Don't Rain on my Parade

I prefer not to get overly personal, so being the diplomat that I am, I'd just say I've had to deal closely with some extremely difficult, immature drama queens for the past few weeks. But it'll all be over very very soon, so the symbolism of the umbrella is very much my bullet-proof metaphor to haters (I've made it out alive, ha). Just like Imran Amed from The Business of Fashion once said in a lecture, this industry has a signifcantly higher amount of gossip, backstabbing and hate, and that there's no purpose in making enemies in a world where everyone talks. So, let the haters hate, jealousy only brings out the ugly. Just like a rainy cloud, it puts a temporary damper on your day, but soon they'd die out and become an utter irrelevance.

fur jacket VINTAGE, top 3.1 PHILLIP LIM, trousers 7 FOR ALL MANKIND, fanny pack KTZ, shoes GIVENCHY

Go Tuck Yourself

Something as simple as HOW you tuck your top in your trows can be the difference between looking "cool" or looking like you've rushed out of the loo with a bit of unwanted fabric zipped into your fly. Needless-to-say, the front-tuck look has especially been fluttering around for a season or two and isn't anything new; but oddly enough, perfecting such a basic styling technique does require practice of sorts. Personally, being "vertically challenged" has early on nudged me towards learning how to warp perception and create the illusion of having industry-obsessed lengthy limbs. So the front-tuck option has long been a religious practice of mine, but it also looks like some are gearing towards an all-round tuck these days. After my little research on how the fashion "peeps" do theirs, it seems the most popular (and effective) method is simply to neatly tuck the front part in, then raise your arms around so the excess bits come out and whatever is needed stays intact. So now, we can all go tuck ourselves... with dignity please.

Example below of a shitty front-tuck, possible result of a waistband that's too tight or excess forced down fabric, cringe.

This isn't acceptable either... looks like a grey psychedelic wave moving up from my crotch. Either trim that forest that you call pubes, or keep tucking that top back in.

 Viola, a better front-tuck look, not perfect but at least it looks more effortless...

...and here we've got a clean all-round tuck.

top JUNN.J, trousers HAIDER ACKERMANN, shoes BALENCIAGA 

L'incognito

I'm really not anti-Margiela x H&M, but since every blogger's still tweeting, instagramming, pinning, and blogging about their newly purchased collaboration pieces (especially those ubiquitous plexi wedges and candy clutches), I chose do a nostalgic outfit post that reflected my years of scraping Maison Martin Margiela pieces from around the world (both pre-and-post his leave in office), rather endearing isn't it? Before I discovered Acne Studios, Margiela was sort of the minimalistic design house with meticulous attention to detail that always led me to end up buying several pieces from each season. I'm never one to sport designer name/logo printed tees, but in 2009, I made one special exception for it was the year Margiela left office; so in a way, this tee holds an important personal subtext, or you could see me as a walking ad for Mr. Marg... So much for going incognito huh.

This black goat hair tee is a sample piece from AW06-7 that never actually went into production, and was given to an Italian buyer who was close friends with the designer, who then displayed it in her London store. Three years back, I happened to pass by and fell in love with the goat hair (it was my goat hair phase) and insisted on buying the piece. After some persuasive provoking, I convinced her to sell it to me (at a very reasonable price might I add). Upon my return to her store a few months later, she light-hardheartedly told me she regrettably sold me the tee as she knew the true value of it as Margiela left office shortly after I made that purchase. It was sartorial fate.

all clothing, shoes and jewelry MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

Margiela Giveaway

Being the opinion Nazi that I am, you should be aware of the restraint exercised to refrain myself from machine-gun-rambling about this Margiela X H&M collaboration. In summary, I don't mind buying it, just don't buy into it. It's essential to point out that H&M's success is mostly measured in media impressions, not sales; meaning these collaborations generate "earned media" which is equivalent to millions of dollars in advertising which also includes brand awareness. So today, I am celebrating, not in honor of yesterday's media-hyped over-tweeted launch, but in honor of the actual Mr. Margiela (wherever he may be) as a true pioneer, and an ineffable inspiration. Which is why I am doing a very special Giveaway to commemorate him, featuring an authentic Maison Martin Margiela piece, no ties to H&M whatsoever (not that that's a bad thing).

Item: A pair of grey Maison Martin Margiela long mohair fingerless gloves with signature stitches and original swing tag still included. 

gloves MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

As usual, to enter simply (if you haven't kindly already done so) follow me on Blogger, Bloglovin', Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and of course leave a comment with your e-mail so I can reach you if you're the winner.

This Giveaway ends on the 30th November.
 

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...good luck my provokees!

Wardrobe Malpractice

With the gradual decline in temperature, doing a photo shoot outdoors for more than ten minutes demands outerwear of some sort, otherwise this will end up being a series of photos where erect nipples become the main statement piece. My "longing" obsession with long coats has finally gotten some form of temporary quenching. At the Joesph sale a while back, sartorial fate took its toll and brought me face-to-face (more like hand-to-fabric) with this Alexander Wang tailored piece, 80% off. I probably look like a pharmacist or physician in a lab coat taking an innocent stroll through the park, then again my holographic leggings and impractical footwear does raise a few red flags to my credibility as someone with a license to practice medicine. But I'm not worried, once I remind people that I'm Asian, instantly they'd believe I'm a doctor, with a license to practice fashion.

coat ALEXANDER WANG, top MIC.COMPANY, trousers HUSSEIN CHALAYAN, ring MAWI, shoes JEFFREY CAMPBELL, sunglasses WESTWARD LEANING, clutch 202 FACTORY

The "I" in Team

Contrary to popular belief, I'm actually quite the sports fan; well, to a certain extent that is. I've pretty much tried every major and minor sport there is, even crew. But with insufficient upper body strength and the fear of irreversible scar tissue, I lack the stamina to endure or excel at them. So by "sporting" the ubiquitous Les Plus Dorés tee with a fashion reference on the back, this is as sporty as I'm gonna get (I guess the cap is suppose to give the impression of athleticism but I'm in an underground parking garage and any kind of head-wear is beyond unnecessary). To be honest, dressing like this is simply my justification to put on leggings and wear platformed trainers, but jokes aside, I can actually run quite fast in this look. So to sum it all up, despite my appearance, I do fancy sports, I just like to play for the other team.

blazer CÉLINE, top LES PLUS DORÉS, necklace MAWI, leggings AMERICAN APPAREL, shorts PROENZA SCHOULER, shoes Y.R.U.