the 5 instagram accounts you need to follow!

Instagram is still a relative newbie to the world of social media, but it seems that fashion has fallen in love with it to the point of no return. I am a total insta-addict myself; from OOTDs to #foodporn, it's become a little digital diary filled with quick snapshots of my daily life for my friends and readers to see. Some bloggers use it as a professional extension of their blogs, others post excessively (not a bad thing though!) about their personal lives which aren't featured on their blogs, but I like to think I land somewhere in between those extremes. Anyway, I've rounded up 5 of my all-time favorite Instagram accounts for you guys to drool over, have fun!

Name: Chelsea Lane (@truelane)
Number of followers: 4734
Bio: "Minneapolis! zippedblog.com"
What you'll find: Simple pictures of Chelsea's enviable, stylish daily life, edited with filters reminiscent of old film photographs. She's also put her own spin on the classic "ootd" picture; she shoots her own outfits by simply pointing her phone downwards so we get a closer view of her outfit details (and, more often than not, a peek at her daily caffeine dose too!). Expect lots of soft, bright shots of interiors, various street views and lots and lots of coffee.
 

Name: Zoe Suen (@zosuen)
Number of followers: 20,250
Bio: "Blogger and incessant cat-video watcher from hong kong - Vine: zosuen - fashiononymous.net"
What you'll find: A glorious mixed-bag of pictures; both sartorial and adolescent, perfectly showcasing Zoe's double life as a fashion blogger and high school student. Her pictures are frequently edited with grainy film effects and occasionally even colorful doodles! Expect frequent snapshots of her photogenic granola breakfasts, adorable selfies and previews of her upcoming posts!

Name: Maria S. (@avenuemaria)
Number of followers: 591
Bio: "Vintage lover, sweet 16, Brisbane www.avenuemaria.blogspot.com"
What you'll find: The most delicately feminine selection of pictures encompassing Maria's life as a student, blogger and full-time florals enthusiast, not to mention a perfect reflection of her equally girly blogging style! Whether it be her morning tea and the latest copy of Frankie magazine, a lacy dress laid out on her flowery bedspread or a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, everything Maria posts is swathed with a vintage, sugary-sweet haze and is beautifully photographed, too!

Name: Sandra Juto (@sandrajuto)
Number of Followers: 52,338
Bio: "in berlin most of the time - welcome!sandrajuto.bigcartel.com"
What you'll find: No exaggerations here; this account might take over your life. Seeing snippets of life as a designer in Berlin never fails to brighten my day. Even the most mediocre aspects of daily routine are cleverly captured; Sandra certainly has a way of harnessing the artistic potential in everything, be it frothy cappuccinos or sunny mornings. To top off all her photographic perfection, Sandra doesn't post too often or too rarely, she strikes the perfect insta-balance! As if you needed another reason to love her account. 

Name: W O L F C U B (@wolfcubwolfcub) 
Number of followers: 23,731
Bio: "by brydie mack ∞ wolfcub@live.com.au - wolfcubchronicles.blogspot.com"
What you'll find: If there is an Instagram account that I can scroll through and mistake for my Tumblr dashboard (seriously, I've subconsciously tried to locate the "reblog" button on more than one occasion), it's this one. Boasting a clean, modern and very fashionable aesthetic, expect to see the harmonious marriage of nature and modernity in the form of flawless models donning sleek white pieces in the sun, sea, sand and surf. Other regular images include Polyvore outfit sets, grungy metallic details, chandeliers, glass jars, dramatic dresses and the occasional nude picture (girls only, please!). Worth a follow if you enjoy minimalist fashion inspiration in bite-sized doses!

+ Check out my interview with SeenHeardKnown Magazine here!
+ Congratulations to Lay Choo for winning my Juicy Couture giveaway, and thanks to everyone who entered!

 

#DFWSG2013

 

Some of you may have seen this on my Instagram already, but I'm so excited to share with you guys our very own homegrown fashion event --  Digital Fashion Week Singapore! I've been named their Official Fashion Correspondent for this year's event, which promises to be absolutely HUGE. I can't disclose the crazy lineup of designers and international fashion personalities yet, but holy moly - it's going to be amazing. Whether you're curled up in bed in California or are taking a day off in Tokyo, the beauty of Digital Fashion Week is that everyone, regardless of who you are or where you are, can enjoy front-row access and go behind-the-scenes of a fully functioning fashion week! 

