At the moment, A Single Man

Near the end of 2009, fashion designer Tom Ford made his first debut as a film director, producer and screenplay writer for the movie, 'A Single Man'.

Also, a little trivia from IMDB: "Tom Ford explained in a Fresh Air interview that he created a back story for George's suit based on the George character. He decided that George would have had his suit custom made on Saville Row on a trip home to England, which informed its cut and color. He also decided that, since 'old-school' British people of wealth tend to be thrifty with clothing, that his suit was a few years old. Ford even went as far as putting a label on the inside of the suit with his name and the date that it was made for him (1957)."

Image from: http://bartboehlert.blogspot.com/2009/12/single-man.html

Official website: http://www.asingleman-movie.com/#/home

Thoughts: This is not the usual genre (drama) I would normally watch. The music got my attention as I was chewing gummy colas in the cinema. I loved the mood and the music incorporated in this trailer...believe it or not, I like Colin Firth! I really hope the movie is as good as this trailer. Many movies these days have really good trailers but the outcome would not be as good as originally intended.

The video below is a short trailer and a trivia about the suit below the video. The film has been released in America. It will be released in the UK on the 12th of February.

'A Single Man' is based on a novel by Christopher Isherwood. The novel is set in Los Angeles a month after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. This story centres on an English professor, George (played by Colin Firth) who, after the sudden death of his partner (Matthew Goode) tries to go about his typical day. He tries to figure out his life after his partner's death and as his close friend Charley (Julianne Moore) consoles him and his young student (Nicholas Hoult) interacts with him.

At then design moment, the 'Audi Grand Piano'

My Dad sent me an article about a piano he saw on a magazine (I'm not sure which magazine it was featured one).

The Audi Design grand piano (featured middle of last year), designed by Vienna-based piano manufacturer Bösendorfer is priced at 100,000 Euros.

Thoughts: Who would have thought a car manufacturer would come up with a piano? It goes to show, anything is almost possible these days. I doubt I can fork out such amount for this beauty and my piano skills will have to dramatically improve before even touching one key!

More on:

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/audi-design-creates-grand-piano-8503.html

...and from Audi:

https://www.audi-mediaservices.com/publish/ms/content/en/presskit/2009/07/07/grandpiano.standard.gid-oeffentlichkeit.html

Watch the video on the website.

Art Nouveau Heels

I was exploring an archive of 'Dazed and Confused' and encounted this 'Art Nouveau Heels' by foot wear designer, Kerrie Luft.

This was featured in 2009.

More on: http://www.dazeddigital.com/Fashion/article/4508/1/Running_in_Art_Nouveau_Heels

Thoughts: I wonder how much support these heels can withstand...love the delicate details!
This year, new start (though technially, it is the middle of January!), I've decided to try something new in order to keep blogging (been awful as I had projects to submit before Christmas and went back home during the holidays!). I'll try to post random (but of course good!) images that I think is interesting...and will make me blog often!

Featuring the Launch of Thursday Evenings' first issue

On the 7th of November, I mentioned about an online magazine called 'Thursday Evenings'. (The official website is http://www.thursdayevenings.com/). Tonight is the official launch.

Thursday Evenings is an online magazine which showcases arts, fashion and literature. It is curated by Sunny Lim and Yun Ting.

More description from their page:

'...It is a product of inspiration by Virginia Woolf, who used to discuss philosophical ideas with her clique of friends every Thursday evenings over a cup of tea. We will like to convey that arts, fashion and literature are actually inter-linked disciplines, hence, guiding our readers through this journey of viewing the arts from various perspectives. A platform for art, fashion and literature to transcend new heights, and extend unrestrictedly.'

Here is a little teaser...

Do you to see more of these pages?

You can view the e-magazine at this link: http://www.thursdayevenings.com/issueone/ebook.html

Also watch out for the final pictures from photo shoot I mentioned before I came to London.

Note: It might take a while for the pages to load up. Once it does, it will be worth it!

