Time Taken to Make a Dress: ORI accessories private launch

It's been a year since Time Taken to Make a Dress' previous collection, and we were really excited when they invited us to the private launch of their latest accessories collection. This marks their foray into  accessories; lovingly handmade by none other than the TTMD designers themselves.

Their venture into designing and crafting accessories arose when they received clients' requests for more versatile and affordable pieces which can be worn on every occasion unlike dresses which are usually tailored for a special occasion and steeply priced.

The collection, ORI, is inspired by Japanese origami. A series of manipulated fabrics such as silk and chartreuse, transformed by intricate folding techniques, make the accessories delicate and feminine.

The launch, held at their studio, was a small and cosy private affair. A spread of yummy finger food for guests was also thoughtfully prepared by the designers, Jade and Letitia.

Love the very organised workspace.

We managed to coax Jade (left) and Letitia (right) who were very camera shy into taking a photo. Thank you!

The ORI collection will be on exhibition from now till 20 August 2011. If you're keen to view the pieces, head down to Time Taken to Make a Dress at 61 Niven Road. Visit www.timetakentomakedress.com for more information.

♥,
Fal

Hail Valentino, Past, Present and Future

After hearing Fal's rave reviews, I couldn't wait to visit the Valentino Retrospective Past/Present/Future exhibition myself. Finally, it was my turn to get up close and personal with Valentino's exquisite Haute Couture creations. I was so impressed that plans are underway for Fal and myself to visit the exhibition again.




Valentino's love for glamour and embellishments as well as a cheeky disregard for trends renders his creations timeless. I amused myself thoroughly by playing "guess the year this dress showed". (I was often wrong.) Indeed, Valentino's works of art are so removed from fashion trends that come and go that one can only hazard a guess the date of his designs. It was so hard to place the creations in any particular era.






Ruffles, volume, florals (and flowers), sequins, embroidery, fur, faux fur, feathers, ... You name it, you got it. Valentino manipulated all these and more into his creations and they never seemed out of place, so his gowns never looked out of style.







Valentino's technical mastery and interesting techniques were stunning. The elaborate and intricate embroidery that Valentino used to add to uniqueness of his designs was mind blowing. It's a pity I couldn't get a good picture of any of the beautiful embroidered pieces. One fascinating technique is the Budellini which is the concentric use of strips or braids of material applied to the gown in order to highlight certain parts of the body. Valentino always made it a point to accentuate the woman's body, particularly her waist. The Budellini technique is excellent in producing an alluring hourglass silhouette of the woman's body.




Red, which eventually became the signature of Valentino, suits the label to the tee.






I personally love this red gown. It is a classic, so simple yet you'll definitely take a second look.



When the Valentino gowns are made to make your jaw drop, they, well, make your jaw drop. When they aren't made to surprise, shock and awe, they are gorgeous classics. Executed to perfection with ordinary fabrics and clean lines, these are equally breathtaking.






I agree with Fal that pictures do not do any of the gowns justice. I apologise for the bad pictures. The exhibition hall was terribly dim and it was impossible to use flash because the gowns were (rightly and cleverly) encased in thick glass.

One really has to make a trip down to the exhibition to take in Valentino - the gowns, inspirations, embellishments, the man himself - in order to understand just why Valentino Garavani is revered one of the great fashion designers of our time.

♥,
Fir

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