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I worked with the DFW team last year and had the privilege to not only attend a few of the shows in person at the Ritz Carlton Hotel (blogpost here), but to be a part of the regional fashion blogger panel who hosted Google+ hangouts with the stars of last year's event to get an insight into their lives and their contributions to the fashion industry. Over the next couple weeks before my summer officially starts, I'll be visiting the studios and showrooms of the participating Singapore designers on behalf of DFW and giving you guys a sneak-peek of what's coming your way through DFW's social media platforms, which are all linked below. I will also be asking them a few questions to get their insight on Singapore's fashion industry as well as their inspiration and design process. Make sure you stay tuned for all the excitement; from giveaways/competitions to designer interviews, it's a whole lot of fun that you definitely can't miss! (Psst... they will be running a giveaway for these polaroids very soon! There can only be 20 lucky winners!)

Follow DFW on their Website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and Google+!

juicy couture: the modern pin-up girl!

 I had such a great time at my first event with Juicy Couture a few weeks back! With yummy pink prosecco, live models, an awesome photobooth and two excellent hosts, previewing a collection has never been this fun. Juicy Couture's latest collection, entitled "The Modern Pin-Up," is exactly what its name describes. It's a fun, sexy and contemporary take on the classic 1950's Pin-Up girl, and in the world of Juicy Couture, that entails lots of color, preppy layering and plenty of gorgeous prints. What I love about Juicy Couture is the youthfulness and playfulness that resonates through every bag, dress or pair of shoes they design. Being sexy and sophisticated is fine, but when there's an element of beachy-cool freedom to your outfit, the result is something all women crave to exude: effortlessness. 

 One piece - three ways!

One of the highlights of the evening was a mini catwalk presentation where the hosts showed us three equally gorgeous ways to style pieces from Juicy Couture's latest collection. I love this sequined dress; it's not excessively glitzy or cheap-looking and only when you take a step closer do you see the subtle sequin overlay. While the updated Juicy tracksuit top is cute, I prefer this dress with a simple navy cardigan and a dreamy tropical clutch.

 I absolutely adored this cute little romper - it's not every day you see such a great balance of tropical playfulness and classy-chic, and I'm 100% sure that that's all down to the genius color scheme adorning the print. My favorite look definitely was the denim jacket and black clutch look - I'd love to be caught sporting that on a resort vacation! Juicy Couture's newest collection also includes nautical-inspired accessories which have a really expensive quality to them, despite sporting the excessive decadence synonymous with the brand. The chunky gold chain necklace (also pictured in the denim jacket look) is a wonderful addition to a mix-and-matched look.

 

 I've honestly never thought hot-pink and red could ever go well together, but this neatly pleated shift dress definitely proved me wrong. I love the matchy-matchy striped belt which adds lovely shape to the dress, and that sparklingly clean white clutch is a perfectly preppy way to finish off the look. On the other hand, while I love the green bag and mesh cardigan to bits, I probably wouldn't decide to pair them with this dress. My favorite is the last look - from the glammed-up tote to the big floppy hat, this look is a wonderful marriage of different styles, textures and color. Recurring stripes equals nautical appeal; and you can never go wrong with that.

Camilla, Emma & I with our Goodie bags | Emma & I enjoying some Prosecco | Host/Blogger Yvette and I

 Since this event clashed with my annual last-day-of-school sleepover with my two best friends, I decided to drag them along for some Juicy Couture fun! Here are some pictures of us from the event and from the sleepover - check out our matching shirts! I was wearing a gorgeous dress sponsored by Kristine's Collection, check out their Facebook and Website.

juicy couture giveaway!

 In order to say a huge thank you for over 1000 followers on Instagram, here's the giveaway as promised! Win this brand new, gorgeous pink tote bag from Juicy Couture; it's the perfect summer accessory and is roomy enough to fit all of your beach essentials. Plus, I'll throw in a $20 Sogurt voucher for the lucky winner too!

To enter this giveaway, simply complete as many of the following steps as you'd like. They're each worth different numbers of giveaway entries so the more you complete, the higher your chances will be!

1) Follow me on Instagram (@veenamccoole)  

(worth one entry)

2) Tweet the exact following words: 

"I've just entered @VeenaMcCoole's #JuicyCouture and #Sogurt #giveaway! Enter here: http://bit.ly/10Yx8L3"
(worth one entry)

3) "Like" my Facebook page here.
(worth one entry)

4) Include in your email a reason why you like Sogurt!
(worth TWO entries)

5) Instagram a picture of yourself and/or your Sogurt with the hashtag #SISxSogurt

(WORTH FIVE ENTRIES!)

