Ok… let’s be honest here. When I first heard about Feiyue, it was some China shoe brand that Orlando Bloom was spotted wearing and suddenly it became the “it” shoe to have. In my mind, I was thinking ok this fad is just going to last a season. An over glorified canvas shoe. But, I’ve been recently educated that it’s no longer the cheapo $5 martial art canvas lace up shoe made in China with Made-in-China quality.

Originally produced in Shanghai since the 1920s, the Brand then released the rights to produce the shoes outside of China in 2006 by a French entrepreneur who then whipped the brand into shape and improved the quality of the shoes and re-positioned them for the International market. And wahey! Now introduced to the more fashion-conscious consumers, they are distributed in 20 countries.

Here is what I found on the internet for you sneaker freaks.

Both the original Chinese versions of the Feiyue shoes and re-designed French versions have a number of differences. The differences include:

1. Sole of the Shoe
The sole of the Chinese Feiyue shoe contains reduced padding on the bottom of the shoe, which is considered desirable for running and jumping. The sole of the French version has richer padding on the bottom and is designed for more general purpose use.

2. Canvas Material of the Shoe
The canvas material of Chinese Feiyue shoe is thin resulting in a large range of ankle flexibility. The martial arts application requires a wide range of foot motion. The canvas material of France version is much thicker.

3. Color of the Shoe
The Chinese Feiyues come in only two colors, black and white and also come in HI and LO version of each. And it is also lack of styles, only with simple stripes with some different colors. The French Feiyues come in many colors and sizes and are targeted towards a more fashion conscious audience.

The wonderful people from Feiyue Singapore and Goodstuph came to my office with a wine crate of French goodies. Loved loved LOVED the wine crate, it’s now in my room and I think I want to buy more. In the crate there were: Macarons, French marmalade, French soda, cookies, Feiyue buttons and a pair of hi-cut Feiyue shoes.

The shoe is under the Feiyue Street collection, a tribute to classics of street fashion, made in premium materials such as waxy leather, suede or wool felt.

This pair was a brown waxy leather with a grey wool felt. Looks a bit masculine for a girl, but still workable. I’d wear this with cropped pants or full length jeans.

Verdict on quality? Am pleasantly surprised. So… what have we learnt today kids? It’s all about branding, packaging and quality control + a little something called style.

Here’s a few silly photos from the launch event at Velvet Underground.

Website: www.feiyue-shoes.com

Heat is on… lots of golf enthusiasts gearing up for the HSBC Women’s Open 2011 here in Singapore. All the big names in womens golf are in town and it looks like an interesting weekend ahead.

Every year during the photocall, they’d make the golfers do something unique, usually something cultural and relevant to the host country. Last year at the HSBC Mens Open in Shanghai, they made Tiger Woods do Tai Chi.

Quite amusing for the photographers and camera men at the photocall. For the Singapore one held yesterday, they donned
Michelle Wie in a Korean hanbok and Paula Creamer in a Japanese kimono.

Above: Michelle Wie (left) and Paula Creamer (right) dressed in traditional Asian clothes at a photocall for this week’s HSBC Women’s Champions, with world number one Yani Tseng (centre)
Photo: Getty Images

You know what’s also different about Women’s golf? That added dimension that the men don’t really pay attention to? Fashion. I mean sports merchandising is huge! I find myself checking out what the golfers are wearing on the green – shoes, shirts, caps, gloves. And it was in golf that i first came to know about SKORTS!

While we are on the lines of fashion, there was even had a special Caddy Bib Design Competition held in collaboration with Raffles Design for the HSBC Caddy of the Year awards.

Tonight is the HSBC Womens Golf Welcome Reception at the Fairmont. Hope it was just as spectacular as the one in Shanghai.

The HSBC Women’s Champions 2011 will see 63 of the world’s top female golfers, including all of the 2010 major champions and all of last year’s LPGA tournament winners, battle it out over 72 holes of individual stroke play. The tournament is sanctioned by the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and will offer a purse of US$1.4 million.

‘N Sync actually stands for Niseko Sync. Niseko’s slope girls lookin’ all baller and keepin’ it Fresh!

Again I apologise for the duck face.

