Electric sekki

2/14/12

peter som: f/w '12

"I wanted a precision and crispness," explained Som in a preview. "At the end of the day, everyone wants to feel strong and sexy." Som's vision of how women should dress for Fall 2012 was decidedly different from his previous runways; there were still elements of whimsy and structure, but this collection was a bit riskier, a bit more directional. New shapes and ideas that Som introduced this season included peek-a-boo fabrications, rounded shoulders, peplums and mullet dresses. We teased you earlier with a photograph of renowned sculptor John Chamberlain's work, Boom, from which Som was said to be drawing inspiration; well, on first glance it seems that Boom largely influenced Som's choice of colour palette, but when you look closely you can see that the structure and the lines of Som's pieces are certainly echoed in Boom, as well. It takes a strong and confident woman to wear these looks, and we can't wait to see some of our favourite style icons in this stellar collection.

All images courtesy of Style.com.

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2/13/12

best bet: mass studies

One of our good friends and extremely talented architects, The Wanderlister+ (aka JJ Acuna), recently introduced us to a talented new Korean architectural firm, Mass Studies. Founded in 2003 by Minsuk Cho in Seoul, South Korea, Mass Studies is a firm which focuses on, "Architecture in the context of mass production [and] intensely over-populated urban conditions." In today's day and age where the hot topic of discussion is sustainability and the over-saturated use of space, Mass Studies' projects are a breath of fresh air. They challenge our relationship with our environment and force us to reevaluate our appreciation of space. As the preeminent up-and-coming architectural force in Korea, Mass Studies was commissioned by the South Korean government to design their representative pavilion at the recent World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Their work is truly incredible and have several exciting projects currently in development; we can't wait to see the finished product!

Ann Demeulemeester Store - Seoul, Korea

Model of Amorepacific HQ Building - Seoul, South Korea (under construction)

Model of Cracked Building - Seoul, South Korea (under construction)

Rendering of KIST Global Guest House - Seoul, South Korea (under construction)

Ring Dome - Milan (also exhibited in New York, Yokohama and Kitakyushu)

APAP 2010 Open Pavilion - Anyang, South Korea

South Korea Pavilion - Shanghai World Expo 2010

Rendering of Valley House - Hangzhou, China (under construction)

View more of Mass Studies' work here.

Special thanks to The Wanderlister+ for introducing us to this amazing new talent!

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2/10/12

swing, sing, shine

We've all heard of Swarovski, but they only recently become increasingly well-known in the fashion industry, due to their underwriting the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards for the past nine years. They have also sponsored a special Swarovski Award, whereby the winner receives sponsorship for the use of Swarovski crystals in the coming season. As a result of their association with the CFDA, Swarovski has managed to collaborate with a handful of up-and-coming designers such as Jason Wu and Nicholas Kirkwood on exclusive Atelier Swarovski jewelry pieces. Well, now they're breaking into the Asian market with a more classic approach: selling femininity. Their recent Swing, Sing, Shine party was the ultimate fairytale princess dream of pink upholstery, sugary cupcakes, pastel lace tutus and, of course, lots of bling. It's the perfect strategy to break into the Asian market, and it almost almost made me wish I was more of a girlie-girl. Nonetheless, Swarovski has introduced some edgier, less sugary products into their product line, so there's definitely something for everyone. And if you ask us, they hit the nail right on the head with this one.

Models dressed in pink, dripping with crystals, enjoying pink tea.

Our good friend and fellow #HKFashionBlogger, SuperWowOMG, decorating cupcakes with her super-mom.

The whole evening was a dream of pastels, pinks, lace and tutus. A princess fantasy!

