Bonjour Beirut: Missak HajiAvedikian’s fun take on couture

What happens when you mix, great couture aesthetics, strong heritage influence and a hint of fun together? You get Beirut’s newest  enfant terrible Missak HajiAvedikian.

The minute I entered the Armenian Lebanese designer’s showroom in the middle of the hussly bussly Armenian center I knew I was getting something different, more authentic and candid in a way.

Missak has a great sense of humour which translates even in his most dressy gowns. He does fashion for fun and you can see it through the feathers, unusual bird cage silhouettes and scattered laser-cut butterflies. He is not one to shy away from drama or experiment and this is exactly why I fell in love with his avant-garde designs.

It's obvious when you see Missak's playful creations that he has a
lot of fun making them. I love this dress!!

Q&A with Toton, Indonesia's hottest new label

I have a confession to make. I’ve got a new love in my life.

This new obsession occupies my every waking thought, I surf the internet just to gaze lovingly. I still remember the first time our lives came into contact.

It was love at first sight. As I browsed the stalls at Blueprint I couldn't help myself, we made eye contact across a crowded floor, I was instantly drawn in by the elegance and beauty he displayed.

That beauty was called Toton and I’m already turning into an addict!

The designer Toton Januar: Can't wait to see what this man will do next,
after his fresh and exquisite debut collection this year!

Classic with a (considerable) twist is what you can call Toton's
collection like this gorgeous jacket with a zip detail

The 30 Singapore designers you need to know about: Part 3

Here is it. The third and final part of the 30@30, where to celebrate my 30^th birthday I picked the 30 Singapore labels that you should be exploring if you want to go on a discovery mission in the little red dot.

The truth is – and this may surprise some people who don’t follow the fashion scene - I found it hard to compile a list of just 30 because more labels deserve the mention. It’s especially hard as this isn’t a competitive list, there is no particular order and there are far more than 30 talented designers plying their trade in Singapore.

In the end I included those which I think have found their identity and although everyone still has a room to grow, they’ve done so far so good. A lot more labels are doing great job and maybe all they need is a little push to get them there! Maybe in the next list 31@31 ;-)

Anyway, back to the point. Here are the final 10 brands that kick serious ass in Singapore and deserve much more success than they get in their home market. You can read part one of the 30 Singapore designers you need to know about here and the second 10 in the Singapore designers list here.

Use the comments section to let me know what you like in the list, who you think I missed out, and if you were inspired to go local by the talent on offer. 

Love the simplicity of Armoire's Engineered Dress series which come
in many beautiful shades and fits perfectly!

The 30 Singapore designers you need to know about: Part 2

My 30th birthday (or 29A as one of my friends would call it) celebrations went very well for those of you who are interested.

But onto the more serious business of part 2 of my 30 at 30. That's my list of the 30 singaporean labels you really should know.

You can see part one of the 30 Singapore designers you need to know about here but below you'll find 10 more of the hottest labels from the little red dot. I will post the final part on Friday so you all have something to digest over the weekend :-).

Enjoy. And don't forget to let me know which labels you love the most in the comments section.

UPDATE: Here is a link to part three of the 30 Singapore designers you need to know about.

I was delighted to be the first to get my hands on these KAE HANA
pixel floral leggings before they officially went on sale!
 (Photo by Franz from lilreddotfolks.com)

The 30 Singapore designers you need to know about: Part 1

Today is a huge (and depressing day) for me.

It’s my 30^th birthday, and to help me officially mourn the passing of my youth I thought I’d do some shameless promotion of my favourite Singaporean labels and designers.

So here it is. 30 at 30 if you like. My guide to 30 labels from Singapore that you really should be paying attention to. I’ve added links to those who have websites so you can find out more about each one.

I hope this little birthday gift from me to you gives you as much joy as discovering these talented designers has (and if anyone wants to buy me a birthday gift, they can find some hints in there haha).

But as 30 is a bit much to digest in one go (not to mention very tiring to post!!), I’ll split it into three posts over days. Here is part one of three - in no particular order. Enjoy!

PS – I have avoided putting in the Singapore fashion giants like Charles and Keith, so don’t email me asking where they are :-)

PPS - Here is a link to part two of the 30 Singapore designers you need to know about, and this link will take you to the final 10 in the list.

Yes I'm 30! and can't get enough of the awesome Singapore labels
like this MAE PANG top which I love! (Thx again to John Tan for the pic!)