3 ALTERNATIVE CHRISTMAS STORIES

JF's Christmas at the Pool

"It's the eve of Christmas eve, 'round 1pm, one of those very quiet times at the pool, and so I was washing up with the shower door wide open, just so to keep an eye on my stuff which I'd left on the changing station ahead of me. You know me, I'm not shy like that. 

So I'm working up a treat with my new handmade geranium essential oil soap, I always use bar soap, I don't fancy gel. And I turn around and suddenly this tiny Chinese Hobbit, not very old, probably in his early thirties, was sitting right next to my stuff, so needless to say I had to keep an eye on him. 

The ACS Swimming Pool where so many things happened in my secondary school days.

Consciously nonchalant, acting oblivious, I continued soaping up and down my smooth flanks and sides, but became increasingly irked when I realised that I was putting on a Christmas show for that guy who kept gawking unabashedly. I really just couldn't hold it in any longer so I said very loudly, projecting across the room: "Excuse me, but what the flying fuck are you staring at?" 

"Ohhh... Ahhh, I wanted to ask you if I can borrow your soap?" he replied lamely.

So I said, "My soap isn't between my legs, you fuck!" 

Still relentless, he had the cheek to say, "Why do you shave down there? It's so ugly..." 

At this, I hurled my bar of soap in his face, hitting his right eye, and only then did he scurry off, Arena trunks, rubber sandals and drippy hair. 
I wasn't a marksman in the army for nothing."

Plaza Singapura in 1977

JZD's Christmas AT THE PLAZA MALL

Last night, amidst the plastic and tin foil-y Christmas decor at the Plaza Mall, JZD told me why he’s perpetually depressed. "It's not just Christmas," he said. As I suspected, it was about his family, a broken home and worse. His depression wasn’t about Nelson as I had thought, whom he had just met, and was all excited about; All anxious and nervous that it may all turn out to be naught. JZD isn’t quite as confident as he liked to present himself to be, but just as insecure as his good friend G, who no longer lives with him. They fought over rent, amongst other things, and G moved back to her parents' last Christmas.

KL model Haikal Hazman Hashim 

AY's Christmas Online

"So I met this dude online last Christmas, and he's a Chinese dude. We have been talking for a year now and indeed, he's very entertaining for a chat buddy. We would chat every day without fail, about this and that; However, when I asked him what race he preferred to date, I felt saddened to learn that he preferred to date a Chinese dude. I know it's his preference and what not, but I’m afraid he won't accept me as a potential date, because I'm not Chinese. I have yet to tell him that I’m Malay, so he doesn’t know this, even though we've been chatting for a year. He’s seen my photos though, but he doesn't seem to think that I'm Malay. 

Should tell him my race or just wait? I'm really confused..."

EDDIE REDMAYNE: MY NEW ENGLISH OBSESSION

This one is pretty self-explanatory, and if you watch the video interview below, you will see what I mean, English Charm operating at full power. Edward John David "Eddie" Redmayne is an English actor, singer and clotheshorse, born January 6, 1982. 
He's really the new Hugh Grant!

NO FEAR OF AGEING

Both Titian and Monet painted into their 80s, and Chagall and Picasso into their 90s. Then there's Matisse.

Titian, Portrait of a Girl, 1545

Verdi composed Falstaff when he was 80, while Richard Strauss composed Four Last Songs at 84.

INSTAGRAM PURGE: THE NEW SELFIE QUEEN

Bieby's Selfie with pants

Bieby's purported Selfie's rather real looking

Instagram's stupid purge of supposed fake accounts from their site, has taken a toll on many follower lists. It has meant a huge decrease in followers for some, particularly some questionable celebrities who have so far been chalking up amazing numbers. As a result of this purge, Eg: Justin Bieber is no longer the King of Instagram. The new most-followed person on Instagram is (roll eyes) Kim Kardsashian West. 
It's hard (pun unintended) to believe that there are more people who want to look at Mrs West than Bieby - but there you go - all sorts of perversity etc.

EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS VS THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES MOVIE REVIEW

This is probably the only movie review that will come right out and say that the much maligned Ridley Scott epic Exodus: Gods and Kings is a much better movie than the generally praised The Hobbit.

