Best of 2012: Bonjour Awards PART 1

2012 is finally over and luckily for us, the world has not ended!

Evaluating a whole year is never an easy task but everyone needs it so they can move forward and put in place those resolutions which we hope to follow in 2013.

When it comes to fashion, 2012 was certainly an exciting year. Not just in general but more so on the Singaporean scene.

As someone who has spent the last year digging out some great hidden gems around town, discovering new local and regional labels and taking part in some awesome fashion events I have to say it’s been my most fashionable year ever and I never cease to be impressed by the talents I stumble upon every week in the little red dot!

So as I apparently a ‘local expert’ (something I find amusing and untrue), I’ve decided to give out the prestigious Bonjour Awards to my favourite labels, events and boutiques I've discovered in 2012. If you didn't see yourself in this list then don't fret, this is a two part post, with the rest of the winners coming later in the week.

Can't top that: Wearing 2 of my favourite Asian labels which launched
 in 2012, LION EARL (dress) and TOTON (collar).

Gnossem: Photoshoot Promoting Asian and independent labels

One of the weirdest things about blogging is this notion that people want to know what you're wearing, what you like and even more strangely they want to see it too.

I've always found it endlessly amusing that people would be interested in taking photos of me but I will rarely turn down such an opportunity if it will help publicise some great Asian labels.

This is precisely the reason I was delighted to accept Singapore e-commerce website Gnossem's invitation for a styled dress-up session. I love the site anyway (being one of the few e-commerce sites which almost exclusively stocks emerging independent labels from Asia and around the world) so the chance to be glammed up and helping some labels along the way was too good to turn down.

I love this photo of me in an H Fredriksson Long Stina Dress

TOTON's new looks at Jakarta Fashion Week2012

Jakarta Fashion Week, one of the biggest fashion weeks in Asia took place last week. As much as I wanted to attend, my passport was not ready in time...

One of the main reasons I was so eager to go to Jakarta was to watch the first ever show of the designer I’m so very fond of, Toton Januar (whom I interviewed here before) of TOTON. Upon knowing he was invited to take part in Jakarta Fashion Week’s  Mazda ‘Young and Vibrant Designers’ show, I knew I wanted to be there – as one of his first clients and biggest supporter of course ;-)

Sadly this didn’t happen but nonetheless I wanted to write this small post to show you his latest looks – as part of extension from his first SS13 collection ‘Violent Beauty’ which blew me away earlier this year.

Designer Toton Januar at his Jakarta Fashion Week show last
week! (photos from TOTON's fb page and website)

Loving the new looks Toton has presented in the show! The
fuchsia collar is to die for...

What I wore: My 10 Digital Fashion Week outfits

I had so many reasons to be super excited to take part of Digital Fashion Week (DFW). As you know I was hosting the interviews with some great established and emerging Singaporean designers and hanging around backstage among some beautiful clothes and models.

But I won’t lie. Getting dolled up every morning with a team of experts and having 10 outfits to change in three days was probably one of the highlights as well. My co-host (Beam Artiste and tanjongbazaar.com blogger Yvette King) and I took our jobs as promoting Singaporean and Asian designers very seriously and spent many days before the event running around planning our outfits mainly from places like Parco next NEXT and the participating designers.

It was tiring but great fun especially that our choices seemed to grab people’s attention - including super model Andrej Pejic who fell in love with a LION EARL digital print dress that Yvette was wearing which prompted the designer Lionel to give him one! Another item which Andrej managed to keep was my TOTON collar which I wore the last day to interview him. Sophie Sumner also made no secret of her love for local label OwnMuse and wore their clothes more than a couple of times during the week.

So if you’ve missed out (or lost count) of my DFW outfits, here’s the list of what I wore on all 3 days and the press conference! Which LOOK did you like most ;-)?

Big thanks goes to my dear friend Aaron Han who was on hand everyday
to snap most of these photos :-)

Digital Fashion Week: Guo Pei Q&A on her exquisite designs coveted by Lady Gaga

It I were to describe Guo Pei’s creations, couture or haute couture wouldn't begin to describe it. There probably aren't enough words in the dictionary to suitably describe her outrageous creations. 

Anyone who says fashion can't be art has clearly never laid eyes on anything from China's top designer whose pieces all look like they stepped out of the most over the top gallery and museum in history.

