Volkswagen Jetta GLI 2.0T

Sgcarmart’s Amery Reuben takes the GLI for a spin and sees how it compares to the GTI
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If you recall, Volkswagen started the Jetta lineup here last year with the 2.0 TFSI. Great, if you like the engine of a Golf GTI in a four-door saloon with a gigantic boot. However, it never really looked the part. Simply put, its design was plain boring.

Now though, they’ve brought in the venerable Jetta TSI, and that essentially takes care of the “economical but more-than-adequate powered,” entry level lineup of the Jetta range. That leaves the identical-looking Jetta 2.0 TFSI with not much room to breathe, so instead of continuing with it, they’ve decided to up the ante with the GLI instead.

Keeping in line with German tradition, there are no GT-wings, vortex stabilizers, outlandish body kits or fake carbon fiber. Expectedly, this sleeper of a Jetta has understated touches to designate its high performance lineage. If you look closely, you’ll realize that the car is completely unlabelled of the word “Jetta,” having the two GLI badges replace it completely both front and rear.

Read more on this car review.

The Great Online Singapore Sale – only at 88DB.com

88DB will be launching an exciting feature in line with the Great Singapore Sale in June 1, and would like to invite all online shop owners to be listed in our special edition microsite. Whether your store sells jewellery, kitchenware, diaper cakes, or car accessories, we welcome all (unless it’s somewhat less appropriate).

The special edition would contain all you need to know about shopping, the best discounts islandwide, online sales, as well as a contest for all you shopaholics.

If your web store is having a mega sale as part of the GSS, we would love to help you promote your site by listing you under our microsite.

Simply email the following to marketing@88db.com.sg by May 28, 12pm.

1. Your name and contact number
2. Name of your online shop
3. Web URL of the shop
4. Hi-res logo in jpeg format
5. Specific description of the discount/sale offered, including terms & conditions and duration of the sales
6. At least 3 clear pictures of the different products on sale

*All shops would be listed according to alphabetical order, under various categories.

Want Some American Idol Soup?

It’s a mixture of good and bland, actually.
By Fiona Poh
Photos from www.chickensoup.com



The ever-popular TV talent-search series American Idol has found another way to milk its appeal and is now making soup. Not literally, of course, because Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul is just another book in the uplifting Chicken Soup series. Though this edition is about a reality TV series, it seems too tightly entwined with the fantasies of American Idol to be totally believable.

First season finalist Jim Verraros’s “The Impossible Dream” is both memorable and touching. He writes about his parents and the sad fact that they’ll never hear him sing. “I wouldn’t trade them for all the hearing parents in the world, but sometimes I dream that one day, by some miracle, I could pick up the phone and say ‘I love you’ without an interpreter in the middle,” he writes.

Speaking like a character out of a Disney production, Verraros is still optimistic, however, because “impossible things happen every day”.

Read more about Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul.

Fashion, Painted

Balinese artist Ni Nyoman Sani paints women garbed in fashionable dresses in her latest exhibition at CurioCity Gallery

WE LOVE fashion and art. In fact, we love fashion and art so much that we practically fainted at the opening of Ni Nyoman Sani’s exhibit at CurioCity Gallery along Bencoolen Street where she showed over 10 works, mostly in huge canvasses, of women dressed in fabulous clothings they look like they just stepped out of the pages of Vogue magazine.

“I get my inspiration from magazines and Fashion TV,” Sani, in her 30s, whispered to us as she related how she’s always loved to paint images of women, though it’s the first time she’s gone deep into fashionistas.

Read more about Nyoman Sani.

Step Back In Time With P Ramlee

Award-winning KL production of 'P Ramlee The Musical' goes to Singapore this weekend, paying homage to the talent who made over 60 movies and more than 300 songs between 1940 and 1960

FOR the cast of P. Ramlee The Musical, to be staged this weekend at the Esplanade Theatres, the bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore had a sense of déjà vu about it. “It reminded us of the scene where P. Ramlee takes the trip from Penang to Singapore…and he doesn’t know what his future will be,” says Liza Hanim, who plays Saloma, the last great love of P. Ramlee, the late great Malaysian entertainment legend.

