candy magazine: street style book!

 I'm so excited to announce my latest press appearance in print - Candy Magazine Philippines' August issue! They've included a global street style booklet and I'm honored to have a 2-page spread of my personal style featured in it. Many thanks to the photographers of the three pictures featured (click through for their respective sites!): Fiona Sng, Sophie Hackett and John Tan. This is my second feature in the #1 teenage magazine in the Philippines which is so exciting (check out the first one here!) - if you have access to the magazine do pick up a copy, it won't let you down! Thanks so much to the fashion editor Sam Potenciano for coordinating this amazing opportunity!

assorted inspiration.

 Images via Tumblr and Macademian Girl

Image via Stockholm Streetstyle

Image via JakandJil

Image via fashiontoast

Image via Streetpeeper

Image via Streetpeeper

When I'm feeling particularly uninspired or if I'm just craving an injection of aesthetic gloriousness, I thankfully have an array of favorite street style blogs to turn to, namely the ones linked underneath the pictures above. There's nothing to brighten up your day/chase away thoughts of looming exam results like the eclectic, vibrant colors showcased in the images above. If there's anywhere you most definitely should dress like a fluorescent lollipop, it's to a fashion show. Why? Because fellow dotty fashion folk will most likely think you're utterly fabulous, and you probably won't find yourself on a celebrity gossip magazine's "worst dressed list." In fact, you might even have the likes of Tommy Ton chasing after you! In the unlikely event of a fashion faux-pas, rest assured that fashion photographers don't bother snapping pictures of, well, people not worth snapping pictures of. In other words, you won't be getting negative attention for a wardrobe disaster, you'll simply be getting no attention - making fashion shows the perfect place to take a risk and break out those awkward-yet-chic brogues you've been dying to take out for a spin. After all - anything looks a trillion times more stylish in the fuzzy glow of fashion week, so success rates for style are thankfully high. I love seeing street style photographs during fashion week in the major global style-capitals of the world; if I ever get a chance to attend the likes of NYFW, I feel like I'd be equally satisfied with standing outside and gawking at the overwhelming concentration of beautiful human beings in beautiful clothes as I would be watching a fashion show. Dressing up is literally half the fun.

Timber Timbre // Black Water

#AFF2012 part 3: roland mouret.

Roland Mouret's Fall/Winter collection was packed to the brim with all things wonderful: cool sorbet hues, sophisticated peplum separates, and some of the most ingenious tailoring I have ever seen. I particularly enjoyed the mash-up of menswear-inspired, tailored outerwearand feminine, pastel shift dresses.Seeing this collection right before my eyes (from the third row!) during the Audi Fashion Festival might have left me a little biased, but this collection will forever resonate in my mind as proof that an array of simple pieces can really make an impact.

For an under-ten-minute long show, the collection ticked a LOT of boxes. From effortlessly simple shift dresses to fur-topped pastel hued outfits, every ensemble that was sent down the runway possessed something from the greater scope of things; at least one recurring element drawn from Mouret’s initial inspiration. In other words, there were no “filler” pieces just to pass the time; each ensemble was brutally conciseand adhered firmly to a set of motifs, fabrics, colors and tailoring styles to create a solid collection with a strong aesthetic identity. I’ve picked out a few of my favourite trends within this collection and collaged them below:

I love the interesting architectural quality of the crossover-neck. 

Think of it as a scarf, I guess. With a bolder “twist.” (pun intended!)

Voluminous fur, meet sorbet hues and pastel peplum. Probably one of the most unexpected combinations in this collection, but definitely a favorite of mine. There’s actually nothing cuter than a peek of peplum or a flap-pocket underneath a huge ball of fur (that somehow manages to still look chic). Roland, I don’t know how you do it.

Another fabulous highlight of the collection – a succulent abundance of masculine tailoring in various forms: fitted, slouchy, or tweaked to look girly. The angularshoulders and no-fuss colors made ‘borrowing from the boys’ something we ladies should contemplate doing more often.

This is the part where the girls bring out their scissors, needle-and-thread and pastel colored dye; menswear is about to get a whole new look. Whoever thought muted, manly office-wear could be so intimately related with such gloriously girly confections? Along with his fantabulous team of seamstresses, Mouret has managed to whip up a plethora of different neckline designs for each ensemble. While the peplum dress on the extreme right boasts pleated puffy shoulders, the electric-white pantsuit next to it (center right) has a lovely loose fit but a wide, creased shoulder to raise the bar. The blue ensemble (centre left) possesses a delicately folded bust and shoulder, reminiscent of the elegant Japanese paper-folding art form: origami.

