Altuzarra FW2010 VS Tom Ford for Gucci FW2003

Just an observation, no harm intended. I have nothing but love for these two men (with the obvious fact that both are such eye-candies).

Joseph Altuzarra's Fall Winter 2010:

Tom Ford for Gucci's Fall Winter 2003:

Yes, Tom Ford delivered a wider range for his Gucci collection back then. But the point I'm highlighting here is how similar the flow of both the presentation are. Fur, sex and leather at the beginning, and the closing of floor-length red gowns.

A rip? Maybe, maybe not. You be the judge.

Because I Can Dream

Like everyone else my age, I'm starting to fantasize how my own future apartment will look like. For me, it's pretty much the "usual". Somewhere high, with a nice nightview, cozy, yada yada.

But I've always dreamt of having plenty of artwork displays all over the house. And by "artwork", I really do mean designer pieces. Now, it would take quite a number of fairies to grant my wish with the following pieces, because some of them are already so rare and so exclusive. But hey, I can dream can I?

So now, "Welcome to my Crib!"

ANY piece from the collection "Atomic Bomb", Viktor & Rolf's 1998 supposedly debut couture collection.

Hussein Chalayan Spring 2009 closing dresses

Of course, Hussein Chalayan's famous "Table Dress" from Fall 2000

Christian Dior Spring 2007 couture closing piece

Junya Watanabe Fall 2000

Junya Watanabe Fall 2000

......

Snap me out of this, somebody. Tavi? anyone?

Christian Louboutin S/S2010 Press Tour

His shoes has been literally everywhere nowadays. From the red carpets, to paparazzi shots, to the streets, even to the thousands of rip-offs, I'll be appalled if no one could recognise those red soles. But a press tour last month to the Christian Louboutin store at Takashimaya gave me some new found respect for the shoe designer. It's no longer just about the shoes, it's the attitude.

One corner of the store sits a cool and edgy girl; only shoes with leather and studs defines her

At the other corner witness the bunch of party girls; nothing steals attention better that the glitterings
For the sophisticated, you have the classics

As the tour progressed, some girls proved familiar...

The "maggie" pumps...

...which Victoria Beckham(one of the many celebrities) wore:

And the gold "Pigalle" glittery heels...

...which Sarah Jessica Parker wore on the set of Sex and the City 2 movie:

More facts from Christian Louboutin Spring 2010:

• Multiple range featured the mix of exotic leather and prints- pony fur to python leather, to crocodile skin
• The introduction of new colours for the classics- focusing on Lavender and Mint green.
• The Takashimaya boutique stocked in Jonathan Suanders and Philip Lim's collaborations!

All pictures from Ridhwan Sesapar.

Special thanks to OneSixtyNotePad.

Here Again: British Fashion Awards

Check the nominees here!

So far, the nominee that I'm most excited with is Meadham Kirchhoff for the Emerging Ready-to-Wear category. Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff has been on my lookout since their first season in fall 2008, but I still felt that the duo deserves more recognition. So I'm delighted that their efforts are paying off, and the British Fashion Council is see that.

TraiT's Letter: In A Comfortable Place

Yoohoo~~ Anyone still out there?

Well, as obvious as it already is, I'm nowhere near how a discipline blogger should be updating his/her blog. Sincere apologies if you're one of the (very) few who clicks into this little space once in awhile just to find that it's as abandoned as ever.

However, keeping matters in facts, I'm not wasting my ass off time waiting for the enlistment date for my national service (ok, if anyone cares, it's the 11th of Dec *sob*). Yours truly has been keeping his brain-juice working all these time with all the freelance writings through other channels.

After several contributions writing for some of the Spring 2010 collections, I'm now an official writer for the blog of Mykromag! I was truly overjoyed when I learnt that I'll be having my own username and such!

Many of you might already heard about the amazing TESTSHOOTGALLERY due to the multiple mentions all over the local Internet websites. I'm also pleased to announce that my first writing contribution for the online fashion gallery is up! Show your support alright?!

All the contributions aside, I am not willing to give up my little TraiT. He (or maybe she, who knows?) had went through so much with my venting of fashion thoughts that I couldn't had done in real-life. There are quite a number of exciting posts at draft in the dashboard now, but am just taking my own Bingboompia time to craft them up.

Look, my point is, I'm finding myself in such a comfortable place right now. I got to know so many more helpful fashion people, that the "fashion-ally trapped" feeling I used to have is fading; which also explains the lesser venting into TraiT means lesser posts. TraiT has never been a blog for me to earn, gain, and attract recognition from the very first day counting anyway. So I just wish that you (few) readers still enjoys TraiT as much as I do *and with that, I'm looking at you as well nasty anonymous commenter :)*.

