Geared up for fall - White out

My favourite trend for summer carries forward to winter. This winter is set to be a white hot one with Giambattista Valli and Alexander McQueen showcasing matching white ensembles and Paco Rabanne unveiling some full white suits. How about a white Christmas, folks?

-Fal

Stella in Singapore

I visited the newly opened Stella McCartney free-standing boutique at the Hilton Shopping Gallery two weeks back, and loved everything about the boutique. The new store's architectural design reflects the designer's signature style - a combination of sharpness and femininity, from its large display windows to pale grey Venetian plastered walls. Hung on the flowing white steel sculptural fixtures are the latest ready to wear collections and you definitely won't miss the oak parquet floor in a bespoke herringbone pattern and colour palette of plums, pale pinks, blush, nudes and taupe (These tiles are going to be in my dream home someday).

The decor of the boutique only serves to complete and heighten the whole shopping experience because customers will be spoilt for choice with such an extensive range of products. The store will carry Stella McCartney's women's ready to wear, shoes, bags, sunglasses and lingerie collections. And the interior design only serves to enhance the beautiful collection that is currently in store. Here's a few of my favourite items that are in store now:

 

If you haven't already visited Stella McCartney, why not drop in someday? 

Stella McCartney is located at #02-19 The Hilton Shopping Gallery. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 7pm and Sunday, 11am to 6pm. For more information, visit www.club21global.com

-Fal

Swedish Powerhouse

If you haven't already heard, Swedish fashion giant H&M and Swedish fashion blogger Elin Kling have collaborated to create a collection. I have mad love for both - H&M being my favorite high street brand, and Elin Kling being one of my fashion idols for her effortlessly cool, laidback and sophisticated sense of style. Sadly, this collection will only be carried at H&M outlets in Sweden.

I wish someone would just fly me to Stockholm now, so I can see this collection and take in all its minimalistic and cool goodness. Yes, the collection is that awesome, and I have photographic evidence to prove that.

♥,
Fal

Asia Fashion Inc. Beta Launch Event

Amidst the mid-week madness was the launch of Asia Fashion Inc.'s website and to celebrate this in true blue fashionista style, a chi chi party was thrown in the newest and coolest enclave in Singapore, Tiong Bahru. We headed to the Orange Thimble, a cozy cafe tucked away in this neighborhood.

In case you didn't know, Asia Fashion Inc. is a multi-layer platform which promises to bring exciting fashion content and shopping together into an online portal. We're sure that we'll be spending hours browsing through the Fashion Exchange Community, AFI online magazine and of course, the online shop which will showcase Asia's up and coming designers. We managed to get a preview of some of the designers featured on the website at the launch party, and I'm definitely loving it!

Asia Fashion Inc. will be officially launched in February 2012, and more exciting things will be in store such as an online column which will feature contributors such as fashion bloggers and designers every week. Plus, more designers will be coming on board too! 

For now, I leave you with some unglam photos that were taken while we photobooth-ed at the event.

To enjoy exclusive fashion privileges, register as a member on Asia Fashion Inc. now!

Fashion week goes online

Vogue has just made fashion history with its first ever Online Fashion Week. I'm really curious to see how this is going to pan out, but Vogue has promised a really exciting showcase of online activities that is sure to keep you glued to your screens. Hundreds of retailers have come on board to offer exclusive and limited edition collections, stunning competitions and never-seen-before content. I'm definitely not going to miss out on the special online events, prizes, discounts and free gifts. 


All these activities are going to take place on Vogue's OFW blog in which there will be live-blogging 24-hours-day for five full days. The line up of designers include Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Mulberry, Stella McCartney, Prada, Burberry, Miu Miu and Christain Louboutin. High street brands such as Topshop, Reiss, Gap and Urban Outfitters have also been roped in. 


The idea of taking Fashion Week online is simply brilliant, since people from around the globe can now participate in the event without feeling left out. I've listed a few of OFW highlights throughout the week (all timings are in local Singapore time):


Mon, 5 Dec, 9:00pm

Advice From The Top

Top industry figures reflect on their career successes and offer advice on how you can get started in the industry.

Tues, 6 Dec, 9:30pm

HANDBAG HALF HOUR: Anya Hindmarch on Twitter

Handbag designer Anya Hindmarch will be taking part in a Twitter takeover - answering all of your questions via @BritishVogue.

