Filed under: - Jo, 2009 Spring/Summer, Magazines, Models, OMGWTFBBQ, Random | Tags: Fashion, L'Officiel, L'officiel Singapore, Models, Runway, Runway Shows, Style
Here’s L’Officiel Singapore glamourizing THE runway boo-boo of late – models falling over themselves – in “Balancing Act” of their March 2009 issue.
I guess.. contorted bodies = interesting visuals? I wish there were frontal ones though!
Any more boo-boos to make their rounds around mags?
From Pedestrian
Filed under: - Jo, Inspirables, Magazines, Random, Shopping, Trends, ebay | Tags: Fashion, Fashion Design, Luxury, Newsweek, Quality Clothing, Style
Over the weekend, I’ve had a revelation of sorts. Not only because it’s been Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday (don’t you like it that they all have names?), but my boyfriend passed me a recent issue of Newsweek to read.
Jonathan Tepperman wrote about “The Case for Luxury. The savvy shopping buys less but spends more in hard times.”
Basically, he talks about the ton of shirts, pants, suits, denim, coats he owns – most from high street stores, a select few from high fashion labels. Out of the mass of clothing are The Chosen Few. The most loved, most worn items, which only make up a small fraction of his entire wardrobe. So he proposes that we spend more and invest in luxury pieces than misappropriate our funds into smaller (and possibly regrettable) purchases at lesser lux places.
It makes sense to me. Over the past year I’ve shopped the most at Baylene, Giordano Concepts, Topshop and eBay. (This month alone I’ve only shopped at Uniqlo – that’s impulsive and scary.)
With the money I squandered away over the past year I think I might be able to get me
- just the sling of a Chanel 2.55
- one side of a pair of Repettos
- the platform sole (or maybe just the stiletto heel) of a YSL Tribute Pump
- one sleeve of a usually double sleeved (no kidding :O) Rick Owens leather jacket
and I dunno.. any suggestions?
If luxury labels and comfort are always perfectly directly correlated, I would love to own a pair of Chanel or Lanvin flats. I haven’t got to trying a pair from either on though.
I believe that one pair of comfortable flats and one pair of comfortable heels will get me through anything. Do comfortable heels exist? Besides say er… Clarks?
Anyway!
It’s a struggle for me because you’re giving up variety. Although sometimes I tend to buy the same things over.. Like I have 3 black vests, 2 black.. no but you see they all are different, like this one has a sheer… okay I’ll stop explaining myself.
Maybe the author is speaking from an entirely different context for an audience that is not me… The ones who read Newsweek not because school forces them too, but the articles are their bread and butter, and the advertisements are of products they can actually afford – Rolex, LV luggages, Singapore Airlines (yea nowadays I only fly budget, and only go to the countries as far as the airline goes).
Either way I think it’s a good way for me to go, because if I save up for that something big, and if for some reason or other I end up not buying it, I end up with a happy balance in my bank account.
(starts chanting “Less is more, less is more. Less is more!”)
Read the original Newseek article here.
Filed under: - Jo, Desirables, Inspirables, Magazines | Tags: Fashion, Fashion editorial, Harper's Bazaar, liquid metal, metallic, Style, Styling
Heavy metal never dies. And liquid metal doesn’t seem to wanna melt away either..
Mere mortals experience liquid metal in pretty flat textures (although the sheen gives it an added dimension). But special people get special treatment in the form of specially treated fabrics.
You’ll still sparkle in the shade.
This editorial makes a great play of light and shade/shadow.
I especially love this pleated one. So decadent.
From Harper’s Bazaar April 2009 – Flashes of Brilliance
From foto_decadent
Filed under: - Jo, Inspirables, Magazines, Models, Trends | Tags: Cosmopolitan, Fashion, Goong, Korea, Korean Dramas, Korean Wave, Magazines, Princess Hours, Style, Vogue
About a decade or so ago, say “Korea” and people think of kimchi.
Say the same thing now, and chances are, housewives and schoolgirls will spew a myriad of names of Korean musicians, TV personnalities, movie stars, drama serials, and the like. (This of course, disregarding the disparity of North and South Korea – fans don’t have time for this.)
Korea has set foot in many industries like steel producing, automaking, consumer electronics, shipbuilding, robotics, and needless to say, entertainment.
So it’s interesting to see popular Korean personalities do the same – dabble in a domain other than their own.
