D for Dot

Isn’t it curious how every woman wants to be Audrey Hepburn, although she is not typically what a man will find irresistibly desirable? And what is it about her quirky, doe-eyed beauty that still fascinates so many years after her death? Strangely, I have been thinking about her (been meaning to watch Roman holiday again) when I came across these great snapshots of her in Rome, where she was living. Her style is quiet (mostly classic and feminine, at times boyish, always flattering), especially for the mega-star that she is. I particularly love how she aged so gracefully – no sign of any desperate attempts to hold on to a fading youth.

So yes, I want to be Audrey Hepburn. But don’t we all?

P.S. I think that her Yorkie, the brilliantly named Mr. Famous, must have been the true love of her life – he seems to be with her all the time.

(More of these on Vanity Fair)

I bought a new camera (which is a little bulkier than my previous point-and-shoot) some months ago and have been looking for a suitable (by that, I mean good quality and good-looking) camera strap ever since. I thought that I will invest in a nicely crafted leather one, but although I did come across some very handsome ones, they usually come with equally handsome price-tags and are out of my budget. Then I stumbled upon Figosa, a brand new camera strap-maker that hand-make their products in Italian leather.

The straps are not at all fancy (just how I like them) and come in a number of colour combinations – you can choose from Honey, Cognac, Brown & Black for the leather and pair it with either gold or silver hardware. Considering everything, I was more than a little surprised to find that it is priced at just 20 Euros (or about SGD33). The Figosa Etsy store just opened a couple of days ago on 1 April, so I suggest you make an order before everyone else find out about this little gem and jack the price up with their demand.

However, before you click on the “add to cart” button, do check with the Figosa team to find out if their straps are compatible with your camera model. (Even if they aren’t, I am quite sure that it is possible to make customised orders.)

Currently, the only street style blog that I follow is Garance Dore‘s (because she is adorable) – and technically, it is not purely a street style blog these days. After all these years of gawking at beautiful strangers on the world’s streets, one can get a little jaded about it all. But I can still get perked up when I come across a particularly stunning shot or a project that is just the right amount of different from the thousands of street style blogs (with pictures of all the usual ultra-stylish suspects) that are clogging up the fashion part of the internet. And today, I stumbled upon travel photographer Adde Adesokan‘s meet-a-stranger photo project, Triptychs.

For me, the neatest part about the project is that you can’t really make out the entire outfit – the three body shots of the subject are disjointed and you can only guess at what is happening outside of the frames. There is a head shot, one showing what’s in the hands and a last one of the feet region down below (I always say you can tell a lot about a person from his shoes). You can tell that these people are stylish and unconventional simply from the details you glimpse in these limited pictures.

Each collaged photograph also comes with a write-up on the subject, which is awesome for someone like me who enjoys having the blanks filled in with words. Unfortunately, the project consists of only 31 pictures (of subjects from diverse locations, from Istanbul to Paris) and the latest one is dated in April 2012, which means that it has not been updated for some time. Nonetheless, it is still great to flip through the photos and marvel at what you can learn about a person just from his head, hands and feet.

Here are just three pretty printed things that I came across today. The one that I like the most is this red printed desert boot from the new Clarks x Eley Kishimoto collection. There are three prints (including the British design duo’s now iconic flash print) and three shapes (boot, kitten-heeled pumps, peep-toed, platform, strappy sling-backs) in all. And grab this flashy gnome too – its much too cute to miss.

Now that budget airlines are trying to out-do each other with cheap flights, I foresee that weekend getaways will become more frequent occurrences. Considering that, a good duffle will come in really handy. So many over-night bags in the market are so overtly masculine, so its nice to see Lulie Wallace (hailing all the way from North Carolina, U.S.A) has nailed it with their unapologetically girly ones. This roomy duffle comes in four soft-colored prints – the brand also offers a more compact weekender.

This sweet Liberty print bow-tie from J Crew are for little boys, but I see now reason why grown-up girls cannot have some fun with them as well. Wear this with a prim button-up for a spot of color or use it as a brooch or bag accessory. Note: a bow-tie need not be worn around the neck.

This retainer necklace has got to be the strangest piece of jewellery I have ever seen. Brooklyn-based jewellery designer and silversmith Keil Mead casted it from an actual retainer, plated it in gold or silver before hanging it off a 30″ duo-chain. I have never worn braces, but judging from my friends’ grimaces when dental appointments rolled around back in school, it certainly doesn’t look like a good experience. Then again, everything become bittersweet with time, so I guess if you are looking for a dose of metal-mouthed nostalgia in the form of a quirky necklace, this will be it.

Personally, I much prefer this sweet Forget Me Knot ring, which has been moulded from a real piece of string. Or is this matchstick necklace more up your alley? The possibilities seems endless when one crafts jewellery that look like luxe versions of everyday objects. This is literally turning banality into gold – genius.