Lastly, send me an email at veena@seveninchstilettos.com with the subject line "Juicy Couture Giveaway!" letting me know which entries you've completed so I can count them up and put them into the random draw. 

(Include usernames for each account you've completed an entry on and attach screenshots too please!)

This giveaway is open to SINGAPORE RESIDENTS ONLY and will close on the 25th of May (a week from now!). The randomly selected winner will be contacted via email and if I don't get a response within 24 hours, then I'll pick another lucky winner!

Good luck!

candy magazine: style crush!

If you were able to pick up the April issue of the Philippines' Candy Magazine, you might have spotted my little feature as their Style Crush of the month! It's a little hard to read the actual interview in this picture so I've typed it up below for those of you who are interested in what I have to say about Singapore Style and everything Summer-related (I might have gushed a bit too much about Tory Burch too). 

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Part-time model, part-time student, and full-time fashion obsessive, this Singaporean blogger gives us the scoop on her summer style.

What's the best place to hit up in Singapore during the summer?

Sentosa has a handful of great beaches and lovely seaside dining spots, and the best thing about the island is that everything is in such close proximity to one another. You can ride the Luge, visit Universal Studios, surf at the Wavehouse, or even try the skydive simulator iFly.

How would you describe Singaporean style?

Black is a particularly significant staple in a Singaporean's wardrobe. It's needed to pull off both the rocker-chick look and the classic, understated look - two of the most popular options for Singaporeans.

If you could pick one designer collection to outfit your entire summer wardrobe, which would it be and why?

Tory Burch's Spring/Summer 2013 collection! It's an unexpected mix of the classic American flaxen-haired prairie girl fused with this great global flavor, all swathed in crisp, light colors and masterful tailoring.

What summer trend are you most excited to try?

Due to baggage weight allowances, quickly changing plans and sheer laziness, I'm embarrassed to say that I'm guilty of being a sloppy dresser during the summer! However cliched this may sound, florals are still an absolute staple for me. They're so easy to dress up or down and can be modified to suit any occasion instantly.

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Thanks a bunch to Sam, Candy Magazine's lovely Associate Fashion Editor, for working with me!

shopbop's new designers!

The rapid rise of the digital age in the context of fashion doesn't stop at simply promoting accessibility, breaking down barriers of exclusivity and giving online influencers a place among the stars in the front-row of fashion; one of the most striking facets of our technology-powered industry is the fact that one no longer needs to doll-up and head into town in order to snap up some sale pieces from their favorite designer. For someone who likes doing absolutely nothing at home, the idea of shopping from the comfort of my bed is EXTREMELY appealing - and what better place to shop online than Shopbop?

The cream of the crop in the world of e-retail, Shopbop was launched in 2000 and has since been successfully in sustaining their vision of catering to the "chic, modern woman" of today. Shopbop provides a personalized shopping experience to its customers and is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as having "the best customer service." A champion of emerging design talent (they feature limited edition pieces from top designers exclusively available on their site) and the first "magazine-meets-boutique" approach to e-commerce, Shopbop is arguably the best store of its kind - it's certainly made its way to my list of "Top Hits" lately! For a self-confessed newbie to the world of online shopping, Shopbop is definitely my top destination for future "e-splurges" on pieces from my favorite designers!

Here are my 5 picks from some of Shopbop's newest designers - let me know what you think of them!

1. One Teaspoon: Pretty Daggers Top
This homegrown Sydney label specializes in edgy yet wearable designs that bridge the gap between sexy rock-n-roll and laid-back surf culture, and is a great place to snap up deconstructed/reinvented wardrobe essentials in bold colors that transcend fast-fashion trends. I especially love this gorgeous caged top, it's basically the definition of Aussie Tumblr-style and can be worn in so many daring ways.

2. Vera Wang: Sleeveless Corseted Dress
Designed by the ever-reigning queen of the most important dress you'll ever wear (your wedding dress!), Vera Wang's aesthetic of elegance at every age is translated perfectly into this flattering white number. It's sophisticated but not dull and conservative but not granny-esque; while other designers struggle to walk the fine line between appropriateness and boredom, Vera Wang seems to skip along it and breeze right by. With simple pleating and an origami feel to the nipped in waist and medium-bodied skirt, this dress flatters the female form from every angle and promises to exude understated glamour.

