A LITTLE BIT OF DRAMA

Still pinching myself out of sheer disbelief that I was selected to participate in the YOINS blogger network! Had so much shooting this lace black dress for YOINS [ BUY IT HERE ], pairing it up with these sleek D&G heels. As I'm of petite stature, I am sometimes scared of taking on dresses with long lengths - but I find that if it's sufficiently form-fitting, then you've got no troubles there. I quite like the elongating way it hugs my figure.

I'm a bit fan of open backs, and this dress has a beautiful "V" shape that draws one's attention to the natural curvature of the waist. A very nice evening dress for a night at the theatre or fine dining - and extremely affordable too!

Had a blast with photographers FYI PHOTOGRAPHY, ANPARASAN and JASON ARBER who were on the scene shooting for their portfolios. 

dress YOINS [ BUY IT NOW ]

shoes D&G

photography

first three images FYI PHOTOGRAPHY

last image ANPARASAN

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'

All the leaves are brown... and the sky is grey... Seriously though, although I'm lamenting the end of summer, I am just taken by the beautiful yellow colours surrounding me in the beauty of Regent's Park in London. I love the golden leaves and the gentle, cool breeze - a recommended walk if you happen to be popping by the city. They have a stunning rose garden and gorgeous architectural details in fountains and statues reminiscent of Renaissance Europe and antiquity.

One thing I am looking forward to is swapping sandals for winter boots, like this gorgeous pair from STUART WEITZMAN. I like pairing camel tones with black, hence why I've brought together this combo of a MONKI jacket and ALL SAINTS dress. The MONKI jacket is light enough for a comfortable stroll and does the job in protecting you from the fall chill. I am obsessed with ALL SAINTS' ability to make gorgeous pieces with intricate ruffles, complementing feminine silhouettes whilst retaining some attitude.

boots STUART WEITZMAN

jacket MONKI 

dress ALL SAINTS

photography

FYI PHOTOGRAPHY

SIMILAR ITEMS

GOIN' AT IT SOLO

It's time to take things solo... one of my BFFs,  Trinh, with whom I founded TORN + POLISHED, made the courageous decision of following her dreams! She started her own lifestyle and personality blog TRINHOLOGY (which you can find here!). I'm so proud to know this strong and passionate woman with whom I shared the first chapter of this blog - in turn, it was about time I did my own creative "soul searching"... Hence, I've since decided this will be my own personal diary - of my artistic projects, music, musings and experiences.

A lot of this got me thinking - what is the point of this blog? What does the aimless drivel about my various outfits and trips out to some random parts of London actually achieve? Of course, this has always been a creative outlet for me, but I want to do more.

Some of my strengths and greatest assets are sourced from incredible people I know (such as Trinh), in how they've inspired me to push forward and helped me grow and learn. I want to share what I've learnt from them with you. I want to be a little less reserved with what I write; I want to become more open with my opinions about what exactly spurs certain ideas and projects. I'll bring to light the challenges I've faced and the insecurities I've overcome in pursuing these, whilst blindly batting my eyelids despite being "too" petite for the industry, at only 5'3. My self-reflection came with the realisation that I've been so blessed to have been given the opportunities to work with some amazing brands, designers and artists, who truly believed in me. We've seen our work featured in various magazines that were, from first glance, reserved for the more traditional model. I feel that now's the time for more dialogue and engagement in the fashion community, to really be a part of it rather than just a consumer and/or an audience member.

Although this post marks a bittersweet transition for TORN + POLISHED as I take things further, by myself, I am by no means alone. Thank you to all the kindhearted collaborators and the beautiful people I've met who have consistently supported both Trinh and me in our aspirations to create, share and engage. I look forward to seeing the future posts we create together!

dress RIVER ISLAND

jeans HOLLISTER

photography

FYI PHOTOGRAPHY

LOVE IN LEATHER

I've concluded, nothing says "attitude" better than ripped jeans. I've been searching for a pair to suit my petite frame where the ripped holes don't go too far past the knee and make me look like I've got super-short thighs! I love this pair from THE STING which I recently discovered nearby Trafalgar Square. I love how they match well with this ALL SAINTS leather jacket and my platform VAGABOND shoes. 

I've been digging the Coachella, festival-esque black hat trend, so I decided to treat myself at a very appealing price range. From FOREVER XXI, I like how this hat doesn't have overly-dazzling features on the outside rim, so can be paired with many different outfits. 

Seriously delighted to work with the lovely FYI PHOTOGRAPHY on this shoot - she was so lovely and we ended up having a great chat and shared a chocolate cake at a local cafe in North London. 

jacket ALL SAINTS
top TOPSHOP
hat FOREVER XXI
jeans THE STING
shoes VAGABOND
photography 
FYI PHOTOGRAPHY