I caught Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou’s performance on the first race day (21 Sep) of the Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix at the Padang open air stage. The reigning king of Asia’s R&B scene was the first Chinese act to perform at this main stage of the night race. Performing to a crowd of 35,000, the hottie crooned 13 songs consisting of a good mix of sentimental ballads and fast tracks. The stage set was true to Jay’s signature show style, complete with futuristic on-screen graphics, showy props/girls and striking pyrotechnics. The crowd obviously loved the cool dude, screaming (even the guys) and dancing like they were caught in a perennial fit throughout the concert (which also explains the slightly shaky photos as I had two ‘vibrators’ standing in front of me). The sound system left much to be desired though as Jay sounded muffled and soft at times. But seriously, I don’t think that bothered most of his fans – having the man on stage was enough, and they were singing along with Jay as he belted out his signature tunes. From the looks of it, it’s no doubt Mr J will enjoy many more good years in the music scene to come.
70 minutes of showmanship
This was the third time I was catching the race, and I still have no talent for capturing fast cars on screen nor an understanding of what exactly was happening on the track.
Catching the track action at the Padang main stage while waiting for Mr J’s concert to start. Track commentary really helps one to understand what’s happening beyond the deafening “mosquito-buzzy”noise.
Jay appears with a blast – literally
This man obviously knows how to work the crowd
The Mandopop superstar reportedly raked in S$840,000 for his 70-minute performance. That worked out to S$12,000 per minute. Why didn’t my mum send me to singing school?!?
Look at the sea of iphones and cameras!
Jay’s penchant for fast cars and pan-Asian babes joined him onstage in his rendition of 超跑女神 (Chao Pao Nu Shen) in the form of a red Ferrari and three bikini clad race-themed Caucasian models.
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix
Jay Chou Chou
I love his LED jacket! I’m gonna find out how to DIY one some day…I’ll put them on my jacket, my shoes, my bag and glow like a firefly! Meanwhile, I’ve settled for glow-in-the-dark nail polish…
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix
Jay at what he does best – tinkering on his grand piano while crooning sentimental hits such as Tornado 龙卷风, Blue 阳光宅男 and White Porcelain 青花瓷.
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix
The on-screen CI graphics were pretty cool
Jay tossed his nunchucks and shades into the crowd during his performance, and ended the night with a catchy tune Huo Yuan Jia 霍元甲.
Jay Chou 周杰伦 in concert F1 Singapore Grand Prix – it’s ovvvvver. Considering I paid S$58 for a walkabout ticket specially to come hear him sing, it’s definitely worth it .
The F1 Village – I always liked the buzz along this stretch, it’s just something to do with being able to stroll on it like it’s my Grandfather’s road!
Hungry? Catch a supper before heading home and avoid the crowds.
Official F1 merchandise for fans who can’t get enough of the action
This gigantic puppet was located at the back of the Padang field.
The track at Turn 1 just beside the Pit Building. A pretty good spot to catch the action.
The Singapore F1 will be in town for another five years. Meanwhile, I will brush up my photography skills and am looking forward to more awesome music acts – how about some K-pop heavyweights next year?
What better way to toast to a successful Singapore Formula One Grand Prix than with a Singapore Soda (made up of Johnnie Walker Black Label, soda and pandan leaf essence) at the inaugural Johnnie Walker Circuit Lounge Party?
The Singapore Grand Prix (F1) took place this weekend, and I went to one of the hottest F1 parties in town thrown by Johnnie Walker, partner of the Vodafone Mercedes McLaren F1 team. Their party invites are as hard to come by as an Hermes Birkin, so I was full of anticipation about the event which was held at the Flower Dome @ Gardens by the Bay.
Formerly known as Johnnie Walker Jet Black, the party has transformed into a regional party series called the Johnnie Walker Circuit Lounge, with Singapore being the first city to launch it. The night was filled with fabulous music by acclaimed DJs like DJ Clinton Sparks, DJ Disco Fries, DJ Ray Ray and DJ Dave Does. I was particularly looking forward to the Flavour Lab experimental bar, which made its debut at the Circuit Lounge with a selection of unique and evocative serves concocted by winning bartenders from the acclaimed Diageo Reserve WORLD CLASS program.
Johnnie Walker Circuit Lounge Party When Johnnie Walker throws a party, they pull out all the stops for a fantastic experience to be remembered. If you do lay hands on an invite, just GO.
Arriving in style – another opportunity to wear my outfits, yay!
Will I get to see any F1 drivers?
The experience right from the start was fantastic. Even the bartenders seemed to be having fun, really a joy to see people enjoying themselves at work!