Frankly, Exodus is simply more beautiful and finely made than The Hobbit, which feels for the most part like a glorified wuxia movie with too big a budget. You half expect to see Dato Michelle Yeoh leap out out from the cave looking gnarled and bloodied to battle an Orc played by Donnie Yen. (Of course Donnie Yen will die first; As you know Ms Yeoh has survived a disastrous string of flops and will outlive anything.)

Exodus promised to be a stunning epic, and delivers. The CGI and art direction are lushly beautiful in an Old Master way, at once stunning and considered, whereas in The Hobbit, it looks like CGI, at once too real and not real enough - you're never not aware that the actors are wearing a tonne of hair, makeup and polyester (for instance, you're never not aware that Gandolf is wearing a pointy hat made of that Christmas stocking felt - it's too real and not real because that Christmas stocking felt simply looks too NEW), or that the lumbering monsters are created by an army of artists clicking feverishly on a computer. The CGI monsters are summoned up for no reason, felled by any stray pebble hurled by a Hobbit, or elbowed by a Dwarf. They never feel menacing, just numerous.

I will never quibble with the casting of Christian Bale - in anything - even if he isn't his very best in Exodus, Bale is still always strangely watchable. I have no preconceived notions of what Moses should be like, and I reckon if there was a Moses, he would be heroic, human and conflicted, as portrayed by Bale. I also think that portraying the Old Testament God as a willful child is poetic and appropriate. 

PRINCESS SRIRASMI NO MORE

To those addicted to Thai lakorns, the still unfolding saga of the former Thai Princess Srirasmi will seem familiar. It's even more riveting than Love Sick The Series. (I'm planning a really long post on this TV series, so watch out for it!)

It wasn't to be a happy birthday for the  Princess, who was born 9 December 1971 to a family of modest means. She graduated from Bangkok Business College at age 22, and entered the service of Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn as a “lady-in-waiting”. In 1997, Srirasmi enrolled in Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University and graduated in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in management science. In 2007 she received a Master of Arts degree in Home Economics from Kasetsart University. 

The always polished former Princess in happier times

Today, she is Princess no more, and has adopted a new identity overnight, and from now on she will be officially known as Thanphuying Srirasmi Suwadee. It is reported that she will now return to her hometown of Ratchaburi and devote her time to studying Buddhism. The former princess (the third wife of the Crown Prince) was seen at a government office in Bangkok's Dusit district obtaining her new identification card.
The scandal-plagued Srirasmi's abdication came to light last Friday in a terse statement carried in the Royal Gazette. The announcement said that Princess Srirasmi had requested in writing that she be allowed to relinquish her royal status. No reason was offered for her resigination.
This request had been acknowledged by His Majesty the King and permission has been granted. Additionally, it was officially acknowledged by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.
Apart from her royal title, she has also resigned her army position. 

Srirasmi has returned all her jewels and been granted 200 million baht to support her new life as a commoner. 

MY VERY OWN TARZAN

My Tarzan was a TV Tarzan, and I remember watching this avidly as a kid in the 1970s. It starred the very beautiful Ron Ely (amazingly still alive and still gorgeous!), in the series that ran from 1966-1968, but wasn't broadcast here until the 1970s. It was this version of Tarzan that I got to know first, formatively, as well as getting the first inkling of issues like Nature threatened, the nasty white racist, witch doctors, loincloths, safari suits and various animal attacks embedded in my psyche. Tellingly, I don't have any memories of a Jane, just Tarzan, chimps and natives. 

"I never thought of myself as representing a sex symbol; I didn't see anything attractive in what I was doing or the way I was presented. I just saw it as natural and normal — never beyond that." - Ron Ely

MARBLE, THE BEAUTIFUL STONE

A POLISHED BEAUTY

Marble carries a certain weight in our minds because of its elegant associations. We think of marble as the eternal building blocks of some of our most-loved monuments, an ancient Greek temple crumbling on a cliff, the lunar domes of the Taj Mahal spring quickly to mind in all their weathered nobility. And then we associate marble with the solidity of rich homes – perhaps your first encounter with marble was as a child, crawling on cold marbled floors, swimming in marbled pools and washing in marbled sinks – a hard knock or two was a lesson in how cruelly hard this stone can be.

