何润东 - 我只在乎你...

拉著你的手！我用力握紧，
我有些不冷静，因为我知道要失去你。

时间不留情，，岁月不饶你
你说青春已用尽，现在该选择放弃，

你曾说另一个人，比我用心，比我体贴，更懂温柔，你也想要有人更爱你，
后悔当时没有，及时反应，你的不安，拥抱著你，把你给我的也给你，
为何总要等到，最后一刻，无法挽留，我才明白，最宝贵的是你的真心
原来爱不是前世注定，原来爱也需要回应。

(所以我求求你，别让我离开你，除了你我不能感到一丝丝情意)

望著你背影，看不见表情
我知道有些话，现在只能感动自已

心甘不情愿，因为伤心出卖了，自已
眼泪不会说谎，全世界我只在乎你
任时光匆匆留去，我只在乎你

Peter, Bjorn and John

Peter Morén from Dalarna in the North of Sweden and Björn Yttling from Västerbotten - even further to the North - had been playing music together for 8 years when they in 1999 met John - from Norrbotten - which would you believe it is yet even further to the North!

The following year they started a band and simply called it Peter, Bjorn and John - not due to lack of better names - but because it felt right. Band names are often ridiculous - so why not just go for your own name? First they thought that they would recruit a bass player but after the well known saying "3 is a crowd" thus more than enough - the keyboard player Björn began playing bass. Live the band have learned to use the little format to its advantage and in the studio well let's just say they have been known to do overdubs...!

Initially all the press they got had to do with Björn's production CV and the members different guest appearances on other more well known bands and artists records. But soon that would change.

In 2002 the home recorded self titled debut album was released and received comments from the press regarding "superior sound beds" and "upcoming classics" while songs like "Matchmaker" and "People They Know" became favourites with the indie pop crowd. Rough Trade in London even penned "nothing else sounds as good in Swedish pop right now" and were probably not completely mistaken.

2004 saw the follow up with the more complete, mature and darker "Falling Out". "It beats me everytime" became a Swedish radio hit and the album was released Stateside the following year to press acclaim. Allmusic.com gave the album 4,5 stars and wrote: "very close to the best indie rock -- no, just plain music -- being made in 2005. More punk than the Concretes, less frantic than Shout Out Louds, as catchy as the most tuneful of the UK post-post-post-punk merchants. Falling Out firmly established Peter, Bjorn and John as a group to watch out for. Strike that. They are a band that has arrived in all senses of the word".

Now in 2006 PBJ embark on the second phase of their careers. The new album "Writer's Block" (recorded in Björn's studio in Hornstull,Stockholm) is the first to showcase all three members as songwriters and taking on lead vocalist duties and sees the band take on a new musical direction.

Check out the video for 'Young Folks' on Youtube. Cool.

If Santa Really Exists...

I have been looking around for a men's dress watch for some time. Of course, the usual brands that pops up in my mind do not interest me. Recently, i was flipping through a local fashion mag, and a picture caught my eye...

OMG! IWC Portugieser Automatic. It fits what i was looking for. Simplicity and sleek design, no big or obvious logos, trusted brand. (Now, why didnt i think of it?).

If Santa really exists, I have been very good this year...LOL.

X'mas gifts - Toys

You know X'mas is just around the corner, when u receive brochures/promotional leaflets in your mail like those shown below...

Do kids still play with such toys? From what i know, my nieces and nephews are playing PC games, online games, Playstations, Nintendos, PSP. Either that, or they are glued to the tele the whole day. Lol.

Disclaimer: No toys were hurt, or destroyed in the writing of this post. The blogger has nothing against kids who play with such toys :p

If you happen to be in Tokyo, Japan...

Sweden's Nudie Jeans Co produce the best denim this side of Japan. So it is fitting that they have decided to open their second flagship store (and the first outside of Sweden) in Harajuku, Tokyo. Apparently the location was chosen because it embodies the same values as Nudie, namely "passion, anti-fashion and design".

P.S. The above is an excerpt from Denimology.

Fashion Check-up

A New Phase In My Life

25th August 2007 marks a new phase in my life. =)

Nudie fans, get excited...

