happy new year!

the great thing about being of chinese descent (and i'm sure other cultures too) is that we have two new calendars that we follow. my last post was in 2014 and throughout the year, i either had no impetus to write or time was against me. 2014 saw the formal establishment of The Online Edition as a company and there was much to be done. 

anyhow, things are somewhat more certain in terms of the company's development thus it is time to reconnect with one of my favourite hobbies: writing! so here i am again...

in preparation for the lunar new year are my multiple engagements as an events host. i am ever thankful that my clients believe that i am still relevant after all these years. most of these engagements are five years on and counting. being the perfectionist that i am, it not about what i say onstage but the overall appearance as well. so now i present to you, the looks for this season of hosting:

1) the simple

checkerd Armani shirt over jeans

Zara hoodie over red tee with jeans

since the shows span over five weeks, i decided to start off with simpler looks that are more casual and comfortable. generally, it's too early to remind the crowds that the festive season is upon us so it's usually just a collared shirt with jeans. 

2) the layered

red Armani cardigan over black

one of my favourites this season

i love layering especially when it comes to my stage outfits. the base is often to absorb the perspiration (stage lights can be cruel!) and in between shows, i can just hang up the jacket for the essential backstage nap. 

the favourite look is a red Zara blazer with a pair of Armani black jeans with red 'flames' on the bottom. what i particularly liked was how well the outfit shown up on pictures. of course the look was completed with a pair of Puma that i jazzed up with a pair of wings (inspired by the Victoria's Secret models).

new lease of life for a pair of old sneakers

3) the muted

muted outfit so that i don't blend into the carpet

occasionally, i depart from the bright reds. this outfit consisted of a maroon shirt with a pair of faded gold jeans from Zara. to tone it down further, i threw a blazer of sorts over the combination. i was pretty glad at this outfit choice because a bright red outfit would have blended into the table skirting and stage carpeting.

4) the impractical

this final two outfits look good on stage BUT honestly are the most impractical. 

the first is a semi-trench from Emporio Armani over a red Armani Exchange shirt, paired with skinny jeans from French Connection. the outfit is finished with a pair of G*Star boots. this entire outfit is just tight (i blame the skinny jeans!) and seriously hard to move around in. driving in boots were a nightmare.

the second outfit is something for fall and definitely not tropical Singapore. it's a wool Amani pullover paired with a pair of maroon skinny (Armani again!) and finished with a pair of gold Versace. beyond the fabrics, the shoes look stunning but seemed to give me lots of blisters (i don't know why!)

a confession though, i do love these two outfits regardless of their comfort level and they have received numerous compliments.

and FINALLY, this year, i decided to have a little fun. since my closing show involves a camera zooming into my hands and projecting my nails onto a screen, here's what i did:

the devil is in the details...

the audience (and client) had a lot of fun snapping pictures of my nails. ask me if i would do it again? probably but i'll probably go back to the manicurist to have it removed. cleaning up the nails is tough. 

overall, it was a fun season of hosting and connecting with friends (old and new). if you want to follow me on my fashion (and generally my life) adventures, just look me up on instagram (@theonlineeditor). may the new year be one of great health and wealth. haven't said this in a long time BUT...

fash'on... BAM!

chinese zodiac 2014 - part one

i have a confession. other than having a major weakness for clothes and shoes, i like the study of astrology, not because of superstition but from the way these teachings explain the way the world operates. thus, for the next few posts, i'm going to depart a little from talking about fashion and post some zodiac horoscope videos from a recent show i hosted.

they are for those of you who are born in the year of the rat, the ox, the tiger and the rabbit.

may 2014 be a year of wealth and health!

fash'on... BAM!

i, me, mine

hello, hello, it's really been a long time since i logged in to pen a few thoughts (although it will be more than a few thoughts after i'm done, haha!) anyway, i finally found motivation to write something. i told myself, if i can run on the treadmill for forty-five minutes, i should be able to spend a couple of minutes updating my blog. the main subject of this post... ME! (too bad, no gossip about miley cyrus today)

anyway, quick item list of what i have accomplished / done in 2012 so far...

1) simultaneously coached four schools for debates... three of them produced results that i am pleased with, one not so much

2) hosted a lot of events... follow me on instagram (@theonlineeditor) if you want to check out the events that i host. the pictures are not exhaustive though. many times, i rush to the event venue, hop onto stage and before i know it, we're done. no pictures taken.

3) MADE IT ONTO YOUTUBE!!! more details here.

4) wrote a full script for students, produced and directed it. that took up a good three months hence the silence as well.