Those who grew up in Singapore between the 1940s and 1960s know who P. Ramlee is. He directed and acted in over 60 movies, and wrote and sang more than 300 songs. He was a prolific, creative talent. On a more personal note, he was also an inspired lover. He fell in love more than once.

Read more about this musical play.

It’s Playtime Again This June!

Modeling courses, Kooky Cookies, Financial Education, and everything your child can possibly want
by Mavis Ang

GONE are the days when Singaporean kids spend their holidays cycling along East Coast Park, having sleepovers and building ‘tents’ out of blankets and laundry clippers, and having five stone marathons with friends.

Our children now are highly intelligent little bundles with endless amounts of curiosity and energy which need to be nurtured well lest they end up frustrated, pent-up, or restless. You can search and pick the most interesting summer programmes for your kids this June holidays with 88DB’s extensive list of children enrichment programmes, or browse through the most interesting ones we’ve spotted below.

Find out more about children enrichment programmes.

Lose Weight By Hypnosis?

In this eight-part series, we follow the fictional life of Daniel, a software engineer who is in search of the best way to reverse his obesity.

Chapter 1: THE FLESH IS NEEDING BUT THE WILL IS WEAK

DANIEL is a software engineer at a prestigious Information and Communications Technology (“ICT”) consultancy house. “Incoherent Convoluted Thinking”, his colleagues would often make light fun of the acronym that is much revered in certain industries, especially after gulping down more than a few mugs of good beer at a dinner of usually greasy franchised fastfood or even greasier traditional hawker fare.

This is typical of Daniel’s work style and life style; long hours at work that is only briefly interrupted by quick meals of fastfood, both the Western franchise and Asian hawker-by-the-roadside styles, before scurrying back to his workstation, to continue working into the late hours of the night. So, it is no wonder that Daniel, at 95kg, and most of his colleagues, range from the chubby to the obese.

To make matters worse, spotlighted in the brightest corner of the office pantry is a vending machine filled with the most heavenly assortment of snacks: candies, chocolate bars, nachos, potato and tortilla chips, cookies, etc., etc., etc. Seemingly harmless, but yet each time Daniel and his colleagues take a break from their workstations, it would call out to them like a Siren of Greek mythology and they are hypnotically drawn to it like the Argonauts, mechanically plugging in the coins, pressing the selection buttons and watching in a hypnotic trance as the spiral rings turn, pushing the candies, chocolate bars and bags of chips off the shelves onto the catch tray below.

Continue reading about Daniel's weight-loss program.

88DB Mother's Day Contest - Win at least $8,000 worth of prizes

Mom's The Best! So show her how much you love her... with these prizes, of course!

This Mother's Day, surprise your Mom with the most elaborate gift bundle ever. Simply submit a fun picture of you and your Mom, and include a short paragraph on three personality flaws you’ve inherited from her, and you might just walk away with one of these amazing prizes.

P.S. We know that the prizes are extremely attractive, but as much as we would like to keep it for ourselves, they are intended solely for Mother's Day gifts. We trust that you won't be naughty and keep all the gifts to yourselves!

Read more about this Mother's Day contest or join now!

Mother’s Day Feasts

Choose from four restaurants at Fairmont Singapore hotel when you take Mum out this Sunday

IT HAS been said that the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world. On 11 May, the world will momentary stop rocking and spinning as it pays homage to its true, dominant rulers — the Mothers. On this special day, Fairmont Singapore hotel (formerly Raffles Plaza hotel) will elevate matriarchal power and authority to a higher level, courtesy of its multifarious culinary spectacle to remember.

With an array of indulgent offerings and a cacophony of ways for Mothers to bask in the lap of luxury even only for a day, Prego will be leading a sumptuous epicurean tribute to fête all hard-working Moms and give them a fighting chance to enjoy a heart-warming, tummy-thrilling and soul-satisfying meal — a meal they did not whip up themselves.

