Caped Crusader

November 5, 2012

Here’s me wearing my favourite shirt dress from Junya Watanabe FW 2011. The details speak for Junya’s precise technical skills, from the darted bodice to the caped back. The only problem I had is that I couldn’t afford a replacement piece if it is ever ruined.

*sorry for the blank stare*

Edit: Thank you all for the encouraging comments!!

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DIY Draped Vest

October 29, 2012

Thanks to Mika from Define Delirium I was able to do a proper DIY for once. I’ve always been subconsciously ignoring most DIY tutorials because they tend to be rather art and crafts-y and completely irrelevant to my aesthetics, that is until the DIY vest tutorial came along. I’m so pleased with the end result that I wore it three days straight.

I made slight changes to the original tutorial as I used a flimsy piece of jersey fabric which draped far too much for my liking. I cut another exact piece in a stiffer cotton and had both pieces of fabric professionally hemmed (okay so I cheated a little) by a seamstress. The end result was a billowy thin vest blanket that is light enough to catch wind but retains a definite shape.

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6 Reasons Why SS2013 Was Awesome

October 23, 2012

6. What was going on with Rick?

Rick Owens never ceases to amaze me, sometimes in very appalling ways. When he’s not producing the most awesome clothes, he leaves me passionately infuriated. I suppose that has always been the attraction of Rick to me, in that he never leaves me indifferent, because I know deep down inside I will always stick around for his vision.

This particular SS13 collection left me rather conflicted for two reasons. One being the choice of material, and the other being the narrative that I, as an audience, was receiving. If I could sum up the former, it would be cheap-looking, and the latter, subservience, neither of which is how I like my Rick Owens. There was too much sheen and transparency in some of the garments, which made the clothes look less ethereal and more like candy wrappers. Secondly, the entire presentation, from the hair to makeup to the garments and their colour scheme, portrayed obedience, as if they were girls of lowly positions who served the High Priestesses of the previous collections. There is no chaos nor excitement, but instead it has been replaced with a cold sense of orderliness that is expected from subjects of plebeian rank.

To sum it up, despite some redeeming qualities, this Rick collection made it to the list because I feel so strongly against it.

5. Hedi Slimane kerffaffle

So yes, anyone who hasn’t been living under the fashion rock would have heard about the childish Slimane’s tirade against Cathy Horyn. Personally I love catty fashion drama, as long as it doesn’t involve me *rawr*, but most of all I was rather appalled at the sense of entitlement this revered so-called fashion maverick was exhibiting all over the Internet, as if he was the king of the playground. And all this after failing to update his skinny rocker chick shtick which has been done to death by Topshop/Topman. I can’t believe Stefano Pilati, who by the way had been doing a good job at YSL, has been replaced by this prick who set the house back four decades (no offense to Slimane fans).

All I can say is, Slimane should lay off his Iphone and concentrate on his sketchbook instead.

4. Gareth Pugh’s brides

So having spent some time looking through Gareth Pugh’s collections, I have come to the conclusion that they resemble bridal gowns, and the veils further reinforced that image. Granted the girls are not just anyone’s brides, they are probably more suited to marrying Count Dracula or some dude aptly named Lord Vladimir Vampir or something (or Countess/Lady if that’s your cup of tea).

I can’t say I am a massive fan of the entire collection as the flared sleeves and corsets were too medieval, but he has shown great finesse in technical constructions such as the shredded dress (which was the highlight of Katie Shillingford’s wedding dress); the stiff, geisha-like collar, and the draped cape-gown hybrid. If I were to sum up the entire collection in two words, it would be Oriental Transylvania. And what’s not to like about that?

3. Rei Kawakubo’s toile vomit

Continuing on last season’s theme of volume, Rei Kawakubo has once again gone all out to turn our perception of beauty upside down. This SS13 show reminded me of her lumps and bumps collection, but less awkward and incidentally, more wearable (well in my books anyway). Her concept of using discarded muslin toiles has a touch of irony, much like the old Margiela, but I was far more intrigued by the sophistication of the pattern making and craftsmanship. To most uninformed audience, this would look like a middle school art project, something they’ll say they could DIY themselves. While I used to get into a fit of rage over statements like this, I’ve now learnt to use it as a litmus test to distance myself from the ignoramuses.

