Weekend Want: Mudan’s exquisite jade necklace

One of the most profound heartfelt moments of the last few years was when I was given a vintage jade necklace by my mother-in-law.

The more I explored Asian culture, the more I realised how precious this gift was, not least because my husband’s mother is Hong Kong Chinese and fully understands the deep traditional and symbolic value of such a gift. Jade in Chinese culture symbolizes beauty, nobility, perfection, constancy, power, and immortality and thus has always the stone of choice since ancient times.

Such a precious gift was made even greater because she was given the necklace by her own mother. I’m not joking when I tell you I sometimes well up thinking about it.

My weekend want for CNY is this gorgeous coral and black jade
Red Flourish necklace from HK-based jeweller Mudan

Shito shoes: adding colour and character to Singapore’s LBD

Whoever it was that said brown was the new black had obviously never been to Singapore.

Brown isn't the new black here. black is. In fact black was the old black, and will more than likely be pretty much every other future black too.

And in a country where monochrome dresses are a staple of most wardrobes, it becomes more essential for the average person to accessorize well.

For some that means a nice expensive handbag, but for me it means one thing...SHOES!!!

What's better to accessorize an LBD than a pair of bold statement shoes?
This Shito pair is my current favourite!!!

Jason’s Born: Another deconstructed Singapore menswear label

Seriously, I’ve started to get fed up with people from outside of Singapore telling me the place has no creativity.

When you spend any time in the city and have your eyes open it becomes patently obvious there is no shortage of talented labels willing to push the boundaries and experiment with cuts.

Are they getting the support they deserve from local people? Definitely not, but that’s another post for another day.

Well today’s post is yet another attempt to rectify that. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to Jason; A menswear label doing things that that no parade of shirtless men could ever manage – creating edge and style.

And it’s not only with cuts that Jason’s getting creative, it’s in the concept too.

Jason... the label I would be wearing if I were a boy ;-)

Singapore Stylings: Working with local womenswear label Noel Caleb

If you’re following my blog, facebook or twitter you would have known by now that I’ve been a busy bee lately!

From modeling for local label ATGAB last week to being a brand ambassador for Noel Caleb this week, life for me nowadays seems to revolve around fashion! And mind you, I’m up for new challenges as well!

While modeling was certainly a lot of fun, in comparison, this role definitely comes more naturally to me. Having been just 2 days at the Noel Caleb pop up space in Tangs, I am truly loving it!

For my debut at Noel Caleb's pop up space as their stylist, I chose
this cute Alexandrova polka dot skirt combo. Loved all the details!!

Supermodel Me? Behind the scenes of my modeling debut

As I looked into the lights and heard the instructions from the photographer, I realized quite how surreal this whole thing was.

I’ve never really harboured any dreams of being any kind of model, but here I was, just a few months after arriving in Singapore doing my very first shoot.

When Elaine Pang from ATGAB first asked me if I’d be interested in doing a shoot for their lookbook, I thought she was joking. But here I was, hair teased into place, male model beside me and a whole cast and crew trying to make me look beautiful.

So what did I learn? Well…

Working it for the camera wasn't that easy... but certainly tons of fun!

Zoolander 2: Rana gets a modeling assignment

I've only been in Singapore a few months and things have happened so fast with this blog. 

I've met lots of interesting, talented and driven people and really been embraced by local designers and labels.

Now the most exciting thing has happened to me...I've been asked to do a photo shoot for local label All Things Green and Beautiful modeling their latest collection!

Move over model of last collection! It's my turn now ;-)

Singapore label Amado Gudek: statement jewellery made with love

When I choose accessories, I hardly ever do delicate. Accessories are meant to stand out and add character to a plain outfit so the more it is a ‘statement’ piece, the better! Big, bold and full of colour is what makes them distinctive.

So it’s no surprise that when I went to Dulcetfig (aka accessories heaven – read about it here) on Haji Lane, the first things to catch my eye were Amado Gudek colourful raisin-made pieces.

What makes Amado Gudek accessories stand out is first and foremost their unusual inspirations which push the boundaries on what makes an interesting piece of jewellery. Case in point is that for the latest collection, the designer behind the label, Elaine Tan, took inspiration from the Anti-Antler – as a slight mockery on how deer are constantly hunted for their antlers whether for Chinese medicinal reasons or just decorative ones.

