Clean clothing for the Seoul

Dressing up in a “sleek” and polished manner is not always my forté as my taste in off-duty clothing veers towards the campy side. I sometimes loathe myself wearing things that I think too feminine, but keep cheating myself nonetheless thinking it is workable and man-able. Therefore there is a need to constantly remind myself that I NEED TO STOP buying women's stuff!

Camper revolution

I've always been following Spanish footwear export Camper. In fact there were a few occurrences when I was itching to purchase Camper Together models, notably the ones from Bernhard Willhelm collab. Alas, further research revealed the company uses pig skin lining for most of the shoes. Religion versus fashion has always been a personal battle for me, but so far my stand is not to let 'frivolous' things like shoes compromise my faith and religious practice.

Prints and sportswear: Adidas Originals x Mary Katrantzou

Mary Katrantzou, the Cyprus-born print queen has expanded her portfolio by collaborating with sportswear giant Adidas. Reminiscing her fledgling design days (dresses with chain prints) she has gone very far has her not?

It's just a but of a bummer that there is no menswear clothing in the collection (for the obvs reason, of course). But street footwear fanatics rejoice, as there are men's shoes included as well! Should I ditch my sparingly worn, floral print adorned Raf Simons?

Ruched florals and other printastic finds

Flowers. Prints. Patterns. These are the things in fashion that I have a love-hate relationship with. Why? Too much of them will make people look at me with 'what-the-f**k-are-you-wearing' look - personally experienced that when I decided to confidently wear the Christopher Kane galaxy print top at home (I said confident because my family members and close friends are all used to me in borderline gaudy and arguably effeminate outfits).

Hong Kong filler

As you could probably see from my Instagram account I'm in Hong Kong for a vacation with my family. Hong Kong is a very packed island and to be honest I've never been to such a crowded place before! Nevertheless it's still a lovely experience, though we didn't manage to explore and discover some things that we were looking forward to (i.e. outlet shopping!). The first two days have been drizzly and our trip was slightly hampered by the rain and misty view, that basically obscures the sight of Victoria peak (boo...in addition we were ripped off by the travel agent who overcharged us for that particular Victoria peak experience!). We're heading back to Malaysia today and I'm planning to post about the trip in detail. But for now I hope an outfit filler will suffice...

Fall 2013 shoes: Church's, Car Shoe

There was a time, when I was a student abroad where I anticipated the autumn season with baited breath as the prospect of falling leaves provides us the opportunity for crunching/stomping the yellowed leaves with our feet. It's just a part of our 'tropical kids' mentality of watching American TV shows come Christmas season in Malaysia, where the setting would obviously be revolving around the fall/winter season and there was almost always the clichéd sight of falling maple leaves which is gradually replaced by the scene of pristine white snow. Of course the curiosity of experiencing the exact situation is only unravelled by traveling half the globe and finding out that there is actually more mud and slosh rather than pristine white snow. Ah, the naïveté of a teenager...

Being nationalistic?

August is filled with nationalistic pride in the air as Malaysians (and Singaporeans) both celebrate their Independence Day during this month. My childhood celebration of Hari Merdeka (as they call it here in Malaysia) consisted of the ritual gathering in front of the television and anticipating for the Merdeka parade. And I could still remember the odd year when my father decided to brave the impossible human traffic at and around Merdeka square and brought the whole family to see the action live. This allowed me to witness firsthand the colourful uniforms and blasting but pleasing sound of the many marching bands  - which I presume one of the reasons of me opting to join the school brass band during Form Two. As I am one of the biggest band geeks in the world I felt bummed not being able to attend activities which involve bands parading down the historic Merdeka Square anymore especially this year, since life and daily job has taken rein over me.

 There's also the possibility that I missed some exciting, and at times, wacky carnival floats by big-budgeted companies to entertain the crowd, that also means a lost photo op. (But from the looks of it there's nothing really new or innovative about the complexity of float-making though). Sadly to say there is nothing much I could do today as well, as the overly clichéd annual Malaysia Day gigantic gathering is being held across the South China Sea in Sarawak this morning, which means another lost of potentially golden moment in photography...

