Singapore`s Hawker Centres

A friend from Singapore came to visit recently, and asked what I miss most about Singapore. Well, I could easily make a long list, but what is so strikingly different between my past Singaporean routine and my current lifestyle is the lack of Hawker Centres in London. 

 

Eating at one of my favourite Hawker Centres, in Holland Village.

 

Hawker Centre is a traditional open-air complex which houses numerous stalls that sell cooked food at very reasonable prices. Chinese, Thai, Northern and Southern Indian, Japanese, and many, many more, including Western food such as fish and chips, can be found in any establishment. They offer freshly cooked food and are typically located near public housing estates; shopping malls; and transport hubs.

Queuing for my favourite Tapioca cake at a street food stall near Commonwealth MRT station.

 

In Singapore Hawker Centres developed in the 1950s and 1960s, from the earlier form, where street food sellers (hawkers) would travel with portable carts and offer nourishment to workers (mostly men at that time) who did not have their families/ wives with them, and therefore appreciated a warm meal, easily available on their doorstep.

In the National Museum of Singapore, in front of a photograph depicting hawkers` carts.  

The museum`s exhibition of traditional ways of living, offered a chance to smell the

most commonly used spices.

 

Today, hawker centres are often being replaced by food courts, which are indoor, and air conditioned. Often located in shopping malls or other commercial venues, they charge slightly higher prices and are not as charming as the traditional ones.

Pradasphere at Harrods

Today I immersed myself in Miuccia`s world as I visited a highly-acclaimed Prada exhibition in Harrods. Called `Pradasphere`, it offers a glimpse of the rarefied realm of the designer, who powers one of the most influential design houses on earth.

I started at the Café Marchesi, a pop-up space, which celebrates this traditional Milanese pastry shop, newly acquired by Prada; it opened in Milan in 1824; I am wearing an un-branded dress, which was complimented today by four strangers, a light shawl by Missoni, bag by Michael Kors, shoes by Juicy Couture, and sunglasses by Marc Jacobs.

 

I was then taken on a private tour of the exhibition by a Prada-clad, dashing young actor. He told me that many garments made by Prada use ancient techniques and therefore require long hours of work, and exceptional skills. He also pointed out that Miuccia Prada is well-known for successfully mixing unexpected materials, like latex and linen.

We looked at this mesh dress, with faceted iridescent acrylic drops; he said it was inspired by a chandelier!

The garments displayed on mannequins were grouped into typologies: This dress in acrylic drops attached by hand with metal rings represents one of the typologies, called `Excessivity`. The belt is made of crystals.

My favourite typology was called `Animality` and was represented by this fabulous python coat, and check-print dress in silk organza. The design made its catwalk debut in 2011.

I particularly liked this mink coat, from 2013, for its short, silky fur and shiny tips.

I gasped with delight when seeing these va-va-voom shoes from the 2012 collection, which was inspired by 1950s feminine sweetness.  

The highlight of the exhibition however was a roll-call of short, stylish films, directed for Prada by James Lima, Yang Fudong and Roman Polanski, among others.  Polanski`s was the funniest clip, as it depicted a rich heiress who entered her psycho-therapists` office wearing a fabulous Prada coat.  She flopped herself on a sofa, and was unaware that her psycho-therapist was fascinated by her fur coat. He stroked it and then put it on, accompanied by a slogan ` Prada suits everyone`. Indeed!

 

Joseph`s Sale in Mayfair

Earlier today I went to Mayfair`s Music Room, a venue located just round the corner from Claridges and Bond Street, to hunt for leather dresses, at Joseph`s sale. Joseph started as a brain-child of a Casablanca-born hairdresser Joseph Ettedgui in the sixties. Since then, the brand designers brought timeless style, and well-made essentials to the `high-end` of the High Street.  Their contemporary ready-to-wear collections meld minimalistic design and luxury fabrics. They handle butter-soft leather particularly well, so I had high hopes of nipping some fabulous hides.

Unfortunately, on arrival I was faced with a sea of mediocrity. Would you wear this garish mustard-coloured t-shirt with a red edging? Or that brick-coloured jumper? Perhaps not…..

 

I didn`t give up and was rewarded with this trio of dresses.

The fringed suede, brown dress fits me perfectly well and was reduced from £670 to £195, so I snapped it up. The red and green dresses are made of super-soft leather but were far too big….I even tried to cinch them with a belt, but to no avail. Oh well, more money left in the kitty as they originally cost £745 each, and were reduced to £345 per outfit.

New York Defeated by London in Best City Title

Have you heard the news? In a global contest of 30 most influential cities, London got the title of Best City in the world, knocking New York down from the top spot. The survey, called Cities of Excellence, now in its sixth year, conducted by PwC, uses 59 indicators to compare the entries.  Ease of doing business, health, sustainability, cost of living and education, are just some of the measures taken into account.

Shopping spree in Selfridges – I am wearing a Michael Kors dress and a fur gilet by Ducie;

shoes by Mascaro, and handbag by Michael Kors

If one of the benchmarks was `shopping` than the London`s standing would go through the roof, as Selfridges just received the prestigious honour of The Best Department Store in the World, for the third year running. This is the first time that this accolade has been awarded three times consecutively to the same store! The award is bestowed by The International Group of Department Stores – an association of international shops, with 30 members from 30 different countries.

