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?

Fast fashion: are we moving on?

Anna, a survivor of the building collapse in Savar, Bangladesh, lost her hand in the accident.

Wong Maye-E/Associated Press for The New York Times

Worries have been escalating over the news of the collapsed clothing factory building in Savar, Bangladesh on April 24. The topic has become increasingly controversial, heated with the fact that more than a thousand of workers were killed and not to mention that major American and European clothing companies have their products manufactured in Rana Plaza (they include Gap, the British low-cost chain Primark and H&M, the company that has the largest volume of production in the country). Not so long after another garment factory disaster ensued in Tream Tbal, Cambodia - this time around involving a collapsed storage area at a footwear factory, killing two people and injured dozens other.

This issue inevitably brings up the question: is this the price to pay for our cheap, mass-produced clothing? What can be done to improve workers safety, especially in a cheap-labor country like Bangladesh?

Munir Uz Zaman/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images for The New York Times

A Carven Virgin

Recently I've been reading the blogs about the French label Carven, that is recently revived to its former glory. Reading its history timeline is quite fascinating and, being reminded of the Russian History lectures during my former student days, these are the points that I'm highlighting:

images via Carven website

image via vintagefashionguild.org

 In May 1945 Carven (the name derived from the creator Carmen and her aunt Boyriven) opened their first shop selling Haute Couture at Rond-Point des Champs-Elysées. Having reached the international audience in the 1960's, the brand expanded into creating uniforms for airline crews, most notably for Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport, dabbled in a successful ready-to-wear line and they even created signature perfumes.

H&M Kuala Lumpur opens to public

Yesterday saw the launch of H&M to the Malaysian public, and I was there just to experience the atmosphere among the enthusiastic shoppers. The doors opened sharp at 11 o'clock in the morning and I reached Lot 10's main entrance just about fifteen minutes prior to the opening.

H&M KUALA LUMPUR GRAND OPENING: 20.09.2012

The wait is finally over. H&M has finally embraced Kuala Lumpur as the next stop in their high street fashion world domination conquest. The official opening for public is slated for tomorrow (Saturday, Sep 22^nd) at 11AM and last night they celebrated the occasion with a triumphant grand opening event.

Jil Sander is coming to KL!

The long weekend is a blessing that I can rest at home watching tear-inducing, albeit cliched Islamic themed dramas on Astro (they are my mother's firm favorite, no one was allowed to change channels once Astro has those showing. Good job Astro on playing on the banal emotional card. You just know, despite the triteness of it all, how to feed on Malay/Asian culture. Brilliant marketing ploy, I must say).

Being the mall rat that I am, I took the opportunity of an extra day off to have a look at the shops in Pavilion, a rarity nowadays, now that I work and live outside Kuala Lumpur. Lo and behold, what I found when I was browsing the two levels of Pavilion's luxury area:

Apparently TENC (The Emperor's New Clothes) is being replaced by Club 21's another project! Looks like it's time for TENC to wrap up. I guess politicians and menswear don't go hand in hand?

H&M is almost there...

Just a quick teaser before the big date (September 22nd, to be exact). Last night I was passing by Lot 10 in Bukit Bintang and lo and behold, the first Malaysian H&M flagship is almost done. The facade is not dissimilar to Singapore's Orchard Road flagship, complete with a gigantic LCD screen revealing selected looks like a RM19.90 necklace, 'Hey Fashionista!' slogan and more.

OROTON AUTUMN WINTER 2012 PRESS PREVIEW

The Australian fashion scene has once been said is about one to two years behind the European market in its trend. This may be due to various factors; including when Paris is welcoming chinchilla jackets on the runway Melbourne and Sydney is lathering tanning lotion and rocking out in flip-flops. But that is not the case with Oroton Autumn Winter 2012 Ready-To-Wear collection. Presented on the runway during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Sydney last May, Creative Director Ana Maria Escobar belted out a fresh and fun collection in the form of retro-inspired ‘Rope’ prints, disco-ready sequined shifts and the bold presence of glo-mesh (Oroton’s signature) in many of the looks (my favourite: meshed collar of a pale white silk shirt) and of course, the lust-worthy accessories collection.

We attended a press review of their Autumn Winter 2012 collection held for Malaysian medias in Kuala Lumpur last week. It was hosted in one of the suite at the top floor of Westin Hotel.



The Anouk clutches in tantalising colours from hot fuchsia to tortoiseshell decorated the living area. At one corner, a selection of Archive mini bags were arranged elegantly on a worktop. The LCD TV was playing their latest RTW show complete with behind-the-scenes footages and front-row interviews while the guests enjoyed light breakfast buffet with freshly-brewed cup of coffee.

