GINA BRAR

It was an absolute dream working with the spectacular GINA BRAR on her collection! I was also able to sneak in an interview with the emerging designer, published in MEADE MAGAZINE. There were many highlights that were had, working again with one of my close friends and super photographer connections JEVGENIJA and makeup and beauty guru SHIRLEY HO.

A little sneak peak of the interview here:

"Running a fashion brand, much like any business, involves wearing so many different hats and finding the balance can be challenging. Whilst I would love nothing more than to spend my days focusing on being creative and creating new designs, the reality is that my attention is as focused on growing the business as it is on designing. It is a constant balancing act, to ensure that all aspects are being run smoothly, from keeping our website and social media up to date to balancing the books and managing our supply chain. There is a whole bunch of very unglamorous processes between sketching a collection and having the finished garments to hand, but once you see the complete collection, it is always such an amazing feeling so the hard slog is definitely worthwhile."

SWAN - EDITORIAL PUBLISHED IN HUF MAGAZINE

I had such a fun time shooting with this dream team! Featuring unique, one of a kind pieces from ROUGE PONY, gorgeous gowns from LISA WAGNER, stunning tiaras from SAMANTHA WALDEN, and jewellery from VELVET ECCENTRIC, we composed this shoot entitled "SWAN" at the spectacular STEPHEN HOUSE & GARDEN. See the shoot in HUF MAGAZINE.

Lisa Wagner creates these gowns on a bespoke basis; and these delicate tiaras are even more enchanting when seen in the flesh. It was such an honour to model these gorgeous rings from Velvet Eccentric, known for their fantastical and dreamlike quality pieces. Rouge Pony's feather shoulder pieces are so magical, with the pastel purple colours (see below, really adding a statement to Lisa Wagner's dress!).

photography

JULIE DE MOURA

retouching
ALINE BARTOLI
makeup 

MINAZ MAWJEE

MAYBE, I'LL BE A MAYBE GIRL - PUBLISHED IN JUTE MAGAZINE

So, my friend Sarah of MAYBE BY CATALFO is like somewhat of a super entrepreneurial whiz kid with an eye for beautiful design. Her work isn't just well made, she always seems to inject the pieces with a pinch of fun. When I got the chance to collaborate with her again, I knew it was going to be a blast! The dream team comprised of SOUNDSLIKEYELLOW PHOTOGRAPHY, KEISHA CHAN (makeup) and TEENY DOES HAIR (hair), with fellow MAYBE girl TRINH from TRINHOLOGY, and our "assistants" David Kim and Nancy Quan (thanks guys, you're the best!).

I've known Sarah for sometime now and she continues to amaze me with her enthusiasm and bubbly approach to life. It was a sincere honour to interview her for JUTE MAGAZINE where she spills the beans in terms of her aspirations, brand philosophy and the inspiration behind her Be a Unicorn collection. Go have a read! For now, enjoy some pictures of Trinh and I pretending we're sad because we got ditched at a party - but then obviously, the TABLES turned, and we make our own fun taking selfies with a super cute pastel-green camera, haha! The Maybe by Catalfo girl is the type of girl who makes the most of life, won't dwell on things she can't change, and has a laugh in the face of adversity or when things don't go her way. An extension of the designer, Maybe is a brand that I'm so proud to represent as a bona fide "Maybe" girl! 

RINGING THE WEDDING BELLS

TORN + POLISHED was historically run as a joint blog with one of my BFFs, Trinh, who now runs the incredible TRINHOLOGY! Although I was sad that I've now since taken over this blog solo, I am so proud of her bravery and new venture. Please do visit and support her! In fondness, I present this historic post which features a fun collaboration (appearing also in NOCTIS MAGAZINE complete with exclusive interview with the designer of these incredible dresses). The images first appeared in EARS ONLINE MAGAZINE. The writing featured below was written by Trinh!

Back in April, I stepped foot in European soil for the first time in my life.  I must say, it was a "brand new" experience for me since I am a frequent Asia traveler.  What I loved most about this trip was getting to  see Yinsey in her homeland (and of course meeting many other new friends).  I've been telling her I'll visit her for many many years; since our undergraduate days, I am so happy to finally put my words to action.  As always, Yinsey gathered the best team of creatives to put together another treat photo shoot.   In honor of wedding season in Spring/Summer, we have collaborated with London, England based designer, JL Brides to bring together a few of our favorite dresses from her collection!

JL Brides specializes in wedding services and packages where they tailor their services to each couple.  Their experience in both traditional Western weddings and East Asian weddings is exceptional. Except for the Chinese dress (last one), all are designed by founder Jennifer Luong.  Yinsey and I loved how considerate the designs are for the brides and in particular, the reinvention of traditional dresses by adding modern twists to it.

For a full read of our thoughts and see more pics, head on over to EARS Online. 

"Sweetheart"

"Caprice"

Traditional Vietnamese dress (áo dài) from JL Brides

Traditional dress

published in 

EARS ONLINE

photography 

Ella Sadika

other model
Trinhology
dresses
JL Brides Collection

makeup

Jennifer Luong

hair

Shannice Brown

FLOWER BEFORE THE STORM

Ella Sadika is one of the photographers I have been excited about collaborating with for a long time. She has a beautiful way with images, capturing subtly the movement in each moment. At the same time, she interacts effectively with the colours and ambiance of the environment given to her. We improvised a lot on this shoot, but our last minute collaboration with knitwear designer Lisha Gill of LISHA GILL landed us the attention of, and subsequently a full publication in, DREAMINGLESS MAGAZINE! 

LISHA GILL knitwear is light, airy and pretty. I love the flirty feel of the transparent mesh details, as well as the form fitting silhouettes. There's a modernity and wearability to the pieces, and they are easily matched with other textures and items. They are really comfortable too, and easy to pull off even for petite girls like myself!

long skirt H&M
headpieces PRIMARK

knitwear
LISHA GILL

photography
ELLA SADIKA