d.d collective, Designer Womenswear Label, makes its Global Debut in Singapore

Contemporary womenswear label d.d collective launches its first international boutique in Singapore, at Robinsons The Heeren. The designer ready-to-wear label will make its debut with the brand’s Fall/Winter 2016 collection.

I was very lucky to be invited by d.d collective and Bolt Industries to the media launch of d.d collective, a new-to-market label defined by directional design, premium fabrications and in-house expertise. 

Founded in 2015, the womenswear brand has quickly established itself as the go-to brand for directional yet wearable styles for the strong, confident woman. Tapping on premium fabrics and unique prints as starting points for all its collections, each d.d collective look is proudly crafted in-house — from mood board to design, pattern-making and garment construction to the finishing touches. This ethically-minded, vertically-integrated process, a rarity in ready-to-wear fashion, ensures exceptional value and quality, and an impeccable attention to detail.

I had the chance to try out some of the pieces and boy, I am so in love with them!  

Take a look at the two sets of apparels I tried that evening.  What do you think of them?

love the play of colour contrast

It is actually a two piece set hence you can mix and match with other pieces too

A romantic lacy dress with peek-a-boo effect

Seeking inspiration globally, d.d collective sources fabrications from across Europe and Asia. These stand- out materials are then transformed into intelligent designs versatile enough for the boardroom, bar or lunch with the ladies. Think 24/7 styling options that feature sharp silhouettes, for endless sartorial possibilities.

At d.d collective, the creative process is a collaborative effort. Rather than the product of any individual, it is a brand that stems from a formidable collective of designers, clothiers and other industry veterans, joining forces to produce inventive, accessible womenswear that stands the test of time.

d.d collective FW2016

Inspired by Portland-based photographer, Delaney Allen, whose affinity for depth and composition is evident in his Surrealist images, the Fall/Winter 2016 collection delves into a mix of lace, satin and contrasting prints, crafted from a medley of lush fabrics like jacquard, silk and double- faced crepe.

A cool colour palette of aquatic blues and greens is set against brights like yellow and chartreuse, combined to create contemporary street-cool looks perfect for all occasions. 

A new take on the colour- blocking trend, Fall/Winter sees the inventive mash-ups of fabrics such as a printed car coat with detachable lace trim; or a cotton wrap-around shirt with organza panels. 

Signature details reign, with draped detailing adding a sensuous twist to a girlish lace sheath or a draped neckline softening a button-down blouse. 

While bold dresses once again headline the collection, the season’s statement- making separates like asymmetric wrap skirts, sash-tie tops and relaxed-fit trousers are created to be layered for maximum impact.

Key looks for the season include the Utopia Lace Coat paired with its matching Utopia Lace Dress; the Binded Shirt, Calla Tailored Blazer, Calla Bomber Jacket, Calla Bomber Jacket and Angled Front Culottes or the Contrast Crossover Top and Verdant Draped Skirt.

Lookbook- Woman FW16

The collection will be available progressively in stores and online in August 2016. 

Information on d.d collective 

• Description: Founded in 2015, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, d.d collective is the antithesis of fast, disposable fashion. Every look from the womenswear brand boasts superior craftsmanship and on- trend versatility. Ethically manufactured by people we trust and respect, each collection reflects our personal and creative values, and a fair price point we can all stand behind.
  
• Price points: From $69 - $299
  
• Location: Robinsons The Heeren, Level 3
  
• Website: http://dd-collective.com
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ddcollective
  
• Instagram: @ddcollective 
  

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Wisma Atria Brings Shoppers Exciting Gastronomic and Lifestyle Experiences with a Lineup of New Tenants

One of the perks of being an influencer/blogger is that I get to know the latest happenings and products during events and product launches.  

This time round, I took part in Wisma Atria's first-ever WAmazing Race, where myself together with my assigned team member pit against other teams to search for five checkpoints and complete the tasks in the shortest possible time to win Wisma Atria shopping vouchers!

Me and my team partner Tony had to report to Joe & the Juice located at Wisma Atria #B1-56 to 59 at 9.30am for registration and briefing on 3 Sept 2016.  While we waited for all the bloggers to report for the race, breakfast was served and we had a chance to try delicious sandwiches, juices and coffee from Joe & the Juice.

My healthy breakfast

Each team was issued a card with five shops which we need to locate and complete the task in each shop within the shortest possible time.