We were then escorted into the bedroom of the suite where the ready-to-wear collection was presented complete with models as mannequins to model the samples they had. Costume jewelries were placed in the side drawers to complement the RTW line. Small selection of men’s leather goods were laid elegantly on a day bed ranges from iPad cases, wallets, portfolios and briefcases.

What I find intriguing about Oroton leather goods range is the fact that only oil vegetable leather is used in the production of each pieces. Some of the textures are too supple and soft we’ve mistaken it for a nappa leather only to be corrected by the store manager that it was actually made of CALF!

At first sight, below bags might look as if they’re made of python, right? Boy, I was wrong. No exotics were used in their leather goods production. What you see is actually calf leather that has been re-grained to look like a python (with almost python-like texture too!)

Exciting news for local fashionista as Oroton is opening their fourth store in Kuala Lumpur by early next month. The new flagship will be in Pavilion and will house complete collection of the leather good accessories alongside the costume jewelry and the above ready-to-wear line.

CORRECTUM: Original post was mistakenly titled 'OROTON SPRING SUMMER 2012 PRESS REVIEW'. Apologies!

H&M Autumn 2012 (Part Two)

While I'm still salivating over the tailored goodness that is the Autumn 2012 H&M menswear from my previous post,  the womenswear department fares a good job as well; this time around the concept is all about maximalism / metallics combo.

The feminine side of me got a little bit too excited seeing all the rhinestones-laden harness top, skirt and sweater. This is all skilled work with painstaking effort, at an affordable high-street price.

Apart from that there's this digital print floral sweater that just begs to be worn, which screams a milder version of Mary Katrantzou; and the metallic part comes in the form of this lame skirt reminding me of Anna Dello Russo, I think, because of all the ostentatious (in a beautiful way of course) loud prints + metallics that she dons which makes her so strikingly unique...

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.

H&M opening in Kuala Lumpur

I think you know how my feelings towards high street labels are - I understand the good intention behind providing design for the masses, although I do get appalled from time to time stumbling into blatant copyright infringements (ehem, Zara). However the designs from a high street brand like H&M are always more thought out, in a sense that there is the ambition to follow current trends, but there is a visible effort to create pieces in H&M's own modified version (even a slightest bit, at least). And of course we are already well-versed about the numerous H&M x designer collaborations that just give the ordinary people a taste of the high fashion pie.

 

Earlier this year I read tweets from the Swedish high-street giant mentioning their 2012 plan of opening new stores in Thailand and Indonesia. For a while I thought that Malaysia is going to be abandoned, and they would not reach our shores, leaving us H&M-less. But I was wrong apparently. Last week I was informed regarding the official news of H&M's maiden opening in Kuala Lumpur! Can I hear an ear-piercing hooray?

According to the e-mail the first H&M store in Malaysia is planned to open during autumn 2012. Where is the strategic location I hear you ask? Well, it's the place which arguably gets the most foot traffic in Kuala Lumpur - Lot 10 at Jalan Bukit Bintang! So that explains the massive ongoing makeover at the facade of the mall, and the fact that Debenham has moved to the poshy Starhill Gallery...

“We very much look forward to opening the first H&M flagship store in Malaysia. After the great
response for our first store in Singapore, this will be the perfect next step for H&M into this fashion
conscious region. There is great potential for expansion in Southeast Asia, and we are excited to be
able to offer fashion and quality at the best price to our customers in Kuala Lumpur during autumn
2012”, says Karl-Johan Persson, CEO at H&M.

Another key player of affordable fashion has landed in Malaysia. What do you think this mean? I am truly hoping for a diversified dressing attitude amongst KL-ites, and perhaps, a bigger inter-company competition in the field of marketing, design and retail...

Timberland KLCC Flagship opening

During my teenage years I was quite envied by the sight of other kids wearing Timberland boots, because I know how stylishly good they are. But as a child I never had the financial mean to get acquire them. Instead, I settled for other more pocket-friendly labels - after all, the task of paying for my clothing was diligently carried out by my father.

So when I had the invitation to witness the launch of Timberland's flagship store in Suria KLCC recently, a bit of nostalgic moment crept up my mind. Honestly, I thought initially I might be looking at a potentially stuffy collection from the label, but I definitely changed my mind when I saw the fresh designs and vibrant colors from the collection, most of which sourced from eco-friendly materials...

As a petite guy I'm never too keen on boxy outdoor jackets but somehow the vivid tones and modern design of these jackets made me change my stoical mind. Plus, you'd never go wrong with the ever lovely nautical hues...

