A Decade of Fashion

Fashion in the past 10 years has been nothing short of exciting. Here's a look at the movers and shakers, history makers and trends that defined this decade.

The new democracy: Democratization came in the form of high street/ designer collaborations such as that of Karl Lagerfeld (2004), Stella McCartney (2005), Viktor and Rolf (2006), Cavalli (2007), Commes des Garcons (2008), Sonia Rykiel (2009) and most recently, Lanvin (2010) for the high street brand, H&M. Other high street brands were not left out; Christopher Kane, Emma Cook and Peter Jensen, worked with Topshop to create capsule collections, while Jil Sander teamed up with Uniqlo, and Alexander McQueen, Thakoon, Anna Sui lent their services to Target. Most recently, Valentino has also partnered with Gap to create a 7 piece capsule collection. We as consumers can't be happier with this new revolution. Designer collaborations have been much easier on our pockets, and I know that I'll definitely be lapping up the items from these collaborations for a long time to come.

Insider info: For a long time, the fashion industry has been very hush-hush about what goes on behind the scenes. But this decade has seen films such as The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and Coco Avant Chanel (2009) as well as documentaries like The September Issue (2009) offering us a peek into the lives of fashion insiders. The TV shows have cashed in on this trend too, with reality shows like America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, Running in Heels, Kell on Earth, The City and Fashionista, showing us what it's like to be a part of this glamorous industry.

Let the people speak: The rise of bloggers like Rumi, Jane from Sea of Shoes, Susie of Style Bubble and BryanBoy have definitely shown the fashion world that bloggers are a force to be reckoned with. On our tiny little island, we've also seen the rise of our very own contingent of fashion bloggers, from street style blogs like La Mode Outre, to dedicated fashion blogs likeBagaholic Boy and Wottoncool, bloggers are definitely taking the fashion world by storm.

One full circle: We've had an array of crazy fashion trends since the new millennium, but there are those like the skinny jeans and mini skirt that have made all the difference in our lives. Trends have really come one full circle, as designers explored the military trend, boho chic, romanticism and of course the (sometimes done to death) grungy rocker chick look. Hemlines have been shortened and tummies tightened with mini skirts and pencil skirts, but these have made way for swing skirts, and midi and maxi lengths this season, and I'm speculating that they'll be here to stay for awhile.

The 'It' bag: There was a time not too long ago when 'It' bags were a must have. Mulberry Bayswater, Chloe Paddington, Fendi Spy, Marc Jacobs Stam, Balenciaga Motorcycle and who can forget the Anya Hindmarch 'I'm not a plastic bag' tote that got the world into a frenzy, with queues and knock-offs sprouting up everywhere; these were just a few names on every woman's lips, and this was definitely the decade of the 'It' bag.

Farewells: We bade our 'adieus' to history makers: Yves Saint Laurent, one of the greatest names in French fashion in the 20th century and Alexander McQueen, celebrated British fashion designer. We also said farewell to famous fashion photographer Corrine Day who passed on just recently in August this year.

Fashion's new blood: While we said our goodbyes, the fashion industry was injected with new blood to take up the legacy left behind by their predecessors. Creative directors Tom Ford, Christopher Bailey and Phoebe Philo all became household names for the house they helmed. The decade also saw the entry of many young fashion designers such as, Thakoon, Zac Posen, Jason Wu and Alexander Wang and most notably Marc Jacobs, who has been utterly brilliant and a visionary in his own right.

Singapore labels and designers go global: While Singapore has had few talents who have made their mark in fashion on a global scale, there have been some who have broke this barrier. Ashley Isham, fashion designer, is one of them. His claim to fame being his label 'Ashley Isham' and having dressed several Hollywood celebrities. Jo Soh of Hansel is another designer who has made her name known abroad, having shown her collection on the Australian runways and with her label offered internationally. There's also alldressedup, an international label founded by Singaporean Tina Tan- Leo, which has shown at New York and Paris Fashion Week.

The new fashion icons: The ladies we all want to emulate now include an exhaustive list of celebrities such as Sienna Miller, Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Victoria Beckham, Mischa Barton (during her OC days), Gossip Girls - Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. Then of course there's Alexa Chung, Olivia Palermo, Chloe Sevigny and more names that could hardly fit into this page. One thing's for sure, they're all vying for the title of fashion icon of the 21st century.

