the scribbler who scribbles - by LiYing Lim

Beauty Bounty

2012-01-29T11:55:00.002+08:00

Ah, Sunday is coming to an end too soon - and I am lamenting this already at 11.57am! Sounds kinda early to say so, but then again, time waits for no man!

Anyway I must rave about two new finds, beauty-related, that you must, must give a try!

First up, Stila is back in town! This Skin Correcting Serum not only looks yummy like macaroons, but the colour-combination yields an instant lift and glow to your complexion.

And next up, Bliss is hitting our shores, finally! I had no idea how big this brand really is in the Asian counterparts, especially HK, but there you have it, I've tried this Love Handler and it's really amazing stuff!

Made up of "caffeine and lipid-release boosters", it really firms up the rather flabby parts. Of course, don't expect any miracles, but I do think when applied pre-work out, you will benefit a lot more from all the sit-ups and push-ups.

Delete-delete-delete

2012-01-27T22:10:00.002+08:00

Dash it all, I've gone and done it again.

This journey seems endless and forlorn. I sometimes wonder if it will ever come to a big full stop, that juncture that Kate has repeatedly allowed me a glimpse as I lie half-awake on her evergreen lounge, cocooned up in her evergreen blanket.

I hate the feeling I have now in my stomach. The rolls and layers that seem to have a life of their own on my body. The mind that loses itself when I start to open that cavernous cove that we all call the mouth. It is like everything has gone out of sense, lights gone out, boom, bam, whoosh. I will never stop, not until when it is too late, not until when guilt starts to fill me up like an awful rash.

And then when I dove into the miasma of obfuscated, like-minded, kindred spirits, I realised that although there are no real solutions to this - and also, many other unresolved depressed beings out there - I DON'T WANT TO BE THE SAME. Sod it all about kindred spirits, I WILL RISE ABOVE THIS CHALLENGE. I AM NOT GOING TO WALLOW LIKE THESE PEOPLE BECAUSE I CAN OVERCOME THIS. BECAUSE I AM STRONGER THAN THIS.

And so it begins. I will mean what I say. I will do what I write I will do. I may have done considerable damage today - or from the few days before - but I am going to work it all off, work harder than ever, work it all off and get back on track again.

Life is beautiful, and I will not have this ruin life for me.

Sounds like a plan.

to faux or not to faux

2012-01-27T15:31:00.002+08:00

Picture from Refinery29, courtesy of Dior Pre-Fall.

Either way, it's beautiful.

Witty Proseanderson

2012-01-27T13:11:00.005+08:00

I may be late, very late, to this, but discovering Sam Anderson on NY Times is probably the best stimulant ever for the pen.

Observe this marginilia addict's account of the year.

And his detailed account of Haruki Murakami which gave me more insights to the elusive author more than any number of articles combined.

Updated:
And this interesting tid-bit from one of his incendiary write-ups:

"Along the way, Gleick reminds us how much all of these different eras share. Just about every one of them, it turns out, imagined itself in the midst of an information crisis: overrun with new communication technologies that threatened to destroy the sacred essence of humanity. (These crises are almost always imagined in identical terms — artificial speed and distance threatening natural slowness and closeness.) Early critics of the telegraph, for instance, made many of the same doomsday complaints that we make today about texting and Twitter: that it would turn people into shallow thinkers and ruin writing by making everyone abbreviate everything. (To save money, telegraph users used to write in elaborate shorthand: “mhii,” for instance, meant “my health is improving.”) A few decades later, by the time people had grown to trust the telegraph, they were skeptical of a new invention: the telephone, which they argued was frivolous because — unlike the telegraph — it could carry only emotion, not facts. (Phones also made it too easy for kids to flirt.) Every leap has raised similar objections. One lesson of Gleick’s book is that, even as we devise ever-more-ingenious ways of speaking to one another, we still often have no idea what we’re talking about. "

Makes you wonder, no?

2Q12

2012-01-25T17:57:00.001+08:00

Today my little sister officially flew the coup to embark on a new journey in Melbourne.

Little sis, I miss you so, more than ever now as I work on your pink Vaio.

Write often! xoxoxo

Sticking to Traditions

2012-01-23T19:23:00.002+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! :D

For those who don't celebrate it but are in Malaysia, have a great break! And yes, savour the clean, empty roads - for once, the streets are washed clean of jams.

Speaking of Chinese New Year and celebrations, it is so much more than just fireworks and holidays. I love that we still maintain a tradition, superstitions, and all those funny little quirky things that make up our DNA.

Behold, the omnipresent Yee Sang!

First, lay out the vegetables - yes, it is something like a salad, but with crunchy bits and plum sauce and oil.

The whole point of Yee Sang is to toss it all up together, as adages of good luck and prosperity roll off our tongues. The higher we toss, the better! So it always most certainly become a bit of a havoc when we start. No one ever sits out on this, because not only is it sheer fun, but it's all about bringing luck to the whole year ahead!

The above said havoc. :D

Nice Touch

2012-01-21T22:22:00.003+08:00

It will be Chinese New Year in a day and a mere hours away, and I feel like it is a time to reflect on the good times, good times when we can have everyone in the family together, good times when we feel it is just right to start anew, on a fresh leaf, so to speak.

I also am going to miss my sister - she is leaving next week, embarking on an entirely new journey abroad - another one bites the dust, as I would say, as she will be adjourning for Melby as well - and I am really, really, as I'd said, going to miss her. Nothing is going to be the same again, if you know what I mean. She will grow up, she will change, whether for the worse (hope not!) or the better. Change is good though, I tell myself.

Change is good.

As for me, I will be staying put here for the CNY week, and since the family won't be here, I will take this opportunity to do some good old fashioned reflection, and revisit the novel-in-progress, apart from catching up on work.

And of course, to keep that balance, to be better, to get better.

So, resolutions:

1. Work on novel.

2. Catch up on work so that I can get back on the wagon, without ever missing my deadlines again.

3. Visit Kinokuniya for some good Japanese Lit. Did I mention I am absolutely hooked on Murakami's 1Q84?

Today Was All Good so let's not spoil it now

2012-01-17T21:23:00.003+08:00

Picture from Fashion Editor At Large
Karen Gillan and Aneurin Barnard (who play David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton respectively) in We'll Take Manhattan.

Oh the swinging 60s in Great Britain - how it holds me captive! If you are interested, do read up on Maggie O'Farrell's The Hand That First Held Mine.

Last Night

2012-01-12T18:46:00.002+08:00

Last night, I don't know if you would call it meant-to-be, or serendipity, since my little sister cleaned out my old bedroom/my sister's bedroom/my uncle's bedroom (however you want to call it, it's a bedroom that I used to sleep in during my primary to high school days, basically, before I left home for uni), I unearthed - well, she did I suppose - the book that I long thought I have lost.

It's by David Morrell, and it basically doles out tips about writing. I bought it when I was much younger, naively swearing that I will become a published novelist before I hit 25. I was that girl who sent out manuscripts to agents in the UK. Yep. I was that girl.

And then it hit me. How I have forgotten that passion, that fire. How I have lost myself to trains of thoughts that bear no meaning in the long run, trains that could run furiously into an accident waiting to happen. I am harming myself, pushing my ends to see how far I can get, even though I know that I will most definitely regret it.

Today, I realised that life is long if you want it to be, and that there is no reason to go all out, always, to the excess, to the boundary.

I want to find that passion again this month, and while this Chinese New Year will be a slightly different one, I see it now as an opportunity to work on the project I have long abandoned.

Write. I will write again.

Pure Gold

2012-01-08T21:37:00.004+08:00

I am loving W these days for their unique takes on subjects and editorials. It is no secret that Edward Enningful is full to the brim with avant-garde ideas stylistically, and that he has found the perfect playground to make use of his awesome vision is just a great, great thing to expect every single month.

Behold, a shoot he did with Nick Knight in the January 2012 issue. The whole concept takes from the Jazz Age in the 20s, with model Alexia Wight.

Pictures from Anne of Carversville.

Respitory Assistance

2012-01-06T21:49:00.003+08:00

COS top, thrifted belt, Zara maxi skirt.

Mumzee's skirt (worn as top, from Mayfair Designs).

Miss Selfridge knitted top, Topshop skirt.

Whew, what a week! The weather has been very, very unkind - all I can think of when asked to sum up my days this week is BO, scorching sun, sweat, and lots of work falling like tonnes of bricks.

Anyway, the pictures above can pretty much sum up the rapid changes that have taken over my body - the first was taken before Christmas, and the other two, in the new year.

Spot any difference? Because I do. And I feel it most intensely. Oh how my mind could easily derail. But I am taking charge. I slicked back on my YSL fuchsia lipstick today - it's been a while since I have gotten the lazy bones, sticking with easy colours instead to save time and effort of maintenance - but I am back. Li Ying is back.

And I am taking charge. Oh yes, I am taking charge.

A Good Day

2012-01-02T21:39:00.003+08:00

I want to mark this day as A Good Day. First off, I managed to meet up with Q, who is back for the holidays. I really love this chick, she is awesome! <3

And gosh, she came bearing tons of gifts, including a little birthday gift from Mulberry, which I am loving so, so much. Can't wait to take it out on a spin.

We hit up Acme Bar & Coffee (second round for me and still loving it - fantastic service, impeccable decor bla bla), and here we are, looking like two bean sprouts in a pot!

Letting technology do its thing. :D

Overall, lovely, lovely start to the year. And here I am taking pictures of my new Zara flats (thank you Nicola!) and Bimba & Lola tote (thank you Mumzee!), all for a 25th birthday. Ah, so there is an upside to getting old.

I have been staying over at my mum's for a bit, and it could be the holiday mood, but I really loved being taken care of. Like I'd said, I realised that I do need the help, the support, especially right now, to get back on track. The realisation that there is a motley crew of things to tantalise the taste buds out there. The realisation that there is always a way around things. To see obstacles as opportunities, as they always admonish. I am really grateful for it all, and wouldn't have it any other way. I only hope now that I will be able to go it alone because there will come a day when I do have to be able to stand alone.

Frightening, but there, let's really remember this Good Day, and go from there. Good friends, great family, and good vibes. :)

And what could be better than having my favourite blogger drop by? Nothing, nothing! Oh, thank you, wonders of the Internet!

Here is to a really good year. :)

Woohoo Hear the Fireworks Sound the Skies

2012-01-01T00:14:00.000+08:00

Have a smashing new year!

2012: "je arrive!"

:D

Indulging for the Last Hours

2011-12-31T19:37:00.004+08:00

ARE YOU READY FOR 2012?

Because I am. :D

In just a mere few hours, we will be stepping into 2012, a year that sounds auspicious/final, depending on how you see it (I see it as a new era, whatever you say).

The first day of 2012 will see me meeting up with a friend with whom I have been speaking almost every single day (thanks to BBM!), and I am looking forward to it. Isn't it a good omen already when you are looking forward to the first day of the new year? :)

Although, nevertheless, I do feel very sad that two of my loved ones have flown the coup - dad and Cottonbutty, when you land, wherever it is, have a great, great bang into the doors of the new year. Wished you were here.

As for me, I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be sleeping before midnight, and then waking up to the familiar raucuous cheers and loud firecracking works of wonders.

