Talking Labels: Zang Toi for Harper's Bazaar Malaysia

I have great respect for this talent.

He is a kampung boy made good in the Big Apple. In a world where people become rich and famous because they are famous and/or rich, his success is well deserved for his gift for glamour and staying power. Over twenty years of hard work, the dream is still alive.

I believe in the Law of Attraction so I am putting it out there that it would be an honor to interview him, and perhaps on my return to New York, visit his atelier and who knows, his gorgeous Upper East Side home.  I will bring Satay and my own Thai Green Curry!

In the meantime, he will be featured in Harper's Bazaar Malaysia's 10th Anniversary Edition. It is incredibly nice that he still supports home town media. And if the initial pictures popping up on twitter are anything to go by, that anniversary issue will be da bomb! 

Look out for it!

For more on House of Toi, click here.

On a break from the shoot

All pictures © Zang Toi

Opinion: What Not To Wear If You Are An Anti-Gay Pastor

OK.

I am not going to politicize my Style Journal.

I have always said: I want my blog to be a positive thing. Even if on the surface, it doesn't look like it. I believe you can always learn through every experience. You know, don't judge a coat by its lapels, look at the label and it could be Burberry.

So, Anti-Gay Pastor Lawrence Khong from Faith Community Baptist Church in Singapore is dressing up for his crusade. Anyone who has kept with the news knows that he raised a ruckus by involving a senior Singaporean politician in his tirades against gay people.

Basically, he wants the Government not to repeal an ancient  law inherited from British colonial times that criminalizes sex between men. This law was raised during the Human Rights Commission inquiry into Singapore's human rights ranking.  Singapore has denied enforcing it, but has also refused to repeal it.

Thanks to haters like the Pastor.

I do not want to publicize his words of hate, but it is important to place things in their proper context. You can read his statements here:
WTF

Well, he is of course entitled to his opinions. Even though, as a man of God, it is love he should be expressing, and not encourage his flock to hate.  That is my opinion.

It is also my opinion that I think he is offensive on another level. His fashion sense totally hurts my eyes. He needs a makeover and I am sure I can help him out with that.

Tolong Lah Mister. Leather? Bondage? Really? You sure you are not 'family'?

What he looks like. But without the muscles and the good looks.

Seriously, Mr Khong. The Mad Max look is not only unbecoming for a pastor, it is also SOOOOOO 80's.

Why don't you learn from the ex-CEO of the SMRT who was carried into a party by a few hunks, dressed as Cleopatra? Aiyoh mister, pictures online live FOREVER laaaaaahhhhh. Roll eyeballs.

Stuff Envy: Prabal Gurung for Target!

FEBRUARY 10 PEOPLE!

Mark that date down because fashion is about to get another dose of democracy. High fashion is reaching the masses once again with a collaboration so exciting it is making me salivate. The last time this sort of thing really got me going was Missoni's deal with Target, and Versace's collection for H&M.

Frankly, those collaborations seemed a tad mmmmm compromised. When you look at the products, you get a sense that they were licensed versions rather than conceptualized by the in house team. Of course this is probably furthest from the truth, and their respective design teams had to work on strict price points and budgets. Still, some of the products looked like they were Made In China bags with the brand just slapped on for good measure (think Givenchy for Singapore Airlines and you will get the drift).

Prabal Gurung's collection however, is divine. At least in pictures. It is not the first time he has worked with Target. This time though, he is headlining the marquee.

80+ pieces.  The most expensive item is a very pocketbook friendly US$199. Most items are below US$50.  I am already scheming to have the products shipped over. This is one of those many times fashion forward guys would look at their female friends and envy at how lucky they are to be able to buy treasures such as these.

Take a look!

I am a shoes and bags person.

Guilty. Proud of it. Eyeball my shoe closet and please wipe your mouth liquids on the floor as you leave.

PG's collection for Target makes you want to do a Shatzie from the classic New York movie, 'How to Marry a Millionaire'.

"I'll take that and that, and that and that and that, and that and that. And charge it please."

Take a look:

Life can be so unfair for guys, fashion wise. Especially if you look at the BAGS!

PG is hot hot hot in fashion right now. And it helps that he is so easy on the eyes.  Woof!

Globally, he has been lauded as 'Singapore Born', which makes me proud, but we all know his design genius is not the result of being born or even being in this little red dot (pun intended). Still, international media has tied his name to this country of millionaires, and I hope to be one of the first few to welcome him when he opens his first standalone luxe shop in Singapore, hopefully in ION Orchard. Location lah. Very important.

The thing that is so great is that Target has again partnered with an Asian designer (just as they did with Jason Wu), and when a giant retailer does that, it sends a message that design is truly universal and Asian design makes commercial sense.

The next step is for Asian designers who've made it big in the West to get the investment to move East, where serious money can be made, and not just through licensing their lines.

