@firandfal

Social media. Yes, social media is wonderful, it's great, it connects people, it gives everyone a voice, it helps businesses build relationships, it makes the world a smaller place even as it extends our reach to all corners of this planet, it notifies faster than any other media channel (this is so true) and it gets people talking. Take the video of that Ferrari flying into the taxi, like a scene right out of a superhero flick like Dark Knight (except the awesome Christian Bale will emerge unharmed from the wreckage), which went viral and had everyone slamming the crazy, reckless Chinese dude behind the wheel of that flashy red machine. I should also give special mention to social media as one of the most excellent spy mechanisms in this modern day technocracy.

An article in one of the magazines scattered all over the studio got me thinking about this whole phenomenon and its effect on fashion. Thousands of bloggers there make up the blogosphere, eager to comment on the latest trends and quick to pick up on any piece of breaking news. Anyone out there has a right to say what is fashion and what is not, and no one should stop them from doing so. All these opinions, no matter how subjective, are projected into the same extensive space which we call the world wide web, lying in wait for their respective tags to be picked up by Google or any other search engine.

Sometimes, it feels like you're writing for no one yet writing for everyone. Is a response required for a post to be considered read and digested? Or will it do to have the reader scan through and develop his or her own thoughts about the whole piece and the ideas put across without offering her or his opinion up for debate or commenting? After all, your thoughts have been read and considered, just not commented upon.

So unique is this quality that combined with the nature of the fashion industry, everyone becomes a critic and everyone is an expert. The fashion industry is a seasonal spectacle, aesthetically dependent, subjective but remains within limits, experimental and exciting, frivolous yet worthy of a substantial section on major news sites. Even this opinion that I have of the fashion industry is well worth debating, who is to say who's right and who's wrong? According to Hedi Slimane, creative director of Yves St Laurent, "anyone knows better and each one is a self-made critic". Fashion hence has more breathing room; the world wide web has opened the elusive and closed industry to more creativity and social media has played an audible and visible part in loosening the reins on its progress and direction in more ways than one through its various manifestations (or forms). This is debatable though, as more voices does not necessarily equate to a proportional democratization, fashion could easily become very trend-centric, especially if only what is #trending matters.

Facebook and Twitter have made sharing and connecting among friends as hassle-free as anyone could have it, just one click and you're on each other's timeline. What we take for granted is how connected all these social media platforms are. To link one channel to the other is just a matter of toggling the settings. Not only does this multiply the effect of one comment, it makes sharing, a piece of cake. (I swear the only place where you can have your cake and eat it too is on the world wide web.) Going on multiple platforms and linking them up is putting a loud-hailer in front of the mouthpiece, in a bid to ensure that voice is heard amid the noise in the blogosphere in the world wide web. That being said, thefword is now on Twitter (hahaha) and tweeting @firandfal. (Do follow us for updates and the giveaways once in a while.)

Plans for tweeting actually started quite a while ago but we wanted to wait for the blog to gain traction before we started anything on other social media channels. @firandfal is not a means employed by yours truly to scream over the noise in the web, we just figured Twitter is a great way for the friends who don't stalk Facebook to keep up with the posts. Twitter is my personal preference over Facebook anyway.

Social media may be the playing field of us young ones but things change and social media is fast evolving as we use it. This makes perfect sense of course, as the heaviest users of any appliance or technology will be the ones who determine its direction. Keeping up with social media is tiring, what with so many new platforms constantly coming up and the heavyweights keen to maintain their popularity and relevance among the technocrats, just as the technocrats keep up with each other and the world through the said platforms.

The never-ending social media saga and honestly, in the words of Alice from a Wonderland not very different from our digital playground, I'm curious-er than ever to see what's the next big thing that will change the way we live, learn, communicate (and stalk).

♥,
Fir



Oh fml, this is a way longer post than I meant for. Thanks for reading, as always!

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

The man that made tech sexy

“In most people’s vocabularies, design means veneer. It’s interior decorating. It’s the fabric of the curtains of the sofa. But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a human-made creation that ends up expressing itself in successive outer layers of the product or service.” - Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011

When you think of technology, you think of Apple, and the man behind it all, Steve Jobs.