Statement necklaces Amado Gudek's newest collection 'Anti-Antler'
where each color is named after a famous reindeer. The red one
on the far right is called Rudolph of course :-)!

Vintage shopping: The Good Old Days in Bugis Village

In order to tell you about my recent find, I have to make a confession: When I’m feeling down or got nothing to do I love going to Bugis Village. I mean what else can cheer me up other than getting lost in a maze of street stalls, playing loud music (from hip-hop to K-pop) and selling cheap knick knacks and fashions from Asia? You certainly can’t beat that! Although I rarely come out with a purchase (except for those 3 for S$10 earrings), the street atmosphere there with everybody bargain-hunting lightens up my mood and reminds me of bargain-shopping with my mom back home in Beirut.

Getting to know what to expect in there, I never thought I would find something more than the usual which for me translates as visual inspiration but nothing interesting. But there I was, yesterday, stuck in the rain and browsing when I saw the coolest little vintage shop floating alone in the sea of overcrowded stalls selling lookalike Chinese and Thai goods.

The handmade sign of The Good Old Days tells it all

Celebrating 5 years of DEPRESSION… the label

It was obvious on Saturday evening that those people who turned out en masse for DEPRESSION party weren’t there for the free drinks, food, goodie bags or to show off. People seemed to genuinely love the label itself and who can blame them for that!

The event was one of the very few I’ve been to where people seemed to be enjoying themselves. Almost everybody was in black-and-white, the trademark colours of the label (read more about it here). Of course I had some colour on me (duh!) but still, even my glittery floral jacket failed to alienate me from the rest of the crowd who were super friendly.

Depression: A Singapore label that doesn’t live up to its name

Singapore label Depression is holding a party for its new store in Cathay Cineleisure over the weekend.

But because I’ll mostly be blogging about the event next week, I figured it a must to introduce people to the clothes this week.

Luckily for us, this is one label that doesn’t live up to its name…thank goodness! Depression is anything but. Instead, this Singaporean brand pushes out eye-catching and sometimes visually challenging clothes with ease.

Scarlet Carlson, Noel Caleb and Jason: Three things I learned at the Circa Xmas event

They said you should learn something new every day, so last Sunday was an extraordinary day as I learned not one but three interesting things about the Singaporean fashion scene while at Circa (Parco Millenia Walk).

The event itself was multi-purpose one, aiming to celebrate the first year anniversary of local label Scarlet Carlson, announcing and briefing the fashion design competition by clothing label Noel Caleb, and showcasing another local menswear label Jason.

So here’s what I learned...

Cornelyus from Scarlet Carlson label cutting the cake and
flanked by JR Chan from JASON (2nd left) and Eileen from
Noel Caleb (far right)

One Twenty2Seven dress, 6 different looks

Twenty2Seven is one of my favourite Singaporean labels. Despite their latest collection being mostly in black and white, the dresses are so versatile and fun that even a colour-crazy person like me could not resist the appeal!

But is it adaptable to my style? To find out, I asked Twenty2Seven designer Zee Tan, to loan me a dress from the collection for the weekend and see if I can wear it for several different occasions.

The dress I picked is the Edie Mod Frock. What I loved about this dress is the flattering cut, with soft draping detail on the waist and criss-cross neck that makes it more fun than a normal shift. 

The Edie Mod Frock from Twenty2Seven label ticked
all my boxes, read on to see how I styled it...

All I want for Christmas is… A cheery statement handbag from Fabulous Fads, Haji Lane

If you’re planning on keeping it simple when it comes to your dress this Christmas (I will for once), there is still one way to make you stand out from the crowd: a cute handbag!

Forget the monogram totes and bejeweled clutches and opt for something original, unique and a conversation-starter pieces like those stocked at Fabulous Fads on Haji Lane.

When I recently visited this quirky boutique, a lot of handbags and clutches caught my eye especially these 3 in particular.

First are the eccentric and pop-art inspired arm candy (literally) from British designer Helen Rochfort. My favourite is the Wonka Bar (S$145), partly because it makes me feel young again and everytime I see it, I can’t help but hope for a golden ticket inside :-)

Love these Helen Rochfort bags especially the Wonka Bar one!!