    

By then, as adults, we would have learnt to appreciate the smooth marble hardness as a sort of beauty, perhaps the rarest of all beauties. A certain icy hauteur indicates a marble heart, remote and unknowable; a ghostly pale skin is said to be marble-like in texture and temperature. 

The poetry of marble is that it is both dead and ‘alive’. Marble has a unique translucence which comes from light entering its surface to produce a soft glow. This has made marble the favorite medium for Greek and Roman sculptors who brought galleries of models “to life”, and from them we have come to see marble as a symbol of refinement and art. Marble has the ability to take a very high polish, sanded to a high luster; After all, the word “marble” derives from the pre-Greek “crystalline rock, shining stone.”

Its varied and distinctive patterns make it decorative, and once you see it on a column in a renaissance palace, you will recognize it on Venetian paper, in a cupcake, a tub of ice-cream or a cake of eye-shadow. We are used to thinking of marble as being of a blinding white, but marble occurs naturally in a wide range of colours and can be green, yellow, orange, red and black, making it a perfect decorative material for architecture and interiors. 

Despite its many qualities, Michelangelo describes marble’s mysterious magic best: “The marble not yet carved can hold the form of every thought the greatest artist has. I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”

WHAT IS STYLE?

That is Style: November 2007, when I was still working on it, inventing that genre as I went along. My work, my passion and my style.

TOP FASHION TREND 2014: ANIMAL PRINTS

NATURAL SELECTION

Animal print has probably always been in style in one form or another. Wearing the markings of jungle cats, zebra, giraffe, cow and reptiles is rooted in a atavistic yearning for our distant past, for a time when we were more connected with nature and depended more on our instincts, our animal senses, and our natural understanding of the wild environment. 

Animal prints are particularly alluring for us who live an air-conditioned existence, it's a sort of nostalgia for the time of caves and shamans and the colours of the wind. Perhaps this longing for the natural world is stitched into the threads of our genes, like a primeval ocean we can’t quite remember, yet whose undertow tugs on our subconscious hearts.

Azzedine Alaia design for Louis Vuitton

Animal prints entered fashion as a form of luxury and status. Throughout history, noblemen treasured animal patterns as they were exotic, and thereby wearing them was a sign of status. Traditionally, beautifully-marked animal skins were difficult to access, which meant that only the powerfully rich could afford them. A related aspect of this is that animal prints and skins were believed to convey a natural power to the wearer, like a sort of fashion homeopathy. Whatever its efficacy, not everyone has the prerequisite confidence to pull off animal print as they require an unabashed sense of self and an implied sexual accomplishment. Animal print advertises a feeling of “danger” as the one thing it isn’t is “safe.” Wear it, and you stand out from the crowd – and that is why animal print is often sold in small doses – not entire outfits. 

TOP FASHION TREND: Athletics in Fashion

What will mark this era out in fashion history will be that sports has finally taken the leap, from all its sweaty origins, locations and associations, into the arena of luxury fashion. Thanks to street-inspired designers, athletic-inspired fashion has finally grown up. The idea has leapt far from the starting point of that unsophisticated pair of sweatpants, a slouchy T-shirt and baseball cap; Over the last two years, the lines between Sportswear and Fashion have become blurred. 

Athletic influences are no longer immediately recognisable, and when they are, they have been made so luxe that you wouldn’t dream of wearing them to kick about. A sexier (narrow) fit, unexpected styling and unusual fabrics are used to balance out the relaxed, rugged silhouettes, making the new sports-style a modern hybrid elegance.

Traditionally, fashion and sportswear have been polar opposites: Fashion is refined, decorative and precious, while Sportswear was about function, technically advanced fabrics, and durability. The assimilation process began in the 1990s when fashion designers began to be seduced by massive sportswear brands into signing lucrative “capsule collection” deals, which helped the designers raise their profile and reach a mass audience; they also learnt the vocabulary of Sportwear, and brought their new-found knowledge to Fashion. Fashion sneakers, which today can be worn with just about anything, became just the tip of the Sportswear iceberg.

Fast-forward to now and hoodies and sweatshirts are flooding runways; But perhaps you had seen it all coming for isn’t fashion’s perennial T-shirt a sign of what was to come? Blame it on Casual Fridays (which became casual Every-days) and the raise of comfort over anything. Blame it on exercise becoming a fact of life for the professionally beautiful. Blame it on mega-rich, celeb sports stars. 