I reckon I was in Shanghai at the best time of the year. It wasn’t hot and humid, not was it freezing cold as some of my friends have experienced. Temperatures usually fall sharply mid November as winter settles in. I was there early November and temperatures averaged around 16°C / 61°F in the day and a cool 9°C / 48°F.

What to wear?
Pictured above:
Day – Long sleeve flannel, Scarf, Jeans, Good walking shoes, Leather jacket (just in case)
Night – Wool dress, Leggings, Scarf, Black Boots, Leather jacket.

So before going to Japan, I wasn’t too sure what to wear. In Tokyo it wasn’t much on an issue because we were only there for a night. For Niseko, I wasn’t sure what I had to wear to snowboard or the kind of footwear to cover my trotters and handle the snow and iced walkways. Thankfully the very kind Marisa loaned me some of her gear for the trip.

Layer-by-layer detail below:

For Snowboarding

• Underwear (Sports bra preferred)
• Long John bottoms
• Snow board trousers (usually has elastic ends so snow won’t get in)
• Long sleeve lycra/cool fit with thumb holes so it won’t ride up your arm
• t-shirt or fleece turtlenecks (depending how cold it is)
• Jacket (usually has pockets designed for ski passes and
• Goggles
• neck gaiter
• Beanie
• Gloves
• Thick socks or even double socks

Out and about in town

• Underwear
• Tights
• Jeans
• Long sleeve shirt
• Jacket
• Gloves
• Scarf
• Beanie
• Socks
• Rubber sole boots (Best investment I made!)

By the way, that blue beanie on the right was made by Kimmy’s mum! Thanks Auntie! Love it.

So I tweeted about my hair being purple last week, and some of you were curious to see what it looks like. The picture shows it a bit blue, but it’s more towards violet than blue. Actually, to be more accurate, it’s very much like ultra-violet.

I was due for a hair cut and the roots from my blonde streaks were growing out. I wanted to re-do the blonde because it has become my signature style.

I first did it back in 2005 in Perth when the whole 2-toned hair colour trend was in (Half head brunette, half head blonde). But when I came back to Singapore, I had to tone it down a lot. The latest was streaked blonde behind the ear.

Had a dream the night before my appointment that I had dyed my entire head red! So initial plan was to replace the blonde with red. But after speaking to Titus (Stylist and Colourist) and Darren (Creative Director) from Artisan Hair, they convinced me to go violet!

I’ve been getting a lot of mixed comments about it. Some people thought it was pretty unique:

“That’s Sooo Coool! I really like it!”

And some think it’s ridiculous, of course they won’t say, but it’s how they said it with a half smile

“Oh Wow *pause in shock*… That’s… [Insert polite adjective for WTHELLWEREUTHINKING]. Interesting!”

To each their own.

Some people say it reminds them of Hit-Girl from the movie “Kick-Ass“.

And some remember Clementine from “Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind” which by the way is one of my favourite movies.

About the hair… I absolutely LOVE it! I feel great! I actually feel like I’m more myself now. It was just the old Angela dying to break out of this shell. The desire to be different, abnormal, slightly rebellious but fun! Look you’re only young once? Just do it right!

Artisan Hair
42A Lorong Mambong (Holland Village)
Call +65 6469 2059 for an appointment
Look for Darren

Once in awhile, I get contacted to give personal reviews on products. This time, it was for Neutrogena’s new line of Hydro Boost skincare products. These products are great for those who suffer damaging effects of air-conditioning, late nights and harsh sun exposure, all resulting to dry damaged skin. Yes, yes and yes! That’s me!

So what’s my beauty regime? Almost non-existent one. I would wash my face with facial foam or scrub in the shower, and maybe if I bothered to in the morning, I’d slap on a bit of moisturiser. That’s it!

If my mum read this, she’d be shaking her head disapprovingly. You see, my mum has managed to “preserve” herself really well by taking care of her skin. And she would preach her ways during countless dinner table conversations, but I’m just too lazy to do it!

She says the most important is sunblock, especially when I’m out in the sun cycling.

Was given some beauty products to try recently from Neutrogena. So since I had it there in front of me, why not just give it a shot. Here’s how I felt about each product.

Hydro Boost Mousse Cleanser Facial Foam – Love the dispenser. When you dispense the wash, the soap comes out all foamy and light. Not so great with make-up removal. It washes the face, but somehow my face doesn’t feel clean. It leaves a layer of something… oils? which I presume helps to keep the skin hydrated.