Taking Chinese history and its rich culture as her inspiration, Guo Pei makes no compromise when it comes to creating and crafting exquisite gowns which sometimes take years to complete. 

It is feast to the eyes, inspiring as nothing I’ve ever seen before and way more avant-garde than anything Lady Gaga has managed to wear - Perhaps that is why the mother monster herself is so keen on getting her hands on one of her creations!

The Chinese designer is coming to Singapore for Digital Fashion Week (DFW) and her show is going to be the highlight and closing show of the event is not to miss for sure. There aren't many times you get a chance to see something so spectacular and exquisite especially after the late Alexander McQueen passed away and John Galliano stopped designing.

Want to daydream about fashion? Guo Pei makes some of the most
exquisite gowns I've seen...

Lewre: Shoes fit for a Princess (or the Duchess of Cambridge)

In my last post, while admiring Kate’s choices of clothes in the Royals’ Singapore visit, I couldn’t help but notice her uninspiring choice of footwear.

From the LK Bennet nude pumps which are too plain and dated (she even wore them to meet Jimmy Choo himself!!) to her navy blue wedges… I mean wedges, come on Kate???

The good news is that someone else - the Malaysian royals - has also noticed, and decided to do something about it. For amongst the lavish gifts exchanged on landing in Kuala Lumpur was a pair of custom-made Lewre shoes.

I've expressed my love for Malaysia's best fashion export - shoes - on this blog before. And after seeing kate's gift – an exquisite and delicate pair of black lace peep toe heels– I could not be more convinced.

The gorgeous Lewre pair of heels and clutch which the Duchess of Cambridge got as a
present from the Malaysian Royals!

Kate and William: Championing Singapore labels!

So the Duchess of Cambridge (a.k.a. Kate Middleton) has left Singapore today. But her effect will certainly be felt - especially when it comes to Singapore fashion.

Kate is known for picking the right and diplomatic choices for her overseas visits and it was the same case here where among her handful of wardrobe changes were a gorgeous dress by Singapore-born Prabal Gurung and an ensemble by RAOUL, which came rather as a surprise.

But my question is, did we really need the Duchess to wear a local designer to make us realize that they do exist, and make beautiful clothes for that matter?

The Duchess of Cambridge looked lovely in her RAOUL top
and skirt. Still wish she makes more effort in her shoe choices
though! Oh well...

Stingray arm candy from Malaysian label KLutched

If you thought my penchant for eel skin bags was a tad unusual, wait until you know my ultimate leather of choice when it comes to bags… drum roll… Stingray skin!

Yup, again it’s a marine creature that produces the toughest and most durable leather you can ever find which also happens to be so chic, understated and probably the least underrated of all kinds.

Ever since my first encounter with this beautiful textured leather, I fell in love and was curious if I could find any Asian designer using it in their products. On my first visit to Bali I did at one of the coolest boutiques on the island (will be blogging about it after my second visit in a couple of weeks!) but sadly the clutches I wanted were all sold out and I ended up buying my husband a stingray wallet instead.

But I kept looking and finally my search is over! Malaysian handbag label KLutched seems to have read my mind and I think I finally found my perfect stingray leather bags, just across the border!

No kind of leather, in my opinion, comes close to how chic yet understated
Stingray skin is. This KLucthed miniaudiere and iphone cover demonstrate that!

Bangkok Frocks: Five must see labels from Thailand

When it comes to travelling I admit I’m obsessed with planning. Despite the availability of tour guides and internet sources, I always insist on making an hour-by-hour plan which ensures I see everything I came to see on my holiday.

While most of my planning is about sightseeing, I also like to have some sort of plan for the shopping part. Just to save time and make sure I don’t get led by well-meaning taxi drivers to overpriced touristy shops.

My planning skills are about to come to the fore when I go to Bangkok later this month. I’ll be accompanying my husband on a business trip, but he’ll be busy during the days. And that means one thing – a three day long shopathon!

I’ve compiled a list of boutiques and shops which I’m looking forward to visit on my trip. While this is not the full list, it is a snippet of what I’m looking forward to most. And experience taught me that as good as it is to have a pre planned itinerary, it’s always good to leave some time for what I do best – wandering around and discovering even cooler places by accident.