Sports-styling has come to invade the Fashion arena in a winning streak and there’s no looking back now, except in wonder at all those difficult, fussy, restrictive things that we used to wear in the name of fashion.

Be a sport won’t you?

HE SAID SHE SAID: THE BEST CELEBRITY QUOTE IN 2014

“I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I’ve become arrogant, but simply because I've reached a point in my life where I do not want to waste more time with what displeases me or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who do not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me. I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense, hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. 
I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that’s why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities. In friendship, I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement. Exaggerations bore me and I have difficulty accepting those who do not like animals. And on top of everything, I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience.” – Meryl Streep

STYLE: October 2014

FOOT FAIR

The must-have shoe of the moment is the humble sneaker, and Dior’s Dior Fusion sneaker elevates this utilitarian item to couture levels with its glamourous makeover. By Daniel Goh

Now that sneakers can be worn with just about anything in your closet, lending any ensemble an air of sporty youthfulness, here’s the one sneaker that takes this must-have accessory from the streets to the couture salon – quite literally! With a flourish, we present you the Dior Fusion sneaker, the sneaker to end all sneaker fetishes. These are serious haute couture kicks: After all, they made their debut this year at the Dior Spring Couture runway in January, and have swiftly become a coveted accessory for the blog-and-Instagram-obsessed fashion set. With such a distinctive aesthetic, these instantly recognizable sneakers were designed by Dior’s artistic director Raf Simons, and carries all his design hallmarks, including a contrarian modernity, an incisive elegance and a quirky femininity. The modernity comes from the innovative structure and the futuristic technology combined with the old-school crafts of the haute couture. The beautiful hand-sewn floral embroidery sequins are attached to a hi-tech mesh and represent nothing so much as a clash of different eras; the molded rubber soles are spring this style from the salon to the street in one athletic leap.

What’s delightful is that these sneakers are lightweight and yet durable and there’s a certain ballet pump-neatness to its compact appearance, giving it a dainty, rather than jock-ish vibe. The storied House of Dior bills these sneakers as the perfect balance between couture and practicality, and notes that the floral motifs are a nod to the couturier Christian Dior's penchant for gardens and blooms. The Dior Fusion expresses the current fashion ideology, with this era’s contribution to fashion history being the “mash-up”: Of periods, of genres, of styles and cultures. These sneakers represent this mash-up in its combination of casual running shoes and polished evening shoes, between couture and street.  

“Decorative and extremely feminine,” Simons had said of the Spring 2014 Couture collection, and he might as well be speaking about the Dior Fusion, “I hope women can wear these fashion with freedom, and that they will choose to wear these designs their own way, rather than put false ‘fashion attitude’. The reality of the customer is that you can naturally and casually wear Haute.”

BOX STORY: MAKING OF DIOR FUSION

Dior Fusion sneakers are inspired by the ubiquitous running shoes but re-fashioned with bold innovation. The laces of the sports shoe are removed, and this element takes the “slip on” (sliding) design, so wearing it feels more luxuriously convenient and easy. The Dior Fusion has a more rounded, stylish shape, and are seamless and comfortable. These are true high-tech running shoes made with high-performance fabrics. The soles are composed of four substrates, giving it a more reliable quality and a lighter texture.

Dior Fusion comes from the brand's couture heritage, and features clever embellishments such as ribbons, bows and unique couture embroidery elements; The designs come in a range of cleverly interesting colour combinations, sometimes with bold collision of colour, sometimes blending the same colour, or colours in a perfect match, making an elegant and joyful kaleidoscope for your feet.

Style Men Magazine/ October 2014

FAMOUS AMOS

With his just-launched eponymous streetwear label, fashion designer Amos Ananda Yeo breathes new life into the local fashion scene. By Daniel Goh

With the considerable determination and certainty of a 25-year old tackling his grand passion, Amos Ananda Yeo, social media darling and fashion figure, has launched a line of some 20 looks under the eponymous label, Amos Ananda. Inspired by memories of living on the streets in his childhood, his designs seem to well from a deeply-felt atavistic reserve: You can see it in the way that he seems to be designing for himself, each piece a reflection of his own need and wants, each look worn by him in frame after frame looking as natural on him as his own skin. In fact, this line of “elevated” streetwear is nothing less than a cloth and leather expression of his personal philosophy. “The brand conveys a style I call ‘SUPERNORMAL’. It is my personal philosophy of choosing to excel beyond the expectations of the ordinary. It is how I live my life,” said the young designer. “If you choose to live life normally, you will never get to see how amazing you can be or what you can achieve. This is the thinking that I have applied to my dressing and style. I guess it’s about being unconventional in a very conventional world.”

