AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the third finalist Kim Mina from Korea

South Korea had the most number of finalists (4 out of 12) in the Audi Star Creation competition this year and for the following 2 weeks, I’ll be running the Q&As with each of them every Tuesday and Thursday.

Today I start with Kim Mina, 24, whose collection ‘Piece to Place’ shows some interesting  cuts and colour combinations and is inspired by Korean Architecture. Here’s what she had to say about her work and the competition.

Kim Mina's collection 'Piece to Place'

Name of designer: Kim Mina (South Korea)

Age:  24
Name of Collection: Piece to Place

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

I found out about the competition late last year when I heard my friends talking about it. I decided to find out more on the website, where I saw the collections of the previous finalists. I felt a strong urge to participate and decided to go ahead with it. As Audi Star Creation is a major fashion design competition in Asia, participants always bring a variety of fresh creations to the table, and a lot of support is given to the finalists. It is a dream competition that any budding designer will want to join.

Kim Mina from South Korea is one of the 4 South Korean
finalists of this year's Audi Star Creation.

The Society of Black Sheep: Bringing a real edge to Singapore's fashion scene

I love edgy fashion. In fact I admire people who wear it so confidently and pull it off so easily. Maybe you don’t see so much in Singapore but if there was anyone to dare, they wouldn’t find a better place to get those cutting edge pieces than The Society of Black Sheep boutique in MBS.

It is the last place you'd expect to find edgy fashion. The kind of boutique that wouldn't look out of place in Notting Hill or Greenwich Village and here it is, next door to the Gucci and Prada superstores in The Shoppes at MBS.

While I am really not edgy by nature, I’m rather adventurous in my sense of style and always up for experimenting and trying different styles on. Boring is definitely not an option here!

Weekend Want: Edgy and colouful platforms from Malaysian label Chic Yamada

Over a lunch conversation last week, I realized that for the past 5 months I have been on a shoe diet! Yup, as shoeholic as I am, I have successfully managed to avoid adding a single pair of shoes to my collection!

Although I always see cool stuff here and there, I have decided that unless it is something different from anything I have, cooler or bolder I’m not buying it.

With my avant-garde heelless Marc Jacobs, blinding neon yellow platforms and edgy (and practically un-wearable) McQueens, I doubted I would find a pair which is any bolder – that is until I stumbled over these Moccasin platforms from Malaysian-based label Chic Yamada. Foot candy at its best!

These Yamada platforms would fit perfectly in my eclectic shoe collection!

Can't decide which colour combination is best...

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the second finalist Jaslin Ong from Singapore

Time for the second Q&A with one of the Audi Star Creation finalists! If you’re not sure what this is, read my previous post about the competition and about the Q&As which I’ll be posting with each of the 12 finalists every Tuesday and Thursday. I promise you, there’s a lot of talent to see here!!!

Jaslin Ong from Singapore

Name of designer: Jaslin Ong (Singapore)
Age: 21
Name of Collection: Devastate(d)

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

I heard about Audi Star Creation when Textile and Fashion Federation representatives came to give a talk about it in campus last year. I took part because it feels fresh and interesting, and I feel I have a shot at winning it. And of course, the attractive prizes and experience if I stand a chance to win!

AUDI STAR CREATION 2012: Q&A with the first finalist Eugenice Chen from Singapore

When I first moved to Singapore and started this blog, apart from the fun and excitement I wanted to share, I had one thing on my mind which I wished to concentrate on and keep as my ‘mission’. That was and still is, highlighting young talents from Singapore and the region.

Since then, I had the pleasure of meeting and discovering a lot of them especially through the Parco incubator program which allowed me to see the first-hand how hard-working, determined and talented  some of them are and I couldn’t be happier to dedicate a big part of my blog to show off their work.

Recently, another scheme promoting Asian talent has caught my eye and I decided to equally give it the coverage it deserves especially that it has great deal of promising talent. This is the Audi Star Creation - a fashion design competition open to all aspiring Asian designers who reside in the region.