Kloset is high on my list of Thai labels to see when in BKK! Just love the
whimsical details...

Blueprint Singapore: 7 emerging labels to lust after

And so it’s over in flash. Singapore’s biggest week of fashion was over far too soon.

And despite the AFF shows stealing the spotlight last week, there was one event which I was very keen on attending: The Blueprint tradeshow.

Unlike the emporium, the tradeshow is not a place to shop but it’s a closed exhibition for labels and buyers to interact; and for emerging designers to bag some regional or international stockists which would help their labels grow.

As a member of the media (who got selected invites), I was present on Thursday and Friday and it was one of the most interesting events I’ve been to in Singapore so far. I got to discover and spot some amazing Asian and emerging labels which have all what it takes to be the next big thing.

New Indonesian label TOTON simply blew me away at Blueprint...
From clothes to accessories and shoes, every piece looked stunning!

Audi Star Creation Finalists’ Showdown and announcing the winners

After 6 weeks of posting twice a week interviews with the 12 finalists of Audi Star Creation, I was excited to finally see their sketches transformed to reality on the runway.

In fact as each collection came down the runway I felt as if I knew the designer and the clothing intimately.

But in the end it was a competition and there had to be winners and losers.

The winners were announced at the end of the show and they were Roderic Wong from China, Soravit Kaewkamon from Thailand and Ko Youngji from South Korea. And there was also a People’s Choice Award which went to Natalia Kiantoro from Indonesia.

Do they look familiar? If you've been reading the interviews
on this blog, then you've probably seen the sketches!

The winners of Star Creation: Ko Youngji, Roderic Wong andSoravit Kaewkamon  

5 things to watch for during Singapore’s ultimate week of fashion

The biggest week in the Singapore fashion calendar is upon us and I cannot hide my excitement! Unless you’ve been living a in a bubble you probably know that two huge fashion events are happening this week. That is, the Blueprint tradeshow and emporium (i.e. shopping heaven!) and the Audi Fashion Festival.

Naturally the mainstream media are wetting themselves over the fact Thierry Mugler’s creative director (and Lady Gaga’s stylist) Nicola Formichetti will be in town and opening the fashion week. Big names like Zac Posen and Roland Mouret will be also showcasing. That’s huge news for Singapore, but what I’m really most looking forward to, are the shows and events where local and other Asian designers will be given the runway to show what they’ve got.

Raoul, one of the most successful Singapore - and now international
label - will be among those showcasing at AFF

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the 12th finalist Vincent Wong from Malaysia

Perhaps unusual but Malaysian finalist Vincent Wong draws inspiration for his collection from religion. Entitled ‘Confession of Sins’, the collection is entirely in white and reflects the 21-year old’s reflection on concepts like purity and cleanliness. Read to find out more about his inspiration below.

Name of designer: Vincent Wong (Malaysia)
Age: 21
Name of Collection: Confession of Sins

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I first heard about Audi Star Creation two years ago, when fellow Malaysian Daniel Ngoo took one of the three top spots and the Audi Young Designer Award. Seeing Daniel’s success made me feel that the competition is an excellent opportunity for young designers to stand on the international stage.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the 11th finalist Tatsuya Tsukahara from Japan

The only Japanese finalist of the competition is Tatsuya Tsukahara whose collection stands out for its'unusual shapes and textures. The 24-year old’s collection ‘Braiding’ takes on traditional Japanese weaving techniques to a new level. Read what the designer has to say about it.

Designer Name : Tatsuya Tsukahara (Japan)
Age: 24
Collection Name: Braiding

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I first heard about the competition last year when I took part in the Tokyo New Designer Fashion Grand Prix, where I won the Workmanship prize. However, I only decided to join the competition when I heard about it again from my friend, Hiroyuki Watanabe, who was the Star Creation 2011 Audi Young Designer Award winner. It was a big challenge as this was only five days before the submission deadline, but I managed to draw on my five years of fashion education and sheer determination to finish conceptualising and designing my competition collection on time.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the 10th finalist Soravit Kaewkamon from Thailand

The only unisex collection of the competition came from Thailand-based designer Soravit Kaewkamon. The collection ‘Love and Friendship’ is inspired by the hornbill as it is the symbol of friendship and the designs are so versatile that they can be worn by both men and women. Read what the designer had to say about her collection.