Hydro Boost Clear Lotion – I guess it’s a bit like a toner. But not like those alcohol astringent.

Hydro Boost Water Gel (Recommended) – This is probably my favourite out of all the products. Moisturiser applies easily and doesn’t feel thick or cloggy. It’s absorbed into the skin quickly and leaves a silk like texture on face. I’ve been using this before my make-up and it blends well without separating or reacting with the other products.

Hydro Boost Essence – Popularity of “essence” really came from SKII essense. It says that it restores three times the skin’s moisture level within one hour. This is great for your night time regime.

Hydro Boost Mask – Clinically proven to boost skin moisture level 14 times! Great for those nights when you just want to pamper yourself, wear your mask and watch some tele.

Price is very competitive. Recommended retail prices of these products range from S$13.50 to S$31.50. And the best part, it’s available at all major personal stores and pharmacies.

So if you’re a no-fuss girl like me, and hasn’t really done much skincare research, this is probably a good start.

New shoes have come my way and I’m really excited to blog about this pair. It’s ANOTHER PURPLE PAIR OF PUMPS! Adidas unveils this bright and energetic range for fall/winter 2010.

Funny how purple seems to be popping into my life a lot as of late. Or maybe it’s just a natural inclination. Laws of attraction. Not just any purple, but more towards the fuchsia colour palate.

Going to show you two shoes under the Adidas Fluid range, the one pictured in this post is the Adidas Fluid Trainer light.

First impressions
Design and Colours: The shoe comes in 8 colour combinations for the female version and 7 for the guy’s model. The one that really stood out for me was the purple one.

Material: I love the mesh material at the front and sides, it makes the shoe smaller and a lot cooler!

Function: sole with deep grooves means I get a better grip. And midsole flexibility makes it comfortable to walk with. And what I love most about the shoe is the multi-functionality. It may not be a half-marathon running shoe, but it’s good for the gym, dance and casual attire. Which means essentially I can just wear one shoe on gym days!

Price: The Fluid Trainer Light retails at S$119 which is pretty affordable for a dual purpose shoe.

Final verdict: I guess one word to sum it up is flexibility in terms of shoe design, technology as well as usage! To be honest, one side of the shoe was giving me heel blisters at first. But after the second time, it was okay. I think it needed to be worn in a bit. I especially think it’s a freakin fantastic shoe for travelling! I’m definitely taking this for my next holiday!

The collection is available at adidas Sport Performance stores, the adidas online store, leading e-retailers and selected sports retailers all around the world.

I like to pair it with my jeans rolled up 3/4, purple nail polish, and a purple top. Here are some en route shots to date.

By the way… Haven’t blog about it yet, but my hair is purple too! Muahahaha

Am reviewing the NEW Reebok ZigTech shoes which claims to reduce wear and tear in key leg muscles.

When I first picked up the shoes, first thoughts were “Wow, I’m loving the colour!”. I’m quite tired of the usual white runners with small highlights of colours. I was ready for something unusual. The second thought was, “Mel would love these purple shoes!”. True enough when I tweeted about it, Mel was the first few to @reply.

Reebok has been bubbling under other major sport shoe brands, and I sometimes wonder if it’s really because of the quality or just brand perception. I’m quite brand loyal, but it’s good to see what’s out there too.

The Shoe:

So these ZigTech shoes are Reebok’s most advance running and training show to date. It’s designed to “conserve and return energy back to the runner”. .

The unique zig-zag shaped sole absorbs the impact of heel strike. The technology results in up to 20% less wear and tear on key leg muscles, shins and hamstrings

I’m a perfect candidate for shoe tests and reviews, because I currently have 2 bad knees. With Chondromalacia patella and Tendonitis caused by either over-pronation of the feet and impact sports like running. So I’m always on the look out for shoes that support my arches or in this case reduces impact on the knees.

Verdict:

To be honest, I was unconvinced. Again, perception. If it’s not a adidas, Nike or Asics, it can’t be good for me right? Well…I’ve been wearing it to the gym lately and skeptical as I was at first, it seemed pretty good on my knees so far. The only thing that I would have liked is more support for my arches.

But it’s definitely got a 10/10 in the looks department. I like the combination of the faux leather and polkadots on the shoe. It’s a multi-purpose shoe for gym, court or track, so not just a running shoe.