All I want for Christmas is… The Cobbler red suede wedges ala Alexander McQueen

Although I am guilty of having spent well over S$1,000 for a pair of shoes on few occasions, this doesn’t mean that I don’t like a good bargain as well!

I have been coveting these beautiful red suede wedges from Alexander McQueen for a while now, but with other people to buy gifts for at this time of the year, I had to search for a better value option.

Namely the ‘Scarlet Suede Audacity Wedges’ from online Singaporean label The Cobbler.

From left: Alexander McQueen wedges v/s The Cobbler version.

All I want for Christmas is… a recycled leather accessory from ATGAB

Ever wondered what to do with your old worn-out leather handbag?

I’ll tell you what: donate it to ATGAB (All Things Green and Beautiful) and Elaine Pang - the talented one-woman show behind this very unique Singaporean label - will turn it into beautiful accessories that make perfect and green Christmas gifts.

Green and beautiful:These beautiful accessories are
made up of at least 80% old material!

All I want for Christmas is… DorisWorks handcrafted dictionary jewellery!

Today’s gift idea is a simple, affordable and very original one: jewellery made from old Chinese/English dictionaries, encased in resin.

I came across Doris Tian’s beautiful creations last year while shopping in Haji Lane and I ended up buying ‘wisdom’ cufflinks for my husband then. Needless to say, he loved them!

 'Forever' brooch (S$22)

Custom-made 'Aim high' cufflinks (S$28)

All I want for Christmas is… A personalized card by Yanrong Wu!

When it comes to choosing Christmas cards, we’re probably all guilty of picking quantity over quality; That is, the cheaper pack of 12 cards from the shelves our nearest Carrefour. Our reasoning is always that it’s just a card which will end up in trash (or better a recycling bin!) once the season is over.

Now here’s something which will hopefully change your mind and make you redeem yourself to your beloved ones who have felt less than special in the past years: PERSONALIZED CARDS.

How awesome would it be to send people this Christmas, specially-made cards with a cute illustration of yourself, your family/spouse on it? Now that’s a keeper!

All I want for Christmas is... Fashionable laptop cases from TeeStory

If you’ve been out to any mall in Singapore in the past month and been subjected to endless festive carols you’ll know that Christmas is fast approaching.

So to make your life easier – and to make you look cool and effortless – I’ve compiled a series of stylish ideas to get your partner, spouse, friend, parents or most importantly…me!

I kick off the series with a great idea that shows you how to let go of that moth-eaten item of clothing you just can’t bear to part with AND do your bit to be socially responsible.

TeeStory is a Singaporean business that produces one product : laptop cases.

Wow. How is that unique or stylish I hear you ask?

Q&A with Chula: Vietnam's fresh and fun take on silk dresses

Even in the most isolated countries in the world, it’s quite rare these days to find a contemporary fashion label (regardless how big or small) which is not influenced by seasonal trend.

The result is, people everywhere end up dressing the same. Naturally some do it stylishly and some don’t.

I’ve always had great respect for those who defied the trend and went on to establish their own identity and style, not inspired by anything or anyone else. They start from scratch and keep that distinctive appeal about them which is best described as raw and artistic.

Hanoi-based label Chula is one of those fashion brands which developed their own look and products (mainly dresses and coats) based on nothing but the love for expressing fresh ideas and style. The result is not as understated as many would like, but rather unique and bold.

Love this dress with the pagoda illustration from 'Japan' collection.
Looks like a piece of Asian art... but a wearable one :-)

Singapore's rainy season’s must-have accessory: Pylones umbrellas!

Now it’s the rainy season you'll be most likely thinking of ways to keep dry.

But if you thought function couldn't mean fashion then you're dead wrong (btw - I don't count Burberry check umbrellas or boots as style).

French quirkmeisters Pylones are the kings of injecting a little life (and fun) into otherwise mundane objects. I was introduced to the label few years ago in Paris where I ended up on shopping spree for their cute and colourful kitchen objects and stocked up on umbrellas!

The Rain Parade umbrellas... Don't you just want all of them?