chicstash.

 models at the chic stash launch event dressed in chic stash items

Keen on wearing the big names but only paying for small price tags? Think secondhand designer style is the ultimate eco-chic statement? Have a soft spot for giving back to your favorite international charities while looking fabulous? ChicStash is your ultimate e-commerce destination for uniquely personalized, high end delights to spruce up your wardrobe without breaking the bank (tons of items are massively discounted!), and trust me when I say that this site is definitely worth a visit for everything fashion-forward and wallet-friendly. Everything that is sold goes through rigorous quality checks by the dedicated (and super lovely!) ChicStash team who do a great job making sure you only receive items of the highest quality. This website is literally my newest addiction and I'm so happy to say that I was interviewed and featured in their latest newsletter, which you can sign up for when you create your ChicStash account. It's super easy to make a ChicStash account to start selling your pre-loved "stash," and you can either earn money for yourself from your sales or donate them to a charity of your choice. Looking good and doing good at the same time has never been easier!

ChicStash is fundamentally inspired by the quirky unexpectedness that is found in resale/vintage stores around the world, though mostly prevalent in Europe and the US. With the whole world migrating online to one extent or another, ChicStash decided to embrace that shift and bring high-end resale to Asia through an accessible and fun online portal. Inspired by women who are fashionably responsible and give back to the community while looking good, ChicStash aims to introduce that great habit to all its online users. In an attempt to create a friendly, fun marketplace of buyers and sellers who know each other and are therefore comfortable with buying from each other, being a part of the ChicStash community opens you up to new friends, new fashion and lots of fun (did I mention making those additional bucks yet?).

Furthermore, ChicStash offers a great service called Concierge Closet, which is for the busy fashionista who might not have time to manage their ChicStash account on their own. Leave it to the NYC-trained stylists behind ChicStash to run your account for you and help you snap up some extra cash - according to CEO Denise Palladino, "we know you're not wearing 80% of what's in your closet, so why not make some extra money?"

singapore blogger rana from bonjour singapore checking out the latest steals on sale at the event!

On top of that, raiding the closets of the most fashionable people in Singapore, Asia and beyond has never been easier. Check out the VIP section for an all-access pass to the most coveted wardrobes in the world - without a restraining order! My favorite VIP closets have got to be Julia Blank's and Claudia Krogmeier's. From models and DJs to stylists and businesswomen, shopping VIP  If you think you've got what it takes to be a VIP on ChicStash, apply here. Spaces are limited!

 So there you have it. For those of you who haven't explored Singapore's most up-and-coming secondhand online portal yet - please take five minutes (which will most likely become fifteen minutes, then an hour, then more...) to check it out here and be sure to follow ChicStash on their social media platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Weibo!

chicstash.com 

This is a sponsored advertorial.

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.

the faces of fashion.

I've always really liked the concept of a brand choosing a "face" or an "ambassador," someone to live out the brand's ethos and be a human embodiment of what the brand is all about. It's almost like a game of translating a brand's aesthetic into a series of physical and emotional characteristics and traits, and finding a celebrity/model who bears the most resemblance to those characteristics. Having a real, walking representation of a perfume, item of makeup or seasonal collection adds a whole new dimension to its meaning - and makes it that much cooler. Below, I've picked 5 of my favourite model-brand partnerships: 

1. Abbey Lee Kershaw x Flora by Gucci

(source)

At first glance, Abbey Lee Kershaw is anything but a flower-girl. Her gap-toothed smile could complement a shabby plaid & denim farmer's ensemble, and her piercing eyes would definitely work with a tough biker-chic facade, but the last things I pictured Abbey posing with were a bunch of flowers and one of Gucci's girliest scents. I'm glad to say I was pleasantly surprised by this ad campaign; given the correct styling and makeup such as that in the picture above, Abbey's striking features add a powerful, feminine aura to the soft, floral perfume. 

2. Gisele Bundchen x Givenchy

 (source)

This smouldering Brazilian beauty looks absolutely unstoppable in Givenchy's ultra-cool s/s2012 ad campaign. The sophisticated ensembles on Bundchen and her two beaus look smashing against the gloomy backdrop of a stormy sky, and her free-flowing blonde locks create a great contrast with the knife-sharp aesthetic of the collection. Normally I associate the bubbly blonde beauty with her beachy iPanema shoe collection, so this campaign was both a surprising and refreshing addition to my mental picture of Gisele.

3. Miranda Kerr x Reebok

(source)
I absolutely fell in love with Miranda's campaign with Reebok. The stunning VS Angel clearly proves that her assets can be flaunted in ways other than just in lingerie. The sporty look is amazing on her (well, she's Miranda Kerr. What doesn't look good on her?!) and her smoking feline looks add a healthy smidgeon of sexiness to the sportswear brand. I don't know about you, but Reebok is suddenly a whole lot more appealing to me now!

4. Sheila Sim x SKII

 (source)
I'm so biased towards Sheila Sim; she's such a babe. After seeing her walk in two shows at Singapore's Audi Fashion Festival 2012, I suddenly felt so proud of Singapore for cultivating such a star. Her charismatic, bubbly smile makes me just want to reach out and hug her! SK-II definitely chose the right face - she's naturally radiant and possesses an elegance and dignity that is sadly growing rarer in this industry.

5. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley x Marks and Spencers

(source)
I was originally convinced that this curvaceous lingerie model was far too promiscuous and sexy for home-y brand Marks and Spencers, however when all was concealed by uber-conservative-British clothing at the M&S Autograph campaign shoot, Huntington-Whiteley's English rose features took the spotlight, and she looked absolutely stunning in toned-down hues and timeless silhouettes. 
~
What do you guys think of these campaigns and the models that were chosen to star in them?

Don't forget to place your vote in my new poll on the right hand sidebar!

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'

#AFF2012 part 1 - street style.

If I could give the organisers and sponsors and audience members and designers and models and everyone involved in the Audi Fashion Festival 2012 a hugely gigantic hug for being so awesome, I bloody would. Attending two shows at this years Fashion Festival was an honor I'd gladly relive, and after witnessing such breathtaking collections before my eyesAfter a weekend filled with flawless fashion shows and star-studded excitement, it's hard not to ramble on and on about everything that the Audi Fashion Festival had to offer. Instead, I'm going to try and pace myself by splitting my #AFF2012 experience into 3 posts:

• One with some street style pictures of Fashion-Festival-Goers and an introduction to AFF (this post)
• One on the Zac Posen Pre-Fall and A/W 2012 collections 
• One on the Roland Mouret A/W 2012 Closing show

Situated in a massive, temporary "Tent@Orchard" outside Ngee Ann City (one of Singapore's most timeless shopping destinations), the Audi Fashion Festival ran for 4 days. AFF wasn't exactly fashion "week," (3 days short, to be exact!) but it's definitely something that's bound to grow bigger in the future. Our little island is slowly but surely headed for the stars, as fashion is now a fast growing phenomenon in Singapore. Although AFF spanned a mere 4 days, those 4 days were certainly packed to the brim with high-octane glamour and round-the-clock entertainment (after parties by Belvedere Vodka? yes please!). Each day, Tent@Orchard hosted a wealth of up to 5 shows; from international labels to local sensations (alldressedup and RAOUL being the favourites). An exclusive press conference was also held, as was CLEO Magazine's Runway Search Finale.

Each and every glittering component that made up the fabulous Audi Fashion Festival was well endowed with the finest Singaporean celebrities and personalities; from MTV VJs to Radio DJs, local bloggers and designers, socialites and hard-core fashion fans - you couldn't miss the high fashion that Orchard Road was drenched in during that short week. And for those like myself who drool over gorgeous street style, you would've been in for a real treat. While I was busy with a Limonata in one hand and a metallic clutch in the other, frolicking around in the Belvedere Vodka Lounge with fellow bloggers from Moments with Meera and Poisepolish, my lovely mother, who's recently adopted an interest in photography, decided to come out and use her newly acquired photography skills (and lens!) to take street style photographs and portraits of AFF-goers. Here are some of her best shots:

All in all, my first time at the Audi Fashion Festival was nothing short of fabulous, and I'm literally counting down the days until AFF2013! Stay tuned for more posts on the Audi Fashion Festival coming up in the next few weeks!

Some stuff that I don't have pictures for but are still worth mentioning:

+ I met Denise Keller before the Roland Mouret show! I got a picture with her and chatted to her, she's super lovely and so stunning!

+ I saw Tallulah Harlech at both the Zac Posen and the Roland Mouret show, perched in the front row of course! 

+ I was lucky enough to have a few people approach me with either "were you in Seventeen magazine?" and/or "do you write Seven Inch Stilettos?" I was so utterly flattered that people recognized me and asked to take a picture with me, that was one of the highlights of AFF2012 for me, so thank you to all who came to say hi :)

follow seven inch stilettos on facebook/twitter/bloglovin'/tumblr

oh, freja.

This post is dedicated to my absolute favourite supermodel ever. 
Freja Beha Erichsen has been on the continual rise to epic fame, and she's definitely not stopping yet. With her shockingly bold features and immense versatility, it's no surprise she's graced countless covers of top-notch magazines and editorials, as well as been photographed by the best names in the industry (cough Mario Testino). 


While having a conversation about models and the fashion industry with my friends, I was shocked to see some of my friends' surprised expressions when I instantly named Freja as one of my favourites. Names like Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr were very prominent in the discussion, and by no means was I surprised by this, but I wondered how in the world anyone could see straight through Freja's unusual, poignant beauty without doing a double take.


Whether she sports a mannish, streamlined suit with a thickly gelled updo or struts in a resort-style maxi and dewy makeup, the fact that she looks like she was born into everything she wears never fails to enthrall me. She's been all over the H&M advertisements here in Singapore (see below); don't you adore her sleek fringe? 

It's so nice to see supermodels smile in pictures too, sometimes I wonder if they really do enjoy their jobs, judging by the amount of sulky-faced pouts I see.


Thanks so much for all your continued support! 
Love you all muchly.
Sources are embedded as links somewhere in the text.

Follow Seven Inch Stilettos on Twitter/Facebook/Bloglovin'