The French Way in Palais Royal

I think a lot of people have seen photos of the art installation - black and white columns - in this courtyard but has never figured out where it is. Well, that's Palais Royal and it's a small, quiet garden house within this majestic building which now mostly houses luxury boutiques and art galleries. Oh and bonus - you can now find a Maison Kitsune cafe there too!

Wearing L'Academie The Military Blouse, Sandro Paris Sequin Pleat Skirt, Zara Highcut Boots

Shot by Haleigh from Making Magique

It wasn't planned but somehow my L'Academie blouse from Revolve Clothing matched perfectly with the black and white candy striped columns at Palais Royal. More commonly known as the Colonnes de Buren, after the artist Daniel Buren, the columns were installed as art installations and have remained there since 1986.

I absolutely love this installation and have been meaning to shop there for ages and finally got the chance to! This military blouse comes with a sexy deep V neck, which draws down to four button accents on the front. L'Academie also has this beautiful blouse with neck-tie which I have been coveting as well.

Revolve is now having a Spring Sale exclusively for customers in Singapore, Japan and S Korea till 31 March midnight! You can enjoy 20% off most of their brands - I would recommend Tularosa, Lovers & Friends, Privacy Please, Stone Cold Fox for some boho, summery outfits. If you are looking for something more dressy, go for NBD and Cmeo. For reliable basics, go for Equipment and Cami NYC - their silk blouses are a dream! And yes, all your fav Australian labels are on there too - Shop Cmeo, The Fifth Collective, Keepsake and more all on Revolve.

Shipping takes just a week to get to Singapore - no reason not to indulge in some online retail therapy *winks*

Hussein Chalayan: Les Arts Decoratifs Retrospective

I'm sorry I've been keeping all these photos of the Hussein Chalayan retrospective that I went to see in Paris earlier last year in July to myself! I was so excited to share them with all of you originally but I never got around to doing it. And now I've decided that I shouldn't hide them anymore but attempt to give this amazing retrospective a well deserved review.

Hussein Chalayan's work is characterized by an intellectual rigor and a quest for technical perfection (not just in clothes making techniques, he literally pushes technological boundaries), which often defies fashion conventions. He often uses his clothes as a medium to express his views on politics, social problems (such as war) and economic realities of the era. Hussein Chalayan was born in Nicosia in 1970, and graduated from Central St Martin's in 1993 and created his own fashion house just one year later. I really respect his designs because I feel that he overcomes fashion stereotypes (eg. that fashion is superficial) by incorporating research in anthropology, body anatomy, philosophy, architecture and science into his creative process.

The exhibition not only showcases his clothes, but a few short films which he produced on various subjects such as terrorism, DNA genome technology, subtle forms of violence in our daily lives and technology overtaking many aspects on man's life today.

This dress was presented for the first time in July 1993 at his graduation collection. He based the thesis of this collection, Buried Dresses, on the duality of spirit and matter by researching the works of Isaac Newton and Carl Gustav Jung. This dress was created with having iron filings thrown at magnetized clothing and then buried, his first combination of using unconventional means and technology to communicate ideas through fashion.

This collection was my first exposure to Hussein Chalayan's work as I was enchanted by how the model simply stepped into the circular table (photo above) and hooked the entire tabel onto her waist belt and converted it into a skirt in an instant. At that point in time I didn't understand what Chalayan was trying to say through this collection, I just thought it was an amazing mechanical trick - but this AW 2000 collection makes reference how Turkish Cypriots were subject to ethnic cleansing in Cyprus prior to the division of the island in 1974.

Staged in a minimalistic white room, the models appeared in seemingly simple clothes and proceeded to seize the objects in the room and fitting them into special pockets in their garments designed to hide them. In the final act, the models converted the chair covers into various shift dresses and packed up the chairs into wooden suitcases and then the final model converted the wooden table into a skirt and exited the set, leaving the white room completely empty and lifeless. Hussein Chalayan was trying to explore how the people affected by the war was hiding their possessions and carrying them while on exodus.

Blindscape, SS 2005

For this groundbreaking SS 2007 collection, Hussein Chalayan created a series of mechanical dresses which were able to morph from one era's style to another as a retrospective of fashion hisotry. I believe that in this circumstance, it really takes a genius to be able to sketch out all the silhouettes from the early Victorian ages to present to determine which are the elements that one era can borrow from another to physically morph the dresses. 

