262 - Paradise Lost.

It's over. I say that with a note of finality tinged with sadness yet relief. Raffles Runway had our show, RPROJECT 2013: PARADISE LOST, yesterday at *SCAPE warehouse, and it was ultimate gold. It would be fair to say that having your first runway show ever (even if not 100% yours - I only showcased two looks, out of several dozen) is the most exciting and surreal experience I can ever have. We reported at 7, set-up the stage - inclusive of hand-drawing and painting the white boxes with our logo as decor -, had one full dress rehearsal, and two shows all in the span of a day.

Yet perhaps the most memorable moment was neither the start nor the end, but the hiccup in-between. My model, fellow designer and batch-mate had a leg cramp, and after a lot of heat spray, water and massaging, I sent her out barefoot. Sounds ridiculous - perhaps it looked even more ridiculous to the audience - but I knew she wanted to walk, and I wanted her to wear it. Couldn't ever be more thankful to have such an amazing model, Sandy. (On a more cheerful note, our back-up plan if she were to cramp halfway was for my guy model to toss his jacket down the stage, and sweep her off her feet. Kind of wanted to watch that macho scene happen.)

Unfortunately, I don't have any proper shot of my outfits down the runway, but I'll dig up some soon and talk about them for real. (Hopefully, this means I'm back her for good, and for frequency). To all the designers, models, helpers, family, friends and visitors who had some role in all this, thank you so much for making it happen! 

Hand-painting doesn't usually equate neatness.

Loads more photos under the cut --> 

261 - The New Black

"She only has two poses - one, touching her hair; the other, not touching her hair." My wise words regarding my #ootd posts, told in 'confidence' to a friend, translated into ammunition for my amazing classmates who like to 'talk' to me about my blog. You can sense the feeling of sad reservation. 

On the other hand, the new black will always be black. Free block saw me trawling through SSENSE, once more reiterating my life regret of being "too poor for this world" (take that with a pinch of salt). Top left, pseudo-formal, but actually casual with Denis Gagnon, a new gem I've found midst the talented labels SSENSE usually stocks. Taking sporty and baroque to new heights (and eliciting puzzled exclamations from my less-sartorially educated male classmates), KTZ's carved platform shoes; rivaled only by more wood magic with Campbell's nubuck eggert heels.

My perennial obsession with Givenchy and its genius of a bag, the Antigona, still exists, especially when they decide to recreate it with subliminal but stunning emboss work; as well as the transparent Albertina podium heels, whose back-view is much more exciting than the front. Perhaps the only exception to the rule of black (nonetheless your computer screen's color temperature will deceive you to see them as such), Rick Owens' buffalo horn shield sunglasses are the practical, classier alternative to the coveted Alexander McQueen mirror visors.  And finally, what is black without "the little black dress"? (Gosh, cliches.) Deconstructed wonder with Lanvin's textured cutout dress, and sleek simplicity - we got to understand that less is more, people - with Hakaan's cut-out maple dress.

Forget about blue, black is the ultimate comfort color. 

260 - RPROJECT2013: Paradise Lost

I will now take this post to explain my unruly absence from this blog (other than the fact that I now have new classmates who constantly tease me about this and shout "rednotion" in the middle of class - you know who you are): Raffles Runway will finally be holding their annual show, RPROJECT, next Saturday at *SCAPE Warehouse! Unfortunately (here's the catch) - tickets are mostly sold out, and only a few are remaining for the afternoon show. So if you've gotten yours, treasure them with great carefulness and view everyone else with a degree of mistrust and suspicion. I had trouble even ensuring enough for my family and outside-school friends.
The weeks have been crazy: doing last minute changes to the outfits (of which I only have two - a guy and girl pair); having a weekend totally dedicated to the photoshoot; having yet another photoshoot the weekend after for a charity side-project that will be going on the day itself; having full dress rehearsals on Labour Day; having the absolutely worst experience with InDesign while designing brochures -- I finally get a weekend's break to maintain this sad, empty white online space. 
I've been lugging my camera around, so I have lots of photos and footage I'll only be at liberty to post after the show, so if you were planning to give up hope on this sad, empty white online space, at least stay for another week or so. Do check out our official website at RafflesRunway.net and our instagram as well!

See you there!

259 - Out of Yourself

Getting caught up in the pace of life. The few reminders I have of what is left - the shambles of my previously active fashion and sartorial life - are these intermittent, but immensely gratifying visuals I get on my Facebook feed every now and then. Just so all of you know, the Raffles Runway show is next Saturday - and we're all gearing up for it!

For people who are in my school, ticket sales start Thursday, do drop by the canteen to get yours. ^^

Visit http://rafflesrunway.net for more details, folks!

Labour day is up. 