Wed, 7 Dec, 11:00pm

Online Fashion 100

Leon Bailey-Green will be unveiling his annual Online Fashion 100 exclusively on VOGUE.COM during Online Fashion Week. The list names the 100 most influential figures in the digital fashion industry. Come back at 3pm on Wednesday 7th December to see it here.

Ready your phones, computers and iPads because you don't want to miss this extravaganza. Online Fashion Week kicks off in a few hours - 9.36am today! Click here to visit the OFW blog.



♥,
Fal

In the prime of life

I attended the launch of Time Taken to Make a Dress' inaugural pop-up store at a Curious Teepee which also coincided with the launch of their latest 11 piece collection, Life Cycle.

If the designers at TTMD could chart their label's life cycle, then TTMD would probably in its prime right now.

Life Cycle shows a more mature and mellowed side of the designers. Opting for a muted palette of black and cream, the detailing and silhouettes of the pieces become more pronounced. The cream pieces sport an interesting web-like pattern made out of string. As the collection progresses, the web-like patterns morph into full-on floor sweeping fringe.

With the aid of asymmetrical hems and plunging backs, light and floaty fabrics helped to make the pieces in this collection feel a little more fluid, a little less structured as compared to their previous collection, Cheongsam.

The other change, was the venue of their exhibition. With Life Cycle, TTMD opted for a pop-up store outside of their usual workspace at Niven Road. Letitia, who is one half of the design duo, says that this is all for good cause since customers are likely to feel less intimidated and more inclined to browse through what they have to offer. 

Once again, Jade and Letitia have done a great job with their latest collection, and TTMD has definitely grown and blossomed with every collection shown.

The Life Cycle Collection will be on exhibition till 3 Dec 2011 at a Curious Teepee.

♥,
Fal

The worker, the businessman and the designer

The Singapore Fashion Film Festival concluded its two week run last Sunday, and left me wanting more. I would have braved that climb up to Sinema @ Old School every weekend if only to catch the films that were shown.


Films, especially documentaries are such a great way of getting a glimpse into another world, and for fashion fanatics like myself, its almost like getting a backstage pass to Chanel's Haute Couture show or Versace's RTW show. Besides seeing what happens backstage, such documentaries offer one the perspective of people whose lives reside within the world of fashion. It is almost nearly like delving into the depths of their mind and soul, and seeing things from their point of view. The 3 films that I was fortunate enough to catch helped me to understand the perspectives of 3 different groups of people within the industry, and has thoroughly inspired me.


The Worker
Signé Chanel is not about Karl Lagerfeld but really about the people behind the scenes. The documentary takes one through the work that leads up to a Haute Couture show, and the staff that work laboriously to complete the collection in time. What most people see is 15 minutes of glory on the runway, but not the effort or time that goes into making a dress. 

Seamstresses at Chanel work tirelessly for every collection, or what they call 'Pure Couture' or should I say torture, as they go through countless of fittings. They spend days (and nights) on a single dress, only to have it taken off the collection within 15 minutes of meeting with Lagerfeld. Their skills are at the highest level - at the beginning of the documentary, one seamstress redid the embroidery (beading, mind you) of the entire hem of a dress within 30 minutes. 

More characters come into the documentary. The model, Amanda, who comes in for countless of fittings, only to get pricked every single time by the seamstress who fits her. Then there's the shoemaker, Massaro, who scurries to and fro from him shop to Chanel's building at least 5 - 6 times a day to meet with Mr. Lagerfeld, who makes at least 10 different changes to the same shoe before he is satisfied. Lesage, the embroiderer does the embroidery on Chanel's fabrics and has at least 5 helpers working on the same yard of fabric for a few months. I saved my most favorite artisan for the last. Madame Pouzieux, a 75 year old woman, living on the farm. Using Chanel's tweed, she slowly unravels the fabric, carefully measures the thread count, and uses a loom (that she invented) to manually braid the thread into the famous Chanel braid, and mind you, she does this over the course of 2 weeks  getting an average of 2 hours of sleep a day. It is a dying trait, and so far no one else can recreate her braid.

The shoemaker, Massaro

Such effort that goes into a dress. We are often privy to such things that go on behind the scenes, the workers that turn the wheel, and who play a pivotal role in making high fashion, high fashion.

The businessman
The fashion industry is not all about beautiful designs and great craftsmanship. Fashion houses have begun to understand that it goes beyond these 2 qualities and it is essentially about business. 


