SPECIAL THANKS ACTUALLY MILK PHOTOGRAPHIE actually.com.sg milkphotographie Paul Khor, Dawn Lim & Hamzah Brendan Zhang Anis ONESIXTYNOTEPAD AVIVAR AUDIENCE onesixtynotepad.com COMMUNICATIONS Ridhwan Sesapar avivar.com.sg Laurence Wong WORD OF ART Tania Chew, Clarissa Quek & THE BODY SHOP Mustafa Hatwadi thebodyshop.com.sg Adlena Wong VUE PRIVﾃ右 vueprivee.com CORRIE NIELSEN Olivier Henry corrienielsen.com Corrie Nielsen Bloggers Jenny T. La Mode Outrﾃｩ simplesewingprojects.com lamodeoutre.blogspot.com James Bent The Stranger Speaks thestrangerspeaks.com MAKEUP POLICE mu-police.org Graphic Designer Zuhairee Joe & Zulfadhli Michael Chng Zainudin
Danielle Siauw |Editorial Director| Danielle@fashionspace.com Augustus Loi |Editor-in-Chief| Augustus@fashionspace.com Dorothy Tan |Writer| Dorothy@fashionspace.com Ong Yiqin |Writer| Qin@fashionspace.com Brendan Zhang |Photographer| Michael Chng |Cover Artist| Xavier Sanjiman Jeanette Lau |Technical| Contributors: Faz Abdul Gaffa
ByFS
CONTRIBUTORS ...................................
Founder of FashionSpace Danielle lives and breathes the Internet. Her 14-years career spans technology and online marketing, covering almost every aspect of the Web. A fashionista and shopaholic herself, ending up in fashion was hardly a surprise. The idea for FashionSpace had been brewing for over five years and finally came into fruition in 2011, thanks to the many Angels in her life.
How did a smart cookie such as Augustus end up writing about fashion? Because bad fashion is fatal: he’ll step on your neck the next time he sees you in one of those tees with sexual haikus on the front. Big deal that it’s pure cotton, spun by Third World natives with a giant crank, using only their bare feet since they have no hands.
Besides being a full-time geek, she also sells her paintings to pay for those new shoes she seems to always have.
When not mowing down hapless fashion victims, Augustus enjoys proselytizing against a life lived in denim.
Reading comes in at a close second – but only obscure books on post-post-postmodern philosophy or some other gobbledygook – since, really,what’s the point of reading what everyone else has read? ...................................
While Faz Abdul Gaffa may wear several hats at any one point in time, she doesn’t stray too far away from her one true love – writing. With eight years of hob-nobbing, jetsetting, and occasionally bloodcurdling experience in her back pocket including a fashion editor stint at
a men’s magazine and later on, an editor at a bridal title, Faz is now at a point in her life where she’s welcoming new challenges to take on.
her true love – writing. She has been blogging about fashion for five years and now rambles on about beautiful clothes and shoes (or whatever catches her When not writing up a storm or fancy) at Dfordot.com. gallivanting across the globe, Faz seeks solace in whipping When she is not writing up spicy meals in the kitchen about style, shopping, design and curling up with her partner or lifestyle, you will find her on his couch, watching reruns doing ‘research’ on online of Sanford & Son and Martin. shopping sites, with her nose ................................... stuck between the pages of a Penguin Classic or traipsing around in another city playing out the role of A Stranger In A Strange Land. She also thinks that Abbey Road is probably the best record ever made. ................................... It’s the same age-old story that somehow never gets old. Dorothy traded in her day job to pursue
An accountancy student by day, Qin spends the rest of her time curled up in bed with a good movie or a K-pop track. Qin is also a BlackBerry addict and a certified Hello Kitty aficionado.
Her greatest fashion memory involved a fashion show and a child-like awe at the stunning clothes before her. That was when she was sure that fashion is, and will continue to It all started when Qin be, a big part of her pink, pink found fashion and gave up life. her berm-and-tunic ways. One thing led to another and a style blog was born.
CONTENT
FEATURE |39|
FOUNDER’S LETTER |7| |9| WHAT’S NEW 20 BY TWO H&M GOES GREEN MEN’S FASHION WEEK 2012 IN THE MOOD FOR CHEONGSAM
TREND ROUNDUP |24| MEN+WOMEN
FASHION FASHION GETS A GETS A CONSCIENCE FASHION GIVES BACK SOZZANI STYLES WITH A TWIST
|49| SPECIALS |35| INTERVIEW LAILA YU ROCKTHETREND.COM
HOW TO |81| STRONG EYEBROWS PACK A JACKET
|83| COLUMN
PARCO NEXT NEXT ALEXANDRIA CHEN ANGELIA ASH EPISENE EVENODD FOON FOONO KAE HANA MASH-UP QUAINTHOOD
FOUNDER’S LETTER FashionSpace turns one this May! I thought This is the issue in which fashion gives back. I would start by getting that out first. We’ve Yes, fashion, that cutthroat multibillion-dollar come a long way, even though we’ve also got circus, has a heart. Who knew? some ways to go. From eco-friendly fabrics to cause marketing, With the launch of our new site (Have you seen FS writer Faz looks for a pulse in past it? I heard it’s gorgeous.), we hope we’re taking fashionable endeavours with a conscience. steps in the right direction. May is also the month of the fashion season in Singapore. Audi Fashion Festival (AFF) is back.
This year, the AFF organisers have launched Too busy to do your fashion homework? We’ve a campaign encouraging shoppers to “Wear done it for you with our round up of the best Emerging Designers”. trends of FW12 for men and women. Sure, it’s the fashion industry supporting itself, Thanks for the year, readers! Here’s to but we appreciate the effort. Fear not: you another one. won’t hear another bleeding-heart spiel from us. Instead, ByFS editor Augustus lays out Yours, the challenges local designers face and asks, Danielle “Industry, how can we help?”
WHAT’S NEW
INTRODUCING
20 BY T WO
Where fashion meets art.