Read more to find the best treat for Mothers.

25 °C Is Hot

Every month, this restaurant/bookshop in Chinatown recreates a recipe from one of the many cookbooks they're selling — this May it’s miso-steak by lifestyle guru Harumi Kurihara, regarded as Japan's Martha Stewart
By James P. Ong

WE’VE all heard the story before: friends who love food so much they decide to open a restaurant and café. For sure, it’s not a new trend, and definitely, it’s not an original idea. But to be able to create a restaurant that’s both original and trendy — well, that’s something we’ll always welcome in Singapore.

At 25 degree Celsius in Chinatown, which opened six months ago, owners Sally Tsai and Karin Chan have hit upon a brilliant idea: a bookstore and dining outlet that also happens to be a test kitchen.

Read more on this food review.

Top 10 Views From The Singapore Flyer

On a clear day aboard the Singapore Flyer, they say you can see Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore's landmarks. Here, we tell what sites to watch out for during your 30-minute ride.

Visit 88DB Lifestyle now to check out the interactive map with the top views to lookout for from the Singapore Flyer.

Read more...

Five Guitars And A Movie

Custom-designed electric guitars up for auction at Singapore premiere of ‘Control,’ the critically acclaimed movie about cult band Joy Division’s lead singer

CONTROL, the critically acclaimed movie about Ian Curtis, the late frontman of seminal English band Joy Division, will be shown from 10 – 11 May at The Substation Theatre. Five electric guitars, custom-designed based on inspiration from the band and its music, will be publicly auctioned during the same period.

Hailed by The Guardian as "the best film of the year: a tender, bleakly funny and superbly acted biopic of Curtis", Control is directed by veteran music video director and photographer Anton Corbijn.

Read more about this film review.

Discreetly yours, BMW M3 Sedan

Unlike its coupe version, the M3 sedan convincingly demonstrates that less is more, especially when it comes to visual addenda — the styling cues are all functional rather than purely cosmetic
Text and photos by David Khoo, Powered by SGCarMart.com

ONE of the most powerful letters in the alphabet has to be “M”. When tagged as a prefix to the numbers 3, 5 or 6, the presence of any BMW “M” car has the ability to turn grown men weak in the knees and feel all woolly in the belly as they're reduced to giggly, star-struck teeny-boppers who find themselves stuck in a lift with their favourite idols.

Of course the adult equivalent is for a guy to walk in on a XXX film-shoot with four of his favourite actresses and their favourite multi-headed toy!

A sweaty session with the BMW M3, in four-door guise no less, is like scoring a date with that sweet-looking girl from next door, only to discover she's more than capable of bringing on the fireworks when things start getting hot and heavy. Let's just say, with the kind of antics this girl gets up to, you wouldn't want to be bringing her home to meet momma any time soon.

Read more on this auto review.

It’s A Koi Weekend

At S’pore Expo, 1,500 koi compete for 1st Asia Koi Cup
By James P. Ong

TRY playing the game “Six Degrees Of Separation” see how separated you are from someone who owns a koi pond, and you’ll quickly realise that if it’s not someone you know directly, then it’s a friend or a relative of a friend. Such is the popularity of koi in Singapore.

This popularity will be even more evident this weekend when the Singapore Koi Club hosts the first-ever and “biggest Koi show in Asia.” An estimated 1,500 koi of world-class standard, consisting of 14 sizes and 16 varieties, will be flying in to take part in the three-day event at the Singapore Expo. About 300 vinyl tanks will be placed in the show ground.

Read more about the 1st Asia Cup Koi Show 2008.

Car Review: Opel Astra Sedan 1.8

A good everyday car, much better than anything else from General Motors, but at $86,888, is it worth it?
Text and photos by Amery Reuben, Powered by SGCarMart.com

NOW Opel insists that their new Opel Astra sedan’s life cycle will indeed succeed here in Singapore, just like it has in the European market.

But there is a slight hitch.

