SURPRISE!!!!!!!!

We are now at WOTTONCOOL.COM, and the grass is greener on the other side, FO’ SHURE.

Thanks for being with us for the past two years, and we hope you’ll join us at our spankin’ new dot com!

(PS, we have SO much lined up over the twelve days of Christmas.)

Blogging about the fashion scene in Singapore excites me. But if you haven’t noticed.. it has mostly been about clothes. Drapey garments. Maybe some accessories. Things that go on hangers and racks.

Luckily for us, Alice Soedirman and Cheryl Mok of Shito have not forgotten about dressing up our feet.

The year-old shoe label is all about sultry suede and leather confections that are as edgy as they are uncompromisingly feminine. What they want for their shoes is to empower the wearer, and I think I can safely say that they do a pretty damn fine job of that. The black tasselled wedge is a special collaboration with Max Tan, and I adore it. Man I think I mention the guy/his label a bit too much.

Their signature shape is a bulbous upturned toe-box with a centre-fold – somewhat strange in an almost animalistic manner at first, but somehow frames our feet so well. They are said to be pretty kind on the feet and wear comfortably too.

Styling them on a platter with cookies, strawberries and chocolate drizzle just make them all the more desirable, don’t you think? Even the simple ballet flats. I’d polish off the entire serving.

Shito has been retailing at Blackmarket, Ztamp, Antipodean and its own online store since its inception, and to my surprise, has also joined the new rotation of designers at Parco’s next Next fashion Incubator.

Picture credits to here.

I hope everyone has dreary dark days when there is no better cure-all than a top to toe black ensemble. One less thing to worry about. No need to fret if the colours clash or if the patterns mix. Just a quiet day to blend in with the rest of the world as you go about the things you gotta get done.

Then again, its also in the subtleties of plays of textures that also keep things interesting. Monsoons coerced the knit cardigan and wool hat to repel December precipitation, and basic oversized cotton tee with Stella McCartney for Adidas leggings for easy mobility.

Lake Hakone

Lunch

Japanese Crafts

Mount Fuji

Gundam

Crazy colourz

Plastic food

‘X’ junctions

Hachiko’s statue

Cat cafe in Shibuya

One of my recent fav reads is Net-a-Porter’s iPad magazine app filled with the week’s latest lusts and musts for the upper crusts of society. One feature from several weeks ago illustrated ways to update winter looks to carry you into 2011.

Suggestion #6 was an modern play on layering and contrast, revealing a bit of sleeve while keep the cold at bay. And I sorely wanted to try this rolled up layered sleeve look, especially because Singapore weather does not favor the trench.

Japan, with Mount Fuji in the backdrop for “mood” hahas, presented an opportune time to give this a go. With a cream trench, stripped (a la kueh lapis) knit sweater dress, jeans, polka dot scarf, wool hat and sunglasses, doubt I created sufficient “contrast” but it kept me amply warm. So points there!

You know he never disappoints, and as we were acquainted with the new rack, we set our eyes on this soft grey melange top-and-skirt ensemble:

The subtly paneled top ends with a circle of folds, and then integrates seamlessly into the heavily draped skirt. I have no words.

Here’s a mind-teaser/mind-boggling piece – a dress that melds into a rectangular skirt when held up. How is such an idea conceived? How does that even happen? My mind is blown. (Or I am stupid.)

The fashion community waited with baited breathe when news first broke about the H&M and Lanvin collaboration. And there was near pandemonium when the collection was first available for purchase online, overloading the server bandwidth and all the technical schzam that I shan’t frazzle my fringe in.

On my recent trip to Tokyo, I was shocked but sadistically overjoyed to see a contented shopper leaving the Ginza district outlet with her very own ‘H&M <3 Lanvin’ bag tucked under her slender arm. Closer investigations into the store confirmed my hunch as I found signature pieces lined obediently in rows, awaiting my thorough inspection.

Usual suspects were present – overpriced accessories and shoes that would eat your heart for dessert. But, rather unexpectedly, high rollers such as the signature red tulle tutu dress and yellow ruffle toga dress were also rounded up in this raid.

Conversations in the interrogation room did not reveal much and without a confession, I found it hard to post bail for this baby. But if you are convinced of her innocence, by all means, Japan still has sizes!

It’s very dangerous to make a bold claim of creating things that “challenge the notion of its usage” and “does not conform to traditional shapes” for all to see. But Hoiming – a design duo from Hong Kong has been pumping this notion into all of their leather bags and accessories since 2006.

While bats have been in the background of Halloween decoration and possibly freaking out the half the kid population of Western families, they are wholeheartedly embraced by the Chinese. Why? Because its pronunciation sounds similar to that of “good fortune”.

They’ve been in paintings because they symbolize blessings, and now in Hoiming’s amazingly shaped, pleated and hand-stitched leather creations. Apart from the slightly creepy necklace and brooch designs, it also comes in what Hoiming does best – bags.

Although small, it still embodies the creased wide-winged shape and made so modern. I love how the shots are upside-down just like how bats hang!

They have also done these raining rose leather corsages which look great as a large, singular entity, unlike a floral bouquet that heaps of other designers are fond of.

And then, there are these cute clutch bags called clouds. Love how the designers translated wispiness into layered, scalloped leather pieces on a dumpling-shaped bag. And while its name brings to mind soft, blue skies and cotton candy, the colours chosen are a stormier dark blue and black. So wickedly cool.

My favourite from their archives is this bag-and-jacket mutation from 2008 – a sleeve to go over the shoulder and pockets to fit your hand with lots of room to spare. It truly epitomizes their brand philosophy of creating bags with reason and surprises. I need me some time-transportation and money-multiplying capabilites. How can I ever ever get my hands on this?!

Multi-label store Front Row celebrated their 5th anniversary last weekend, and Hoiming is part of the slew of new labels from all over the world to hit our sunny shores to mark the occasion. The bat, cloud and rose styles are in store now. Can’t wait for more of Hoiming’s amazing pieces in future!

Picture credits to here and here.

I am usually not in favour of anything that reminds me of cardiovascular activities (ew, persipration!), and no, try as they may, there is no way that running shoes and trainers look drop-dead-gorgeous or heart-wrenchingly desirable on anybody who’s taking them any further from the track or gym.

This is why it is imperative for a sportwear brand to really rip apart every traditional notion of a sports shoe, do away with performance, keep the comfort, then piece them back with lots of useless but aesthetically-cool (really, that’s all we need) findings, and no less than a four-inch heel.

Puma has been doing an admirable job of that, especially with Hussein Chalayan for its Urban Mobility collection. Sarah was (and still is… if I’m not wrong!) lusting after this fine suede and leather being here.

Prior to this, there was also this pair by the late Alexander McQueen. Love the contrasting leather panels, how it wraps around the wedge, and cut-outs round the ankles.

Adidas has Japanese designer, Yohji Yamamoto to thanks for the nearly decade-long collaboration in the form of Y-3. This season’s fancy footwear includes a high-cut boot wedge with pretty unconventional lacing…

And an elastic lace-up heel that bravely breaks away from the sneaker-wedge stereotypes. This I like.

In case you were wondering how to rock shoes these, just do as Betty does.

If you’ve got any secret shoe favourites, do share!

Picture credits to here, here, here, here and here.

Also, my sister’s adorable shoes.

Quick abrupt post, pretty much describes how I’ve been zipping around town and home today. And also, I most probably will be starting work next week! Whee!