Paul Smith is a businessman. He confesses in the documentary, Paul Smith: Gentleman Designer, that he was not schooled in fashion nor had any kind of formal training. Then you wonder how Paul Smith has managed to achieve its status today. Well, Paul is shrewd businessman. From the beginning, he conceived a brand that differentiated itself from others, and it came at a time when young British men wanted something different, something beyond stuffy suits. Paul Smith offered just that. A unique button, a colourful lining, the way stripes were juxtaposed on a shirt, Paul Smith took the traditional tailored suit, and gave it a twist resulting in something ingenious that left his customers wanting more. His brand truly reflects everything he is - fun, playful, humorous, vivacious and quirky. 

Everything, from the store decor (you'll always be greeted by humorous signs and amusing paintings), to the prints ads have been clearly thought through by Paul Smith. He is there in every aspect of his business - he doesn't design, but he sets the theme for every collection, does the photography and conceptualization for Paul Smith's campaigns and represents the brand as its spokesperson, flying around the world to meet his 'fans' (people go crazy over him in Japan). Paul Smith's brand is truly the essence of the man himself, and everything is done in his signature light-hearted and humorous manner.

The designer
The most acclaimed of all 3, and one that needs no introduction, is the designer. In L'amour Fou, Yves Saint Laurent's life long partner, Pierre Berge, narrates the better half of Yves' life story through the art pieces in their home which are going on auction after Yves' death. 

Yves' collection of art is truly remarkable. It also clearly shows his love for art. It is no surprise then, that art was a huge source of Yves' inspiration for many of his collections. One of the more notable pieces from his collection was the dress that was inspired by Mondrain's contemporary paintings. 

The Mondrain inspired dress

Yves truly is a designer who creates works of wearable art. He takes fashion to another level, and transforms clothes into an art form. Another thing that inspired Yves were his travels. His abode in Morocco and the colourful North African influence definitely resonated in some of his collections. A designer thus, must be an artist and must have the ability to incorporate all that he sees and does in his everyday life into his works. Yves himself was a genius, with an ability to conjure up more than 100 designs for his collections. 

It is a frenzied and crazy life a designer has to deal with. Diverging away from norms and immersing oneself fully in designing while constantly having to search for inspiration and new ideas for every new collection. As Pierre Berge, puts it, designers must be blessed by some higher being as they somehow always manage to meet their deadlines. Yves himself was a victim of this hectic and stressful life, suffering from depression and turning to alcohol and drugs. 


Behind all that glamour and air-kissing, is a cut-throat industry that moves so fast that a designer truly needs to dig deep to survive. But designers that do make it, like Yves Saint Laurent, well, they are remembered for generations.

♥,
Fal

WFW 2011 Singapore: Stephane Rolland

Question: What do you do when you come face to face with the works of a Grand Couturier that is Stephane Rolland?

a. You gawk
b. You gasp in awe
c. You cheer and applaud loudly
d. You are moved to tears
e. All of the above

Answer: All of the above.

Okay, so maybe I didn't cry, but I'm certain someone in the audience did, because Stephane Rolland's collection was so beautiful from the moment it started till it ended.

For his Haute Couture presentation, Stephane Rolland depicted a strong yet feminine woman with the use of bold lines and structure. Each dress had an amazing architecture, from strong shoulders to high collars and ornate origami folds made out of leather and organza seen on the waists, neckline and plastered on the back of several dresses.

Rolland's attention to details was modern and exciting as he took lacquered chopsticks and brushed steel and turned them into pieces of art.

Then there were the dresses that looked like they were dipped in ink; they were simply gorgeous.

Asian influences were subtle but present in his collection, in the form of kimono-like sleeves and origami folds.

For me, what stood out the most was the portrayal of a modern heroine. The black dresses with its high slits, and body-conscious fit, reminiscent of a superhero costume for the modern woman. Then there were the finger-only black leather gloves which would have served well as hand-gear used in fights against villains. The massive capes which came with the billowy gowns helped to tie the story of this strong and powerful female together even further.

I can only imagine why every single woman in the crowd would want to wear Stephane Rolland's dresses - the amazing fit and the way he evoked such a strong and confident woman. And yes, I told Fir how amazing it would be if I could own every single dress in this collection.

We spotted Shah from Pop Culture at the event.

Here's a rare picture of Fir and myself. Fir was looking va-va voom in a black corset maxi dress that night! On me, an alphabet-printed chiffon maxi dress with lace up wedges.







































♥,
Fal