3. Monika Chiang: Domina Chain Cuff Sandal
I've recently fallen very much in love with ankle-strap shoes; even though they provide the illusion of shorter, stumpier legs, I just love that they're a nice change from the generic pump-design of most heels. This head-turning design by Monika Chiang is a boundary-pushing, inspired take on classic athletic silhouettes - what I love is the range of textures, materials and color combined tastefully into one shoe that makes it the perfect focal point of a basic outfit. Monika Chiang's other designs feature the likes of mesh platforms and spiked wedge sneakers, making her name synonymous with all things sexy, grungy and athletic.

4. Liebeskind: Lioba Stainy Studs Bag
If there's one color that everyone needs to own more of, it's stone grey. Or rather, every single shade/tone (I forget which is the accurate artistic term!) between the extremes of black and white. Grey is such a beautifully understated addition to any outfit, it has a unique, offbeat appeal and is versatile beyond belief. This studded grey bag from Berlin-based brand Liebeskind (translation: "love child") is so wonderfully carefree, with a distinct charm that reflects the urban vibe of Berlin. Be it leather shorts, skinny jeans, a maxi dress or denim cutoffs, this bag might just be able to accompany every single outfit of yours out the door and onto the street.

5. ace&jig: Rolled Tee Blouse
If there's something I literally cannot ever have enough of, it's slouchy tees. This particular one comes with a great history as well as interesting details - the yarn-dyed striped fabric is made in collaboration with specialists in India on ancient hand looms. It adds the perfect touch of color, texture and a wonderful snippet of historical context to anything from a ripped pair of boyfriend jeans to a flowy maxi skirt.

This is a sponsored advertorial.

10qq with katja tamara.

I have a seriously incurable obsession with statement clutches; for a student on a sartorial budget, statement clutches are the perfect way to spice up a classic, re-wearable outfit - namely a light colored chiffon blouse and denim jeans. They can add a splash of color, texture or pattern to any simple ensemble, and in the case of Katja Tamara's python clutches, they add all three. Possibly my favorite thing about these gorgeous accessories (although seriously, what ISN'T to like about those beauties) is the fact that they exemplify the perfect marriage of color, print and texture through the distinct python-skin print they all boast. If there's such thing as the perfect, all-encompassing statement bag, these clutches might be just that. With a medley of color schemes on offer as well as variations such as python-skin tote bags and carryalls, Katja Tamara's fantabulous designs are definitely a staple for any fashion-forward woman (or man!). Drawing inspiration from Bali where all her designs are exclusively manufactured, Katja has expanded her label to include beautiful tasseled necklaces each with unique bead patterns and Buddha pendants. I'm so over the cheap fad of gothic Christian-cross designs, so I welcomed one of these gorgeous Buddha necklaces (in black) into my accessories collection with open arms a few weeks ago at the ilovedesigner.com event! 

Check out Katja's 10 Quick Questions below:

1) Favorite thing to do on a Saturday night: Dinner with friends, listening to music, dancing and late-night lounging, or having Apple TV movie nights (and popcorn!) with my husband and kids. 

2) Your current beauty must-have: An 8 hour night of sleep and Tom Ford’s Eye Color Quad in Titanium Smoke, which is suitable for day or night.

3) Your favorite vacation destination: Does it have to be narrowed down to 1 place? I love to travel! My favorites are Bali during Spring, Hawaii in the Summer, New York City in the Fall and Zermatt during Winter. 

4) Something not a lot of people know about you: Both of my parents are European, but I grew up in California. They wanted to give me a name that could be pronounced in Norwegian, German and English easily, but unknowingly they gave me a name that was quite unique in the USA. When I was younger I was tortured with nicknames! Now I can embrace my name and I love it. 

5) Something that inspires your designs: As cliché as this is, I genuinely have Wanderlust. Whenever I travel, I take snapshots in my mind of the natural beauty of animals. 

6) An artist you've currently been listening to: Coldplay; although they have been around for a while, I always come back to them. 

7) A pet peeve: People who brag. 

8) The best part of the design process: Sourcing different textures, patterns and colors, as this inspires my creations. 

9) A language you wish you could speak: German, my father is from Germany. I used to have to go to German Saturday School in California, but I rebelled and refused to speak it! Now I wish I was more fluent. 

10) Future dreams and goals for the Katja Tamara label: My obsession is for people to own versatile pieces in their wardrobe and not to take themselves too seriously. I think a lot of the rules of fashion have been broken and it's not about recreating the wheel but reinterpreting it. I would love for my label to be carried by influential people on a world stage and by moms out on a Saturday night.  

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What do you think of Katja Tamara's gorgeous clutches? Shop her designs on ilovedesigner.com!