warehouse trend talk.

Hosted by ELLE Singapore's lovely Senior Stylist Dora Aljoofri, the Warehouse Trend Talk and AW12 collection preview was a lovely evening of laughs, photographs, and lots and lots of delicious canapes (I may or may not have devoured all those mini mushroom quiches!). After a peruse through the deliciously timeless collection, eager fashionistas gathered around to hear what Dora had to say about the collection. With the help of a fleet of models gliding elegantly through the store, Dora talked us through her favorite pieces in the collection. She summed up the nature of worldwide Autumn/Winter 2012 trends perfectly: "the most opulent season fashion has ever seen." Well, opulence was certainly the right word to use. With rich fabrics in regal hues, the entire collection was sprinkled in class and expensive taste - even the expected leather jacket (typically fit for a half-naked biker chic) was transformed into something of KMiddleton's calibre, thanks to the designers at Warehouse taking a hint from Chanel by quilting the fabric (as worn on stylist Dora and second model from the left). Jodphur-inspired skinny jeans and blouses dotted with "woodland creatures" (another huge recurring motif this season) were a prevalent aspect of the collection, and typically stiff, wallpaper-esque brocade was given a fun update in the form of a flirty, sequined dress (centre image).

The collection was effortlessly classy, and delivered runway-worthy apparel at an attractive high-street price. However, what made the collection especially lovable was the fact that it bridged the daunting gap between the borderline obnoxious trends in high-fashion, and the trends you see on the street. While maintaining modesty and elegance, the collection successfully updated the key features of this season to fit the needs of stylish, young people on a budget. It really doesn't get any better than iridescent, sequined brocade!

Click here to see more pictures from the event.

topshop personal shopping AW12 preview.

 Last Saturday morning I had the privilege of attending an exclusive Topshop event hosted by Fashion Fast Forward (F3), a company which oversees the likes of Ben Sherman, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, and most recognizably; Topshop and Topman in Singapore. Two of Topshop's wonderful Personal Shoppers, as well as one of the most noted bloggers in the region: X-Wen of Fash-Eccentric, hosted the wonderful morning event, with a series of talks about AW12 trends, tips on how to infuse key pieces from Topshop's latest collection into your wardrobe, and a wonderful preview of Louse Gray's collaboration with Topshop, which are hitting Singapore stores soon!

After picking up a quick drink at Starbucks, I headed over to Topshop Knightsbridge (the largest Topshop in Singapore), where a whopping queue of eager Topshop enthusiasts snaked far from the entrance of the store, perspiring in the humid morning sun. After a quick browse through the store, my friend Ayla and I were lucky enough to nab some seats before blogger X-Wen ("real name Xiao-Wen, although X-Wen sounds more mutant!") and two gorgeous personal shoppers Melanie and Anny began their presentation.

Hearing what the personal shoppers had to say about the AW12 trends was incredibly interesting. I've never really given much thought to the fact that people actually make a career out of dressing and catering to the personal style of individuals - but after further contemplation and an excellent impression made by the shoppers, personal shopping and styling definitely seems like a rewarding, dynamic facet of the fashion industry. The two shoppers, with their sharp eye for contrast and sixth sense of trend-forecasting, demonstrated easy ways to work Topshop's key AW12 pieces into your existing wardrobe. From deconstructed denim to sequin-saturated crop tops, there's no avoiding the iridescence and WOW-factor that this season holds. Whether you choose to pair your studded denim chambray shirt with vibrantly printed cigarette pants, or are more of an A-line skirt and oversized cardigan type of girl, Topshop's AW12 collection has the most versatile, chic separates which have a way of seamlessly falling into place amidst the rest of the treasure trove that is a fashionista's closet. 

{X-Wens face: Priceless!}

Everyone who came to the event enjoyed 20% off the whole store - and after such a great talk (which almost gave me enough motivation to buy the entire store, not that I lacked any motivation in the first place...), there were long lines to the changing rooms, lines which I honestly couldn't be bothered to join. I opted for a lovely gold geometric necklace that didn't require a changing room and a mirror to fall in love with, which will be featured in an outfit post soon! I browsed the racks of gorgeous collars and "Freedom" jewellery with Ayla, and was lucky enough to hang out with X-Wen for a bit! #bloggerbonding
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Seriously, she made it to the top of my "cool people list" looong ago, all it took was a glance through her stunning site day in day out... and then I met her. #starstruck

At such a deliciously fashionable event, it was only natural that I witness the most incredible street style - from the likes of bloggers, fashion enthusiasts, and the Personal Shoppers themselves! Which of the three outfits above do you like the best?

"Fashionable Brunch Date with a dose of Topshop" wasn't exactly a difficult dress code to follow - I loved putting my outfit together for this stylish event! I had a mini panic-attack when this gorgeous geometric top came in a parcel and landed at my doorstep (who doesn't love getting snail mail?!), courtesy of OASAP.com, a reasonably priced online store that I just stumbled across with an astounding variety of quirky pieces! This shirt was somewhat of a DIY project (or not really) for me; it came with a ladybug-like layer over the shirt that you see in the pictures above, and although I thought the extra layer was really cool - I was DYING to wear it to this event, and I knew I had to whip out my scissors and snip goodbye to the ladybug layer if I wanted this sheer button-down to work with my ubersoft A-line Topshop shorts. It was a spur of the moment thing; and I've never really just got out my scissors and shredded up a brand-new piece of clothing on a whim, but there's a first time for everything, isn't there? I'm glad I didn't make a mess of my brand new shirt, considering my competence with DIY artsy stuff (or lack thereof).

Shorts // Topshop -- Blue Wedges // Primark -- Geometric Shirt // courtesy of OASAP -- Leather Wristlet // Coach -- Jewellery // assorted

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Did any of you guys attend this event too? What do you think of Topshop and the collaboration with Louise Gray?

best friend tag video!

 Hello everyone! 

A relatively snappy, self-explanatory post for you today: one of my best friends (who also happens to be an incredible singer and youtuber) Zack Hourihane selected me to appear in one of his videos: A Best Friend Tag! We filmed this late last week, and I think he did an awesome job editing it in record time. In the video, we're answering a set of questions set by famous beauty blogger/youtuber JuicyStar007 - also known as Blair Fowler, and we're just generally rambling about life. It would mean a lot to both Zack and I if you took 7 minutes of your time to watch the two of us being stupid!

And for those of you who have never met me/live halfway across the world/are curious to hear what my voice sounds like: this is the video for you!

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Keep up with Zack through Youtube, Twitter and Tumblr, and if you watched the video, thank you!

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