This rebellious stance, except for his clothes, is hardly evident in his manner or demeanor. Yeo is unerringly nice in person, polite, mildly spoken and always groomed. Yet, a sense of having had a less-than-privileged start in life marks his confidence with an edge of aggression, and perhaps contributes to the edginess of his designs. Yeo is the eldest of two sons of a single-parent family; his mother brought them up on the takings of a small food business.  

When was the first time that fashion attracted your attention, and how did that lead you to a career in fashion?

I grew up watching football, and have always been interested in the clothes and hairstyles of football stars like Freddie Ljungberg and David Beckham. Growing up in the Choa Chu Kang, I played the game in the neighbourhood streets, and I lived the rebellious street culture. I didn’t choose to be rebellious. It’s innate and it’s a strong influence in my designs. Dressing up came naturally to me, from the age of 9 or 10. I think the need to create cool clothes stems from my childhood. I have always wanted a platform to share my stylistic expression and I chose fashion. Another reason I create is my quest for individuality, authenticity and exclusivity.

At what point did you decide that you will make fashion a career? Why did you decide to study fashion business rather than design?

Since I was little, I have always known what I wanted to do, and that is to have my own label. I’ve never doubted that I would pursue this path. Having just graduated from Raffles College of Higher Education Singapore with a Bachelor in Fashion Marketing and Management this July, I could pursue my fashion business full time, with the blessings of my mom. I studied fashion marketing instead of fashion design because I wanted to learn how to start a business. I designed, conceptualized and created my collection despite having no design training.

What inspires you? And why?

I draw inspiration from sports, tradition and military influences. My muse is anyone that inspires me on any given day. I do not restrict myself to a single muse or role model. Inspiration is that fleeting moment, that adrenaline rush, I have no restrictions.

Why is fashion important?

Fashion is a business but I think that style is more important as it gives you an identity. It is the most important requirement for success in the fashion business. It is something which either you have or you don't.

How different is your line from that of other young designers? Do you think you bring something else to the market that doesn’t already exist?

AMOS ANANDA is an elevated unisex streetwise label that is rooted in modern street sensibilities with a sophisticated aesthetic. All my products are produced in limited quantities. Each item is a limited edition, and comes labelled with the quantity number (eg 7/20) sewn onto the apparel. This ensures the best quality with quality control checks done (by me) throughout the production process. It has a good price point to allow the brand to fulfil its potential, to spread my vision, and to reach a broader market. My second line 7 BY AMOS ANANDA reaches out to those on a tight budget.

What is your brand all about? What is your brand philosophy?

AMOS is my Christian name and ANANDA came from this Buddhist exhibition that I was at with my father and the name struck me and it means the same thing as Amos. Both names mean “messenger” and my label brings a new message about streetwear going luxury. My message is also about doing your best. I want nothing average. It is either good or bad, and I choose the former. I’m completely independently funded, so I have total freedom and control, I have no restrictions. And this is what my label represents.

What are the qualities/ qualifications/ skills that will enable you to succeed in this business?

Each of my products is created with love and passion. When you have the love, you have the drive. When you have the drive, the chances to succeed is greater. In a nutshell, it all comes from the heart.

Who is your customer?

AMOS ANANDA is for people who want individuality. A confident personality who understands the quality of clothing. They want to be themselves. A unique individual who dares to be different. They are sporty, fast-paced and perfectly comfortable in their own imperfections.

What are some of the things that you want to highlight about your collection?

COLLECTION 01 is about functional daily wear with utilitarian detailing. The emphasis is on the shoulders which are padded to heighten masculine appeal. You can expect unconventional approaches such as the layered pants designed as a one-piece, yet looking like you’re wearing shorts over leggings. There is one T-shirt where the hem design adds layering to the outfit. Traditional influences, such as the mandarin collar is offered with contemporary styling. Expect a tailored silhouette infused with streetwear vibe.

