After a nice lunch, a great coffee and my gorgeous husband's wonderful company, I set out to investigate these stores with a handful of criteria in mind such as: price range, design and quality, age group, demographics and store aesthetics.
Hilton’s Shopping Gallery
The Shopping Gallery is a delectable collection of elite brands like Balenciaga, Issey Miyake, Donna Karan, Bulgari and Patek Philippe. Whilst silent and ghostly, you can sense the glamour and elegance throughout.
Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair
A Swedish company whose company motto is “... dedication to traditional tailoring, pattern making and the old ways of the trade.”
Well that says it all. Fifth Avenue is certainly exclusive, has attention to detail and is right at home at the Shopping Gallery.
A monochrome store with limited injections of colour it is not a shop for the faint hearted. Black, grey and white rule with the occasional navy blue, pink or red peeking through. The designs are certainly to be admired for their uniqueness.
For women draping seems to be the current flavour whilst for men classic straight cuts for trousers and shirts with minimal amount of outer seams are just some of the samples on display. The clothes are fashion statements with an equal collection for both genders.
A slender and tall body shape would do the clothes justice particularly for women in order to carry off some of the heavy draping. The shop assistant played her part by wearing the designed clothes and accessorising with a pair of fashion eye frames without the glass. These eye frames are all the rage here at the moment.
Prices as expected are in the upper three figures.
For me personally it was just a little too much black in such a tropical climate but perfect for Melbournians, Londoners, New Yorkers and anywhere else where black rules.
So, if you love black, are looking for the quirky and unusual but not completely off the wall, then Fifth Avenue is worth a visit.
NB: Quite a contrast is Jilsander located opposite Fifth Avenue, which showcases a kaleidoscope of bright green, red, watermelon and orange interspersed with small splashes of black and white.
Images courtesy of www.whiteboardjournal.com
3.1 Philip Lim
Philip Lim is a Thai-born, US-raised fashioner designer, who debuted on the fashion world a mere six years ago. In a short period of time he has established himself internationally with his brand selling in 50 countries and over 400 stores worldwide.
His Singaporean flagship store is designed to evoke subtlety intertwined with exclusivity. With mature salespeople the store is elegant and refined. The colours are soft and neutral indicating a mature target market although the runway collection looks fresh and youthful.
The beauty of this designer is in the detail of the clothes and the fabrics. A closer inspection will reveal charming garments with a touch of quirky and intricate details. Individual pieces allow the customers to create their own style and mix and match. I never thought that shorts could be interesting but Philip Lim managed to do just that by using subtle embroidery details, making them perfect for any dressy casual occasion.
Since I live in bold colours, regardless of the season, Philip Lim is not for me. However, if you are in town give it a whirl and make your own mind up.
Summer 2011 Collection – www.31philliplim.com
Pacific Plaza
Lauren Jasmine
I loved it. Conceptualised and designed by two Singaporeans, Lauren Jasmine opened its doors to the public in November 2010.
Its focus is the career woman who wants to look professional yet still infuse her own creative style and individuality. The retro designed interior leads you to an elegant collection of dresses, jackets, skirts, tops and accessories.
Each piece is interesting and unique with lots of potential to mix and match and build a very nice professional wardrobe. It would be a stylist’s paradise with almost a one-stop shop.
Retro influenced fabrics and designs, here you will find the sheer asymmetrical overlay skirt, side cinched shirt, empire line tube dress and the reversible jacket to name a few. There is no shortage of asymmetry, overlays, pleats, layers, drapes and sheers.
Amongst all these gorgeous pieces you will come across ribbed knit singlets in every colour of the rainbow and tights. Not sure how they fit into a corporate wardrobe but here they are.
Lauren Jasmine has a broad ranging price from as little as $28 for the singlets to $200+ for structured and exclusive designs. Most certainly accessible to your corporate climbing woman.
The shop itself is spacious and has a great feel with nostalgic pieces adding to the overall atmosphere of the store.
A definite recommendation. You never know what treasure you might find.
Images courtesy of www.laurenjasmine.com
Mandarin Gallery
Hansel
Named after the designer’s pet dog, Hansel originates in Singapore and is owned by local fashion designer Jo Soh. Hansel has won numerous local awards and dressed several local and international celebrities.
The small store within Mandarin Gallery Mall, focuses on ready-to-wear retro inspired styles. The brand is described as quirky and playful, often colourful yet with an understated elegance. That maybe so, but for me it was not a brand that inspired.
I couldn’t work out the target group, since I thought mature but the brand’s further description as a “blend of girlie charm and clever cheekiness” indicates 20s-30s. I found some of the garments conservative but not austere. A few too many ruffles and flounces for my liking but since I prefer solid colours and simpler designs, I am probably not the best person to recognise the qualities and designs of this brand.
A visit will satisfy any customer who can make up her own mind whether it’s a brand that suits her style or not.
Hansel’s Geometric Swan inspired by a vintage button – www.ilovehansel.com
Orchard Central
The Reckless Shop
Founded by three classmates who graduated together from Raffles Design Institute, Reckless Ericka was launched only three years ago. The target market was office workers who like a bit of avant-garde in their style.
Reckless Ericka then launched The Reckless Shop. A euro-centric focus carrying a variety of European labels as well as its own in-house line. Their advertised prices of $40-$80 in the window raises the curiousity and draws you into the store where an interesting collection of black and grey soft knits are on display.
As you move through the green and grey carpeting that creates a park-inspired footpath towards the rear of the store, you will discover the real avant-garde Reckless Ericka designs. These pieces range around $300.
The shop whilst not big is kept clear of excesses in order to only show off what is of interest. Unfortunately being tailed by not one shop assistant but two, it made my experience less appealing. I kept looking over my shoulder and found it difficult to focus on the merchandise.
Spring/Summer ’11 Fleur de Sel Collection – www.recklessericka.com
These high-end retailers certainly deserve a certain amount of respect for their capability to constantly create, invent and commercialise their runway trends. Fashion is definitely art.
