High style and glam in Singapore (Part II)

Click here to read Part I

Next morning, palanggas, we rushed over to Singapore’s famous coffee house, Ya Kun Kopitiam, for breakfast. We had to wait awhile before we could get a a table to down the house’s famous coffee served with toasted bread spread with coco jam and two poached eggs with sweet soy sauce (toyo). Moi stuck to the toast while Ethel Soliven-Timbol dug into everything. After all, she had been raving about this place days before we reached Singapore.

With our stomachs full, we headed to the swinging, Sixties Now! exhibition at the beautiful Singapore Art Museum. We discovered the impact that art and fashion had on Singapore during those fast, wild years where big changes took place during that turbulent time.

Why is the ’60s still popular? Exhibition curator Low Sze Wee explained, "Our perception of the past is influenced by the present. Our perception of the present is also overshadowed by the past. So, in a way, the ’60s cannot be consigned easily to the ‘past’; it continues in the present."

As we entered the exhibit’s ground floor, we marveled at objects collected from the ’60s that were on loan to the museum for the exhibit’s duration. There were tons of functional objects like electric fans; record albums; a couple of juke boxes; and toys. All of which–remarkably–may still be used today.

As we moved to the the museum’s second level, there were newspaper clippings blown up on the wall about the unexplained and the bizarre. There were also commentaries on the well-known personas and happenings of the ’60s. Some of the notable ones: "In 1959, Singapore became self-governing with Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister. In 1957, the Singapore citizenship act makes everyone born in Singapore automatically a citizen. In 1961, the female oral contraceptive was launched. In 1963, Mary Quant launched her Ginger Group clothes. In 1962, Bridget Riley held her first solo exhibition, OP Art. In 1963, Vidal Sassoon created the first Nancy Kwan bob hair cut. In 1964, the Beatles made the film, A Hard Days Night. In 1967, film director Stanley Kubrick made his box-office film, 2001: A Space Odyssey. And in 1969, Woodstock Festival opened in the US."

The title of the one-of-a-kind exhibition summed it best. As the organizers put it: "It is not a show about the ’60s. It is a show about you and me–here and now. This exhibition hopes to explore four areas were residues of the ’60s may evoke memories of who we were and questions of who we are today."

Yes, dahlings, the ’60s has definitely left its mark on many aspects of today’s lifestyle.

We also felt the thrill of seeing gorgeous, dazzling jewelry and the collection of Milan’s renowned jewelry designer, Fulvio Maria Scavia who has bagged the "Diamonds International Awards" 14 times since 1976. At the Corlina Watch ESPACE Boutique in Millenia Walk (the designer’s Singapore outlet), we saw over 30 brilliantly designed pieces of jewelry by Scavia. Among them was the fabi, millennium ring with a caption that goes, "In that instant when the new millennium intersects the old, time stands still to capture the magical encounter of two lives united in a graceful synthesis." This design won for Scavi De Beers’ 2000 Diamonds International Awards.

There was a fantastic piece from Sandra Dia which won the 1988 Diamonds International Awards. These dazzling earrings belong to Elizabeth Taylor, among her other jewelry by Scavia, natch!

We then had a yummy lunch at the popular Marche restaurant at the busy, busy Suntec City. As you enter this resto, you are given a receipt which you then use as you move among the counters of your choice where they stamp the amount of the yummies you’ve chosen. A great new idea for fast-food eating!

Apres, we headed for the Face of the Future 2002 pageant at Suntec City’s huge Mall. The young male and female models, dressed in Singapore’s designers garbs, strutted their stuff in front of the judges and the international press.

That night we had another great experience dining at the Halia, a cool reso set in the middle of the Ginger Garden of the Botanical Gardens. It is only 15 minutes from the suburbs of Singapore. Here you can enjoy a superb supper with birds chirping outside as the breeze cools the resto’s jungle-like atmosphere.

The Fashion Festival’s grand opening kicked off a week before, dahlings, with The HIP Parade at Singapore’s super hip, One Fullerton Square. This trendy waterfront place boasts of a dramatic view of the city’s skyscrapers.

Singapore’s very own fashion house, Club 21, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a carnival atmosphere. Chic sheiks and chicks partied with popular MTV VJs Belinda and our own spark-y Donita Rose. Top Singapore models showed off the latest upbeat fashion labels for the mass market like A/X, Blackjack, Diesel, DKNY Jeans, MAMBO and Paul Smith Jeans which were way out cool. Needless to say, the event rocked with the city’s top A-list trendy personas and fashion enthusiasts who partied on with American DJ Peter Heller.

