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...

All cropped up

It feels refreshing when there's a feeling of getting hooked to a different kind of pants length and fit. I think I have outgrown my skinny jeans phase, but I still keep them in case skintight and ball-hugging bottoms subconsciously manage to influence me to re-wear them. My latest addition to my cropped, roomy trousers family (next to the Peter Jensen jodhpurs) are in the form of this tailored CK Calvin Klein goodness. Please don't worry guys as I did not overspend on this item - they were acquired part of my Johor Premium Outlet CK purchase besides a reversible jacket and a black dress(!). The frugal finds were totally unexpected as we just noticed the bargain rail right before we left the store. So we had to turn back and re-examined the whole length of that particular section. I left JPO a happy camper. Truly a bargain hunter bliss!

Carven Redux

Sometimes a recurrent obsession towards a particular item can be a bit pervasive and such is the case with my fixation with Carven's school-boy charm. This time around I acquired a short-sleeved cotton shirt with a contrasting detail from Club 21 Pavilion's summer sale in Kuala Lumpur. However despite the discount I believe it is still more affordable to purchase something from this label online (recent perusing post Club 21 buy revealed that similar shirt on topic but with a different colour way actually cost much less. Oh, the trials and tribulations of a bargain hunter).

Either way I'm loving the cute little detail of the collar and the micro-gingham pattern of the shirt. At one glance the texture does look a bit leather-y which managed to fool a clinic staff or two. And even though the shirt is size 3 (my last Carven acquisition was a size 2) I think it's still wearable but perhaps some customisation is in order. Here's to a perennial summer of Malaysia and never-ending child clothing obsession in me!

Adventure in tailoring: Uniqlo and Burberry Prosum blazers

You probably have known that I always lament the fact that living in a tropical country limits the possibility for layering clothes (unless one continuously stay in air-conditioned buildings), and to make things worse my profession is a unapologetically cruel one when it comes to dressing up. Wait, there's no such thing as dressing up being in healthcare. I'm forever in my white coat and sometimes I do wear some fashion-y things as a little pick-me-up and I'd Instagram the images (finally, I have Instagram as I bought an Iphone recently!).

Margiela with H&M Kuala Lumpur: self-restraint and sentiments

We have been tweeting the launch of Maison Martin Margiela with H&M collection launch last Thursday and naturally, the experience is meant to be extended into a full-fledged blog entry. Comparing my past experience with the Marni x H&M launch in Singapore I thought that the event in Kuala Lumpur this time was 'calmer' in general. Perhaps the reason being the label is not as well-known as Versace or Lanvin in this part of the world (both of them also had successful joint venture with H&M), and the fact that the designer himself is relatively an elusive entity even when he was still being the creative head for his eponymous brand, leading to a rather 'insider-only' awareness not only amongst KL-ites, but to the global customers in general as well. This all happened despite classical H&M mass marketing especially online. (Additionally the marketing strategy included two gigantic ad banners hanging off the PERKESO building at Jalan Tun Razak).

Perhaps the mass marketing is marred by the paradoxical fact that they were barely any press whatsoever during the day of the launch itself. In fact, we think we were only among the few camera-touting persons who were around, and not to mention the rudeness of the security guard who shooed us away while we were attempting to photograph the action happening inside H&M's ground floor.

Margiela fever

I suppose you are getting pretty tired to see endless entries regarding THE Margiela, but we could not hide our excitement on their upcoming collaboration with H&M (another three days left, have you eyed on any specific pieces?). True, the designer has left his eponymous brand but the nostalgia definitely lingers. Doing re-editions at a mass scale is a pretty brilliant move to introduce the enigmatic brand to the more 'commercial' world, at least to me, personally...

I'm sooo excited to have acquired a few Margiela-related pieces previously (some are vintage from Labels Inc, and some are from their MM6 x Opening Ceremony line that I scored during the Musa sales). Regretfully I rarely wear them out. This might sound pathetic but the reason being I truly cherish the pieces and I fear ruining them from over-wearing!

Hopefully the impending H&M collaboration will provide me another Margiela piece (albeit not truly authentic I'm satisfied enough; to those MMM elitist/purist fans, go away to your regular MMM boutique, thanks). In fact the launch which is barely a few days left pushed me to style up and wear my personal pieces, that serve as a memento, just in case I could not get hold of the high street pieces come November 15th. The date will surely be anticipated with excessive palpitations...