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope to see you around for a long, long time. ;)

This 29, I am 25

2011-12-29T21:32:00.006+08:00

The day that I turn 25 has finally arrived! And I am so glad that I can spend it today in peace - albeit with a few road blocks and health glitches - with my most cherished ones.

I also got to have it at my favourite diner in the world at the moment, Acme Bar & Coffee.

Decor is pitch perfect, food is amazing (certified by my ultra-hard-to-please family members so it MUST be good), and service is tip top - to the point that my dad wanted to tip them!

My favourite roasted potato salad on the right.

And I managed to try their Japanese scrambled eggs salad. Yummers!

Desserts were apple & olive cake plus raspberry & chocolate cake. Must say that their concoctions are really unique.

Then who knew there was an encore in the horizon? Turned out mumzee and sisters had something yellow up their sleeves...

made a wish for the better...

Yay Hello Kitty! And er, Big Bird - anyone knows its gender?

Many things happened over the week - I got food poisoning from abusing my own stomach (long story), became a reluctant owner of a swollen right foot, and discovered a lot more about my own psyche in mere two hours on a lounger. I realise, and I am sure we all know but so easily forget, that life is just so fickle. Being with my loved ones more often over the course of these few days made me realise that I do need people in my life. I used to want to be alone. I used to isolate myself because I feared that people would make me weak, debilitate my willpower to be "super human" and "perfect", but what it came down to was merely self-torment and a mind that has been cloistered for far too long.

And so I am really thankful today for all the love I am getting, for all the support I am receiving. I tend to beat myself up without realising that I am doing it - I just see it as a way of pushing myself to the limit because I know how one's body can take it if you do. But why do I do it? There is no reason to. And so, I am resting. And it is okay to rest. It is okay to say, hey, it is okay to be normal. At least for this matter itself.

Anyway.

Best birthday ever, thanks guys for making turning another year older a blast! :)

Today they say

2011-12-27T22:16:00.004+08:00

As I have been delving into the archives of T Like Bubble Tea lately, I found this immense truism she culled from here and would like to share it:

{There is no tomorrow. There is no “I’ll be successful when I reach here, or there or I’ll be happy as soon as X happens”.

There is only right now. It's a crazy thing but so many of us live in the future. I know this because I have like-minded, goal orientated friends like myself. Friends who say: “As soon as my book is published…” or “I need to be making at least 6 figures…” Those are all valid goals but they have nothing to do with success or happiness.

What I realized is that putting your visions of success and happiness into the future tense really is a negation of your success and happiness right here and now. We are unhappy with how things are so we fantasize about the future and how happy we’ll be when we have our new car, house, salary, job, relationship.

But its all bullshit. You’re lying to yourself. If you can’t feel your success right here in the present moment, then you never will. It will never ever come.}

Another reason why we should all just seize the moment, the here and now.

Advent

2011-12-25T21:03:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you are - or already are having - a great festive gathering somewhere nice and warm.

Christmas got me thinking about Hong Kong. Maybe because that is where I left my heart with a fuchsia Marc by Marc - but really, it got me thinking how everything in Hong Kong is so driven by brands and centred around shopping, shopping, and nothing much but, well, shopping.

And so, it seemed timely that I got to know more about Phoebe English's aesthetics. I have gotten an eye on her ever since she got into Vauxhall - and she was a CSM grad that has already been highlighted by Vogue, a good sign for sure already - so when news came that she won Vauxhall, well, I am beyond thrilled and looking forward to what she will be coming up with next.

Using calico as a centrepiece, English created a few podium-worthy pieces, all hand-woven and hand-stitched.

Okay, so there isn't much of an excuse to post vanity pictures of myself, but hey, it's Christmas and Sunday, so:P

Pantless? Yes, at least I can say Edie Sedgwick inspired me to take off the very tedious idea of a maxi skirt, and go with this fleece top from H&M pantless!

One for the pantless brigade! :D

And another starry halter I got from H&M ends my collection of H&M loots from Hong Kong. Paired with Uniqlo jeans here.

PS - I am utterly addicted to reading Tania Reinert. Check her out here if, especially if, like me, you are craving some HK Culture!

Morning Rush

2011-12-23T00:08:00.002+08:00

Can you believe it? In a few mere days it will be Christmas time! :)

H&M jumper and pants.

Seriously, where has time gone to?

H&M polka dot top, COS canary yellow skirt.

Overall, it has been a surprising end-of-the-year. Surprising in the sense of lucky draws and winning prizes - I guess I shouldn't jinx it by mentioning this, but I just can't help feeling really awestruck! I never win at these things, but oh well.

H&M dress.

You know, life may not be perfect, but I try. I really am very thankful for all that I have with me now, and I don't know if this comes with age or something else, but all I really want for Christmas (and my birthday - here comes another seriously - nothing says the end-of-the-year as much as the arrival of this day), seriously, is just for everyone in the family to be happy and healthy.

Ah, the halcyon days of drawing up a wish list of material desires.

But then again, hey, a Marc by Marc bag wouldn't hurt. :P

The Hangover

2011-12-17T21:40:00.001+08:00

Don't call me weird -

But I am now watching a TVB Canton show, imagining I am in the fluffy white bed of Four Seasons, imagining I am in Hong Kong.

Pathetic, I know. But what is a girl to do? :P

Hong Kong Hong Kong

2011-12-16T21:09:00.009+08:00

Call me a fallow traveller, or easy to please, but Four Seasons Hotel in Hong Kong hands down has become my love-love-love. I have never felt so at home, and so pampered ever - couple it with the great itinerary, I can say I just love my job. For now, I can't share much about what went down, but as always, Hong Kong fascinated me with newness and its ever contemporary beat - this time, I get to see what the upper echelons cavort around with, and it is an eye opener, for sure.

Triple lighting system in the bathroom!

A Nespresso, though I don't drink coffee, it still fascinated me!

Part of the loots.

Okay, I shall refrain from more exclamation marks...

Having afternoon tea post-landing.

Day 2 at the breakfast lounge in the hotel's Blue Bar.

The home-made granola is superb!

Doing the touristy thing whilst waiting for H&M to open up at 10.30 sharp.

Lunch at Isola in IFC Mall, here I am with the ever Mischievous MayLyn:

Portions here are huge! Check out the scallops:

And 18-month old Parma ham:

Another bout of touristy thing I rarely do in hotel lobbies with Steph.

Had so, so much fun tagging along with Steph, Am real glad to have spent time with her!

And after all the work, we chilled at the uber popular Sevva (was turned away at first, and they don't take reservations hur).

And what were we pointing at?

The sumptuously written menu! Kudos to the copywriter, seriously...

Marie Antoinette would approve.

Choices, choices, choices!

As the sun set, the lights come out to play.

Cereal in bed!

The last day's brunch was had at the famous Yung Kee.

Nice tou fu composition I found cute enough to snap a picture of. Call me random?

The gigantic goose.

At McD.

Ah, and then there was none.

Connect the dots

2011-12-16T20:42:00.003+08:00

Getting all polka dotties together today!

With CM - I love it when she giggles.

And total coincidence with Steph - the making of a particularly festive pair.

H&M green polka dotted top, COS skirt, vintage stone bracelet, heirloom jade bracelet, gifted leather band bracelet, H&M gold-strung bracelet.

Turn up the volume

2011-12-14T23:23:00.002+08:00

I have practically just walked through the door straight from KLIA, back from a really, really good press trip in Hong Kong.

I absolutely love Four Seasons.

Hands down: I love Hong Kong.

OD-ed on so much bread.

Slept in a bathing robe for the very first time.

Let loose for the first time since a long, long while back.

Let loose as in, sleeping with damp hair and in a bathing robe. Haha.

Went for a walk around Central during the rush hour in the morning and felt the adrenaline of the city charging through me, and it reminded me that I WANT TO BE HERE.

The trip was way too short; the company too good to be true. On the last morning I chose BBC Entertainment as a morning companion - random, but it reminded me too that there is a whole big world out there, outside of Malaysia, outside of this funny little circle. This I forgot since huddling in the funny little circle for a tad too long.

But now I remember. I remember...

PS - From Queen's Road Central to Wellington Street, seeing the Christmas trinkets reminded me of home, of mum, of my sisters. It was so good to also see my dad before he flew off - I didn't realise how much I missed everyone till then!

Dad, it was so good to see you! :))

More pics soon!

2011-12-11T20:23:00.003+08:00

I wish I could pull of garcon chic this elegantly. Thank you Layers & Swathes for sharing!
Picture originally from Stockholm Street Style.

Top from I Am Jet Fuel, brooch from Paris (worn on skirt), Topshop skirt, thrifted and gifted bracelets, vintage necklace from mumzee's stash.

I got this top from I Am Jet Fuel in Subang, whilst on a photo shoot. See? You can do your shopping too when you're on the job. I mean, is there any more reason to love my job? :)

I Love Diptyque

2011-12-08T21:32:00.003+08:00

A little bit of candle burning tonight gave me an opportunity to take a deep, deep breath.

And reminisce on traipsing down les rues in Paris.

That hole-in-the-wall that houses candles and scents of utmost refinement.

Love. :)

PS - Diptyque has hit Malaysian shores!

Smile Smile Smile!!

2011-12-06T20:51:00.002+08:00

I know someone who really is just this carefree. When she is in the house, her laughter is infectious, and her skin positively glints when she laughs.

When she has fun, she really has fun. In fact, I know of a lot of her giggles, and I know of it, especially when she is letting loose. And marriage hasn't slowed her down at all.

I guess I do know of lots of girls who are like that. And I wonder, I do, I really do, when I see strangers, girls who laugh arm-in-arm, without a hunch, but bearing a healthy deportment and faces glowing with youth, I wonder -

Will I laugh again like this?

Will I even begin to whistle a song?

Last night I felt my heartbeat in my ears, and I wondered - I wandered into the most morbid clavicle of the night. And I never want to feel that way ever again.

Funny thing is, the moment morning struck, I felt so very light, as if I have let go off something.

So was yesterday all a nightmare?

mmhmm amen

2011-12-04T21:00:00.000+08:00

“If you don’t like politics, then be a dog. Tough luck buddy. Whether you like it or not, politics are there and you have to learn to deal with them if you want to be successful.”

Excerpt from Sally's Styling Seminary on Fashionista.

Flutter Fast

2011-12-04T20:32:00.002+08:00

Oh pulsating heart.

It is at nights like these that make me wonder how long will I live.

No matter what I do it seems to take a toll. What gives?

Cold sweat trickles down rotten muscles. The forehead is speckled with dust and nightmares of monsters and minotaurs.

But it is Sunday. And on a Sunday night, I just want to leave it all, leave it all to tomorrow.

Maybe this week

2011-12-04T16:39:00.001+08:00

Some truly inspirational looks to cull for the week, courtesy of Glamourai, and bien sur, the ever right-on-sticker-mark Susie Bubble:

PS - Can I have those Susie Bubble designed shoes!

Why I love Hong Kong

2011-12-01T22:57:00.003+08:00

'Our Hong Kong clientele are very discerning and also adventurous,' London-based designer Erdem says, 'and colour is really important.'

