Bonjour Bangkok: Keith & Kym's best of Thai accessories labels

One thing about Bangkok - which I’ve heard over and over again – is that it is a great destination for bargain shopping or shopping on a budget. The street markets, weekend market and countless blog-shop type places are everywhere to be seen and even with a budget of S$50, you’re guaranteed to get something (or three) that you like.

While this is absolutely true and definitely great – hey I’ve managed to score some bargains as well – it actually leaves out some of the best shopping in the Thai capital. That is, something totally unique, creative and more of an investment piece rather than fast fashion. This is especially true when on the look for Thai designers whose pieces might not go for S$10 a pop but are still reasonable and definitely worth every penny you pay for it.

But in a place like Bangkok, finding the original from the copy, the unique from the mass-produced is not easy especially when it comes to accessories. So if you’re a quality over quantity type of consumer and you like something extra special, ditch all the other places and head to one shop which has it all: Keith&Kym Gallery.

Original pieces like this stunning pendant from Thai label Sinturak and more are found
at Keith&Kym's gallery in Bangkok, Terminal21.

Love these statement pieces which you won't be finding anywhere in the street markets...

Singapore's Ed et Al: Bespoke men’s shoes at its best

Warning: This is a post coveting some of the most beautiful and original handcrafted shoes you will find anywhere in Singapore.

So why the warning? Well the items catching my attention are…wait for it….MEN’S SHOES.

Ed et Al is the brainchild of Singaporean Edwin Neo who has recently launched his third collection of beautifully crafted leather shoes.

It’s fair to say the man is a genius. A rare thing in Singapore. A genuine craftsman who has learned his trade the hard way and genuinely puts 100 per cent into his creations!

Self-taught Edwin studied his trade in Singapore (for 4 years!) and then undertook an apprenticeship in Budapest, Hungary, before deciding to set up shop on his own in June last year. He hasn’t looked back since.

H&M x Maison Martin Margiela launch in Singapore + What to look for if you’re buying online

So just like I expected, H&M’s collaboration with Maison Martin Margiela (the emcee kept insisting it was re-edition of previous iconic pieces from various seasons) was not as commercially successful as the previous two (Versace and Marni) in Singapore. In fact, after a good few hours, it was nowhere near to sold out and except for the candy clutch (which was gone by 10:30), by 2pm all the styles were still available in most sizes and in big quantities.

The queue started overnight but this time it was not as big and even when I got to H&M at 10:15am, there was just one line of people waiting. So what happened to the Singaporean fashionable crowd?

Maybe it was the rain – although we got given umbrellas when it started raining – which discouraged people from turning up. But I think it more has to do with the fact that the clothes were mostly heavy and not suitable for Singapore’s tropical weather and that MMM is not as mainstream choice for the H&M usual customers.

At around 10am, the queue was significantly less than last H&M Marni collaboration.

Every item has a description plate indication which MMM season
it was a re-edition of.

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...

Maison Martin Margiela for H&M: My top 5 items

Truth is, as much as I try to steer away from covering big high street brands and international designer names on his blog there is always one category which still interests me and feel it’s worth covering; that is the H&M Designer collaborations (check out my Versace coverage here and here and Marni coverage here and here).

Reason is, well it looks like it’s only getting better and better and with some (but not all) of the pieces it produced, it is well worth the wait if you are a fan of the collaborating designer but can’t afford the real deal.

This season’s collaboration has to be one of the edgiest so far. As much as I’d love to pretend that Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) is a household name, well it is not. However, it is definitely one which is high on the radar of any fully fledged fashionista (or fashionisto as it proves very popular with men!) for its avant-garde edge and deconstructed cuts which is more likely to work in editorial shoot than on the average everyday pavements.

Personally, I love Maison Martin Margiela! It is fresh, inspirational and creative but I have to admit it would probably be on the list of those coveted labels which I admire in magazines but cannot see myself pulling off.

Surprisingly though, the MMM pieces for H&M do break this rule and I found myself (despite trying to resist it!) coveting some of the items which I would totally see myself in.

My kinda style! Love this look from head to toe...

Love this look but don't think can pull it off so left it off my list...