JW’s experimental bar Flavour Lab, presented by Diego Reserve WORLD CLASS, was introduced for the first time in Singapore, offering whisky fans a chance to sample new and evocative serves of Johnnie Walker’s signature flavours. To celebrate Singapore and the Grand Prix, a series of Asian-inspired JW cocktails were created for the Circuit Lounge parties. I tasted three that night – Singapore Soda, Walker Colada and Johnnie Yuzu Sour. I wonder what other flavours there are…how about a Milo Walker, or Johnnie Bandung? heh.Seen here is Manabu Ohtake, Diageo Reserve World Class Bartender of the Year 2011 displaying his skills. Watching him concoct drinks was such a performance, I half expected him to pull a rabbit out of his apron…kanpai!
My fave of the three cocktails – Walker Colada
Johnnie Yuzu Sour, which is a twist on the classic Whisky Sour consists of: 45ml Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, 10ml Archers Peach Schnapps, 30ml yuzu juice, & Muddled lemongrass
Happy to see my friends Bobby and Ritz of The Butter Factory at the party, they are indisputably the coolest party duo in town. I want Bobby’s hat, neighhhhh!
Me and the very sweet Claire
One of the coolest features at Johnnie Walker’s Circuit Lounge parties are the RFID-enabled photo booths where guests can ‘step inside’ the glamorous world of the F1 via various photo scenes, and photos taken are instantly uploaded onto their Facebook accounts through a simple swipe of their invite pass. Being part tech geek and part cam whore, this has always fascinated me.
A partygoer at the photo booth. Inset: what the photo looks like. You can have all the hottest babes you want, and your Facebook friends can drool about it instantly too.
Here’e my and Darren‘s version of F1 glam-dom. I just realised the JW bottle is rather strategically placed. hmmm.
Guests made a pledge to Never Drink and Drive via this new photo booth. You get a light wand to sign your names on the screen. Takes a steady hand to do it, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun! Great way to motivate people to sign on the meaningful pact.
Darren and I made ours too!
Look of the Day Black fur cropped jacket: From Hong Kong Gold crochet top: vintage Gold choker and earrings: Chanel Leather Harness: Zana Bayne Lace skirt: Comme des Garcons Diamante cat ears hairband: From Korea (meow!) Fur clutch: Maison Martin Margiela
Darren’s art direction – Strike a pose (puuuuuke)
Look of the Day Ribbon Ring: Forever21 Gold studded bracelet: From Taiwan Shambala bracelets: Tresor Paris Watch: Hublot Big Bang
Ponyhair wooden clogs with fur: From Hong Kong
At the stroke of midnight, the party action started revving up
Coming up with all the right party liners
DJ Clinton Sparks – This guy is kickass!
Darren and the gang attempting the Gangnam style dance – hilarious!
After three glasses, this is what you get – a bunch of happy loonies!
Picture time!
Cheers!
A few more glasses later, I got myself a new gorilla pet! I never leave home for a party without Darren. He’s loads of fun and very sporting, and makes every event very memorable for me.
We retired our tired selves close to 3.30am, though it felt like only an F1 second. Guess that’s the magic of a Johnnie Walker party. Woo hoo! Looking forward to more JW adventures and new cocktails! Thanks Johnnie Walker!
The Wedding Dress Exhibition, 8 Aug – 31 Oct 2012 @ National Museum of Singapore
200 years of wedding fashion from the collection of London’s Victoria and Albert Museum is currently on display for the first time in Asia at the National Museum of Singapore. It showcases more than 80 artifacts comprising wedding dresses, bridegroom attires and accessories dating from the 1800s to the early 2000s. Categorised into eight thematic sections, it depicts how wedding dress traditions have developed over time.
Take inspiration from elaborate wedding gowns designed by Charles Frederick Worth, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix and John Galliano. On display are also wedding gowns worn by celebrities such as Dita von Teese and Gwen Stefanie. Wedding bells ringing, anyone?
The Wedding Dress: 200 Years of Wedding Fashion will be open from 8 August until 31 October 2012, 10:00AM – 6:00PM daily at the National Museum of Singapore. Admission is S$11. Guided Tours: English – Saturdays & Sundays; 11am and 2:30pm Mandarin – Saturdays & Sundays; 11:30am and 3:30pm Japanese – Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 1pm Limited to 15 participants per session, on a first-come, first-served basis. Duration: 60 minutes; Meeting point: Exhibition Gallery 1, Basement
Extreme left: This wedding dress was worn by Eliza Larken for her marriage to William Monson at St. Giles in the Fields Church, London, on 8 May 1828. In choosing white for her wedding dress Eliza was making a fashionable choice. Her dress was made with a pair of detachable long sleeves which fit over the short puff sleeves. These would have been worn for the wedding and made the dress suitable for day wear. Worn without the long sleeves, it was transformed into evening wear. Middle: Date of Manufacture: 1830. White muslin was popular for wedding dresses in the first half of the 19th century. All the waistlines look so tiny….