Writer AUGUSTUS LOI
20 By Two is a unique series of pop-up events that host 20 of the best fashion brands from Singapore and Malaysia. Each pop-up event brings fashion into unexpected spaces, blending fashion, art, and technology, in order to offer shoppers and fashion lovers a unique retail experience. The first installation of 20 By Two will see mirror events held in two countries. The exhibition will debut in Singapore at the Red Dot Museum and run from 3 May 2012 to 2 June 2012, before moving to Kuala Lumpur the following weekend. For the latest, go to signup.20Bytwo.Com
FASHIONSPACE GETS A MAKEOVER
FASHION LOVES SPCA
In April, FashionSpace unveils a new look. We’ve torn down the walls and re-built from scratch. Expect faster speeds, a suite of advance publishing tools - all rolled into an all-new, easy-to-use experience.
In the spirit of giving back, FashionSpace has adopted the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) as its charity for the inaugural 20 By Two pop-up event in Singapore.
From Singaporean brands such as Hansel, Depression, and Al & Alicia, to international brands such as Lanvin, Gucci, and Burberry, the new FashionSpace launches with over hundreds of thousands of products.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to the SPCA, going to its efforts to providing welfare for abused animals and animals in danger.
NEWS MEN’S FASHION WEEK 2012 Men’s Fashion Week (MFW) returns this April with 19 labels from Korea, Japan, the UK, the US, and France. Home-grown label Reckless Ericka will represent Singapore with their first solo show, presenting their AW12 collection. MFW runs from 18 to 22 April 2012 at the Marina Bay Sands. Facebook.com/mfwasia Click to view video
H&M GOES GREEN WITH CONSCIOUS LINE On April 12th, H&M launches the Conscious Collection SS12. Made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton, hemp and recycled polyster, the line is proof that ‘green’ is back in fashion. With pieces that could have come straight off the red carpet, it’s A-list frocks for the jet-set adjacent.
The cheongsam is to the Singaporean woman what the suit is to men.
in the mood for cheongsam Writer AUGUSTUS LOI
With a silhouette both conservative yet sensuous, the humble cheongsam guards the wearer as much as it reveals her. Thus, it is the epitome of power dressing, inspiring confidence in the wearer. In the Mood for Cheongsam: Modernity & Singapore Women examines the changing roles of Singaporean women from the turn of the 20th century to the present. It does so through the medium of the cheongsam.
The exhibition includes rare pieces from the ‘20s and ‘30s on loan from the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Film Archives as well as from the wardrobes of Mrs Benjamin Sheares, Mrs Wee Kim Wee and the late Mrs Lee Kuan Yew.
label Ong Shunmugam, Pricislla Shunmugam, as she shares her experience approaching the cheongsam from a contemporary perspective. In the Mood for Cheongsam runs from 28 March to 27 June 2012 at the National Museum of Singapore.
Watch out for Cheongsam, Dim Sum or Me?, a public lecture by the founder and designer of For more information, please click here.
ROUNDUP
All Things Green And Beautiful
BLUEPRINT Writer DOROTHY TAN
Last month, I-S Magazine highlighted five Singaporean fashion labels to know. It got me thinking about the surprisingly large and diverse pool of fashion design talent that can be found on our little red dot.
Wykidd Song (WYKIDD), much effort and progress have been made in discovering and developing fresh talents. And, the local fashion scene has benefitted immensely.
When it comes to Singaporean fashion, few events have been as successful as Blueprint in Other than the more established designers generating interest and creating exposure for such as Jo Soh (hansel), Ashley Isham and home-grown fashion designers.
Although a trade show that aims to facilitate East-West exchange between international players in the industry, it is also an excellent platform for emerging designers to showcase their collections, network (crucial for building their businesses) and expand their customer bases.
ATGAB ATGAB stands for All Things Green And Beautiful and that neatly sums up exactly what this eco-friendly accessories label is about.
Founded in 2009 by designer Elaine Pang, ATGAB aims to help save the world by turning pre-loved handbags into one-of-a-kind The third edition of Blueprint will feature more accessories. than 150 local, regional and international brands. Here are five of the must-visit highlights Every piece is made of at least 80% recycled at this exciting event. We’ll be checking them materials and a percentage of all profits will out come May and so should you! go towards non-profit organisations. If your idea of going green is along the line of hippie commune chic, think again.
TREND ROUNDUP:
MEN IAMWHOIAM
MARILYN TAN JEWELLERY
PAULINE.NING
STOLEN
Inspired by a darkly comic perspective of the human existence, iamwhoiam is the brainchild of local designer Tan Qiuwen. She launched her label in 2007 and has interned at Vivienne Westwood in London.
After 18 years spent designing and creating unique contemporary pieces by hand, Marilyn Tan is easily one of Singapore’s most notable jewellery designer.
Pauline.Ning champions an aesthetic that brings together seemingly opposing traits, the raw with the refined, and the structured with the soft.
Drawing inspiration from her travels and architecture, her work are reflections of places as faraway as the Antarctic.
For her Cruise 2012 collection, the eponymous designer took inspiration from the tale of The Nutcracker and transformed this classic children’s story into an exploration of human depravity.
Elyn Wong of Stolen makes the kind of beautiful basics that we spend half of our shopping lives searching for. Simple, well-cut and undoubtedly comfortable, these pieces should be the foundation of every stylish woman’s wardrobe.
Her collections regularly feature layered, structured silhouettes and interesting details that adds a fair amount of quirk to otherwise modern, urban clothes. Designing womenswear and menswear alike, Qiuwen’s versatility lies in her understanding of how a little androgyny can go a long way.
Other than using precious stones, silver, white and yellow gold, Marilyn also employs materials such as leather, acrylic and silk. This unconventional pairing of materials lends her pieces a uniqueness that is both exquisite and edgy.
This dark theme manifests in both light (tulle) and heavy (leather) elements, and offers a multi-dimensional, contemporary femininity that is bold and sensual.
Working with a neutral palette of black, grey, nude and white, every piece of the latest collection features the label’s signature bareback. From a deep V to a diamond-shaped cut-out, Stolen demonstrates that there is a million and one way to show off that sexy back of yours.
TREND ROUNDUP
TREND ROUNDUP:
MEN
Writer FAZ ABDUL GAFFA
3
WE ENDORSE PURPLE.
