Q to get the bangles, necklaces and truly fabby rings all in limited stock.  Trivia: His pieces are now considered by many as collectible as precious gems, with vintage pieces selling at Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Doyle New York.

THE label to watch in the US, Alexis Hudson was launched in 2005 and named very enigmatically after the two designers’ daughter Alexis and puppy dog Hudson respectively…T and I discovered this label last year and immediately ordered it for Q. We were thrilled by the unusual bag shapes as well as each bag’s subtle yet thoughtful design elements such as hidden magnetic closures, penholders, adjustable straps, key chain clasps and plenty of room for all the important things a busy girl totes around.

Yet, the bags remain both luxurious and fashion-forward. Our customers love the brand – we were completely sold-out with our first order….

This under-the-radar brand delivers…and is destined to stand the test of time thanks to its ability to adapt to and transform an individual’s style without changing her personality. We have a selection of clutch and versatile shoulder bags at Q. 

We love these patent pending light-up-from-within handbags. Yes, just insert two double A batteries and every time you snap your bag open the bag, it lights up! No more fumbling for keys and key holes, loose change or your cell phone says designer Kara Kurtz who mixes spirituality with engineering know-how in each of her bags.

And to prove that the bags are much more than a gimmick fans like Minnie Driver, Scarlett Johannsen, Fergie and Cameron Diaz have found that the bags are also tres versatile: they sport removeable straps that double as necklaces or a shoulder day bag that transforms into an evening clutch, by simply removing the straps!  

Mix and match, pile it on and pile it high. One of our favourite brands Vita is back in town with its sensational SS08 Collection. And how much do we love it…let me count the ways

1. The choice of styles: bamboo, mock croc, double wraps, mock snake, crystal, and of course the old fave its signature links.

2. The vast colour palette from the muted taupes, blacks and browns (T’s fave) to the screaming cocktail shades of indigos, fuchsia, green, gold, shimmering silver (my mouth is watering).

And best of all, to me, the pieces are so well made – Vita is hand-crafted in Italy by a prized Florentine design group that has manufactured accessories for fashion greats like Gucci, Fendi and Ferragamo and is 24k gold-plated. Designed by Cynthia Sakai the line is both wearable and stylish and is popular with the LA in-crowd of Lindsay Lohan, Hayden Panettiere, Jessica Alba, Cameron Diaz, Katherine Heigl and Kate Hudson. Asian fashionistas all know that Vita was the hottest brand at Kitson and Intermix and is also sold in over 1000 retailers worldwide including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Henri Bendel and Fred Segal and is regularly featured in dozens of magazines including InStyle, Vogue, Elle, and People. 

We love Tango handbags…they are original in every sense of the word…meticulously-made of luxurious leathers and world-sourced embellishments, made with unsurpassed craftsmanship and exuding a totally funky yet sumptuous vibe. Carry a Tango bag and you will have women (and men) asking you about it – so say our customers.

The owners/designers/spouses of this 13-year old line claim that the Tango woman is an enigma…cultured and well-travelled, refined and responsible, sexy and exotic, romantic and whimsical, sensuous, passionate and full of life, yet humble and at times even shy and reserved. She lives completely in the moment, yet she is timeless in her own way. A description, by the way, which defines almost all our Q customers. The Tango collection includes bags of all sizes and styles of embellishment from small beaded evening to hobo-style leather shoulder bags. A limited number of styles are hand-crafted for each collection.

We love it….Jessica Kagan Cushman went against the big boys and won her own kind of validation. Jessica, an indie cult jewellery designer selling US$2,000+ mammoth ivory cuffs inscribed with witty phrases was considering legal action against Chanel after spotting similar bracelets from the fashion house, according to a report in the New York Times last May. The irony says Jessica is that Chanel is always at the forefront of protecting its own designs!

What Jessica did next: She created a resin cuff hand-engraved with the phrase “Ripped off by Chanel” and also wrote Chanel a letter asking them to hire her if they like her designs so much! Cool karmic reward…the “Ripped off by Chanel” bangle has become a coveted item and is said to sell for more than the retail price on Ebay. I looked it up and found over 15 bidders trying to win a single bangle! It is a limited edition and available at Q.

What else: Jessica used the ancient sea-faring art of scrimshaw (tattooing on whale bones) to create orginigoial hand-engraved fossilised woolly mammoth ivory bracelets selling at USD1, 650 each. We, at Q, lucked out she also produces the line on high-quality resin at a fraction of the price. The sport cool phrases…Bite Me (love it!). Never, never, never give up, Do you know who I am?…the list like her creativity is endless.