Genometrics, AW 2005

Airborne, AW 2007

This collection was presented in four parts representing the four seasons to comment on how cycles of the weather had parallels with life and death of Man. The highlight was the video animation dress that was lit up by 15600 LED lights to represent summer. Again, Chalayan integrates technology in his designs by designing hats that glow red in the dark winter. It was a lovely transition between seasons and ultimately, he showed that clothes were still at the center of work in a series of parachute dresses that seemed to blow themselves up in the presence of wind. I stood in front of the display window for a good 20 minutes trying to observe the cut used and I still don't understand how he did it.

Whatever it is, I believe Hussein Chalayan will continue to be a force to be reckoned with in the fashion world - respected by people not only within the fashion industry for his talent and creativity, but also by non-fashion people to be someone who expresses his viewpoints on serious world/social issues through fashion. Named previously by Kar Lagerfeld to be THE designer he would like to see take over at Chanel, I believe he still possesses immense potential as both a designer and a vocal propagator of social issues (:

Women's Fashion Week First Press Conference

Mr. Gustavo Lins & his designs

Gustavo Lins

The dashing Mr Stephane Rolland

Gustavo Lins' look on Paris runways

Stephane Rolland looks on Paris runway! There's my darling Liu Wen wearing the 2nd look!

I attended Women's Fashion Week's first Press Conference quite a long while ago on 8 September and only got around to blogging it now. Yes, that's how slow I am. However, I'm pleased to announce that at least WFW hasn't began yet, though it will - very soon from 26th to 30th October. In fact, there will be a large fashion runway show held throughout various shops in Marina Bay Sands to celebrate the upcoming WFW. Unfortunately, I won't be able to go because of various school committments again. Sigh - the sad life of a full-time student in Singapore.

Two renowned Haute Couture designers were flown down specially for the press conference - Gustavo Lins and Stephane Rolland. Gustavo Lins shared with us how he originally begun his higher education pursuing engineering for one year before studying architecture for 3 years, which he hated. He said that he became a fashion designer simply by chance, as he was unsatisfied with the tailor's technique that made the clothes he worn and so he wanted to tailor his own clothes. He then left his home country, Brazil, for Paris, where he learnt the specific techniques of making clothes but he had never went to fashion school.


Apprenticing alongside with Jogn Galliano, Lecoanet Hemant and Jean Paul Gaultier Couture, and working alongside with a woman who used to be Balenciaga's chef d'atelier, Lins learnt how to make toile and developed a passion for fine fabrics and precise tailoring and fit.
He fines an intimate connection of working with his hands - it was as though fabrics spoke to him when he touched them and that was the key for him to create, design and sculpt the fabric into certain shapes and silhouettes. It was this intimate connection that allowed Lins to create a precise silm, straight-shouldered silhouette that he is known for, but yet he does not simply create harsh tailoring but drapes his dresses so beautifully that it hangs perfectly on women's bodies. Many of his garments are reversible - beautiful on the inside as well as on the outside - and are fashioned from the most exclusive and luxurious fabrics of silk jersey, cool wool and wool crepe.

He said that upon touching down, he was very impressed by Singapore's landscape and saw it as a couture project. He observed that the trees are cut and placed in a very precise manner and he appreciates the landscape of Marina Bay.

Stephane Rolland, though much younger than Lins (who is 50 this year btw), is a man of fewer words but creates such strong silhouettes and couture pieces that he is making a firm statement on how a woman should project herself and how she should dress. Having just launched his own namesake Haute Couture House on 2007, he has already been admitted to the Feration Fracaise de la Couture that was exclusive to a very small circle of only 11 haute couture houses.

During the press conference, a member of the press invited from India asked him whether he would design for women with "imperfect" bodies like her. She obviously saw the fashion industry as a superficial one with designers designing beautiful garments only for beautiful people like the models that act like clothes horses during a fashion show. Of Stephane Rolland's reply, he calmly narrated a story whereby once he had a client that was rather plump, dressed in jeans to come to his couture house for a fitting without making a prior appointment after being turned down at other houses. He did it and made a couture gown for that client, who actually happened to be the princess of a Middle East country and all of her friends almost couldn't recognize her when they saw how beautiful she was in her gown.

"I don't think of anyone when I design but I know I must adapt my design to different bodies. I want to project strong women and not hide their personalities."

