Maison Martin Margiela for H&M: My top 5 items

Truth is, as much as I try to steer away from covering big high street brands and international designer names on his blog there is always one category which still interests me and feel it’s worth covering; that is the H&M Designer collaborations (check out my Versace coverage here and here and Marni coverage here and here).

Reason is, well it looks like it’s only getting better and better and with some (but not all) of the pieces it produced, it is well worth the wait if you are a fan of the collaborating designer but can’t afford the real deal.

This season’s collaboration has to be one of the edgiest so far. As much as I’d love to pretend that Maison Martin Margiela (MMM) is a household name, well it is not. However, it is definitely one which is high on the radar of any fully fledged fashionista (or fashionisto as it proves very popular with men!) for its avant-garde edge and deconstructed cuts which is more likely to work in editorial shoot than on the average everyday pavements.

Personally, I love Maison Martin Margiela! It is fresh, inspirational and creative but I have to admit it would probably be on the list of those coveted labels which I admire in magazines but cannot see myself pulling off.

Surprisingly though, the MMM pieces for H&M do break this rule and I found myself (despite trying to resist it!) coveting some of the items which I would totally see myself in.

My kinda style! Love this look from head to toe...

Love this look but don't think can pull it off so left it off my list...

H&M lauches Marni collection in Singapore - in an orderly manner!

UPDATE: I collaborated with a few bloggers around the world to document how H&M x Marni went down around the world? Click on the following link to see what happened in Los Angeles and New York.

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So finally the day came! And as excited as I was, I still couldn’t justify starting to queue from the night before or even anytime before 8am! And it turns out I didn’t need to. As the insanity that surrounded Versace was nowhere to be seen.
On the way there I met Zid, who had 2 bags of Marni x H&M and of course I wanted to know what he got! Turns out, like me, he didn’t go crazy and bought what he really liked – the yellow shorts and the white daisy necklace which I sadly missed :-(

While Twitter was full with rumours about the entire collection being sold out in just 20 minutes, I had my doubts. In fact, reaching H&M at 9:30am (yes I need my morning sleep!) the queue had only about 30 people. It seemed too good to be true, and it turned out that this was secondary queue. 

The queue for Marni x H&M at 11:00 am in Singapore

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

Versace for H&M verdict: Singapore men rule!

It's official: Men in Singapore are fierce!

Our fair island state is probably the only place in the world where the menswear from an H&M designer collaboration was flying off the shelves first.

Yes that’s right. The fairer sex was left in the shade by Singapore’s peacock males as the opening hours of the big Versace/H&M event saw the guys’ collection close to selling out especially the accessories.

The only rack of menswear left at 4:30

H&M launched the Very Best of Versace collection in Singapore: Reporting from Orchard road

If, like me, you thought that the bright colors, 'out there' prints, and over-the-top zebra explosion of the Versac for H&M collection was going to discourage the conservatively-dressed Singaporean crowd, let me set this straight: YOU AND I WERE (kind of) WRONG!

Apparently putting the ‘Versace’ label on anything regardless how outrageous, makes even the most colour-shy crowd in Singapore want it.

Judging by the queue of people this morning which kept increasing instead of decreasing, the collaboration was a big that some had started queuing at 5pm the night before to get their hands on the coveted pieces.

The Queue at 9:30am...

To buy or not to buy: my guide to the Versace for H&M MEN'S collection (Special guest post by Adam*)

This is my first ever guest post on Bonjour Singapore.

I don’t consider myself a fashionisto (is that a word?) by any stretch of the imagination but as my straight male friends laugh at my dress sense and female and gay friends lavish praise, I tend to think I’m doing at least something right.

So how am I qualified to comment on what to fight for in the Versace and H&M collaboration?

To buy or not to buy: my guide to the Versace for H&M collection

(P.S. This post is for the women’s collection but my husband, Adam, will be guest posting his take on the men’s collection tomorrow on bonjour-singapore. You don’t wanna miss that!)

Love these studded leather pieces but they're not
a smart investment if you live in Singapore

With just one more week to go, the final countdown for the launch of H&M’s collaboration collection with Versace in Singapore and worldwide has now started.

But unlike most of the blogs and magazines which have been encouraging you to buy them (well they don’t need to push hard), I will take the objective line and dish out advice on what you (from a Singapore perspective) should be fighting tooth and nail for, and the stuff that will only be good for eBay listings or the back of your closet.

Well, I’ll try my best anyway. Let’s face it, you won’t really be listening too hard when those doors open and the grab begins. You will want anything you can get your hands on from the collection is what can be called, bold and beautiful.