Category: Women’s Fashion

Last-minute Christmas gift ideas you just can’t go wrong with

 

With the clock ticking away towards Christmas, it’s more than high time to start planning for the perfect present for our loved ones. But what do you gift to the most discerning, elegant of individuals who has everything?

Fret not, for we have for you a selection of the most luxurious gifts that is guaranteed to satisfy even the most astute sensibilities.

Sustainable Fashion Quiz: How eco-friendly is your wardrobe?

Are your shopping choices supporting sustainable fashion

For many, sustainability is the very antithesis of fashion, with any item with a lifespan longer than a season the very epitome of redundancy.

Whisper it quietly, but all that may be about to change. Rather than sustainability being the Kryptonite to the fashion sensibilities of every super stylish woman (or man), it could be that flaunting your love for all things Rain Forest or sporting re-purposed Pirelli as your lobewear du jour is the haute couture currency of our times.

Eco-friendly fashion is the latest trend

In short, in order to show your solidarity with carbon neutrality correctness and to stake your claim to a few I’m building-a-better-world brownie points, your heart must be on your sleeve – but only if said sleeve is entirely free from fur products and exclusively sourced from a Sri Lankan fair-trade fashion house which complies with every UN resolution relating to working hours and fire exits.

How then should the inappropriately clad avoid accidentally endorsing a sweat shop or third-world despot through a poor wardrobe decision at a future soiree?

Do you know if your favourite brands support sustainable fashion

In truth, there are but two options. First, you can diligently peruse the twitter feeds of the world’s leading right-on celebs and style icons and check that your favoured brand never features on their list of companies prioritising profitability over the fate of the Yangtze finless porpoise.

Alternatively, you can fill in Gafencu’s self-diagnostic questionnaire below. By answering just a few straightforward queries, you will quickly be able to tell whether your sense of style is profoundly sustainable (good) or irretrievably in hock to a totalitarian take on fashion last seen when Hitler chose to update his look in time for his annexation of the Sudetenland (bad, very bad).

Pick free-trade fashion brands the next time you shop

1) When you last bought a pair of shoes, what accompanied your purchase?

  1. An unrivalled sense of entitlement and privilege.
  2. A note reading, “Help, I am a seven-year-old orphan trapped in a Vietnamese footwear factory”.
  3. A piece of bark from the kind of tree soon to be planted as part of a mass re-forestation project in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta Region thanks to your investment in a pair of authentic, handcrafted Burmese kitten-heeled clogs.

2) What do you most look for in a pair of leggings?

  1. A shapely, contoured look that helps hide the excessive pounds you’ve piled on thanks to your regular Friday night foie gras binges.
  2. A snug fit, an ivory clasp and a gusset reinforced with Sumatran rhino hide.
  3. Ill-fitting, uncomfortable but with a clearly discernible World Wildlife Fund-approved label.

3) You read online that the Bangladeshi factory that produces your second favourite brand of chinos is suddenly wholly subterranean following a series of tectonic aftershocks. What is your first reaction?

  1. Anonymously send a PayPal donation towards the immediate relief effort.
  2. Wonder if the rubble-damaged dusty and distressed look could prove an exciting new direction for next season’s cotton twill pant sector.
  3. Organise an emergency cocktail party and sympathise with the displaced work force over several Brandy Alexanders before sending the pics from your selective little gathering to the local style press.

4) When shopping for a new outfit, which of these is your preferred purchase channel?

  1. A city centre mall – it’s convenient and they have all the latest looks, even if it’s a bit pricey.
  2. A bespoke boutique – off the peg is really not for you.
  3. I know a little man in an eco-yurt who shares a bio-sphere with the Sunda Shelf mangroves of coastal Borneo, who does a lovely line in natty evening attire.

5) Looking back, what was your greatest ever fashion faux pas?

  1. I once went for invitation-only nibbles wearing the same waistcoat as the hostess’s Chihuahua.
  2. When I first met my in-laws-to-be, I was only wearing an “I love Satan” camisole set. It’s a long story and I was a different person back then.
  3. Once, while attending a private viewing, I had to change my underwear halfway through as I wanted to stay on-message following an unexpected regime change in a minor Balkan Republic.