Well done London!  And congratulations to my beloved Selfridges!

Perricone MD Blue Plasma = skin luminosity

This is the first time I am reviewing a product in my blog, but the super-cosmetic I am writing about really deserves my commendation. Perricone MD Blue Plasma is a non-acidic daily peel, which gets rid of dead skin cells, and by lifting off surface debris (no rinsing needed) reveals smoother and brighter skin.

I have been using it every night for just over a month and my skin has wonderful luminosity and inner-glow. I actually realised my face looked refreshed just after one use.
  
It must be rebalancing hydration levels because my face looks plumped up.  I am prone to redness as my skin is fair, so chemical peels are not my friends. This product however, doesn`t irritate my sensitive skin, and these days I only very occasionally use a more traditional exfoliating scrub.

The only downside is its faint odour - difficult to describe but it is not the most pleasant smell on earth. However, it fades quickly and the product clearly works wonders;  it gives me a soft, well-hydrated, radiant, clear, and glowing complexion.

Dr Perricone – you are a genius!

Selfridges Fragrance Lab Distils Personality into Scent

I was drawn to Selfridges Fragrance Lab`s promise to match their new fragrances, produced exclusively by `Swiss noses` from Givaudan, to my personality.  So I ventured, with eagerness, into `all-white` space on the ground floor, which acts as an entrance, and a reception area of the Laboratory.

`Lab technicians` are young actors; they were chosen for their artistic flair, intuition, and ability to `read` others. I am wearing a wool and fox-fur jacket from Anne Klein and a crocodile-skin handbag from Africa.

 

I was asked to store my belongings, including my handbag, in a locker, and sit on a shiny stool in front of an iPad, to complete a multi-choice questionnaire. It included images, from which I needed to choose my favourites, statements and questions about my age and my lifestyle. Pictures contained – for example -three different styles of architecture: modern, rococo and gothic. I chose rococo.

 

I was then given headphones and asked to listen to instructions from a mobile, while I moved from one room to another. Each was furnished with curiosities, for example a chest of drawers, which contained different scents. Other rooms displayed shiny objects, glass jars full of grass, fragrant books, and a wind machine, which emitted a faint aroma of something I couldn`t name. Coffee pots were placed in tiny corridors, between rooms.

 

The last room is actually one of Selfridges window displays, and here I met my very own `lab technician` who encouraged me to sniff various pots, some full of petals, others containing copper wiring. All had distinctive scent. After analysing my questionnaire feedback, and my preferred scent from the last room, he then presented me with a bottle of fragrance he thought matched my character best.  He described my personality as `a bold provocateur` and `champion of the avant-garde`. He said I was `an early adopter of new brands and trends`   - absolutely right! My fragrance was made by a Malaysian perfumer, Shyamala Maisondieu. She previously created men’s fragrance for Lanvin . My `technician` told me she married and settled in Switzerland.  The scent is synthetic and made of Benzyl Salicylate, Farnesol, Geraniol etc. and it smells a bit `metallic`.

 

All in all, it was a unique experience, and worth the price of my eau de toilette – just over £60 for a 50ml. bottle.  

 

Spring Decorative Fair, London Battersea Park

I met with a few friends in Sloane Square Hotel, which combines city-chic décor with truly enviable location, on the crossroads between Chelsea and Knightsbridge. I am wearing a backless vintage silk dress, which falls into a special category of `clothes that make you visible….shrinking violets need not apply!` ; I accessorised it with rabbit fur shoes from Singapore and a Dolce & Gabbana bag.

From outside of the hotel, we took a shuttle to Battersea Park, for the Spring Decorative Fair to check out fabulous textiles, board games, antique and contemporary decorative furniture, art, and all manner of curios. All stylishly displayed, and promising to make your home even more desirable and comfortable.  

I love this decorative room divider showcased at Brownrigg @ Home Ltd stand, and will copy this idea in my West-African penthouse.

I almost parted with a vast amount at Sandy Stanley`s jewellery display, for this beautiful ring, but eventually my `head` took over my `heart`s` desire, and I left it behind for another fashionista, with deeper pockets than mine.

We were happy for our afternoon to be stolen by endless displays of rarefied taste and high-end pieces that would make an ideal stage for the drama of life.  Here are my favourite finds:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot at 100 – Selfridges` Beauty Project

On Thursday evening, I participated in the launch of Selfridges` Beauty Project – a six weeks extravaganza of beauty treats, debates, and product launches. I am wearing a leather top from SuperTrash, and a skirt from Marc Cain. Ring bought in Ras Al Khaimah (UAE).

We were spoiled on the night with limited edition discoveries, live music, vodka cocktails, makeovers, and exclusive gifts, to make us all feel gorgeous.

Models of all ages sashayed down the escalator, displaying varied looks, and proving that anyone can look fabulous. You just need to put a small effort and adorn your face with a big smile.

The topic for Thursday`s discussion was `How to look hot at 100`, and focused our attention on inspirational women whose style is ageless. So what was in their modern style lexicon? Facial aerobics and positive thinking were some of the `secrets` that kept them looking attractive.

I enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere and am looking forward to participating in the forthcoming events, as part of the Beauty Project.