Harper’s Bazaar Singapore- Asian Models Embracement

I remember explicitly during my interview for the Harper’s Bazaar Singapore internship (which by the way, Laila, I still owe you a treat! :P), when asked about my opinion about the magazine by fashion features editor, Kim Reyes, I openly stated how much more relatable the magazine will be if it has more Asians being featured on it’s covers.

It seems that my prayers have been answered. Pretty much.

Before I flipped the pages of the August issue with Lucy Liu in Dior on the cover, and overlooking the texts (I hardly read them. If the cover’s good, I’m sold), I was thinking, “Ok, another celebrity cover, typical. But oh well, at least she’s Asian!”
But through the "editor's note" section, from editor-in-chief, Gisele Go, I finally realised that it was an issue dedicated mostly to just Asian Talents! Above all, it was the work of fashion director, Kenneth Goh, editorial featuring Wang Xiao that made me (and still) love that issue so much. Everything- from the location, to the hair, to the make-up, to the styling, to Wang Xiao’s natural sensuality- are all love-at-first-sight.

“Love at first sight” hit me again when the October issue came out. Guess who the cover girl was:

I remember myself double-checking the month and year on the issue just to make sure I’m not holding on to a vintage issue from the 90s or something. Wang Xiao, with the blown-up puffy hair, beauty mark, and the sharp make-up, truly blew me away. This girl, must be having some charm for Kenneth to feature her more than once.

Just recently, in Borders bookstore of Wheelock place, approaching the magazines section, I recalled a little gasp from my diaphragm when I saw some black Asian haired slender figure wearing resort Chanel (Chanel Venice):

Hello there Sheila Sim (also known as Singapore’s very own Natasha Poly), shot along with another model with a gorgeous butt, makes the cover of the November issue.

Now look, correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m almost sure Harper’s Bazaar Singapore had only used Caucasian models for their covers most of the time. Nothing wrong with that, just felt that Asian models has been under-appreciated in the high fashion magazine world for far too long. However, with this recent acknowledgement from Harper’s Bazaar Singapore towards featuring Asian models, I’m feeling more than delighted.

Picture source: Design scene

Preen S/S 2010

After a few seasons of the hard edged and wild dresses, Thea Bregazzi and Justin Thornton’s Preen girl for spring 2010 is tangibly walking back to the softer and mellower lines. Not entirely giving up the deconstruction that got themselves celebrity worshipped by, the couple not only gave the girl the usual cut-outs and the vulnerable shoulder straps, patchworks of lace and puffiness (that was last seen from Giambattista Valli) was also pieced into the romantic collection.

Couldn’t get any more evident of a supplely season, out came a yellow and a couple pink sheer draped dresses, as well as a series of grey and white loose translucent blouses. Also in the placid colour palette are beige and nudes that gave the girls that extra body-conscious appeal.

But shaking off the trendy zippers and houndstooth prints, what might seen as a déjà vu this time round are the shoulder pads that pops out once in a while through the show. And just when it seem that nothing could be more abrupt, out came the PVC-glossy pieces which might let their customers re-inquire when they look at their price tags attached.

Photo credit: Fashionologie, Style.com

Yeay!

I've made a humble contribution for the blog of the amazing Mykromag here!



More fashion week posts coming up there, so do visit alright?!

Thank you so much Dinie(who have been working so hard) for letting write there! :D:D

Spring 2010, Suede Overload?

Alright, it's just the third (or is it the forth, or even fifth already?) day of NY fashion week, and there have been so much suede thrown to our faces already?!

Joseph Altuzarra

Jeremy Laing

Derek Lam Vivienne Tam

Keep our eyes open guys, S10 trend contender~

New York S/S 2010: Helmut Lang

The first day of New York Fashion Week usually does not amaze me, and it's not until the early morning of this red dot country that the first group of pictures starts floating around the net. So why am I sacrificing my "beauty" (or "handsome" if I may) sleep just to view collections after collections of designers reinterpreting past season's trends - which is logical since it's still "trendy" even it's already the next season-?



But a lunch with one of my dearest, a short nap, and dinner at my aunt's later, I came to realise that throughout my day, nothing had been stuck in my head except these:





You might question yourself, and the answer from me will definitely be, "Yes, they do look familiar! So old and used!"



However, the only explanation or enlightener for our mercy-less eyes can only be one name, Helmut Lang.


Try a stroll in Helmut Lang's archives, and you'll see the rows and rows of the same drapes and silhouettes staring back at us. The legendary original designer might have resigned five years ago, but the Colovos couple, Michael and Nicole certainly hasn't put Helmut Lang's legacy to shame of any kind since they became the creative directors of the brand when it's resurrected into the fashion scene again in 2008.



So what might seem ordinary now, was actually been shown through the career of Helmut Lang and successors. Could it be time just seem right for the house's aestheticism and blatantly names it "trendy", or is fashion as a whole moving too slowly to appreciate Helmut Lang's eyes for clothing art?