5) took up leadership position in a grassroots committee and made a lot of enemies (i think! haha.) well the main thing is i got to share my passion in the arts with a lot more people.

well, to not divert from the main objective, let's talk fashion. i have a love-hate relationship with my hosting work. while i appreciate all the opportunities to meet different people and entertain people, the fashion is a nightmare. i constantly have to make sure i wear (a) something comfortable (b) something relatable (c) something fashionable... after all, i am a fashion blogger. so much of my stage wardrobe is planned way in advance, in fact, i plan my outfits once i get the bookings (which can be as early as six months). of course, along the way, i change my mind but most of the time, i try to be as varied as possible. 

for instance, here are some outfits i wore for my hosting work at tiong bahru plaza:

the jackets

this was for chinese new year. beyond the festive red and gold, i wanted to something a little more atypical of singapore's fashion. in our humid weather, we don't wear a lot of jackets so it stood out from the crowd yet it did not distract from the event.

the skinny

the two photos are my simple shirt and jeans combination that i wore for the filming at tiong bahru plaza. however, both jeans were skinny jeans. i like skinny jeans for the shape they give my legs, an asset that i am most proud of. just be sure that you don't have a lot of movement when wearing skinny jeans unless the fabric allows it if not, it is highly uncomfortable. i usually wear skinny jeans for static assignments... translate: stand there and look good!

the comfortable

i know, i know! the outfits look nothing comfortable right? WRONG... i'm actually in t-shirt and jeans with really comfortable shoes. this event required a lot of running around which means a lot of perspiration. the hoodie and jacket were to cover sweat patches. what brands were the airy hoodie and jacket? not telling... anyway, i don't think they are still for sale.

well, next weekend, i'll be back at tiong bahru plaza hosting another event from 2pm - 6pm. if you are interested to see what outfits i've chosen. do swing by the mall! for my non-singapore readers, just follow my instagram (@theonlineeditor).

till next time!

fash'on... BAM!

seasons come and go...

the days become weeks and the weeks have become months.

i have disappeared from my own fashion blog for almost two months. during this time, there was a great spike in numbers for a couple of weeks. it was definitely a pleasant surprise even though i was not actively writing. truth be told, i have been doing some script writing too. =)

anyway, this is just a quick shout-out to everyone that i am doing well. i've just been extremely occupied with work and holding down sixteen hour days are no joke at all. just to justify my ranting on a fashion blog, here are a couple of outfits that i wore during my hosting over the chinese new year festive season. (if you want to get a better glimpse of my clothes, follow me on instagram: theonlineeditor)

i do love my reds and my gold. one of my favourite pieces would be the semi-trench from Armani. it was from last year's fall but i kept it till early this year before showcasing it on stage. love how comfortable it was and the movement it gave on stage. 

well, it's late and there's more work to be done. hope everyone is well!

fash'on... BAM!

hear the music of the night

the phantom of the opera opened in the west end in 1986 and on broadway in 1988. it won the 1986 olivier award and the 1988 tony award for best musical. michael crawford (in the title role) won the 1986 olivier and 1988 tony for best performance by an actor in a musical. it is the longest-running broadway show by a wide margin (celebrating its 10,000th performance on broadway on 11 February. 2012), the second longest-running west end musical and the third longest-running west end show overall. 

with total worldwide box office receipts of over $5.1 billion (£3.5 billion), including a record-setting broadway gross of $845 million, phantom is the highest-grossing entertainment event of all time and the most financially successful theatrical show in history. it had been seen by over 130 million people in 145 cities in 27 countries by 2011, the most successful entertainment project in history.

at the helm of the costumes is maria björnson. björnson worked for many theatres around the world, designing sets and costumes both for straight drama and for opera. some of her more notable commissions were for the royal shakespeare company, andrew lloyd webber's the phantom of the opera, which won her the tony award for best scenic design, the drama desk award for outstanding set design, and the drama desk award for outstanding costume design, and the trevor nunn production of aspects of love.

the show has, of course, been remade into film with slightly more elaborate costumes. like what i mentioned, i like the idea that stage costumes are often hand-sewn and each piece is unique in its own way. for the phantom of the opera, i will just compare a few of christine's looks. if you want the full comparison, do click here.

1) hannibal slave girl

the first time we see christine she is wearing a slave girl costume. both versions of this costume are revealing but in different ways. in the stage show it has a plunging neckline and rope skirt. velvet panels make up the bodice and gold cording cover the seams. there is a lot of beaded elements around the neckline and around the shoulders. she also wears a crown. in the movie the costume has an expose midriff. It has a floral print on the bodice. the neckline and waistband appear to be made out of leather with some metal details. the skirt is a lightweight fabric.

2) white dressing gown

after christine's triumphant debut she wears a white dressing gown with ruffles. this dressing is wore during the show's most memorable moments; going through the mirror, the phantom of the opera, music of the night and the first unmasking. in the stage show christine wears a long white robe with long sleeves. it has lots of ruffles at the neckline, cuffs, hem and along the opening. the hannibal corset underneath the gown adds a pop of color. in the movie christine 'dressing gown' is more like lingerie. it consists of a sheer dress with high slit, a white corset, and white robe with ruffles and pink sequins.

3) wedding

the wedding dress is a gown that phantom forces christine to wear. both dress features diagonal elements. in the stage show it's the ruffles on the skirt and an overlay draped at an angel in the movie. however beyond that the dresses are different.

the stage show has a lots of lace and ruffle details, a wide waistband, a sweetheart neckline neckline, 3/4 sleeves, buttons and a bustle. it's a very opulent dress and a great dress to end the show. the movie dress has the same spirit. the dress features an off shoulder neckline with short sleeves. the bodice is identical to an earlier dress in the movie ('think of me'). it has a asymmetrical overlay on the front and drapes around the side and covers the skirt which has ruffles much like the stage show. it's not as opulent as the stage version.

if you read the review, the stage costumes are chosen over the movie dresses. in theatre, with the constraint of time, costume changes have to be swift. the stage fashion is practically part of the cast, contributing to the narrative of the production. love the musical and adore the fashion.

fash'on... BAM!