Singapore gains worldwide recognition: Ever since the brand Mango landed on the shores of Singapore, the entry of high street brands into our tiny nation has not ceased. Zara, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, Miss Selfridge, Bershka and River Island are but just a few international names which have already established themselves in Singapore. And who can forget H&M which is due to open its first outlet in Singapore next year? The world has finally started to notice the little red dot on the map, as Singaporeans have the power to spend and finally begin to appreciate the latest fashion and trends.

While these are just some moments of the decade that was memorable for me, I'm secretly excited about 2011, and what the new decade will bring!

Photos courtesy of Vogue, Fash-Eccentric and Daily Mail

♥,
Fal

Valentino Retrospective Exhibition in Singapore

I had a chance to get upclose and personal with 100 of Valentino's wearable works of art on exhibition at the Resorts World Sentosa last Sunday and the pieces did not fail to take my breath away.

The works on exhibition definitely revealed Valentino's trademark of female sophistication and exemplified how he constantly brings out the beauty in a woman. What I loved most though, was his attention to details - From mixing fabrics to using embroidery, there was always something special in every Valentino piece that made it stand out.

My favorite dress of all, was this haute couture piece which I would wear in a heartbeat. Named the tattoo dress or “oiseaux de nuit”, this dress in Chantilly lace, feathers and 'lave' really speaks volumes about Valentino's slavish attention to details.

The exhibition also revolves around particular themes that unites Valentino's design approach over the past 50 years, such as, geometric patterns and graphic prints, volume, pleats and ruffles, animalia, flowers, and the 3 distinctive colours that have embodied Valentino namely, white, black and the 'Valentino' red.

Anyway, I'm terribly sorry for the lack of pictures, but I have two very valid reasons for this, the first being that photo-taking was not allowed and there were security guards stationed all over the exhibition, ready to stop people from whipping out their cameras and snapping away. The second being that photos really don't do these works of art justice because you have to see them in reality to appreciate just how beautiful they are. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

The Valentino Retrospective Exhibition is held at Resorts World Sentosa from 22 December 2010 to 13 February 2011 and tickets can be purchased from Sistic or at Resorts World Sentosa ticketing counter.

Photos courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa, Harpers Bazaar, Our Brisbane, The Age

♥,
Fal

Updates!

So while Fir is away in Shanghai brushing up on her Mandarin, Christmas and Post-Christmas for me has been all about pigging out, catching up with friends, attending parties and just spending time with the family. I also took some time to visit the Valentino Retrospective exhibition, but more of that in another post soon! Here are some pictures to whet your appetite though.

P.S. Fir if you're reading this, I hope you're safe and warm in Shanghai now! And pleeeaaseee send me some H&M love from China! Hehe.

Photos courtesy of Straits Times Urban

♥,
Fal

Off I go..

Happy Boxing Day! Christmas never fails to bring out the lights, embellishments and a great big smile. I will be heading to Shanghai in about 4 hours for some cold weather, fashion-palate-refreshment, R & R and xiao long bao. Thanks Fal, you'll be holding the fort here till I return!

♥,
Fir

Merry Christmas, Folks.

Fir and myself would like to extend the season's greetings to everyone who has been reading and supporting the F word! Thank you for your support, and we hope your Christmas will be filled with the 3 F's: Family, Friends and Fun!

And 'tis the season to deck yourself in bling and pretty frocks, so we hope that everyone will just pile on the baubles and gorgeous holiday dresses and party till the New Year!

Joyeux Noel! (:

♥,
Fal

Move over, Dr. Martens

Fir has been mentioning to me of late that Dr. Martens boots are really common in Singapore nowadays. And I see where she's coming from. At least 1 out of 5 people I spot in Orchard are sporting Dr. Martens. I guess its not such a bad thing since Singaporeans are moving beyond flip flops and exploring other footwear options, but recently I discovered George Esquivel's hiking boots, and they look like they could give Dr. Martens boots a serious run for their money.

What I love best about these boots are how they reflect Esquivel's aesthetic - combining a classic accessory with a statement piece, mixing modern and vintage and most importantly, putting the masculine and feminine together. The result is a lust-worthy unisex design that can sit proudly on the shoe rack of any boy or girl. The colors that these boots come in are gorgeous as well, reminding me of the great outdoors. Think sage green, rust, cognac, shiny black and teal.

Now can someone tell me where I can get my hands on these pair of boots in Singapore?

Photo courtesy of Interview Magazine

♥,
Fal

All I want for Christmas is...

Lanvin for H&M Dress

If I could, I would wish for the entire Lanvin for H&M collection this Christmas, but since I'm being (a little more) realistic, I would pick this dress from the collection, simply because I love jewels plus chiffon plus ruffles, especially when they're all put together in such a dreamy way.

