Colonial Charm

If you've read my previous blogpost, you'll know that I was quite taken with the brand spanking new interior of Victoria concert hall, which got me musing about the predicament of living in a globalizing and shrinking world. As such, I have been on the hunt for locations in this concrete jungle that still retain a touch of their colonial charm.  The next place on my checklist was the Singapore Art Museum, another old haunt pulled out from the memories of my teenage years spent on school excursions and relishing in the fact that there was no work to be done that day. 

This location is arguably one of my favourites yet - lots of clean, white space with an added touch of benches and artwork for you to go about questioning your quarter-life existential crisis. The museum displays a significant collection of work by quite a number of Southeast-Asian contemporary and modern artists. The beautifully restored colonial-era mission school is also now house to a variety of cafes and restaurants as well as quaint little stores that sell local crafts and products. 

You've heard me complaining countless times on my blog about the sweltering heat in Singapore - I know not what possessed me to purchase this outerwear, and wear it on this shoot with my photographer Randy whose camera was SO SHARP you could zoom in to see the beads of perspiration on my upper lip. Not glamorous at all, I can tell you that. In retrospect, my first mistake was probably just trying it on - trying things on does no favors to your wallet, believe me. 

The clean lines of this architecture remind me oddly of ZARA tailoring, which is why I chose to wear the mid length tailored blazer and the white blouse I'm sporting - two of my newest wardrobe additions. That, and every time I step into either the Singapore Art Museum or a ZARA store, look around and take a deep breath, everything seems right in the world again. 

SHOP MY CLOSET 

ZARA Long Tailored Waistcoat | ZARA White Top | Black Lace Trim Shorts

New Look Solitaire Double Strap Heels | Prada Mini Alma in Chrome

Photography by the talented Randy Tan of LoveLens - also on Instagram and Facebook 

UNICORN LOVE, 

 - R 

Whitewashed

As a cityscape country, Singapore is quite well known for it's modern and abstract architecture, with a touch of avant garde. But as I (rather ashamedly) took on the role of a tourist in the country I've practically lived my whole life in, I realized there are little pockets of old colonial architecture that hasn't yet been obliterated by skyscrapers, apartment buildings and the like.  This place, Victoria Concert Hall, is one of them. Granted the building has just been restored, but the architecture is still in place. 

I haven't been to this place since my choir days in primary and secondary school, circa 2003 to 2010 when we used to practice for days and weekends on end in preparation for the annual Singapore Youth Festival competitions, or for performances we were going to. I distinctly remember the dressing rooms had mirrors with light bulbs in front of it - old Hollywood glamour esque - and nine-year-old me was probably more excited about those grimy backstage mirrors than the actual performance. 

There is something rather enthralling about high ceilings and clean walls that stimulates thought - though I think it is more of the space than anything else. So bear with me as I spew my two cents worth. Living in a sardine can, it's pretty hard to find such quiet and clean space in which you can just take some time for yourself to reflect and breathe. Every day is a race of finishing work, doing things, running errands - trying desperately to get somewhere or something done - that we are constantly living in the future instead of the present. I don't mean to say the future isn't important, but it's a right shame we too often neglect the present; we live in it. 

P.S: Spot my new baby, featured in more posts to come! 

SHOP MY CLOSET 

Bug Print Top ZARA | Textured Midi Skirt Topshop | Prada Mini Alma in Chrome

Photography by Edward - check him out!

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R  

Print in Pink

I can't believe how fast the first month of 2015 has passed. Where did that whole month go? But aha! While that means the depth of winter for those of you in New York (I heard about the blizzard, bundle up, everyone!), or the height of  the summer haze for those in the land down under, for me it means my favourite time of the year is almost upon us. Oh yes, I said it. I like February way more than I do Christmas. 

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet - February heralds the approaching of the Chinese New Year fesitivities. At this point I could write an essay about what goes on during the celebrations, but here's the tl;dr: We go on shopping sprees for a new wardrobe, because it's good luck to welcome the New Year with NEW ERRTHANG. We wear said new wardrobe to visit relatives and friends where we feast on traditional cookies, cakes, bak kwa, yusheng, hotpot and a truckload of other good food. Relatives give you red pockets with money in them. An all encompassing excuse to shop, pocket money, good food and good company. Who could want for more? 

In the spirit that you should wear a little colour during Chinese New Year, here's a post with a blush-toned palette at Melbourne's iconic Brighton Beach, to take a break from my favourite black and whites. I couldn't leave without doing a shoot here, of course. This gingham skirt sat in my ASOS 'saved items' page for a really, really  long time till one day the discount god bestowed a 70% blessing upon us for two days. What can I say - this skirt and the beach took to each other like they were always meant to be, and had this gorgeous baby of a shoot. 

The sun was abysmally bright, making it a pain in the tush to shoot anything at all, and I felt like I was being microwaved alive, but even I long for the burning heat and cool waters as I put my nose to the daily grind. 