White satin and Honiton lace wedding dress Date of manufacture: 1865 The bride’s dress was a focal point just as it is today. By 1800 it had become usual for her to wear white or cream as popularised by Queen Victoria. The colour as it implied purity, cleanliness and social refinement. The wide skirt of dress would have been supported underneath by a cage crinoline.This dress was worn by Eliza Penelope Bright for her marriage to Joseph Bright at St James’s, Piccadilly on 16th February 1865. Wedding dresses are one of the rare types of garment for which the name of the wearer and the date of her marriage are often recorded.
1800s Wedding Veil. I would wear that – now!
Wedding dress consisting of bodice, train and skirt of embroidered satin and velvet, designed by Charles Frederick Worth made in Paris, 1879-1880. Worn by Clara Mathews for her marriage at St George’s Hanover Square on 19th February 1880 to Colonel Hugh Stafford. She was the daughter of Isaac Merritt Singer, the sewing machine pioneer.
The bride who wore this dress was Lucretia Crouch, who married Benjamin Seebohm at the Friend’s Meeting House in Clevedon, 10 September 1874.
Oh la la! The groom’s favourite part of the wedding *wink*
U.gotta.be.kidding.me…I.have.to.be.dead.6.months.to.fit.into.this.tiny.thing. Fashion and technological innovation changed the shape of late ninteenth-century corsets. As the bustle replaced the crinoline and bodices contoured the figure, corsets became longer to achieve the desired hourglass silhouette. They encased the abdomen and enveloped the hips, and the amount of whalebone also increased to give a smoother outline and help prevent wrinkling of the fabric. This corset from the 1880s is composed of twelve separate shaped pieces and forty whalebone strips.
So very Jane Austen! I would wear that too! White tulle bonnet trimmed with sprays of artificial orange blossom Date of manufacture: 1845
Top Left: Miniature bridesmaid’s fan gilded and lithographed with romantic 18th-century scene of shepherdess and suitor, possibly Great Britain, late 19th century.Bottom Left: This delicate orange blossom wedding wreath is a rare survival. Imitation blossom was normally made from wax, paper, or cloth, but this is made entirely from feathers and silk ribbons on fine wire. It is associated with the 1854 marriage of Elizabeth Wroughton Richards to Edward Nugée. Top Right: Pair of white leather gloves with cream satin and lace scalloped cuffsAssociated with a wedding in 1833, accompanied by a handwritten note “The gloves I went to church in to be married March 21st 1833” Bottom Right: Wedding favours made of wax, cloth, paper, wire and cream silk satin ribbon in 1889. Wedding favours were small mementos handed out to guests at the wedding.
Men’s wedding waistcoats from the 1800s. Floral motifs were popular for weddings, as forget-me-nots symbolise true love and lily of the valley represents purity of heart and happiness.
Left: Flat soled ‘slipper’ shoes were made with minimal variation for over 50 years. They were widely worn between 1800 and 1850, after which time they gradually fell out of fashion. They were not made to stand up to much wear, with their delicate fabric and thin leather soles.Right: Shoes with modest heels first came into fashion at the end of the 1850s, after nearly 50 years of low-heeled and flat-soled footwear. During the 1880s, the heel shape became more waisted, echoing the 18th century ‘louis’ heel.
Headdress
The highlight of the exhibition, this stunning silk satin wedding dress has an almost three-metre long train that took 30 women six weeks to complete. The dress was worth 50 pounds in the 1930s, but today it would be worth 15,000 pounds (about S$30,000).
Left: Dashing Russian uniforms and film costumes inspired this 1968 maxi-length winter wedding coatdress. Its lean lines break with traditional tiny-waisted, full-skirted styles. The fur-trimmed hood is detachable, and elaborate silver and cream frogging and trimming combine with the floral cloque to create an opulent, up-to-the-minute wedding outfit.
Wedding Coat with hand-painted floral details
“This looks my grandmother’s curtains.” Well, you are right! During World War II when fabric was rationed, resourceful brides turned materials such as upholstery or curtains for their wedding dresses. Well, that’s better than having a micro-mini wedding dress back in the traditional, conservative era.
This Vera gown was worn with Havianas! Cool.