If you must know, Stephane Rolland only designs for 10 regular clients who comes for fittings, and the rest of his work goes to people who buys indirectly instead of made to measure. A gown from his house costs around 100,000 Euros.

With my friend Stanley!

And above, my outfit for the press event. Wearing a vintage zipper blazer from Paris, thrifted leopard print bustier dress and my leopard print fur clutch (:

And here are some important dates to take note!
6 - 31 Oct - Haute Couture Exhibition (photos in upcoming posts!) Open to public and free for all
21 - 23 Oct - Pret-a-Porter from a selection of fashion brands in MBS
26 Oct - Asian Couture Showcase for Asian and Singaporean couture designers

Let's paint all the windmills red

Apologies for not updating my blog for more than nearly 2 weeks, time has gone by like a whirlwind and things are moving so fast. My days are short and packed that I really couldn't find time to do the things I love...Anyway, this is a continuation in my Paris series.

The Sacre-Coeur (Sacred Heart) church at Montmatre may be one of the most famous churches in the world. No, it is probably one of the most famous landmarks.
The interior of the church gives you a feeling of holiness and calmness immediately with its gigantic tinted windows and huge domed ceilings. On the day that I was there, mass was taking place and there were nuns singing hymns. People stood up to join the singing after their prayers. The sound of their angelic voices just blended into the organ and floated up to the the ceiling - the experience was almost heavenly - you get the sense that this is a spiritually connected and supportive community. I guess that's why people seek for a religion.

Even now, re-enacting the vision in my head relaxes and calms me. 

Wearing: Coral cropped tee from H&M, Bell bottoms from Naf Naf, brogues from H&M, thrifted bag.
My uncle took these photos for along the gentle slope of Montmatre streets. I love everything about Parisian streets - from its cobblestone paved roads, beautifully decorated hole-in-the-wall cafes to its street artists selling watercolour paintings or their music. It's like this city is so culturally rich that you can't stop seeing beauty everywhere around you.

I got this pair of light denim highwaisted bell bottoms from Naf Naf at half price and was really happy with the find. I hardly find myself in jeans anymore, since I have discovered that there were so many other things that I could wear and layer up in. I find that jeans kind of take up the whole look because there are only that many things that you can pair with jeans...

Traditional tea brewing

Rainbow coloured smoothies! All natural colours.

There was a small courtyard selling freshly brewed tea and also fresh fruit smoothies just outside Sacre-Coeur. I guess it was the first time that I ever saw tea freshly brewed out traditionally in big brass kettlepots and up from a water pipe instead of the conventional tea served in china teapots. The fruit smoothie was just as amazing - it was all fresh fruits and the result was a thick, smooth, yummy tasting smoothie. One of the best I've had in a long while.

A free public theatre performance

Street artists

This NO PARKING sign painted on the door is an art piece.

Love these mom and pop-ish restaurants selling authentic French cuisine

Art, culture and creativity lies in the heart of the gentle slopes of cobblestone roads along Montmatre. Usually artists would come here to exhibit their works and create new works - they use it as a stepping stone to find art dealers or international buyers. When I was there, one of the art galleries just happened to have a Salvador Dali exhibition, and quite a big one too, featuring various collections of his paintings, sculptures and even his collaboration with a glass sculpturer. Dali was in Montmatre for a period of time as well and like all others, he fell in love with it.

Montmatre is also good for vintage shopping - there are a lot of shops selling antiques, bric a bracs and clothes here. You should also check out Rose Bakery - the rave for that has been exceptional, but too bad on the day I was there I couldn't find a chance to seek it out.

And down Montmatre, you'd come down to Pigalle, where you'd see the famous Moulin Rouge for carabet dance. Mainly tourists come here to pay around 60-70 euros per show where you would see beautiful girls clad in next to nothing, singing and dancing. Sex, hedonism and drinking - maybe this is where you can still find a glimpse of Paris during the 70s.

Guide to Vintage Shopping in Paris

Ok I admit actually this is more like a guide to Le Marais, one of my favourite districts in Paris. It's so good that I've been there 3 times during my 1 month stay in Paris and still each time I find new things to look at. Le Marais used to be a jewish district - it still is as there are still the presence of Jewish synagogues and the best falafels ever, but now it has evolved into a hip district with a lot of gay bars that come alive at night.