Name of designer: Soravit Kaewkamon (Thailand)

Age: 23

Name of Collection: Love and Friendship

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I heard about the competition last year from my lecturer from Silpakorn University, Asst. Prof. Namfon Laisattrukai, who taught me Decorative Arts. After completing my education and gaining experience from other competitions, like winning the top prize at SINGHA LIFE 2011, I think I am ready to take on Audi Star Creation 2012.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the 9th finalist Natalia Kiantoro from Indonesia

The only Indonesian finalist of Audi Star Creation is Natalia Kiantoro, 22, who was inspired by twisted objects for her collection ‘Tangled’. Read to find out what she has to say about the competition and her design approach.

Name of designer: Natalia Kiantoro (Indonesia)               
Age: 22
Name of Collection: Tangled

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I heard about Audi Star Creation from my lecturers, Liz Thng and Gulbarshin Karaulova at Raffles Design Institute (Shanghai). Last year, there was also a huge poster of 2011 winner, Chen Zhi Gang, in the school foyer, after he won the competition. Thanks to the guidance of my lecturers, I feel that I am good enough and have the qualities of a real fashion designer. I want to show my abilities to everyone through the competition.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the eighth finalist Ling Siu Gin from Malaysia

Today’s Q&A is with finalist Ling Siu Gin from Malaysia whose collection ‘Manimal’ drew inspiration from two music videos, ‘Lions in Cages’ by Wolf Gang and “Paradise’ by Coldplay. Read on to find out how her fantasy-like collection came together.

Finalist Ling Sui Gin from Malaysia

Name of designer: Ling Siu Gin (Malaysia)
Age: 21
Name of Collection: Manimal

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I heard about Audi Star Creation from my lecturer, Ronney Henry, from Raffles Design Institute (Kuala Lumpur). As we were designing our graduation collection, he encouraged me to give the competition a try. I saw it as a chance for me to gain experience, to find out where my design abilities stand and how far I can go.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the 7th finalist Liang Wang from China

The only finalist from China is 27-year old Roderic Wong who was inspired by human anatomy for his collection ‘Tissue of Being’. One thing which Roderic stands proud of is his manipulation of fabric and unusual textures he chose to use. See what this aspiring designer has to say about his collection.

Name of designer: Roderic Wong (China)
Age: 27
Name of Collection: Tissue of being

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I heard about Audi Star Creation from my lecturer Liz Thng last year. She suggested that I should give it a shot. I am looking forward to show my work on the bigger stage. What’s more exciting is the one-year internship for FJ Benjamin in Singapore. The experience of living and working in such a multi-cultural country will be good for me in the long run.

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the sixth finalist Ko Youngji from South Korea

Currently studying in Paris, the sixth (and the oldest) finalist of the Audi Star Creation is Ko Youngji from Korea. Youngji’s collection draws inspiration from dance and literature and translates it in a way that is personal to her experience living in Europe at the moment. Read what she has to say about this interesting collection and the story behind it.

Name of designer: Ko Youngji (South Korea)
Age: 32
Name of Collection: Li Jin

1. What made you participate in the Audi Star Creation? How did you hear about it?

I’m currently studying at l'Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) in Paris. There, I learnt of the various fashion design competitions around the world and was able to look at the collections of the previous Star Creation winners through the website. It made such an impression on me that I found myself waiting for the call for entries for this year’s competition. I want be able to take part in this competition and stand on the same stage like those impressive designers did.

Why I'm proud to be a B.A.D. girl

I have a confession to make. I'm a B.A.D. girl!

But it’s nothing to be ashamed of, and the reason I'm leaving the country for a couple of weeks has nothing to do with being kicked out. In fact, it's something I'm rather pleased about.

Because being a B.A.D. girl means I'm Backing Asian Designers. It's a new initiative to raise awareness of emerging local talents in the region and encouraging people to go out and shop local. 

B.A.D has been launched by Singapore-based website Shopthemag.com, the luxury e-commerce site bringing you the crème de la crème of Asian designers. From Thailand to Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, Indonesia and of course Singapore - the breadth of coverage is pretty impressive.

Among the Asian labels on shopthemag.com is the awesome Thai label
Second Issue (remember it here?) from which this gorgeous dress is.