Feature by Test Shoot Gallery: Made-To-Feet

Here's a quick entry as I have to run some errands for my projects. Remember I did a project called 'Resuscitation' and the photo shoot for an online magazine? Well, it's not entirely related.

Test Shoot Gallery (http://www.testshootgallery.com/) has done great shots incorporating the designer's customised Doc Marten's and the garments. Check it out at this link: http://www.testshootgallery.com/?p=68. Meanwhile, here's a shot of my design.

Also, check out this blog, Thursday Evenings (http://thursdayevenings.tumblr.com/) which will launch an online magazine soon.


Credits (as stated on Test Shoot Gallery):
Test Shoot Gallery
Photography / May Lin le Goff
Fashion Direction / Ashburn Eng
Model / Budavári Liza (Ave Management)
Make-up / Dennis Ee
Hair / Chris Ruth
Fashion Co-ordinator / Shanna Matthew

Grabbing Attention of Colours: DKNY

This advertisement caught my eye as I was flipping through (digitally) US Elle magazine.


Why did this catch my eyes? It's not the fact that you can wear it in different ways (as much as I like that idea...it has been done a lot of times!). It's simple. I love the colours of the cardigan and the way it was arranged...it has sort of enticed me to get a cardigan from DKNY right now! There goes my money... I'm sure it's just a simple cardigan...perhaps I can just use my existing black or purple one from my tiny little wardrobe...

Colours, colours, colours...somehow on some grey days, I seem to be attracted to colours...

You all deserve an update... Shoes!

Wow, it has been more than a month since I last went on this blog. Most of you know that I'm doing a course in footwear design at London College of Fashion (which merged with Cordwainer's). Assignments are coming up in a huge stack but thought of posting some of the places I have visited, items I have collected and prototypes I've made the last few weeks.

Here are some of the exhibits made from the graduates from Royal College of the Arts. These works are still under display at Victoria and Albert Museum under the name of the exhibition, 'Future Fashion Now'. Shoes, garments and sketchbooks...




Before we go further, I'll just mention a little about food...

With another group of people, I went to eat french crepes at a cafe called 'The Kensington Crêperiè' (http://www.kensingtoncreperie.com) located at South Kensington and it was the best I've tasted...no other crepes I've tried...well here anyway compare to this! Of course I had share these crepes with a friend...and I didn't get to try the first crepe on the left. If I had one crepe for myself, I would not be able to try both the savory and sweet crepes! You could smell the crepes from far!


For a few days of last month, there was 'guerrilla' ice cream store constructed at London's Selfridges. Here are the interior... Good ice cream it was..in a decent size...three flavours as pictured...I can't remember the name of the flavours though... However, the store has been pulled down as well, it is 'guerrilla'!


Alright, now to the 'fashion' side of things... This is one side of the pair of boots I obtained while I was at Notting Hill earlier last month. They cost £30. The store owner got these pair of boots from a theatre that was closing down. The pair of boots belonged to 'Rebecca Parker'. She got the shoes repaired, replacing the soles. I admit, it was difficult to walk in these shoes but I guess I need to stretch it a bit. It's the only pair of shoes I have that fit my calves. I'm wondering...should I keep the laces red or change them to purple?


This is one side of mules I constructed (with loads of help from the tutor...in case you are wondering...yes I made a pair!)...when I attended a weekend course at another school called Prescott and Mackay (http://www.prescottandmackay.co.uk/). I thought it was a great weekend course to take if you don't have the time to do a full-time course. Most of the classmates I met had a real high interest in shoe making and the class was fun. I though this class was beneficial for my research. I'm learning a different technique at LCF and it's good to learn different ways. Also, at LCF, I'm learning other aspects of shoe making like pattern cutting which was not covered in the two day course at Prescott and MacKay.


Here is a mini-mock up I did with the tissue-thin paper (the type you use to wrap presents) with my foot last. This is one of the mock-up I'm doing for my current project. I hope it works out. I normally use paper to drape and experiment with designs. I wonder if this sort of effect works with leather? Only one way to find out...experiment!


