white truffles

September 11, 2008

marimekko

after reading my blog on friegtag yesterday, my husband dug out his classic marimekko bag from the heap of bags we've accumulated and suggested that i blog about it. i can't take a picture of his blue marimekko classics because he felt like carrying it to work today! he bought his from finland when he was a university student in uk. designed by ristomatti ratia in 1971, this classic bag is still a favourite today. most of these bags are made from durable, sturdy canvas and made at merimekko's own factory in sulkava where the skills and know-how for making canvas bags have evolved over the decades.

if you are not familiar with marimekko, here's some info: found in 1951, this finnish company, has made important contributions to fashion especially in the 1960s and 1970s. it is known for their brightly-coloured printed fabrics and simple style. what's interesting is that it's actually made famous in the united states by jacqueline kennedy who bought 8 marimekko dresses which she wore throughout the 1960 us presidential campaign!

here are some very adorable and cheerful kiddy bags ! i love them all!

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September 11, 2008

my freitag

after blogging about freitag, i decided to take out my freitag bags which have been tucked away with other older bags and take a picture of them! moreover, just after posting about freitag, i received an invitation to their 15th anniversary at the freitag factory! too bad that i can't leave my kids and husband behind!!! ;(

both were gifts from my beloved husband. the yellow tote bag was a gift as a diaper bag when we have our first baby. the handbag with adjustable strap was a birthday present two years ago! :) how sweet of him.

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September 11, 2008

paul smith spectacles

i am pleasantly surprised to discover that the spectacles i bought 3 months ago from some unknown old optical shop actually resembles the spring/summer paul smith collections! i only paid $48 dollars for my frame! the spectacles was probably sitting in the shop for a long while and could really be a vintage pair! haha what a designer find!

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September 10, 2008

freitag

freitag flagship store in zurich sitting beside an elevated highway and railroad tracks and is made of 17 rusted shipping containers

after blogging about inujirushi bags, other lasting bags with interesting stories came to mind. one of them is freitag bags. the first freitag messenger bag was born in zurich in 1993 when two brothers, graphic designers, were in need of a waterproof bag to put their designs as zurich locals ride bikes. the colourful traffic on the highway extension in front of their apartment inspired them to sew together a messenger bag from an old truck tarpauline, seat belts (for straps) and a spare bicycle inner tube to keep the edges from fraying. see freitag history .

unintentionally, the two brothers markus and daniel, landed a hit. today, freitag is a well known brand all around the world.

their idea is indeed genius as it's both environmentally friendly yet unique as every product is made from original recycled materials and hence each product has its own individual design. What's even more cool is that every freitag bag comes with a little book that shows how the bag was made! they took pictures of every single bag they made as every bag is different. see freitag production .

lastly, the brothers did not open a store in zurich until 2003, even though many people have already been carrying their bags around the globe and in zurich!

hence my husband and i are fans of freitag products as they are durable, water-resistant, environmentally friendly, designer stuff and unique!! it's better to buy frietag than to buy branded leather bags!!!!

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September 8, 2008

bags - inujirushi

read about these lasting bags from one of my favourite magazines, monocle - article " bag for life" . these bags are really cool. if you are a canvas bag sort of person, and you actually ride a bicycle to work, you must must get one of these if you are going to tokyo, japan. visit asakusa, an older part of the town where the streets are lined with small shops, and try to locate inujirushi - the bag shop.

what's cool is that this bag brand, has survived and thrived for half a century without the help of advertising or a shop until last year!!!

inujirushi's signature material is a hard-wearing cotton sail cloth that comes in different colours and is made in central japan near the ancient capital, kyoto. the brand's best known product is a bicycle bag with pockets and leather straps and it's waterproof!!! this is definitely a more stylish alternative to the usual wire basket. these bags are very durable but if repairs are needed, the shop can mend it for you. here are some photos of inujirushi bags. to buy online, go to www.inujirushi.net

from flickr:gino's photostream

from jitensha studio website

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September 1, 2008

polo girls club

chanced upon a new boutique "holly tupper" at cluny court, along bukit timah road. interesting, unconventional polo tees, some with printed design and some with interesting patterns sewn on by hand, can be found here. the accessories are gorgeous too! everything here seems to have a personal touch on it. they're simply not mass produced.

it's a great shopping experience at "holly tupper" as the designer herself was the one attending to us. it's interesting to find out that she has come from new york to settle here, in singapore! she even has a factory here too instead of having everything sewn in china. she says that people here understand what she's doing better and that she can control the quality of her stuff better too!

her stuff are not cheap but i can't resist my hubby's offer to buy me one of her polo tees! the cool ones in my opinion, are those with patterns and numbers stitched on by hand unfortunately, i look fat in it according to my husband. hence i got the printed one below.

check out ms tupper's collections at her boutique at 501 bukit timah, #01-01A cluny court or simply visit the following websites

http://www.pologirlsclub.com/store/home.php?cat=3

www.pologirlsclub.com