Been loving the splashes of colours I’ve been adding to my wardrobe lately, and this shoe has been a great addition.

Regular retail price: S$149
Available at Stadium, Royal Sporting House stores, Sports Station and selected authorised dealers.

Did a little Googling to find some additional multimedia on the shoe.

ZigTech microsite <– microsite is pretty cool I must say. Wasn’t expecting it to be so interactive and fun! Try the game

When my sister was still staying with us, I’d always borrow her red chucks. But now that she has moved out to her own crib, it was time to buy my own pair. I bought the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low-top plimsolls in red.

The All Star sneaker was first created in 1917. In 1962 the low cut was born and 4 years after that it came in 7 new colors. Now it’s in every colour and pattern imaginable, but still in the same familiar design.

I love them! So what colour chucks do YOU have?

An agency contacted me on a bloggers contest for adidas watches recently, and the brief was to showcase the chosen watch in a stylish & creative photo. First of all, I love it when agencies do their research targeting the right bloggers for the products they are promoting. Adidas watches? Me? Sure! I digress.

The adidas SEOUL 2010 Spring Summer Collection is a series of unisex retro-style watches which depict country colours of popular footballing nations. Apart from the basic black and white ones, the rest come in two toned colours corresponding to the country flag. I love the oversized watch face and matte straps, quite similar to the Candy model I got last time.

So I had to choose one of the above. The one that really stood out was the green red and white watch. I didn’t know which watch could represent which Country until i Googled it online.

Here is the collection with the corresponding countries:

ADH9505 – Germany

ADH9504 – France

ADH9503 – England

ADH9506 – Italy (Mine)

ADH9501 – Brazil

ADH9502 – Spain

ADH9500 – Argentina

Anyway, please click HERE and “like” my photo, winner will be chosen based on the number of “likes” as well as organiser’s decision!

Also don’t forget to be a fan of the adidas timing fanpage :

If I win, I will share my prize with a lucky blog reader as well.

Best wedding of 2009 has to be the beautiful union of Brian Wey and Diana Lie. Throughout the wedding planning process, I would hear details from Dru. At times he took a more active role in the planning such as finding the right live band for the evening.

So when the day finally arrived, seeing the culmination of all those ideas is probably why wedding planners keep doing what they do. Seeing the success of a well-planned and well–executed wedding must be so gratifying.

When you first walk into the ballroom, the first thing that caught my attention was the floor to ceiling fabric that draped elegantly down the walls. This was by request of the family, and to be honest, probably the best decision they could have made. With the help of mood lighting, the room was transformed to an amazing dining hall which looked elegant and nothing like the usual drab hotel ballroom.

The flowers were amazing and I believe were from Boenga. Ballroom was not overly flowered, and was smartly placed. White table bouquets looked chic and were arrange high above eye level so your view wasn’t obstructed.

The night was just beautiful. Speeches were kept short and sweet, and the party went on late in the night. I have to say I was particularly proud of Dru’s speech, because he wasn’t too excited about delivering it. You should have more confidence in yourself, you did really well!

Food was great! But I already knew it would be if it passed through Dru’s taste test. My parents were also friends with the mother of the bride, so it was nice to have them there with me too. I got to slow dance with my dad, and I THINK, that’s the first time we’ve ever did that!

My beautiful deep blue silk Georgette asymmetrical drape gown was made by Eelyn from Yu. I loved how the fabric gathered Grecian-styled at the sides without making me look frumpy.

If you don’t want to look like the other donkeys in (god forbid) Daniel Yam dresses, and want something (YU)nique, you must look for her. She has a bespoke service for those who really want to go custom.

While we’re still in Central Hong Kong, I should bring to your attention what made my eyes light up. A WHOLE STREET OF FANCY DRESS SHOPS! My only regret is not BUYING ANYTHING! You can buy all sorts of accessories, costumes, wigs, hats and face paints at bargain-able prices.

It’s at the pedestrian section of Pottinger Street 砵典乍街 or also known as Stone Slabs Street (石板街) by the locals. Just walk up from Queens Road at Central.

My boardies, Kimmy’s pink toenails, Duncan’s boardies. I swear it wasn’t planned.