'The Chinese buyers definitely purchase the more elaborate catwalk styles,' says Sophie Wright of London-based showroom Rainbowwave, sales agent for designers including Meadham Kirchhoff, Peter Pilotto and J.W. Anderson. 'They love embellishment and unusual details or unusually cut styles - basically all the pieces that most markets (other than Japan) consider too difficult.' Designer David Koma concurs: 'this is such an important emerging market for us, they buy a lot of show pieces and we’ve had great sell through.'

Alexander Fury on Showstudio.com

Makes me vie even more to some day join this awesome, quirky fashion circus.

Patrick Demarchelier's Dior Couture. The most beautiful coffee-table spread I have ever dreamt of owning.

Over the Rainbow

2011-11-30T21:54:00.002+08:00

I am so thrilled to say that I had my first fan meeting today (you know who you are! :) ) - well I wouldn't actually call her a fan, but still, to actually meet a reader of this very humble Scribbler's blog is just beyond describable in words. :)

I always have viewed this blog as a part of my life, albeit a part that is not related to reality as much - it is hard to put succinctly, but let's just say this is a reliquary where I dump all of my love, passion, thoughts et cetera, and I never ever expect anyone to actually read it.

So it is with utmost gratitude that I should take this opportunity to thank the people who actually care to drop by frequently, to swing in to just click through for a second, let alone hours. As always, I love nothing more to get into a tete-a-tete with you all, so do holler out whenever!

Lots of love,
the Scribbler

Whitewashed Gold

2011-11-29T20:21:00.001+08:00

The sheer whiteness of any kind makes accessorising all the more of an exciting adventure. Don't you think so? :)

Oh yes, I count lipstick as the ultimate accessory too.

Zimmying

2011-11-28T19:54:00.004+08:00

Have I ever mentioned the Korean family across my apartment? Yes, I believe I have, many a times. And I never tire of talking of them - so excuse me if I seem to be harping along the same ol' subject! :D

But that's the thing - there is something about watching them, voyeuristic as it may sound I really mean no harm - it is more like an accidental glance when I am in the kitchen at the same time as they are - that make me warm inside. Heart-warming that is. They are what I would call a real semblance of a family in one piece. Maybe because my family is more like a mosaic flung all over the place, it touches me more than it would do a normal person. A normal dweeb would probably just overlook it, rather than go all maudlin and gooey inside like me.

Anyhoo, onto some fashion-tastic spot-ons that have truly inspired me to... perhaps, shop again? December looms and since it is a privilege month at Toppers for me, I think it may just be a sign.

I absolutely love how ingenious this is - prints and tweeds together? Mind me, I never would have thought of it better!

Oh and did I mention - fur skirt! Ah, absolutely divine, Susie! <3

And Fashion Squad's Caroline truly made me fall even further in love with jumpers. I have been obsessed with the jumper lately - have always been, especially evinced by my write-up about it previously with Harper's Bazaar - and the mod ones especially at Topshop did get me going. I am loving this on Caroline though because it has such an interesting shape to it! But then again, only ever a banging beauty like her could carry it off with such panache. Jumpers can be oh so very tricky...

But isn't that the beauty of it all?

Fashioooon that is. :)

Neon and Beach

2011-11-27T17:59:00.002+08:00

J Brand and Christopher Kane = NEON ATTACK! I love how Susie combined frills with the starkness of fluoro here. Love.

And never would I think to say this but Vera Wang's SS 12 venture is looking very edgy yet feminine - something quite different from her usual plate of frillies. I like. =)

Kissing Distance

2011-11-26T19:32:00.002+08:00

Hey, isn't it funny that even though we all live in one block, live right next to each other, with doors only within inches from each other, that we only ever see ghostly silhouettes of each other, of dimly lit shadows against the windows at eight in the evening, and only ever hear the shuffling noise of you and me, opening and slamming doors shut, of taking out the trash, of bringing groceries bags back?

And isn't it strange that even though we sit right next to each other's cubicles, we hardly know what goes on in each other's minds (and screen)?

The funny workings of kissing distance. It is indeed.

Topshop blazer with Zara dress.

What feeds my soul

2011-11-19T19:17:00.002+08:00

Sporty but glamorous? Succinctly put. Tory Burch. Spring/Summer next year will be all about that.

Mother of Pearl collection.

What Susie has been up to truly is what feeds my soul. :)

All pictures from Style Bubble.

The Client

2011-11-17T19:10:00.003+08:00

Although I have always been pretty impartial to the fandom fascination that surrounds Carine Roitfeld, I just could not resist the insider glamour of this peek behind Couture Week in Paris at W.

I love how her accented "cl-ient" sounds, how she playfully and wittily spun the fashion designers around her fingers. So many videos try to evince her invincibility, but this at W? It totally sated our fashion appetite for that truly shrouded arena we all know as couture.

Pay special attention to Azzedine Alaia - I just love how he always doles out the sagest words.

Oh and PPS - W is so upping its game. I have always been keeping an eye out (especially since Stefano Tonchi took over the reigns, and more so when Alex White left - shame! - and was taken over by Edward Enningful) and am entranced by the theatricality he brings to the team.

Looking forward, it all looks ultra bright. I can't wait to see the new issue with the fabulous Fannings cover.

why now

2011-11-13T21:42:00.002+08:00

I have been thinking of Paris lately - of how it has made me so much more resilient as a person, more than anything, but also about how as a city, it is imbued with so much to see on the streets, let alone museums and exhibits, like nowhere else in the world. It is such a bang-on truth when Karl Lagerfeld quipped how he wouldn't mind walking the streets of Paris for that very same reason.

Loulou de la Falaise (picture from Fashion Editor At Large).

And nostalgically, I breathed in the scent of Borders today, telling my sister (who was saying how odd the place smelled) that it reminded me so much of England. Just like cracking open the spines of Glamour UK.

One Minute Fame (Haha)

2011-11-08T20:34:00.001+08:00

This may be late, late, late, but I guess you can make this little allowance for me to bask in my one-minute (or less) fame.

Also, a good sort of shout-out to Tongue in Chic's revamped page. Looking chicer than ever, I say! :)

Kow Towing to Katrantzou

2011-11-07T19:29:00.001+08:00

Picture from Susie Bubble.

Anyone else also feeling the love for Mary Katrantzou? I can't wait for Spring 2012 to come for reals - everything seem so, so very exciting!

I see friends shaking hands

2011-11-06T19:01:00.004+08:00

I have been re-watching The September Issue lately, and it's just as fascinating as the first time I saw it. It made me wonder about many things, particularly how the landscape of fashion has changed compared to 2007, when it was focused upon, and how designers after designers, all championed by various editors and magazines (the monthly Next Big Thing Feature) have come and gone or vice versa, stayed and grown stronger than ever.

Like Thakoon. I mean, it could be my biased misstep but I haven't heard much of him as of late. And the other day I was trying to recall the name of a designer duo from Aussie Land, who were undoubtedly hotcakes not too long ago. And then it came to me. In my sleep. (Very random fact I know, but things always come to me at the most inconvenient hour - another time is when I am working out - basically the typical no paper and pen scenario) -

Sass and Bide!

Where are they now? Don't they show in NYC? Anyone care to elucidate this?

Anyway, while we are fashioning it up, here is my Monday to Friday version of tit-bit.

Any good hits? :)

***********************************************************************************

My dad has just sent an email in correspondence to my asking of an "heirloom watch" - I am rather tired of the razzle dazzle of watch designs these days, and not to mention, the crazy prices render me speechless. I am unable to fork out that much to tell time!

Anyway, I really couldn't think of anything when he asked what I wanted for my birthday if I didn't want him to get me a watch for the occasion, except to have the family here, happy and healthy.

Does that mean my joie de vivre has dissipated so badly along with the fossilation of age? I don't even salivate at the vitrines (bar Zara's windows perhaps, but my pockets are empty) these days. Or perhaps, nothing excites me easily anymore.

Or more likely, I am now coveting what I cannot have, and know that matter far too well to even bother looking?

They exist in my mind, ever so rose-tinted: the Cambridge satchels, Hermes leather, and more, more to life than just mere materials aforementioned...

PS - has anyone been keeping tabs on Tokyo Fashion Week? I am so feeling the lovely paraphernalia showcased there that I am hankering now more than ever to go there! Well, first up, Mintdesign...

Reaping It

2011-10-30T13:02:00.003+08:00

So happy to see the November issue of Harper's BAZAAR make the newsstands - finally! Here are some scans...

The November issue in Malaysia is also the BIGGEST for the Beauty section - it was a long and arduous albeit interesting and exciting journey, but it's all worth it!

This year we had over 180 winners - including men's products for a good ol' manly man twist - the biggest to date!

And having the opportunity to style - my first ever shoot was beyond awesome as an experience. Nothing beats styling real women - it isn't just about hanging clothes on a beautiful girl; it's really about their personalities shining through.

This is just some of the winners...

I am also glad that I came in when the revamp was going on - it allowed me the chance to really bring in my views and realise them - the opportunity to really breathe fresh air into Beauty every month - I want to keep the readers off their hooks! :D

Pick up the magazine now for more! And I can promise you - there is more to be read, to be seen, to be experienced - totally for the intellectual woman. This is the new BAZAAR. :)

Dear Drought

2011-10-28T20:21:00.002+08:00

This has been an especially trying week for me - in terms of perfecting things, missing things, and also, doing what I normally would not do - for the past three whole years or more.

And then there is this dry spell that I am experiencing - not good for my daily practice of course, but no matter how I try, I just feel parched, uninspired.

I need a quick fix.

But it's Friday, and it's Halloween weekend. I think I will just chill. For now.

Laugh

2011-10-23T21:00:00.001+08:00

It's okay to laugh at yourself when you accidentally sit bare-butt on the toilet lid.

I haven't actually laughed like this for a fair bit, and it felt good.

:)

Samaritan

2011-10-22T15:18:00.005+08:00

I don't quite know how to put it, but I do want to let go a bit and have a little bit of fun. Is it wrong to be so tightly wound up all the time? I suppose there are ways to let go, and yet be responsible, be accountable, and still have loads of fun.

This week sees nothing-new all meshed up together to create something new. I really love the adrenaline it gives - the rapture of seeing something crop up from what is already there. Try it! :)

PS - thank you to all the new followers for following this blog - you make it all the more of a thrill to keep this going. What started as a reliquary for self-indulgent thoughts and picture-taking has a real place in my heart all along, and to know you all enjoy it too... well, welcome to the ride.

Zara knit.

This is me trying Urban Decay's awesome turquoise crayon pencil shade. I love it!

Talbot Runhof: Spring/Summer '12

2011-10-18T18:55:00.003+08:00

For the lack of posts and deluge of vanity shots to fill the void, I send out my thousand apologies especially to those who have been tiring of these indulgences.

I have been meaning to talk about this great discovery of mine - solely of mine simply because I am sure any discerning fashion peep would have already seen the vast potential that is Talbot Runhof, who shows in Paris.

I am especially enthralled, though I am no expert, by the sense of Parisian girl mixed with quirky peplums and show-off lace. Not sure if this will be a running aesthetic of Runhof, but for the upcoming season, I will be taking leaves from him for sure.

I like how he fuses all the classic pieces and make them his own.

The Subconscious Play

2011-10-15T14:00:00.005+08:00

One thing about what I do - fashion inflitrates your mind unknowingly, affecting you in subliminal manners that you sometimes find, when manifested, quite surprising.

