Bonjour Beirut: Johnny Farah's fabulous bags!

My husband has always joked that no matter where he went in the world, there would be four things – Chinese, Indians, a Lebanese businessman and an Irish pub!

While it is understandable why people from the two most populated nations on earth would exist everywhere, the Lebanese one has always puzzled him. That was until he met me and came with me back home to understand more of our unique culture.

Most of my co-nationals will write prose about the natural beauty, the weather, the food and the party scene which Lebanon enjoys but for me, nothing makes me more proud than seeing some truly unique people making it everywhere in the world while keeping a distinct character about them.

Johnny Farah is one of those people. And although I only found about him on my latest visit back home, believe it or not, he’s been around in the industry at least a decade before Elie Saab and enjoyed the company of greats such as Andy Warhol while living in NY in the 70s!

Johnny Farah's collaboration with artist Ranya Srakbi has produced some to-die-for bags
which live up to the label's chic identity but adds on a stunning twist!

What I’ll be wearing this Spring/Summer from Singapore designers

One of the great things about living in Singapore is being spoilt for choice when it comes to fashion. And I don’t mean by that the availability of big designer and high street brands everywhere you go, but rather the variety of Singaporean designers and labels, who seem to improve each season.

For those who doubt the ability of these talents, this Spring/Summer season will especially prove them wrong. The season has not yet begun but from the collections which have been released so far, a few things have caught my eye already!

From day to occasion dresses, accessories and even swimwear, check out which 5 items from Singaporean designers have hit the spot and made it to my summer list of must-haves. We’re still in March so the list will definitely expand once more collections are unveiled and once I’ve saved enough for the next batch ;-)

This dress from Singapore label Yumumu is firmly on my list this season!

What I wore to London Fashion Week A/W13

Fashion weeks these days are as much about the shows, new trends and designers as they are about streetstyle. But nothing prepared me to the streetstyle mayhem at Somerset House where it was more like paparazzi frenzy!

The decision to attend London Fashion Week this year came late and I hardly had any time to prepare – or pack any outfits to bring from Singapore. But even if I did plan, my outfits after living eight years between Dubai and Singapore meant very little I owned was suitable for the freezing London temperatures.

But it’s not all bad. While I didn’t have time (or the budget) to shop for an LFW wardrobe I did manage to recycle the outfits I had worn and mix and match them with accessories and a few pieces I picked up between London and Beirut in the past few months.

Almost all my LFW wardrobe was recycled from stuff I had already worn and
owned for years! And when I have a bad hair day, my kafeyya is still the best solution ;-)

5 emerging Asian designers to look out for

For decades, Europe and America have been the centre of the fashion world. While that’s largely true – the four most important fashion weeks do happen in the West after all – but that doesn’t mean that it’s only Western designers who are shaping the future of fashion.

Take a look at the rise of the Asian designer in the states, and the increasing number of designers from that side of the world muscling their way into London and Paris.

Even back in the day the likes of John Rocha (Hong Kong) and Jimmy Choo (Malaysia) were making sure the world was aware of Asia as a creative hub as well as a manufacturing base.

Over the past few years you have the more established lines of Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, Vera Wang, Richard Chai or Alexander Wang all flaunting their Asian heritage all across the major fashion weeks.

Now the question has to be, where is the next generation of Asian designers coming from? Who is going to be the next big thing to hit the catwalks of London, Paris, New York and Milan?

Read on to have a look at my pick of five Asian designers to look out for and remember you saw it here first!

Yeashin Kim (S. Korea), Haizhen Wang (China) and Lionel Low (Singapore) are some
of the rising Asian designers to look out for!

London Fashion Week: War and fashion collide with Taiwan’s Ming Pin Tien

If there is one designer who truly wowed me during London Fashion Week, it has to be Ming Pin Tien.

Another Asian designer whose talent has already been attracting some interest from significant industry players, this was a show that a lot of mainstream writers had their eyes on.

The London-based young Taiwanese designer was named as ‘one to watch’ by the prestigious Vauxhall Fashion Scout last September and took the challenge head on. Stepping up his game with some innovation and originality – traits not always common in the industry these days.

Fashion mainly entertains. It inspires sometimes but it rarely moves you. However Ming’s show gave me goose bumps as it wasn’t just about clothes, there was something much deeper to his work that allowed you to admire him as an artist.