Build sustainable fashion habits now

Key: If you mainly answered (1) or (2), then you’re sadly way out of tune with all things sustainably sartorial. As you clearly care far too much about personal aesthetics, quality and comfort, it’s probably best that you stay at home with a bag on your head until the fashion world undergoes another seismic shift. Early February at a guess.

If you plumped for (3) pretty much every time, then congratulations – couture with a conscience is second nature to you. While your fleeting commitment won’t do much to alleviate third-world suffering, it will allow you to cast withering glances at less conservationally-clad chums while talking for hours about free-trade calico without the need for any notes.

Images: AFP 

Fashion Asia 2017 touches on fashion trends, top 10 budding designers and more

Fashion Asia 2017

Hong Kong Design Centre recently hosted Fashion Asia 2017 as part of the annual Business of Design Week (BODW). Showcasing ‘Asia’s 10 top designers to watch for in 2017’ and featuring a talk on ‘Fashion Challenges’ by the top names in the industry, the event was a most comprehensive guide to Asia’s top fashion trends and directions.

The exhibition, running from 5 to 12 December at PMQ, showed the work of some of Asia’s top outstanding talents. Those who made it to the top of the list are: The World is Your Oyster and Yat Pit from Hong Kong; Helen Lee, Masha Ma, SHUSHU/TONG, Simon Gao and Ximon Lee from China; Christian Dada and Sulvam from Japan; and Sirloin from Japan and Sweden.

Fashion Asia

The panel discussion on Fashion Challenges saw fashion moguls from all walks of the industry coming together to discuss the opportunities and challenges that face the fashion industry today.

Vivienne Tam, fashion designer; Jimmy Choo, footwear fashion designer; Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor, H&M; Caroline Issa, CEO, TANK Group; Sophie Brocart, senior vice president of Fashion Ventures, LVMH; were among the 40 international speakers who addressed current issues such as the continual rise of China, the digital transformation of retail and collaboration beyond fashion.

Ann-Sofie Johansson

One of the most-discussed topics at Fashion Asia was sustainable fashion. We caught up with Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s chief creative advisor, to learn more. According to her, “To continue successful business models, fashion needs to take the leap into the future and embrace sustainability. We want to lead the change at H&M with our vision of fulfilling our sustainability goals by 2040. The key is collaboration and innovation”. To this end, H&M Foundation has already come up with an innovation to recycle blended textiles, in collaboration with The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA).

One thing was clearly revealed at Fashion Asia 2017. Fashion is at the cusp of embracing some huge changes in the coming decades with more emphasis on sustainability, gender and body positivity and increasing importance of online retail. Fashion, as we know it, is changing and Asian fashion is definitely in the limelight.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: Gigi Ip

Moschino reveals Moschino Resort 2018 Collection in Hong Kong

Italian luxury fashion brand Moschino has just unveiled the Moschino Resort 2018 Collection at its flagship store in Landmark.

Dubbed as the ‘Americana’ collection, this range marks Creative Director Jeremy Scott’s vision of the great American Dream. Referencing the milestones in American pop culture, Scott creates his own interpretation of the American Dream through edgy pieces with typical Western motifs.

Hong Kong-based singer and actress Joey Yung was the special guest for the evening. For the occasion, she chose a Moschino SS18 Pre-Collection Pin-up Trench Coat to tie in with the evening’s theme.

Other Moschino loyalists such as Eleanor Lam, Veronica Lam and Florence Tsai were also spotted attending the party.

Fur Fashion: These fluffy frocks are music to our shears

With winter upon us, it’s the perfect opportunity for fashionistas to accentuate their outfits with a flash of fur! From Bottega Veneta’s mink and kidassia fur coat to a plush alpaca jacket by Marni, here are Gafencu’s top fur fashion picks this season.

Photos: Neville Lee
Fashion Direction & Styling: San Wong

UK beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury, to start Makeup Revolution in Asia in 2018

 

Good news for all the bombshells and beauty queens out there!  UK-based premium makeup brand, Charlotte Tilbury, has just announced its planned launch in Hong Kong in April 2018, in collaboration with Lane Crawford.

It is a momentous step for the brand, considering Hong Kong is going to host their second international store outside the UK, the first being a two-storey Beauty Wonderland in Kuwait which just opened last month. With its cosmopolitan vibe, Hong Kong is a natural choice for the brand’s vision of a Makeup Revolution in Asia in 2018.