2. Haider Ackermann’s army

Haider Ackermann has always been a designer who can do no wrong in my eyes. In saying that, I have never been compelled to go out of my way to attain his clothes, unlike Gareth Pugh, despite the latter being a lot more inaccessible. The problem is that Haider’s beautiful overlays and drapes do not translate well in everyday wear, because most of them were pretty much loosey jangley yards of cloths that constantly threaten to expose the most inappropriate parts of your body while you’re going about with your chores.

Well it seemed that he has listened to the grievances of his fans since the last season, and this latest one, while at the same time still retaining that melancholic, reserved aggressiveness that would easily rival that of Ann’s. His tailoring keeps improving by leaps and bounds, and his draping now much more disciplined. The SS13 show was so beautiful I swear my reaction was almost as dramatic as this. He showed women who are powerful but not obnoxious, serene but with a hint of naughtiness. All in all he makes me proud to be a member of the fairer sex.

Seeing how much the show almost moved me to tears, I had no choice but to make it my favourite out of the entire season, hence it sits at the number two spot on this list.

1. Comme des Garcons off the runway

Before fashion week began I thought that the most popular item we would be seeing on the muster of peacocks was the Givenchy knee-high boots. Boy I couldn’t be more wrong. Who knew that their go-to statement piece would be Comme des Garcon’s felt coats? For the first time I was actually rather happy to scroll through Tommy Ton’s and Phil Oh’s slideshows as the fashion goers were actually embracing the fun side of fashion over the usual ‘classy’ suspects.

Because there’s hardly greater enjoyment than seeing outrageous pieces being worn off the runway, the slew of Comme des Garcons coats paraded all over Paris made the entire season memorable, sending it straight to number one on the list.

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White Out

October 17, 2012

For some time now designers have been pushing the colour white to the masses, from Helmut Lang, Celine, Margiela, to Jil Sander, and even Rick Owens. Despite staying out of most fashion trends, a broad trend movement like colours can be difficult to avoid. Yours truly have fallen trap to this white-out trend and frankly I am not the least bit ashamed about it. I would happily do the same if it had been grey, stone, oxblood or mud. I thought I’d share some beautiful white pieces within our preferred aesthetics, guaranteed to look amazing in the snow.

$150 and under – for the times when we barely have enough to even buy ramen for sustenance. Screw food, have swag instead.

1. Religion Clothing cardigan £90
2. La Kore dress $148
3. Ann Demeulemeester dress $135
4. Lupatelli cardigan $89
5. Mango draped maxi-skirt £34.99
6. Es’givien turtleneck dress $95
7. Helmut Lang cowl neck tee $149
8. Asos airtex draped dress £36.50

$150-$250 – I don’t know about you but I have a hard time finding pieces that fall between affordable and luxury.

1. Aqua Maple kimono dress £130
2. Kimberly Ovitz Morris dress $165
3. Unconditional asymmetric top $175.50
4. Coming soon turtleneck dress $198
5. Kaos cardigan $158
6. Rick Owens cardigan $248

$$$$$$ – For the times when money falls from the sky, or grow from trees in our backyard, or the day we’ve become semi-transcendent beings who no longer need food nor water for sustenance.

1. Helmut Lang rabbit trim leather jacket $1895
2. Ann Demeulemeester asymmetric draped blouse $402
3. Rick Owens draped maxi dress $1350
4. Rick Owens Lilies wool jacket $1775
5. Margiela blanket coat $1301
6. Ann Demeulemeester wrap coat $1924

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The Lone Pigeon

October 12, 2012

Just recently I read an article from Thought Catalog. The title was ‘9 Male Archetypes Pop Culture Assumes I Find Attractive, That I Don’t Actually Find Attractive‘ (bit of a mouthful, I know). It wasn’t particularly hilarious, but one character that was written hit me hard.