Another super-great thing (gosh, I could go on forever gushing about my love for this collection) about Mouret’s AW2012 line is that it sticks to an exclusive color palette, which is echoed and recreated through the whole collection in ways that really did make my jaw drop. Take that shapeless lemony frock paired with knee-high boots, for instance. Gorgeous color, light fabric, and the ruched shoulders and crinkled neckline are super feminine. Now, on the far right we have another ensemble featuring the stunning fluorescent hue. A restructured, slouchy take on the modern blazer, this unusually long piece of outerwear is equipped with lethally tailored broad shoulders, and a sharp pair of pants to match. And there you have it, a floaty, DVF-esque dressand a sleeveless, slouchy blazer-type-thing-which-still-qualifies-as-super-cool, both coated in the same, delicious color. Roland Mouret is definitely one to conjure up ingenious juxtapositions of his own designs (and present them within the same collection), which give every collection of his an authentic feel. 

Sorry that this post was months late (AFF was ages ago), I totally forgot about it but I still really wanted to share it. Hope you enjoyed!

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xx v.

paris - part I

Bonjour! 

After an exhausting three weeks in the mountains (read about it here!), I barely had a week of R&R back in my own bed before I was off again to Paris! The transatlantic flight was exhausting, but as soon as we left Charles De Gaulle Airport we were absolutely stunned by how beautiful the city was - even from the window of our Airport Shuttle Bus. 

There wasn't a single modern, glassy skyscraper in sight; every building we saw was authentically designed with unique floral patterns engraved in the faded stone fronts; each structure oozing with culture and history. Rows of dainty cafes lined the narrow cobblestone streets, each filled with Parisian women in leather boots and tailored trenchcoats, with their elegant, manicured fingers wrapped around warm lattes. Tree-lined avenues greeted us at every corner, each punctuated with wooden park benches occupied by lovebirds - young and old. Even the streetlamps looked so romantic, even though it was broad daylight. Within minutes of entering the city, I had come to a definite conclusion: The movies were right - Paris is really the city of love. 

After dumping our bags at our conveniently located hotel (on a quiet backstreet of Champs Elysees!), we instantly roamed the nearby streets and acquainted ourselves with the nearest coffee shop - Paul. Food always tastes best when it's made close to home, and Pain au Chocolat has never tasted better!

Apologies for the fluctuations in image quality; I'm using pictures from my digital camera as well as my mom's DSLR, so some images will be of better quality than others. 

2 more Paris posts are coming your way soon!

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10qq with maggie.

Meet Maggie Pa, a multi-talented, 17 year old Chinese-American from California. An avid violinist, a graphic design/digital art student and a self confessed shoe addict, Maggie enjoys documenting her fashion and culinary experiences on her blog, Salt and Leather. 

~
1) Favourite magazine of all time: Nylon or W.
2) A celebrity you hate: I don't really hate any... I'm not interested in celebrities at all.
3) Two of your style icons: Sen Mitsuji and the Olsen twins, although I prefer street style to specific people.
4) If you were on the red carpet for a day, who's designs would you wear? McQueen or Vivienne Westwood.
5) All-time favourite accessory: My Forever21 plated necklace.
6) First song that plays on your iTunes shuffle: "Back to Tomorrow" by DBSK.
7) 3 things you keep beside your bed: My lamp, a small sketchbook and pen for late night ideas, and an alarm clock.
8) Favourite food: This is tough... But I'd have to say Taiwanese Oyster Pancakes.
9) A place you'd like to visit before you die: Tokyo, Japan.
10) What you want to be when you're older: Advertising/Marketing and Graphic design.

What do you think of Maggie's style and her blog, Salt and Leather?

#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 :)

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scarves.

The transition from sunny summer months to freezing fall days is definitely a tricky one, as the change in temperature is so drastic for such a short amount of time. The two seasons are sandwiched together, so maintaining a trendy timeless look tailored for each season without completely restocking your wardrobe can be tough, but it isn’t impossible.

I've tried to narrow this post down, so here I've attempted to consolidate scarves into three basic categories: Proper, Actual scarves that do what they're supposed to: Keep people warm, Printed scarfs that are light and are perfect for summer, and Solid Scarves which tend to be heavier.

You’ve probably heard this a thousand times on numerous blogs and websites, simply because it’s completely true: Scarves are the perfect fall accessory. They’re an affordable, versatile and fun-sized addition to any wardrobe. There’s no need to shop at Saks for them either; any decent scarf can look a million bucks with skinny jeans, suede boots and an oversized tote.

