There is No Lack of Colour here

I think it is fate that I should help Noel Caleb in its infancy stage when their collection was just launched in late Dec last year. I was employed to give out Noel Caleb postcards to spread the joy during the Christmas season at the Raffes CBD area, and subsequently I helped to do telemarketing for a week. Still remember this post?

I was extremely happy to see Eileen & the Noel Caleb team again during Asia Fashion Exchange Bloggers' Soiree last week and accepted Eileen's invitation to take part in their bloggers' styling competition. I can't say I'm one of those that have style, because mostly what I throw on was inspired by streetstyle snaps that I saw online, but I was able to have 5 different looks out from the 2 pieces of Noel Caleb apparel that I wore.

I think the Noel Caleb girl is free spirited and unabashedly daring to put incorporate pop art colour into her outfit. Despite Noel Caleb's first collection being inspired by gentle and elegant ballerinas, I feel that there is a underlying layer of sports into the collection as well, as from the exposed zipper hoodie (Yvette) that I wore. Its two straps makes it a versatile addition to your wardrobe as you can tie them into a belt or into various patterns to update a boring outfit. Plus, you can wear it inside-out to expose the hot pink jersey layer inside as well as per Snap #4!

The circle skirt that I wore was just as fun with its loud hot pink outer layer and inner teal polka dotted layer. In the last snap, I safety pinned the hems of the skirts up to show off those adorable polka dots. The safety pins won't show up on the front since the skirt is double layered but stitched together at the hem.

Outfit breakdown: Noel Caleb jersey outer and circle skirt, Cotton On Lagoon Beach teal tank top, La Senza lace trimmed bra (exposed in Snap #1!)

In case you're wondering why the background of those snaps are so busy, it's part of my room. My parents absolutely refuse to help me out with this project so this is why I had to resort to this >:

This is my moodboard of sorts. All the photographs that are pinned up are taken by me when I was Beijing (:
You can see my Beijing Photodiaries here and here.

Stylescape On FOUR

Tangs recently converted the entire floor space of Level 4 to stock amazing labels such as the hippy toy camera brand Lomography, DC Comics, local label sifr, Converse, Dr. Martens and even home & lifestyle products! I must say it's a bold move for a departmental store that normally stocks conversative labels where our mothers patronize, to completely do a makeover to attract younger shoppers.

Gorgeous visual merchandising!

I didn't even know they sell Dr Martens with heels. 

Lomo heaven

DC Comics

I like the concept of Stylescape on 4 being a space for different labels to be exposed to the Singaporean market, instead of always stocking the same old brands that we see replicated 100 times in all the departmental stores along Orchard Road. It is worth noting that Stylescape has an elongated space to organize fringe events as well, such as mini fashion shows, film screenings and workshops. Perhaps this new concept will provide us with a brand new shopping experience in which the customer will develop a loyal relationship with the shop, as they now feel that they are part of a community. In short, this is actually a pretty clever marketing strategy since Tangs Stylescape on Four (being part of a big departmental store) will now possess the same things a small indie store like A Curious Teepee represents.

Superman! In boots!

Superwoman in red tartan print wellies from Dr Martens!

Wonderwoman!

A mini fashion show featuring all your favourite superheroes was staged too, with clothes by DC Comics. I like the way they styled some of the Dr Martens into those somewhat cheesy costumes of Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Hulk & Catwoman etc. Those Dr Martens really gave an interesting twist to the whole outfit.

Be sure to check out this cool new kid on the block the next time you're down at Orchard Road - Singapore can really do with more interesting retail spaces such as these to spice up the range of labels which we are currently exposed to. Not to mention chances for free movies. We all like free things after all.

Next Up - New Designers from Parco next NEXT

The past week at work has been so hectic that I completely didn't have time to blog about the wonderful re-launch of Parco next NEXT. With 13 new designers, each offering their own design identity, this new makeover has made Parco next NEXT  a much more interesting and diverse shopping destination. Out of the 13 new designers, there are now 2 menswear labels - Wanderwonder and A.K.A Wayward, designed by my friend Foong. There is also my personal favourite, Shito, an amazingly quirky shoe label, and also Veira that offers statement travel bags and wallets. Out of the veteran designers in the incubator programme, my 3 favourites such remain - OwnMuse, Pauline.Ning and Mae Pang, which I previously covered here.