Talking about the launch, founder Charlotte Tilbury says, “I am so excited to officially launch my magic Makeup Revolution in Asia. There is already a huge demand from my loyal base of customers who have followed my brand from the start. I am so thrilled to finally be able to share all of my best-selling, award-winning makeup and skincare range with all the gorgeous, glamourous ladies in Hong Kong.”

Lane Crawford’s chief brand officer, Joanna Gunn, sounded equally excited, “The Lane Crawford beauty customer is constantly looking for newness, so we are thrilled to collaborate with Charlotte Tilbury to exclusively launch the brand in Hong Kong.”

Hong Kongers have reasons to be thrilled. Charlotte Tilbury is widely recognised as the world’s no. 1 makeup artist, with a clientele list featuring A-listers like Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Julianne Moore, Eva Green, Amal Clooney, Nicole Kidman and others. She has also been part of game-changing fashion campaigns for top brands, including Burberry, Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney, among others.

New Abercrombie & Fitch prototype store unveiled at Harbour City

abercrombie-fitch-(1)-opti

Abercrombie & Fitch is the latest international brand to open doors at Harbour City. Its Hong Kong flagship showcases a new prototype store concept from the American apparel company – the first of its kind outside of the United States.

“Hong Kong is an extremely important market for us,” shares A&F Brand President Stacia Andersen, “that’s why we built the first international prototype store here. It’s a great opportunity to showcase who the new brand is, while also learning more about this market.”

abercrombie-fitch-(3)-opti

HK urbanites may recall the brand’s previous address on Pedder Street. But the two locations could not be more different. “The Pedder store was focused on the image of the brand, the history of the building and on really being a beautiful space,” explains Andersen, “This store was built for just the customer.”

This focus on user experience and customer engagement is evident in every aspect of the new store, from swanky fitting rooms with adjustable lighting, music and charging stations to well-distributed cashier counters for easier access. Even the waiting area is an oasis that boasts panoramic views of Victoria Harbour.

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Abercrombie & Fitch will also launch unique products only available at the Hong Kong prototype store, including a soon-to-be-released Chinese New Year collection.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: A&F, Gigi Ip

Game of Thrones meets haute couture with Delvaux’s new collection

In a move guaranteed to thrill Game of Thrones fans, luxury leather brand Delvaux just unveiled four exclusive lines of bags and accessories inspired by the mega cultural phenomenon. These GoT-themed goods are part of Delvaux’s limited-edition Couture Exclusive Collection.

Each line draws inspiration from well-known personas in the fantasy land of Westeros. Golden Glory’s buckles derive its shape from the Iron Throne, itself, while Iron Shield’s militaristic metal tones come from Jaime Lannister’s armour. Black Beauty is influenced by Melisandre’s dark ethereal beauty, and Cersei Lannister’s beautifully embroidered gowns inspired the designs of Queen’s Desire.

The Couture Exclusive Collection features just 1,810 handmade pieces, so don’t miss out on the chance to own your own Game of Thrones-inspired handbag! The Couture Exclusive Collection is now available exclusively at select Delvaux boutiques.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Images: Delvaux, HBO

Countdown Couture: Ritzy robes and Rolex for New Year’s Eve

 

As the clock ticks towards 2018, usher in the New Year with ultra-glamourous Rolex watches, with haute couture to match. Check out our top picks for party-wear from high-fashion brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Loewe and others. Turning heads was never this easy!

Photos: Neville Lee
Art Direction and Styling : San Wong

All in Blue: Tim Barber’s Blues photography debuts at agnès b Galerie Boutique

New York-based Tim Barber’s photography quite literally puts the ‘blue’ in ‘blueprint’ with his new solo exhibition. On display at the agnès b Galerie Boutique in Tsim Sha Tsui, Barber’s impressive collection merges the old school cyanotype printing technique – invented in the mid 19th century – with modern digital photography that ultimately produce images with an ethereal, almost otherworldly appeal.

The exhibition is part of French fashion label agnès b’s efforts to showcase the cohesive relationship between fashion and art, and to spotlight burgeoning talents from around the globe.

Drop by the agnès b Galerie Boutique at the K11 Art Mall from now until 6 January 2018 to see Barber’s cyan-toned “Blues” exhibition. Limited edition Artiste Tees and Barber’s photo book are also up for grabs.