PFF Report - Ae'lkemi

It was instant fashion chemistry when I met Alvin Fernandez a day before his big show at PFF. Over a chat at his boutique at Claremont Quarter, we found out we have lots in common. Not only are we both from Singapore, we are both trained as fashion designers and are perfectionist Virgos. Even our company names are similar - my PR agency is called Alchemy (inspired by Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist) and his label Ae'lkemi! Heck, what's scary is I also found out that we both grew up in the same neighborhood in Singapore!

I fell in love with this dress that was meant for his fashion show the next day. I paid for the dress in full immediately and literally bought it off the runway. I could spot a star designer and a star dress when I see one. *wink*

 The same dress on the runway at PFF

The same dress on me at PFF's 'An Evening With Flannel' event. What's amazing about this dress is the sportswear-like construction in stretch fabric but covered in sequins. It feels light in weight and doesn't even have a zip!

The star power of the dress. Definitely worth wearing to any red carpet event. It looked like liquid silver on me. A match made in fashion heaven.

Here are some of my top picks from Ae'lkemi's Spring/Summer 12/13 collection. (Remember the fashion seasons in Australia are opposite from the international ones). Mixing old world opulence with visually seductive surfaces and textures, this collection is "an exotic, colourful reflection of the 1970s Morocco", according to Alvin.

I bought this dress too!

For more information, please visit www.aelkemi.com

PFF Report - Restyle

Sorry for the delayed blog entries. I was cut out from the cyber world while in Broome. Now that I am back in fast-paced Singapore, I am back on track with my blogging, thanks to the ultra high-speed internet connection at home. Perhaps that is why we occasionally need to head to the outbacks to chill and slow down our living pace.

One of the most dramatic fashion show moments for me happened at the Restyle fashion show. My tears flowed non-stop while sitting front row at this groundbreaking show. It was a good thing I was wearing my Ray Bans Aviators.

With Mariella Harvey-Hanrahan, director of Perth Fashion Festival, sitting front row at Restyle.

At the Restyle show, the first segment featured the 10 bloggers who took part in '30 Days of Restyle', an innovative initiative where the 10 local bloggers shopped, styled and modeled the outfits that they bought from 7 selected charities. A perfect illustration to show how one can restyle the wardrobe for less and support the community at the same time. 

Louise Momber from Channel 9 hosted the event wearing a $3 dress from the Salvation Army! Proof that you don't need to be rich to be stylish!

I went backstage to congratulate the bloggers for the excellent showcase.

The second segment featured volunteers from the selected charities - Save the Children, Anglicare, DrugARM, Good Samaritans, The Salvation Army, The Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul. Check out the amazing outfits that one can find at the op shops!

The highlight of the show were visually-impaired sisters Erin and Claire and their guide dogs. Watch their pre-show interview for more details.

 Backstage with the sisters and their dogs

This is truly one unforgettable show for me. The most heartwarming and touching fashion show ever. PFF broke new grounds by having blind sisters Erin and Claire, and their guide dogs on the runway. A world's first! PFF clearly led the way in giving back to the community through fashion. A refreshing change from the usual glamor and commercialism of international fashion weeks.

PFF Report - Bitten By The Color Bug

As part of my role as the international ambassador for Perth Fashion Festival, I got to experience having my hair and makeup done at Maurice Meade salon, located at the hip and trendy Claremont Quarter.

 

Maurice Meade came by to say hi. Maurice is like the Frederic Fekkai of Australia. A West Australian icon, Maurice has been a leading name in the Australian hairdressing industry for over 38 years.

 

A journalist friend told me about Color Bug and we managed to track it down at ME by Maurice Meade at Claremont Quarter.  

So what does Color Bug do? It gives one the amazing vibrant hair colour without damaging the hair! It is hair colour without commitment.

Color Bug is a temporary hair makeup that washes off easily. Kevin calls it hair shadow (eye shadow, so hair shadow, you get the drift). It makes a great fashion statement and gives you the colour that you always wanted without any damage (that usually comes with bleaching the hair).  

How to use it? This video is the best online tutorial.

Here's a look at what you can achieve with Color Bug by Kevin Murphy.

For more information, please visit www.kevinmurphy.com.au.

PFF Report - Morrison

My friendship with Morrison's design duo, husband and wife Richard Poulson and Kylie Radford started just a day before their show at PFF, over a luncheon at Beluga restaurant at Claremont Quarter.

It's not difficult to see why we got along well... we share a love for fashion and dogs. In fact, their label was named after their first dog, a Kelpie Cross who has been their source of inspiration since the label's inception.

In my new Morrison dress and taking a picture with Kylie and Richard at the Myer Fashion Luncheon held at Fraser's King Park.

This iconic West Australian (WA) based label is synonymous with classic simplicity and effortless style. For PFF 2012, the show titled 'Retrospect' is about Morrison celebrating its 10th anniversary with a spring collection of customised outfits that encompasses the feeling of long summer days and balmy summer nights.

Morrison is now one of my favourite WA designer label. I bought several pieces when I visited their flagship store located in Fremantle.
 
I also commissioned these two dresses from the 'Retrospect' collection to be made for me.

Check out my other favourite looks from the runway. WA fashion designers are a force to be reckoned with!

For more information, please visit www.morrisonshop.com