1920s Birthday Party

30s is the new 20s! Here's a very belated birthday post for my dear friend Pam. Her actual birthday falls on 22 July - sorry Pam!

Her family is always very sporting and threw her a nice party at Ril's in Bangsar :)

Pam picked her own party theme which is the 1920s to say bye to her 20s and hi to the big 3-0. Nice to see everyone all dressed up in vintage looks. It's my favourite era. The party looked like a scene unfolded from The Great Gatsby lol! Kudos to the men who came in dapper suits, suspenders and fedoras.

Here I am with the birthday girl:

There was a Wall of Pam photowall:

Aunty Sue, Pam's mum's birthday was on that same night:

I wore a baroque print Topshop off-shoulder dress with a Zara fur stole. Of course gotta add on some pearls to jive with the era :) Got some makeup artist to do my makeup and old skool hairdo. Found the vintage looking hairclips from Diva.

Bernard Chandran's "The Contemporary Malay Wedding" Exhibition

I travelled to Pahang for a one-night trip on Monday for internationally-acclaimed Malaysian fashion designer Bernard Chandran's "The Contemporary Malay Wedding" exhibition. The exhibition was presented in the stunning Sultan Abu Bakar Museum, in Pekan, the Royal town of Pahang state, and it explores Chandran's unique and contemporary interpretations of traditional wedding attire, through a discerning selection of his own past and present designs as well as related film footage, archive photography and text.

With the approval of the Royal Family of Brunei, whom - along with artists and celebrities from the international entertainment industries - rank among Chandran's most high profile clientele, the centrepiece to the exhibition is an array of original designs which he created specifically for some of their own Royal weddings, during the past two decades.

These remarkable creations have, with great generosity of spirit, been exclusively loaned to "The Contemporary Malay Wedding" from members of the Royal Family's own personal archives. The exhibition includes, among many other must-see pieces, Chandran's incredible designs for the 2005 wedding of Princess Hamidah, the daughter of Prince Jefri of Brunei; the 2007 wedding of Princess Majeedah, the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei; the 2012 wedding of Princess Hafizah, the daughter of the Sultan of Brunei, in addition to the design notably made for and worn by Dr Halina Mohd Yunos, the wife of Malaysia's first astronaut, for their wedding in 2010.

The spectacular Muzium Sultan Abu Bakar in Pekan, Pahang

My favourite piece worn by Datin Dr. Halina Mohd. Yunos, wife of Datuk Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, Malaysia’s first astronaut

Worn by Dayangku Ratna Siti Nooraishah
Design: Short modern Kurung in royal blue Jong Sarat

Another one of my favourites worn by Tengku Dato’ Nurul Kamalia bt Tengku Besar Pahang Tengku Kamil Ismail
Design: Short Kebaya in light gold beige Jong Sarat

From Bernard Chandran's Petang Raya 2008 / 2009 collection. A modern Kurung in pure white silk jersey

From the Swarovski Spring Summer 2003 Collection KL.
Design: Modern Short Kebaya in lace and songket

From Rias Fashion Show 1996
Design: Long Kebaya in beige Lurex lace

Also worn by Dayangku Ratna Siti Nooraishah at her Muleh Tiga Hari ceremony
Design: Modern Short Kurung in Red and Gold Jong Sarat

This piece was specially designed for the museum
Design: Updated version of the Kurung Pesak Gantung, traditional embroidery with ’Zardozi work’(wired-work) with pearls and glass crystals

From the Piala Seri Endon 2002 collection
Design: Modern Kebaya with beadings on lace and chiffon

An intricate veil to complement one of the dresses

"The Contemporary Malay Wedding" runs from 27th June 2013 until 27th February 2014. The exhibition is open on Tuesdays to Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9.00am to 5.00pm; Fridays from 9.00am to 12.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm and close on Mondays.

Sigh... seeing all those designs made me wanna get married all over again... The museum was modern and spectacular the, and the 4-hour journey by bus to Pahang was so worth it. Here are some photos I took with  my fellow travellers:

With all my favourite fashion editors the different publications

Yana, fashion editor of EH! is gorgeous as always. Love her floral pants :)

My Chat with Cleo's Most Eligible Bachelor 2013

A long post, this one.

Since winning Cleo's Most Eligible Bachelor 2013 sometime back, Nicholas Mak's schedule has been swamped with shoots, interviews and castings. I witnessed him being crowned the winner at Stage KL and remembered thinking that he's definitely in it to win it. What I like about him is despite being rather young (mid-20s, if I'm not wrong), he exudes a maturity that belies his age.

Now who doesn't like a dude who's suave, amiable, easy on the eye and has a heart of gold? Nick pledged to donate his ALL his winnings to a charitable organization. So I approached him to have a chat with me, and he agreed. His answers made me lol... thoroughly enjoyed his sarcasm. Comments in parentheses are mine :)

Malaysia knows you as Nicholas Mak, the guy who set females’ hearts aflutter and won Cleo’s Most Eligible Bachelor 2013. Who is the real Nicholas Mak?