While Steve Jobs' sudden passing on Wednesday shocked the world, he left behind a legacy like no other. Single-handedly building up the tech giant, Apple, he was a visionary and creative genius, and spurred industry, culture and entertainment shifts.

He changed the way people looked at technology. When he introduced the first generation iPod a decade ago, he turned the clunky MP3 and portable CD player which didn't fit into one's pocket or purse into something so sleek, attractive and aesthetically pleasing. With just, a simple scroll wheel and a large screen, it became the coveted MP3 player for all to have. It even became fashionable. The iPod became an instant fashion item, an icon, and fashion designers picked up on it. In a report in 2004, Lagerfeld was reported saying, 'The iPod completely changed the way people approach music.' It inspired Lagerfeld to create iPod carrying cases for Fendi and influenced Fendi's collection then. iPod carrying cases like the Juke Box, and other carrying cases made of translucent materials (reminiscent of Apple's use of transparent plastic), accompanied by a circular motif, reference to the iPod's scroll wheel was seen throughout Lagerfeld's collection in 2004. Other fashion houses like Gucci, introduced an iPod sling, a carrying case with leather trim and silver clasps. The iPod became an icon, and Steve Jobs never looked back.

After the iPod came a slew of other sleek and desirable products, the iPod nano, the iTouch, iPhone and of course, the latest offering, the iPad. And who can forget the series of Macbooks? It was a cool gadget, and the coolest people (other than geeks), used them - that was the trend back when I was in school, and that trend has not reversed since.

Steve Jobs was not only the CEO of Apple, but also a designer himself. Design was at the heart of his vision, and he had an eye for detail in the design of all of Apple's products. His exacting eye allowed him to conjure magic in those lines and curves. One look at an Apple product, and you feel the need to pick it up and caress it. Former Apple design guru Jerry Manock who collaborated with Steve Jobs on the original Macintosh computer recalls, 'He [Steve Jobs] would encourage us to try different things, different aesthetic treatments to achieve the goal he had in the back of his mind. He'd say "What are ten different ways to treat the bottom curve on this product?"' In this sense, Steve Jobs was no less than a fashion designer himself, fostering an approach to product design that mirrored any designer's approach to haute couture. Before Steve, people didn't designer computers, but made them. The rate of Apple's innovation, put the whole tech industry to pace with the fashion industry - you'd get something new at least twice a year.

Indeed, Steve Jobs was an amazing person that will always be remembered by the world. He changed the world and made it better and there will probably no other like him. May his spirit always live on in Apple's company philosophy and may he always be an inspiration for technology companies, designers and all of us. Rest in peace, Steve.


- Fal

nana & bird and a new concept store

Saturday was the launch of nana & bird's new concept store down in the new enclave that is Tiong Bahru. Nestled in a corner at Yong Siak street, this creative co-op is a cosy space that is perfect as an extension of the quirky pop-up boutique that nana & bird has been functioning as for a while.



The new creative co-op and retail store will open every weekend and fans of nana & bird's unique, hand-selected pieces can look forward to more little known brands that owners Georgina and Chiewling have painstakingly sourced from all over the world. For the launch, 3 new designers were featured; jewellery designers Emma Ware and Wonderhaus from the UK as well as American fashion label Les FILLES.

Emma Ware's jewellery is from her Re:Cycle collection. The pieces are one of a kind and look like they're made from leather strips but the material is actually rubber (from bicycle tires) juxtaposed with polished metal.
 
 

The Wonderhaus collection featured carefully sculpted acrylic pieces which Fal and I loved.

 

You'll wear the galaxy on your wrist if you own that purple acrylic bangle

The Les FILLES collection was inspired by menswear and tailoring, look closely at the photo below and you can make out the vest detailing underneath the organza.



There were some items from designer Rachelle Jim as well as vintage finds which Georgina and Chiewling have found when they travel. Fal and I discovered that the quirky brands aren't just faceless names that nana & bird have dug out from the depths of the indie fashion world. Georgina and Chiewling do meet the designers personally to get to know them better and work out details for their collaborations.

 
 

One of my personal favourites: a vintage necklace made with a pair of gold clip-on earrings and a brooch of a bird.