Audrey Lim, one of our three winners in 2010. She is working now as an Assistant
Designer with the Design and Development team in RAOUL.

Granny's Day Out: Singapore's hidden vintage gem

Despite its recent popularity and return in Vogue (thank you Kate Moss!), vintage is still an enigma for a lot of people who until today are hesitant to try it.

Some flatly refuse the concept and consider vintage no different than any second hand rags (yup back home they do!). 

And despite liking the idea of it, others just simply don’t know how to wear vintage and get confused with all the colours, styles and patterns and shy away to avoid looking like a costume character from an era long gone!

An eternal lover of everything vintage (from my wedding dress to my mom’s frocks, bags and shoes…) I am here to help! And I found just the right place to show you some tips and tricks in rocking vintage. 

Mileti Swimwear: Fashionable and Chic at the beach!

As bright as I am in my dress sense,I have to admit that there is one part of my wardrobe where I usually stick to black and simple; i.e. my swimwear. Yup if you see me at the beach, I’ll be the one with plain black bikini and an over-the-top floppy hat to make up for that lack of my colour and character in my swimwear!

Somehow and somewhere in the past few years, I concluded that when it comes to swimwear, less is more. Not in terms of fabric of course (I’m no fan of Brazilian bikinis!!!) but more to do with style and embellishment. Although rightfully suitable for summer, I feel that too much patterns and ornaments tend to make swimwear less flattering, unpractical and uncomfortable especially when I’m using the swimming pool in my residence. It just feels awkward.

But black is not ideal too so it was time to find an alternative especially that I’m planning on visiting the nearby islands for a relaxing holiday sometime soon! And it was home-grown label Mileti which finally got it right in terms of chic and functional swimwear.

Love this Mileti statement one-piece which brings the colour blocking trend
to the beach!

Best of British trunk show: the London Fashion Week experience in Singapore

If I were to choose one of the main fashion weeks to attend, it would be London Fashion Week for sure. Reason is, I find it more exciting and unpredictable, and every season you’re guaranteed to be wowed by one of the lesser known designers (remember Mary Katrantzou in 2008?)

So when I was told that some selected samples from these designers who showed at LFW just two weeks ago (AW2012/2013) have landed here in Singapore and will be previewed at the BOB (Best of British) trunk show in Tiong Bahru I couldn’t wait to see it for myself; and it’s safe to say that the experience was not far behind being in the front row at the LFW show itself- only more exclusive and sans the celebrities.

With models parading and changing from one stunning piece to another, the showroom was stocked with some great fashion that is luxurious and stylish and doesn’t involve a single logo to show its value.

BOB showcased some stunning couture creations from British label
BOUDICCA. The orange dress is on my wishlist already!

HERMIONE DE PAULA's designs are delicate yet bold... love all the
colourful and distinctive floral prints of her pieces.

Playing Dress Up at Nostalgia Queen Vintage

I’m always happy to hear feedback on my blog and people seem to notice that I do put a lot of work into it i.e. it is not one of those lazy press release publishing blogs, and I do chase content instead of waiting for it to drop in my lately overflowing inbox.

But looking for interesting and fun content is not always easy especially that I’ve been working non-stop these days! So I decided to use my very little free time this week to… just have fun and get inspired!

And what a better place to do that than booking an appointment at my next-door neighbor vintage shop Nostalgia Queen Vintage to try on her newest attainable from Paris and treat myself impulsively to something unique :-)  It’s very cozy  and charming and its owner Michelle is very friendly and welcoming! Plus the price range makes it excellent value for money.

I never know what to expect while vintage shopping... this outfit looks more
avant-garde than vintage! Just love some healthy impulse buys from time to time... 

H&M lauches Marni collection in Singapore - in an orderly manner!

UPDATE: I collaborated with a few bloggers around the world to document how H&M x Marni went down around the world? Click on the following link to see what happened in Los Angeles and New York.