We are waiting Prabal Gurung! Let Asia experience you in a real way and not just via seeing Ellen Degeneres' cousin, Kate Middleton wear your creations!

Click on the Dot to go to the Official Site:

Retail Therapy: Selfridge's Launches Daring New Retail Concept

"Every situation in life is an opportunity to train the mind in awareness and compassion, focus and empathy, calm and clarity. Headspace allows us to be awake to the opportunity."

Are you curious yet?

Better question: Are you a Brand Bitch?

If you are tied to your LV and Gucci logos, this isn't for you.

When Selfridges started operating in 1909, its founder Harry Gordon Selfridge created a Silence Room where shoppers can escape from the noise of the bargains and other shoppers.  This year, the store decided to revive this and extend that message. In an age where we are constantly bombarded with text messages, cell phone calls, facebook pings, twitter tweets, and email tings, this revival is not just quirky, it is downright necessary.

Watch this:

And this:

The Silence Room is a little like the Sound Room London had in Trafalgar Square last summer when I was there, except that instead of being wrapped in an interesting soundtrack, Selfridge's insulated the room to exclude all sound.

The revised version was designed by the acclaimed Alex Cochrane Architects and is more in line with New Age Zen philosophies that is currently trendy worldwide.

Some of the products that were de-branded, and yes there is fashion too

The thing I do particularly like about the campaign is the 'de-branding' aspect of it all. Sure, the guys at the store think that some products don't really need 'branding' since the products are iconic on their own and are instantly recognizable. Estee Lauder's Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer, Heinz ketchup, Beats Headphones, all have top of mind design that truly don't need any introduction. Indeed, the cheaper products are already sold out.

Even window displays and store bags are not spared

I like the thought behind this. It is a little like how Japanese brand Muji came about years ago. They wanted to remove identifiable logos and just produce high quality functional well designed products.  The irony is, their retail philosophy became a brand itself.

Were brand managers wary of de-branding?

The interesting thing is that the campaign has already drummed up a lot of publicity for its out of the box approach. If you have been to the major retail capitals of the world, you would have noticed that store windows for example are like the covers of magazines. The bigger, more colorful and animated they are, the more stores think customers will be drawn inside. This campaign has shown an alternative approach.

And it really does redefine the term: Retail Therapy.

Is it sustainable? Maybe not. People like their cell phones, their iPads and their brands. To some degree, we have all gotten used to the noise, both visual and aural, of brand marketing. BUY ME! I MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER!

Still, like a nice yoga sala, it is always good to have a spot you can run to when you do find that it is just too much.

Here's hoping retailers worldwide will pick up this message and create their own headspace.

PS, if anyone is willing to get me the all white BEATS headphones as a gift, I wouldn't turn it down! :-)

More information can be found here:

No Noise at Selfridge's

Eye Candy: Asia's Next Top Model Judges say no to Hong Kong

The intention of this blog is to share.  Whether ideas, opinions, views, thoughts etc.

I didn't have much to say about last week's Asia's Next Top Model, so I didn't say anything.  There was something small but it was not so crucial to run to the keyboards.

This week's episode was predictably saccharine. Now, in case anyone thinks I am against soft programming, I am not. While I still think reality shows thrive on conflict (well, at least in the US), things may function better in Asia sans the grief.

Ya think?

Not much to say about the episode proper except for a few key thoughts.

The judges.

It is not easy to say too much about them because the panel keeps changing. The one constant is Nadya, and perhaps Todd.

Nadya

Nadya has turned out to be quite the zen mother hen (or ZMH as I call it). Calm, cool, tell it like it is but in a spinster school teacher sort of way.  And that is nice. She has shown herself as her own entity. Her own character. And dare I say it, I can't take my eyes off her because the camera loves her at all angles.

Todd.

Todd Anthony Tyler

Todd Todd Todd Todd Todd. I remember him to be a very committed professional when he was a model. He was dedicated and present and took directions well during a shoot. As a photographer, his portfolio is impressive. As a judge, what he says make sense. But as a TV judge, he comes across as a stiff piece of cardboard whose cheekbones don't seem to move much, and whose forehead seems frozen in a single expression. I said it before that he has a vacant look in his eyes. This has not changed. And as much as he shells out advice about being more animated during challenges, he would do well to listen to his own words and remember that this is television. And color and animation works well.

This week's guests judges designer Michael Cinco and the chief editor from Harpers Bazaar Lauren Clarke Jensen were good editions to the panel.

Michael Cinco

For one thing, Michael Cinco is an incredible talent. I think he was quite brave to let his beautiful outfits go underwater for the mermaid shoot. I did not really understand what he meant when he said that one of the contestants was 'impalpable'.  Check the dictionary for the definition and you may also have question marks above your head. I put it down to fashion speak, you know, like calling someone divalicious or 'fierce and love'.