The new creative space was eclectic and raw and it triggered some nostalgia within me as Chiewling very sweetly brought us on a short tour around the store. The walls and flooring were intentionally left as they were, complete with little pencil markings on the walls and tiny chips in the cement floor. I recognised the cement floor as one that I wiped, played on, dirtied and walked on when I was young and the pencil markings? According to my dad, I was quite the vandal at my grandmother's flat.



Over at the retail side, silly as it sounds, I was fascinated by the door that Georgina and Chiewling had dismantled and used as a display table. Firstly, it was such a brilliant idea and secondly, that door was the same one (minus the whitewash) that I remember seeing almost every day over the course of my primary school years when I returned to my grandmother's house after school. If you do go down to the store and yes you should visit the store as soon as you can, you'll see that the 'Yale' door knob isn't removed from the door-table (table-door?). Call me weird or sentimental, but I couldn't help noticing these bits of the store that reminded me so much of where I spent so many good childhood years.



We are all familiar with the gorgeous, quirky items that nana & bird brings in but pay attention to this new permanent space that they have. I find that what they have done (or not done) with it has made it all the more special.




♥,
Fir

The September Issue

"September is the January in fashion."

This year, I somehow remembered that September was at my doorstep, and reminded myself to get a copy of the September issue of Vogue, which happens to be as thick and heavy as an encyclopedia. I spent Sunday afternoon pouring through the magazine, or should I say fashion encyclopedia, and feeling very inspired after that. 

I think I revered the September issue of Vogue a little more this year after I watched the documentary film 'The September Issue', which was a peek into Anna Wintour's life as well as the assembling together of 2010's September issue of Vogue. If you love fashion, you simply HAVE to watch this (I thoughtfully put the trailer below).

Documentary film aside, here's a peek into what I really like in this coming month's issue of Vogue.

Featured on the cover is Kate Moss, and within the magazine, you'll find a whole fashion spread/ photoshoot of Miss Moss' very lovely wedding in the English countryside. Vogue flew two of its photographers to Cotswold to take her wedding photos. With her gown made by John Galliano himself and her gorgeous photos featured in the September issue, Kate Moss is one lucky woman.

Then there's Karlie Kloss' fashion shoot in Beijing.

What caught my eye though, was a write-up on designers closely identified with a certain aesthetic, and the five different personalities that have emerged from such an aesthetic, namely, the romantic, the modernist, the bourgeoisie, the artisans and the subversives. Try making a guess on which designers have been catergorised under the personalities above.

While I've listed some of my favorite articles in this month's magazine, you'll find other interesting features within the magazine. So go get your hands on the September issue of Vogue now.

♥,

Fal

On the avenue

Fever Avenue is a local online portal, showcasing the latest in events, fashion and music in Singapore and the region. Add this site to your 'Favorites' if you want to keep up with the latest news and get an exclusive peek into the coolest events around town.

We were very honored to be invited to write a Fever Avenue guest feature on shopping tips in Korea lately. Click here if you like to read more about it.


♥,
Fal

More for Fall

A short trend report for Fall/Winter 2011. The new lengths, new textures, bold colours, cuts and slits, menswear inspired pieces mean that putting outfits together will be a more interesting affair. Much as I do love summer and all the goodness that the sun brings (like pretty sun dresses and sexy swimwear), I also love knits, jackets, blazers and trenches. Hardly any opportunity to wear those in this sweltering heat but I guess that is why offices have such ridiculously cold central air conditioning. We all have a chance to indulge in some of those tailored beauties whilst complaining, like a true blue Singaporean, about it being too cold indoors and hot as hell outdoors.

1. Blues


2. Bold and bright pants



3. The Tux



4. Thigh baring slits



5. Leather



6. How about a poncho?



7. Stripes



8. The midi (finally)



Trend reports are great for giving us some sense of what's the next big thing the following season but it doesn't mean blindly following the trend just for the sake of it. Personally, if I don't like it, I wouldn't wear it even if it might be the most fashionable thing at the moment. So have fun mixing it up!


♥,
Fir
Photos courtesy of Refinery 29

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