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So finally the day came! And as excited as I was, I still couldn’t justify starting to queue from the night before or even anytime before 8am! And it turns out I didn’t need to. As the insanity that surrounded Versace was nowhere to be seen.
On the way there I met Zid, who had 2 bags of Marni x H&M and of course I wanted to know what he got! Turns out, like me, he didn’t go crazy and bought what he really liked – the yellow shorts and the white daisy necklace which I sadly missed :-(

While Twitter was full with rumours about the entire collection being sold out in just 20 minutes, I had my doubts. In fact, reaching H&M at 9:30am (yes I need my morning sleep!) the queue had only about 30 people. It seemed too good to be true, and it turned out that this was secondary queue. 

The queue for Marni x H&M at 11:00 am in Singapore

Five of the Best: My picks from Marni for H&M collection

When H&M did the collaboration with Lanvin, I thought that was the pinnacle. I mean where do you go from there? With all due respect, Versace was a step down; more popular but definitely a step down in terms of style and quality.

Then came Marni… and now I’m kinda torn! But while Lanvin’s collection consisted mainly of party dresses, Marni has stuck steadfastly to what the brand does best: sophisticated yet wearable everyday clothes. And another plus point of this collection is the price range which is considerably lower than the previous H&M designer collaborations (the most expensive piece is S$199).

One of the reasons I love Marni for is the label’s practical approach to design; Making the everyday wardrobe interesting while also being comfortable and appropriate. But the trick to rocking Marni pieces (and especially those for H&M) is good styling! Without it, you can risk those lovely pieces looking just blah and uninspiring due to their understated cuts.

Keeping that in mind, I made my 5 picks from the Marni for H&M collection based on how well I think the pieces would look on a real person, not styled up to perfection like the model in the lookbook.

So, here’s my list for next Thursday:

This outfit is styled so well but I doubt the shiny look would be possible to pull off...
unless you are the model of course :-)

Get the Rooney Mara look from Singapore-based website UNESTABLISH.com

And the award for the celebrity who rocked the cutout/black look goes to… by far Rooney Mara!

Regardless who’s going to win this year’s Oscars, Rooney Mara has won the fashion stakes during this award season; mainly because of her constant use of the cutout dresses.

I was never the biggest fan of this trend but she single-handedly changed my opinion. And while it doesn’t sound so ‘chic’ to start with, she owned it with her unique styling, effortlessly making those flesh-baring cutouts look more class than trash.

Now I’m convinced, I’m ready to rock the trend for this spring/summer season… in my own way of course :-)

Teaming this sexy cutout number from Keepsake with my favourite pair of heels (seriously!),
cool accessories from local label Yahn Adam and bright yellow mesh bag might
get me my Rooney Mara moment... Rana-style ;-) 

Singapore Trends/SS 2012: Mae Pang does graphic colour blocking

Unlike high street chains and established designer houses, following a trend might not be the first thing on the mind of an up-and-coming label when designing a collection.

The desire to express more of their vision and unique style almost always takes over which, if you ask me, is a much better option than following the herd.

However for a large number of customers, seasonal trends which are set by the high end fashion designers during the international fashions weeks cannot be ignored.

This usually causes a dilemma for shoppers who wish to update their wardrobe: would they buy the mass-produced but ‘trendy’ pieces from the high street, or support the local designers and ignore the season’s trend?

Well because I’m such a nice person, I’ve decided to make it easy for you to do both :-)

Looks from  from BCBG MaxAzria SS2012 collection showing colour
blocking trend in a more graphic form and less loud than SS2011. 

Introducing Cornelyus Tan: Singapore fashion photographer

If you’ve been reading my blog for the past few months it’s been around, then you probably have noticed its revamped new look (yes those photos!)