Le Marais is also the best place to go for indie shops and for digging for vintage treasures. There are numerous thrift stores where you can dig for dirt cheap secondhand clothes that are true blue vintage, or you can get your hands on high end designer vintage from labels like Chanel, YSL and Dior etc. There are also cult labels APC, which sells high quality basics with streamlined design, Zadig & Voltaire and also French designer Isabel Marant.

You can go to Le Marais by getting down at the Hotel de Ville metro station. The first thing you will see is the beautiful Gothic inspired architecture of Hotel de Ville, which has been standing in its original location since 1357. Unfortunately, the building is not the original as it was burnt down in 1871 and subsequently rebuilt in its original style.

Free'p Star on Rue Sainte-croix de la Bretonnerie

Underground cave of treasures

Found this dress with black netting and ribbons sewn in for only 10 euros

Free'p Star
8 rue Sainte-croix de la Bretonnerie, 61 rue de la Verrerie 75004 Paris, 20 rue de Rivoli.
Free'p Star is a must-go for all vintage and thrift lovers. Dirt cheap has been redefined when I got there because seriously, the prices are really next to nothing.
There are 3 outlets all within walking distance of one another -
The Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie one has lots of vintage dresses on the first floor and when you take the narrow spiral staircase down to the cavern like basement, you can find lots of leather jackets at only 20-30 euros, as well as vintage Levi's cutouff shorts. I even found a vintage Versace knitted top (but it was so small it looked like it was made for toddlers) and a Christian Dior shirt (not sure of its authenticity though!).
My favourite is the outlet on Rue de la Verrerie because it has this section on the second floor that has bins and bins of clothes all going for one 1 euro. No big labels there, but you can find some really really cool stuff there - for example: sequinned tank top, organza trench coat, zipper blazers and of course those flowery midi/maxi skirts. I bought 10 pieces there for only 10 euros.
The outlet on rue de Rivoli has lots of beaded/sequinned tops and fur coats in the basement.

Bring a big netted bag when you shop and go on weekday mornings to avoid crowds of bargain hunters and vintage lovers!

I can't recall the address of Vintage Bar, but it stocks some carefully curated pieces, especially shoes, from YSL, Dior and other french designer labels. Worth a visit just to look at them.

Hippy Market

21 rue du Vielle Temple
Hippy Market is really the ultimate destination for everything hippie and flower child boho. Their prices are considerably higher than Free'p Star as their items are all tagged and arranged neatly on racks and in better condition as compared to Free'p Star (that just randomly throws all their stuff). On the day of my visit, the dresses were all going at 10 euros, which makes them really worth buying.
They also have a large selection of vintage accessories - belts, shoes and bags. But the best thing about them is that they revamp their Levi cutoffs so instead of your usual blue washes, you now have ripped ones in indigo, hot pink, neon orange and sky blue.



Lomography
17 rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie
The original LOMO store for all their amazing film cameras! 

Not pictured:
Shine
15 Rue de Poitou 75003
Not a vintage shop but it's a really great multi-label boutique stocking Alexander Wang, Chloe, marc by Marc Jacobs and many others. When I was there they had 70% off on selected items so there were those silk pants from A Wang going at only 88 euros. I am still blaming myself today for not getting them.
 
American Retro
40 Rue des Francs-Bourgeois or BHV just next to Hotel de Ville
Really steep prices - at least 200 euros and above for a top or a bottom, and 300-500 euros for a dress or other big-ticket items, but all extremely extremely beautiful and well designed. I find them slightly similar to Chloe Sevigny x Opening Ceremony. Their lookbook and campaign photos are all very well photographed as well.

Pretty Box

Vintage from the 50s - 80s

46 Rue de Saintonge 75003 Paris

Extremely well-curated shop with vintage pieces in good condition. Everything in this shop was just lovely and some of the leather bags there had such beautiful marks of worn leather.

Coiffeur
32 Rue de Rosiers
Vintage dresses all for 10 - 15 euros and vintage Levi's at 10 - 20 euros. Small selection of handbags and leather boots as well.

There are many other random vintage stores or Friperies (thrift stores) around the district as well, you can just walk along the few main streets and discover them along the way like I did:
Rue de Rosiers
Rue de la Verrerie
Rue de Vielle Temple
Rue de Poitou

I also love Le Marais for its amazing falafel, a Jewish sandwich of sorts, and also its Yiddish/Central European cakes and pastires that cannot be found elsewhere in Paris.