Some readers may recognise this outfit from some time ago, but what is different is perhaps more so, well, the hair. Yes, I finally got the chop, and am thinking it can still go shorter! Nevertheless, I am relishing in its tousled quality and easygoing prep style.

Over the week before I got the hex though, these were some retro stuff I tossed together again for some new-hued glasses outlook. Let's just put it that way.

And this lovely notebook came for me.

More than anything, I keep reminding myself that being in this world, the greatest influences should be from the universe and not this bubble alone.

I didn't quite realise that I was taking a leaf from Mr. Karl, but when my boss said my eye makeup was an audacious take on Peter Philips' turquoise bejewelled highlights at Chanel's A/W '11, I took notes.

And realised my outfit probably was unwittingly, poorly inspired by the rugged show the Kaiser puleld off so splendidly in Paris.

Steve's Right

2011-10-08T18:19:00.000+08:00

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

–Steve Jobs, 2005, Stanford Commencement Speech. The world truly lost a creative genius yesterday. RIP.

From Fashionista.

Yummy Colours

2011-10-06T19:57:00.002+08:00

Yolk yellow vintage shirt and white dress, both hand-me-downs from Mumzee.

Zara blazer worn with brooch thrifted in Paris, Topshop lace overlay skirt, Uniqlo Save Japan Nicole Kidman design.

Topshop, Topshop, Topshop!

I didn't think it would ever occur to resound of Gucci's A/W 11 but apparently it did, according one of my colleagues. What do you think? :)

Chloe Spring/Summer 12

2011-10-04T21:01:00.003+08:00

Although I wasn't one of the biggest ravers about the minimalist aesthetic when it hit big time, I am certain that there always has been something about Chloe that did it for me. Whilst Hannah McGibbon was jibed for the excesses she applied to the last collection, I loved it. And for Claire Waight Keller's debut at Paris Spring/Summer '12, I love the look of it just as much.

I call it minimalist taken to the next level - because there is something so pretty aboutthe sea foam green strips, the jovial fluoros, and diaphanous whites and pastels; in a way, it's merging minimalist with superfluous, and yet, the whole collection is still Chloe - so very real-women, so very wearable.

Is it any wonder that she cited browsing street-style blogs for inspiration?

Pictures from Fashionista.

Flash Shower

2011-10-02T18:23:00.002+08:00

Funny how little things trigger the fondest memories to resurface, like seaweed floating to the top of the glinting veneer of a man-made pond.

A touch of my louffa, that was all it took, to transport me back to that dingy shared shower in my Paris dorms. It was dirty, it was inconvenient - but it is part of the fabric that made up my Paris stay, and the yellow-tinged walls, though ugly and distasteful to the core, made me smile at the nostalgia of it all.

And here I am, reminiscing on that sense of calm, the presence of peace, on a long summer's "day-night" - when darkness would technically not come until at least 10 or 11pm.

Fashion Plates

2011-10-02T14:28:00.002+08:00

There are days when I wished I had a Ruby Woo lipstick, or an Orangina blazer, but when you don't have them at a wand's wave, you just have to make do with what you have.

Readers may recall this look:

Forgetful me should have credited the awesomely inspiring picture that got my brain rolling with how I could wear my mumzee's hand-me down.

From Susie Bubble, of course! :)

And from other sources (namely WhoWhatWear):

I am really loving the fluoro daffodils that are running rampant for next spring. And while we are at such an optimistic level of vision, why not start making hay now? Neons are not in sparse supply anyway.

And maybe, just maybe - I could go further more inspired with this?

yums.

Fashion Inspiration - Perspiration?

2011-09-30T20:11:00.005+08:00

This week,I'd like to think that I experimented with runway-inspired silhouettes and colours.

Mum's vintage shirt, Topshop skirt.

I am loving Ralph Lauren's oriental opulence. My version? Black Giordano velour turtleneck (so very comfy!), ASOS maxi skirt, thrifted necklaces, gifted mismatched earrings.

A dash of sunshine for a Chloe silhouette? Dark horse, I know, but I was inspired by the tutu skirt and turtleneck of not too long ago. Mango turtleneck, COS skirt.

Vintage Folds

2011-09-28T21:29:00.002+08:00

I always love myself a good ol' asymmetrical play - like this pair of earrings my colleague got for me from her holiday in South Korea.

I foresee wearing this to death, along with my owl earrings, very, very soon! :)

Morning Thoughts

2011-09-21T21:40:00.002+08:00

Just when I was thinking this morning on the way to work - gee, I should really be thankful for all the great things I come across for what I do on a daily basis. Though there will always be that level of "stress", I am really bursting with gratitude that God is giving me this opportunity to, in some way, realise my dream - through a road of perdition, no less.

And here are some of the fun stuff, as I would rather dwell on this than the bad, hehs:

With Maybelline's PR manager Connie and the beauties of Cosmopolitan, Women's Weekly, and Cleo magazines.

And I had the first ever experience of planting trees!

Leeches and tiny crabs alert!

I was assigned the role of Ms. Lightning Bolt (basically, I had the responsibility of tying the saplings to the sticks, securing them against the uprising tides of the river nearby). Don't I look sassy, no? Hehe :P

Thanks to Estee Lauder for doing so much good to Mother Earth! :D

Till the next chapter...

Jaeger Teaches Geometrics

2011-09-20T17:52:00.004+08:00

What I love most - surprising details on classic fail-proof designs.
The British really have a way with making classic whimsy, no?

Pictures from Fashionista.

According to Hilary Alexander, geometrics are on the rise, but will it trickle down as a major trend? Stay tuned!

PS - I am thoroughly enjoying vicariously the coverage on Mercedes Benz LFW's coverage here. Absolutely up-to-date to the minute, and really glamorous. Loves it! :)

Colour Connotations

2011-09-20T17:34:00.002+08:00

It seems apt that I am truly feeling the SS12 vibes - across the universe (well, not literally...), designers are letting the sun in, fluffing up the muggy air, and creating masterpieces that really shine. So as a tribute, I felt like going a bit further on Monday, with a vintage shirt courtesy of my Mumzee.

Zara beige blazer, vintage pink shirt from Mumzee, worn over a flea market thrifted dress.

Mont Kiara flea market thrifted dress.

And because flapper is just SO SS12, I just had to dig this out again and wear it afresh.

Lean Times

2011-09-18T18:03:00.006+08:00

I have been through this before on this blog, but now more than ever, I am feeling it keenly - the lean times.

I know times are bad, and for some reason, as I rarely did before, I am feeling it. I feel it in my purse, my veins, my pulse, my bones. I feel it in my appetite, my skin, my desire to shop waning a little too much - though I have a sudden impulse to browse online nowadays more so than I ever did before, since I was and am still quite a cynic when it comes to online hawks. It works just like this anecdote my mum told me of how she would just look at junk food and imagine she has eaten them. Satisfaction guaranteed. Haha, funny but true! :)

But you know, the funny thing is, I would rather drop a pound on something that lasts me a long stretch of time, than to go for a penny buy. I guess I really learned from a twisted left foot - cheaply made shoes really got me nowhere.

So it does lead somewhere, saving up for something worthwhile - or at least design dishes that really cut a swathe across the fabric - special fabric, at that... (I'm thinking Preen now, utterly intoxicated by its sartorial fare for SS 12...).

When Bunny Drop Ends

2011-09-16T20:07:00.004+08:00

Usagi Drop (pictures from Random Curiosity).

Beautiful, poignant. The most heart-warming ending I have ever come across. How do you touch upon society's harsh reality and still render it so eloquently?

Fashion that is an amusement park

2011-09-16T16:11:00.002+08:00

I found this totally random but refreshing - the little idea that whilst everyone is heading to crash at afterparties and somesuch, Anna Wintour decided to opt out from the fashion circus and have a slice of New York's famed pizza. Observe:

picture from another day another portrait.

NYFW has been tremendous on colours and prints - splashes of them! Drop waist dresses and metallics featured strongly too, and I am definitely loving what Sleeping Beauty and Van Gogh has inspired in Rodarte. Not only that, but the petalescent affair of peplums and sexy joie de vivre coming from Jason Wu has made me an even bigger fan than I was previously...

Onto Londres, people!

Late Bloomin'

2011-09-15T21:03:00.002+08:00

I know I haven't been at my best at updating - it's just been so crazy in the most exhilarating way here right now, I think I just need to make the necessary adjustments to get a good balance again, for both home and work.

Which reminds me that I should spend some time on my side projects and never abandon them...

This may be a bit late, seeing that September is almost over, but here is a piece I submitted whilst I was still in Paris, seen in Harper's BAZAAR September 2011:

Spotlight on... Katie Ermilio

2011-09-13T17:55:00.005+08:00

Topshop dress worn as top and skirt.

If you are like me and love your regular doses of long flowy skirts, impeccably stylised lady dresses with a quirky twist rendered in cutouts here and sleek tailoring here - well, look no further than Katie Ermilio.

Circle skirts, vibrant splashes of colours, candy floss pink for fun, turquoise for vintage glamour; seductive peplums and pouffy sleeves, a shoulder glance here, and a gazar back there... For a new designer who kind of "stumbled" into designing, Ermilio has really captured my heart - and everyone else's, evidently, especially those within the industry, as she got her start from making bespoke dresses for her famous friends.

i

Pictures from Katie Ermilio's website: www.katieermilio.com.

A paragraph about a week

2011-09-09T21:00:00.005+08:00

It's no secret that I am LOVING Miu Miu for Autumn/Winter '11. LOVING IT. Using the looks at every chance I get.

Ever since sustaining a foot injury since my Paris days, I have been paying particular attention to all things shoes. And I am not even that much of a shoe fiend...

But perhaps this glitzy alternative would do...
Pictures from Fashion Editor At Large and Style.com.

One thing I am really proud to remark upon this week is that you don't need to break the bank to rebuild your wardrobe.

Perhaps you could recognise these pieces from the recent past? ;)

And in terms of some scintillating read,

This article totally hit the spot. Not only because it addresses the fact that the fashion industry is increasingly all about the business, but mostly because of how creativity is being stifled for the sake of easier understandability. I don't think so, personally, only because we should never underestimate the readership. There are esoteric qualities that can still stand relevant in our times; there are people out there who would truly see the beauty of a narrative. And let's face it - beautiful articles and spreads - they don't necessarily have to be obfuscating and abstract to be ethereal and glorious. They can be just as accessible - if we could just give it a chance/budget.

Oh well. That's me. Shooting off again...

The Truth?

2011-09-04T20:50:00.003+08:00

This article by my favourite columnist Vanessa Friedman is a scintillating review of the recent shuffle in the timetable of the upcoming NYFW (which is rearing its head very much in view by now) - Marc Jacobs and Theyskens Theory were the early ones to delay, and who knows if there might be more moving around/cancellations to come.

But it really made me ponder - for what it is worth, there should be no restrictions and rules to what and how artists/designers come about inspirations and how long a collection should really take to be conceived. Sometimes, when inspiration strikes, something genuinely spectacular could be born in one day or mere hours/minutes.

But then again, when we all wax lyrical for months in magazines and see the effects of what is presented on the runways trickle down for what seems like at least a standard time span of three to four months (at least until the season officially ends, I suppose), we as consumers must of course feel a tad used and baffled to glimpse behind the curtains, only to find out that what were seen as masterpieces were only mere accidents.