While I’ve been meaning to put more effort in designing the blog (I’m a graphic designer after all!) the lack of time and good photos stood in the way. And although I’m more about content than look, still a fashion blog has to reflect the blogger’s taste and style. My blog was never meant to be taken too seriously (coz I don’t take myself seriously for that) thus the little me-icon; but it is supposed to be fun, informative and reflective of my love for fashion and everything colourful!

In the past 2 week, I’ve been approached by a couple of media outlets for Q&As (one of them is just out here on Jakarta-based AsianFashionLaw.com) and where I had to supply some photos of myself to go along.  And since the last good professional photoshoot I had was over 2 years ago, it seemed like perfect time to have another one.

Luckily I found someone who gave me just what I wanted and captured my passion for fashion and my character very well… and made me look good on top of that; Cornelyus Tan.

Cornelyus is the guy who finally made me look good in photos :-)

Facebook meets Lookbook at the WED campaign launch

It was a very good night for local and emerging fashion labels yesterday at the W.E.D. (Wear Emerging Designers) campaign launch party. This social media campaign is organized by Blueprint to support local designers and encourage people to wear emerging labels, so that was exactly the kind of event I was hoping for and was more than happy to attend and spread the word about.

It was a great night for me too, as I got snapped by probably every photographer at the event and interviewed for various publications (amongst which is a big media tabloid). However apart from my hair, I have to give the credit for all the attention to my Noel Caleb outfit (yes THAT mullet skirt) which I love so much! It was definitely more colourful than most of the outfits at the event and it stood out for its unique look.

Wearing my favourite Noel Caleb outfit teamed with Papparazi clutch
and the not-so-emerging Zara gladiators (sorry)!

Next big thing? The Singapore labels who hit the spot at Parco next NEXT

One of the great things about fashion is that nothing in the industry stands still. There is always something and someone new to discover and potentially fall in love with!

Yesterday was one of those days where I get to do what I love best; meeting new emerging designers and previewing their maiden collections which will only hit Parco next NEXT store in April.

Naturally the mood at these events is super exciting and optimistic and from talking to these talents, I can sense that the fact that they are finally doing what they always wanted to do is satisfying enough for them. Regardless how the business side of it goes, at least they are getting the chance to live the dream.

All the new designers from Parco next NEXT seemed optimistic and eager to
show the crowds what they've got.

Weekend Want: five picks from ERIIN.com to complement my wardrobe!

My weekend want for this Friday is not just one thing but five, all of which are from the new Singapore-based e-retailer ERIIN.com.

If you follow my blog then you probably know about the website which aims to introduce Singaporean and other Asian labels to the world by making them available to order overseas. And although I would have liked to see more colour and more variety, I think as a start up they’re doing well by keeping it simple – and not selling bottoms.

Imagine you ordering an emerald green dress and it turns out that the shade is nothing like what you saw on screen! Or that the trousers you thought would fit in medium were 2 sizes too small for you (erm, have you heard of Asian sizing?)

And between you and me, recently I’ve been finding it hard to mix and match my separates due to their very colourful nature so I think it’s just about time I invest in versatile pieces which can add me some edge and tone down my otherwise too eclectic wardrobe.

So with no further delay, here’s what I want this weekend:

Nikicio Leather Hem Sheer Shirt ($62.07)

Grunge and leather is not usually my style but I really like this sheer shirt from cool Indonesian label Nikicio which I would team with my red shiny trousers (yes I have those!) and OTT colour block/leopard print platform sandals which are always hard to match!

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Hanalie Nadia Sequins Dress($152.85)

I’ve been wanting a sequin dress since new year, remember? And this number from the Hong Kong-based brand Hanalie ticks all my boxes: sexy but not cheap looking since it’s covered up with sleeves, not black, and has a unique colour combination which is not common for this style of dress. I love the overall soft pastel feel which gives a feminine edge to this party-ready look. I would team it with my Alexander McQueen skull heels which are as dark as I can possibly get!

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Nipples Revolt Vermillion Necklace($121.04)
Ever since reading that ERIIN.com is stocking an Indonesian label called Nipples Revolt, I was dying to see what they do, and I have to say I am not disappointed!

