It’s no secret how much i love clothes and fashion. I used to feel guilty about how much i spend on clothes and berate myself for all the other things i could have used the money for. After telling myself off and wallowing in a pool of consumerist guilt, i’ve managed to resist shopping quite a few times. Mainly by avoiding malls and stores altogether.
I think this made it worse, like keeping a fat kid away from candy. Cos when i DID walk into a shop with things i really like, i’d end up committing a fashion binge.
After years of feeling guilty about my addiction to fashion, i came across some youtube vids featuring elderly fashionistas. In one of them (i can’t find the link!) this lady quoted that she used to feel really guilty about all the things she would buy and how shallow it seemed to be. After decades, she realized that dressing up was her art. Just like how other people express themselves through music or painting, her art was via putting together outfits and letting other people view/enjoy it.
I thought she was amazing and still looked amazing at 75. And i felt less bad about my shopping endeavors. I treasure all my clothes and when people say i should throw more junk sales, the truth is – i DON’T WANT to sell these clothes. I took hours, days and YEARS of my time and money COLLECTING these pieces. There are some great quality pieces in my wardrobe that i bought 9 years ago and still wear! And they are things you just cannot find anymore.
When i look at my wardrobe, i don’t see a waste of money. I see a carefully-curated and very-well-loved collection of fashion i’ve bought from across 20 countries. My friends say i have a great radar for tracking down fashion items in remote areas and i tend not to disagree. It doesn’t matter whether it comes from the Champs-Élysées in Paris or the middle of a forest in Pai as long as it reeks awesomeness.
I’ve been keeping my fashion items as best i can to help it stand the test of time. Accessories are all kept in ziplock bags according to sizes. Some shoes are kept in boxes. And my best dresses hang in fabric bags. The one thing that gets to some of our clothes… are those occasional sweat stains! They’re only obvious on light and dark clothing – black fabric gets white patches, and some white ones tend to to stain yellow under the arms over time after repeated washings. It’s generally caused by a chemical reaction between our sweat, the material and ingredients in our deodorants.
It’s not like we can just stop wearing deodorant cos that would be really gross. So i thought it’s quite cool that NIVEA just launched their new NIVEA Invisible For Black & White Anti-perspirant deodorant – a special deodorant that WON’T cause white stains on your black clothes, and also helps to reduce yellow stains on your white ones. Not only does it promise that, but also has double the effectiveness of antiperspirant that absorbs quickly and deeper into your skin.
Okay, i have to admit that my previous deodorant didn’t really absorb into my skin but i didn’t care and still used it cos i already bought it and didn’t want to waste it! Now that it’s finished i’m quite relieved to switch to my NIVEA Black & White ones. I say ‘oneS’ cos i have two! One for my dressing table and one for my gym bag.
So if you don’t want to reek and scare people away, or have sweaty stains under your arms halfway thru the day, OR stain your clothes; then NIVEA Black & White might be what you’re looking for 😉
For those of you who wonder what i actually do, here’s a video glimpse into my busy lifestyle:
WHAT A GREAT DAY IT WAS!!! My whole body is aching, but i’m already looking forward to Future Music Festival Asia again next year!!! I wish parties like this would happen more often in KL… like 4 times a year?! I’d be happy with that! Big up to Livescape Asia, Future Entertainment Australia and Tourism Malaysia for making this happen!
Clem and i went there with Kenny & Cammy, thanks for driving there Kenny!
Fairy & Cammy
Kenny, Brian, LiMei in the VIP section. We got ourselves some drinks before running out to catch Kyoto Protocol at 4:15pm.
I’m wearing:
fluoro fringe top; topshop
leopard print skirt; azorias
bag; coach
shoes; kurt geiger
sunnies; henry holland x le specs
(which i TOTALLY broke later that day… -_-)
Ruby Rose played a rocking set which started me dancing real early. And all us girls couldn’t stop saying how hot she was. Mass gurl crush.
BTW i just HAVE to plug April’s show cos it’s my FAVOURITE out of the whole week on radio! Her Global Passport show on Capital FM 88.9 on Sat mornings from 10am-2pm get me feeling like it’s really the weekend, or that i’m on holiday somewhere in my head. Love the selections from Norway, India, France, etc. APRIL CAN YOU PLEASE BURN ME YOUR MUSIC.
Cris has a wardrobe that’s twenty times more interesting than mine…
Hahaaaaa
Cammy, Dhanya, Aps, me, Stephy
Yay for the 5 of us to get a picture together again! It seems to be getting increasingly difficult to get us all together.
I couldn’t help running up to the flamingo and hugging it. You must admit it made a great picture!
Convinced Cammy to do the same and all she could say was, “Joyceee hurry up and take it!”
Met See/C(?), Haanim of Dusun’s husband.
I envy their lifestyle of bringing up their baby in the forest. I want to do that too! I’d rather my child play with sticks, stones and leaves than an iPad… ugh.