Lauren Clarke Jensen from Harper's Bazaar

LCJ from HB. Interesting. It was like watching Joanna Cole in her first few appearances on national television in the US. You know she is something and really has a lot to offer. But someone didn't tell her to be mindful of her on screen persona.

In fact, with LCJ and Michael AND sadly Nadya, the panel's outfits were all basic black. Nothing wrong with that, but even in editorial shoots, flat black has to be popped with texture and accessories to give the outfits life on camera. Nadya was still ok with the bling on her bod, but the other two...CHILD!

It's not them. Designers and Editors have different objectives in their professions. TV people however, should have taken it upon themselves to say something, to protect the interests of their guests.

Ok, this may not be a popular statement but this is where the panel needs someone like Daniel Boey. Like it or hate it, at least he makes an attempt to dress in an eye catching way for the camera. It reveals a very strategic mind that understands the medium. You may not be able to please everyone. But you can be interesting.

The judging

The elimination of the Hong Kong contestant was surprising. Not because she really was the worse of the bunch. Her send off meant that the show would truly become even more saccharine than ever. One predicts.

The Judged

Frankly, she didn't come across as a bitch. In fact Miss Japan is more the drama queen than she thinks. The producers could have milked the tension between Miss Japan and Miss Hong Kong a little bit more for the sake of the show. What is left now is a bunch of people who look like they belong in a Hello Kitty commercial.

They are the sort of people you would want to know. But to do appointment viewing on television, I am not so sure. I would love to see the ratings results.

You know that little thing that I said was not so crucial before. I guess the latest episode makes it more relevant to raise it now.

I have always cringed when the Playboy ads would come on. Not the cheeky ones in the limo. The ones where there is a static picture and a voice over says:"Want to be at Asia's Next Top Model finale party?".

How many of you go YEAH!!!! to such a boring invitation. They could have hired a better voice over talent whose tone is 'brighter'. Trust someone who has worked with some of the best US based voice over talents, it is worth the effort and expense to get these guys to sell your message.

The relationship between the sponsor (Coty Asia / Playboy fragrances) and ANTM (Asia) is not exactly organic. The show seems to be trying to get the next high fashion model that won't embarrass the franchise when she goes to London and Europe. Yet the product is not exactly high fashion and is sold in drugstores. Price point: very accessible. This ain't Dior's Poison honey.

Asia General Manager Coty Beauty, Fons Hautkamp

Bottom line though is...well the bottom line matters. And if Coty wants the brand association and coughs up enough cash to sustain the production, that may be the definition of organic for the show's producers.

Anyway the show is coming to an end soon. Usually at this stage of the competition, the girls would be jetted off to some exotic location to finish off the season. Maybe that will come with the top three.

So who do you think will be on top?

IQ 101: The Stuff in Your Stuff | PARABENS

I hope some if not all of you have gone through your medicine cabinets, kitchens and beauty products to see if your stuff has Triclosan.

This is part 2 in our little class about Chemicals of Interest. Again, it is entirely up to you if it is ok or not. This is just information to help you make decisions.

You must have heard about Parabens. To companies that use this, it is simply a preservative to keep the product on the shelf longer. It would be like having preservatives in your favorite drink in the supermarket.

When you look at labels, you'd probably see one or more variation of this. Again, FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) and beauty product companies will tell you it is safe to use especially when the products contain recommended concentrations. But what if you use many products that contain parabens?  Would it be like having an overdose of salt intake in your overall diet?  

Here are the facts.

• Parabens
• used to prevent the growth of microbes in cosmetic productcan be absorbed through the skin, blood and digestive system
• found in biopsies from breast tumors
• linked to cancer, endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, immunotoxicity, neurotoxicity and skin irritation
• known to disrupt hormone function 
• found in nearly all urine samples from U.S. adults of a variety of ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds
• frequently in cosmetics: ethylparaben, butylparaben, methylparaben and propylparaben
• appears in well over 10,000 products 
• appear mostly in personal care products that contain significant amounts of water, such as shampoos, conditioners, lotions and facial and shower cleansers and scrubs
• while concentration limits are recommended for each paraben, these recommendations do not account for the use of multiple parabens in a single product or for exposure to parabens from several products by a single individual. 

Something to note as we move along this series. Just because you spend more money on your product does not mean you are necessarily getting something chemical free.  Here is a sample list of which products contain parabens.

• Guerlain.
• Super Aqua - Day Refreshing Cream
• Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben

• Olay 
• Moisturizing Lotion
• Methylparaben, Propylparaben

• Origins
• Calm to Your Senses, lavender and vanilla Body Cleanser
• Methylparaben, Propylparaben
• Clear Improvement, Charcoal Clay Mask
• Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben

Talking Labels: Alexander Wang vs 3.1 Philip Lim Pre-Fall 2013

Pre-Fall 2013 is interesting.