GO FORTH AND
PURPLE IT UP.
1
PURPLE PALOOZA
Last year, it was orange. This year, the It colour of the season is purple.
2 MIXY MATCHY
COCOON-Y
Carlos Campos nailed the mix-y match-y look Volume is big in the Fall, especially on coats. that ruled the runway this season. Be prepared Like men don’t find fit enough of a challenge. to stress out a bit about how to mix colours with style.
5 PRINTS PLEASE
4 URBAN OUTFITTERS
It’s like prints have gone apesh*t on crack and amplified. Not everybody can pull it off, but for those who can, those hipster street style photographers will be swarmin’ ya like bees to honey.
Tweed makes another comeback after rocking No, not the brand. A sherpa jacket thrown over the runways last year. a classic double-breasted suit is superstylin’ this season. Get on the bandwagon. They’re not the tweeds Dad used to wear, but they have an understated softness to them, making them more continental and contemporary at the same time.
6
7
WHITE PANTS IN FALL Who says you can’t wear white all year round? Also, we love this badass blazer. COLOUR BLOCK Yes, men are doing colour blocking too, albeit more subtly on sweaters. Try a pop of yellow with your grey sweater.
9 8 BRINGING MAN BAG BACK
HONEY, I SHRUNK THE JACKET
Yes, the Man Bag is back. Last year’s briefcase was brief, and it’s been replaced by bags whose handles you hold with your hand. Yes, those annoying ones. Take cues from the Gucci collection.
Shrunken jackets are in, and a lot of them have collars lined with fur – or for the PETA fans, faux fur. Whichever way though, they’ve surely shrunk.
10
LACE-UP BOOTS Boots go higher, up to your calves and they’re the lace-up kind. A nod to the military days of yore, albeit much, much snazzier this time.
TREND ROUNDUP
TREND ROUNDUP:
WOMEN
Writer FAZ ABDUL GAFFA
2 LOVE THY ART
KEEP YOUR PEPLUM
1
If you liked peplum in Spring, make sure you keep your skirts for the colder seasons too. Hemlines go lower as the temperature dips, but style isn’t ever compromised. The peplum is also evident in dresses, suitable for the year-end parties to come.
Art Nouveau and Baroque styles take centre-stage, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Art Nouveau provides the sinuous shapes that are worked as prints of intertwining ribbons, chains and leaves on silk. Open latticework meandering over a bare shoulder shows the same influences of classic modern art. It is an organic, floral theme, sometimes with an almost surreal tinge.
3 BIG BAGS ARE BACK
Big bags are back in this season.
4 REMEMBER YOUR GEOMETRY
Remember the nights when you had to Whether or not you flunked math in school, pick one credit card to stuff into your itsy- your knowledge of geometry will come in bitsy clutch? Good news – big bags are in handy this season. this season. There are lots of black-and-white geometric They’re more structured, doctor-esque influences on the runway and while tricky to bags and you don’t have to pick and wear, they’re totally haute if you pull them choose which one of your must-haves you off well. need to leave behind.
5 6 FUR REAL
RAILROADING
PETA might be screaming, but unfortunately, what’s rocking the runways seems to be fur – but in unreal shades. Think bright blues and hot pink furs. If you feel guilty about wearing fur, faux fur is just as cool. Trust us.
Louis Vuitton brought back the golden age of railroading, and you can be sure this trend will trickle all the way down to the high street shops. The long-gone glamour of travel is back and as globetrotters ourselves, we welcome this with wide-open arms.
8
7 DARK NIGHTS
SHOW LEG
Fall/Winter seasons always beckon darker colours, and this season is no different.
You know those dresses that cut right up to where the sun don’t shine? Yes, they’re back.
From Jean Paul Gaultier to Yves Saint Laurent to Kanye West (yes, Kanye West!), it’s dark leathers, dark suedes and to top it all off, darkas-night lipstick.
For those blessed with Amazonian heights with legs up to their pits, this is a must-try trend. For the rest, arm yourselves with killer stilts to rock the look just as well.
metal heels
10
9 BIGGER IS BETTER In this case, silhouettes are bigger, roomier and boxier. From pantsuits in Miu Miu and Jean Paul Gaultier to outerwear in Karen Walker and ChloĂŠ, your post-buffet baby-bump no longer needs to show. Leave the Spanx behind and rejoice!
MENTAL OVER METAL Metal heels are big for the Fall/Winter season – in various shades, on various types of shoes. Rodarte has a whole array of metallic heels, particularly on chunky heels.
INTERVIEW
“Be passionate, be unique and be yourself.”
LAILA YU Writer ONG YIQIN
A pioneer in the Singaporean blogging scene, Laila Lu from Rock the Trend often blogs about fashion insider news such as the new faces on the runway and her favourite magazine editorials.
L: Rock The Trend was founded in 2007, about half a year before my ‘O’ levels. I was weird amongst my sportier peers because I started reading Vogue back then and once I got my head into all this stuff, it was only natural to set up a blog.
One of the few Singapore bloggers to have been to New York Fashion Week, she is also a FS: What do you usually blog about? familiar face in street style blogs. L: I write about the insider side of fashion, going a layer deeper than talking about what’s We spoke to Laila about her start in fashion pretty or what’s cool on the surface. blogging and her advice to aspiring bloggers. I have a crazy obsession with photographers, FS: Tell us about yourself. What inspired magazines and models, and a Tim Walker editorial makes me more excited than anything you to start blogging?
I am a regular reader of Popbee and Fashion Gone Rogue too.
FS: What do you think about the fashion blogging scene in Singapore?
L: I think it’s really small: everyone knows everyone. When I was at New York Fashion Week, I could sense that the blogging scene there is was huge and really different from us!
FS: Can you tell us more about your personal style?
L: I am not very adventurous with my dressing… but, even if I get very lazy, I try not to dress sloppily. I think smart-casual is the word: always tuck in the shirt or blouse, even though my waist is not exactly small, and I wear clothes that flatter my body shape and make me look my age. actually. Sometimes I write about clothes, and Plus, many, many other ridiculously, unbelievably great things that happened. occasionally report on events I go to.
