As promised, i’m going to blog about my Beijing trip and it was certainly an eye opener.

I have been to Shanghai multiple times but going to the capital was something that I have been wanting to tick off my to do list.

I was there for about 1 odd week or so, attending to one of my important client’s new company opening,

Having designed many dresses for this client, it was paramount that I wanted her to look good if I need to make any last minute alterations.

Work aside, I manage to savour Beijing food which was quite different from the usual Singaporean fare and even Shanghai!

Beijing food is like super salty and oily at one go, and of cause i got to try the famous Peking duck, honestly, i prefer the peking duck from Xin Tien Di, Bangkok Gaysorn.

Shui Zhu Yu

What made the experience so memorable was being there with my mentor, David and my bff, Clarence. Without them in my life i will not be where i am now.

Touring around the various sights on our off days to places like Temple of Heavens, Summer Palace,  Lama Temple and etc

My favourite street in Beijing has to be Nan Luo Gu Xiang – Hutong District. Many tourists enjoy taking ride through this 800-year-old hutong that was once home to celebrities, officials, artists and well-off families. There are well over 20 restaurants and 40 shops scattered along the district. You can find cheap stays and cool cafes… ohh and cheap massage too:)

What hit me hard the most was the weather! COLD COLD COLD!!! 

Singaporeans suffer under the scorching weather but in the Beijing winter, it was so much worse!

It was freezing with the average temperature below -10 degree celsius  most of the time I was there, I had to wear multiple layers just to keep warm.

I was shivering and my skin was so dehydrated, Do remember to moisturize frequently and to use shower oil during cold weather to protect your skin!

Next, i will post about my Taipei trip, Puma’s  Spring Summer 2010 Launch and my face to face interview with Da- mouth in Taipei. Stay tuned

It’s been a 1 year & 8 months since Hide&Seek opens at Hongkong street22b/c, and its time for Hide&Seek to change its hiding spot!

Before the boxes comes in, we’ll like to thank all of you who have seek us out during the past year, a huge bow to all our customers and friends,who have made Hide&Seek possible

And to mark the occasion, Hide&Seek will be holding a final sale at our very first locale, expect discounts and special promotions from participating labels;

KOOPS
KOOPSMENS
H&S
DEDRAPED BY MARILYNN L.
POUF!
ELOHIM
JR CHAN
THREADLESS TEES
JOLLIE
OPPS J! NAIL VARNISH
LEAF & RUSHER BEVERLY HILLS
NYFUXI
JULIE HEWETT
SOMETHING MAGICKAL
ENCHANT
LYLE & SCOTTS
KRING
RIBBON RABBIT

See you guys @ Hongkong Street 22b/c .

I can’t believe that 2009 has ended, 2009 has been really kind to me. It has been a really fruitful and meaningful year!

I’m really lucky to be able to enjoy a lot of things which i have not been exposed to. I had the opportunity to experience the first class service by Singapore Airline to fly to Beijing to celebrate Christmas with my dear friends and client. I must thank my client who flew me first class and gave me the VIP treatment from the moment i touched down Beijing’s airport.

It is my first time traveling first class, first visit in Beijing, my first time celebrating Christmas and New year in a cold country and also my first encounter with the SNOW!!!

I managed to visit a couple places of interest and I’m impressed! There are so much culture and history to learn from this country. I will post more pictures soon.

I’m leaving Beijing and going to Taipei next. I hereby wish everyone Happy New Year and heng heng 2010:)

Love from Beijing :p

8DAYS’ latest Issue features behind the scene of 8DAYS’ making of her 1000th Issue. Capturing all the hard work behind the scene , from the mood of the set, lighting, and the painstakingly printed dresses on Zoe, Joanne, and Cherie. Grab your copy of 8DAYS too , and show your support!:)

Hi all, 2009 has been a pretty special year for me, I have traveled to many cities and met many new friends along the way.

Hosting Channel U’s Fashion Asia is definately one of the best experience I had this year. It gave me the opportunity to find out more about asia’s fashion scene and also gave me a lot of exposure.

One of the most memorable moment in 2009 was when i did Fann’s ROM tulle dress. It was a very significant event in our Singapore television history, and i thank David and Fann for their trust and the opportunity.

There are too many people who i need to express my gratitude for their kind, selfless support… you know who you are

I’m also thankful for all the presents that i have received this Christmas… thank you Joi, Felicia, Joanne, Serina, Lingzi, Daphne, Marcus, Gabriel, Kym, Breadtalk … THANK YOU !!!

I’m currently in Beijing and will be going to Taipei in Jan… till then… Merry Christmas and Happy 2010

I received a BlackBerry msg from Xiaxue yesterday, asking me to design her ROM dress and wedding gown. The msg goes like: It would make my dream come true if u can design my ROM dress and wedding gown for me!!!!!!”

OMG, i was so thrilled!!! and i replied ” sure my pleasure!”

I love Xiaxue’s personality and the fact that she is real and honest makes me respect her! It is indeed my honor to be able to design for her.

Thank you XX, can’t wait…

Look out for some really interesting collaboration between us! i’m so excited lor! lol

“p/p/p/s: OMG HALLELUJAH THE AWESOME AND VERY TALENTED KEITH PNG (link) HAS JUST AGREED TO DESIGN MY GOWNS FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU KEITH!!!!

I loved how he did Fann Wong’s ROM gown! Mad happy now and I’m soooooooo excited omg!!!! OMG OMG!!!”

Quote taken from Xiaxue’s blog http://www.xiaxue.blogspot.com/

Most Singaporeans grew up reading 8 Days, a weekly entertainment magazine packed with the latest celebrity goss and what’s new in Singapore.