258 - A Possibility of Regret

These are perhaps a few of the most ubiquitous shoes on the blogger-sphere that have hit the online markets in the recent years - Alexander Wang's iconic, minimalistic, kitten heels. That says a lot about how much I have been coveting after it. Their cheaper counterparts from the land of Taobao, of course.

As gorgeous as these shoes are, however, I fear that they may be a little out of my comfort zone. Inverted-triangle legs, stubby legs, fat legs, do not usually bode well for kitten heels and thick ankle straps (author's note: beware!). And given my penchant for wearing shorts, the possibility of having to constant wear long pants to enjoy the occasion of bringing these shoes out is perhaps ruffling all the wrong feathers. But figuring out how to work these feet companions aside - for a challenge is always the impetus to breaking a new barrier in my slothful sartorial life (especially as of late) - these shoes are really well-made considering the price I paid for them; and kitten heels, despite their oxymoronic nature, are much more well and comfortable for going out as compared to their 5-inch complements.  

I think, if anything, this posts has served to illustrate one thing: I'm really running out of blog post ideas. 

follow on instagram, folks! 

257 - Punishment

"Help me take my outfit shots in the lift," is one of the possibly most bipolar ideas you can ever have. While it goes amazingly well with my usual grayscale combo, it also gives birth to a myriad (more like, plethora) of unglam photos of you rushing towards the control panel to make sure the lift door doesn't close permanently.

I haven't posted in close to a week (or over), the fact that I can't keep track is a sure sign of how little much this blog means to me. Valid cliche reasons: School's been busy; I've been tired; I've been hanging with friends; Runway's been busy... and on the last note, sometimes when I'm actually thinking, I like to reason with myself that I'm gaining fulfillment in runway, hence, the neglect of this blog. Either way, hopefully the frequency with which my mouse clicks on the "new post" button will start picking up again soon.

Also of keen interest to note - I've been putting on weight. #firstworldproblems, akin to "I can't choose a new profile picture!" The things we waste our life on. You only live once, people, you only die once.

Photos by Amanda Chin

Taiwan bomber; Lacquar top; Riot Loco skirt; Taiwan boots

256 - Plain & Easy

Happy Easter Sunday! Went down to Feed Lot at Nassim Road for lunch, and managed to take quick shots. For what it matters, I'm still alive after 4 days at Mount Ophir in Malaysia, albeit coming home with terribly scarred legs I had to photoshop off while editing the photos.

I have a lot of homework to finish. This is really taking a toll on my blog ):

Thescarletroom shirt dress; Rubi heels; Monorain bag; Taiwan & Philippines necklaces

255 - Scumbag Heat

"It's hot! It's damn hot! Take the phottttooooooo~" Singapore's heat has been getting worse and worse, so I won't deceive you and I'll just admit that this houndstooth blazer ended up in my handle for 90% of the time, the remaining 10% being only for these shots. Managed to snag it at a mad decent (soundcloud, anyone?) price of $20 in Taiwan, although it is quilted on the inside, and essential exists as a suicide garment  for any sartorial sloth living in the tropical region. 

I'll be in Mount Ophir (sartorial sloth is really experiencing the scumbag heat nowadays) for a class camp from Monday to Thursday, so this is all I can grace this blog with.

Back to term, all the best folks!

Photos by Ana

Taiwan houndstooth blazer; Editor's black t-shirt; BYSI green skirt; Taiwan boots

254 - Picasso Portraiture

Stumbled across these amazing editorial-esque portraits mimicking Pablo Picasso's works by a Madrid-based photographer Eugenio Recuenco on Design Taxi the other day. Simply haunting and breathtaking. Visual sartorial fodder to get through the week.

(and perhaps, nothing is truly new, under the sun?)

253 - Counting Down

It's been quite a while since I've found adequate energy to do something nice on this blogspace, especially with school (and friends), and also Raffles Runway! <-- That's the CCA I'm in, and we're putting up a show in mid May (please keep the 11th open, peeps) for all the students to showcase the stuff they've been working on (let me fool you not, for the Year 5s it's only slightly over 2 months of hectic design and sewing). I'm probably only doing 2 outfits, scrapping the third one, especially since the first two are such heavy looks already, given my penchant for separates and general distaste for one-piece looks.

I've been doing updates - a picture (or two) a day on Instagram, so do follow me @rednotion! I can't let go of too many details, but I've got draping to do, and please, sartorial gods bless my inexperienced soul, because while I've been 'designing' for over 4 years, I haven't ever sewn a proper garment from scratch. 

(Honestly, the seamstress I managed to get a short consultation session from left me with one message: "You need a lot of skill." How do I do these pants? "You need a lot of skill..." How do I do this? "You need bias tape.. it takes a lot of skill.")

On a serious note, I'm honestly crazy pumped up about this (despite being amateur) show and putting out real looks, especially since I've limited everything to 2d designs for as long as I can remember, and it's a nice, great big leap forward for me. Stressed, but invariably excited.