But isn't this part of the thrill of putting on shows? Isn't this - accidents - part of bunging up a creative process that makes it all the more beautiful?

That aside, I try not to think how stressful it becomes when we take together all the pre-collections, couture weeks et cetera into consideration.

Reasons Why

2011-09-03T19:30:00.003+08:00

I have been missing Paris lately. Not exactly the country per se, but more of what constituted the lifestyle I got fairly used to when I was there.

The streets I traipsed along every day - It is true when one author I came to love-love-love, Georges Perec, wrote of the many little things that make Paris so fascinating. The mundane can become an all-encompassing beauty. You don't even need the Eiffel - all you need to do is really to cast your eye across the Seine and take in the beauty of - well, everything.

The way that time seemed to stand still in that one month plus that I was there. Like life didn't really exist anywhere else, where Paris, with its museums and entrenched cultural heritage are all we could care about, and art, of course, in that hollow white homeroom, where the eddies felt too freezing cold to bear, even when it was sultry hot outside.

And then there is Japan, a place I have never stepped foot upon. The soil that is rich with heritage too, and tradition. I want to go so badly, sometimes I wonder if I am just fulfilling my yearnings with novels written by fantastic classic/modern writers. Just like Gallic fiction, I wished I could read them in the original tongue. Who knows, some meanings could so easily be lost in translation.

Japan. What do I miss? Or rather, I feel I am missing? Well, really, the kookiness, the gaganess, and everything else modern. A vast difference I suppose, from Paris. It always feels like Japan is where you go crazy with sprees and follow the flow of the night crowd in the sleepless Tokyo.

Ah, I can dream. And I shall dream on...

Fair and Dandy

2011-09-03T13:17:00.004+08:00

If every working week could be like this - 3 consecutive days of emptiness, and then two days of slogging - then the world would probably be a much better place. :P

Alas, we all have to return to reality, when every week is just about anodyne slogging, every hour, every minute. Sometimes I wonder what we are all working towards, even though we know what we are working for.

Cos nude pink top, Topshop silk skirt, Reiss leather bracelet, Diva bejewelled clasp.

All things aside though - there shall be no complaints from me! I have a lot to be thankful for - not least of all you lovely readers for your ever encouraging comments - and the fortune to do what I love and call it a nine-to-five job.

I have to rave about the gorgeous bag my mumzee handmade, in just one day!

That's me modelling the tote sans makeup, in my Uniqlo Save Japan shirt, designed by Nicole Kidman. :)

I really wanted a tote for slinging around casually, and when I articulated my love for all things polka dot as well as my idea of the bag, mumzee sat and contemplated for a few minutes, and then immediately got down to business!

I always said she's got loads of artistic flair! :P

And just because this has been sitting in my drive for unspecified purposes, I shall chuck it in here and leave you readers to mull over what it is made of:

Typhoon

2011-08-30T17:13:00.006+08:00

I have always been a great fan of Karlie Kloss's face (not sure about her effervescence expressed in that all-American demeanour though - which I accidentally caught on Fashion TV whilst in HK...) - and this spread in American Vogue pretty much sums it all up, the fact of how much of a chameleon she truly is.

Okay, so maybe if the bubbly garrulousness is taken down a notch - in a very coolly edited video - she can be really great representation of the endless energy that a model creates on set. Something which I think every healthy supermodel should possess. After all, if there is no joie de vivre, what's the point?

The editorial spread is massive - spanning several cities in China, shot by Mario Testino and styled by Tonne Goodman, this is no doubt the most interesting way to showcase what many coin as the Rising Dragon, as they have collaborated with famous faces like Bing Bing Li (actress), Xu Bing (artist), the Shaolin apprentices (Kung Fu/Martial Arts), and even erherms, Daniel Wu (needs no introduction)!! Now that everyone is looking East - I mean, what better way to do it without taking it way too far?

From the truly historical to the glitz of Shanghai and then underground to the indie creative scene, I think this spread really covered grounds that should show China in a truly unique - and not the tropes - angle.

Pictures courtesy of Fashion Editorials.

The underground scene where the cool kids hang.

A typical scene at a factory in China. PS - check out the Miu Miu heels! Miu Miu this season is topping my most coveted list for sure. I am thoroughly loving the 40s teacup florals and pastoral collars. Love, love, love!

The mythical Shaolins in action.

In the famous Palaces in Beijing.

Nothing can compare to the glittery fracas of Shanghai - taken in donning a shimmery qipao and arm-in-arm with eye candy Daniel Wu.

Peace in bamboos...

I really love this - you will see in the video that the artist was literally putting his whimsical touches to the glass pane as Kloss poses. There was just something so zen and authentic about it. Lovely.

Rocha cha

2011-08-28T18:16:00.003+08:00

As the battle of Boy/Girl continues to wax rhapsody this coming autumn and winter, I am very glad to have Susie Bubble bring up another coveted up-and-comer - one Simone Rocha, the daughter of famous tailored wares John Rocha himself - because likewise, Peter Pan collars and Alexa Chung-like silhouettes have really been rending my heart and soul apart.

But the best part of these trends, really, is that you already have what it takes in your closet (most likely, anyway) - all you really need is a reserve of attitude to play Ms. Lady Like or Ms. Boy. For more mood-boarding, I would recommend considering hopping over to Ms. Simone's website itself and have a gander around - the show-stopping entree at the front page, a small video of her A/W 11 collection, is an inspiring trek down the parched Midwestern-ish lanes.

As for Simone Rocha, I am in love with her play of gazar against plaid shirts, and for the lady-like, bandage dresses made of knitwear, and then overlaid with beautiful mesh.

Picture from Simone Rocha.

Pictures courtesy of Susie Bubble.

And not forgetting to mention too, these really cool soles. I mean, jelly clogs? Anything lucite to add to some serious plods can be such a whimsical, cool take. Rocha indeed has vast potential to mine too when it comes to shoe-wear, which is a great asset, considering how brands always expand via the accessories route.

All the Ladies in the House

2011-08-27T15:08:00.001+08:00

Fashionista's Best Dressed.

Ah, the wave of 50s lady-like style is really inspiring me this season.

Versatilin

2011-08-27T13:40:00.003+08:00

If there is any one designer that I could coin Protean, it will be Milin.

I must concede that I have yet the opportunity to see and feel the beautiful fabrics I have heard so very much about (thank you The Collectives!), but I know that this label is not going to stay under the radar for long.

Based in Thailand, Milin is a collaborative effort of three main designers at the helm - albeit the nomenclature is derived from the head honcho herself (who is a beauty with high cheekbones and very chic look).

Last season, I fell in love with the summer hues and whimsical block heels -

Who could truly resist orange lips paired with sky blue pleats?

I had the honour to conduct a long distance interview with Milin herself, and I found out that for Autumn/Winter, she has completely flipped the table over, just when everyone thought that they were all about pleating and veritable brights.

Carving inspiration from Italian sopranos and iconic musicians like Elvis Presley, Milin names their new collection Stage of Mine. And yes, this time around, the Milin girl does not fool around - she is feminine and strong, and does not shy away from the spotlight. She has somewhat evolved from youth - leaving more room for elegance that has a great sense of maturity evinced by fur and sheen.

A snippet of my interview with her, which is now on Butterboom in full.

Milin Yuvacharuskul: It all started when I fell in love with the theatre in Milan and seeing audiences dress up so elegantly to go to the shows. I wanted to create the same feeling for women to enjoy even they’re not going to the theatre. I also wanted to emphasise the idea that every girl can be the star of her own show and her life is her stage, which is where the collection’s name, Stage of Mine, came from.

Milin Yuvacharuskul: The reason that all three of us can work seamlessly is because all of us have been friends for more than 10 years. Each of us is specialized in different areas of work: Puchong is in charge of design, Guarboon is in charge of Graphic and Fabric Print, while I take care of the collection concept, design and overall brand direction. All of us respect each other’s opinions and are willing to help each other as much as possible. We have always put work first and leave our egos at the door when making any decisions regarding the brand. It’s always reason over emotion. Finally, we also did a lot of external research by asking a lot of people for advice and their opinions on things.

While you are at it, do also check out my scoop on Merci, which I documented when I was still roaming around Paris. :)

I love HK Shows because...

2011-08-22T20:03:00.003+08:00

Even though they don't necessarily depict the truth and reality of urban life in Hong Kong itself, I like it because they make me feel like the strive for a living is a collective act, and that it could just be as bad a day as I had.

Because they are always humorous and raucous, keeping my place alive with good omens and noise that keeps me in good company.

Because... Well, probably because I am a really Chinese and Asian girl at heart. :P

A variation on the COS top I got:

Tangerine collared COS top, thrifted stone bracelet, Uniqlo jeans.

Had to do some running around out of the office, so I kept it really stripped down.

Does it work?

Double Dip

2011-08-20T18:00:00.003+08:00

It came out of nowhere - a double blow in the gut. I am talking about the economy, the stock market crash, the unsightly effects that will no doubt trickle down over the next couple of months.

I am no connoisseur when it comes to this matter, but I know it totally unnerved us in more ways than one, more so to the luxury market because everything has been looking so rosy so far.

Maybe things won't change much, but with the dire outlooks of forecasters and journalists alike, I can only hope for the best and expect the worst.

Speaking of which, isn't it a bit of an irony that Paris made me a simpler me? I don't know how to describe it but the month of living with bare minimums really made me appreciate life's simple things, and become less uptight about "the best". I can live without massages and facials; I can live without many, many things that I previously thought I could not do without. And that's the fascinating thing about humans that continues to stump me, forever and ever I suppose - that when we push the boundaries, we can achieve so much more that endlessly surprises. And the one who is caught off guard is ourselves.

Let it topple over for a bit - the outcome could even be better than you thought.

Who knows? Maybe that could work. :)

Of Mouzat Make

2011-08-17T20:00:00.002+08:00

I have a girl crush on Virginie Mouzat. It started fomenting when I was in Paris, when I first read of her as one of Industrie Magazine's Opinion Formers.

Quick intel for those in the woods: Mouzat is the Fashion Editor at Le Figaro, and holds lots of sway in the fashion industry, apart from the more commercial fact of how she consistently captivates style bloggers whenever Fashion Weeks hit the road. She is always seen with an atelier piece around her neck - something exotic, statement-making - whilst keeping the rest of her ensemble very Parisian chic. Read - simple monochrome, hair scruffed back in dishabille, face in a very cool rictus, as her deportment acquires that very rien froideur.

I am also, more than anything, very taken by her strong personality - in August's Vogue US, she admitted to having a "very good surgeon", and has famously chosen not to be attached - neither is she interested in a married life, although she does insist that she makes a very good lover. She prefers time alone, and would spend weekends writing and reading over going out. I really like her frankness, and as I lead somewhat of a similar lifestyle as such (albeit less glamorously, since I don't get invites to exclusive soirees or fete with world-famous designers), I find it, well, consoling on a personal level.

Picture from en route.