Bumped into a lot of blogger friends who took part in the same race.

Shuk Ling, Vice President of Marketing from YTL Starhill Global Property Management Pte Ltd welcomed all the bloggers that morning and gave us a quick update on the latest happenings in Wisma Atria.

Shuk Ling giving a welcome speech. I like her cos she is so friendly with no airs.

After Marcus from Word of Mouth Communications told us how we should play the WAmazing Race, we were brought up to the starting point at the Concierge on Level 2 to start the race.

For me and Tony, we had to visit Xpressflower.com located at #01-18A to wrap flowers in a bouquet, followed by Mido Optics #01-34/35/36 to find a pair of spectacles in the store, before visiting Qoosh Nail Spa on #03-03/04 to paint one of our fingernails.

Even Tony has to get his nail painted with a nailart.

 After that, we had to run to Fitflop located at #01-31/32 to locate a pair of shoes which we did successfully, before we went back to Joe & the Juice located at #B1-56 to 59 where we had to down one cup of smoothie.

We could share the cup of smoothie between two persons but I thought it might be a waste of time to pass the smoothie to my team member hence I decided to drink it up on my own as fast as I could... hahaha!

Check out the video below to see me in action... hahaha!

Once we completed all the stops, we had to go back to the starting point.  When we reached there, two teams had already completed their tasks.

We were placed in third position winning Wisma Atria vouchers worth S$200... yeah!

 All of us had loads of fun that day with the WAmazing Race, returning home with wonderful memories and a once in a lifetime experience running inside Wisma Atria. :)

A group picture with Shukling and the sporty influencers/blogger friends

To know about the latest happenings in Wisma Atria, continue to read my blog post before for more updates.

Wisma Atria

Wisma Atria, one of the well-established shopping malls in Orchard Road, has lined up an exciting wave of culinary concepts and lifestyle retail offerings as part of the mall’s continuous efforts to enhance its shoppers' experience.

"With the renewed retail offerings, which include several first-in-Singapore concepts, we aim to create refreshed dining and shopping experiences for our loyal and new patrons, while strengthening Wisma Atria as one of the best lifestyle malls in the heart of town,” said a Wisma Atria spokesperson.

Wisma Atria whets your appetite with six new dining options

Opening in the last quarter of 2016, one of the most exciting developments in the F&B scene, is Picnic, a 10,000 sq-ft next-generation communal dining restaurant, located at Level 3. Designed to recreate the energy and vitality of outdoor dining in a dynamic ever-changing urban park within the mall, diners are promised a fully immersive dining experience. Picnic provides a range of international cuisines, including American, French, Italian and Japanese. In addition, it will also feature an in-house third-wave coffee bar and cocktail bar. Picnic is the latest brainchild of owner, Cheng Hsin Yao, creator of the critically- acclaimed Omakase Burger brand, which is located on Level 1 of the mall.

Joe & the Juice makes its debut in Orchard Road at Wisma Atria this month. Serving an array of organic coffee, freshly made fruit and vegetable juices and rye bread sandwiches, this contemporary Danish cafe offers a funky and healthy-packed experience to shoppers grabbing a breakfast bite or a lunch-to-go.

Fans of the popular bubble tea brand, Gong Cha, may now set their sights on its newest outlet at Wisma Atria, opening in September at Basement 1. It will join the ranks of other food cluster favourites, such as Llao Llao, Ben's Cookies, Garrett popcorn and Famous Amos.

There are more reasons for dessert lovers to celebrate this December, as Fruce, a coconut-based dessert-in-a drink shop, and Eyescream and Friends, a new-to-market Spanish ice cream brand, open at Basement 1. Fruce, which is created from the combination of the words ‘Fruits’ and ‘Fusion’, amalgamates tropical fruits with coconut as the key ingredient, favourite local desserts and homemade toppings, to create their signature series of beverages.

As the name suggests, Eyescream and Friends will offer a visually appealing ice-cream eating experience. The ice-cream, which comes in a variety of flavours, including vanilla, chocolate, cheesecake, yoghurt, mango and strawberry, is created in cylindrical solid blocks that are frozen at -25 degree Celsius. The blocks are trimmed using a specific Asian style of shaving the ice-cream, in order to obtain layers of “shaved gelato”. As a final touch, two googly sugar candy eyes are placed on top of the “eyescream”.

