Travel In Style | Luxury Luggage By Henri Bendel

For those of us who love travel, luxurious and fashionable luggage is a must. Henri Bendel offers chic luggage options and our pick is the Disturbed Stripe collection. This beautiful luggage collection featuring Bendel's signature chocolate brown and white stripes with a flirty twist is made of coated canvas and is trimmed in caviar texture Italian leather. For more information click here. Copyright ©2010 Haute Mimi International LLC. All rights reserved.

Accessories Report | Le Pliage by Longchamp

I've spotted hundreds of fashionistas on the street with the Le Pliage bag by Longchamp. It is a chic way to carry all your whole life. The Le Pliage makes a great school bag as well as laptop bag. They come in 12 ultra sophisticated colors and the best part about these fabulous totes is that you can literally fold them up and store them in a smaller bag or suitcase. Making them perfect for travel as well. For more information click here.

Copyright ©2009 Haute Mimi International LLC. All rights reserved.

Florence City Guide: Shop, Play, Taste

“In Paris, you learn wit, in London you learn to crush your social rivals, and in Florence you learn poise.” - Virgin Thomson

What to Buy:

What to Buy: Fall in love with jewelry from Pointe Vecchio, a bridge famous for it's architecture and hanging shops. There are a variety of different styles and a reasonable range of prices. Bellini is a charming jewelry shop named after my favorite cocktail (a bellini consists of Italian Prosecco wine and peach juice). Here you will find statement pieces made out of silver and gold. Dainty Florentine Fleur-do-Lis earrings are an ideal gift. A little luxury goes a long way.

Florence is the leather capital of Italy. Great deals on leather goods can be found everywhere. Walk around a couple shops and browse through prices before making a purchase.


Where to Eat: Trattoria Za Za: From Ben Affleck, beautiful models, and Italian locals, this restaurant is one of the best in Florence. If you tire of pasta, they serve up a delicious chicken and truffle sauce dish that won't leave you feeling guilty. Authentic Italian food with a warm, inviting ambiance. Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 26r tel: +39 (0) 55 215 411





Where to Play: Astor: This posh, cosmopolitan bar plays fashion show coverage on two big screens all night long. Mix and meet beautiful people from all around the world. Located right by the Duomo. Hard to miss.




What to Drink: Chianti wine is a must-have. Made in the Tuscan region, this native drink can be paired perfectly with a Florentine meal.



What to See: Michelangelo's David is an artistic marvel. The sheer size and precision of realism is absolutely astonishing. David is perfection in statue form. Sadly pictures are not allowed, but you will remember that image for the rest of your life. David is found in the Accademia Museum.




Where to Save: The Mall: Premium outlets right outside of Florence. Find La Perla lingerie, Gucci, and Fendi merchandise up to 50 percent off.

Who What Wear TV: Traveling chic

Who Do You Think You Are?

It’s a very forward approach. I know. But it’s the first question I ask designers and boutique owners when I’m trying to help them develop their brands. It’s a very basic question which you should ask yourself as well because in essence we are our own brands and always in the business of selling ourselves. The answer may surprise you and believe me it will help you develop your own personal style. It’s like when I go shopping with my favourite girl pal and she sees a pink chiffon number with intricate beading on the bodice and shrieks, “Mimi that dress was made for you.” You’ll get the same effect if you define and stay true to what your style is all about. By picking specific styles, colours and detailing which suits your personality as well as other important factors such as your body type, skin tone and most of all preference. I’ve picked four characters of which most girls will fall into, and what their style secrets are. The Beauty Queen, The Socialite, The Mod Professional and The Voyageur. Which category do you fit into?

The Beauty Queen:
The “Beauty Queen” is the type of girl who loves the latest in makeup and beauty trends, and lives for the Global Goddess cosmetics collection. She wants her clothing to be understated yet fun so that her beauty can really be the focal point. She fills her closet with simple pieces in neutral colours like mod mini dresses in white, charcoal and black paired with knee high boots and a flowy chiffon baby doll dress. She prefers large crystal earrings to catch and reflect light onto her face. She won’t be caught dead without a stellar tan and knows that a little body shimmer goes a long way. The beauty queen loves peacock greens and blues for both her makeup and clothes. Her ultimate style inspiration is Aishwarya Rai.