FS: What are some of your best memories FS: Since you work now, how do you manage the time between the blog and since starting the blog? L: The best memory goes to New York your work? Fashion Week SS12, sitting front row at DKNY three seats away from Anna Dello Russo and partying with Solange Knowles at the Mulberry 40th anniversary rooftop party.
L: I always manage to find time to write somehow, no matter how busy the day is. Maybe because I don’t actually write a lot, and I get inspired pretty easily.
FS: Who are some of the bloggers you look up to?
L: I like Amy Odell, who’s from The Cut, previously and now at Buzzfeed. She’s sharp, witty and writes intelligently. Also, Janelle Okwodu who writes for Models.com and Sans Artifice.
FS: What do you think is a must-have item in anyone’s wardrobe?
L: A good pair of shoes that can bring you from day to night.
FS: Do you have any advice for aspiring fashion bloggers?
L: Be passionate, be unique and be yourself. Rockthetrend.com
FEATURE
Fashion is a catalyst for all evil. Or at least, it has been made to seem like so. From radical body image and self-esteem issues in women, to enslaving kids in sweat shops, to killing helpless creatures for the skin on their backs.
FASHION GETS A CONSCIENCE Writer FAZ ABDUL GAFFA
Let’s face it – fashion is easily Satan’s BFF. If you think just because you don’t wear fur and you don’t spend two months of your salary on a designer bag means you’re not part of the evil scheme of fashion, think again. Awakened Aesthetic, an apparel and beauty watchdog blog, highlights a company whose clothes you might probably have in the abyss that is your closet, “This company bases their business almost entirely off of knock-offs.” “They’re fast fashion at their core, using sweatshop labor in the United States, subcontracting the cheapest labor possible overseas, and stealing designs from anyone with a modicum of success.” “This company also employs retail workers that are treated poorly and managers that are taught to treat them poorly.” “They press their religious beliefs on others, in both business meetings and on their store
Conscious Collections by H&M shopping bags, but don’t actually represent the clothing stores that actually have a conscience. religious mores they claim to purport.” You also support small and medium enterprises but you occasionally drop in to see what’s on “They promote employees based not on their sale at Urban Outfitters and Free People. talent, but their ability to turn out cheap copies of others’ designs while claiming to be “good Anthropologie may not have a mountain of Christians” like the owners of this company. lawsuits the way American Apparel does, but Oh, and they sue bloggers who make them it has something else up its sleeve. What is it look bad.” guilty of? The company? Forever 21.
Richard Hayne, President and Founder of Urban Outfitters, owner of Anthropologie and So you take pains to make sure you shop at Free People, has contributed over USD13,000
to Rick Santorum’s campaign and Political One of his famous quotes? “If the Supreme Action Committee over the years, according to Court says that you have the right to Pink News and the Philadelphia Weekly. consensual [gay] sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the Rick Santorum, for those who have no idea, right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, served as a United States senator representing you have the right to adultery. You have the Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2007, and was right to anything,” reported Metro Weekly, a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party Washington DC’s LGBT magazine. presidential nomination. What does this mean? At the end of the day, He is also doing all he can to make sure gay after you’ve bought that hipster jacket from rights are a thing of the past. Urban Outfitters, your money goes to Richard Haynes, who then decides that he wants to
In recent years, fashion has gone to reform school. Swedish fashion, H&M, for example, is one such case. H&M sells something like 550 million garments every year and it recently announced net quarterly profits of USD412 mil – this is second only to Inditex, owner of Zara, as the world’s largest clothing retailer. give that money to gay-hating politicians. Are you still looking at that jacket you bought oh-so-lovingly? Let’s not forget the time Santorum was quoted saying, “If we allow gay marriage, the next thing you know people will be marrying goldfish.” Of course, the beauty industry is not spared. Recently, Forbes reported that cosmetic brands Avon, Estee Lauder and Mary Kay were under fire for animal testing.
The brand is positioning itself now as the ethical solution, the retailer that can make ethics and fast fashion synonymous. H&M has produced seasonal Conscious Collections, crafted entirely from sustainable materials, including chemical-free organic cotton, a renewable cellulose-silk called Tencel, and recycled polyester made from PET plastic bottles. Of course, luxury brands have also gotten on the conscience bandwagon.
Bulgari, for example, launched an all-silver ring in 2009, of which a percentage will be donated to Save The Children, a charity dedicated towards providing those in need with quality education.
In 2011, fashion designer Kenneth launched a new site, Where Do You Stand, that aims to spark debate on social issues, from gun control to same-sex marriage.
Where Do You Stand marks a continuation of Last year, the brand produced a new edition of Cole’s socially conscious—and sometimes the ring, this time in specially-designed silver controversial—ad campaigns that have and ceramic with a Save the Children logo promoted, not only bags, shoes and apparel, engraved on the inside of the ring. but also political issues.
FASHION GIVES BACK
In 2008, Madonna, together with Gucci, quite literally raised the roof for party-planners when she threw a celebrity-studded fund-raiser on the lawns of the United Nations to aid Malawi orphans, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Luckily for Gucci, the party fell on a Wednesday, the same week they opened a new store in New York.
For example, a past ad featured an From a blog to a book to a volunteer link-up illustration of a condom with the caption, programme, Kenneth Cole shows us it’s “Our shoes aren’t the only thing we possible to look as good as you feel. encourage you to wear.” Maybe because of the hedonism that is The Where Do You Stand site has now fashion, the industry can never quite be entirely developed into AWEARNESS Blog, which ethical, but we surely applaud and support the showcases the brand’s 25 years worth of brands who try. philanthropy, and offers a place for consumers and businesses to get involved in championing the causes that are important to them.
SOZZANI STYLES WITH A TWIST Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani is no stranger to the thin debate that happens all the time in fashion. She recently gave a speech at Harvard, where she was quoted saying that that fashion is partly to blame for eating disorders but so are lots of other factors such as pro-anorexia websites, troubled family life, and the food industry. She also talked about Vogue Italia’s “curvy” issue, published with much fanfare last year.