Just end this entry with this 'street art' I found while walking along Hoxton, spotted by my friend, Grace. This is a piece of work done by 'Johnathan Darby' (I have a feeling I spelt the name wrongly...if it doesn't look right, let me know!). Do you think this is inspiring?

Everyone's talking about 'The September Issue'

After watching the movie, 'The September Issue', I realised that I might have a copy of the magazine back in my house in Singapore. The copy of the magazine was printed back in 2007. I remember on my way back to Milan (I was studying there for around a year) from Singapore, I took out the magazine from my backpack while waiting for the plane to take off. While reading, I remember the lady next to me gasping 'Oh my! What a huge magazine! I've never seen anything like that!'. I never thought how much work and how huge that September of Vogue was until I watched the movie.

Part from the movie (from the DVD I bought)

I really liked the movie as it was not overly exaggerated like 'Devil Wears Prada'. Sure, it looks tough but it seems pretty real and made me see another side of Anna Wintour. Grace Coddington who we now can see is one of the great brains behind the whole magazine. I had thought that there would be a huge concentration of bitching in the movie...seeing 'Devil Wears Prada' but in fact, I was glad that I was wrong about this!

The actual September Issue that went to press in 2007 and it was super heavy to carry around!

Watch the movie (I've read from FashionNation that the movie is showing at two cinemas in Singapore) or buy the DVD (I bought mine from HMV in London but all of you can get the DVD from Amazon.com). It's not only for fashionistas, it's for everyone to understand what goes on behind the scene and the human emotions that goes into the magazine.

A Mini Update: London's Calling!

Alright, so then, I did not mention this before on this blog but now, I am in London. I will be in London for a while doing a course in footwear. Honestly, it sounds exciting but honestly, I am super nervous to start.
I arrived in London on Friday, after waiting so long at the 'First time students and dependent' queue. The queue was unbelievably jammed packed and some people kept being sent to health control...however, I didn't need to be sent there...as I had my documentations ready but I had to wait at least an hour and a half until it was my turn.

Well then, I'm here, not much has happened apart from seeing a relative and for my parent's excitiement, going to a newer mall (Westfield Mall) to shop. Yup, I had to carry my dad's item which was from Alessi and heavy...and 'broken' according to him...



by Zaha Hahid
...at least I managed to get a pair of shoes I've been wanting to get for months from United Nude! It would have cost me SGD$ 400 but I got it for I think GBP 79! My dad thought I bought some hinge to fix the window.

Finally, I've got a pair of these!

It may seem old to most people but honestly, I like the design and it is one of the most comfortable pair of heels at it supports the foot in the middle rather than on the heel. The last it made of the same kind of metal used on BMW cars. Sturdy!
Later on in the night, at the food court, I had a pie from 'Square Pie' with their monthly special, Beef rendang and yes, it tasted like the Indonesian dish itself though it was weird eating it with mashed peas (on the side).Beef Rendang pie!

Now that I am here, I hope to go and see more exhibitions, markets, shops and other cities and countries for inspiration!

Photo shoot for an upcoming online project...

At the last moment last week, I got to participate in a photo shoot. In the photo shoot, organised by Sunny, Yun Ting, Mae and Brendan (the photographer), I had the chance to get one set of my garment from one of the recent project ('Resuscitation') to be part of the shoot. Here are some 'behind the scenes' pictures and video (I apologise for the quality of the video as it was taken from my phone and my video editing skills is nowhere near beginner's level!). This photo shoot is part of an upcoming project mainly set up by Sunny, Yun Ting and other collaborators involved, as well as to promote the gallery Osage Gallery (at Old School, Singapore). Also in this post are some close up of the Dr. Martens shoes that were customised by us for the last project (which hardly got any publicity (for the shoes).

More about the project in the upcoming months.


The video

Designed and customised (the boots) by Lee Yun-Ting

Designed and customised (the boots) by me


Designed and customised (the boots) by Sunny Lim

Designed and customised (the boots) by Mae Pang

Designed by Charlotte Wang (the customised boots were not available for shooting)

...and it was a great photo shoot!