Keep an eye on for Samurice, which offers delicious Onigiri and Bentos using specially selected rice, seaweed and salt produced and imported from Japan at the basement food cluster in January 2017. Samurice will join the family of Japanese cuisine, Kotobuki Japanese Izakaya and Japan Food Town that are currently found in Wisma Atria.

Wisma Atria offers more lifestyle options with four new tenants

UK shoe brand, FitFlop, has opened their new store at Level 1 to offer exciting ergonomic sandals, shoes and boots using world-class design, a splash of fashion and a continuous innovating mix of beauty, brains and top-notch biomechanics. Now shoppers have one more worthwhile destination to satisfy their penchant for footwear!

Ladies searching for trendy gym apparel can pop by Vivre Activewear when it opens its third store in September at Basement 1. Vivre’s creations are specially designed for the Asian body frame and uses moisture-wicking fabrics to keep you fresh while working out. Its chic and high performance designs have also won awards.

For a touch of beauty indulgence, ladies can spend some me-time or BFF-time at Qoosh Nail Spa, a new manicure and pedicure service, which has opened for business at Level 3.

A beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers can brighten up anyone’s day or a special occasion, such as a birthday or an anniversary. For the first time, Wisma Atria is delighted to welcome a home-grown floral shop, Xpressflower.com, into the mall at Level 1.

In addition to these new stores, Wisma Atria is also a mecca for international brands, comprising luxury timepiece brands, such as Rolex, Franck Muller, Breguet, Blancpain, Glashuette and TAG Heuer, as well as well-loved fashion brands, such as Coach, Tory Burch, Lacoste, and many more.

Tourist Privileges

Visitors from overseas can present their passports at the Concierge Counter on Level 1 and receive a $10 F&B voucher when they spend a minimum of $50 nett in a single receipt. In addition, they are also entitled to redeem a 3-day Tourist Privilege Card that entitles them to discounts and special offers at participating stores in Wisma Atria. 

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Special thanks to Wisma Atria and Word of Mouth Communications for the kind invite to participate in The WAmazing Race!

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Media Briefing of New Membership Services Club, Sky Premium on 31 Aug 2016

I was extremely lucky to be one of the chosen few to attend the media briefing of a New Membership Services Club, Sky Premium on 31 Aug 2016.  

When I received the invitation, I was very curious about what Sky Premium offers and at the same time, I looked forward to one of the highlights of the program, which was a live demonstration of the Bluefin Tuna Cutting Ceremony.  I gotta admit that I have never seen a bluefin tuna fish before and to cut it up, I reckoned it requires many years of experience and acquired skills to do it properly.  

And I was so glad that I took time off to attend this very exclusive and interesting media briefing to learn more about Sky Premium.

(All Photo Credits to @seedimage. Please contact myself or Derrick if you want to use any of the photos below)

Media Briefing of New Membership Services Club, Sky Premium 

A must-have photo at the photowall!

 I also bumped into my blogger friends like William and Leong and Derrick, who took most of the photos in this blog post.  Thanks Derrick for the photos!

William, Me and Leong

Notice all the different coloured envelopes on the photo wall?  In line with Sky Premium’s philosophy of being connected under one sky with one common theme for The Good Life, media friends also had a chance to pick out exciting privileges from a photo wall, unravelling their very own experience of The Good Life. 

Lucky me got a one night staycation in Wanderlust Hotel... woohoo!  Thanks Sky Premium for this awesome doorgift!

About Sky Premium International

Sky Premium is the country’s first members’ exclusive privilege services developed to enrich the lives of members across the globe. Pushing the boundaries beyond luxury travel, wellness and unique dining experiences, Sky Premium presents to members a cohesive platform with their comprehensive partners and solutions, for all to enjoy the better life. Partnering with selected esteemed brands and merchants to offer an insider list to exclusive closed-door events, fashion shows, premium sake tastings as well as access to an array of networking opportunities and business facilities. The sky is the limit as Sky Premium’s comprehensive solutions promises a dedication to an intimate high in the sky, customized for every member’s lifestyle preferences to indulge in the good life. 

The media briefing of Sky Premium, a brand new membership services club in Singapore, was held at the Japanese food enclave at Takujo Japanese Dining @ Emporium Shokuhin on 31st August 2016.

Sky Premium International’s inauguration of their new membership services club is poised to be launched in Singapore in Q4 2016. Catering to a growing pool of individuals looking to revel in unparalleled luxurious experiences, Sky Premium is one of the few members’ exclusive privilege services developed to enrich the lives of members across the globe, providing personalised lifestyle experiences to indulge in The Good Life.