The lone wolf

This is the guy in movies and advertisements who does things his own way. His background is a mystery. He often wears leather. His bad boy exterior is a cover up of years of hurt and angst.
If I ever met someone like this in real life, though? Can you imagine what it’d be like to talk to this guy?

“Hey dude, how’s it going?”
“The wind goes…the wind blows…”
“What was that?
“Nothing.”
“Oh, OK. So, um, what’s your name?”
“What is a ‘name,’ really?”
“Ha. Yeah. Good point. Well, I’m Nate.”
“…When I was nine years old my father gave me a pigeon. He told me it was a turtledove. Ha. The old man always had a few tricks up his sleeve.”
“Yeah… listen dude I’m getting a beer, can I buy you a…”
“But when I finally met that girl down in Buenos Aires, you know what I realized?”
“…No?”
“I was the pigeon. I was the pigeon.”
Flings hair over his shoulder, storms to a dark place. Aaaaaannd scene.

Ironically this is how I pictured most goth ninjas to behave. Clad in their primal processed animal skins, they dart from alleys to corners. If you ever get to close to them, they fly away faster than you can ask where they got their artisanal steez from, just like pigeons do when you get too curious. And if you actually are close enough to talk to them, well you’d wish you never had because they’ll smite you with pseudo-intellectual verbosity that turns your beer dry.


Here is the back of the jacket to show you the intricacies of Junya’s deconstruction. It is the reason why I always love his interpretations of classic pieces such as biker jackets and trench coats. (Please click on image to enlarge)

The above is of course an incorrect generalisation, but nonetheless I can’t help making it because so many ‘dark’ brands choose to go down that route. Just check out Odyn Vovk’s film, or any lookbooks from Obscur, Julius and of course, Rick Owens himself. I can guarantee there are at least one of these elements involved: concrete wall, partially obscured face (pardon the pun), hoodies as pointy as KKK’s, swathes of fabric wrapped around a model, and desaturated photography. Which then begs the question: is there truly no other way to express obscurity (again, pun not intended), introversion, mystery and grit? Must we always resort to cliched ideas such as the lonely man in the corner, a wistful stare into the horizon, or some bearded, possibly blindfolded dude sitting and contemplating whether he’s a pigeon, in a dark room?

I, for one, would love to see artisanal brands taking themselves less seriously. I have yet to come across any of these designers favoured by goth ninjas (outdated term, I know, but nothing else comes close) who inject a dash of comedy into their presentations. Time and time again I see new names who attempt to create derivatives which I can’t differentiate from one another. If they hope to stand out amongst the sea of black, I’d suggest trying out a completely different approach to promoting their products. I hope this will give them some inspirations.

P.S. I like pigeons, especially the fat ones.

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Hello to Drunk Blogging

September 23, 2012

Ever had one of those days where you really want to write something substantial but you find that your arsenal has dried up? Well that’s the state I am in now, so much so that I have to resort to alcohol to write something half witty. My parents would not be pleased at the prospect of me consuming the devil’s nectar, let alone being half drunk midday. But screw it. Times are difficult at the moment, I’m attempting to carry on with my life as though nothing has happened. Oh heartbreak, thou art an evil thing, attempting to turn me into an alcoholic and whatnot.

Anyway, I have finally joined the Tabi gang, having pined over them for a year or so now. They’re not pretty, no sireee, and yet they hold a special place in my fashion heart. These days though, I’ve been wondering if I’m overcompensating for a certain lack of ‘something’ by going over the top with my clothes. It’s been two years since I first dabbled in Rick Owens and I have been going overboard with my clothes since. It’s not enough for me to go out in just shirt and jeans, I am always compelled to add a leather jacket or a blazer, or some outrageous boots (yes I wear all of them in this stinking awful humidity, the secret is to avoid the sun at all cost). I always admire bloggers who look good with the simplest outfits, but when it comes to myself, a simple, straight silhouette no longer feels satisfactory.

Okay so that didn’t sound very intellectual, at all. But whatever. Here are some pics of me in a poncho that has a windscreen wiper.

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