But rest assured, a bit of nationalistic mood is infused in this outfit post as I  unconsciously stood in front of a Malaysian flag, near Bangsar Village II recently. So, there you go: my sad attempt to proof pride for the country with incorporating a flag at the background in soft focus, juxtaposed with the clashing colours of my outfit...

Cut me out

My affection towards unconventional shoes has been going on since the old Dunia Fashyon days, and you know I'm always on the look for unique, wearable shoes. But unfortunately the nature of my work only allows me to wear such footwear outside of working hours - hence the onslaught of conservative/classic-looking shoes on Dunia Fashyon Instagram as they are snapped during the odd few minutes of break in-between patient appointment.

Not so summer kicks

Past-season fashion will always be in fashion (well, in my books at least), depending on how classic and relevant the design is. Due to the ever changing and rapid turnover of trends I find it too fleeting, and not to mention expensive to keep up with the latest styles of clothing. Hence buying last season items at a fraction of the original price is one of the ways for me to enjoy fashion without creating a huge dent in my bank account which is already burdened with monthly bill payment, etcetera.

Lacoste in action

Living in a country with tropical climate requires one the wear more often than not for comfortable, perspiration-friendly clothes. I do love me some artfully layered outfit combo and try to incorporate that but somehow it feels a bit too ambitious (and silly, frankly) to don a blazer/jacket, despite the thinness and breathability of the fabric in such unforgiving humidity. I certainly feel good about looking sharp in such look but the prospect of being drenched in sweat the moment I walk out of the overly air-conditioned malls/cinemas is, in fact, one of the pitfalls in fashion that I try to steer away from.

Dior Homme A/W 2013

Dior Homme presentation was our final few events in our itinerary before we enjoyed the city of Paris sans the feeling of being caught up rushing to fashion shows. After braving through the sloshes of snow (it was heel-deep) on a Sunday morning, and almost got lost in the midst of searching in between similar-looking weathered buildings, we finally found the presentation venue - tucked in between of unassuming office buildings...

The luxury of Tod's

To be honest I am not an avid follower of all things stereotypically categorised as 'luxury brands', especially the ones that are lagging in the directional front and revolve around preaching their so-called rich history, heritage and craftsmanship. But there's no denying of Tod's commercial role in today's luxury market: successfully selling expensive driving shoes, propelling this footwear style into popularity among young men (and women) resulting in the infiltration of cheaper high-street versions into the market. But of course no other brands (except Car shoes, maybe) can instill people's trust in these kinds of shoes like Tod's does. How do they do that?

Hogan men's shoes AW13 presentation

I learned about Hogan when I first visited Milan about five years ago when I friskily walked the vast high-street of Corso Buenos Aires in central Milan. Hogan is a mid-range shoe label under the Italian luxury company Tod's Group umbrella (which includes Fay and Roger Vivier, besides the popular driving shoes label Tod's - all presided over by businessman Diego Della Valle). Considered a lifestyle brand Hogan was founded in 1986 when the Traditional range was released, taking cue from cricket shoes. Handbags were added to the collection later in 2000. The label evolves into a full-fledged lifestyle name with the inclusion of ready-to-wear which further blossoms into commercial success, partly thanks to the collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld (beginning from 2010 till now).

CAMERAderie: Louis Vuitton A/W 2013

Louis Vuitton men's autumn/winter 2013 show was an event filled with fashion heavyweights and celebrities, naturally. Arriving at the venue, and seeing so many people outside waiting to get inside, I thought that this is the biggest show that I've been to so far (but did not, unfortunately, have the invite!). So I stood outside whilst awaiting for Arman and took photos of the stylish folks outside, including Kanye West, whom I papped after the show. Waiting in the cold could be detrimental but a motivation to be a semi-devoted tabloid paparazzi-like makes it totally worth it!

On another note, after meticulously judging the attendees, I made a conclusion of trends that I suspect will be ubiquitous for seasons to come: prints and color blocking (yes, I'm totally clairvoyant!), chunky footwear and chunky bellies, and of course, Yeezy. 

Thirtyfour Bespoke

Thirtyfour is an emerging Malaysian leather ware label which I came across last year. For those who are not familiar,  the brand is already making its way to catering a niche of higher-end bags and jewelry designed and crafted in Malaysia. Beginning their steps with female-oriented designs this brand has evolved and expanded into men's section as well. I could still remember the creations that caught my eye when I paid a visit to their first outlet in Bangsar Village II last two seasons (there was a small, simple document holder in snakeskin imprints that was so smart-looking even for a man).