SPECIALS
PARCO NEXT NEXT Writer ONG YIQIN
The PARCO next NEXT incubator is bursting at the seams with talent this year. Good thing we suspect that a needle and thread are close at hand. With this issue of ByFS, we bring you Part Deux in our special feature of the PARCO next NEXT designers.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
A: I completed my diploma in fashion design at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2007 and designed corporate uniforms and womenswear after graduation. I chanced upon the PARCO next NEXT fashion design incubator project when I was looking online for a mentor. Being accepted into PARCO next NEXT is really a dream come true. I now have fashion education workshops, mentors and my own label.
FS: Tell us about your label.
A: The label’s concept originated from the principle of fashion being a form of art because I believe that art and fashion intertwine. The collections are inspired by various art forms, playing mainly with form, lines, colours, prints and textures.
ALEXANDRIA CHEN,
27
FS: What is your label about?
A: Alexandria Chen infuses the colours, forms, lines and textures of modern art into the designs of a casual womenswear label. The integration of art and fashion yields elegant pieces that take the wearer from day to night effortlessly.
In seeking to cultivate confidence in the I also like Hussein Chalayan, Martin Margiela wearer, I design dressy, form-fitting pieces that and Yohji Yamamoto. All of them have very will flatter any body shape. unique voices in fashion that come through in their creations, resulting in pieces that I consider more as art forms than garments. FS: What is the inspiration behind
your collection?
A: My designs are influenced by different FS: What’s your must-have item? A: Accessories. No outfit is complete without art forms. rings, earrings, necklaces and something It could be an art performance, a painting around the wrist. Accessories instantly add or a sculpture but I am mostly inspired by ‘oomph’ to any outfit. art installations. My current collection was inspired by Alison Shotz’s Geometry of Lights exhibition, which I saw at the Louis Vuitton Espace during a PARCO next NEXT mission trip to Tokyo in September 2011. I especially loved the forms and lines found in the “Transitional Object” and the “Diffraction Spiral” installations because I love to play with form, lines, prints and textures.
FS: Favourite designers?
A: My favourite designer is Alexander McQueen. I love his sense of theatrics and his constant aim to inspire, not to mention his ingenious ability to perfectly draft a beautifully fitted outfit in minutes.
time, I also began making clothes for Angela, Z: I made the unconventional (some might my business partner, and myself. also say bold) decision to leave the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School A: I graduated with second upper class to study fashion design at LASALLE College of honours from the NUS Business School, after which I worked as a credit analyst in the the Arts. financial sector. I did this for a year before It was at design school that I was able to heading into fashion and entrepreneurship indulge in my love for fashion and experiment with Zen. with out-of-the-box designs, and also made it as a finalist in the 2005 Singapore Young FS: Tell us about your label. Z: We’re positioning ANGELIA as the go-to label Fashion Designer Contest. for dresses. We target female professionals Instead of immediately jumping into the between the ages of 20 and 40 who are fashion industry after graduation, I chose to confident and who seek out well-designed, first pursue a career in marketing. In my free quality dresses that are reasonably priced.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
ANGELIA
ZEN TAN, 29 & ANGELA TAN, 25
Our inspirations come from the various life experiences of the confident, stylish and urban-minded woman. Our designs are therefore tailored to appeal to women who have an aesthetic sensibility that favours understated elegance.
FS: What is your label about?
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection? Z: We look around at confident and stylish women and draw upon what we see and interpret from their demeanour. We are also inspired by fabrics, nature, art, architecture, and travel.
Z: Our label caters to women who have a penchant for garments that are chic yet easy to FS: Favourite designers? wear. Clean lines and silhouettes that highlight Z: We admire Phoebe Philo, who designed for femininity therefore feature strongly. ChloeĚ , and is now at CeĚ line. We love how she designs clothes that appear so effortlessly chic We create each and every design with love and and sexy. passion because we want our customers to feel good, sexy and feminine all at the same time. FS: What’s your must-have item? Z: A good dress that takes you from day to night! One that makes you feel confident, feminine and stylish.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
ASH ALISON ASH LEE, 33 ďżź
The idea left an impression on me and I have A: I started playing with paper dolls when I was been interested in fashion ever since. seven years old, but quickly reached a point where I got bored with the existing dresses I spent more than a decade as a professional secretary before deciding to pursue my fashion within the set and tried making my own. dreams at 31. I would draw my ideas on pieces of cardboard, colour them and cut them out. My uncle spotted I took up a diploma in fashion technology with what I was doing and asked me to think about the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre how I would sew them into real pieces, and not and am now embarking on the next stage of my journey with PARCO next NEXT. simply leave them as paper creations.
My pieces are designed to flatter the petite Asian female body and I create each individual piece from the heart. This collection’s highlights include Peter Pan collars and unconventional fabric combinations such as mesh and polyurethane.
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
FS: Tell us about your label.
A: The brand, simply put, is about love. My own perceptions of the meaning of love have changed and continue to evolve, and that’s where I draw inspiration.
FS: What is your label about?
A: Ash - Label of Love is my fashion take on the different revelations and experiences of love in a woman’s life. I envision a modern woman who is independent and strong, yet girly and sweet on the inside.
Where I once felt alone and uncared for, I now have greater strength and courage to live my life She believes in a balanced lifestyle, juggling to the fullest. This change is also what spurred career pursuits and love, living life to the fullest me to go all out to realise my fashion dreams. and having fun at every moment.
mind. Her easy-to-coordinate pieces spell practicality without sacrificing style. Victoria Beckham’s collections truly inspire me too. Her first label, Victoria Beckham, is designed for women who are strong, stylish and sexy.
In 2012, she came up with another label, A: My first collection, First Love, reflects my Victoria by Victoria Beckham, where the focus younger years in school experiencing puppy is on girly chic looks. love. It was pure, simple, and child-like and I have translated them into a collection of Although both labels project different looks, they both share the similarity of having clean contemporary women’s work wear. but impactful designs. Victoria Beckham is I am reaching out to the women who have petite, something I can very well relate to. dreams of being a princess and meeting their Prince Charming, no matter how old they are, FS: What’s your must-have item? A: Every woman should have a dress that is what they do or who they are. versatile and has mileage. There was a movie titled The Apple of My Eye and it is the perfect representation of my This means the dress can be styled in different ways and teamed with different accessories to first collection. create new looks, and is comfortable enough to carry her from work to leisure. FS: Favourite designers? A: I admire Donna Karan for her simple and elegant collections. Being a career woman That’s what I strive to achieve with my pieces. herself, she designs with working women in
FS: Tell us about yourself.
