Meet Lishan

I met Lishan a few years back at dressmaking class, before she went abroad to pursue a course in Apparel Design at the Rhode Island School of Design. Back then, she was already sketching gorgeous fashion illustrations and coming up with creative ideas for the pieces that she was going to sew in class. Last year, Lishan visited us at dressmaking class again. The two years into her course at Rhode Island School of Design had unleashed her potential in apparel design. Showing us her portfolio of design and sketches while we ooohh-ed and aaah-ed, her works truly took our breath away. And that's why, I decided that we had to feature Lishan (and her works) on thefword, because we really want to share our excitement about this budding (she's only 21!) and talented designer (who is definitely going to make it in the fashion world someday).

Read more about the email interview with Lishan below.

What do you like best about the course you're currently pursuing?
I love Three Dimensional work and Apparel Design gives me the opportunity to create structures
and forms that transform and flatter the body. What I like best about apparel design is that I am
still able to play with geometry and hard edges, like an architect, but use fabric to create my
vision rather than be restricted to building materials.

What would you be doing if you weren't pursuing this degree?
If I wasn’t pursuing this degree, I might have possibly been doing english literature and I had a
choice to do that in Boston University. But as it is, I think that pursuing this degree was the right
choice for me.

Tell us a bit about your aesthetics.
My aesthetic is edgy and modern, but at the same time, beautiful and elegant while maintaining
a high level of workmanship and a cohesive colour palette. I am interested in constantly
challenging myself to create garments that have a new silhouette, to use techniques that
haven’t been used before, or to reinvent past styles.

Tell us more about your latest collection, Blood and Bone, and what inspired you to come up with this collection.
The theme of this collection was to take aspects of the internal structures of human anatomy
and transform and project it as external structures that function as apparel over our bodies.
These garments are inspired from old medical illustrations from books like Gray’s Anatomy and
namely this one illustration “L'ange Anatomique” by the renowned French illustrator Jacques
Fabien Gautier d'Agoty where the woman looks as though she has a beautiful dress on, but its
really her ribcage. Creepy yes, but beautiful.

What is your favorite piece in this collection?
My favourite piece in this collection is the black jacket with the machine knit overlay. It is edgy
and sculptural, yet it is still wearable and practical. It keeps you very warm too.

Tell us why you're proud of this collection and why it's outstanding.
I think that there is a very strong theme running (through the collection) that is immediately obvious without the viewers having to figure out what it could be.

Also, I employed unconventional techniques in machine knitting which create silhouettes that are different from what most would (usually) create. And finally, the details in my work enhance the value of it, keeping the pieces subtle yet sophisticated reflecting the professional quality of it.

What are your plans after graduation?
I would first like to get a job as a designer in a fashion house (preferably doing Haute Couture).
Of course, I will take what I can get, in order to learn more about the industry and the way a fashion
business is run, and to get to know more people in this industry.

I aspire to have my own label  after getting a few years of experience or work up the ladder in a company so that I can be in charge of the artistic direction of the company.

If you could have your own label after you graduate, what would it be like? Describe it in 3
words.
Quality, beauty and edgy.

Finally, any plans to participate in Project Runway?
Maybe one day, when I have enough experience to be confident of churning out beautiful looks
in a day. Until then, I’ll be working towards attaining that level of skills...

View Lishan's complete portfolio here.


♥,
Fal

Made well for Alexa

I chanced upon Alexa Chung's second collection for Madewell whilst paving a digital path through the myriad of open tabs and windows on my desktop. This American brand (owned by the J.Crew company) has been surprisingly low-key; I've heard of Madewell but never felt compelled to explore their online store. A quick browse and I was pleasantly surprised as the clothes are simple and practical yet chic and stylish. Much like British It girl, Alexa Chung's own understated chic that has made her the style icon that she is today.

Alexa stars in the Madewell Fall 2011 ad campaign which featured the Fall collaboration in a Southwest backdrop for a road trip feel. The collection is slated to arrive in stores and on madewell.com on September 22. I found some images of the ad campaign that features Alexa herself.





Here's a preview of some of the items in Alexa Chung for Madewell which I snapped from madewell.com.










I have to say that the collection from this preview, just screams Alexa. My personal favourites are 02, 04 and 05 for their laidback feel. Alexa's inspiration for the collection was girls in bands who "lived their looks". I am assuming then, that the collection is grungy yet girly with a hint of attitude. The thing is, Alexa Chung is such a unique and stylish individual that whatever she has on her oh-so-petite frame contains that perfect mix of attitude, grunge and girly, that I am quite certain not everyone else can pull off.

That being said, is it made well for Alexa? Or Alexa for Madewell? I am not entirely convinced that the collection is one that girls of all shapes and sizes can experience and enjoy although I am certain that everyone will love it. Take the last item, for example, the velvet dress with the white peter pan collar. Discounting the fact that this dress is not made for our (ridiculous and hellish) local weather conditions, how many people can actually wear this dress without looking like they just stepped out of Sunday school at the neighbourhood cathedral?