Who is the real Nicholas Mak? *looks into the sky and ponders* How about the common misconceptions about me?

1. Nicholas is an arrogant bastard. FALSE. I am just born with a stuck-up face. When I am not talking or looking at someone in particular I tend to send out an arrogant aura. I can't help it. I am actually a very nice person *bats eyelashes*.

2. Nicholas parties like crazy. FALSE. I am so lazy to party or go to a club, “free flow” doesn’t even tickle my fancy bone.

3. Nicholas is mixed race. FALSE. I am 100% Chinese. I love my dim sum and Bak Kut Teh as much as the next guy from Kepong.

4. Nicholas has no idea what else to write. FALSE. He has one more.

5. Nicholas had lip augmentation surgery done. FALSE. Its au naturel baby. *pouts* (just a few days ago I was watching Angelina Jolie in The Tourist and Rosie Huntington-Whitely in Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Trust me, there's competition there.)

Has the fan craze started since you won?

My Instagram doubled its followers in the span of 4 days after I won the title. A lil secret, the “passionate” followers are not the girls... (ooh...admirers of a different kind... I like!)

What has winning Cleo’s Most Eligible Bachelor done for you?

Oh! The people who did not give a hoot about me is certainly much nicer to me now. They will be like “hey long time no see!”. Yeah right! You chose not to see me. Hahaha I kid! I kid! Jokes aside, it has definitely opened many doors for me in the industry. It has been a blessing.

What is the one defining moment in your life? And please don’t say winning Cleo’s EB!

LOL OK fine! It would definitely be the time when Dutch superstar DJ Sidney Samson loved my photography/videography crew’s work when we shot him when he was playing a gig here in KL. He loved it so much, he posted it all over his social media websites and official website. A defining moment in my life indeed.

What would be printed on Nicholas Mak’s t-shirt?

"I BELIEVE MY TATTOOS ARE LESS OFFENSIVE THAN YOUR STARES" (which means don't stare at him, just admire from afar, and if you want an autograph, smile shyly then faster look elsewhere)

If you were a character in FRIENDS, who would you be – Joey, Ross or Chandler?

I have actually thought about this in the past. Big fan of FRIENDS. I would be…*drum rolls* a mixture of all three! I am a bit of a geek when it comes to general knowledge and history. I love watching documentaries. So that’s Ross. I can be bloody sarcastic when needed to (I can vouch for that, after this chat). This is how I lose friends. So that’s Chandler. Last but not least, Joey. I am chasing a dream in the entertainment industry. I would love to have my own travel and tattoo show one day. I am definitely not blur like him though but I do love my food like he does.

This question was asked repeatedly at the Cleo EB Finale but it wasn’t directed to you. Now is your chance to share which part of a woman you find most attractive...

I know when I answer this, some of you will go “eh pegila lu!” but honestly I find the eyes the most attractive. A pair of beautiful eyes can just stun me and make me go speechless. If you really want the “juicy” stuff, I can never decide if I am a boobs guy or an ass guy. How can one choose? It's like forcing me to choose between chocolate or ice cream! What does one do? Mix both with a nice equal balance ;) (no one's asking for the juicy stuff, dude, but good advice nonetheless)

Which era would you transport yourself to if you have a time machine?

The 60s! Definitely '60s without thinking twice. The music, the fashion, the girls, the hippies, Woodstock69 and did I already mention how hot girls used to be back in those days? (you mean nowadays girls not hot enough for you ah?)

What are you most thankful for?

Friends. I am blessed enough to have come across people that have helped, motivated or even changed my life in a certain way. There are the messed up ones but like they say “learn from your mistakes”. I am thankful for them too. Wouldn’t have learnt otherwise.

Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? Why?

INSTAGRAM 4 LYFE. Why? Because there are no emo status updates like every 5 seconds, couples talking to each other on Twitter and Facebook like BBM and Whatsapp don’t exist, girls taking selfies and putting a deep philosophical caption or even a poem (how does that even relate to your duckface and half boobs sticking out photo? HOW?!) and people tagging or trying to sell me “GREEN SHAPE & GREEN DETOX TEA: The best solution for slimming”. Seriously? (now I scared to take selfies)

Mum's "Popek Saturday" Birthday Dinner Party

Exactly one week after my birthday was my Mum's birthday. Like mine, 14th May 2013 fell on a Tuesday, so we celebrated on the Saturday before at Alexis, Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Violet came up with the "Popek Saturday" theme, coz we all like to talk so much. When both families come together, we make hell of a noise! So to be in sync with the theme, I DIY-ed some photobooth props to add cheer to the dinner party :)

Because "popek" means chatterbox, I downloaded various lip and moustache shapes from the internet, printed them and stuck them to disposable chopsticks. I even made a "welcome" signage to be placed on the table. This is event planning on a budget.

