Ya know, I could have sworn Singapore had its own Vogue edition.
Huffington Post now says that Vogue Thailand is the first Vogue for South East Asia, and I am not so sure that is true.
In any case, the consumers are lapping it up. Vogue Thailand is scoring all the way to the bank.
Is it because the launch issue features a Thai model in a traditional chada designed by Philip Treacy?
It is because 70% of the content is already promised to be done in Thailand?
Is it because this is the first Vogue to have a male Editor in Chief Kullawit Laosuksri?
Khun K
Whatever it is Khun Kullawit promises that the future issues will have even more customized content, something that will set it apart from its Western counterpart.
This is part 3 in our little class about Chemicals of Interest. You have probably heard about this one in TV shows and movies. It is a potent chemical that knocks you out. But did you know that you can also find formaldehyde and formaldehyde releasing preservatives in shampoos and liquid soaps? The purpose of this chemical is to prevent bacteria growth in water based products but they have also been linked to skin sensitivity and cancer.
What it does to you:
Cancer
A known human carcinogen by many expert and government bodies, including the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
A recent review of the literature on occupational exposures and formaldehyde shows a link between formaldehyde and leukemia.
When formaldehyde is present in personal care products, people can be exposed by inhaling the formaldehyde that is off-gassed from the product, by ingesting it or by absorbing it through the skin.
Animal studies indicate that formaldehyde can be absorbed through the skin when formaldehyde-containing personal care products, including formaldehyde releasing preservatives, are applied.
Where it is found in your home:
Nail polishes
Nail glues
Eyelash glues
Hair gels
Hair Smoothing Products
Baby Shampoo
Baby Soap
Body Wash
The European Union restricts the use of formaldehyde in personal care products, and requires that products with formaldehyde or formaldehyde-release ingredients carry the label “contains formaldehyde.” Canada also restricts the concentration of formaldehyde, and it is banned from use in cosmetics and toiletries in both Japan and Sweden.
Check the following names to see if they are in your stuff:
Quaternium-15
Dimethyl-dimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin
Imidazolidinyl urea
Diazolidinyl urea
Sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bronopol)
Formalin
Methylaldehyde
Oxymethyline
Methylene Oxude
Formic Aldehyde
Phenol Formaldehyde
Since low levels of formaldehyde can cause health concerns – at levels as low as 250 parts per million, and even lower levels in sensitized individuals – the slow release of small amounts of formaldehyde are cause for concern.
The concern is so real that Johnson and Johnson pledged to remove formaldehyde from all their products last year. While this is good news and a signal to others to move in the right direction, consumers must know that FMCG companies tend to play the name game when it comes to ingredients. While it may be true they have left out formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasing preservatives are a different story. The truth only comes out in lab tests.
Unless you are into a designer like Rick Owens or a label like Theater, chances are your fashion options are permutations of the pant, shirt, vest, blazer, suit, tux, t-shirt, jeans, belt and so on. Sure the cut may change a little, and the fabrics will change with the season, but overall menswear doesn't sell well when it gets too fashion forward.
Luxury brands don't necessarily mean better design or quality.
So here we are with LV, that appears to be trying to be different, while keeping to what the market will buy.
The recent showing of FW 2013/2014 Men's RTW had its followers flying to distant mountains in the Himalayas. LV's men's style director Kim Jones apparently went there to get some inspiration and came back with ponchos and parkas and mountain climbing accessories and details, all stamped with the LV logo for good measure (and price point).
Comparing the last collection from the same season, the pattern is similar. Muted tones. Oversized proportions. Jackets and coats belted at the waist.
Looking at the positives:
The collection has sharp contrasts between faux ruggedness and full on luxe. On one hand you get a sense of function in the clothes, and on the other hand, there are pieces which seem to belong in a gentleman's club.
Function
Gentleman's Club
This season has LV incorporating animal prints into its menswear, though not in a Cavalli sort of way. It is more subtle and subdued. (+) The collection also features an Asian-esque print, that either got its inspiration from a Buddhist temple, or some Chinese New Year greeting card. (-)
Meow.
Louis Vuitton really wants to remind everyone that the season of exchanging oranges is upon us. I suppose in the West, it is acceptable to wear something that borders on costume. Indeed, even customers of Hong Kong luxury brand Shanghai Tang tend to be foreigners. Asians would not dream of wearing something that screams old ethnic heritage.
Still, this may be LV's self-justified nod to Asian consumers. Or it may be a move to give Westerners this feeling of empowerment that they can pick up a piece of Asia in a bag or a housecoat. Or perhaps it is meant to strengthen the message that LV is all about voyage voyage.
Chinoiserie Chic in Small Doses
Whatever it may be, in small doses the look may still be somewhat acceptable. But even a non-fashion insider who watches Project Runway will know, 'matchy matchy' is just SO Cannot Cannot.
Too Much Lah.
And when 'matchy matchy' goes over the top...to toe, it becomes an eyesore than not even the LV logo can save. (Where is the logo anyway? Can you find it in the print?) Someone in the design room did not tell the powers that be that too much of a good thing is just Gong Xi Fa Cai on steroids.
Really?
Don't get me wrong. I respect Louis Vuitton's history and power position in the industry. I just think that if I wanted to rough it out in the mountains in the Himalayas, I would get a real poncho for a fraction of the cost and I wouldn't mind if it rips during the journey. And if I wanted a belt made of cord and a utility toggle, I would go get the latter from Japanese discount store Daiso for SG$2 and the former from an army supply store. Ta da! A belt like LV's. And if I really wanted to carry a bag that looks like it's made from a carpet with a Chinoi print (AND) wear a matching coat with that, well....mmmm I wouldn't really want to. Moot point.
Maybe LV's loyalists will see this collection as novel and rush out to buy the seriously expensive pieces. I will however venture to guess that once the season is over, they wouldn't be caught dead carrying these key looks. Then again, if they can afford to buy them to begin with, they wouldn't care!
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!
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.
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!
"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! :-)
