Naomi Campbell to walk for Singaporean designer at Digital Fashion Week 2013!!!

Yup... the secret that I've been keeping from you for a few month now, is finally revealed: This year's Digital Fashion Week's guest model is none other than the One and Only British supermodel Naomi Campbell!

Controversial? Maybe. Legendary and simply un-matched as a model? Definitely! My heart almost skipped a beat when for the first time I was told that she might be coming to Singapore for DFW - especially that I will be co-hosting the event like last year! (Check out my involvment and coverage of last year's event here).

And while I got to interview the awesome Andrej Pejic last year, I'm now terrified at the prospect of meeting her backstage, let alone talking to her in front of the camera.

I cannot wait! And what I'm mostly happy about is that to have such a legendary model not just show up at the event but also walk for a Singaporean designer! Yes, she won’t be there just to show her ‘super’ pretty face and bod, she will actually be walking for one of the local designers who is opening DFW. Such a move will definitely guarantee that the world will be watching what’s going on the Singaporean fashion scene.

My 5 Highlights from the 1st Digital Fashion Week, Singapore

It’s been a week since Digital Fashion Week has ended in Singapore but at least for me, it’ll be a while before I totally digest it and the fact that I was in the middle of it all, talking to awesome designers and models.

All in all, it’s been a great experience; you have to start somewhere right? So even for someone who never hosted anything let alone LIVE for the world to see - yes I do look at those videos and critique myself – I was kinda proud that I managed to do it and most of all, have fun while at it. Yup now I’m convinced more than ever not to take myself too seriously when it comes to fashion ;-)

There have been some amazing moments, too many to count and some of which I’ve documented in the previous posts here, here and here, but I have picked those 5 highlights which I will forever remember and look back at as an unforgettable experience which I was so lucky to have had.

But the biggest question is, would I do it again?

Between the nervous moments, I've had a blast especially with my co-host Yvette King,
seen here with Andrej Pejic backstage as he teaches us how to pose 'couture-style'!
Needless to say I have a lot more to learn... smiling and pouting at the same time is not a
good look ;-) (Photo by Zhi Wei)

Bonjour Singapore is one year old today! Thank you for your support!

Bonjour Singapore is one year old today, and what a journey it’s been.

I could never have thought when I posted a polite introduction as a relative newbie to Singapore on October 18, 2011, that I would be where I am now.

What started as a way of keeping in touch with my friends, killing time while I job hunted (still unemployed BTW) and sharing my new found passion for the talented local designers in Singapore has snowballed into something of a crusade.

I always wonder if many of the designers I approached or blogged about initially thought “who is this crazy curly haired foreigner?” but they smiled sweetly and helped me out anyway. 

Now one year on I have met so many talented people, made some amazing friends and been adopted by the Singapore fashion community as one of their own. It makes me realize that Singapore is a place with so much heart and soul.

One of my favourite photos of myself (wearing Mae Pang). It's my
anniversary so I'm allowed to post a pic or two of myself :-) Thanks for
John Tan of Streetpeek for the photo!!

Digital Fashion Week: Pictures from the press conference

Digital Fashion Week kicked off in earnest yesterday, with the arrival of the celebrity guests and the press conference officially announcing the event.

Yes – I was gathered in the same room as SATC stylist Patricia Field, ANTM winner Sophie Sumner and Andrej Pejic and watched in awe as my beautiful co-host Yvette King introduced DFW to the media and other Singapore bloggers.

I stood toe to toe with the husband of the genius that is Guo Pei(she'll be arriving at a later date) and I was able to give Eugene Lin my gratitude for his heartfelt and passionate views on the Singapore fashion scene.

An incredible talent line-up for Digital Fashion Week - and me in the corner :-)
On the sofa: Yvette King, Andrej Pejic, Patricia Field, Sophie Sumner, Guo Pei's husband
Jack representing her.
Back row: JR Chan (J-A-S-O-N), Johanna and Juang (Ownmuse), Tze Goh, Eugene Lin,
Pauline Lim (Paulne.Ning) and me :-)

And most importantly, I was able to get some photos. Having already read my Q&As, I know that’s what you want to see - pictures of beautiful people and me being a star-struck teenager.

Digital Fashion Week: Sophie Sumner - EXCLUSIVE interview with the America's Next Top Model winner

To be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of models. 