Alexander Wang Draped Jersey Corset Dress

Drapes and corset? Now that's a wicked mix. I would die for a dress like this. And its only going for a cool USD512.50.

H&M Romper

I love this piece so much that I was on the H&M website every single day when their party collection was released, just so I could ogle at it and make myself happy. It's probably sold out, but oh well, if anyone know how I can get my hands on this romper, it would totally make my Christmas.

Sperry Top-sider Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe

On to something a little more affordable, the Sperry Boat Shoe. I'm not a fan of boat shoes, but this one is great for lazy weekends. I saw a pair in leopard print at LeftFoot, going for only SGD99, but this works just fine too. So comfy, my feet just want to live in them.

Zara Asymmetric Studio Shirt

We all need a white shirt. I like this one by Zara alot.

Olympus Leather Front and Body Case for E-PL1

So I'm not the only one who needs clothes. My darling E-PL1 does too, and I would dress it up in this leather body case in black.

Aspinal of London Classic Travel Collection in Camel Jewel and Expresso

I know I'm halfway to travelling in style with this travel set, even if I'm not flying first class.

Smythson 'Seize the Day' Panama Note Book

I think this notebook will surely motivate me to make the best of my every day.

Fake eyelashes

Maybe someone could get me a pair, because I've always wanted to try them, but I've never got down to getting them. Plus, I don't know how to put them on. Yes, I am a noob.

Mulberry Alexa Bag in Oak Soft Buffalo

This bag is effortlessly chic. Enough said.

Oh, and I know this is a pretty long (and expensive) wishlist, but I've been a really good girl this year, Santa. ((:

♥,
Fal

Curiouser and curiouser

So, Fal and I missed the opening ceremony of A Curious Teepee at Scape because it didn't cross our minds to rsvp (we are such idiots). As Fir has mentioned, we went down the next day because we were oh-so-curious, we had to check things out. Things like a lamp in the form of a white rabbit, which everyone said looked creepy whereas I found it so charming.


This rabbit is far from creepy. Creepy is living, working and playing in a house with display cabinets full of dolls (porcelain, barbie, miniature, large, Chinese, German, vintage,...) because your mom has a compulsive obsessive love for dolls. I have grown so used to them and honestly doll clothes are interesting and well-tailored. So, creepy has a definition of its own in my personal vocabulary, hence that rabbit, uh-uh Fal, not creepy. Try other 'c' words, I suggest charming or cute.

The store was spacious and clean which I felt was great. I hate having to squeeze my way in between racks of clothing and doing crab-walks around shelves to get around people just to take a closer look at something. This dress caught my eye because of the huge lobster prints all over. I told Fal to wear it for a seafood buffet.


Fal has pretty much got the store and its products covered. Some special mentions for the quirky knick-knacks. I liked the Precious Rubs rubbers (what a tongue twister) but the red Sound Machine was the one that really got me soundly amused (pun intended). If you intend to annoy anyone this Christmas, buy this mischievous toy from here (or Urban Outfitters) and press all 16 buttons consecutively in his or her presence. Alternatively, you can annoy 16 people since you have 16 different sounds.


All in all, A Curious Teepee, definitely a great place to hang out.

♥,
Fir

A Curious Teepee

So, we missed A Curious Teepee's soft launch, which was graced by The Facehunter himself, Yvan Rodic, but Fir and myself headed down to this new concept store at *Scape the day after the launch because we were so very curious about them.

Basically, A Curious Teepee is a store and cafe/bar all mashed up into one. On top of that, it'll be the venue for enriching programs 'for living a life more inspired'.

We also wanted to get first (or rather second) dips on the products and brands they carry. We were pleasantly surprised to find that A Curious Teepee offers a spectrum of lifestyle brands which are both local and international. Some of the things we particularly liked were the BLESS products. Especially this BLESS x Longchamp Le Pliage bag that I've been coveting for awhile.

Springcourt shoes hailing from USA were also carried. I haven't really seen this brand elsewhere, but Springcourt has been the original French sneaker since 1936. We'll let its heritage speak for itself.

Curious also stocks Mae Pang, up and coming local fashion designer.

Besides apparel, there is also Anatomicals, a beauty and bath brand from UK.

And if that's just not enough, there's still other cute and quirky stuff, such as some of the objects designed by local Singapore artists and designers (we found a set of Tu-tu Kueh erasers) and home ware ( like the creepy rabbit lamp - picture below).

If you're worn from all the shopping and browsing, head over to their cafe, which has good ambience - nice soft lighting and an open feeling. Best of all, the place is pretty quiet, even though kids are skateboarding just one level below.