 

SHOP MY CLOSET

ASOS Gingham Pink Midi | ZARA TRF crop top 

Lovisa necklace | Charles & Keith loafers similar here

Photography by Lily Chen 

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R 

Scarlet Siren

Since my discovery of the versatility of the classic red lip , its been my saving grace many a time when I find myself in the pickle of "Oh no, too much black". And let's face it, given the underwhelming amount of color in my wardrobe, that situation is never too far around the fashion corner (or runway, if you will). So when a little birdie told me of the #YSLDangerousReds photo competition that advertised a year's worth of YSL products, or a trip to Sydney for a photoshoot with photographer Hugh Stewart, I felt it high time I paid homage to this beautiful colour with this stunning number of a skirt.

Said little birdie and I pulled out all our stops, for the shoot of the most epic proportions was about to go down. Well, I exaggerate, for if you imagine two ridiculously overdressed Asian girls running off to the Royal Exhibition Building you don't exactly get as epic an image as I hoped, but you get the point. I think we'd both agree that this was the most physically trying shoot that we've ever attempted, despite the careless tossing of hair or pensive staring into the distance that (I hope) is being depicted. There was much kneeling, sucking in of protruding bellies and sinking of stiletto heels into the grass to be had. But girls, remember, beauty is pain.

So, #YSLDangerousReds asks me how I wear my red.

Why, as the center of attention, of course, with panache to boot. 

SHOP MY CLOSET 

Red Midi Skirt ASOS | Indiesin Necklace | White Cropped Top Dotti

Silver Strappy Heels ZARA Woman | Watch Mouawad

Photos Credits to Lily! 

UNICORN LOVE, 

 - R 

Checklist

 It's that time of the year again. Winter holidays, two month long hiatus, what's new?

The return of the academic semester saw me being very adventurous with my wardrobe; I bought my first pair of pants in 6 years. Yes, even in winter I donned a skirt/shorts and tights getup, or even worse, simply went bare-legged. I know they keep you warm, but if you're me who prioritizes vanity over comfort, items of restrictive clothing that emphasize my monstrous pear-shaped figure, I can definitely pass up. If I had Gisele Bündchen's legs, sure, I'd wear pants made out of potato sacks for all I cared. But when I stepped rather skeptically into this pair of Uniqlo pants-leggings, I was sold. Believe me when I say they're so comfy, it's like wearing leggings. Next up on the fashion checklist: Midi skirts. 

The 20s club also welcomed it's new member in the month of July. In addition to my irrational fears of small irregular holes and finishing a bottle of shampoo but not the conditioner at the same time (come on, it's not just me, right?), I now fear growing old. Y'know, one day waking up and realizing when you look in the mirror that you've gone wrinkly and own about seven cats. But problems of the quarter life crisis aside, turning the big two-zero has really made me think about my priorities and direction in life. For example, should I get that maxi dress in red or in blue?

Either way, the plan as of today is just to veer further away from making a colossal mess of my life. Wherever that road takes me, I'll deal with as it comes.

SHOP MY CLOSET

 Topshop gray coat similar here | ZARA bottle green shirt | Indiesin Mandela Necklace

Uniqlo Leggings-Pants | Bimba & Lola fluro sling clutch | ASOS All Together Ankle Boots

Photo credits: Lily Chen. Go give this girl some lovin'. 

UNICORN LOVE, 

 - R 

Comfort Zone

As airheaded as this may sound, I've decided that being surrounded by well dressed people is one of the best feelings in the world. This realization dawned upon me when I was queuing to visit the L'oreal pop up boutique at this year's Melbourne Fashion Festival. Call me what you want, but I looked around me, taking in all the eclectic fashion choices, and had this moment where I just thought to myself: holy shit, I love this. All of it.

Sadly, I didn't have leeway with moolah to buy tickets to the runways I wanted to go to - all of which cost upwards of a hundred dollars.  Of course there were more pocket friendly options for the lesser known shows, but then I thought: or I could use this money to buy a new dress...  So I just suspiciously lingered around the steps of Docklands Central Pier like a imposter, hoping to catch a glimpse of a famous fashion blogger in the flesh. This went on till hunger and cold won out and I headed back to satisfy the cravings of a rumbling tummy.

I've mostly done shoots in natural settings, so the harsher lines of plain concrete and worn down wood was a surprising challenge to work with. Add to that the fact that I was decked out in white, florals, pastel shades, chiffon, an underwhelming amount of black and a maxi skirt - I'd normally never fulfill these categories, all at once. While I really warmed to this, monochrome, pleather and creepers of impractical height will always hold a special place in my heart.

SHOP MY CLOSET

Zara Blazer | Forever New Floral Maxi Skirt | White Sleeved Crop Top similar here | Bershka Chunky Heel

Floral Statement Necklace similar here and here | Watch by Robergé Geneve, Auriga Collection | Prada Mini in Ottanio

Photo Credits to Lily : check her blog out here! 

UNICORN LOVE, 

- R