Boy oh boy
With two fashion festivals happening almost back-to-back (Men’s Fashion Week later this month and Asia Fashion Exchange (AFX) in May), my sartorial sense is perpetually buzzing, especially so since the lineups are extremely strong for menswear this year. For the former, Asian designers are the main focus, with almost 20 local and regional brands like Elohim, Reckless Ericka, Shanghai Tang and Dress Camp confirmed, alongside more obscure newbies like Thailand’s Issue, Philippines’ Jerome Lorico and Korea’s Songzio for that token underdog mix. I am especially looking forward to Dress Camp’s wild prints fused with exquisite materials like silk, a guaranteed hit among the luxury crowd. For AFX, popular Thai brand Greyhound’s Autumn/Winter presentation is one of the highlights. During the festival press conference a couple of weeks back, I was reintroduced to designer Bhanu Inkawat’s contemporary and clean take on fashion—well-made backpacks and white tailored suits that are as trendy as they are functional and minimal. The main shows aside, AFX will also be holding various parties and fringe events across town (80s icon and king of camp Boy George will be spinning at Stereolab— seriously!), while the Fashion Elite installment of Zouk’s Flea & Easy will have industry players hawking their fashion wares (including yours truly), so it’s all going to be way too exciting for me in the coming months.
Past Present
This city is never short of cool vintage finds. Apart from my usual fixes of used clothes and books at places like Stevie General Store and Granny’s Day Out, two new joints have just opened. First up, Oakham Market, with its eclectic mix of affordable T-shirts and designer brands like Ferragamo and Lacroix (see Open Store above to read more), and Pigeonhole, a treasure trove of rare, secondhand books, one-off furniture pieces and other quirky home décor elements (ask nicely, and the owners might just sell you one of their fantastic lounge chairs). I want one, too.
Black Out
The original Blackmarket boutique at Jalan Pisang near Haji Lane will be shutting its doors within the next few months. It makes sense, actually, that owner Jasmine Tuan should consolidate all her energy into her second, bigger and better outlet at Orchard Central and turn it into one of the city’s most compelling fashion destinations. After all, the 1,200 sq. ft. space winner of Best Indie Boutique at the recent I-S Readers’ Choice Awards could be utilized better (there’s still lots of space for Tuan to stock with more clothes or curios), and the traffic flow at downtown Orchard is certainly more bustling, although its cool factor may be compromised. As they say, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.