Collectively, there are a few non-surprises. Lots of sombre tones and blacks, lots of leather and wools. There are also some eye openers, particularly in some color breakaways and prints.

The submissions from a couple of the Asian designers that are the current darlings in the West, also made me raise an eyebrow. Sometimes for good reasons, others because I just did not get it.

Take these two designers for example. Alexander Wang and Philip Lim.  A Parsons dropout, Wang is identified for his 'urban, nonchalant cool' looks or better known as "Model Off Duty". Philip Lim on the other hand, is known for his tailoring and smart and wearable designs.

Both are CFDA winners and it is fair to expect lots season after season.

So let's see. I am just going to pick looks that I like, and looks that made me go hmm.

3.1 Philip Lim

His inspiration this season: Bikers and their Molls.  Er, ok. 

The good -

I love a good dress, especially if it is in a nude color. Make it in buttery leather, and it is even better than cheesecake. I love this from him. Clean, impeccable with an edge, especially when partnered with Julia Roberts Pretty Woman Thigh High Boots from the Strip. A good girl can be bad at the same time.

The oversized jacket IS a little voluminous for the model, yes. What I do appreciate is the injection of a beautiful color in a season that is traditionally muted. Also, the printed detail on the sleeves adds yet another visual break from what could have been otherwise a single blob of blue. The leather patch skinny pant is a real move away from the sweetness Lim has been associated with but the edginess is keeps it young and modern.

Channeling Joan Jett and Suzi Quatro, this leather vest truly rocks. There is nothing worse than a leather vest that cuts away from the body, and this anything but. I also like the proportion of the vest when worn with the top and skirt as styled. There is cohesion in the entire ensemble, which works whether as separates or as a total look.

The Bad: 

Prints in Pre-Fall, great. These, not so great. I thought a designer is supposed to flatter the human form, not distort it. The leopard sweater disaster not only makes the model look huge, the color toning of the print gave her these white (wide) hips. The tonal error continues in the second look, and this time, not even leather can save the design.

I get it. Lim is known for his sweaters. But does any woman want to have a blue shrug sewn into a slouchy brown base? And then pair that with matchy matchy shorts with giant upturn cuffs. Perhaps Lim wanted his clients to lose their gender identity, but I suspect women would not be rushing to the stores to get this look.

The O.M.G:

For this section I will leave it to you to see for yourself and decide if this is a ALAMAK moment. I will however leave perhaps one or two words to express my...mmm...surprise.

Auntie Go to Office Much?

Good Print Gone Bad

Burberry Much? (But not in a good Chris Bailey way)

Alexander Wang

The Good:

If you are going to get a slate grey jacket, get this one. Sure it isn't slim and fitted but styled correctly, as shown above, the result is nothing short of gorg. The jacket skims right above the buttocks and if you aren't wearing a longer blouse or top inside, this length will give you some visual trickery as it cheats the eye into believing that you've had a butt lift and it also gives you a longer leg. Worn with a calf length pant that mimics the flare silhouette of the jacket, the outcome is completely modern, and it gives you the perfect opportunity to show off those expensive shoes. Masculinity is quite the theme for Pre-Fall and Wang has captured this without reducing women to a season of testosterone.

I am a little torn about this one.  On one hand I like the ombre effect on the shorts. The length above the knee is also flattering. Going grey top to bottom sends me to snoozeville. Having said that, I do like the androgynous quality of this look. It is almost like the girl just raided her guy or gay friend's closet and pulled together an easy stylish look. I think it is the effortless simplicity that is caught my eye. Urban chic comes to mind.

It is probably unintentional, and I can be justifiably accused of being geographical about it, but I equated the wrap skirt here as Asian-esque. Again probably unintended, but the leather waist band / belt reminds me of an obi belt. I like that a wrap skirt, like its big sister the wrap dress, is so versatile and can be worn with different separates and accessories to change its feel and perception. (See second and third pictures)

I have been fortunate to have worked with talented architects. We always try to balance out form and function, while also breaking the visual line. Wang successfully introduced these elements into this look. Sharp angular lines force the eye to dissect the body, and draw the attention away from areas you may want people to avoid. It is almost like a Star Wars Empire Officer's uniform: strict and utilitarian. If this is Wang's revision of a military look, sign me up. It is truly fashion forward.

You probably can guess by now which designer I am leaning towards. This does not diminish anyone's work. However, I do think that designers can have hits and misses in any one season. Perhaps also, some herrings are placed in the collection for press buzz. And if brand image is vital, then reworking staples like sweaters, regardless of whether the newest version is successful, becomes important for the intended customer.

And at the end of the day, designers must deliver what their customer wants. So, if you were asked, based on the Pre-Fall collections of these two remarkable designers, whose customer are you?  Lim's or Wang's?