I’ve known Justin for two decades. It seems kinda long when i write it down like that.
Danny and i jumped into the rickety carousel which didn’t seem like a good idea after it spun us really fast with screeching metal accompanying the ordeal.
Thanks to Louis Vuitton for inviting me to their City Guides 2012 event a couple of weeks back. Admittedly my schedule was really tight that day, so i managed to just about pop in for 30 minutes before running off to my next appointment! I wish i wasn’t so rushed though – the set up was beautifully done with lots of yummies and champers to enjoy.
Louis Vuitton shares its passion for travel and city life in the pages of its City Guide series. A team of journalists and writers have provided an attentive, informed commentary on the changes shaking the heart of cities and offer objective views on fashion, design, the arts and gastronomy. All my favourite subjects! Covering 40 cities across the globe, the LV City Guides are your best option on discovering luxury hotels and charming guesthouses; gourmet restaurants and local bistros; street markets and find food stores; essential and secret monuments; to museums and fashion stores. Basically a complete and lush insider’s guide into these cities:
The London, Paris and Rome editions return with an entirely revisited form; and five new cities are added to the European City box set – Bari, Birmingham, Odessa, Salzburg, and Zagreb. I’ve never thought of visiting Zagreb or Odessa before and its inclusion in the City Guide series certainly intrigues me to find out more!
Hong Kong/Macau is the newest addition to the LV City Guide series.
“Exceptional hotels, inns with vinho verde, mind-blowing casinos, avant-garde galleries, luxury spas, authentic dim sum restaurants and stylish tailors: through more than 500 addresses chosen with flair and discernment, the spirit of each of these two flamboyant cities is revealed in an abundant and unexpected urban portrait. Featuring clear and practical maps, this unique guide is a real passport for the seasoned traveller and curious insider alike.”
In conjunction with the introduction of the Hong Kong/Macau City Guide, the LV store in Gardens was stacked with exquisite Chinese dim sum, teas and desserts.
There was even a girl playing the gu zheng (Chinese lap harp) in a corner of the event, which i initially thought was music being played over the speakers!
Here’s a glimpse into the Hong Kong/Macau City Guide – in video format on where to get the best dim sum in HK! I heart dim sum.
The Louis Vuitton City Guides come in an assortment of languages depending on which city you’re interested in – French, English, German, Italian, Chinese, etc. Each City Guide comes with at least 220 pages of stylish information, and is priced at 25 euros / RM100. The European Cities box set covers 31 cities and is priced at 100 euros / RM400. You can purchase them at Louis Vuitton stores or online at www.louisvuitton.com.
Thanks to Louis Vuitton to extend an invite to me, they said i was the only blogger they invited. I’m honoured!
I really wish i could be in Singapore for all of this that’s happening NOW.
Fashion Steps Out @ Orchard (FSO) 2012 is a 6-week event from 16th March till 29th April that’s gonna be jam-packed with fashion shows galore, MasterCard shopping rewards and activities that will involve both fashion insiders and public alike!
Also, for the FIRST TIME EVER, the whole of Orchard Road will be closed to vehicular traffic so that ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY (i just had to write it in caps) models will walk for a spectacular runway show, that is the opening event for Fashion Steps Out.
Imagine 170 models. Wearing the latest styles from international and local designers. Strutting down a road that’s converted into a runway. Even the buses that go along that route are to be diverted!
The event is open to public viewing and I think it’s awesome how such a grand event is accessible to everyone and anyone who loves fashion. If you don’t want to miss this fashionable momentous moment, make sure you block your calendar for this Saturday evening, 17th March!
To kick off Fashion Steps Out to a bright and blazing start, there are already larger-than-life 3D fashion and light installations being exhibited along Orchard Road! Called The Lighter Side of Fashion by Raffles Design Institute, students from said institute have converted their imagination into giant light installations that capture classic silhouettes in fashion history.
> When: now till 1st April
The Fashion Bazaar is something i’d love to go for… it promises to be a chic and trendy bazaar filled with high street brands and stylish food. Brands on website mention Topshop Print Shop, Ms Selfridge Candy Store (i want!), Diva Garden, What Women Want Styling Shop and many many more.
> When & Where: 23rd – 25th March @ Mandarin Gallery
> Tip: The first 300 shoppers to charge a min. of $50 to their MasterCard gets a free April copy of Harper’s BAZAAR
To preview Spring Summer collections from the likes of Ermenegildo Zegna, Maria Grachvogel, and Calvin Klein Jeans; you can check out Paragon for Spring 2012. There will be over 4 glamorous weekends of runway shows.
> When: 16th March – 6th April
> Tip: Visit www.paragon.com.sg for show details
At Orchard Central, A Colourful Affair will be taking place – featuring brands like Ashley Isham, Desigual and Levi’s®, as well as local designers Blackmarket No. 2, SABRINAGOH, The Reckless Shop and many more.