I love the tiramisu at Alexis! Nobody makes them as soft and nutty as they do :) Do you like my gigi jongang photo prop?

 Honestly, I think the highlight of the dinner was my photo props, rather than the food... lol!

Anya Hindmarch Spring Summer 2013 Preview

I really have been abandoning my blog. I can't believe my last post was more than a month back! To put things back into perspective, I'm gonna start with my latest Anya Hindmarch purchase :)

The Anya Hindmarch SS2013 preview was in their boutique at Suria KLCC - nothing fancy, just guests going in and out looking at their new collection while the staff served us wine, juices, tea and cakes coz it was teatime. Must say the red velvet cake from Hilton KL was nice...

I parted with almost RM2k (*faints*) for a clutch which I have absolutely no regrets buying. It has this obscure print of a guy and girl "doing it" on one side and the damask print on the other side, and a large handmade tassle which took 8-hours to construct, it seems. Amelyn and Tasha were also invited so we went together (that's what happens when you work together and we all very "lifestyle" punya orang) and met my cousin Violet coz she very "high-end".

The apple and pear shaped minaudieres. Cute but seem impractical

See the TASSLE? Huge, right? It's mine - ALL MINE!

Elated after our purchases. Amelyn bought a wallet

I wasn't expecting much at the event, coz it wasn't a cocktail event with a fashion show or anything like that, but I did enjoy myself - thanks to the hospitality of Ms. Soo Shea Pin and team.

Ok, time to get back to work.

Cheers and have a good weekend y'all!

 

Top, Dotti Australia / Pants, H&M / Handmade Necklace from Boracay / Minaudiere, Anna Dello Russo for H&M / Wedges, Charles & Keith

Where Did January Go?

It's the first day of February today. I can't believe how time flies. Chinese New Year is about 10 days away and I'm sure lots of people are thronging the malls doing last minute purchases.

Last year, I did my CNY shopping really early, as early as December the year before. And I couldn't wait for CNY to arrive to wear all my new clothes. This year is a totally different story altogether. I wanted to start shopping earlier and I did, but I couldn't find anything that I liked! So I resorted to last minute hectic trips to the mall and managed to find some bright-coloured clothes to usher in the Year of the Snake.

My calendar for February is quickly filling up. As I make some last minute preparations for CNY, I hope my friends will continue to visit me as they've done so every year. And I can't wait to catch up with a dear friend who's returning from Singapore for the festivities :)

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone and see you in the Year of the Snake, hopefully with pics of my outfits! To get you in the mood for CNY, here are some oriental stuff that I think will look gorgeous on the dining table and living room.

{#1 Pretty Chinese Lanterns via Pamcake Designs}

{#2 Oriental Tiffin Carrier via Camemberu} 

{#3 Lady in Cheongsam Painting via Fine Art America}

{#4 Asian-inspired Cushions via Nestify Online}

{#5 Ralph Lauren Teapot and Dessert Set via Trendir}

Weighing the Issue

It's been a little over a year since our wedding and naturally I've put back on all the weight that I specifically lost for the wedding, which is almost 5kg! I'm horrified to find that some of my clothes now have a snugger fit - oh the horrors!

Today I told myself that I will try to eat healthy, run (even if its just 10 minutes on weekends) and try to minimize snacking. The only snack that I allow are fruits so this morning before leaving for work I cut myself an apple for my teatime snack. Breakfast is maybe a sandwich or cornflakes with lowfat milk... it really depends on my tastebuds' preference.

Having typed all of the above, I'm not a person who's obsessed with weight. I think skinny people look malnourished. But I do know that some clothes look better on slim people - and notice that I used the word "slim", and not "skinny". We'll see how my mission ends.

Anyway, I think Katherine Heigl has the best shape. She always looks healthy and radiant. Her smile is infectious too. Agree?

Shiny New Outfits

It's always essential to start the New Year with a bang, style-wise, so it's time to raid the closets or hit the mall! Three very important elements for me, at least for the first quarter of the year are Sparkles, Lace and an Overload of Colours.

Sparkles:
Contrary to popular belief, sequins are not all-about night time parties :)



#1 Cupcakes and Cashmere / #2 The Lovelee Girl / #3 Adorn London

 

Lace:



Always artsy, never trashy

I love Zooey Deschanel's style, by the way

 

 

#4 What Would Zooey Deschanel Wear? / #5 AM PM Style / #6 Twirly Skirts

                                                                                                                                    

Rainbow Colours:

Better than the Little Black Dress are candy-coloured outfits inspired by the rainbow!

 

 

#7 Savvy Spice / #8 Luxpresso / #9 Put Your Hearts Upp