I can’t say that I’ve caught the Korean wave myself, but I was, and still am deeply obsessed with one particular drama serial – Princess Hours (Goong).
If you watch it, you’ll be absolutely smitten with Chae Kyeong and Shin. I was.
I recall one episode when there was a scene whereby Shin (played by Joo Ji Hoon) was bathing, and the audience was treated to frames of him half nekkid. (Doesn’t nekkid sound more naked than… naked?) I was having a simultaneous conversation over MSN with my friend who was equally obsessed. And we launched into a fury of wanting to be random toilet objects like the carpet and towel because they got to see Joo Ji Hoon in his full glory.
Ooh. That’s part embarassing and part exciting to tell. I WANT JOO JI HOON!!!!!!!!!!
Anyway. The great part about this is that these actors go into other areas like singing… and modelling. And most of the time they do a pretty good job of it.
Vogue Korea – March 2009
Who knew she could work it like that?
Cosmopolitan Korea – December 2008
I think if you’re an actress in Korea, it’s inevitable that you fall into a big hole along with the other new artistes called “cute trap”. Luckily, this isn’t as irksomely and irritably cute as what you’ll see on TV.
Vogue Korea – December 2007
What I think was her best shoot (and most uncharacteristic of her) to date..
Strange… but it gets more surreal when a celebrity stops becoming a celebrity in a photoshoot.
I have to add that her fans did not appreciate this photoshoot one bit.
“sometimes i just don’t understand haute couture…why (do) they (have to) make her (look) so ugly?”
“Sigh… same here.
And what’s with the tutu anyway???”
And here I am thinking it’s pushing boundaries for her
From qinatthedisco, AF, crunchyroll, k-popped, kimshey
Filed under: - Jo, Magazines, Random | Tags: Academy Awards, Alber Elbaz, Fashion, Lanvin, Oscars, Red Carpet, Style, Tilda Swinton
Off-script as usual, was how style.com described Tilda Swinton’s almost-signature off-beat read carpet style.
From yesterday at the Oscars – a two piece Lanvin ensemble.
I thought it was lovely. The opposing direction of the drapes on the top and bottom. She always has such great accessories too. Not quite sure about the shoes though.
When she picked up a statuette last year – a long black Lanvin dress that got the words “trashbag” and “crow” on people’s lips.
I loved the contrast, between her dress and skin, dress and hair, hair and skin.. Then you notice her eyes… Ooooh. Clever.
All these appearances is courtesy of Lanvin’s Alber Albaz, who can almost be described as Tilda’s BFF for the red carpet, save for the fact that it seems a bit odd to say so.
(Imagine tight Alber-Tilda hug and air kiss)
Fashion Group International’s 24th Annual Night of Stars honoring “The Rule Breakers” in 2007
Notice the lack of tight hug and air kiss. All is sealed with a casual arm hook. Do you not covet Alber’s bowtie?
While Tilda has received lots of flak for her supposed red carpet dress distress (she doesn’t look that bad… does she?), she sure looks like she enjoys draping herself in avant garde wares, or in some instances, lending her avant garde/quirky quality to the garments.
Or maybe she likes the silly reactions she gets – us minions fussing about her strange sartorial choices when she knows that she pulls them off perfectly.
At the 17th Annual BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards in 2008. A polka dotted long dress from Lanvin Resort 2009.
I didn’t know her hair was THAT short along the sides. That aside, I love this best. It almost seems a bit too fun for Tilda.. but tall, loose silhouette and charming details? Check!
I think that quirky quality about her, along with her off-screen, off-script fashion sense garnered her quite a few photoshoots. I haven’t come across anyone of her age and status (more artist, serious actress, less celebrity, less model) who was as sought after among magazines. (More on Tilda in magazines later!)
Which do you think describes her better? Wearing avant garde or making avant garde?
Pictures from style.com, red carpet fashion awards and random googling.
Stefanie Sun is apparently dubbed the Kate Moss of Singapore – or so ST Urban said last Friday.
Oh yes. For the uninitiated: She’s a Singaporean singer-songwriter who has been in the scene for nearly a decade. More from trusty ol’ wiki!
Early digression: I’m still pretty confused about the whole stylish celebs/artistes thing. So they all do have stylists, but they look cool because of who they are in the public eye? Or… are stylists just people who procure the interesting pieces then the celebs themselves put them together.