The opening of Thirtyfour Bespoke in Publika (yes, I only managed to check them out recently despite raving commentaries in the blogosphere) has opened a new door for me to seek for affordable made-to-measure leather items in Kuala Lumpur. To be exact, this branch takes orders for pre-designed bags and clutches (now including small leather goods and sandals as well) to their expanding inventory. The lowdown on the 'bespoke' part is you can't really opt for designing a bag from scratch - instead, you can choose a selection of materials and colors which suit your taste and further incorporate them into Thirtyfour's template designs. 

Stud me more

Just when I thought the 'studs as embellishment' trend is long over Dr Martens has made a point to turn an overtly trendy and already passé phenomenon into relevance all over again. This time around, unusual to Dr Martens aesthetics, a monk-style shoe complete with dome studs make the already "punked" up label even edgier. 

The painted studs purportedly will flake over time which gives a beautiful aging effect (but I personally prefer the studs to be shiny and glisteningly new for ever). At ￡135 a pop you can get them via Oki-ni. Perhaps this can be the more affordable substitute (but not much more) of my escaped Prada studded brogues...

Anyways, these steel toe cap shoes, also from Dr Martens, are equally interesting:

images via oki-ni.com

written by Hafidzudin
twitter: @naboonies

Summer sales happiness

It's good to know that MUSA has managed to clear much of their inventory from SS2010 and beyond, in order to move on to their next project which is still in a hush hush mode. But it's sad the venture into independent European labels is rather short-lived though. I try not to toot my own horn here but dare I say I am among the lucky persons (but unlucky financially, if you'd like to think the other way) who managed to scoop a great bargain that this sale offers (offers, as in present tense. Yes, it's still ongoing). 

As I tweeted previously the Christopher Kane items at MUSA are so greatly discounted it surpasses the London sample sale calibre. I'm not exaggerating! Now the seemingly unattainable FW2011 tartan print shirt becomes my possession at a fraction of the original price...

I tried to pair the (here's my attempt to create a new colour vocabulary) dusty gold t-shirt with a nearly-matching jacket, tailored to my petit frame. Remember when the jacket was a tad too large? The pleated wool trousers are from Et Vous, a French label, acquired during a separate MUSA sale. I love the baggy yet tailored silhouette, the pleats, and the best thing is they're cropped at the ankles! They actually come together with a jacket but the Gaga-esque exaggerated shoulders made me think twice to wear it...

I'm wearing a custom-tailored jacket from eBay, Christopher Kane FW 2011 tartan print shirt, Et Vous pleated trousers, Comme des Garcons Shirt shoes, Ayame socks, brooch from a market in Sabah

It was not a coincidence as Arman and I decided to wear Kane's t-shirt from the same collection. The purple hue is a more vibrant option than my more subdued version. This is further augmented by a shiny clutch from Marc by Marc Jacobs. I guess outfit color-coordination speaks volumes in terms of reflection of the wearer's personality - perhaps the notion of bright colors equals to outgoingness and vice versa is indeed a tried-and-tested concept...

 

Arman's recent trip to Johor Premium Outlet has resulted in this interesting beaded sneakers from Adidas x Jeremy Scott commercially successful collab. Arman always gets amazing footwear on our jaunts to JPO but I, on the other hand, always come back empty-handed due to the lack of small boyish shoe size there.

P/S: By the way, if you haven't noticed we have joined forces at Dunia Fashyon and Arman has put on some wonderful news, e.g. all the Oroton updates. 

Have a great weekend!

written by Hafidzudin
twitter: @naboonies

Pumped up kicks

We have been bombarded with news on the Olympics for the past week and I for one am quite astounded with Malaysia's committed strive for the first gold. Well, I am no sports commentator (and rarely watch one), but all I can say is my country's contingent did quite a commendable job, despite no medals thus far. All hopes are on Lee Chong Wei's masterful badminton play tonight...

