@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!

Set on you: September

This September I've got my eyes set on...

1. The PS1 is in my opinion, the epitome of classic it-girl cool. Worn over the shoulder or carried by the handle, this covetable style will stamp every look with urban glamour.


2. Block heels are the way to go, and ASOS' PATIENCE peep toes with its suede look upper and bow details is subtly feminine.


3. Really, who needs gloves in Singapore's heat? But I adore this pair of leopard print gloves from H&M so much that I'd wear them regardless of the climate.


4. Topshop's ring reminds me of a sunken treasure at the bottom of the ocean. Don't you think the gold plated trimmings remind you of corals? And who knew that green stone, tortoise shell and gold could look so chic together?


5. Aficionados of directional style will love Kelly Wearstler's handcrafted brass bangle studded with bold pyrite cubes. Wear it solo or stacked with other tough-luxe pieces to inject everyday looks with utility cool. In case you didn't know, Kelly Wearstler is responsible for the iconic look of the Viceroy hotels, the author of three beloved books, and her incredible interior design work is feted in all the best magazines. This fall, she'll be bringing her unique, oft-emulated vision to the fashion world with her 80-piece ready-to-wear collection, all available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Net-a-porter.


♥,
Fal