The emcee for the media briefing was Jaymee Ong.  She is still as beautiful as ever, even after giving birth to a daughter.

Emcee for the media briefing: Jaymee Ong

The event saw a live presentation of a Bluefin tuna cutting ceremony where guests, partners and media friends got a glimpse into one of the many luxurious experiences Sky Premium has to offer.


Immersing in an afternoon reflective of The Good Life, Sky Premium delighted guests with a presentation of the Hon Maguro, also known as the Bluefin tuna cutting ceremony. 

Weighing at a whopping 60kg, the tuna was air flown from sustainable sources in Uwajima prefecture, Japan, where the Maguro cutting was then performed with utmost skill and precision by Chef William Teo, head chef of Takujo Japanese Dining at Emporium Shokuhin together with his expert team of chefs. Utilizing four different sets of highly specialized knives to fillet the tuna, including one that resembles a samurai sword, the delectable Hon Maguro was artfully plated for guests in a platter of sashimi, sushi, maki and a 6-hour braised tuna head.

Just look at how enormous the bluefin tuna was!  It took two men to handle it.

Gotta do it step by step

Executive Chef skilfully sliced up the fish so that all the guests got to taste the fresh meat

That very important fish head that will braised for 6 hours!

Lunch menu for that day

Always great to be seated with a group of friends for lunch and this time round, these are my media friends.  From left: Derrick, myself, William, Leong, Jonathan and Jin.

Appetiser

We started off with an appetiser which was light on the palate as it comprised of vegetables.

Next up is the star of the lunch menu... bluefin tuna!

Live Station

Selection of Maguro Akami, Chutoro & Otoro in sashimi

Nigiri sushi and maki rolls

Sakae is a must have with Japanese food!  Trying a rose sakae based on the recommendation from the server.  It has a tinge of sweetness so I reckoned it would be popular with the ladies.

Braised Bluefin Tuna Head

omg... so big!

6-hour braised Hon Maguro Bluefin Tuna head, with burdock & vegetables, served with Niigata rice

Osaka -style Miso Soup

Japanese Vegetables & Beancurd Miso Soup

Belgium Chocolate Cake 

Belgium chocolate cake with toasted walnuts & banana puree 

I also had the chance to chat with Ms Margaret Koh, General Manager of Sky Premium.  She took the effort to work to our table to introduce herself and let us know more about Sky Premium.  That was when I found out that Sky Premium is also in Tokyo Japan, one of my favourite cities!

Margaret also said, “In a day and age where time is such a commodity, we often miss out and get caught up in a daily routine of things. Sky Premium offers that very balance and luxury of time, to enjoy affordable luxury in the pursuit of living the good life. I’m delighted that we had the opportunity to showcase a novel art form of the Hon Maguro, a first-hand glimpse into some of the many luxurious experiences that Sky Premium has to offer. And we hope to continue bringing the good life experiences to more of our members in the coming months ahead.”

Panel advisors of Sky Premium, Allan Wu, renowned celebrity in Southeast Asia; and fashion- forward lawyer, Tan Min-Li, also warmly welcomed guests during the media briefing session. 

Photo with Allan Wu

Pushing the boundaries beyond luxury travel, wellness and unique doing experiences, Sky Premium presents to members a cohesive platform with their comprehensive partners and solutions, for all to enjoy the better life.

At Sky Premium, the brand delights in creating The Good Life, be it in the form of a gastronomic culinary delight, a cruise to the Antarctica, or invites to closed door events and exclusive product launches.  Offering a robust level of personalised experiencs, Sky Premium listens to members' preferences to deliver a customised itinerary that meets their unique needs, giving members the luxury and balance of time to chase the horizon at every opportunity.

Sky Premium offers that personalised service with a dedicated member service team to assist at every touch point, ranging from providing recommendations to reservation services through consistent, high quality performance and service.  Members can look forward to enjoy preferential rates from esteemed brands and merchants from more than 40 travel destinations, dining, fashion and wellness such as FJ Benjamin, Karma Resorts, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Antarctica XXI and an umbrella of brands under the UNLISTED COLLECTION & Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts.


If you want to learn more about Sky Premium, visit www.skypremium.com and enjoy THE GOOD LIFE now!

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