I recall my younger days where I await my weekly dosage of 8 Days and I-weekly as it was my only guide to the local and foreign entertainment scene when the Internet was not as well developed as it is now.

I remember grabbing my first copy of 8 Days with my idol Madonna on the cover and I was delighted to possess ‘Madonna’ for $1 (back in the heydays, 8 Days used to be only $1.oo).

I never knew that one fine day I would be involved in the creative process of creating the weekly issue of 8 Days.

Thanks to Mediacorp Publishing’s executive stylist Ms FONG FAN, I had many chances to be involved with this magazine.

Here are some 8 Days cover and inside pictures where my own creations have been featured:

Lin Chi Ling jiejie is wearing my yellow cotton voile dress. She is one of the most humble and sweetest star

To have Ah Jie wearing my dress on a cover! PRICELESS! Thank you 8 Days and MS FONG FAN for this opportunity

Felicia Chin wearing my dress for the first time

In a separate issue on 8 Days, I was in the background where I was stopping the fight. Lol!

I remembered rushing out this denim dress for Fong Fan and it was such a nightmare as I had to complete the dress within 2 days time. Despite the tight deadline, the dress turned out well and was pleased with the overall effort

Last but not least, 8 Days has just gone into their 1000th issue! Out now, go grab a copy!

All the dresses are done by me

It all started when Fong Fan approached me to collaborate on their 1000th issue. She came up with a cool idea of churning dresses out of fabric printed with 8 Days covers (yes, all 1000 of them).

I love the idea and i came out with the sketch to show her…

Fabric shopping with Ms Fong….

8 Days covers printed on to the fabric before production…

Behind the scene, during the shoot…

The end product!!!

To mark the occasion, there will be a week-long exhibition of 1,000 covers, featuring iconic celebrity images that have made each 8 DAYS cover unique.

The exhibition will be at Iluma at Bugis till December 17. Show your love.

Lately, I got to know Rebecca Lim, Miss Photogenic of Singapore Universe 2005 through Nat Ho.

Since then, I have helped to style her for a couple of events of which she had to attend and she is simply amazing.

I realised that Rebecca (besides her pretty face) has a lot of potential in terms of pulling off different looks!

One look which she pulls off so well is the Shanghai Tang look. Since being featured in Channel 8 drama serials such as Love At 0° C (Ai Qing Ling Du C) and Family Matters (Fa Ting Qiao Jia Ren). Rebecca’s most memorable act by far (in my opinion) is the portrayal of Susie Woon in MediaCorp’s English drama “Fighting Spiders”. She looked so sassy in a cheongsam!!!

The Glamourous look:

I gave Rebecca a multi layering silk organza purple dress (by Keith Png for GoldHeart) and belt it up to give her a hourglass figure. Rebecca looks debonair in this ensemble. The volume of the dress gave her a more sprightly feel and she looks complete with the beautiful jewelries (courtesy of GoldHeart)! Go for thicker belt for the waist if you want to make your waist look smaller.

Rebecca’s belt is from Hide & Seek, Nat Ho is wearing Silk Shirt from JR Chan and Dr Denim Chinos (all available in Hide & Seek)

The Girl Next Door Look

Simple combination of stripes and netting, Rebecca is wearing a low back dress from Pouf, as the neckline is slightly high. I decided to dress her up in a elastic belt with a bow filled with crystals. To compensate the lack of accessories when wearing a “safe” dress, choose a belt with blings or a really “loud” looking Clutch bag.

She pulled off this look wonderfully, looking all sweet and enchanting in this get up.

Pouf and Elastic Belt available in Hide & Seek

Last but not least,Casual Chic

Rebecca’s Cobalt blue tank top with buckle detail from Elohim and high waisted shorts from Koops.

To look Chic without trying too hard when choosing casual clothes, go for classic item with a design twist, for e.g. plain white round neck tee shirt with interesting detailing or injecting up-to-date trends in your casual wear i.e. matching your jeans and tank top with the hottest trend and you will look stylish!

Elohim and Koops are available in Hide & Seek

That’s all folks.  I look forward to work with Rebecca in the upcoming future and hope to make her sparkle and shine more as this star blossoms!

Get ready for Christmas as i’ve come up with a collection of party frocks under my label-Koops to counter that Festive’s fabulousness!
Made with precision and in a limited quantity to ensure exclusivity, do drop by to take a look:)

To be part of the most important event of any girl’s life, is a privilege.

And to design a wedding gown for that momentous day is a honour.

Given my experience as a fashion designer, I never thought I would be designing a wedding gown. Reason being, I’m not a designer who loves beading (only when it is essential) or anything which is over the top. I’m also not into the idea of creating dresses that will only be worn once, of which it will just collect dust and occupy unnecessary space within one’s closet.

My personal style is more classic and timeless as I have always love the beautiful creations created by the great late masters, weaving together elements of fabrication, silhouette and construction to create a masterpiece.

My belief is that fashion is truly about trends and my role as a fashion designer is about creating timeless classics – be it a cocktail dress for a company function or a wedding dress for the most important day of a woman’s life.

Throughout many opportunities of creating wedding gowns, I managed to touch many women’s lives. And this blog post is a special mention to an amazing friend out there.

Our friendship begin in 2005, and through the sands of time, we worked hard, laughed hard and endured through various phases of life.

When she approached me to do her wedding dress, I was determined to do the best I could, to create memorable dresses which are part of the most precious memories of her life.

On the very fine day itself, she looked pristinely gorgeous and I was very grateful she got me involved.

Thank you, Serina, my dear friend, client and bride.

Thank you for letting me be part of the most precious occasion of your life.

I do hope that one fine day, I will be part of your daughter’s life, to design a divine gown for her wedding just like what I did for her mother.