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

PRINT PRETTY

Tassels. Not just for cocktail dresses! I love this form fitting H&M dress as picked out by one of my BFFs, Nisa. This summer dress is playful and oozes a bit of sexiness, which is a combination that I'd not usually see myself wearing! 

The only thing I was a bit reluctant about is how the tassels run down quite low, which makes it quite a pain to walk in (when I am so petite)! Hence, although I am taken by the design, it's not made for the most practical wear...! The print detail is very modern and makes for a chic twist to festival fashion!

dress H&M
shoes FOREVER XXI

photography and styling
NISA YANG

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

ALL ABOUT PAPERSELF

Had an absolute blast on this collaboration with PAPERSELF and a complete super-creative team! The tattoos were kindly sponsored by the brand, which specialises in beautiful, intricate paper eyelashes and tattoos. There are so many varieties that will spice up your summer wardrobe, and the combinations in which you can arrange the designs are endless.

It's a bit difficult getting over the floral JOANNE TSE LONDON dress - red, eye-catching, and figure hugging. The nails, as crafted by creative genius KATE CUTLER of BANG BANG NAILS, comprise of real, dyed flowers. They were super delicate, I had to be really careful not to damage them. 

For fuller reactions and a review of the products, see my full article on EARS ONLINE here. 

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

red dress
JOANNE TSE LONDON
tattoos and eyelashes 
PAPERSELF
makeup
SHIRLEY HO
photography
JEVGENIJA
nails
KATE CUTLER of BANG BANG NAILS

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

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

CRAZY 'BOUT CULOTTES

I've always associated culottes with romance, picnics and summer! I didn't think I could pull them off with my small stature, but I was pleasantly surprised! These culottes from TOPSHOP fit really well and have a great length to bare some leg without making me look like I'm wearing an apron too low! I love the simple floral pattern, with its bold yellow and green against the backdrop of white. With my sand-camel faux leather jacket from HOTWIND, it softens the look a bit. Let's not forget my favourite pair of shoes from OFFICE; I am extremely saddened by how the platform is getting worn down! Are those easy to repair? 

For those who know me, I'm generally quite low-key with my accessorising - I just paired this outfit with a statement ring. Oh, statement rings. I seriously love them! The only thing is, I'm sort of on a mission - I want to find a ring that won't rust or get dull in colour so easily without spending a fortune. Any thoughts on brands stocked at Candeza? I'm always passing by like a magpie eyeing the gorgeous pieces but not sure how long the wear I'll get out of their jewellery will be! 

culottes with floral print TOPSHOP
shirt TOPSHOP
faux leather jacket HOTWIND
shoes // OFFICE
photography 
JEVGENIJA