MM6 x Opening Ceremony palazzo pants, worn with Zara blazer, Uniqlo striped tee, eBay belt

First look: H&M Autumn 2012 (Part One)

I think most of Kuala Lumpur citizen are well informed regarding the news of H&M's inaugural opening in Lot 10 this September, thanks to the vast online spread. And obviously I'm lagging behind the coverage of its Autumn Winter 2012, which is all about metallics/ maximalism for women and tailored goodness for the men. Nevertheless I'm feeling elated over the opportunity to visit their showroom recently, which certainly gave me the chance to closely inspect the merchandises in person, and in effect, delved in to the details of the tailoring quality and tactilely stimulated by the fabrics. And of course, I get to compare the prices internationally.

In view of the possible lengthy commentary and image-laden entry (quite a rare occasion at Dunia Fashyon these days), I think it will be wise if I divided this post into two halves - both menswear and womenswear respectively.

Whimsical trend - print trousers

You know how I am into prints and will try to experiment a few designs once in a while - leopard, cosmic, ethnic prints - I've tried them all. Can you imagine my excitement looking at these multi-geometric silk print trousers from Lanvin SS12? Practically a visual orgasm...

The bottom second pair of printed goodness very much reminds me of the images of me wearing the Gap boxer over shorts - my feeble take on print on print. But these Lanvins are done with immaculate tailoring and tasteful hues, naturally...

On another note, we all know that accessories makes the outfit complete. And some things look much better in the form of shiny, oil spill-like effect of this luminescent Comme des Garcons wallet - a very successful accessory line from CdG I think. Style it with a toned down dark outfit and you're ready to go! And of course one cannot live without a pair of these beautiful sandals in tan leather from Carven. I will forbid my feet to sweat if I wore them.

images via ssense.com

Have  a great weekend!

Whimsical trend: hybrid shoes

Recently we have been bombarded with a slew of brogue / trainer hybrids and all this obviously stemmed from Prada's notorious brogue/ espadrille shoes from SS2011, and not so long after that many other labels follow suit. I've seen good experimentation (for example the ones from Comme des Garcons x Generic Man collab) but there are a few rather questionable ones, of course (J.W Anderson x Aldo loafer- sneaker ('loaker') ones are unique but I don't see many people will carry that off aside from the superbly stylish and everything-goes Susie Bubble).

I digress, however. This season two of my favorite labels have been churning out beautiful men's shoes that are both experimental in and are hybrid of some sort...

First up are these shoes from the more directional line of Burberry, Burberry Prorsum. The weaving detail on the upper is just simply beautiful and I cannot express more about how I love the cork detail of the sides of the soles. Too much design? More is more I say, in this case (Am I sounding too much like Kimora Lee Simmons here?)








 

Ann Demeulemeester goodness

I cannot help but, from time to time, to put on this hooded tunic from soft diaphanous cotton fabric. Without question the cult Belgian designer always knows how to produce a fine quality piece yet at the same time befitting the contemporary wearer. Personally I can wear this tunic with the loose linen Thai fisherman pants to echo the drapery effect of the top, or, pair it with a corduroy vest, also from Ann D. Talking about value for money, I have been wearing this tunic for quite a while now, tracking back my entry regarding my trip to Antwerp more than two years ago...

 

  

  

Here I am wearing the drapey + drapey combo, composed of Ann Demeulemeester tunic shirt, linen Thai fisherman pants from eBay, accessorised with Celine Bi-cabas lambskin bag and Comme des Garcons x Generic Man pebble leather brogues with Vibram soles.

Substituting Prada brogues

My sole internet connection (that shoddy uMobile plug-in USB kind) has turned its back on me by reaching its measly quota. And you probably know what that means - a pathetic slower-than-snail speed that is literally only apt for loading text-based pages!

 So basically I'm typing this post from a nearby cyber cafe, where adolescents who just reached puberty enjoy surfing Youtube for that latest Malay song hits...

But anyways, I thought that I'm sharing this - my previous jaunt to Singapore yielded a new pair of footwear from Comme des Garcons SS2011 that is hopefully going to be my reliable next height-enhancing shoes after the Prada elevated brogues...

To me this platform version, compared to Prada's ones which are more exuberant and perhaps showier, is comparatively quieter and has its own playful / quirky feel that Japanese designers like Rei Kawakubo often exude...

Great great procurements

What I'm about to discuss is perhaps bordering on pure consumerism but have you ever liked that one thing and wished you could purchase it right away? That you probably like it so bad you return to the shop over and over again to take a look at that item, and you still can't shake the image off your mind?

Well, I really love the Christopher Kane SS12 t-shirt  that I have previously blogged about here. And I always return to the only store that stocks it (Musa, that is) just to have a look at it over and over again, but somehow took one step back after seeing its price tag.

 Technically I did not acquire the oriental motif-laden shirt straight away at its original price (which obviously might well break my bank account instantly), but fortunately Musa has generously reduced the delicate t-shirt price considerably to the point that even my generally middle-class income could purchase this treasured piece....