Pretentious sports commentator wannabe aside, and on a vaguely Olympics-related note, super sneakers with built-in wedges for the ladies have crept up everywhere this summer. First, it was Isabel Marant's version which in fact, were introduced for the SS2011 collection. Naturally a slew of other brands followed suit with Marc Jacobs, Chloe and even mid-range brands like Ash and Jeffrey Campbell producing their own knock-offs of the vertiginous kicks, following Marant wedge sneakers huge popularity. Recently Nike is jumping onto the bandwagon as well, with their floral-rich collaboration with Liberty. My favorite from the bunch - the original version by Isabel Marant. It's been quite a while since my sneaker/trainer-wearing days but these shoes might propagate the inner sportsman in me to wear athletic footwear, once again...

The original version by Isabel Marant.

Clockwise, from top to bottom: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Ash, Ash, Chloe

Nike x Liberty Dunk Sky High Liberty print wedge trainers (the top two images are from different collection...)

image credit: jeansfashionstreetstyle.com, dunkbar.de, stellalurvs.blogspot.com, eukicks.com, freshnessmag.com, liberty.co.uk, shefinds.com 

Team spirit

I'm sure you guys are among the one billion people worldwide who watched the recent Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony in London. And having a fashion-centric mind I could not help but to fuss about the uniforms of various contingents...

Too bad that a lot of the European contingents opted to stick to their usual nine-to-five business casual look, which I think is very sad. I mean, bring your nations' identity for the world to see, people! But of course a sporty look that is both smart and can represent your country, colour-wise. Case in point: the American team. Never mind the furor over the "made in China" controversy and the French-inspired berets, I think Ralph Lauren did a good job designing the teams outfits. "American preppy look" is what I was reminded of instantly.

 The American team Olympics Opening Ceremony uniform, designed by Ralph Lauren

Despite the classic sportswear look I do love team Netherlands' clever use of colour-blocking. Orange and navy blue looks pretty good in this case. VERY Jil Sander SS2011.

 Team Japan's striking red-and-white, on the other hand, can be mistaken for Chinese/ Canadian/ Singaporean teams' outfits.

Team Russia looks cool in this ensemble. Are those linen jackets? I'm dying to see a close-up of their uniform - look at the dark purplish pattern on the guy's shirt! And The Romanian team's choice of colour also caught my eyes - the mustard-grey combo is visually fetching.

The Swedish, on the other hand, can be way too practical sometimes. I like IKEA but rugby shirts and sneakers with colours that match the flag and grey cotton trousers? Come on, I think you guys are more creative than that. But on a lighter note, this is what I used to wear to the mall during my high school years. Ha! 

Harping on about creativity, the Germans evidently has proven be the creative lot with their reversible sports jacket. ( I know, the "pink for girls and blue for boys" idea is a bit off). But it the versatility of the jacket (which has a more formal inside layer) that is important.

Czech Republic is among, if not the most unique teams that night. This team was absolutely ready for the grey and rainy London with their umbrellas and wellies. 

Talking about national identity, there are a few teams which really went all out in portraying what their country is generally all about. My firm favorites are Mexico, Gambia and the Philippines. And a couple of images of female Muslim athletes modestly covered in hijab - simply beautiful.

The Philippines team in the Barong Tagalog-esque uniform.

Interesting latex-like fabric on Gambian athletes.

 Iranian athletes in modest hijabs.

 Leave it to the Mexicans when it comes to colour and personality. I absolutely adore all the combinations of hues, patterns and embroideries on the ponchos. Liking the fact that they look as if there was no uniform at all - just a colourful parade of mariachi band.

How about Malaysia, the country that always tries hard to expose their nation's identity, I hear you say? Obviously everything is too literal in this contingent - that all-too-familiar tiger stripes; yellow-orange and the red, which unmistakably represents courage and speed? And is that even Malaysian batik? Or just a cheap generic print on cheap polyester fabric? I refuse to comment further. Well, at least I do see some traditional garb here (tengkolok aka the headpiece and the sampin/ sarong).

Anyhow, feel free to laugh at my measly attempt on re-interpreting the casual/sporty sports event opening ceremony look:

Thrifted Tesco blazer, Cheap Monday jeans, Jil Sander shoes, Uniqlo hat, eBay sunglasses, U2 t-shirt, fourskin belt

*Images of Olympics contingents courtesy of adkinsrin.blogspot.com, yahoo.com, google.com