Here’s a sneak peak of the shoot we did a few weeks ago for Sloane Elizabeth Robertson

Lookbook will be ready soon! Once it’s live, I will post it here.

Here’s what I’m wearing:
Blue Dress by Cynthia Vincent brought in by SER
Diamonds by More Than Diamonds

Wondering how SloaneElizabethRobertson got its name?
SER is named after renowned and distinct shopping streets in three of the world’s top fashion capitals – London’s posh street lined with upscale boutiques and restaurants (Sloane), a long stretch of specialty boutiques and prestigious department stores in Sydney (Elizabeth), and Los Angeles’s haven for stylish finds and celebrity sightings (Robertson) – SER focuses on offering an eclectic mix of stylish international merchandise to the discerning shopper in a luxurious environment.

Launching soon!

One afternoon, I made my way down to The Cathay at Orchard to get myself some shirts from the Taylormade golf shop. (On a side note, did you know that Taylormade is under the adidas brand? That’s why you’d see adidas attire in their shops.)

Anyway, I was tempted and decided to just browse through the new collections at the adidas store next door. Then… this baby caught my eye, and I was in love.

It encompassed everything I love: adidas, cycling and a fantastic price tag. Carrying the message “Watch out for bikes” just made it extra special.

Sold!

Not sure if there’s any stock left, but you can try finding it from the shop I bought it from

adidas
The Cathay
2 Handy Road
#02-06/07
Singapore 229233

Before I went to HK, I trundled down to Trixilli Millenia Walk to check out some of EeLyn’s dresses, am on the lookout for some cocktail dresses and evening wear and was floored at how far she has come. I remember modelling her first collection, and it’s just amazing to see her talent grow with every collection!

Here are three dresses to give you a taste of what she has in store:

1) The peach toga was my favourite. Part of the newest collection which was showcased at her recent trunk show, this piece’s highlight is definitely the turquoise accent poof on he left shoulder strap. And peach is definitely a wonderful spring colour
Dress: roman holiday
Retails: S$369

2) The red short dress would be great as a casual day outfit. I can just imagine myself wearing this in Australia in flats and a sun hat!
Dress: Lucy
Retails: S$299

3) In a similar style but longer version is this vintage inspired dress. Am absolutely in love with the deep cobalt blue and white trimmings.
Dress: Sally
Retails: $399

If you’re looking for unique girly cocktail dresses, Yu is the definitely the label to look for, especially if you don’t want mass produced dresses i.e. Daniel Yam (sorry but that’s the best local example I could think of).

I went for another fitting recently, will show you what I decided on soon!

It’s bad enough that crocs have invaded our lives and torn off the skin of kids feet, but it’s just plain ridiculous to see them worn with socks! Worse, by a man!?!

No no no no NO! Uncle…. cannot!

Last month, adidas hosted a fantastic house party at the Timberlux warehouse to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the iconic 3-Stripes mark introduced by company founder Adi Dassler. The worldwide campaign encapsulated the cool and trendy factor with a fantastic TVC “invitation” which is available to watch on their website. Loved it and managed to find it on youtube.

The local house party was really well planned and executed, not forgetting brilliantly designed. When you walk in, you’re welcomed with a visual history snippets with pictures on the walls, frames, all in the style of someone’s living room. It was literally like a house party. Shelves were decorated with trophies, photos, candles.

Let me list the “I Likes”
- The shoes hanging from the ceiling, which made it look like a feature wall ceiling
- Free flow (FF) Blue candy floss and drinks
- FF Frolick Yoghurt and popcorn. (I’m actually really starting to like yoghurt more than ice-cream. It’s a healthier alternative if you keep the toppings to fruits. Frolick is like a Pinkberry for those more familiar with that name)
- FF Tiger
- The DJ table which stood inside a ginormous shoebox
- adidas styled vespas
- catching up with old friends
- meeting new friends
- liked how everyone made an effort to dress adidas or at least brand neutral

I leave you with a collage of photos from the night.

Went for a slow run this morning down the canal jogging track and there were two ladies wearing the same top as me. I guess it just comes to show that the adidas team did a good job on choosing the right colour and cut for last year’s Standard Chartered Marathon.

Of all the running event tees, this was my favourite too.

On a side note, I missed the deadline to sign up for the Sundown Marathon this year If you know somebody who might be pulling out of the Women’s 10k run, please drop me a message.