A Singaporean Chinese New Year from Tong Tong

Ever since I’ve experienced my first Chinese New Year in Hong Kong a few years ago, it has firmly become one of my favourite holidays.

How can I not love it when it’s all about being with family, buying colourful –mainly red- new clothes, eating till you can’t breathe, and most importantly getting (or in my case now giving) those Ang Pows (Red Packets)!!!

And while a lot of people’s favourite part of CNY is the food, naturally mine has to be the colourful new clothes, especially Cheongsams.

I don’t think there is anything as elegant and feminine as a well-tailored and fitted cheongsam. But while the traditional ones can be slightly too dressy and restrictive for our modern day lifestyle, other options are available – namely a more modern and smart casual take on the cheongsam from quirky Singapore label Tong Tong.

Love the elegant Tong Tong A-line cheongsam which is perfect for CNY!

IEX Asian Heritage: Giving History a Fashionable Twist

Before I became a blogger, fashion played a big part of my life and was an essential component of any of my many travel itineraries. But believe it or not, there was one other thing which interested me (and still interests me) even more and constantly determines my next destinations. I’m talking about art and heritage.

As consumable as fashion might be, I’ve also always considered it to be an art form and a way of expression which has an esteemed place in the greatest museums in the world and has more to it than the surface value. Just one look at how fashion and culture intertwined in history is enough to show its cultural and even social value – from ancient times to modern day.

My idea couldn’t have been translated better than when I witnessed this marriage of heritage, culture and fashion in the shape of the IEX Asian Heritage project which launched this week at the Asian Civilisation Museum.

How cool is it to know that this PAULINE.NING dress was inspired
by a piece of artifact in the museum? And yes, you can even buy
it now! That's museum shopping taken to a different level!

Want more? Here is a scarf and necklace by Diana Tang, a talented young
Singaporean designer who also took inspiration from precious pieces
of Asian history

My fashion icon of 2011: Fan Bing Bing

It’s been a long time since I’ve been inspired by a celebrity’s red carpet style. Whether at Cannes or the Oscars, every year I see the same risk-free gowns worn by the same people who look ‘pretty’ but lack the WOW factor.

The only celebrity I’ve been interested to see her red carpet appearances was Tilda Swinton. Not that I’m a fan of her baggie eccentric dresses but I respect her individual sense of style and her risk-taking which is a breath of fresh air in the lookalike Hollywood crowd.

However, this year I do have a fashion hero who - unlike Tilda Swinton - would definitely have her closet raided by me. And she is none other the beautiful Chinese actress and singer Fan Bing Bing.

Fan Bing Bing pulling off an impossible look in head-to-toe Louis
Vuitton at Paris Fashion Week