How do you work with your pattern makers since you have no tailoring skills?

When you have the heart and the drive, you will see results. I make sure my demands and instructions are communicated across to the shifu who makes up my patterns in Shenzhen.

How did you get started working in fashion?

I did my internship at a fashion event company in 2013 and subsequently worked for them during fashion week. I met many people who helped me get started. Fashion really isn’t glamourous. Behind the glamour is tonnes of work, sweat and tears. When I go to China for my production, I face many challenges. The list is so long that I can’t name it all. But I am grateful to have met many nice people who accepted me, believed my vision, and assisted me to produce my line!

Describe a typical day in your life.

My day begins with replying emails and messages. I always wake up to tonnes of it! I work on anything related to my label in the day and design at night. When in Singapore, I make it a point to stay home to accompany my mum as I often travel for work. I also make it a point to meet my bunch of close friends of over 10 years once a week. Surrounding myself with these level-headed individuals is important because they have always been there for me. Launching the label has been a roller-coaster ride that seems never ending, and time with my friends, at my place, theirs or out for dinners and movies is precious.

Who are the most important people in your life?

My Mum. I love her the most. Her love for me is greater than anyone who can ever have for me.

AMOS ANANDA is available at local select shop Workshop Element, Level 3, Orchard 313.

MY VERY OWN SAY ON FASHION FAQs

A women's magazine recently asked me to participate in an interview for its September issue and sent me a list of questions. These are the predictable questions, with my unexpected answers.

 Q. What is the must-have/must-try trend this season and why? 

 

A. Everything and nothing. I've long given up on this idea of "must-have" as nothing is really a must-have unless it's lunch. There are simply too many pressing requirements in life to think of any random fashion item as a "must-have." Seriously, what actually happens if you don't have a "must-have"? Nothing. Who cares?

Based on the trends that you chose, please answer the following: Top 3 runway representations of the trend and why you chose these 3 brands.

There aren't actually any "trends" anymore: Everything goes nowadays. In any given season, you can see everything presented as the latest. The trend seems to be that at any one label, they would show a wide spectrum of looks and items to encompass all tastes and styles: The result is that short, long, volume, slim, minimal, print, plain, embellished, matte, shiny, black, colour, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s is well-represented. Show me a "trend" and I will show you the exact opposite - and often from the same collection. Fashion is a market after all, and labels just want sales.

 

Is this a trend for everyone? Why and why not?

 This "trend" of providing something for everyone with a cynical eye on sales is ironically what is detracting from the power of fashion. Because everything goes, nothing is therefore a "must-have" and the pull to buy isn't that urgent. And since everything is '"in" then you might as well just shop your own closet.

What do you like and dislike most about this trend?

I like that this makes fashion very democratic - but I dislike that now everyone is a fashion expert/ style icon. Now everyone with who can afford to buy a studded shoe thinks he's a fashion director - or worse - editor. 

Is this a seasonal trend or do you predict this trend to have a long shelf life? Why and why not? 

Hopefully this doesn't go on for very long - but delusions can last for a whole lifetime. 

How do you suggest to wear this trend for the work week and weekend.

You can wear delusions for a very long time, and everyday of the week if you factor in trips to Seoul to get your face done now and then.

 

Give 2 style tips on how to wear this trend. 

Must-haves to wear this trend convincingly would be to have a Kenzo cap and a new nose/ filler cheeks.   

What are the must-haves to own?

The LOUDEST press samples you can grab at the sample sale and a very developed ego.  

 

What items do you think will sell the best? 

Absolutely the LOUDEST, most-easily recognised items, those things that can immediately be identified on Instagram - things which leave no room for real worth, workmanship or subtlety. 

How do you turn this high-fashion trend into everyday life? Is it possible? Why and Why not? 

Everyone and their sidekick is doing it, so as long as you have an Instagram account you can too. And get that studded shoe!

3 dos and 3 don't when trying out this trend.

dos:

1. Watch Korean dramas and MVs, and learn to do synchronised dancing. 

2. Layer everything loud over everything louder. 

3. Wear the most hideous, over designed shoes.

don'ts: 

1. Think too much - it will crease your brow. 

2. Read. 

3. Pretend that you're human.   

 

Who are some personalities who will wear this trend best? (eg. someone who is a conservative dresser or someone who loves colors etc) 

This trend is for all the poor lost souls who always wanted to be in fashion and now they find they can - after some nip and tuck and now that Instagram has made words redundant.