小情歌

苏打绿-小情歌
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这是一首简单的小情歌
唱着人们心肠的曲折
我想我很快乐
当有你的温热
脚边的空气转了
唱着我们心头的白鸽
我想我很适合
当一个歌颂者
青春在风中飘着
你知道就算大雨让这座城市颠倒
我会给你怀抱
受不了看见你背影来到
写下我度秒如年难捱的离骚
就算整个世界被寂寞绑票
我也不会奔跑
逃不了最后谁也都苍老
写下我时间和琴声交错的城堡
最后谁也都苍老

The Hots for Shorts

Staying in a country, that is mostly in a hot and wet climate, it is sensible to wear shorts/berms (whichever u call it), when possible. I cant wear it to work though, unless i am working in some store that sells T-shirts, flip-flops, beach wear...you get the picture...LOL.

It seems that the trend now for men is to wear what Topman calls, 'smart shorts'. Here are some examples...

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Black, grey or white are very 'safe' colours to start with.

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Unless you are very confident you can carry it off, don't try bright colours like the red pair above! If you ask me, i very much prefer these shorts than...

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............Cargo shorts, or some call it, combat shorts. They are so out..i know the pockets are very functional, but after stuffing it with your wallet, keys, ipod, small change? It just looks....wrong. American casual wear labels (i won't mention names here) are STILL churning it out season after season...

These are a few examples of chic-cool wear, with shorts. Found them on The Sartorialist. Splendid! Does european men have better fashion sense? Hmm....

Best of Snow Patrol

Forget Chasing Cars. Forget Signal Fire. This is by far, the BEST of Snow Patrol.

The Boyzilian Experience

Like the Brazilian Wax for females, getting a Boyzilian entails the waxing off of all the hair "down there". Yes, every single strand of it. Although the first Brazilian was done in New York city in the early 1990s, little is known about the origins of the Boyzilian.

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There has been many articles about the growing in popularity in Singapore, both women and men. It became a hot topic three years ago after footballer David Beckam admitted being such a fan that he has a personal waxer who visits his home. There are four Strip Co-ed (unisex) outlets in Singapore, located Paragon, Shaw Centre, The Cathay and the recently opened outlet at Raffles City. After making an appointment, I headed down to Strip Co-ed at Shaw Centre for my appointment.

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Upon reaching, I was greeted by the counter staff to confirm my appointment. As it was my first visit, I was being asked to fill in my particulars and some questions were asked, for example, "Are you on any medication that contains alcohol?". Next, i was being introduced to my waxer, Zul. Then i was being brought to this room, and was told to strip and lie on the bed and cover myself with a towel. While Zul was preparing the wax, i did a little chat with him (to calm my nerves, LOL). I found out the different types of wax they use for different body parts. And he has been working at that outlet for three years, ever since the outlet opened. (Hmm, an experienced waxer, i should be in good hands, i thought to myself).

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Well, the whole Boyzilian lasted for about 30mins flat, and i must say the pain-factor is still bearable. Three easy steps - wax, paper, rip. It actually means apply hot wax over hair, press wax paper over wax, and rip off paper! Zul was very attentive and kept asking if the wax was too hot for me (maybe because i am a first timer). He even taught me a breathing exercise during the Boyzilian, so as to lessen the pain...and it worked! After the Boyzilian, Zul proceeded to wax both my legs, one at a time. Strangely enough, after enduring the Boyzilian, my body and mind got used to the pain, to the extent that i barely felt it during the waxing of the legs. LOL.

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You can bet that i will be going back again...after all, the acceptance of Boyzilian (or Brazilian) hinges on the hygiene factor, which is the whole point of having a Boyzilian. Besides, who can resist baby smooth legs as well? LOL.

New Kid in Town - Wooonderland

GSS

GSS - The 3 magical letters. (ok, i exaggerate). The annual Great Singapore Sale starts on the 25th May 2007, and ends on 22nd July 2007. Millions (i am not exaggerating here) of shoppers, both Singaporeans and tourists, will roam the island, searching for great buys and bargains! Oh, the GST Offset Package in July will come in handy, when most Singaporeans' wallets will be quite empty after the shopping. LOL.