I know it’s highly judgemental on my part and almost sacrilege from someone who is deeply embedded into fashion, but from my experience I get the impression they take life a little too seriously.

Don't get me wrong. I know it’s a damn hard job, and they have my utmost respect for the job they do, but on the few occasions I've been lucky enough to be behind the scenes (for example backstage at Audi Fashion Festival) I only needed one hand to count the number of smiles on show, even hours before a show.

But not all models are created equal. So when I learned that America’s Next Top Model’s winner Sophie Sumner was going to be at Digital Fashion Week (walking for Singaporean designers Thomas Wee and Ownmuse), I knew it would be a different story. Having followed her journey on Top Model and seen her (very dry and British) sense of humour and larger than life personality, I know the perma-pout will be replaced with laughter and smiles in Singapore.

Sophie is no ordinary 'boring' blonde!! want proof? read on her cheeky answers below ;-)

Introducing Singapore's Hot Streetstyle Collaboration...

Forget Versace/H&M, Marni/H&M or whoever/H&M. The hottest collaboration of the year will be taking place next weekend in Singapore.

Of course I’m talking about the L’ILE AUX ASHBY Pop up store and showcase which is taking place in the painfully hip Tiong Bahru area on July 13 and 14.

What’s that I hear you cry? And why is it such a hot event? Well the number one reason is obvious. I’m in it :-)

In all seriousness though, I’m always very excited when cool local designers/artists do collaborations and events which show the extent of their talents. So when I was asked by Rayson Tan, the designer behind  L’ILE AUX ASHBY  to collaborate on a showcase, I was over the moon!

Living a Model Life: Backstage at the Audi Fashion Festival in Singapore

Ever since the guys at hip Singapore street-wear label MASH UP asked me to walk the runway at their Audi Fashion Festival show I had been anticipating this moment. May 19 was a big day!

This was probably going to be the most exciting thing I’d done in my life. I mean, seriously, how many chances do ordinary people get to walk a real life catwalk, in front of well over 1,000 people?

So you can imagine just how crestfallen I was when Thursday came around. My eye went red, and basically closed. I was stood in the street, helpless, waiting for my husband to come and pick me up.

Can you spot my red eye?? Practicing the pose I never gave...

Mash-Up on the catwalk at Audi Fashion Festival (Video)

If you read my Facebook page (and if you don't shame on you, here is the link now go and like) then you'll know today was a very special day for me.

Never in my wildest dreams would I consider myself model material, so when new Singapore label Mash-Up asked if I would walk the runway for their show at Audi Fashion Festival I was totally speechless.

Was I a good catwalk model? Probably not, but I couldn't help smiling.

ATGAB update: The fruits of my Singapore modeling debut

It's been a long time coming, but the pictures from my first ever modelling assignment have started to come in.

Some of the longer term readers might remember I was asked by local eco-label All Things Green and Beautiful (ATGAB) to model their wonderful accessories for their 2012 look book.

The shoot was an eye opener as I spent a full day having my hair teased, my make-up applied and re-applied and most difficult of all - pretending I knew what I was doing. Well now the fruits of my labour have finally arrived, and are here for everyone to see on the ATGAB website. Fame at last!

My verdict on the pictures? 

I think I saw something over in the distance. I think it might have been my modeling career disappearing over the horizon :) 

Supermodel Me? Behind the scenes of my modeling debut

As I looked into the lights and heard the instructions from the photographer, I realized quite how surreal this whole thing was.

I’ve never really harboured any dreams of being any kind of model, but here I was, just a few months after arriving in Singapore doing my very first shoot.

When Elaine Pang from ATGAB first asked me if I’d be interested in doing a shoot for their lookbook, I thought she was joking. But here I was, hair teased into place, male model beside me and a whole cast and crew trying to make me look beautiful.

So what did I learn? Well…

Working it for the camera wasn't that easy... but certainly tons of fun!

Zoolander 2: Rana gets a modeling assignment

I've only been in Singapore a few months and things have happened so fast with this blog. 

I've met lots of interesting, talented and driven people and really been embraced by local designers and labels.

Now the most exciting thing has happened to me...I've been asked to do a photo shoot for local label All Things Green and Beautiful modeling their latest collection!

Move over model of last collection! It's my turn now ;-)