LUISA FIETTA

There I was, sitting in front of the general manager of Pedder Red, Luisa Fietta, holding onto my smartphone with the voice recorder. We were at the corner of On Pedder's flagship store at Scotts Square overlooking Orchard Road. Before you get to know this amazing lady, let's rewind a few minutes. 

It was press day at On Pedder and we were introduced the latest shoes, bags and accessories (which I will be sharing my favs with you soon). I haven't met LuisaFietta yet. Then, as we were ushered to Pedder Red's 'Let's Gold' collection, the amiable Fietta appeared and boy was I captivated by her presence. If you are reading this, Luisa, pardon me for being slightly distracted. 

This was what happened in my head, 'I love her style! I must photograph her and share it with my readers! How should I do it? Should I ask her directly? But I may seem a bit too freaky and unprofessional. How about Marie (marketing and communications consultant)? Okay! I'll ask Marie later.' Yes, I had a spurt of adrenaline rush and that was just a small excerpt of the impromptu meeting with myself. 

It was Fietta's energy and vibe that I admire. She's stylish, super down-to-earth and talking to her feels just like catching up with an old friend. So here she is!

I love your hairstyle.

I cut it myself actually. (I literally went, WWWHAT?!) I just cut the sides, keeping front part long so that I can have two different ways of wearing it. Sometimes I will roll my fringe up, sometimes it's down. I'm inspired by Alice Dellal. I shaved my sides before too but it didn't look as good. 

How did you start working in fashion? 

I'm originally from Italy and I studied accounting and finance mainly because my parents feel that it's the safer way to go. I went to work in sales for Diesel right after my studies and spent three years there before moving to their Hong Kong office. Then, I decided to study nutrition in a Hong Kong university before joining the Pedder Group. It has been a year now. 

How many tattoos do you have? 

Lots. They are all on my arms. I like nature and flowers. *started unbuttoning her sleeves to reveal her tattoos* This is peach blossoms. Always need to be surrounded by flowers. 

When did you first get your tattoo? 

My first got it when I gave birth to my daughter. It's her name. 

Why do you like tattoos so much? 

It's an expression. There are several ways of expressing yourself. I have strong feelings for my daughter and I like to imprint something visible so it feel more real. My peach blossoms tattoo is an expression of freedom, about rebirth. Peach blossoms are slightly bigger than cherry blossoms and they only blossom for two weeks. In Japanese tradition, it teaches you to embrace the beauty and appreciate what you have cos' sometimes, it goes away very fast.  Just like childhood memories. My roses (tattoo) is about passion. I am passionate in everything I do. I love drawing. Even when I was a child, I draw everything. I like art on my body. 

Do you speak Cantonese?

Xiu xiu (means very little)! Hong Kong is very much like Singapore, everybody speaks English there. My colleagues are always surprised to hear my speak Cantonese. I've spent 13 years in Hong Kong and have learned to understand it better. I don't know Mandarin thou. But my daughter does. 

How old is your daughter?

She's four years old and her name is Viola. She was born in Hong Kong and she speaks Mandarin very fluently. 

Tell me about your style. 

Women now play important roles in the society and they like to feel strong yet feminine. I like a good mix of hard vs soft, masculine vs feminine. And a bit of rock 'n' roll. 

What are you wearing today?

My glasses are Alexander McQueen and my necklace is by Ela Stone. The necklace is perfect: not too shiny and has a clever use of chain and leaves. I love to collect vintage accessories, especially necklaces and glasses from 40s and 50s. 

What is the most valuable vintage item you have?

It's a pair of glasses from 1960s, made of real gold. I bought it from an old vintage shop in London, England. It has thin round frames. Very cool. I don't buy secondhand. I buy old stock that nobody wants to buy so I get to buy all those pieces at their original price sold in the 60s. Some cost about S$100 - 200. (!!!!!) I find really good vintage stuff such as glasses and sunglasses from Germany, London, Australia, both sunglasses and glasses. I like old way of jewelry making. 

How different is tradition way of jewelry making?

It's of higher quality because they are handmade. The makers pay a lot of attention to details, especially the closure. It's perfect. Sadly, they don't have time to focus on this now. 

What do you like about Singapore?

I really like the peacefulness here, especially when you exit from the airport. First of all the cabs are clean, drivers are nice and the road lined with trees are amazing. The big streets and trees are very different from Hong Kong. All the wide streets don't exist in Hong Kong. People here are very friendly. I love it! The trees and weather here make me happy. 

Luisa made me realise something I didn't know about Singapore. Come to think about it, the long straight road towards to airport is the indeed very calming and beautiful. 

The Floating Village.

ជំរាបសួរ! (pronounced as "johm riab sua" which means hi in Cambodia's official language, Khmer) I'm back from exploring the wonders of Siem Reap, Cambodia! Here's my favourite photo of the trip. I saw a group of village kids while we were visiting Kompong Phluk a.k.a Floating Village in the outskirts. 

Kompong Phluk is known for its high-rise housing built on stilts which protect them from the high tide. When the tide comes, the entire village seems like it's floating and hence the name. Aren't the kids adorable? Well, the boy showing his peekaboo was totally unexpected! Anyway, check out my Siem Reapstagrams here!

I will be announcing the winner of my first giveaway this Tuesday! So hurry and submit your entries via my post here! 

Fashion Has No Rules.