Shoeaholic: Missoni - Converse collab, Margiela mesh boots

From time to time, instead of 'serious' topics like the unrest in Syria, child labor or the wildfire spread of HIV and tuberculosis, my mind lingers on shoes. Yes, those seemingly unimportant things your wear on your feet. Call me whatever you wish, but that's how my thought works. And recently I have been thinking about these shoes that might not matter much compared to the issues I mentioned above, but might just make somebody like me a wee bit happier owning them.

You know how high/low collaboration makes me feel. I say yes to fashion democracy. Make people dream of the beautiful things they can't afford, but please rightfully make a mass-produced collection that even someone like me can purchase on a whim. Please give an applause to Missoni's latest collaboration with Converse. God I can't even afford their diffusion line M Missoni. Well, the ones sold in Starhill Gallery at least *cough* mark up*cough*. So this zigzag-laden Chuck Taylor sneakers might be just the answer. I don't know about you, but with a price point of USD200 a pop I might think twice, because to me it's still quite pricey for a pair of canvas sneakers. Anyhow, my favorite is the blue version. They're available on Converse website now.

 

images via fashionologie

The second shoes do not typically fit my kind of footwear, because I'm not quite sure if I can work these Margiela mesh booties complete with perspex heels. But looking at the shoes in person during my paparazzi-style coverage at Runway in Saigon made me fall in love with them instantly. Just for the sake of their beauty, that is. Not to mention how they can be an excellent instant height-increasing device!

 

images via net-a-porter

Runway at Vincom Centre

You probably have guessed from my previous post that I was in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. True, I had a short family trip few days ago (after the Cameron Highland trip you must have noticed how I still join family trips where siblings bicker against parents over petty things which is a norm during this kind of travelling).

Apart from the touristy spots I managed to visit Vincom Center, a luxury mall in the heart of Saigon. It is quite apparent that the Vietnamese purchasing power is burgeoning ever more so after the country's policy starts to become more open to foreign investments. And this consequently leads to an economic boom which is evident in the mushrooming of luxury labels nesting amongst the high street shops in Vincom Centre.

Passing by the Runway boutique intrigued me, so much so that I decided to enter the premise. Apparently it is a multilabel store that stocks luxury labels that I deem are highly in demand - I saw Jil Sander bags, a Stella McCartney top-to-toe runway look and Lanvin bags perched on the racks of its window display. I entered the premise and politely introduced myself and explained about Dunia Fashyon, and also my intent to take photography inside the boutique. Unfortunately my request was denied by the fact that I had to contact the marketing team beforehand.


Therefore, for Dunia Fashyon, I decided to sneakily take pictures of the boutique. Forgive me if your eyes are pained by the skewed images. They WERE indeed taken in paparazzi style...

A brief research reveals that Runway Saigon is a part of the Runway company (with another smaller Runway branch in Hanoi and RRR which focuses on diffusion lines that Runway would carry). The concept store is led by the young entrepreneur Tranh Thi Hoai Anh, with interior design by Milanese CLS architects. Besides the clothing items they have in-store I'm quite fond of the boutique's ice cove
interior.

This concept store also stocks ceramics from Fornasetti and Gaetano Pesce sofas.

It is quite unfortunate when I learned that their menswear collection is somehow rather limited with classic shirts by the likes of Brioni, and also few Sergio Rossi and Margiela shoes, and rows and rows of mundane T-shirts from various high-end labels. I also found army green and beige Celine bi-cabas totes lying around the mens' section. However there's this Italian brand called Kiton that I'm eager to find out about more in the future. Price-wise I could generally conclude that it is still more expensive compared to the usual European stores (e.g a pair of Margiela leather Oxfords still cost about 300 British pounds even after a half-price discount)...

Brands at Actually KL

Whilst Actually KL currently focuses on laid-back street wear / up-and-coming international labels, it seems that it is not the ultimate plan for the store. I was told that they are trying to bring in more labels, especially Malaysian ones, but so far the promising designers that they are eyeing for now have either changed their base (Jonathan Liang moved to Paris recently) or is already bound with important projects (i.e. Tengku Syahmi with ULTRA). However there are a few options there that might just be a solution for the quest of local labels to be placed side by side with other international labels in Actually KL premise.

As for now, these are the labels that Actually KL have to offer...

INDEPENDENT LABELS

Dr Denim

I believe we are already familiar with this Swedish denim-focused brand. Created by the Graah family the label is already famous around the world with online shopping giants like ASOS stocking them. Quality selvedge denim, casual plaid  / Oxfords are the main pieces which keep customers' demand high, besides the more adventurous womenswear collection.

 

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Lazy Oaf

This UK label is a print focused label with products encompassing clothing, accessories and stationery. It seems that KL-ites have a thing for something fun and quirky, judging from the only piece of this Peekaboo sweatshirt left on the rails...

 

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