GIVEAWAY Bracher Emdem Leather Clutch

Remember Bracher Emden, British accessories label that we were talking about in a previous post? Well, thefword has teamed up with them for a giveaway, exclusively for all our readers! As you know, Bracher Emden is going to be stocked in Singapore really soon, and we want to share with you how much we love their unique bags, handmade in the finest leather.

One lucky reader will stand a chance to win a Bracher Emden soft lamb leather clutch flown in all the way from London.

 

To win, simply follow @firandfal and @Bracheremden1 on Twitter, and send us the following tweet:

'I love Bracher Emden bags! @firandfal @Bracheremden1 #bracheremdeninsg'.

Winners will be announced on Twitter and thefword blog on the midnight of Thursday 31st May.

There's no limit to the number of tweets you make, so start tweeting away!

Please take note that the competition is only open to readers in Singapore.

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.

 Fashion bloggers (from left to right): Randy from Fashionide, Dawn (coincidentally my schoolmate!) from DawnBey.com and Brandon from ChicPrinceB

From right to left: Rachel (friend and fellow fashion blogger with an amazing style blog. Please go read it!) from Style Societe and Michelle

♥,
Fal

MARNI at H&M

Just as everyone is recovering from the aftermath of Versace for H&M (by that I mean the damage on their purses and all the elbow-shoving from trying to get a piece of Versace heaven), H&M has just announced today that it will tie-up with MARNI for its Spring/Summer 2012 designer collaboration.

I can already hear the applause and shouts of joy from the millions of H&M fans who are probably thrilled with this news. Spring/Summer 2012 is the perfect time to tie-up with MARNI as fans can expect full-fledged tribal prints and Bauhaus graphics which are colourful and playful.

The collection will be launched on 8 March 2012. Mark that date on your calendar folks. I know I'm going to be in line for this one.





MARNI AT H&M: Announcement EPK from Barracuda Film & TV on Vimeo.


♥,
Fal

SOARing to great heights

Featured at the BOB showcase that Fal and I attended was Tim Soar. This graphic designer turned DJ turned music consultant to fashion houses (for runway music that is just right) turned fashion designer sure has one hell of a CV that has catapulted him to the upper echelons of the British fashion scene. Tim Soar shifted away from the DJ spotlight and placed himself into the fashion spotlight with menswear design, amid plenty of scepticism from his fashion industry insider friends. Nonetheless, the designer threw himself into it and has since earned himself a reputation year on year at London Fashion Week.

Rice informed us that the collection carried on BOB is pretty much his inaugural womenswear collection. I appreciated the clean lines and neat tailoring that is the essence of menswear that Tim Soar has managed to translate into skirts, dresses, blazers and so on with effortless ease and no pretense. The only issue I have with the collection is that it is a tad too simple. Not that there wasn't enough attention being paid to the detail, tailoring in itself is a detail-focused activity, I guess I was just expecting more than the blatant subtlety.

Nonetheless, fabrics that were used to create these gorgeous tailored pieces were in themselves a pleasant surprise. Touch that wool blazer and instead of a heavy and rough textile that feels like wool, you'll be taken aback, in a good way of course, by the soft, silky fabric that slides right off that finger. What appears to be a thick, woolly blazer is actually a silk blazer, soft to the touch, printed like wool, perfect for the warmer weather that is spring/summer.



Another item of interest was the pencil skirt, which looks like 6 of daddy's old silk ties cut up and pieced together to form a wonderfully tailored skirt, haphazardly striped because obviously, ties are too oddly shaped to be sewn in a straight line. I loved the sense of spontaneity and fun in this skirt and I'm actually toying with the idea of trying one out on my own with (yes) 6 of daddy's old silk ties (if he would let me).



Tim Soar admits the heavy influence of menswear on his ladies' collection probably because of the huge archive he has to draw on through his experience designing for men over the years. Nonetheless, a womenswear collection is the perfect outlet for some of his designs which are too feminine for the menswear collections. Taking things slowly, Soar did not want to try too many things simultaneously in his first collection, which explains the clean cuts and crisp lines.



This designer definitely does not take things that slow; he is still dedicated to music and now compiles playlists for hotels more than fashion houses under his label, Music Concrete. My personal subscription is to the belief in fueling and fulfilling the passion that one has for something and achieving a balance between money-work and passion-work. It's not easy as I have come to realise (especially today) and observe, but still, worth a shot. Life is short and if Tim Soar can do it, I think we all can afford to at least try.


♥,
Fir

J'adore J'Aton

I was watching Australia's Next Top Model on Starworld and that's where I got to really see what the hype was behind the couture label, J'Aton. I was blown away by the details on their gowns featured during the programme.

"We dress women the way men want to see women dressed"

Founders and designers Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino launched the label in 1995 and they started small, making just enough to buy materials they needed like sewing machines and other equipment. Slowly, the label began to gain a reputation for attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship and today, J'Aton has become synonymous with gorgeous bespoke evening and bridal wear. Both designers come from Italian families and their uncanny ability to understand each other has allowed this dynamic partnership to bear fruit.

Their contemporary couture, gorgeous draping and breathtaking detailing has won them awards such as the 2009 Prix de Marie Claire Awards for Best Eveningwear Designers and several other Australian Gown of the Year acknowledgements. A favourite among Australia's society and the elite, J'Aton's celebrity clients include Dita von Teese, Charlize Theron, Lily Cole, Delta Goodrem, Kylie and Danni Minogue and Rebecca Twigley.

Andrej Pejic for J'Aton Couture

J'Aton opened first in Ascot Vale in Melbourne then moved to Prahran five years later so the designers could expand their client base. Being so incredibly successful, the label has made plans to move to New York but the much anticipate move was, sadly, delayed because of the losses incurred as a result of a fire at the label's showroom at Greville Street. Enter the J'Aton bridal salon and you'll find it unique from other ateliers. There is no showroom overflowing with sample gowns, instead customers can expect a small selection of intricate couture gowns that represent the feel, style, craftsmanship and fit that J'Aton has become known for. 

Inspired by classic designers like Christian Dior and Charles James. They like to keep femininity in their gowns whilst also incorporating elements that their clients want. The advantage then, is that the designers are involved right down to the last detail. The designers' hands-on approach has led to their popularity among their elite clientele, resulting in word-of-mouth recommendations and repeat clients.

It comes as no surprise then, that the designers work through appointments only for both consultations and fittings. Luppino and Pittorino meet with each prospective client to see if they get along before another appointment is set up for sketching and discussion of other details. Every client speaks directly with either designer and each gown is carefully sewn in small teams. Each gown is therefore a collaboration of both the designers' aesthetic and the client's vision. Most gowns take about six months to create and brides-to-be are asked to commit to at least four fittings. The duo are open to alternatives if for example, the bride hates lace and beading. However, both designers feel that the clients' minds can be changed especially since "its usually because of how they've seen other people design with it" that causes a definite adverse reaction to certain design elements. 

J'Aton is located at 185 Greville Street, Prahran.

♥,
Fir