I can only really lament that though she has published several books that are pretty much roman-a-clef, they have never - so far - made it across the channel to English. I really do wonder why. I love her fierce independence, and lament again the fact that I don't comprehend French well enough to read her work and reviews and opinions in the papers. The truth is, when mentioned in snippets and vignettes in English whenever magazines profile her, her descriptions of fashion is simply fluid and imaginative (an especially exuberant burst in Vogue US, August 2011: "Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci. It's like liquid smoke around your legs"). I yearn to learn of it in her language.

It is always a deep-set hope in me to hold a torch in all my writing - to at least able to make conversation with the reader, and really fire up the imagination and thought. It is always a great inspiration to read the likes of Vanessa Friedman and Lynn Yaeger - some of my favourite fashion editors - and to come up Mouzat and yet not be able to relish in her work, well, that is the least to say, a shame.

She will be on my desktop for now, reminding me of all the promises I have made to myself, to remind me that all efforts are never wasted, and yet not worth mentioning, not unless they actually make a difference, make a mark.

Choice quotes from Industrie:
On her style of writing fashion: "I concentrate on putting the show and the collection in perspective with the era."

On advertisers' influence on a true opinion in publishing: "From the moment they're partners, you work with them. But that doesn't mean working for them."

Picture from MyFDB.com.

Purple Stricken

2011-08-14T11:16:00.002+08:00

Ever since returning from Paris, I noticed that my palate has gotten a lot more austere - my baubles now mostly lie untouched, and I have been getting rid of many of my vanity loots as well.

No point keeping something that you know in your hearts of hearts that you will never use.

COS Peter Pan collar top, River Island canary yellow gauze-cotton blouse, ASOS striped green maxi skirt.

Picture from Glamourai.

And maybe because "simple is best" orbits around my universe for all things sartorial, I have been turning increasingly to the 40s, the elegance that comes from black, androgyny a la Coco Chanel, and rubicund lipstick.

Hmm, yes, the lips seem to be my accessory of the day these days. An easy way out for the flamboyant in me, perhaps?

First Day, Fresh Start

2011-08-08T20:38:00.003+08:00

What an auspicious date to wipe a clean slate and start anew.

I smell the pastures, see the verdure, and cast a bait for the sunshine in yellow.

Although, ironically, this picture seems a bit too dark - but all the more for the bright Crayola hue to shine through.

COS top and skirt.

Autumn Autumn

2011-08-07T19:01:00.003+08:00

Arizona Muse, midi skirts, and Lachlan Bailey. Need I say more?

Pictures from fakingfashion and Anne of Carverville.

I really loved this mix-media blouse from Etro and Clements Ribeiro's gradating skirt. And notice the melodic notes on the Dolce & Gabbana shoes!

Lovely pairing that struck a chord in me. Balenciaga is going to cause a wave of jumpers this season.

I can think of a variation with my COS top now!

Miu Miu's 40s silhouette has been garnering lots of love in the early autumn editorials.

Lady, lady. :)

Chunky heels in bright funky colours paired with socks (anything that makes socks the centrepiece will instantly go up in my rave-o-meter!), crazy psychedelic Ms. Havisham style coats and fedoras...

Decadence is in full swing in this spread from British Vogue August 2011. Photographed by Raymond Meier, with Charlotte Pilcher in the chair.

I am absolutely digging the oversize totes as well.

Fur on fur.

Textures. Tassels. Furs. Loads of it.

Pictures scooped up from MyFDB and Sugar Sugar.

tickling

2011-08-05T21:38:00.003+08:00

COS top, Duke & Duchess vest, H&M trousers.

I love COS. I really do. I feel a leaning towards structures that are way fluid, and easy, simple, which may drape normal on a hanger but looks spectacular on a body.

From Susie Bubble.

And I am seeing spots for this autumn. Lots of it.

so. the last of Paris

2011-08-05T20:42:00.003+08:00

Ah, so a final presentation was followed up with a quick round flittering about and picture snapping by moi around the studio that we have spent our entire 6-week plus programme in.

The loveliest coordinator ever to have graced us, Charlotte.

Haha Cenz!

Tanya.

Michaela from Melby. We apparently have really in sync vibes.

Max! Haven't met an economist who's got a bona fide artistic side? Now you have.

The group!

Oh I love this girl. x

And then I traipsed out on my last remaining day to get these gems for my lil sis. Because she's worth it like that.

And at 5 in the morning:

Thanks for the company!

drifting in smog

2011-08-04T00:12:00.002+08:00

When I got back from Paris this morning (wee early, even before the sun hit its stride - thank you so much to mumzee who came all the way out at 4am, and I am sorry for not having the strength to thank you in person due to the enormity of the course of my day...), I was shocked and beleaguered by the amount of excess that I have.

The excesses of food, of cosmetics, of so many things I can think of throwing out. And I think I will, before this feeling subsides and I start to take things for granted. I am sitting here with a half-emptied head, thanks to a major jet lag and late dinner, all of which also culminated in a lost parking ticket that amounted to a fine of RM50!! because I was simply to fogged up to remember what I did with it. I even forgot to lock the car doors. Blimey.

In case you were wondering, I was being overly ambitious (evidently), thinking I could start running errands, i.e. getting a desperately needed haircut, once I touch down. Sorely wrong-footed.

This is definitely not a good indication, and speaking of foot, my swollen foot is not letting up either. Thank God for my paps, who went with me to see the doctor (finally, long time coming!) and now I am at least properly medicated. No bone fractures, thank God.

Okay, I think I am starting to slur, and smell like Chinese herbal medicines.

Till tomorrow, folks. And yes, pictures from the last rays of Paris to come.

fashion muse

2011-07-28T20:53:00.004+08:00

First to get off the table - new writing! :)

I was actually tempted to buy a bottle myself... Such is my occupational hazard, I suppose.

It sounds crazy but is the reality - autumn/winter '11 wares have already started trickling into the stores for the past few weeks. I dare say that they are pretty much in full force right now, what with the various fur-lapels and psychedelically jaundiced sauvage trims around swaggering
coats of various types, but then really, we are just beginning.

One thing that did pop up in my mind - it feels like for this coming season, when the leaves turn russet, we will embark on a journey into the wardrobe of our grandmothers. Scratch that - make it very fashionable grandmothers who own tea-sets made of porcelain and inherited for generations. Then there are the cupboard-full of furs and boas, all tastefully arranged so that moths would not cause a rampage on them beautiful clothes.

And this grandma isn't just your average stocking-wearing lady either. She relishes bright popsicle colours, lavish accessories of the most refined kind, and tiny dots that would make a dalmatian blush.

We will see a lot more womanly silhouettes - I see so much Gucci and YSL in that, but we will also embrace the manly swagger with a thrilling rupture of femininity, in the forms of little mixer-uppers like fur, mixed pastiches like tartan with wool, and various crazy prints, starting from Stella McCartney's dotties to Louis Vuitton's leather-tough fetishes. Then the odes to art, especially made intellectual by Prada's Bourdin whims.

There is still so much to be said about the season to come - but I won't, not yet, not when I am only skimming the surface.

pondering the sea. the sea.

2011-07-27T18:58:00.003+08:00

Sometimes I do so hate the things I write.

In the cycle of writing and reading, I inevitably have to come across reviews of various things - multifarious indeed, from works of art to fashion and books. And they all invariably encapsulate words that are so heavy, dripping with exoticism like 'ethereal', or 'lyrical', 'haunting' etc, etc.

But really? Do you really mean it when you say that?

I mean, look at the vast archive of reviews out there and you will ask the same question. I suppose it is truly a privilege to be honoured in terms of such great profundity, exalted with star-gazing propinquity by famous editors and publications - but really? What happens next? Do people even remember?

Sometimes I will look at the lavishing of quotes on novels and think - my, if every book came with this exultation, does that mean there really is no bad book left? Even the bad ones get great reviews!

And I am not saying that I am exempted from this horrid cycle too - I try my best to be very honest with my pieces; I only write for things with great exultation when I truly am a fan of it. On this blog, it is easiest to be genuine. But now that I am working for - writing for - a greater audience - paid to do so - there is a greater need to find something that I love about what I am commissioned to write. The joy is of course in discovering new loves to talk about, to share with everyone else, and to enthuse in the general publicity it gains when the piece does get published.

Ah, I strive towards the day when I don't need to be happy-jovial-promoter-ish with what I write; but rather, to be truly analytical, dissecting inch by inch and provoking the deep-seated truths.

But life isn't always straight-serving in such ways, is it? I suppose there is always something to be found in miniscule ways. I suppose, what I am trying to say is, I will never give up writing about what I love - and likewise, I will not give up on my integrity just because it is - whatever it is - foisted upon me to do so.

There are enough fake reviews running the world as it is.

Double Dash

2011-07-27T17:03:00.003+08:00

Thanks, dad! :)

Edit: Also found out my little post on Tongue in Chic on Sephora's new summer releases (in Malaysia) is out! Checkie it over here. :)

When did you last see summer?

2011-07-27T16:45:00.002+08:00

Since I will be clearing out of Paris real soon, I thought it would be good to actually talk about the glamorous pad in which I have been staying for the duration of my trip here. Just in case you didn't notice, I was being completely ironic there.

Behold, my humble abode!

The stiffest blanket ever, which smells of something dodgy, musky, and has a hole in it.

One consolation, as mentioned before, the view out of my window.

I must apologise if I ever sound like I am repeating myself like a broken record - something in Paris is doing my brains in - whilst I was uploading these pictures I kept asking myself if I have already written about these all before already...

And voila, the oven in the corridor! How fantastic is that?

Here are also some random style shots that have been waning in my laptop.

Again, the versatility of the COS sweater I got - since the temperature dropped significantly over the past couple of weeks - what summer!? - I have been layering it on like a madwoman.

And here is my crochet top that does let some wind in, causing many a brain freeze. Not the best combination for the weather, as the skirt tends to lift up with the wind. As a consequence, the skirt has not been making its rounds as often as I would like, unfortunately.

Zara top with my ever sturdy G2000 trousers.

And woolen leggings from HK paired with Topshop leather shorts and Mango top.

we will never grow up.

2011-07-23T17:05:00.002+08:00

I spent most of yesterday mulling over my apprehension, which pretty much peaked over me over the course of the past few forty over hours - though I can't say that I feel substantially better than how I did in my last panic jab, I can say I have reasoned enough with myself and thus will consider it case closed for now. I felt, and still feel, fully prepared to leave. It is as though I am pretty done with the whole thing, and whether I take away something or will leave a part of me here, I can't say for now - but despite all these, I want time to stop so that I don't have to face the inevitable.

Who am I kidding though? Life flows on whether you like it or not. Mulling this over, turning it around and round like a smoothed-out pebble in my hands, editing my work, watching K-On so that I might feel better about life in general (and it did uplift my mood, it did), all of those were just really acts of procrastination, of denial. I want to bury my head in the sand for just a little longer, which probably explains why I am increasingly shunning away everything else. I just want to sit in silence, in solitude, and contemplate nothing in particular.

Maybe it is being away for this long, transported in time to a foreign country, where I relish in the alone-time, and have gotten even more used to it. I have always liked ekking it out on my own, and the fact that I am enjoying this scares me a little.

What if I will remain alone forever? This morning it occurred to me when I get to my old age, I will be alone not by will, but by force. And then even if I wanted company I might not get it at all - not like now, when company is a dial-tone away, or a text or email of "yes, I will come" away (and quenching the urge to say "sorry last minute emergency" at the very, virtually, last minute).