As always, fashion isn't just about wearing what's trendy and cool or wearing what a favourite style icon is wearing. (Case in point: Alexa Chung's velvet dress.) Instead, fashion is about making yourself look good, so as Fal would also very much agree, wear what suits you and we guarantee, you'll always look awesome.


♥,
Fir

Koma for Topshop

David Koma's designs have been seen on celebrities such as Cheryl Cole and Beyonce, and soon, they'll be seen on the racks of Topshop UK. The designer which graduated inCentral Saint Martins college, also won the college's Best Womenswear Collection in 2007.

His current collection for Topshop features bodycon silhouettes embellished with cylindrical silver detailing, so that every piece exudes a sexy, modern and feminine vibe . Staying true to the luxe element of Koma's work, only premium fabrics and Koma's signature shapes as well as metalwork will be used. What's more, the collection is very exclusive, comprising of only 5 styles with just 30 pieces available for each of them.

Fingers crossed that this collection will hit Singapore's Topshop outlets too!

♥,
Fal

Chase those shopping blues away!

Just when you thought that you've seen all the goods that German fashion label Jil Sander has to offer with their +J line at Uniqlo, Jil Sander has launched a new diffusion line, Jil Sander Navy. This line will be geared towards the more youthful and casual customer, and will be a lot easier on the pockets as prices will be 40% lower than those from the main line. Prices range from $290 for T-shirts to $1,290 for dresses.

This current collection will be peppered with colors like pinks, greens, turquoises and of course, some navy, but will stay true to the sleek minimalism that is Jil Sander. Expect boxy dresses, classic trenches and minimal shirt dresses in very interesting sounding materials like cotton voile, micro twill and techno gabardine.

The collection will be available at the Jil Sander boutique at #02-22 Hilton Hotel.

Photos courtesy of Refinery 29

♥,
Fal

Cheong sam

Chinese New Year is just around the corner (again), so perhaps it is time to whip out that cheong sam. Uncomfortable? So conventional?

Don't make up your mind just yet because the creators at Time Taken To Make A Dress have given the cheong sam a new meaning and a face-lift. 10 gorgeous makeovers.

The cheong sam was originally worn by socialites and upper-class women in Shanghai long ago. It earned its reputation as sexy and mysterious after the 1960 romantic comedy, The World of Suzie Wong, in which Nancy Kwan plays the sexy and kind prostitute that the male lead eventually falls for.

The cheong sam, with its high collar and figure hugging silhouette definitely does not promise any semblance of comfort. It doesn't help that the dress doesn't look alluring or flattering unless its tailored to fit you like a second skin, leaving no room (literally) for you to hide any physical flaws. The designs and prints in the market are far from appealing and none of us younger ones want to risk looking 'aunty'. Older women have little pockets of unsightly bulges to hide. It is no surprise then that many women have chosen to put the cheong sam aside despite its sexiness and femininity.

From the first glance at the collection, aptly named (tongue-in-cheek), Cheong Sam, I was blown away. Jade told thefword that they wanted to make the cheong sam more forgiving to women of all shapes and sizes. The handiwork that goes into each 'cheong sam' is impressive and beautiful. The concept of the cheong sam translated clearly as I inspected each dress. If you find that it's cheating to execute 'cheong sam' by designing a cheong sam collar on each dress, you'll be glad to know that this concept comes through in the tailoring, structure and fit of each dress. Which is, as I have explained, the essence of the cheong sam.




Personally, I absolutely love intricacy and detailing on clothing so this collection really catered to that. Jade actually took time to talk to Fal and I about the creations. We left feeling inspired and awe-struck. It is refreshing to see young designers taking bigger risks and putting so much love and passion into their work.

I was taken by the lantern detail on this red cheong sam.





More detailing:



Scallop sleeves! A hint of Valentino, no?



Vibrant colours used for the florals. A refreshing change from the muted earth tones so common nowadays.





Beaded by hand. What more need I say.




Due to the nature of their work, tailoring, designing and creating with their customers as their muse, they have created ten dresses that suit ten different personalities. For instance, goth, diva, conservative, flashy and quirky, just to name a few. I suggest you head down to 61 Niven Road yourself to take in the gorgeous cheong sams and draw some conclusions of your own on the ten personalities represented by the creations. If you're not sure, the designers will be more than happy to help you match a dress to your personality. I believe you'll want one of these cheong sams for your Chinese New Year and you'll look anything but 'aunty' or conventional.





♥,
Fir

What's in store for Topshop Spring 2011

Topshop's Spring 2011 collection is set to take us on a journey back to the 1980s during the British 'Club kids' era. Models decked out in long printed skirts, acid colored tights and ombre hair with neon tinged tips culminates in a delicious mix of urban meets boho. The collection is definitely a breath of fresh air from Topshop's previous collections; this one being even more playful and vibrant. My favorite? The colorful and minimalistic styles.

Photos courtesy of Refinery 29

♥,
Fal