I'd say that A Curious Teepee is definitely a great place to hangout, especially on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

♥,
Fal

Cineleisure's Fourth Floor of Goodness

On Thursday, Fir and myself met up over a cup of tea to discuss our plans for the F word. We had a great brainstorming session where many ideas were tossed around, so we can't wait to make them happen. To complete our session, we needed to find a book that could house all our ideas. As we were in the vicinity of Cineleisure, we headed there to see what we could find.

The usual suspect is Rockstar by Soon Lee. While the shop has been there for quite some time, it still holds its own. With a selection of books and brands like Keep, Mills Canvas and Baggu, that you can't find elsewhere, we wandered through the shop, gushing over all things nice. I also liked that Rockstar converted its store into a mini Christmas market, with a cute little sign which said, 'It's a Wrap!' at the storefront. If you're doing your Christmas shopping, Rockstar has stocked its shop with adorable gifts from all over the world this festive season.

Another shop that you should check out is the newly opened Editor's Market. I'm sure most of you have heard of this boutique already, because of all the buzz they've been getting, but for the benefit of those who haven't, make a trip down and you'll understand why the name of this boutique is on everyone's lips. The concept is simple, the more you buy, the cheaper it is! My favorite at Editor's Market are the shoes because they're not only fashionable but also comfortable and very affordable.

Now, another shop you shouldn't miss out on, is Birds and Co. Tucked away in an inconspicuous corner, this shop carries vintage stationery, books and bric-à-brac. Fir and I spend hours in here, just browsing through everything, and we just couldn't get enough of the notebooks and titles they had. Here, we found a perfect book for storing all our ideas along with many notebooks which had inspirational quotes on them making for great Christmas gifts.

I think this picture kind of sums up our evening on Level Four. Till then.

♥,
Fal

New TV Show for Alexa

Alexa Chung has been inspiring me with her effortlessly cool sense of style for as long as I can remember. To get my fill of her fashion choices, I would keep up with two of her TV shows, ‘It’s on with Alexa’ and ‘Vanity Lair’.

Unfortunately, MTV axed the talk show, ‘It’s on with Alexa’, only after 2 seasons. ‘Vanity Lair’, a reality show hosted by Alexa, where contestants were being judged based on their attractiveness did not fare too well either, with its second season being cancelled.

But I’m not despairing any longer because Alexa has a new TV series due to air next summer -’ Thrift America’. And the best thing is that she’s finally doing something she’s good at. The show follows Alexa and Maya Singer (the series creator and Style.com’s editor of special projects) as they comb ‘consignment shops, garage sales and flea markets for potential treasures to use in various creative endeavors’. As Singer describes it, the idea is to show viewers firsthand, just what Alexa Chung can pull out of the crab bin at the yard sale.

Can’t wait!

Photo courtesy of MTV.com

♥,
Fal

Singapore Style, have we got it?

When it comes to fashion in Singapore, there really isn't much of an opinion.

Yes, Singapore is hot and humid all year round with bouts of thunderous rain that may lead to floods, which actually lets us get away with lounging around town in tee shirts, shorts and flip-flops. Convenience? Check. Comfort? Check. Presentation? Zero. Style? Maybe.

Fashion is so affordable these days; anybody can keep up with with fashion’s fluidity and fun without burning a hole through the pocket. The island-bum attire is not going to cut it if Singapore is to become a world-class city. Why not get a quick fix at retailers like Cotton On or spend 30 minutes online shopping at blog shops for a trend update?

That is the immediate reaction when it comes to solving fashion crises. There is nothing wrong with that, after all, shopping is the most practical (and fun) solution to fashion problems.

However, there is a proliferation of the same retailers in every mall. Take Topshop for example. Let’s count them: 3 on the Orchard belt alone, including the spanking new mega store at Knightsbridge. Raffles City, Suntec, Marina Square and Bugis each have an outlet (note that these stores are all within walking distance). That makes seven outlets in town. There is one more at Vivo and another at Tampines. That’s nine Topshops on our tiny island!

Blog shops often have overlapping products as well. Everyone shops at the same shop and unconsciously yields to the style as prescribed by that particular brand. So what we have along the sunny streets of Singapore are the ‘Topshop girls’, ‘Cotton On girls’, “blog shop girls’ and so on.

Perhaps there is a fear of being too different which explains why people do not shop outside of so-called ‘safe’ brands such as Topshop. Liking a brand is one thing but going totally overboard is just overkill. I am against blindly following fashion for the sake of doing so, especially if it does nothing for your body shape or style or size for that matter.