This silver necklace with arrows all around is very unique yet understated so it’s time I owned something that versatile. Plus it goes with almost everything in my closet especially this plain black playsuit which needs something equally simple yet interesting. And you guessed it, this means I can go as colourful as I want with choice of shoes…

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Desti Saint GoatskinEnvelope Clutch ($190.10)
When it comes to handbags and clutches, I either go for plain or crazy, but nothing in between. Somehow this goatskin clutch manages to combine both by clever and distinctive detailing while keeping it plain white in colour. This arm candy from Singapore label Desti Saint is a must-have for someone who owns so many bright clothes like me so I won’t even start on what I can wear it with ...

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-          Nikicio Crop Top ($46.55)
Asymmetric jersey tops are all about adding an edge to an otherwise plain tee. But despite it being undeniably cool, I’ve always found it hard to stumble across the right one for me, mainly because with no definition, it would look like a shapeless sack bag with me inside it. Not really my look or flattering for that matter!

But this Nikicio top gets the fit right with more definition in the front, leaving the loose fabric falling mainly in the back. I also love the sexy sleeves and the asymmetric length that would show a little midriff (but no bellybutton) on one side if you wear it with a slightly high-waisted skirt like this mustard pleated midi. My red square toe pumps complete this look which is spot on trend in both colour and style!
www.ERIIN.com delivers worldwide for free and with full return policy, so get on board the Asian brand wagon!

Singapore's Carrie K. Jewellery: Pin me up with style!

Don’t be fooled into thinking that simple is easy. On the contrary the simpler some ideas are, the more difficult it is to make them interesting and at the same time… timeless!

The secret? It’s all in the little details. Whether its minimalist décor, iPads or even shoes. It’s a painstaking process making something look so aesthetically pleasing yet effortlessly functional.

Take accessories as an example. How often do you see beautiful, unique yet simple jewelry? Hardly ever right?

The mantra of jewellery has always been more is more. Simplicity rarely enters into the equation unless we are taking about boring mass-produced pieces which are just ‘blah’.

Thankfully, Singapore has the answer in the shape of Accessories label Carrie K.

Who would have thought that something ordinary like the safety pin could be the inspiration
for this beautiful and delicate ring?

Dustbunny Vintage: Handbag Heaven in an HDB

I’ve been to lots and lots of vintage shops. In fact, almost every city I travel to, I make point of visiting the local vintage shops to see what they’ve got in store. A lot of those shops – especially around Notting Hill in London – have truly exceptional stocks but lack one major thing: warmth and a personal touch which is what vintage is all about.

Come to think about it - apart from my Loubies – my most treasured belongings from my antique engagement ring to my mom’s silk kimono, mesh bags and dazzling dresses are vintage; and what I love most about them are the stories they tell (or keep me guessing) which make up most of their value.

Although no one might know the stories behind Dustbunny’s stunning vintage items, I think experiencing the warm welcome from the owner Pia or her assistant will be enough to create memorable backstories of their own when asked the inevitable question “Wow, where did you get that from?”

Who would have though that in an HDB I would find vintage heaven...

No Issue with spending on this Thai label

Now that the main New Year festivities are over, and people are slowly heading back to work, a young woman's thoughts turn to the important things in life: World peace, when's the next holiday and what can I spend my Ang Pao (red packets) on!

Luckily I'm on hand to give you some guiding on the last one (I'm working on world peace, but at the moment I'm having trouble sourcing enough ice green tea to pacify  all warring nations :-))

Having trawled almost every shop in town before CNY, I doubt there will be anything I haven’t spotted which is worth the contents of my red packets. So online shopping seems like the best idea!

If you’ve read any of my previous posts then you’d know by now that I’m a sucker for everything colourful, unique and yes OTT sometimes. So finding the Thai label ISSUE was like finding my online shopping heaven!

Here's where my red packet money is going... a beautiful silk ISSUE dress