Going to the supermarket isn't everybody's favourite pastime. But recently I discovered that it actually can be enjoyable. During my wanderings through the luxurious Siam Paragon fashion mall in Bangkok I ended up in the basement 'Gourmet Market'.

Hundreds of square meters of supermarket, endless corridors dedicated to one or two products in all their variety. Fresh vegetables from every corner of the world, all sorts of rice, not to mention the curries. At the butcher's corner the choices are endless. An infinity of foreign cheeses is to be found in the fresh food corner. Elsewhere, sushi, mango with sticky rice and fresh juices are being prepared in front of your eyes. Whatever your taste buds desire, can be found here.

Add in good service, superb hygiene, few customers and no lines at any of the checkouts, and you have the perfect recipe for an effortless gourmet food shopping afternoon which is all about quality and exclusiveness. Even my packed cart looked stylish and got me without blushing through the chic beauty department on the first floor, to buy that Dior lipstick I tried earlier…

The 'Pettmall' at Gourmet Market.
Skirts, dresses, even leather jackets with (fake) fur trimming for
your little dog, to be worn with glamorous chains and 'dog bijoux'.

This season's fashion is one big 'mini story'. On the international catwalks of Milan, Paris, London and New York bottom-skimming tops were shown with nothing but a pair of strangely shaped, though alluring shoes with striking high heels. It sometimes even seemed as if the designers had simply forgotten to provide their mannequins with a decent pair of pants or a skirt to wear.

One of the top designers admitted, as a matter of fact, that she did very much like the tops she had designed but that she was not that crazy about the bottoms, so she decided to leave them out. The result is… hum… kind of nude. Especially if you consider that last winter's beloved leggings are so out! Only a pair of minuscule shorts can spare the wearer's blushes, and they at least allow one to sit down without showing an eyeful of underwear.

Amuleti J S/S 2007

Dsquared2 S/S 2007

Antonio Marras S/S 2007

All images below (post 31): Balizza by Stefano Guerriero FW 2007-8

I cannot remember a winter as mild as these months in Milan. The sun is shining every day, temperatures lie around fifteen degrees Celsius (or even higher) and trees are blossoming. As are the store windows.

Last Monday I admired the beautiful decoration, dedicated to Viktor & Rolf, of the Rinascente shopping mall, formed by thousands of (fresh?) flower bouquets in delicate colours. Why, o why did I not bring my camera? When I went back on Thursday (this time armed with camera), the store windows had changed…

These pictures luckily made up for the loss of what would have been a beautiful shot.

I have something with eye make-up (you might have noticed it!). So when I was invited at the shu uemura presentation to see chief make-up artist Yumiko Yamamoto 'in action', I accepted the invitation with both hands.

'Butterfly', make-up artist Yumiko Yamamoto, shu uemura

With Japanese grace, ease and savoir faire Yumiko - who regularly collaborates with Alexander McQueen and Burberry - realized in less than half an hour, a colourful 'butterfly' maquillage. Of course, I loved the long fantasy lashes. But what struck me most, was the fact that she did not consider the eye brows as the limit for the eye make-up. 'Make-up is like painting', she explained to me. 'It's an art'.

I love her music. I think it's sunny, sweet, relaxing, warm, sophisticated. As was her concert last night in the 'Rolling Stone', Milan. A lovely performance in a little girl's pink dress. I loved 'Like a star' and 'Put your records on', but I think her voice was particularly beautiful and powerful when she sang Led Zeppelin's 'Since I've been loving you'. I managed to take some valid shots, even if the light was not that great.

Corinne bailey rae in concert in Milan