> When: 31st March – 22nd April
> Tip: There will be 2 shows per weekend at 3pm and 7pm
Of course… with a lot of fashion shows, there’s going to be a lot of SHOPPING. It’ll be like going to an amazing restaurant and not eating if you don’t! Because MasterCard is the official card for Fashion Steps Out, there will be deals and privileges for its cardholders.
The MasterCard Spend & Redeem lets you redeem a $30 shopping voucher every time you spend $300 with your MasterCard. To know its participating outlets and details, click *here*. Even if you spend at least $50 with your MasterCard, you still get a chance to enter the FSO Lucky Draw where the prize is… a brand new Citroën DS4 worth $90,000.
> When: 16th March – 29th April
There’s a lot more stuff i haven’t included above… like how you can style yourself at Fashion Gets Real and have a panel of fashion experts decide whether you get to keep the outfit; or how you can win $3,000 worth in prizes for What’s Your Fashion Alter Ego? There’s even the Imagining Fashion contest run by Canon IXUS whereby if you’re one of the winners, your photos get blown up and displayed outside Mandarin Gallery.
For a WHOLE lot more info, visit the Fashion Steps Out 2012 website *HERE*
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An event that i’m familiar with with and hope to attend again is the Asia Fashion Exchangethat’s happening from 14th – 20th May 2012. Trust me… i was so keen on this that i googled the dates for it a few months ago when they weren’t even released yet!
The whole point of AFX is to position Singapore as Asia’s leading fashion hub, and consists of four key pillar events:
1. Blueprint: a trade show that positions itself as the fashion trade gateway to Asia which creates business opportunities between international buyers and promising design players. I blogged about attending Blueprint in 2010.
2. Asia Fashion Summit: a premier business conference that generates thought leadership content and insights on fashion topics for industry professionals.
3. Audi Fashion Festival Singapore (16th – 20th May): a showcase of world-class collections by top and emerging designers and labels, both international and Asian, and like, one of my favourite events. Ever. I’ve attended and blogged about a few shows (click on link to read):
Last year Audi Fashion Festival streamed live shows to over 500,000 viewers in 91 countries. It subsequently won the Singapore Experience Award for Best Lifestyle Event by the Singapore Tourism Board. This year the festival will offer new innovations i.e. MasterCard will be launching a digital platform that will connect with millions of fashion consumers from all across the region to interact with and support leading designers in contemporary fashion directly.
And last but not least, my FAVOURITE shows to watch are under the fourth pillar of Asia Fashion Exchange: 4. Star Creation, a regional fashion design competition to spot budding talent.
Malaysian Daniel Ngoo was one of the three winners at last year’s Star Creation. Honestly, i was blown away by so many of the young designers’ work and wanted to BUY so many of their pieces!!
All 12 finalists will be facing off on the runway on 14th May @ The Tent at Orchard to be among the three selected winners who will each receive $10,000 cash, a coveted one-year work attachment with FJ Benjamin and the chance to launch their own capsule collection at Audi Fashion Festival 2013 and Blueprint 2013. (Which reminds me, i hope i can buy 2011’s Star Creation winners’ pieces at this year’s Blueprint!)
I love Johnnie Walker. I just bought myself a Green Label at the airport and meant to keep it to enjoy slowly. I say ‘meant’ because a couple of friends came over and that was it. Finish.
Lucky for all of us, the JOHNNIE WALKER® Black Circuit Lounge VIP Race Party is back in KL next week! This year, some of us get to Step Inside The Black Circuit Lounge with Jenson Button for insider access into the stylish and sophisticated Formula 1 lifestyle.
Just take a look at last year’s party pix i took:
Absolute. Mayhem. I foresee this year will be the same madness! You can read my blogpost about last year’s Johnnie Walker Black Circuit Party *here*!
This year, the event will be hosted by E! News Asia’s Dominic Lau; Miss World Malaysia 2009 Thanuja Ananthan; and singer/actor Hannah Tan. Also watch out for World Champion Magician Shawn Farquhar.
Date: 21st March 2012 (Wednesday)
Time: 8pm
Venue: Hall C, M.A.E.P.S, Serdang *For map click here*
DJs from USA and HK have been flown in to pump out the music this Wednesday:
DJ Smith Agent Smith from USA
DJ Nadine Ann / Miss Malaysia Universe 2010
DJ Politik from USA is headliner for the night
DJ Dim Sum from HK
As i mentioned in my post title, i’m giving away 2 VIP passes to the ultra-exclusive JOHNNIE WALKER® Black Circuit Lounge! Watch the video below to get excited then read on!
Question: Tell me why you think that JOHNNIE WALKER® Black Circuit Lounge VIP Race party is THE party of the year and why you should be invited in no more than 50 words.
You may comment on this post or send our answers to joycethefairy@gmail.com with the title “JOHNNIE WALKER® Black Circuit Lounge“. Deadline: 12 noon Monday 19th March 2012