Almost bought the one on the left!

Super love the upturned chunky front of the shoe that can be seen in so many of their designs.

Yummy cupcakes!

Shito's visual merchandising certainly stood out with its gorgeous shoes peeking out from behind a curtain of loose threads. I like how Alicia, designer of Shito, is unafraid to incorporate bright colours into her shoe designs that are usually unconventional. I also especially love the slight upturned angle at the front of each shoes covering the toe area - somehow that little detail just seems to elevate the coolness of all their shoes. Alicia also makes use of plenty of cutouts to show only a few bits of skin each time, making their shoes edgy and sexy.

Their latest collection was inspired by Alice in Wonderland, which explained the quirky black and white monogram striped heel paired with contrasting red straps, bunnies with bowties and candy colours. Shito shoes are all statement shoes meant to be worn out for a good fashion night out and get loads of complements - their shoes are carefully designed down to the very last detail in terms of how chunky the heel would be, the degree of elevation of the foot, and of course that signature upturn at the toes. In other words, it completes your outfit (or even outshines them).

Their first and one-off piece

Naked Room (no affiliation to Naked Glory, unfortunately) is another one to look out for with designers Jada and Lin ODing on black lace, chiffon and silk-screened suede. They carefully source all their fabrics out in Guangzhou, China, where it was being produced in high quality at the local factory. Lin shared with me that that the pair of them originally graduated from TP's design course and went onto their respective careers which were unrelated to fashion. But after a few years, they got together and did just that one piece (in photo above), which slowly morphed into one complete collection. Their first piece uses lace imported from Paris, as well as gold embriodery sewn onto translucent chiffon that drapes the body in layers. The gold embriodery and black lace sleeves makes the piece to be almost Renaissance like, but the suggestive placement of gold on black makes this a daring and modern take on the period.

I also particularly like their black lace tights - when worn under a draped black mini dress, the erotic lace details on nude skin seems very sexy but not over the top. Naked Room is not all about black and lace - they have some pieces that are conservative for work - such as nude shift dresses. I like how they selected a soft, thin "silk-screened suede" fabric for that dress as the silk gives a sheen to the fabric.

Really dig these felt necklaces from UNCVRD

At Pauline Ning - 100% handmade lattice cutouts

Extremely modern & streamlined
Note the use of white faux leather panels and pleated sleeves 

Me with the lovely Pauline Lim

I finally got to meet the lovely and talented Pauline Ning! Super happy because the last time when I was at Parco, she wasn't at her shop. Pauline is genius in the way she incorporates unexpected details into her statement pieces - for example, thin leather thank tops that has lattice cutouts at the back, double layered pleated skirts with black piping at the hems, and even that all black dress she has on - look at how she drapes the pleated fabric across the front of the cotton jersey dress - it almost looks as though she is delicately wrapped in black crepe paper. She showed me her new Cruise collection as well - a pity that I didn't take photos of them - one of the pieces reminded me of Alexander McQueen's Plato Atlantis dresses in the way with its frothy pale blue semi-translucent fabric and bold shoulder details in the form of white pleats. (Please excuse my lack of fashion vocabulary).

Pauline would be showing at the upcoming Blueprint trade show, where I hope her designs will catch the eye of international buyers, especially those from London, Europe and Japan, because she shared with me that she is looking to export her designs. Unfortunately, locally there are not enough people who are willing to make daring sartorial choices and take the plunge to wear Pauline's statement pieces as of yet - most people still stick to jersey/cotton basics - you hardly catch anyone wearing pieces that play on different fabrics.