Designer replicas may be a big no-no, but come on, this is a LEGO version of a classic Gucci clutch – how can anyone not love it? Besides, we are obviously not supposed to take this seriously, so its user (who I imagine to be an irreverent fashion maverick) cannot have any intention of pulling this off as the real deal. Then there is the price. At just US$204 (with free worldwide shipping – hooray), the ‘Tribute To Gucci‘ clutch is just a tiny fraction of what it’ll cost you to get a genuine Gucci, while offering many times the fun (it could be the clutch that launched a hundred conversations).

And if you are not a fan of Gucci, what about this LEGO Birkin?

I don’t know about you, but I am definitely in lust with this Bill Cunningham T-shirt. Sadly but unsurprisingly, it is sold out. I’m crossing my fingers (and everything else that can be crossed) that it will become available again soon.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Ian invited me to try out a fun photo-printing mobile app named PixaRoll that he has been working on. The concept is a simple but useful one: you send the digital photographs on your phone to be printed via PixaRoll and receive them a few days later in your mail. This seems like an app I can do with for a couple of reasons – I use my phone for 95% of my photo-taking needs these days and although I always mean to develop some these pictures into prints, I have never got around to it (I blame my own lazy ass).

So, I downloaded the app and gave it a spin. If you already have your pictures ready in your phone, it is just three easy steps from photo selection to payment and checkout. Everything is seriously idiot-proof, so all you have to do is wait for those prints to magically appear in your mailbox!

However, if you (like me) have already transferred the pictures you want to print from your phone to your computer, there is one extra step – getting the pictures back on the phone. I use a Mac, which means that I simply create a new folder on iPhoto, load it with the pictures I want to print and sync it with my iPhone. I am not sure how to achieve this on a non-iOS phone, so if you do, feel free to drop a comment below.

Even with this extra step, I was able to complete my print order in less than 15 minutes in the comfort of my own bedroom. I really appreciate how I did not have to make my way down to the photo shop to develop them or to collect them when they are ready. For such convenience, I had expected to pay a premium, but the prices more or less match that of a regular photo shop. For an order of more than 20 prints, each 4R print will set you back just $0.45. [Ian has informed me that while they only offer 4R printing currently, they are working to provide for more sizes in the future.]

From now until 28 February, the first 50 D For Dot readers who develop 10 prints and above can use this discount code (“PIXAROLLDOT“) to get 15% off their bill. Simply download the app and you’re good to go! After all, while digital photographs are great, printed pictures are just a lot more fun.

Its been some time since I was involved in a fashion/shopping event as a blogger, so I am really thrilled to announce that I will be selling pre-loved pieces from my wardrobe and chatting about “the blogging business” at Fashfix‘s #TEAandFLEA on 26 January (next Saturday). Five other bloggers will be joining in on this fun get-together, which will be held at Artistry, a quirky art gallery and cafe in the Arab Street area. Other than a session of light-hearted retail therapy, you can also look forward to an attractive goodie bag filled with neat stuff  (i.e. a copy of Elle magazine, complimentary entry to Avalon, discount vouchers to Strip, Browhaus and Manicurious).

Here are the details:

Date: 26th January 2013 (Saturday)
Time: 2-6pm
Venue: Artistry, 17 Jalan Pinang
Directions: A 3-minute walk along Victoria Street from Bugis MRT Station (Exit: Raffles Hospital). Jalan Pinang is across Arab Street.

It will be lovely to meet you so if you are looking for something to do next Saturday, head on down to Artistry and  we can make friends over over tea and cupcakes. I will also be looking for new homes for my clothes and accessories – including many barely worn pieces – so it is also a fabulous opportunity to pick up some great bargains. Remember to drop by my booth because one of you lucky people are going to walk away with this adorable tote (above). I mean, what can be better than a bag that contains a portal to a pink galaxy?

So, what are you waiting for? RSVP at the event facebook page now!

Naturally, you know about the Hermès Birkin and Kelly. But do you know about the Hermès Parrot? The fine handiwork of French artists Zim&Zou, this beautiful bird is made entirely out of carefully selected leather scraps collected from Hermès workshops.

If you do not find a single bird impressive, the duo has also created a stunning window installation – The Eternal Jungle – that is currently exhibited at the Hermès store at the Hong Kong International Airport. This lushly elaborate piece feature a trio of leather wildlife – a monkey, a toucan and a chameleon.

Personally, the greatest thing about Hermès isn’t its gorgeous leather goods (although that counts too) but its incredible versatility and open-mindedness when it coms to defining art and creativity. [Remember their collaboration with graffiti artist Kongo back in 2011?] These qualities not only help to keep the French heritage fashion house youthful and relevant but poised it at the cutting edge. I’m looking forward to seeing what it comes up with next – undoubtedly, it will be something wonderful.