Does this trend come with rules you should follow or is it best to break any fashion rule with regards to this trend?

There are no more fashion rules - only ego and shamelessness.

SPRING 2015 MENSWEAR: THE NUDE MEN UNCOVERED

Bottega Veneta

Calvin Klein Collection

This is a lesson in styling: If you look beyond the pale pink/ beige monochrome of these very different collections, you can see that the looks break down to pretty much the same items; I think the germ of the idea of athletic wear is there, also the idea of underwear, the referencing of women's lingerie but styling makes it all so different, and that includes the choice of model. Bottega Veneta's has a ballet dancer's langour, while Calvin Klein's has more of a pornstar appeal.

Bottega Veneta

Calvin Klein Collection

SPRING 2015 MENSWEAR: Z ZEGNA

I read with absolute dismay that Z Zegna, a label that I loved for so long, for its clear creative vision and beautifully realised designs by Paul Surridge, will now be merged with Zegna Sport to become a rebooted label. The first collection to be codesigned by Mr Surridge and Murray Scallon (formerly the head designer at Zegna Sport), though it tells a cohesive story, looks like it's been designed by committee. It has all the essentials of a second line, "youthful, high-performance clothes that focus on quality materials and slick Italian tailoring." In fact, more clothes that we don't need, not because they don't fulfill the brief, but because the market is already saturated with such-like. What we do need more is beauty and personal vision, not cynical calculation of what will sell.  Do you like what you see?

SPRING 2015 MENSWEAR REVIEW

What a fresh, eye-opening start to another round of fashion shows and all those fashion tarts are off again on their business flights and cars in the carousel of stale parties and Instagram-ops and what-nots. Did you like Sarah Burton's Matisse collage-suitings at Alexander McQueen? I thought they were sharp and jazzy and Japanese (Comme/Junya, anyone?) at the same time, decorative without being bogged down. The entire thing was bracingly "racy", except for a quartet of looks that had the look of those black-and-red lacquer bento boxes: Too literal a reference to Japan.

It's clearly inspired by Henri Matisse's cut-outs (like this Blue Nude from 1952), which fashion types can see at the exhibition Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs, at the Tate Modern (on till 7 September) instead of worrying about which samples to wear.

HOTTEST MALE MODEL OF THE MOMENT: JIN DACHUAN

My new obsession.

POSTCARD FROM PHUKET (2005)

I decided that I needed a holiday one Thursday morning while I was in the office. On top of my work, I had to explain to a stylist the difference between being stylish and being merely trendy. It didn't make my "pep talk" any easier to see her endearing little moustache bristling. The fiendish features editor later (unhelpfully) said that it was the Salvador Dali in her trying to get out. 
Phuket time is one hour behind Singapore time, but it seems like an entirely different experience of time altogether. Everything feels slower once you arrive at the airport, which is casual and 1980s ugly, and lighter, as if you just threw away five years of designer clothes from your wardrobe. 
The last time I was in Phuket, the island was nothing but wooden shacks and rubber plantations. Now there are distressing excavations and diggings (but where are the workers?) and tractors with no drivers. Huge and largely similar billboards advertise the hotels and condos that will be standing where there are now just piles of yellow upturned earth. Is this progress? And does it all have to be so ugly?
As we drive further into the depths of Phuket in the evening light, my Phuket emerges. A young girl is planting her three little siblings on a scooter before jumping on herself. All four race off into the dusty, winding hill roads, her talcum-ed brown neck is thrown back in a white laugh, her just-had-a-bath hair is flying in the wind.

Phuket for me is the trials of schoolboys in orange, white and blue uniforms walking home after school. They all sport that brusque-short haircut that makes them look like budding thugs, savage yet sweet, violent and vulnerable at the same time. They stare at our speeding, dark minibus insolently.
Phuket for me is always sunset time. A slow island slowing down as planters go home for a bathe by the well; as shops close and their owners sit outside to enjoy the breeze. 
Even the stray dogs look content. 
And then we arrive at the Royal Phuket Yacht Club.