It is this pull-and-push trajectory in me that I hate. Why can't I just be one or the other? Why do I always fuddle stuff up with a confused set of thoughts altogether?

Digressing...

2011-07-18T20:32:00.002+08:00

So. It's been a while! :)

I have been surviving on a few pieces of outfits - literally less than ten! - for the duration of my stay here. Let's not count the COS damage shall we?

But otherwise, I've been wearing these incredibly interchangeable clothes that I find really easy to match and wear on a daily basis. Exhibit A:

If you still remember, I paired this semi-Breton top from Mango with a red vintage skirt. I still do, and besides that, here I am with another vintage skirt.

Which otherwise, found a way to go hand-in-hand with my new COS snag.

Which I kind of wear on a down-time too because it is just so comfy and sort of rugged when worn with my Uniqlo jeans.

Swimming through time

2011-07-18T19:21:00.003+08:00

I'm not going to lie - when I first came here I was not the biggest fan of this place, and perhaps, made a lesser one now that reality has set in. I was confounded by the Sunday closures, the unhelping hands (though there are many cases on the contrary), and the odd pinball style of pedestrian crossings. I hate the weird stares I get when I open my umbrella. But as I go pied-a-terre, I am constantly enchanted by the beautiful sights, landmarks on postcards that I can, unbelievable but true, say I live close to, or can see out of my window. I am ceaselessly amazed by by how close the Parisian streets really are (even though it doesn't appear so on the map), you don't even really need the Metro. The cobbled warrens, secrets hushed down by rained down asphalt, treasures just waiting to be unfold.

But who am I kidding? It might take me forever to find it - or I could serendipitously stumble upon one. Like this Rachel Cusk novel that I whisked home with me from Shakespeare & Co. - let me add with total blessing from the shopkeepers. This is what a real ode to books and love for the written word is like.

I started to realise that Parisians graze museums and galleries on weekends (hence the precious bit of siesta time and closed panes), talk intellectual - talk books, philosophy, make art. The culture I didn't use to understand suffuses me with awe, and now, as reality sets in, now, I am still the explorer, wending my way through, not knowing better (though I certainly know better of where to shop for cheaper and tastier strawberries).

Less than two more weeks to go, and my heart is torn. I am filled with dread to go, and yet, overwhelmed with staying. What shall I find in this illegible funked up piece of heritage, where fashion and art and everything else find inspiration from just a jutting corner off a street? Where else can you witness the recherche going crazy cool and pretty?

A Holiday

2011-07-15T16:29:00.003+08:00

Where I am on a weekday (usually) - the studio, where we had a makeshift and very-last-minute "exhibition". I got to read my work out loud (shockers!).

So yesterday was Bastille Day - a Fete Nationale, during which everyone pretty much goes bonkers with booze and fireworks - to commemorate their storming of the Bastille - apparently they made it in with guns but without gun powder, which they found in proliferation in the archaic building itself. Not sure if building is the right word but erm... ANYWAY.

I sauntered out to find tons of shops closed, and some clogging hoofs and firearms raised.

I caught some shots of the fireworks at the Eiffel too from my window but unfortunately were too blurry. I'm embarrassed to even contemplate putting them up here! But oh well, it was a sight to see, for sure.

Tooting a horn

2011-07-13T15:50:00.003+08:00

A typical way of carrying your groceries home in Paris - well, okay, not so typical with the onion leaves sprouting from the backpack, but the baguettes? Totally typical.

And for those who are interested in Paris shopping, here are two brands to watch out. Please don't mind the spelling error. And to add salt to Injury, here is a fast recap on their new collection coming out in A/W.

Again, ignore the misspelt name.

So...

2011-07-12T17:52:00.002+08:00

What I have been doing in Paris -

realising -

how shopping liberates me so much - I truly have underestimated its glorious (or inglorious?) power - literally, I finally succumbed to its persuasion, and experienced the strongest sense of release ever. I didn't realise that so much of this stifled feeling that I am getting had so much to do with the fact that I have been scrounging my euros.

Transience -

Youth and wrinkles - I often pass by youths smoking up a storm, with vastly disparaging images of what these ciggies can do to you - instead of any harm, you see coolness; you see that je ne sais quoi, a breathtaker who has the skinniest legs that go for miles. And it made me wonder - youth wasted on coke and weed, youth taken for granted - then youth, jilting you before you even realise it. I would find myself observing, perusing the lines on one's face - I find myself doing this more often here, given that so many tanned skin are lined with their effervescence for the sun - wonder how it feels to be delineated, to be crenellated, with crisp crumpled dried up skin, ruffled and ruched?

Hussein Chalayan: Fashion Narratives

2011-07-07T21:15:00.008+08:00

The much-anticipated jaunt to Les Arts Decoratifs was sumptuously awarded (despite the fact that I failed to convince the lady at the counter that I am in fact, under 26 and very well deserving of free entry - I ended up paying 9 euros and watching that downy lady go all bitchy on me in that very French manner) - with a gorgeous little book-and-totem-store (107 Rivoli - treasure trove for fashion lovers and more) and mind-blowing exhibition of Hussein Chalayan's curated work.

The exhibition itself is spaced out on two floors, making it a transformative journey for any viewer from the start. The mannequins are mostly housed in aquarium-sized panes, and just like the sense you get when you go to see the fishes, you float around quite dreamily, with everything displayed behind the vitrines looking semi-illusional.

Add that to the terrific power of visual arts that is so definitive of Chalayan's presentations, and you get a goosebump inducing retrospective worthy of every euro you need to shell out.

The dresses were fluttering in the wind.

As were these.

I was especially mystified by this short film that was directed and written by Chalayan himself - a prolific creative, he has fingers in many pies, including and not restricted to architecture, visual performances, and of course, fashion. This film called Place to Passage debuted first in October 2003, and shows an androgynous model (Bennu Gerede) traversing through different scapes in a sci-fi pod (from London to Istanbul, all captured in a very anti-reality way, to Bosphorus River), where she gets everything from torn pieces of fabric, ready-made food and water etc, disappearing and appearing at set times - imagine being on a plane in constant movement. He was inspired by the F1 back then, and wanted to create "an imaginary living space where temporary refuge, memories of another life, isolation, nostalgia and exploration all merge into one."

I actually shed a tear watching it - it was so powerful and lyrical, coupled with the amazing musical score of quiescent piano notes tingling away.

There was also a little darkroom housing Readings, his SS 2008 collection using Swarovski crystals and red-beam lasers that shoot out in an ethereal yet politically endangered manner. Those who are familiar with the man's work would certainly not be stranger to many of his weighty political undertones. With so much going on in each of his work, Chalayan certainly has managed to render his ideals most profoundly through the mere use of his shears and boundless spools of cloth.

Sorry for the pictures - though the spaces were very well thought out - so that one could linger amongst the masterpieces alone without the riling sense of being in a crowd, the darkness was palpable (and quite necessary to render that sense of enigma).

There is no didactic flow to the conversation (yes, indeed it felt like it) of this exhibition, which is a great thing for me. It ends with his SS 11 collection, Sakoku, which I thought was fantastic in how he managed to gain inspiration from the "locked country" Japanese era of the 19th century, with block colours like fuchsia and constructions that are reminiscent of the sliding panels and "wide panels of broderie anglaise" to depict "a gift waiting to be opened".

There were certainly a sense of wearability in the most recent collections (especially with SS 10's Dolce Far Niente, which reminded me very much of YSL and Ferragamo's equestrian silhouettes), and his influences, until you actually see it, clicks perfectly with what you see proliferating on the high streets these days.

To be honest, I have never been touched by a retrospective such as this one, and it is in more ways than one.

Certainly more explorations to follow from here on my part.

The Hussein Chalayan Exhibition is open to the public from 5th of July to the 13th of November 2011 at Les Arts Decoratifs.

Sunday Marches

2011-07-04T15:59:00.004+08:00

Marche de la Bastille on a Sunday is overrun by the wet market sorts:

Introducing, the ubiquitous trolley in France (or Paris, I suppose!). I think me grandma would love one of those.

GIANT SALMONS.

Freshest pains ever. I never knew there were this many versions of baguettes, viennoses... did I even spell that correctly?

Frenchie's favourite snack, which sadly, I know not how to appreciate at all.

More giant fishes. And lobsters.

Roistering chickens that reminded me of my sister in Melby. Haha.

After the very provincial, I introduce you to the ever mystical Hotel Crillon, where debutantes and dilettantes of the star-gazing sort congregate.

Around Champs-Elysees, the sun always seem to shine brighter and hotter than ever. No wonder a tropical fest is taking place, of all place, here.

Revue

2011-07-04T15:45:00.004+08:00

Once again I braved Porte de Clignancourt for the ever enchanting Marche Saint-Ouen, and boy, was I enchanted.

Little trinkets and handmade antiques that reminded me of the work table of my grandfather's, the little toy figurines he painted and moulded lovingly for us grandkids; and the beautiful couture.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures - for some reason the vendors are very, very proprietary of their stocks - but managed to sneak some in.

Those Chanel shoes. Louboutin's too!

A magnificient creation by Alber Elbaz.

Ah, how I would love myself some vintage accessories. Alas, prices were correspondingly exquisite.

And then I took a walk on the whim with the lovely Amie (uber smart and intelligent, I just love her) around Montmatre.

On our way up Butte Montmatre, we came across this pretty cafe with colourful swatches in brights. And you know how much I love my neons.

In fact she was the first to give me a little token - for the frequent walks I take to accompany her to the Starbucks just down the road from our studios.

The ashlar layouts of buildings in Paris never cease to impress me. Excuse me if I have been taking obsessive amounts of such pictures! :P

And when we have parted ways, I walked back from Notre Dame, and stumbled upon Pont Neuf.

A Secret Shop

2011-07-01T23:38:00.005+08:00

I am a little bit out of it today. Not sure how to put it in context, but it is mainly because I am exhausted from walking right now, and also very anxious to keep up my pace, brush up my dead brain cells, and be able to really contribute and make sense out of everything that is whirling past me right now.

All the conversations have served up to debilitated my faith in art - be it the visual or written form - I mean, what are we contributing to? Granted we make art that ignites the senses and allow the rest of the world to see things in a totally different manner; we elucidate with intellectual compositions; we beautify what could only be a quotidian world with colours and textures. But what else?

I realise there are factions of people to everything we do. Instead of just waxing on and on about nothing at all, why can't we do something? Ennui so often gets to us if we don't start acting out part.

Gandered down Rue St-Honore again and had a much closer look around. Was lucky enough to catch this short presentation (held until 2nd of July, so if you are around the corner, head on down!) that proved very insightful into the world of Hermes.

I wished I understood more French to know what exactly he was saying.

And then it was onto Champs-Elysees for the Grand Palais and Petit Palais.

Can you spot the difference? :)

Oh and in case you are wondering, "Secret Shop? What Secret Shop?" (for once my title is not random), then it is this place where you will find off the Rue St-Honore, a well-kept secret that requires one to buzz at the great big green door and push the chipped gilded doorknob to walk into shag-piled floors. Not lush, but hush, and full of cabinets of dark wood making. It houses pieces that reminds me of Rick Owens' designs, and little curios from more off-the-beaten-path designers for exhibit. No pictures allowed, but the experience was immensely satisfying.