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GSS

Street Fashion Chic - The most stylish pedestrians

Did a search on Yahoo! for street fashion blogs. In Singapore, we have The Clothes Project. I chanced upon this blog last year, and i must say it has since been under my Must-Visit blog-list. However, it doesnt get updated as often as the foreign ones, maybe due to the fact that the publisher has got a job-on-hand, like most Singaporeans. Or, maybe its because of the fact that Singporeans walk too fast (a recent survey found out that Singaporeans walk the fastest in the world). He finds it difficult to slow them down for photo shots. LOL.

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The photography in the blogs usually consists of straight-on, full-length portraits, but a few include some candid photojournalism. Unlike New York magazine's misanthropic "Look Book"—which uses low camera angles that, intentionally or not, make its subjects look like snobs with upturned noses—the sites try to portray people in a flattering or at least neutral light. Anti-elitist and upbeat in tone, they tend to inspire appreciation or emulation rather than envy. Refreshingly, those that include comments from readers or the editors usually avoid the cattiness found in celebrity fashion blogs like Go Fug Yourself.

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Each site has its own distinctive look and feel, as determined by the taste and skill of its editors and photographers (usually one person holds both jobs). In some, such as London Street Fashion, the subjects pose self-consciously, while in others, such as Stockholm's STHLMstil, they stand naturally and without pretensions. StilinBerlin prefers ordinary people in mundane garb, whereas Shanghai's Meet Cute concentrates on teenage b-boys and flygirls. Emphasizing the individual over his or her attire, Paris' Facehunter puts decadent scenesters on display, and significantly it is the only one to sexualize its subjects, who sometimes pose provocatively. As of yet, there are no street blogs from Italy, which is surprising given that country's ties to the fashion world. It's not a shock, though, not to find any from Los Angeles—after all, more attention is paid to public attire in pedestrian-friendly cities, which offer the most opportunities to see and be seen.

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But the standout street-fashion blog is far and away New York's the Sartorialist. Unlike nearly all of the others, it concerns itself more with adult elegance than adolescent faddishness, and its subjects range from elderly Harlem popinjays to chic ladies on bicycles. Paying special attention to fine men's clothing, it shows how even a fat, bald guy can look dashing when clad in an impeccable suit and tie.

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Helmed by Scott Schuman, a former showroom owner who used to work for Valentino, the Sartorialist has attracted a large and influential audience (averaging 7,000 visits per day) that includes a number of industry insiders. The comments posted by Schuman and his sophisticated readership can offer quite an education to the unschooled eye. It is possible, for instance, to learn the pros and cons of "freelancing" socks as well as how to spot Italians by the length of their neckties. The best remarks, which reveal how clotheshorses obsessively and discerningly judge others, bring to mind the example of Beau Brummell, the 19th-century dandy who famously used to lounge in front of the bow window of a London gentlemen's club while criticizing the dress of passers-by.

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Schuman's blog has now become so well-known that he was recently asked to cover men's Fashion Week in Milan for Men.Style.Com, and Esquire will soon devote some space each month to his work. In October he will receive an even greater honor: Saks Fifth Avenue will be showcasing the Sartorialist's photos in its landmark display windows.

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P.S Some of the comments from this article can be found on www.slate.com

Fashion Nation

Fashion Nation covers fashion on the Internet and blogosphere, including independent fashion sites, online fashion magazines, and the latest trends. At the same time, the Fashion Nation creators place emphasis on the fashion scene in Singapore, where they hail from.
Fashion Nation is a joint effort between two childhood friends, Dottie and Stephie, whose nine-years-old friendship has been strengthened through activities such as scouring through fashion magazines, discovering quirky vintage shops, and a lot of fast food. They grew up in the Land of the Eternal Summer, living as citizens of the Little Red Dot.
They’ve been saying that they will do this for ages, and now that they’ve gotten down to having a real fashion blog, they hope you love reading Fashion Nation as much as they love writing it.

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The above is adapted from the Fashion Nation blog. Many people start fashion blogs due to passion for the topic/idea. But not many can keep it going. However, the contributors of Fashion Nation have not only done it, but have received very good feedback and response from netizens and fellow bloggers. Worth a bookmark!