Scarves are the simplest accessories. People doubt the power of a length of fabric draped casually across one’s shoulders; but scarves are able to achieve an immense caliber of chic. Knits are super cute and are the best in terms of insulation, and what better opportunity for a weekend DIY project? Cashmere is my all time favourite type of fabric; my Grandma is the queen of beautiful cashmere cardigans; their luscious texture and silky feel have me in love. Statement scarves are an absolutely stunning addition to any ensemble when used carefully. Throw on a bright printed scarf to liven up a simple outfit, and add an earth-toned one to neutralize bold clothing choices.

“But how can I pull off such an impeccably stylish accessory without it flapping around in my face or looking twice my age adorned with granny knits?” I hear you meekly cry. Well, fear not. Scarves can be worked with in three thousand different ways; they’re just a length of cloth. 

A classic casual swing is a perfect way to keep warm on a chilly day, and it brings a killer outfit down to earth too. Throw it around your shoulders if the sun’s coming out for an effortless, layered look (avoid layering scarves over industrial-strength raincoats so you don’t end up working the “overdressed snowball” look). If you’ve got a large scarf that fits over your shoulders, use it as a pashmina/shawl (bandana wrap); it’s an elegant look for a nice dinner date and will prevent your arms from sporting oh-so-gorgeous goose-bumps. And if there’s nowhere else to put your scarf (this symptom is highly unlikely, there’s always room for a scarf), loop it around your bag for an instant update. What better accessory could you ask for?

Sources: Here,here,here,here,here,here,

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the fabulous los angeles.

Los Angeles.

How do I even BEGIN to describe this city? For starters, I've been here for a DAY. And I have already fallen in complete and utter love with this jubilant city of beauty, style, stardom and fame. The melting sun gazing down on me, the satisfying breeze combing through my hair. An array of shopping bags accessorize my arms as I glide coolly down Hollywood's walk of fame. In one hand I clutch a fresh soft taco from none other than Taco Bell (that I devour greedily, there's no such thing as Taco Bell in Singapore!), in the other I clutch my camera, which I anxiously leave turned on for the whole day in hope of running into a celebrity.

This city is just pure magic to me, really. As much as I hate to say it because it makes me sound awfully naive, it's nothing short of breathtaking. The people (at least the ones found in the Hollywood area) have such a manicured style, unlike the shoppers on Orchard Road, who are usually decked out in carelessly chosen shorts and a shirt. I felt sheepish as I scrutinized every single girl who walked past, endlessly wondering about the possibility of them being a celebrity or a supermodel under their designer shades. They were all just cookie-cutter copies of one another though, to be brutally honest. Fake tan, streaky blonde hair, artificial/pushed-up boobs, tight shirts, butt-clinging shorts.


Although most of the teenagers lacked any identity in terms of style, it was the young-adults, and even the older ladies, whose style blew me away. I saw sundresses and colorful wedge heels, to high waisted shorts and boots, to PVC heavy duty totes, to strappy summer sandals. I loved every bit of it.

The Four Seasons hotel.

Me with a Marilyn Monroe statue outside the hotel.

The gorgeous view from our room.

We did a ton of touristy activities, which I thoroughly enjoyed. We went on a Movie Star Homes Tour, and we got to see homes of movie stars such as Charlize Theron, Orlando Bloom, Matthew Perry, Michael Jackson's old home, Diane Keaton, Elvis Presley's old home, Madonna, Drew Carey, Kanye West, the Hiltons, etc. It was such a cool experience, and we even ran into Diane Keaton in her white BMW in front of her house!

Former "Friends" star Matthew Perry's house.

Property of Ben Stiller.

The Beckham's house (far house with the three windows).

When we arrived back at Hollywood&Highlands Mall next to the Chinese Theater, we were greeted by a fabulous surprise; the Cars 2 Premiere was on! We waited in a huge crowd for two hours, we were squished like sardines! Fortunately, we got some really good views of some awesome celebrities; it was probably my first time seeing any celebrities up close!

Modern Family's Sarah Hyland with her boyfriend, attending the Cars 2 Premiere.

Cars 2 Voice of "McQueen" Owen Wilson.

PCD's Nicole Scherzinger arm in arm with Lewis Hamilton (not shown in this image).

To finish up, I'd like to apologize for my inconsistent commenting and posting, for I'll be travelling around the US and my wi-fi accessibility will change as I move around. If you notice I've stopped commenting on your blog or posting as frequently, I have NOT abandoned you. I'm still keen as ever, and hopefully towards the end of my holiday once I settle down in Ireland, I'll be able to go back to my regular commenting, etc.

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