Y: Since I was young, I have always been fascinated by fashion shows and would go home and try to replicate some of the runway pieces by adapting things I had in my wardrobe.
LEE YUN TING, 24
the notion of fashion with thought-provoking Y: Episene strongly believes in individualism and emotion-stirring garments. and the freedom to express oneself without forgetting one’s roots. Apart from being I admire their ability to start new trends and slightly androgynous, my designs are heavily hope to do the same in the future. influenced by art, history, and philosophy.
After my ‘O’ levels, I decided to take my interest to the next level and enrolled at LASALLE College of the Arts. I have a diploma in fashion design from LASALLE and a degree in fashion design from the Raffles Design Institute (RDI).
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
FS: Tell us about your label.
In his novel, past and present merge, reality appears in half-forgotten experiences and parts of the past are felt differently at different times.
Y: The word episene originates from epicene, which means “belonging to or partaking of the characteristic of both genders”. I draw on design elements from both genders and blend them together, coming up with designs that are uniquely Episene.
EPISENE
FS: What is your label about?
In the logo, the S in Episene, is actually made up of two C’s, deriving from the word’s original spelling. The C from the original word was duplicated and flipped, forming the letter S in Episene, which symbolises the androgyny and versatility of our clothing.
Y: My current collection is inspired by Marcel Proust. His novel, In Search of Time, coined the term “involuntary memories”.
I bring this out in my designs by using a contrast between tailored portions and drapes in a garment. At the end of the novel, the narrator realizes that his vocation is to capture the past still alive within us. That is the whole concept behind this collection, capturing the past through the present.
FS: Favourite designers?
Y: Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Martin Margiela: Because they all completely refined
FS: What’s your must-have item?
Y: A comfy and versatile oversized shirt or top.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
S: I feel like the language of style has been ingrained in me since I was a young boy because I grew up in a house where my outfits were always layered and styled by my mother (who now occasionally takes styling tips from me).
I believe that I have a decent understanding of what is lacking in certain aspects of Singapore’s fashion landscape. I’m therefore designing for a niche market that I have identified: men who want more edgy rather than preppy, men who want to stand out in the crowd.
Evenodd showcased at the inaugural Men’s We’ve always had a weekly tradition of Fashion Week in ‘11 and has been seen on dressing up properly on Sundays – stylish yet several local celebrities such as Nat Ho. suitable for church. I eventually decided to get a fashion education and enrolled at LASALLE College of the Arts. That was my starting point both contextually and conceptually.
FS: What is your label about?
S: The Evenodd philosophy stems from the co-existence of polar opposites - simple, refined minimalism meets thought-provoking complexity, creating complimentary contrasts.
I’m currently pursuing a degree in fashion Calculated design and styling help to achieve communication and am in the final lap of harmony and balance. The resulting looks my studies. are subdued and practical, yet exciting and adventurous in spirit.
FS: Tell us about your label.
EVENODD
SAMUEL WONG, 26
S: I started working as a dresser backstage at various shows such as Singapore Fashion Week (2008) and Female 50 (2009), then as a freelance stylist for various publications such as Catalog, and commercials for Starhub. I also styled for local bag label Ling Wu’s campaign shoot. Now, a year later, I am out on my own.
Evenodd challenges the status quo and is starting a subtle revolution in menswear.
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
S: This collection, titled Night is the New Spring, features a collaboration with local textile designer Edward Chan, a 25-year-old fashion textile student from LASALLE College of the Arts.
Chan’s print design, inspired by the myna bird commonly found in Singapore, brings a slightly darker mood to the Evenodd aesthetic. What results are smart, understated pieces in a palette of black and white.
his own vision. He is a self-taught designer who learnt and found his distinct style through his personal observations. It is very similar to what I am doing at the moment.
Look forward to myna-print jackets and button-down shirts with leather panels and Another favourite of mine is Korean designer buckle details. SongZio. He pays extreme attention to detail and fabric choices.
FS: Favourite designers?
S: I love Rad Hourani for the way he FS: What’s your must-have item? deconstructs fashion and then rebuilds it with S: A classic white shirt for anytime of the day!
FS: Tell us about yourself.
K: When I was a teenager I saw a photo of Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please collection in a fashion magazine and was very impressed with the artistic value and aesthetics. I realised that art designs can be practical, art designs can be worn and that clothes can be moving art. That was when I decided that I wanted to merge functionality with beautiful design. I have an advertising and design diploma from Saito Academy in Malaysia.
 FOON FOONO
LOO KIM FOON, 38
After graduating in 1996, I worked at various advertising and graphic design firms but decided to make the switch to fashion because clothes are essential and are something that everybody can relate to.
FS: Tell us about your label.
K: I have been known by my artist name FOON FOONO since I started doing digital art seven years ago. What better name to adopt for my label than that! I wanted to combine lifestyle with design and art, and since I am a graphic designer, I thought it would be interesting to start a label and work on accessories too.
FS: What is your label about?
K: FOON FOONO is a leather accessory label that produces wallets, bags and key rings. Inspired by Takashi Murakami’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton, my label presents leather accessories that marry beauty with function. I strive to be simple yet provocative, and apply the same aesthetic that I use in my art to this label.
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
K: My current collection is titled MYSTIC and was inspired by vampires down to the colours—black for the dark night and the red for blood. As the name implies, I wish to convey a sense of mystery. The dark colours in the collection represent night and mystery while the interiors are lined with maroon to belie As designers, they are more committed to the muted exterior. making their clothes art pieces rather than to follow trends. I aspire to be like this.
FS: Favourite designers?