The Socialite:
The socialite is the girl who’s always in the spotlight. She may not be the most beautiful in the room but people swarm to her like bees to honey because she has great style, wit and lots of charm. The socialite depends on her clothing to give her look that extra pizzazz. Her mantra is: more is always better. She loves bright colours, fun prints and most of all lots of dazzle whether it is from her Swarovski embellished top or her sparkling diamond necklace. Everyone wants to know what the socialite will wear next; she’s always surprising them by wearing cocktail dresses in the day or pairing velvet smoking jackets and family heirloom with her favourite Seven jeans.
The socialite leaves everyone on their toes hence her favourite colours are bold, hot pinks, lime green and her all time favourite, show stopping red. Although the socialite has an out of this world dress sense she always manages to keep it polished and sophisticated. Her style icon is Shoba De.

The Mod Professional:
The Mod Professional is the girl who wouldn’t dare waste a minute on frivolous matters. She’s too into climbing that corporate ladder and from the way she puts herself together, everyone knows the girl means business. She stocks up on her designer suits, which by the way are tailored to perfection by her favourite tailor who she depends on to mend her suits so that they’ll fit like second skin. The Mod Professional depends on accessories to help her look more feminine as well as to showcase her personality. She loves silk scarves by Hermes and Echo as well as trendy yet sleek jewellery. She loves her collection of Movado watches and sticks to her favourite colour, Black. As far as beauty goes, the Mod Professional has a flawless face that looks natural yet takes ages to put on. Her favourite beauty brand is Laura Mercier, and she likes to wear men’s cologne to give her some edge. She gets her style cues from the ladies of the Cashmere Mafia.

The Voyageur:
The Voyageur loves world music, exotic cuisine and locales. She’s eccentric and loves to mix and match pieces from different cultures. She loves wooden bangles from the Congo, embellished kaftans from Turkey, and silk robes from China. The Voyageur is adventurous with her life as well as her clothing choices. She’ll be the one to try the latest craze of vivacious bohemian inspired pieces when everyone else is in a little black dress. She really thrives on jewellery and collects different baubles from around the world. You can catch her in a stark white tunic with stark white pants with her neck filled with tribal chokers and necklaces complete with jewelled heels. She prefers to shop online where the world is at her fingertips. Her favourite shopping sites include, http://www.vivre.com/, http://www.netaporter.com/ and of course, http://www.intermixonline.com/ Her ultimate style icon is Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti.

This article was first published in Inside Desi, The new online lifestyle publication for South Asians. Visit Inside Desi for the latest scoop on your favorite Bollywood stars, hot topics and political views. Image courtesy of Vanity Fair

David Chu - Tumi

David Chu has managed to cleverly infuse a new level of sophistication into Tumi's once utilitarian look. Since entering as Executive Creative Director in 2007, he has turned Tumi into something quite, well, elegant. He combines 1920's and 1930's inspired looks with simplistic modern details, totally changing everything that was Tumi. "I wanted to make Tumi more glamorous and have more styles to it" said David Chu. While continuing in this stylish creative direction, Tumi has become a brand to give a second thought to when shopping for luxury luggage. While revamping Tumi, David Chu has also been busy with a new clothing line that mirrors his lifestyle. "I just turned 50", he says. "I travel a lot, I work out, my mind is active-it's a young mind and attitude, an aspirational lifestyle". Both Lincs DC and Bespoke are very different looks from Mr. Chu, but never the less the change is welcome.

At this point in David Chu's career he has little to prove. He has shown that his fashion designs can and will appeal to millions. He now adds Tumi to his list of success. -CK

Beauty Boxes

When you're a diva (like yourself), you have more than a few beauty products and cosmetics. The best way to store your goodies are in cosmetics cases like this one from Beauty Boxes. They have a great selection of boxes in all colors (like pink, my favorite) and sizes so your bound to find one or many to fit your needs. Cosmetics cases makes storage a breeze. My beauty boxes also make it very easy for me to take all my necessary objects while travelling no matter where the location. So ladies, throw out all your expired makeup, stock on the latest beauty buys and get organized with a fabulous beauty box. My favorite is the St. Tropez case featured here.

Under the Canopy - Organic Linen Pants

Under the Canopy's fine organic linen pants are perfect for staying cool and calm during hectic traveling, and can be worn at your destination for amazing all in one, wear everywhere pieces. I find that linen is usually stiff and scratchy. Soft, quality linen is so hard to find. These pants are extremely soft and feel smooth against your skin.
The "Helene" pant is airy and fresh, and is even perfect to wear if you are pregnant. The color is a beautiful neutral that goes with everything.

The "Melinda" pant is amazing! It fits very true to size and drapes perfectly over your curves. This pant is offered in two colors, white and silver.

"Inspired by the rain forest and the protection of life for future generations. Under the Canopy supports organic fibers, earth friendly dyes, and fair labor practices."

African Escape in Style

Image sources: www.flickr.com, Expedia UK, www.style.com