Either way, Stefanie Sun has been looking a million dollars these few years, on screen and off screen
Nu You – December 2008
Style: – August 2008
She started out as a pretty casual, t-shirt and jeans, girl-next-door kinda singer (like most Chinese singers do. Either that or OTT cute.). That made her cool.
Then she started putting on some quirkier stuff. Think Faye Wong -50%.
I guess now she’s at her peak of fashion freedom (from overbearing managers) and sartorial awareness (if I can say so), having refined and married elegance and quirkiness.
Nu You – October 2007
She takes pretty good pictures. I think it’s part of who she is.. Fragile-looking (look at her build!), but firm (not the same as stiff) in her expression and motion. Her songs reflect this trait about her too.
I tell from the very limited collection of songs I have by her – a grand told of…!
7!
Random photos
If you read the article in ST Urban, you would know that Sun talked about her biggest fashion faux pas – wearing a bikini over a simple t-shirt and jeans.
I just HAD to unearth the picture..
So… BEHOLD!
Omg she looked pretty scared herself.
Anyway, I think we need more paparazzis in Singapore to document Sun’s off-days wear to say that she’s the Kate Moss of Singapore. Haha.
On a side note: I think she reminds me of Tilda Swinton.
Thoughts?
All pictures from AF
Filed under: - Jo, 2009 Spring/Summer, Desirables, Inspirables, Magazines, Models
Balmain jacket, Miu Miu dress and bag, leopard bodysuit…
There’s no other way to look ferosha! (reading too much BB) with grime under your feet, dust combing through your hair and sand flying into your eyes. HAHA.
(Sorry I can’t remember where this came from!)
It’s a great fuzzy feeling to feel loved and protected by someone. But where that someone does not exist, one may find refuge in your own shining armour for some bullet-proof (though not insult-proof) protection.
This is Highlights magazine Armour Karma spread in their Issue #32 of Fall 2008.
Don’t those vests and braces make you wanna clank some metal and expel an expletive? Or maybe a war cry?
If you’re not for the self-protection schmazz, maybe you can go for some self-assurance in luxurious quilting. But not without a hint of shiny metal to show that you’re not to be trifled with!
Here’s some leather goodness for you to start your own protection scheme if you do not have a reliable insurance agent.
From Craisford Leather
Neck Armour from blackbirdmaille
Photos from foto decadent, amelie boutique and etsy
Orang Minyak means oily man in Malay. It is an oily ghost who worships the devil and rapes young girls.
Those are what you get in many editorials starring male models.
Too oily, to hairy, too stoic, too scary.
But not these!
And Men Magazine, Volume 11, 2008
Many have commented that the contrast is stretched a leeetle too far, but I think that’s what’s partly alluring about these photos.
The ruffles are defined, the prints are distinct, the textures pop out. Ah.
And… I’m out!!
Pictures from foto decadent
Filed under: - Sarah, DIY, Events, Inspirables, Magazines, Our Style, Outfit Photos, Street/Scene Style | Tags: Challenge, Copy, Magazine Spread, Party Idea, Print-Per-Outfit, themed party
I attended a themed party last evening (:
And had to come dressed like a magazine image!!!
So after some “reseach”..
and in a crazy combination of mentally going through my wardrobe for similar pieces, finding interesting yet wearable combinations and not wanting to look too normal (or boring)..
I decided on this
which looked like a very strong contender for my current Print-Per-Outfit Record (see here)!
Not wanting to shirk from the challenge, I chose to push my own boundaries and perceptions of what I think I’d wear.
The end result?
what do you think??
Panelled Pilgrim Dress: Regifted from boyfriend’s mom
Silver Knit Tank/Vest: Gift from boyfriend’s mom
Lazer Cut belt: Lisa Ho
Long Tunic/Shirt: Baylene
Watch: White Sands stall
Bangles: Green – Thailand, gift from mom. Black – Vietnam, gift from sister
Shoes: Onitsuka Tiger
was it warm? YES! especially since the party venue was outdoors. but tolerable (:
And I am proud that I left the house dressed as such
granted my nose was stuck in my book for a larger portion of the commute to the party venue, but at least I didn’t pull a Clark Kent and change in the nearest public toilet!
[I got a prize for putting in the most effort!! hahas]