K: I admire the works of Issey Miyake and FS: What’s your must-have item? Takashi Murakami, especially their detailed K: T-shirts, bermudas, a bag and a pair of attention to each piece as though it is a sandals are essential for me. precious work of art.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
K: When I was young, my mother used to run a small textile business and would often hang metres of different fabric from bamboo poles. I remember trying my hand at fashion by cutting small holes in the fabric. That earned me quite a bashing but I guess it qualifies as my first drafting experience! When I turned nine and was deemed old enough to handle a needle, I truly cultivated a love for sewing. I started out with crossstitching and beading and then my interest simply grew from there. Right after my ‘O’ Levels, I enrolled at LASALLE College of the Arts to do both a diploma and degree in fashion design.
FS: Tell us about your label.
KAE HANA
KAE HANA, 25
K: My brand name is Kae Hana and it is based on, well, my name! Nothing encompasses my label better than that.
FS: What is your label about?
K: Kae Hana is a ready-to-wear womenswear label with a focus on avant garde prints. The label centers on one concept, “Per diem habiliment,” which means everyday wear.
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
Margiela were the driving forces behind my designs when I was younger and I am still K: I think every designer designs their inspired by them now. products according to their own multifaceted worldview. I am no different. Music, culture, I admire how they constantly push boundaries people, travels, foreign films, art and even in terms of innovation, and that they are trendsetters, not followers. writing, influence me. As for choices of fabrics, I use materials that I FS: What’s your must-have item? know are comfortable since I am a consumer K: From my collection, the must-have items are the fully printed dress and the staple myself. Comfort is at the top of my list. shirts. They are brilliant for days or nights out! Personally, for my own wardrobe, I cannot get FS: Favourite designers? K: Designers such as the late Alexander enough of black tank tops. McQueen, Hussein Chalayan and Martin
FS: Tell us about yourself.
D: I grew up in Latin America, a place very rich in colours and textures. This got me interested in clothing. From a young age, I understood that clothing is a conscious or sub-conscious way of expressing yourself and your character. I would also spend countless hours trying to change the characters of my dolls by changing their costumes and even started making clothes for them from pantyhose. I eventually enrolled at LASALLE College of the Arts and graduated with a degree in fashion design.
 MASH-UP
DANIELA MONASTERIOS, 25, NATHANAEL NG, 24, & SHAF AMIS’AABUDIN, 23
N: I was an awkward kid when I was in school, so I started seeking out ways to express myself through my clothes. I fashioned my dressing after Japanese street sub-culture and Japanese rock bands. Despite having a limited wardrobe at the time, I found ways to create my own looks through the addition of accessories and jewellery.
“MASH-UP is an off-beat, creative and fun high-street independent clothing label. ”
I was always filling up my secondary school saw in magazines and on runways through textbooks with doodles and sketches that our own dressing. reflected Japanese sub-culture and ‘80s heavy metal. When attending parties at clubs and fashion events with our other friends, we would make It was an obvious and smooth transition into or style our own clothing with second-hand studying fashion design at LASALLE College garments and create themes for the night. of the Arts, where I got a diploma and met my business partners. Clubbing was the perfect time to dress up crazily and have fun without being judged or S: My dad owns a traditional Malay garment having to be bothered by the weather. store at Joo Chiat called ASA Nur Az Zahra, and when I was younger, I was allowed to We eventually decided that we wanted to get choose my favourite fabrics and colours to be together and start a brand through which we retailed at the store. could share our passion for self-expression through clothing with others. I would go through different samples and be amazed at the lushness and textures FS: What is your label about? of the fabrics and how they could convey D: MASH-UP is an off-beat, creative and fun different feelings. high-street independent clothing label. Our creations are inspired by cultures of the world I couldn’t see myself doing anything else apart (and sub-cultures) and the environment in from fashion and enrolled at LASALLE College Singapore’s urban cityscape. of the Arts to study fashion textiles where I graduated with a diploma. Our clothing and accessories incorporate recycled materials and do-it-yourself (DIY) FS: Tell us about your label. craft techniques to keep our looks unusual D: The three of us met while studying and fun. at LASALLE College of the Arts. Being We are out to create a MASH-UP tribe fashion students, we expressed what we with love, a riot of colour and texture, and
a sense of humour. We are interested in a lot of denim and garment types such as bringing new meanings to old things, T-shirts, shirt-dresses and shirts. physically and metaphorically. At the same time, we throw in a few For example, we use old garments that already unconventional materials such as soda-can have their own history and function, and by pull-tabs and plastic chains (used for chaining using DIY craft techniques such as embroidery, your bicycle) that are commonly found in the we are able to create new uses for them. cityscape.
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
FS: Favourite designers?
D: Custo, Jeremy Scott and Manish Arora.
D: Our launch collection is called Totemania and is a throw-back to the era we grew up in, Manish Arora creates amazing modern prints and motifs with traditional methods such as the ‘90s, and the whole Girl Power wave. embroidery from his home country. The muse for our collection is a Dominican singer and rapper named Maluca Mala who I love Custo’s use of prints and surface takes her style references from Lisa Left Eye treatments to create wearable works of art. Lopes, of TLC fame, who was a big ‘90s icon. Jeremy Scott creates clothes that make you We also infused North-West Coast Native happy and have a crazy story behind them. American influences, mainly their totem poles They also demonstrate a witty sense of and how they used these as vehicles for humour with their designs. story-telling. N: Koji Maruyama, Sasko Bezovski and Marjan As you can tell, the collection is the result of Pejoski for KTZ, Katie Eary and Daniel Palillo. a big mash-up of music, culture and even I love their use of colour and how they don’t fashion history. take themselves too seriously. They are not We use materials that reflect urban city life, afraid to be humorous and loud and create fun clothes that can be worn for fun times.
S: Dion Lee and Mark Fast. I like how they D: Elaborate jewellery or printed scarves to push colour combinations: they don’t follow dress up simple outfits such as a well-fitted white tee and printed skirts or pants. the traditional rules of colour combination. Mark Fast has incredible knits that fit all body N: A printed oversized tee for lazy days, a pair shapes and look like art pieces even when of creepers, crazy coloured socks, and a crazy hat to top off any outfit. they are on the racks, unworn.
FS: What’s your must-have item?
S: A good pair of denim jeans for lazy days.