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Fashion Nation

Multi-label boutique Part 1

Multi-label boutiques began springing up a few years ago. It was one, two boutiques at first, operating in refurnished, restored shophouses in Haji Lane, Club Street, Ann Siang Rd. Then, all of a sudden, more and more boutiques 'pop' out in our little island.

Venue Asia, started out in the heritage of Chinatown, at Club Street. Opening its doors in April 2005, Venue Asia made a pioneering step in bringing in high-end fashion into Singapore. This created a media stir, and a trend for other retailers and entrepreneurs-wannabe to follow suit.

Shortly after the success of the first boutique, the second boutique opened at Palais Rennaisance, called Venue Berlin.

The creative juices did not end there. The birth of VBox - a container specially made to make it into a movable store for Venue's products. This innovative idea and design, spurn off many other companies to follow suit, as this is a very cost saving way of advertising, and it has proven to be very effective.

Venue Lab, a compact boutique in Heeren, opened in the heart of Orchard Rd, Singapore. The store is designed to look like a laboratory filled with sneakers, and designer wear. Cool.

Venue has also ventured out of Singapore, into Bangkok (Thailand) and Jakarta (Indonesia).

To be continued...

Photos courtesy of Venue.com.sg

Crazy about jeans?

Crazy about jeans? Yup, that probably sums up my fetish/addiction over denims...I have bought 3 pairs in less than 3 months! Gosh. Well, i just can't help it. Its like how some people can walk into a shoe boutique and buy shoes of the same design, in 10 different colours! But of course, i am not alone in this case, Denimology, a site set up in 2006 by Andy K, has the latest updates on many jeans, different denim brands, and the hottest denim fashion in town. Worth a bookmark!

My all-time favourites got to be GStar Raw and Nudie Jeans. Both brands have some very sleek designs and come in many different washes, not forgetting about the fit (which is extremely important in this case).

GStar Raw

The GStar Raw webpage showcases the new Spring/Summer 07 collection in an online catalogue, and also includes a video clip of their fashion show in New York. Collaborations by sports brands, street wear brands, and chic designers, with jeans companies is very common these days. Some examples include, Levis-Stussy, Puma-Evisu, etc. GStar also teamed up with designer Marc Newson to come up with a line called GStar by Marc Newson. Art pieces, i call them.

Nudie Jeans

Six years ago Maria Erixon Levin moved home from her top job as Director of Design at Lee in Brussels to start her own. That was the beginning of the fairy tale Nudie, that has grown into a million dollar industry. It is not until recently that they open their own store (in Stockholm). "Buyers and retailers choose what they want to sell. By having our own store we will be able to show the whole collection and establish a relationship with the customer at our own pace. The interior of our store will more look like you are at the pub than in a store. We think that environment is more jeans friendly, says Maria."

The above is an interview done with the founder and designer of Nudie Jeans Co., Maria Erixon Levin, extracted from MyNudies.com forum, specially set up for owners of their Nudies to post their questions, pictures, and..... to post photographs of themselves in their Nudies!

Besides that, the Nudie jeans webpage has 2 videos that are worth to check out. One, the Nudie Jeans Washguide, teaches owners how to wash their Nudies, in a very cute clay-made video (Tip 1: Wear your Nudies for at least 4 months before washing to get the best fit that you desire.) Two, The Fine Art of Denim, shows how eachand every Nudie jeans is made in the factory, step-by-step. (Interesting fact: They are all made in Italy!)

Nudie Jeans can be found at Style-Nordic, 39 Ann Siang Rd, Singapore.

GStar Raw can be found at Paragon, Isetan Orchard, and Tangs, Singapore.

MyNudies Forum

Denimology

ImedaGoze

I was browsing the web one day, when i came across this blog - ImedaGoze. Its started by this female merchandiser (in Singapore!), who also happens to be a mother of 2. Her admiration for the creators behind every beautiful and creative things, made me take notice of her blog. I knew i just have to mention it here. Fans of home decor, interior design, chic fashion, and all things creative and beautiful, bookmark this page!

IMEDAGOZE

P.S Check out the blog for more gorgeous pictures! ;-)