thefword: London Calling - BloodBuzz Launch Party

I attended BloodBuzz's launch party on Saturday and had a first hand preview of their new collection, 'Everything is Illuminated'. BloodBuzz's designer Kimberly took inspiration from the festivities of Christmas for this collection. While the pieces do not immediately strike you as a cocktail or party dress for the season, you get a sense of the journey Kimberly took to get to the final collection. Pops of red and a deep purple dress make up the 'dinner dresses'. Then there are LBDs and cute frocks in printed chiffon and silk which make up the party dresses. Once again, the collection is elegant, simple and timeless with a little grunge - just like Kimberly's aesthetic. The dresses, are meant to take one from work to a dinner party, and would suffice to do just that.

I do get the sense that many are unimpressed by the collection and brand itself and I have to say a few words to defend it. It is a preconceived notion that people have of local designers or designer labels. Bloodbuzz seems to fall in neither category since pieces from the brand's collections are simple unlike local designers which have drapes on drapes and avante garde designs. Bloodbuzz pieces are also priced affordably from $60 - $100, making it feel like an ordinary blogshop or online store rather than a designer brand which price range usually falls within that of a few hundred dollars. I applaud the courage of the people behind Bloodbuzz to be daring enough to take a step in the unknown and venture into a part of the positioning map where no competitors have been to.

Having a chance to speak to Kimberly also gave me an insight into how the brand thrives. She confessed the danger of not following trends, but designing according to the lifestyle of the Bloodbuzz clientele- a niche market segment. While this concept may be risky, it may eventually be taken on by more people, since timeless staples never go out of fashion.

Now, all it takes is for Bloodbuzz to prove its detractors wrong, and I'm sure it will.

To shop BloodBuzz, visit their website at www.bloodbuzz.com.sg.

Photos from the launch event below.