Oh, I like Topshop, don’t get me wrong, but I always prefer to mix and match my clothing items so that I don’t wind up with an entire outfit from just one retailer, unless that is my intention. I find that it adds a touch of personality and uniqueness to any outfit. Force yourself to think of as many different combinations as possible and choose the few that suit your personal style.

There is surely a lack of clear direction in our local fashion scene. Our inspirations are laden with foreign influences. We turn to the Internet for fashion information and trend updates and follow the designer collections shown in major fashion capitals like Paris, Milan, New York, London and Tokyo. A simple search on Google for ‘Singaporean fashion’ presented me with lists of fashion retailers (not designers) in Singapore.

Maybe there are too few local designers. Maybe our design schools just aren’t doing enough? Also, the few established designers that have made it big (locally or overseas) are still obscure to the ordinary Singaporean. Fashion thus has a slow up-take in Singapore as we don’t have a unique fashion identity and it takes time for non-Asian influences to trickle into the stores and then impact the fashion scene.

There is hope however as Singapore begins to take baby steps toward developing a stronger local fashion identity. In June this year, 25 new designers unveiled their collections at PARCO next NEXT as part of the Fashion Design Incubator initiative. These initiatives could go a long way in helping budding designers get a foot in the door especially through rental subsidies and mentoring from industry insiders.

Since time in memorial, Singapore has been a mash-up of diverse cultures, languages and religions. Globalisation and the Internet have only accelerated this phenomenon leading to more creativity and exposure as designers, readers and viewers integrate their predisposed fashion knowledge with what they learn from the Internet. I guess it would take time for us to develop, define and refine our fashion identity. Perhaps something as unique as Singlish will come to define our fashion scene soon.

And that’s when we can say, "Yah, we really got style."

♥,

Fir

H&M Spring 2011

Everyone who knows me, knows that I'm a diehard H&M fan. I've been eagerly anticipating the launch of H&M's Spring 2011 collection as I wanted to see what H&M had in store for us in the coming year. An answer to my questions has arrived in the form of a video look book. Released by H&M, this video look book gives us a peek into its Spring 2011 offerings.

The collection features a mishmash of all the trends that are going to be hot in 2011 - the 60s/ 70s look, minimalism and colour blocking. Stunning hot pink, coral, marine blue and cream were the main hues that flowed through the collection, while flower and graphic prints dominated.

My favorite is this 60s looking dress which H&M has given a modern take to. In a hot pink hue and cute graphic prints, the silhouette of this dress has been merged with a bold color and print to look more current.

Now what left me puzzled was the print on this maxi dress. The dress honestly looks like it was made out of an IKEA curtain. I guess somewhere along the way, both Swedish brands must have had their ideas rub off each other.

That being said, I still can't wait till H&M arrives on the shores of our sunny little island. So for now, I can only look at pictures and videos and fantasize.

(photos courtesy of Red Carpet Fashion Awards)

♥,
Fal

British Fashion Awards 2010

A quick round up of the winners at this year's British Fashion Awards, indeed a huge affair in the fashion world that took place 2 days ago at the The Savoy Hotel and Theatre in London.

BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion: Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design in recognition of his legendary work. McQueen has worked in the UK, Milan and spent 5 years as Chief Designer at the French Haute Couture House Givenchy till March 2001. He committed suicide in February this year and will always be remembered as one the most influential and creative designers of this generation.

Spring/Summer 1998

Spring/Summer 2001

Autumn/Winter 2009

Model of the Year: Lara stone

Lara Stone came out tops amongst the pretty faces. I really love her teeth.

Digital Innovation Award: Burberry

Burberry’s innovative digital marketing initiatives have definitely paid off. The brand has launched its A/W 2010 collection as an interactive, motion-responsive experience. Motion responsive images allow viewers to zoom in on a jacket or bag they've got their eye on or see the how the clothes move in virtual motion.

British Style Award: Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung has emerged as the style icon and international fashion ambassador of the UK, voted for by the British public. Rightfully awarded, if I should say so myself. Alexa Chung really embodies the essence of London and has exported that style by establishing herself as an international style icon.

Designer of the Year: Phoebe Philo for Celine

Phoebe Philo takes the coveted prize this year.

Designer Brand of the Year: Mulberry

Mulberry edged out fellow nominee, Posh spice a.k.a. Victoria Beckham, to earn recognition as a British fashion label that has impacted the international fashion scene in the past year.

Find out about the other award winners here.

♥,
Fir