FS: Tell us about yourself.
women, offering sophisticated and modern J: My love for fashion began when I was about ready-to-wear pieces that easily transition four or five years old. My mum used to design from day to night. and sew pretty little dresses for my sister and me from the many pattern books that she The look is urban-smart, with a touch of street edge, catering to those who are fashion used to buy. forward and discerning. I remember enjoying watching her draw, cut QUAINTHOOD embodies the modern female and sew all the time while I was growing up. who might be misconstrued as temperamental, After my ‘O’ levels, I went on to pursue my love yet is at once both reflective and thoughtful. for fashion at the Temasek Design School, QUAINTHOOD is fashion that is perennial, Apparel Design and Merchandising - and personal and intelligently designed. that’s how it all began.
FS: Tell us about your label.
 QUAINTHOOD JOY NG, 25
FS: What is the inspiration behind your collection?
J: QUAINTHOOD describes a phase of being J: The inspiration for this collection came from menswear for women, and the idea of how unconventionally beautiful. things and people are never really what they The “quaint” in QUAINTHOOD represents seem to be on first impression. individuality, uniqueness, and being unusually attractive, while “hood” here represents a When you take a closer look, there’s always something deeper, or something else lifestyle, attitude and expression. altogether. It’s as though everything has an QUAINTHOOD is about discovering and alter ego or secret inner rebel. embracing individuality and how one blossoms To translate that concept into this collection, I within it. thought of showing a side of what is deemed socially acceptable, and another that deviates FS: What is your label about? J: QUAINTHOOD is a street fashion label for from that.
The collection aims to inspire the wearer to deflect trends and group-think. Instead, she is called upon to rely on her own natural instincts and personal style to create outfits that are utilitarian, versatile and vivacious. DEFLECT draws one back to a blank slate, and allows the wearer to add in the colours, conjuring up her very own creative empire.
FS: Favourite designers?
J: Olivier Theyskens: Because I think he truly understands a woman’s body and it comes through in the style, cut and design of his clothing, which are classic, sophisticated and updated. His collections are all very well thought out. Alexander Wang: Because I really like his bold and fearless style, whichcan be seen in his work. He has made a name for himself at such a young age and a lot of us young designers aspire to be like him.
FS: What’s your must-have item?
DEFLECT – SS12 takes the wearer back to J: A white button-down shirt. the drawing board, re-inventing basics and staples with an emphasis on bold menswearinspired details and flattering cuts in neutral tones of white, grey and blue.
HOW TO
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Thin, emaciated eyebrows are out this season. Altuzarra, Derek Lam, and Thakoon all showed strong eyebrows for SS12. And we’re not talking wild and unkempt a la Brooke Shields in the ‘90s. These are primped and angled to perfection.
HOW TO:
STRONG EYEBROWS Writer AUGUSTUS LOI
1. Fill in eyebrows very lightly with colour. Use matte shadow. Any core brown will do. 2. Use angled brush that is quite fluffy and thick so it won’t be too defined. 3. Use round brush to feather with. 4. Build up brows. Put shadow on brush and tap excess off. Start at bottom of brow. 5. Lightly touching the skin, flick upward. 6. Continue to flick upward to blend colour. 7. Pick up more eye shadow on brush. Continue towards outer part and continue flicking upwards. 8. Pick up more colour and do ends of brow. Tap shadow in. 9. Fluff it up. Take round brush and brush eyebrows up and out.
A well-tailored jacket is one of the most versatile pieces you can take on the road. It keeps you warm and dresses up a look quickly for an impromptu dinner or meeting.
HOW TO:
PACK A JACKET Writer AUGUSTUS LOI
But forget wearing it onto the airplane unless you’re going for a dishevelled, homeless look (very Nick Nolte) upon arrival. Not to mention the damage to the shoulders of a five-grand cashmere fabric from the friction of the bag. Want to see a grown man weep? 1. Turn it inside-out and bring shoulders out, leaving sleeves inside. 2. Fold jacket in half length-wise and then fold in half again 3. Place in bag at the bottom. 4. At your destination, take suit out and put near shower so the steam can smooth out wrinkles.
COLUMN
Writer AUGUSTUS LOI
In February this year, the good folks at Blueprint, the tradeshow arm of the behemoth known as Asia Fashion Exchange, kicked off its social media movement called “Wear Emerging Designers” (W.E.D.).
To date, 361 people have added the W.E.D. badge to their profile pictures on Facebook, suggesting their support. But movements aside, what can we in the industry do to support our emerging talents?
The name is self-explanatory, and it’s intentions ostensibly positive – talented young Singaporean designers struggle on the one side against the luxury brands, whose wares imbue the wearer with “you’ve made it” cache. On the other side, they compete with the ubiquity of High Street brands, but without the scale to command similar cutthroat prices.
As someone in the fashion space for a number of years now, my heart goes out to the talents in this industry.
I make it a habit of clothing myself with the designers that have worked with FashionSpace and have provided fodder for interviews, spreads and the like. At the same time, I do so on a paycheck as meagre as the The campaign encourages Singaporeans to job is (seemingly) glamorous. support the brave souls known as designers by purchasing their wares at the Blueprint I can’t complain. Some of the most recognisable designers in this market still live with their parents. Emporium in May.
They mingle with socialites at galas but return Some slashes of cheap paint: who would to humble apartments that often double as have thought. workrooms. They bead gowns by hand. It is perhaps bombastic to compare fashion At the same time, shoppers complain about to art (and yet here we are), but fashion is the prices, comparing collections produced the plate on which the semiotics of social life in quantities as small as a few dozen per swirls. Fashion communicates more than it size to those churned out en masse at a few justifiably should; it is the definition of more dollars apiece. than the sum of its parts. The cost of doing business in Singapore is notoriously high. Rental and consignment costs can make the work of local designers seem unjustifiably priced, or cut into the margins further – often both. A piece of art is sometimes described as a product of no obvious value. But a Jackson Pollock can lift the spirits by proximity.
With that, I hope our readers can support our local and emerging designers. Whether motivated by nationalism, a romantic notion of fashion and art, or an aesthetic appreciation of a craft, spend within your means, but spend if you can.