The amicable and chatty people on the shop-floor even struck up conversations about pieces of art hanging on the wall and ceiling, and I took the liberty to ask how people ever find out about this place (which in fact has several stores around Paris, all of which carry different lines and are dressed up to a totally different tune and theme of its own).

Well, a secret inevitably slips out, eh? Now you know.

Espadrilles

2011-07-01T23:11:00.007+08:00

One word - espadrilles. It is everywhere I turn. Not sure why but my stay here has turned me into a cordwaining maniac, my attention having turned to most things involving shoes, shoes, shoes. But anyway, onto some serious business.

(Though I feel this post will continue in this mode of vagueness and randomness, thanks to my extinguished state of mind.)

I found this marche down Boulevard St-Germain (fantastic shopping area, again, and such a leafy neighbourhood. I love it).

This particular accessories stall caught my eye, and had me salivating all over. Alas, the price point of over a hundred euros just meant that, it's not meant to be...

And then it was down Hotel de Ville's area, to Les Halles, and all the way around the little secreted warrens behind St-Paul. I'm still wondering if I was actually in Village St-Paul, but anyway.

Ah, this store is still around. In fact, the shops around the Pompidou still look the same to me - the sex shop is still there, even the Thai trinket store that I once stepped in with my mum still looks exactly the same.

Fontaine des Innocents in Les Halles.

One of the quirky little stores around Rue de Rosiers - basically the cobweb of streets right behind Rue de Rivoli.

Another vintage store that has pretty good stuff to proffer, albeit not as great as the one I plugged before. Prices are still as pricey.

Random photos!

The coffee section in Le Grande Epicerie Paris (the amazing food hall that is part of Le Bon Marche). I love hanging out here, just walking and checking out the stuff.

Then there is this extraordinary concept store which just opened on Rue de Sevres, a few steps up from Le Bon Marche. It fills this ginormous space that used to house an indoor swimming pool to the tips with Hermes' iconic luxury and refinement.

Very lifestyle-centric indeed, it also incorporates a cafe and a floral section, as well as libraire with coffee table tomes that are truly worth poring over on a slow afternoon.

By the By...

2011-06-29T23:56:00.001+08:00

If you're ever interested, check out Butterboom, a mecca for all things shopping in HK and beyond - my virginal debut has just been published.

A Walk Along the Seine

2011-06-29T15:49:00.003+08:00

So apart from strange old men soliciting after my ethnicity ("Japonais? Konichiwa... Korean? Anyonghasayo...", the walk from my school to Trocadero was quite a trek - ending with a disappointment mainly because I hadn't bothered to check before if Palais de Tokyo was opened on a Tuesday.

Reminder - always check opening times beforehand, and do assume that all Tuesdays are bad days to visit a museum and gallery.

This bridge - Pont Bir Hakeim - reminded me of this scene from Inception.

I was rather intrigued by the two yellow canopies outside this olden building - the scaffolding just adds a tad of irony to it.

And Palais de Tokyo - which I will go back to soon...

Tissue.

2011-06-29T15:40:00.011+08:00

Once Palais de Tokyo became a no-go for me, I found solace in an alternative that worked out even better; mainly because it goes so much more with what I love and do, and also because it is Madame Grès, which I have read about so much.

So to be able to witness the retrospective of all her works in person was truly magical.

A brief background on Grès would do no justice at all to her sculptural masterpieces, but Alix Barton was truly a sculptor first - in fact she professed herself that she is always a sculptor first and foremost, rather than a fashion or couture designer - and it is with such a sharp eye and wonder hands that she apply her techniques to dresses that she had fabricated for the likes of Greta Garbo.

A fitting with Marlene Dietrich.

She famously worked with cloths directly to create her pieces.

I absolutely adored the editorials and photographs shot by the likes of Richard Avedon - there is just such an intimate and romantic atmosphere, such glamour that is indeed inimitable in this time and space.

The amazing thing is that so many pieces from her archives were created in the 30s through to the 50s, and yet, the influences are so strong in today's fashion. In fact, I could just waltz out on one of her ready-to-wear and it would still blend in - and stand out fashionably.

Musee Boudelle houses gorgeous sculptures and bas-reliefs - a perfect setting for masterpieces that correlate with the art of sculpting so much.

Post-war fashion is all about showing off your femininity - note the cinched waistline, which had a huge influence on Dior's legendary New Look.

Sketches I adored.

Silhouettes that you can totally see working it today.

I absolutely love the surprise of this outfit - the bareback makes sexy so elegant.

The accordion folds - oh, I just love these tiny details that really makes the outfit.

I really loved the high-neck and long tapered silhouettes.

The cowl was employed in several looks - I'm not too sure but it makes a really cool trend, worthy of resuscitating.

I had a little peak around the gardens too, and it was so sequestered and melancholically beautiful that my hair just stood a little admiring it.

St-Germain

2011-06-27T18:41:00.005+08:00

Post-script: call me schizophrenic, but as much as I can wax lyrical about the scent of pain and fruits wafting down the cobbled streets, I can also talk shit about the perpetual smell of piss and pauper (any tiny nooks where there is a shade, bien sur). Although I would have much preferred a less scorching hot sun, I have yet been beaten down - note: yet. It's extremely dry here for a summer, I can tell you that, and it makes trekking across the city all the harder...

I walked through Boulevard St-Germain today, and finally saw how this area could inspire a whole book about it.

Beautiful and quaint, it is mainstream all at once as well - it is like a sandwich of gorgeous clothes and pretty little cafes with lovely appellations.

And then there are the big monikers like Dior, Armani, Cartier... If you want to do some luxury shopping without the hoo-ha of crazy tourists, here is the place to go - with verdant leaves rustling in the breeze, cool shades to hide from the sun, shopping or even just the act of flaneau can be so very relaxing here.

On the Place de St-Germain des Pres.

I guess I am just really taken by the down-to-earth side of it compared to the greatness of Champs-Elysess or Avenue Montaigne, which can be so overwhelming at times.

Or I guess I just don't enjoy jostling amongst brash crowds in general.

Transparency

2011-06-26T23:45:00.000+08:00

Picture from The Cut.

Not that I am a fan in particular, but Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in Gucci just totally floored me.

Strawberry Fields

2011-06-26T22:48:00.008+08:00

The thought of spending Sundays here has got me apprehensive, mainly because of this overbearing shadow of how my first day went (landed early in the morning on a Sunday, with absolutely nothing in the room, and all shops closed. Imagine the hysteria). But this morning, I was adamant to keep walking, and was pleasantly surprised when I looked out of my window.

A red balloon that reminds me of those lovely Kenzo days.

And just because I can't wear these lovelies until I head home (they are totally NOT made for walking), I just had to photograph them to fondle over.

And so I set out this morning, keen on exploring the flea markets Lonely Planet has suggested. First point of call was Porte de Clignancourt, where apparently Peter Copping also loves. Unfortunately, personally, I didn't find any gems - but it could also be the fact that the marche I went to was a total flop. Hmm.

But Montmatre definitely warrants more exploration. I stumbled upon this Sunday market of bric-a-bracs and antiques, clothes, bags (I spotted an Hermes but unfortunately, its strap was hanging loose... and it was black, hmm) which trails along Rue Andre del Sarte.

Anyhoo. I proceeded to Le Bal in Place de Clichy, and as lovely as the art gallery was - with a nice cafe and adjacent bookstore for lots of Japanese photography browsing - I did not summon up the few euros to enter.

But it was nice to know. On we go now, traversing the roads down with my mind set on returning to my humble abode a pied.

Place de Clichy

On the way towards south, I walked through a long avenue and was instantly reminded of why I love Paris - the hidden warrens, the quiescent peace of seclusion from the general hubbub.

Then it is back to the bustle again at Avenue de l'Opera.

It just never ceases to amaze me how compact this area really is - you can walk from Galeries Lafayette to Palais Royal and the famous Rue de Rivoli, Louvre, Tuileries, and then onto Pompidou in Hotel de Ville, then Notre Dame, then Luxembourg... the roads ahead seem endless.
If only the weather was as relenting.

Near Palais Royal.

Isn't this mis-en-scene reminiscent of the typical tourist fare, or should I say, visual image of life in Paris? Cue The Tourist.

Inside Palais Royal - I can totally imagine the Haute Couture shows that will be taking place here soon enough come July. And yes, another bride and groom, and some models were milling about too for photoshoots.

I remember the long trek from Jardin du Tuileries (back then I didn't know, how naive) to Louvre Museum, the spiking cold and forlorn wind ripping at my tresses. But now, seen from behind it seems infinitely near and not as majestic as I recall.

Every day is a walking, learning experience for me - turning down extra roads when one on the right would do, or have already stood there but still searching, not realising. I realise though that I have relied on others so much during my previous travels, that map-reading is still so new to me - but hey, I am learning.

A true blue vintage find around Hotel de Ville (gosh this place just NEVER ceases to surprise me) - it has some gorgeous loafers and weaved handbag that I fell in love with. You can find some YSL pumps too if you rummage real hard. I am not saying it is an easy feat...

Rechargeable cars!!

And finally, Notre Dame.

The Seine viewed from the other side, which is rare for me.

Merci Marais

2011-06-25T23:07:00.007+08:00

Adamant to get a kick out of the famous flea markets here (Marche), I headed out to Porte de Mortreuil (a bit out of the city's way, it takes quite a bit to get there) where there is an open-air market that sells relatively cheap stuff, trinkets, bric-a-brac, and ONE PARTICULAR STALL that had really good digs. Although le sigh, I couldn't quite bring myself to buy anything as I kept converting the prices. It isn't stratospheric, to be sure, but I just can't quite do it. Nopes. But this is definitely worth checking out if you ever jaunt to Paris.

And then there is Le Marais. Oh, today's touch of cool air was just perfect for taking a walk down the boulevards, and from Merci (the most charming find ever!) to Bastille, the streets were lined with boutiques that house the cutest and quaintest, at affordable prices. No more Andre, no more Celio - just purely jeunesse dore stuff. Although I must say you do have to look through a bit before you actually find something, as every store has a strong identity of its own.

Outside Merci's door was a cool little red car.

Another marche worth noting is Marche Bastille, for the arts and crafts - all of them painters and artists of some sorts, you get photographs and paintings, from surrealism to impressionism, and even real life photos drawn from their very own eyes... Fantastic gifts to make, with a special touch.

I thought I could walk away unscathed but towards the very end - literally - I just fell in love with these handmade brooches. Managed to slip in a bit of price-haggling practice as well. Ha.

And then on came to St. Paul - can I just say this is like a square with everything (for where else could possibly house Monoprix, G20, and Franprix all in one place?) - including sunshine, laughter, and a whole lot of Parisian charm? I love how small and compact it is, and how it immediately brings me towards Hotel de Ville.

I still can't quite believe how close I am to Hotel de Ville and Notre Dame. But there you are, with a flash to the past, I remember the Pompidou as a unique piece de resistance, and that little cobbled store where I bought my t-shirt. I love the art scene here. And dare I say it, the people are just so much more energetic-looking.

Okay, laptop battery is running out and waitresses in McD giving me evil looks.

Gotta run, till the next! xx