2009 June « Yi Lian's scribbling and musing

Archive for June, 2009

Pleats please

June 5, 2009 · Filed under fashion & shopping, travel · Tagged Alpha 60, Alphaville, Melbourne, pleats, scarf

There’s something so (deceivingly) proper about pleats which I love, love, love. I adore the illusion of volume that pleats create and on a skinny ass like me, it’s extremely flattering. During my recent trip to Melbourne, I came across a couple of Alphaville boutiques at Flinders Lane, Chapel Street and Brunswick Street.

I noticed them cos they were dark and a little morbid with the whole heads-in-jars window displays. And of course, I was loving their deconstructed forms on the mannequins.

When I was at Chapel Street, I finally resisted the urge to step in, after having seen Susie Bubble spot an Alpha 60 pleats scarf the night before on her blog. Alphaville is the store name for the label Alpha 60, which carries both menswear and womenswear. This Melbourne-based label started seven years ago from a brother-sister duo (if only I could do anything like this with my brother! )

Their menswear is the kinda stuff I wish I can buy for Matt but sadly, know he won’t wear. He would say he’ll “look like a gimp” (even though I don’t understand the definition of ‘gimp’. I went to dictionary.com and it says someone who limps. HUH?!) but I would say the clothes are just too cool for him (except the brand’s T-shirts with celebs’ faces. What’s up with that man, seriously.)

The womenswear wasn’t exactly cutting-edge or a force to reckon with internationally but it has great potential. From the way the designers cut the fabrics for their collection, it’s obvious they recognise the importance of great fabrics. Yes, to me, the fabrics maketh the design. It’s always, always about the fabrics! How it falls, how you move in it…

You can buy stuff from Alpha 60 and really wear it for ages cos they’re timeless, made with great fabrics and the best part is that it doesn’t kill your wallet. The clothes ranges from A$200 to A$400 and I’m a big fan of their leather accessories. I love the use of buttery leather, it gives leather bags and accessories that cool, effortless feel.

Anyhow, so I saw Susie sporting that pleats scarf and I just know I have to get it! I basically walked in, sussed out their collections and grabbed the grey scarf and paid for it! I think it’s the best purchase I made in Melbourne (yes, even more than the Indigo red dress!).

Hong Kong and Singapore is/was sizzling hot so I haven’t had a chance to really wear the scarves (oh yes, did I mention I got the black one as well two days later at the Brunswick Street outlet?), thus no chance to show how it looks on me yet. But here’s Susie modelling it!

I personally do prefer the grey more but you can’t do wrong with a black one too no? I’d worn them a bit in Melbourne since it was at an average of 12 degrees Celsius but can the weather here chill now already just now I can spot my new scarves???

The above is a Melbournian blogger named Kat and what she and Susie have are exactly what I have too. The store sells many other variations of softer fabrics but I love these two cos of their firm wool fabric that give the scarves a form. I immediately thought it’s so Issey Miyake-esque after I put them on. Love the way they instantly uplift an outfit! I actually thought they were a bigger and more exaggerated version of my favourite accordian-ish necklace:

Yes, I'm just trying to find an excuse to put a pic of my boyfriend and I.

And all these talks about darkness, black and grey are somehow amplified with my current melancholic Bon Iver music… Mmmm……

Back in HK again!

June 2, 2009 · Filed under beauty, fashion & shopping, holiday, travel, work · Tagged Australia, Melbourne, travels, work

After all the looking forward to both Melbourne and SG, I’m back in HK. Not that it’s a bad thing. I’m actually happy to be back and settled down in my lovely little flat again but with all these travelling, I can’t help but getting a little numb about being in a different city.

One moment I was in HK, the next I’m having my fave fishball noodles all by myself past midnight in SG and the next, I’m in Dwayne’s car with Chrissy in Melbourne. And there I was thinking, “Ah, I have so many days ahead in Melbourne!” Then I was back on that dreadful Emirates flight where the inflight entertainment was faulty for the entire journey (CAN DIE!), sleeping next to Matt again in SG, chatting to silly Ed and Joel at the airport and Sue sending me off (how love, my tech bf) at the departure hall and bump into Ming on the flight back to HK and here I am, sitting on this chair, typing into my MacBook once again.

But having typed the previous paragraph, I realised the beauty of all these experiences happening within the past 2 1/2 weeks. It was short but so much happened and I don’t want to change a thing – good or bad.

Before I leave for a new trip, whether work or leisure, I look forward to it, knowing there are bound to be experiences that I’ll enjoy and/or learn from.

And when I return, as always, I sit here. Satiated.

I love old architecture.

I love the secrets that these buildings hold that I have no idea of.

Just some observations I had from Melbourne:

There’s a huge Asian population there. I think 35% of the people I see in Melbourne are Asian but I think I only saw a handful of mix-race couples in my 12 days there.
Some Aussies are still subtly racist. It’s pretty obvious when the other Caucasian diners and shoppers are treated better than me, the only Asian in the place.
That said, I also got treated equally at a lot of places. I really do love how friendly and polite most people are. I took a bus and EVERY. SINGLE. PASSENGER yelled “thanks!” to the driver from the exit. No wonder Matt told me everyone looked at him weird when he did that when he first came to SG.
Myer only seemed to employ old people. I mean, like really old. Like 60 years old kinda old. No discrimination against old but fit folks! Just an observation…
I took a cab, a train, a tram and a bus in a day and it was an interesting experience… The tram lost connection to the electricity lines and I was stranded at Chapel Street at 10pm for 30 minutes. The bus driver was very nicely telling me how to get to my destination when an old lady starting yelling at him to tilt the bus so she could get on. He told her off for interrupting us TWICE and they argued later on and I felt bad for semi-causing the fight. And ONE cab fare in Oz can provide me TEN meals in SG.
I got this all the time whenever I’m in an Australian city but why are there, erm, so many ‘crazy’ people on the streets? They do, erm, really weird stuff.
Why is bottled water so expensive in Oz when their tap water is supposed to be safe for drinking (though I still don’t. I hate tap water!) while bottled water is so cheap in HK when its tap water is not safe for drinking?
Melbourne really does live up to its four-seasons-in-a-day rep…
There is good Chinese food in Melbourne! I found it on Brunswick Street.
Haven’t been to Melbourne for a while? New streets to check out: Smith Street (near Gertrude Street in Fitzroy) and Sydney Road (parallel to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy).
I HATE how Melbourne can have the same street names in different districts. Seriously dude, there are many more names you can give the streets!!!
St Kilda in Melbourne kinda remind me of New Town in Sydney.
Lord of the Fries in Melbourne is definitely not as shiok as New York Fries in HK.
Oz does have really, really great vintage shopping and not expensive too! (Disclaimer: depending on where you go…)