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

More basics

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Anyone who knows me long enough, knows that I'm a sucker for basics. Anything that is jersey or in a monochromatic shade just gets me going. And I just went on a shopping rampage for basics again. As if I don't already have enough of them.

  


Here are my latest buys in no particular order of preference:
1. H&M Boxy Top   2. Draped Jersey Dress from Korea   3. CLU Draped Top  
4. T-shirt with Neck Strap from Korea   5. Helmut Lang Asymmetrical Dress   
6. Cold Shoulder Blouse from Korea


-Fal

Loot of the month

Two weeks ago, I joined in the madness which surrounded the launch of the much awaited designer collabs - Marni x H&M and Mary Katrantzou for Topshop as well as the Topshop NEWGEN collection.

I queued, braved the crowds and emerged victorious with awesome buys (more so for the Marni x H&M collection), and I couldn't be more satisfied.

Marni x H&M was total chaos with every batch of shoppers limited to 10 minutes of shopping time. As you can imagine, it was more of a grab and go affair. I'm glad I got everything I wanted and I was lucky enough to get my hands on the last set of Marni x H&M necklaces in Singapore. Very proud of myself.

While the Mary K for Topshop and Topshop NEWGEN collection was a more subdued affair; no queueing required, all of Mary K's dresses, tops and pants were sold out in a matter of 10 minutes. And missing from the racks of Topshop's NEWGEN collection were the Erdem t-shirts and Mary K t-shirts. I only managed to catch a glimpse of the Mary K t-shirt before it was tucked under the arm of a lucky shopper who got there first. At least Topshop handed me a Mary K for Topshop tote which had Mary K's signature floral prints on it. That made me feel a tad bit better. I did however, get myself the Marios Schwab and J.W. Anderson tees. I'm loving the prints on these tees and not regretting the buy one bit.

♥,
Fal

Living on the Edge

'Edgy' has been thrown around carelessly and used so often to describe any look that is unsafe that no one really knows what edgy really means. It got me thinking and I decided to find out. According to the free online dictionaries (all hail and long live Google), 'edgy' at its root means anxious or irritable. In terms of Art or Fine Art, 'edgy' means excessively defined. The essence of 'edgy' however, lies in the way it excites because it is innovative and to a certain extent, intense. Hence, edgy is neither an unconventional look that is way out there, nor an (ironically) safe combination of tons of black eyeliner, leather, boots and distressed denim. The latter is the Harley/biker-chic that Singaporean girls have been so eager to adopt. Being edgy just means being innovative and showing some creativity in putting outfits together so you don't wind up like all the other cookie-cutter girls out there. You've not only portrayed a bit of yourself in those clothes on your back, you've also captured an essence of that edge.

Fashion, style and such advice are all highly subjective and in a sense, absolutely cruel to those who don't subscribe to conventional notions of the so-called fashion manifested in seasonal or annual trends that people are so keen to follow. Somehow this system works and has worked since time immemorial probably because as social beings, humans need to attain that innate sense of belonging to a community of some sort and if it requires that we follow those set customs and norms to be part of the same 'pack' so to speak, then so be it.

As is the case with all subjective and undefined subject matters on this planet, there is an escape clause or loophole. The escape clause that always works: this is what I consider edgy which may not be what you define as edgy. Sure there are some benchmarks that position 'edgy' somewhere around 'eclectic' but this definition is far from set in stone. Personally, as long as there is some element of creativity in an outfit that makes me go "hey omg, I didn't know you could wear it like that", then that's edgy.

We can't talk edgy without mentioning Alexa Chung. She has definitely nailed that Brit-eclectic-chic.



Then there are models Frida Gustavsson and Abbey Lee. I love their personal styles.



With celebrities like Lady Gaga, no doubt poised on the edge of glory and the brink of madness in her odd-as-hell outfit (or lack thereof) choices, pushing boundaries with way-out concepts of fashion (the meat dress was one disgusting piece of work), one could say that the playground has definitely opened up a lot more today. There is so much more space for creative genius as well as mistakes.





Moreover, with so many high street brands replicating runway looks and creating new trends on their own (Zara, H&M and so on), fast fashion is indeed a fantastic way for anyone to push their personal fashion boundaries. Affordable clothes definitely make experimenting a lot less taxing on our branded wallets, imagine spending more than $100 on one item every time we go shopping. There is no way that will help the fashion industry which is, today, just thriving on the whims and fancies of more and more women who are acheiving a level of disposable income that makes it alright for them to shop till they drop, embedded and embroiled as we are in a consumerist and materialistic culture that encourages capitalism and senseless expenditure with every swipe of a credit card.