"I love what I do and I still wanna keep on doing it, just designing what I like, but I need my designs to sell as well." In fact, Pauline handmakes many of her designs (vs the other designers at Parco who outsource the production part to factories locally or in Indonesia and China) because she shares that the local manufacturers refuse to work on her designs due to its complicated details and multiple fabrics that go into a single dress. Her persistence and belief in her work is just admirable and I hope she can continue to do what she likes and that her work can be appreciated and worn by people worldwide (:

Now presenting to you 4 stylish people that I caught on 'film':

Esther from To The Nines, local multi-label boutique
Wearing Mae Pang mesh top, Own Muse cutout bottoms

This amazingly dressed guy - extremely Japanese influenced outfit

Juaang & Johanna of OwnMuse

Janice Pidduck, editor of Catalog magazine
You can't see it but she's carrying her Chanel 2.55 - a good showing
of how you can mix luxury up with an extremely street look
She got her friend to make that cool leather harness.

I am lusting over her 'limited edition pony hair leopard Dr. Martens'!!!

Fashion Season Orchard Runway

Runway comes out to play with the longest outdoors runway along Orchard Road this time at Fashion Season at Orchard, an adaption of Anna Wintour's famous Fashion's Night Out in New York. The outdoors runway attracted huge crowds along its entire stretch and despite the designs being mainly commercial and a show to get people to buy rather than appreciate fashion, I thought it was fairly well executed. At least Singaporeans now get a glimpse of such fashion runways! I mean, how many Singaporeans have sat through a runway show in their lives?

I was one of the seated guests at FSO, but half of the time I was squatting, standing and fighting with the professional photographers with their gargantuan cameras to get a good photo. BUT I was also lucky enough to gain backstage access to FSO, thanks to Andre Neo of Jay Gee! It's true when they say backstage is chaotic, noisy and all over the place. The effect's especially amplified with 150 models walking in FSO. There were models from all over the world, speaking in all languages - Brazilian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Russian...it was amazing (but also a bit intimidating) to be in the same room with so many tall, skinny, effortlessly beautiful people.

Me registering. Too bad the photographer didn't capture my full outfit >:

The runway that extends along Orchard Road

Sexy Brazilian guy!

Boxes and boxes of makeup

Taking out the curls for alldressedup! So cute :3

All done now!

It's not easy being a model though. They were up since the morning for hair and makeup, not to mention rehearsals before the show which started at around 830PM.

Wang Qian Qian - 1.82m tall beauty from Beijing! :D
Love the hair and makeup for New Look.

Punk-rock makeup for Levi's

Singaporean models for New Look

The 2 girls from Supermodelme!

Big hair seen for alldressedup

Ms Gorgeous from Georgia! She was super sweet talking to me.

Left: Face of Shanghai Tang, walked in MFW

Victorian theatrical styling at TM Levin's

The shortlisted models for Asian Model Search were all there to strut their stuff for the judges to see as well. And I was pleasantly surprised to see my darling hot guy - Johnny Yang Junze (he walked for Club 21b fashion showcase and also MFW) - amongst the competing models as well! He recognized me snapping away as we've previously talked before during MFW and he gave me that smile! Gosh I almost squealed on the spot. Damn it it's unfair how some people are so so good looking till they attract others like magnets.

Hello my dear! <3 

Out of the 8 labels showing, I enjoyed New Look and alldressedup the most. New Look's newest collection really surprised me for it had so many thing that I wanted this spring - like that lace high slit maxi dress, 70s wideleg jumpsuit, asymmetrical lace tunic...with the side braid and orange lips, the models were channeling boho chic all the way. Alldressedup's gorgeous strappy heels with ruffled organza flowers, big hair and print dresses were reminiscent of the 70s era as well. Worth mentioning was the styling done at TM Levin's - the serious corporate attire was styled with chains of cascading pearl necklaces, veiled hats, pocketwatch chains...to inject a playful 60s vibe into officewear. This is how fashion should be done - loud, in-your-face, exclusive but yet inclusive at the same time.

Look out for Singapore's official participation in Fashion's Night Out International - thanks to Dr. Frank Cintamani flying to New York to specially meet Anna Wintour to discuss about it!