Gwen Stefani wore this custom-made pink and white silk faille wedding dress by John Galliano for Dior when she married Gavin Rossdale on 14 September 2002 at St. Paul’s Church in London.
Burlesque queen Dita von Teese wore a royal purple silk taffeta gown by Vivienne Westwood and a tri-corned hat designed by Stephen Jones and matching Mr. Pearl corset for her wedding nuptials to shock rocker Marilyn Manson on 3 December 2005 at Helnwein’s Irish castle. The dinner was as goth as one could imagine.
Gown by Nina Ricci for Dita von Teese
Gown by Christian Lacroix
Worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in a scene from Sex & The City
By the 1960s, wedding dresses got less elaborate
Quality ready-to-wear clothing competed with the high fashion market in the post war years.
Also on display are bridal gowns from the National Museum of Singapore’s collection featuring the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Peranakans (Straits-born Chinese) over the past 100 years.
Declarations of love from the master. I think I would tear if my loved one recited that to me. I do, I do, I do!
Sustainable love is indeed friendship set to music – both in harmony and everything said is music to the ears. Love with fireworks are great, but often burn out fast too. I used wish for love at first sight, but over the years I have realised it’s more like lust at first sight! Maybe I am turning pessismistic… Now, I think peaceful, lasting love is the best, where we can hold hands and leisurely walk in the park in 40 years’ time, and I will still be the cutest creature on earth to him. To me, that’s love ❤
Anna Dello Russo, Editor At Large and creative consultant for Vogue Japan, has designed a 50-piece accessory collection for H&M which launches 4 Oct world-wide. Once described by Helmut Newton as a “fashion maniac”, the Queen of Bling’s collection is mostly gold and chunk that Queen Cleopatra and Donnatella Versace would approve of. Inspiration for the collection came in the form of Anna’s wardrobe (and her 4,000 pairs of shoes – ok, I definitely lose). Her Tiffany blue with gold filigree detail cupboard was the starting inspiration for the 50-piece collection, most obviously influencing the suitcase design. Other items include sunglasses,crocodile and snake-adorned jewelry, clutch bags emblazoned with her dog Cucciolina, thigh-high leather boots as well as a bird fascinator with a netted veil. Definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Anna Dello Russo for H&M Photo: H&M
Bangles and bracelets from S$59.90 to S$99 Photo: H&M
Bird fascinator S$299 Gold heels S$349 Photo: H&M
Blue clutch S$99.90 Gold clutches S$159 Vanity case S$199 Suitcase S$299 Photo: H&M
I have my eyes on you! Photo: H&M
Anna Dello Russo for H&M Photo: H&M
Bracelets start from S$59.90 to S$99 Crocodile necklace S$99 Photo: H&M
Anna Dello Russo for H&M Photo: H&M
Anna Dello Russo for H&M Photo: H&M
Gold leather heels S$349 Photo: H&M
Sunglasses S$79.90 Photo: H&M
Anna has released a pop video to celebrate the release of her accessories range for H&M. Wearing a PVC mini-dress, sheposes on a giant gold shoe as she reveals her collection along with her ‘ten rules of fashion’. It left me a bit dumbfounded, cos’ I don’t really know what to make of it. Have a look and tell me what you think.
Anna’s Ten Rules of Fashion (say it with an Italian accent to get the most oomph)
1. Fashion is a declaration of your own freedom
2. Between style and fashion? Absolutely fashion
3. Fashion is always uncomfortable, if you feel comfortable you never get the look (AGREE)
4. Fabulous at every age
5. Wearing night clothes in the daytime is unexpected
6. Somebody wearing your same outfit? Wonderful, you did the right choice
7. You must wear outfit once (but we don’t have a wardrobe allowance like yours, Miss Russo)
8. Wear coat as a dress
9. It doesn’t matter the size of your body, fashion flatter everyone
10. Fashion jewels personalise your style. Nothing succeeds like excess
Anna Dello Russo with “Fashion Shower” director Alex Turvey Photo: Tom Gildon
Touchingly, Anna remembers to contribute back to society: “Accepting this challenge [to design] has allowed me to give my personal and deeply felt contribution to the rebirth of Japan, a country I am strongly bonded with. Thereafter, part of my fee will be donated to the Japanese branch of the Red Cross International.” Yay, now I don’t feel that bad buying – I am doing my part for Japan too! :p Fingers crossed I can get my hands on some of these gems (crocodile – I have my eyes on you)!
Anna in a S/S 2013 white cut-out embellished Fausto Puglisi dress wearing accessories from her H&M collection Photo by Mr Newton via Harpers Bazaar
spunktitud3 