Whoever coined shopping as 'retail therapy' certainly was brilliant. I am personally a sucker for retail therapy, as is almost every other person out there. In cities like Singapore, I think it's fair to say that most pastimes require spending some money one way or another, especially if you choose to head out. Spending your heard earned money on yourself becomes therapeutic because you can say "hey, I worked for this and I deserve to treat myself", which in turn fuels that capitalist cycle of making more and more money so you can spend more on yourself every single time. Overspend and you live on the edge of debt; keep saving and you'll live comfortably in retirement.

In any case, that's the way the world works. So? Deal with it (haha). I'm happy spending on myself when I can afford to and there's nothing better than fueling some of that creative energy into buying some edgy gems stocked among the shelves in the shops in town to play around with at home.


♥,
Fir

On a side note...

I was in Orchard the other day and I saw huge signs announcing H&M's opening in Singapore, just across Orchard Cineleisure. Now I can hardly contain my excitement. You've kept us waiting for far too long, H&M.

♥,
Fal

South Korea: Hangouts

In Korea, our respite from all that shopping was in the form of chilling at cafes and stuffing ourselves silly with Korean street food.

My all time favorite hangout was in Busan. The place? Cafe Tokiwa. Situated next to Gwangali Beach, you get a great view of the beach and all the lights at night. The cafe is not too conspicuous since its situated in a narrow 3 storey building, tucked amongst the cafes and bars located along the beach. The interior is cozy, with a cute (but not too kawaii) bunny theme and the owners will greet you warmly. Order their hot chocolate and savor the deep chocolate taste coupled with the aroma from the cinnamon and cocoa topping, and enjoy the sight of the frothy marshmallow bobbing around in your mug.

Another place to be in Busan is PIFF Square. There, you'll find all sorts of Korean street food. The place comes alive at night and you can find shops and stalls selling clothes, shoes, accessories and a huge ArtBox (this really awesome Korean stationery store), all located in this area.

Not much pictures of this area as we were too engrossed in the street food!

In Seoul, we visited the Hello Kitty Cafe. The name says it all, and the cafe is nothing short of pink and kawaii, but it's definitely worth a visit, especially for hardcore Hello Kitty fans.

If you have a little more time to spare in Seoul, visit Apgujeong. To get there, take subway line 3 to Sinsa Station or Apgujeong Station. Apgujeong is a more trendy and upmarket neighbourhood which reminds me of Notting Hill in London. You'll find plenty of cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques in this area. Spend half a day here to soak up the cool vibe of this neighbourhood.

♥,
Fal

South Korea: Shopping

We're finally back from our summer getaway! Its been an adventurous 3 weeks, and the trip was nothing short of awesome. Of course, this came with heavy damages to our pockets, but it was totally worth it because shopping in South Korea (especially Seoul) was amazing.

Imagine this: a whole district of 7 storey malls with over 30 shops in one level open till 4.30am in the morning - this was what kept us awake in Seoul. And if you're going to Seoul, please pay this district, Dongdaemun, homage. Especially if you're a shopaholic.

Anyway onto some cool shops that I thought would be worthy of a mention.

Cabinet

Migliore Shopping Mall 2F, Dongdaemun, Seoul

We found this gem of a shop in Seoul on our first day there. And the reason why we love it is because this shop stocks one of a kind vintage finds. The best part is that prices are reasonable and will go easy on your wallet. Expect cool leather skirts and big blazers as well as dresses with kitschy prints. The shop owners were really sweet too and gave us a discount when we haggled with them!

Dress or Die

www.howandwhat.co.kr

Maxtyle Shopping Mall, 1F, Dongdaemun, Seoul

A shop carrying the wares of local Korean designers. Here you can get brands like howandwhat, Dress or Die, anTiCinderella and a whole lot of bags, accessories and shoes. I fell in love with the edgy bags, accessories and shoes here. There are quality designs here if you're willing to pay.

System

Most major department stores in Seoul and Busan

South Korean brand with to-die-for clothes. I could buy every single piece of clothing from this brand.

More on the hippest hangout spots in Seoul and pictures of all my loot soon!

♥,
Fal