An unforgettable hue

I used to stray away from vivid colours when I was younger and mindless as the mindset that time was anything brighter than my colour pencils deem tacky, campy and tasteless. Blame it on the peer pressure from spending five years in an all-boys boarding school which made me stick to conformity. Little that I knew that I would soon change my mind on how a man could and should dress.

 

Image courtesy of thedandyproject.com via Tommy Ton on GQ.com

Now that I have seen a lot of gentlemen out here (over the Net to be more precise) wearing a good splash of colour to spruce up their outfit, it only seems natural that I follow suit. Events like Pitti Uomo and menswear fashion shows is the place of meeting for these new hybrid of masculine men who wear  colourful shades effortlessly and proudly flaunt their sartorial identity. 

The desire to look more vibrant sartorial-wise is also fueled by current season's menswear powerhouse Jil Sander. Under the creative director Raf Simons this minimalistic-driven label has breathed a lease of new life again on colourful clothing for men. Their SS 2011 collection, as many of you would have known, is very much talked about and has been flying off shelves (of both the real and online ones). Oki-ni, the notable London-based  online menswear retailer, for example, has sold out most of Mr Simons' brightly-hued shirts and trousers in electric blue, magenta and bright green, among others.

When I say I followed suit, please bear in mind that my attempt is ceaselessly feeble and there is always room for betterment, of course. And taking into account that half of my wardrobe is composed of that of women's, I apologise if that fact does not appeal to you guys who might hope I feature a gent's outfit for once. I'm sure there are gentleman readers who have their own take on colourful outfits done tastefully. So in the spirit of sharing I'll be waiting for your personal colour-injected outfit images. My e-mail is just at the sidebar over the right!

The latest addition to the clutches family is this tangerine orange Comme des Garcons leather clutch from MUSA Bangsar. (surprisingly affordable for such a cult label!). Worn with Peter Jensen crop blazer, Uniqlo pique tee, thrifted crop pants, Zara skinny belt, Lanvin A/W 2010 clogs.

And not forgetting this shiny and equally adorable moose brooch from Topman! The pique weave on this Uniqlo shirt looks more apparent...I'm basically have fallen in love with this Japanese label for its high quality cotton clothing...

Christopher Kane's oriental motifs, Comme Des Garcons clutches

I'm jumping for joy as I typed this as Comme Des Garcons has finally landed in Kuala Lumpur! My cravings for CdG attains satiety in spite of only leather ware being featured here. A collection of blindingly loud neon-hued clutches and wallets of varying sizes awaits the adventurous lot. The urge of getting my hands on these babies intensifies ever more so after looking at this beautiful image by Tommy Ton, which actually gives the clutch more justice (you know my digital camera is shit so yes it's apples and oranges...).

                         

On the other hand those who'd rather stick to classic colours can opt for these demure card and coin holders or wallets which are suitably arranged next to their more kaleidoscopic counterparts...

For those looking for a bigger space to carry their belongings fret not, 'cause these embossed leather totes are ready to be someone's arm candy ( I know I'm starting to sound like somebody from PurseBlog or something)....

The saying 'save the best for last' cannot be more apt if we're talking about Christopher Kane, the uprising British designer who dazes fashion editors with his out-of-this-world prints and vibrant hues. For this season neon lace infused with oriental-inspired prints like dragons, tigers and exotic flora are chosen and finely placed on jersey t-shirts and dresses creating a breathtakingly beautiful collection. But I'm discreetly wishing if they can re-stock the wildly popular cosmic prints from his resort collection... because that's what I truly need!

                                    

                               

Christopher Kane and Comme Des Garcons leather accessories are exclusively available at Musa, No 34, Jalan Telawi 5, 59100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Orange blazer + drop crotch + tribal jewelry = ?

Going to the Comme des Garcons presentation just made my day. But figuring out what to wear to my first 'real' fashion show was a headache. I did imagine that the attendees would show up in their best CdG getup, and most probably in an authentic one as well.

AW2011 Comme Des Garcons womenswear presentation

This entry might be ridiculously long overdue and I'd like to apologise beforehand for those who happened to read my tweet eons ago about how I'd blog this as soon as I came back to my hotel in Paris but never actually saw my post coming up until now. Alas this is the n-th time I'd like to shove the blame against the good old Mr Procrastinator...

Menswear Fall 2011 trend - baggier please Yohji Yamamoto!

Fall 2011/2012 menswear shows have long ended but I'd still like to wax lyrical about them, at least about one of the trends that I think is quite prominent on the runway.

If you have been reading my blog for a while you'd probably known about my biased love towards slouchy pants. (have a look at my entry about Umit Benan)

I'm  feeling elated over the obvious fact of ubiquitous baggy/ roomy / billowy silhouettes at the shows.  There were baggy coats and lots of designers showed soft billowy pants.