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2/9/12

liger x lab

Last night, we spent the evening in style with two of our favourite local style icons: the Liger girls, Dorothy Hui & Hilary Tsui. For those of you unfamiliar with Liger, it is a boutique which stocks some of the most creative designers working in the business today, including Richard Nicoll, House of Holland, Louise Gray, Something Else by Natalie Wood and sass & bide. Hilary Tsui is Hong Kong's most well-known (and well-loved) style icon, famous for her killer approach to accessorising and her unabashed love of colour! Dorothy used to work at D-Mop, and while she was there she ended up becoming the go-to-girl for all the top celebrities in Hong Kong; they were clamoring to get to her for style advice. So when the two joined forces to open their own store, we knew that it would instantly become the new place to shop. Well, retail juggernaut Lane Crawford took notice and invited them to curate a small pop-up shop of sorts for their lab concept. From 8 to 29 February 2012, stop by the Liger store in Causeway Bay or the Lane Crawford ifc store to check out a capsule collection of items curated by Dorothy & Hilary. We chatted briefly with Dorothy and she was glowing and pride and happiness over Liger's collaboration with Lane Crawford; congratulations, girls!

The Liger x lab space at Lane Crawford ifc.

Dorothy looked smokin' hot last night! How phenomenal does she look in neon pink! I loved Dorothy's dominatrix leather harness and asked her where she got it. Do you love it too? Well, lucky you: you can get it at the Liger x lab pop-up!

Hilary talks to the press, dressed in a killer neon yellow dress. Love how she and Dorothy coordinated their neons!

The Liger x lab space is sprinkled with all these cute little 'Liger Girl' illustrated paper dolls. The space is worth check out, if only to see these great fashion illustrations.

You can catch the Liger x lab pop-ups at Lane Crawford ifc and Liger Causeway Bay from 8 to 29 February 2012.

Liger Causeway Bay: 1/F 11 Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

Liger Tsim Sha Tsui: LG63 Silvercord, 30 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

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2/8/12

boom

One question we get a lot is: "What's so-and-so showing this season? Any hints?" As fashion month gets closer, people seem to become increasingly obsessed with what's going to be coming down the runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan. Well, we've got a little hint for you. Peter Som was recently asked by New York Magazine to share a photograph and one word to describe his inspiration for his Fall 2012 collection. Som chose the word 'boom' as well as the below photograph of a sculpture by John Chamberlain at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, exhibited in 1971. Chamberlain was an abstract sculptor most famous for his pieces made from recycled automobile parts; he passed away in December 2011. Now, I'm not sure how much you can guess about his collection from these hints, but one thing's for sure: he's bound to remain true to the preppy-with-a-twist aesthetic for which he's become so well-known. Can't wait to see how 'boom' and Chamberlain tie in...

John Chamberlain - A Retrospective Exhibition, Diane Waldman, The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, 1971

Peter Som

Source: New York Magazine

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2/7/12

style jam x style slicker

Our latest Style Jam session was with quirky Kit of Style Slicker fame; raised in London, this girl also has family roots in Hong Kong, living on a killer plot of serene green land out near Tai Po. We love how Kit naturally gravitates towards bright colours and prints; she really knows how to stand out in a crowd. Her style, although loud, always also looks so comfortable. You can tell that this is a no-fuss kind of girl. Kit could be called one of the original 'founders' of blogging, having started out way back in 2008 alongside the likes of Fashion Toast and Sea of Shoes. Throughout these four years, she's gone from street-snapping stylish market girls around London to beginning to blog about her own personal style. For our Style Jam, Kit naturally chose prints from Twenty8Twelve, Something Else by Natalie Wood & One Teaspoon and mixed them with edgier, grunge-y pieces from Horace & ksubi.

Kit wears an Insight 51 tee, One Teaspoon kimono, Eryn Brinie sleeveless trench, ksubi glasses and Beau Coops heels.

Kit wears pants from Something Else by Natalie Wood, leather jacket with printed lining from Horace, tee from One Teaspoon, sunnies from ksubi and wedges from Beau Coops.

The loud, colourful print on these ksubi sunnies perfectly complement the print on these Something Else by Natalie Wood pants.

This leather jacket from Horace has a hint of unexpectedness in its drape-y black-and-white printed lining.

Kit wears a denim shirt and printed silk dress from Twenty8Twelve, a backpack from Something Else by Natalie Wood, Beau Coops wedges and ksubi sunnies.