Michelle Violy Harper is one person hard to miss during fashion weeks. Her presence literally makes you stop whatever you are doing to admire how she puts her look together from head to toe. With that and her super down to earth personality, certainly make her more than just a style icon. "There are no rules and you can wear whatever you want. Everyone’s unique. Just be you.” 

Lucky for me, I got to catch up with her during Uniqlo's opening party last year. She has been to Singapore when she was really young (that was the first thing she said after I revealed where I'm from) and she luurves the food! Well.. who doesn't right? So, what exactly does Michelle do in the fashion industry? And what makes her a style icon? Find out more from my 60 Seconds with Michelle Violy Harper. 

   

Hair Issue.

The most understated fashion statement of all times - hair. If you are one of those who hasn't changed your hairstyle for five years and counting, you are not alone. If you are one of those who has kept your Asian black hair long passed your shoulders and almost reaching your waist, you are not alone. I am officially bored of my frocks. 

To tame your mane like the A-listers (Chloë Grace Moretz and Ashley Greene spotted outside Calvin Klein's Spring Summer 2012 show) requires breaking your bank account. Instead, take inspirations from them and look for cheaper alternatives (I'm fortunate enough to have my Mum, who used to be a hairdresser. It's time to skim through your Facebook Friends List). 

I am sure of one thing, and that is to never perm my hair. Given my round face shape, perming is only going to make it rounder. So I have decided: It's time to rock my frock-ends with a splash of one of my favourite colours, purple, like Jessie J below (side fringe instead of bangs and natural curls instead of artificial straight). 

(Source)

What do you think? 

Scott & Garance.

When New York Fashion Week 2011 started, I was hoping to bump into street style power couple - The Sartorialist and Garance Doré. I kind of did but you know what happens when you are so starstruck that you just don't have the courage to approach them to say hi. Fancy walking up to Scott with he was busy shooting people and looking stern (like the image below)? No thanks. Just like how people get crazy over celebrities and musicians (rubbed shoulders with Michael Douglas, Uma Thurman, Naomi Watts, Cuba Gooding Jr and others), while fashion bloggers go gaga over fashion editors, street style photographers, designers and models. When fashion week ended, I was vexed with just a few candid shots of them. 

So imagine how elated I was when Scott Schuman posted about “Gary Cooper: Enduring Style” Book Signing event. I am so NOT gonna miss this!

So there I was, walking around the boutique with a glass of wine in my hand, pretending to flip through a book while looking out for Scott or Garance. Then, a camera flash caught my attention and there Scott was, with his assistant behind him, doing his thing of course.

 

Voila! After a few glasses of wine, I finally found the guts to go up to them and start a conversation. It's amazing! Got to chat with Garance first and when she headed out for a breather, I caught up with Scott. It's interesting how unique and different their take on street style is, and inspiring that they are able to master it so well. 

Here are some scoops, specially for you readers.

1) They met when they were shooting on the streets. (how sweet!)

2) They don't shoot street style together. Scott stays on the streets most of the time while Garance usually arrange appointments with her subjects.

3) Garance loves New York City and moved over for Scott. She finds New Yorkers more adventurous when it comes to their dressing.

4) Scott cycles all over New York City, mainly in Manhattan, from Uptown to Downtown to shoot all the time! However, majority of his shots were taken in SoHo.

5) Indeed, people are more conscious about dressing up during fashion weeks. But like how Scott does it spontaneously on the streets every day, he captures real fashion.

Heart Skipped A Bit.

 

Kate Lanphear. Nobody can ever miss her. The thing about shooting street style at fashion weeks is that, these hard-to-miss editors walk really fast (even in their heels) and it's not easy to get a good shot even if you hit the shutter like a machine gun. Sometimes, you have to depend on luck. And luck was on my side when Kate was rushing for Calvin Klein's S/S 2012 show. 

If you look a little closer,  Kate's black leather jacket is like no other. I'm not certain if it's the design or she wears it very often, you can actually see some faded marks on the sleeves and the side of the jacket. No matter what is it, this classic worn-out punk look is absolutely stunning.

Who would have thought that I would get to see her again since that day. During my internship at ELLE.com (here's one of my published articles), I sat just three metres away from my office. So, one day, I decided to give it a try (that included hours of contemplating at my desk!). I printed out my resume and walked straight into her office. (Yes, it's make it or break it time. Devil Wears Prada moment!) And there she was, in her perfect platinum hair, smiling at me.

 

And the rest was history. We arranged for a session and that's between Kate and I (sorry! unless you have amazing convincing powers). But do check out her exclusive interview with Business of Fashion here.

Being Carine.

Pompadour Amour.

Anna Wintour has her signature bob, Kate Lanphear has her platinum blonde, Carine Roitfeld has her golden shoulder locks and the list goes on. With so many years in the fashion industry, these women no doubt have finally found their trademark hairstyle. 

Amongst them, it is Suzy Menkes' statement pompadour which caught my attention. I am dying to find out what inspired her to do that to her hair every single day without fail. The only photo I've seen of her with a different hairstyle (or not) is when she was honoured OBE. Yes, she was wearing a hat and her pompadour beneath it. And so, I've looked it up (on Wikipedia) and found out that it started waaaaay back in history (1700s) by Madame de Pompadour (why are we not surprised). But there's nothing to why she styled her hair that way either. 

Whatever is it that triggered my curiosity, I am still super keen to find out. So Suzy (if you're reading), what inspired you?