A day after we attended the Face of the Future 2002 at Suntec City Mall, we enjoyed a yummy breakfast at Hotel International’s popular Coffee Shop and resto, The Olive Tree. Joining us were the mega movers, shakers and definitely the achievers of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB): vibrantly brilliant STB Philippines country manager Shirley Yeong; super dedicated workaholic gent with a naughty smile, STB’s assistant director for Southeast Asia Aloysius Arlando; and perky spit-fire, STB’s assistant manager for media Shih Wee Seow.

The trio explained that the festival aimed to position Singapore as Southeast Asia’s leading fashion retail capital where fashion retailers can showcase and launch their latest designers and products which are expected to boost the retail business.

Estimates have it that 2.2 million ASEAN visitors (excluding the ones from other parts of the world) generated over 2,582 million. Apparel is still the most popular item purchased by visitors, with India and Thailand as the biggest shopping spenders. Not bad, huh? Not bad at all, dahlings.

The next big fashion event was held at the breezy Palm Court of the tres chi-chi Raffles Hotel where five top-of-the-line designers from India presented their latest haute couture in a show simply called Best of India Haute Couture. The colorful and visual fashion collection was, indeed, India with soul. Moreso with the presence of Indian beauty queens, Miss Universe and Miss India, who were applauded enthusiastically by Singapore’s upper crest Indian community and members of the cosmopolitan set. They all gave a standing ovation for the five talented and creative couturiers: Rina Dhaka; Rajesh Pratap Sing; Kavita Bhartia; Kiran Uttam Ghosh; and Sonam Dubal.

The Fashion Festival’s super finale last year (which we attended) was the gorgeous, first of a kind pop-rock, graffiti-punk collection of Christian Dior at the Fullerton Hotel’s grand ballroom. This year’s grandioso finale was a gala dinner show at the beautiful Shangri-La Hotel’s Island Ballroom. It featured world-renowned Salvatore Ferragamo’s luxurious Spring/Summer men’s and women collection called, The Italian Connection.

Ferragamo had Singapore’s alta sociedad drooling over the models flaunting sophisticated and ethereal designs from the popular off- shoulder frilled dresses; to a flowing black chiffon over a beige body-hugging stretch gown; to tons of coquettish-stylish dresses and gowns. The shoes were done ’40s-style with chunky heels with wide leather straps, ankle straps or peep toes.

Adding glitz to the already dazzling affair was another Italian, Fulvio Maria Scavia, whose brand of distinctive, exquisitely made jewelry, had the chic perfumed set gala diners lusting over them. After the screams, howls, and the standing ovation that lasted almost 10 minutes were over, the social hotshots had a post party at the chic-ky Blu-Bar. This tres elegant affair was sponsored by Singapore’s Italian Embassy.

But the Fashion Festival did not end there, dahlings. There are loads of happenings taking place this whole year in bustling Singapore.

Ongoing in the month of May is the Great Singapore Sale which draws enthusiastic shoppers with up to a whopping 70-percent discount on branded items, appliances, accessories, plus, plus. Even hotels, tourist attractions and restos join in by offering special discounts. For more info, visit www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg.

On May 23 to June 23, Sentosa’s Siloso Beach will be transformed into a sculptor’s paradise. Towering replicas, monuments and objects will be carved out of sand by a team of international and local sculptors in the event dubbed Sentosa Sandsation. While you stay there for a week or weekend, you’ll find endless activities for the whole family where you will have the beach and golf courses, plus tons of attractions.

On June 1 to the 25, the city will turn arty with the Singapore Arts Festival. For one month, various art forms will take center stage with a range to suit every fancy. The festival showcases performances from the East and West, a fusion between traditional and modern, local and international acts, with works of local and Asian top artists together for one big art show.

August 9 is for the National Day parade. Singapore celebrates its 37 years of independence this year.

WOMAD Singapore 2002 is set on Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. It will showcase topnotch performers from all over the world. The event also features the colorful world of music, arts and dance.

For Arts Sake! will be held from Sept. 1 to Nov. 16. For three whole months, you’ll be swamped with art of every imaginable form from all around the island.

Then, Celebration Singapore 2002 will be held from Nov. 16, 2002 to Feb. 28, 2003. This will be four months of spectacular holiday events featuring food, art, musical happenings, many other goings-on to mark an explosive bash on New Year’s Eve.

Needless to say, The STB has definitely sold Singapore successfully. Credit also goes to Singapore’s brilliant tourism infrastructure (which makes fantastic shopping possible), their great hotels, plus all the country’s leisure attractions.

Yes, dahlings, Singapore invited the world to live it up this year. The city took a deep breath, held it in, and exploded in an explosion of colors, sounds, partying and spectacular fashion shows. No doubt, this is what makes Singapore a dazzling place.

For more info on this year’s Singapore Festival, do call Nancy Harel & Associates’ PR office at tel. no. 636-0255 to 58; fax no .636-0259.

Singapore has loads of happenings yet to come until December, palanggas. Check them out!