These pale rimmed ksubi sunnies are perfectly paired with this pale green Twenty8Twelve printed silk dress.

Beau Coops wedges: seriously, the most comfortable heels on earth.

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2/6/12

'china girl' valentine

Men, listen up. In case you've forgotten, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Many of you may be starting to feel the pressure, while other (perhaps more tired) men have long-since given up trying to please your Valentine each year. Oh, and ladies, you listen up, too! Valentine's Day isn't just about a man doing things to please his woman; love is a reciprocal thing, ya' know? Are you at a loss as to what to get him? Well, that's what we love about lingerie: it's the perfect Valentine's Day gift, whether it's coming from the man or the woman in the relationship. Both parties are bound to be pleased. Take note, however: there is a trick to buying an appropriate lingerie set for your partner. Men: don't go for anything too naughty, you might make your woman feel a bit cheap. Women: don't got for anything too safe or sugary, you might want to spice it up a bit for your man on this special day. Still unsure? We think Huit's 'China Girl' lingerie set is just the right amount of sexy and sweet.

Huit's 'China Girl' lingerie set is the perfect valentine. Sweet, sexy and ultra feminine.

Huit is available in Hong Kong exclusively at The Private Shop.

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2/3/12

you can do it

So, fancy pants are back in style. That's right, people: the fancier the better. Not since the 80's has it been so acceptable to wear bright, colourful, printed, sequined, or foiled pants. And let me tell you, we are loving it! But don't think that you "can't do it." Everyone can do it. The key is to keep it simple on top, if you're going to have a party with your pants. Unless you're rail thin and super confident, it's best to pair your fancy pants with a basic tee or sweater. Or you can make the look a bit more sophisticated with a silk shirt and a tailored blazer. And always, always add a pair of heels to elongate the leg. If you're a rookie at this, try a more understated printed denim pair. These leopard print sass & bide jeans are super chic and comfortable, without being too loud. Tuula wears them so very well. So don't tell us that you "can't do it." You can and, trust us, you will this spring!

sass & bide is available in Hong Kong at I.T, Harvey Nichols, Liger, Little Black Dress & Van D.

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sammi style

Sammi Cheng is a mainstay of Canto-pop music culture; she rose to monumental fame in the 90's, dubbed by the press as the Queen of Canto-pop, and was regularly featured in the media as a "wild child". Nowadays, she seems to have found a happy balance in her life, reemerging as a softer, wiser woman with a seriously impeccable sense of style. But she hasn't abandoned her wild child roots, opting for bright colours, prints and shiny materials whenever the opportunity presents itself. However, these days, she's streamlined her style with a sleeker silhouette and a simpler approach to mixing and matching. Everyone loves a comeback story, and we are really digging Sammi's new approach to style.

Sammi (right)wears a No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua shirt & pants. Source: ELLE HK.

Sammi wears a Richard Nicoll Linder Sterling print T-shirt dress. Source: Ming Pao Daily.

Sammi wears a sass & bide gold peplum jacket and silk floral pants. Source: Mtime.

No. 21 by Alessandro Dell'Acqua is available in Hong Kong at I.T & Harvey Nichols

Richard Nicoll is available in Hong Kong at I.T & Liger

sass & bide is available in Hong Kong at I.T, Harvey Nichols, Liger, Little Black Dress & Van D

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2/1/12

infrared

Photography is a wonderful artistic medium with so many different effects and techniques to play with; the latest technique to catch our attention is infrared technology, put to stellar use by Hong Kong photographer, Yiu Yu Hoi. When thinking about infrared photography, you might typically be reminded of National Geographic's safari-watch shows, where videographers follow the behavior of animals at nightfall. This is oh so very different. In the hands of Yiu, this infrared technique manages to transform the metropolitan concrete jungle of Hong Kong into a fairyland of cotton candy trees and sweet feathery landscapes. "Infrared photography has the ability to show us what the eye cannot see, it is the art of capturing invisible light," explains Yiu. If only our eyes could naturally see what these photographs capture, we'd be living off in fairyland for all eternity.