The Opel Astra’s oversized central hood line is this car’s main element — it penetrates the windshield, dash and centre console. Flared wheel arches and a trick two-piece rear glass work by sporting good symmetry, while a rather peculiar looking rear completes the picture with a slit rear window. Yes, it looks out of place especially when compared to the rest of the car, but the good thing is that it doesn’t look cheap.

Read more on this car review.

F1 single-day walkabout tickets released

Now you can bring your whole family along
by Mavis Ang

SINGAPORE Grand Prix will be releasing single-day walkabout tickets for the upcoming F1 race in Singapore! With affordable prices enough to convince the average Singaporean to attend the Formula 1 race, the walkabout area during the event is going to be one big party!

The walkabout tickets may be the least prestigious of the lot, but there will be numerous food, beverage and entertainment outlets that can be found all over the circuit park, and ticket holders will be able to enjoy selected outlets at the Esplanade and the Singapore Flyer.

Read more on how to buy tickets to Singapore F1.

Cooking Tips From Master Chefs for $48

Great deal for foodies and closet cooks
By James P. Ong

IF YOU’RE a closet cook like most of us, the type who regularly surfs the Web for recipes and cooking lessons, then you’ll be thrilled to hear this news: five top chefs from all over the world are holding culinary lessons this Saturday at the Singapore Tourism Board, as part of the World Gourmet Summit.

According to the organisers, “each chef will be conducting a cooking demonstration and prepare two of their signature dishes.” And taste portions of the food! This is a superb deal especially for those who were unable to attend these chefs’ private dinners because of the tummy-growling prices.

For only $48++ per class, you can “witness the best of the culinary finesse of these international master chefs.”Each chef will share their secrets to the great cuisines as well as answer he enquiries.

Read more for cooking lessons from master chefs.

4 Out Of 7 Golds For Aussie Wines

Other winners at Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge 2008 — which heightens a wine’s international recognition and marketing exposure — include Germany, Austria and Italy
By James P. Ong

AUSTRALIAN wines emerged with the most number of gold awards at last week’s Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge (if you’re wondering why the words are so close to each other, it could be because the logo designer was doing some wine-tasting on his own!) at the Singapore Expo.

What happens at a Wine Challenge? “A Vineyard Story” tells us: “Wines in such competitions are always tasted blind and in a controlled environment: temperature of wines, aroma-free tasting glasses, good lighting, and of course, good servers. All wines will be tasted in flights (batches), to be completed in a given time frame. And NO, you are not allowed in such a ‘tensed’ environment of tasting, no visitors allowed! Authorised personnel only! And I’m sorry if your Gold Medal Wine from somewhere only gets a Bronze Medal here, no appeals will be entertained.”

Read more about the Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge 2008.

Last Call For A Fab Dinner

Gourmet dinner this Friday or gourmet BBQ on Friday? Choose your pick as the World Gourmet Summit wraps up this weekend
By James P. Ong

IT’S been a fantasy-come-real week for foodies what with the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore and the select private dinners it has organised over the past few days, featuring top-rated chefs from all over the world.

This Friday (25 April) is your last chance to experience a WGS dinner, with chef Peter Thornley, whose menu inspirations, according to www.newzealand.com, “range from everyday objects like a trellise fence to the quirky, such as Donatella Versace’s handbag. Peter once served a first course in paper handbags using chopsticks as decorative handles.”

We hope he’ll be as creative and intriguing at Sistina Ristorante along Jalan Meran Sagah, where dinner will be at $200 ++.

Read more about the World Gourmet Summit.

Play It Write With Alfian Sa’at

He’s met Sir Ian McKellen and written plays that defy Singapore’s censorship laws. Playwright Alfian Sa’at muses about the pressures of being controversial and finding his place in Singapore
By Selene Yap

CHEEKILY flamboyant yet down-to-earth, Alfian Sa’at a lover of traditional teh-o [tea without milk], is Uniquely Singapore(an). He’s a candidly capable overachiever, having his first play produced at the age of 19, and first book published at 21.

The 30-year-old’s illustrious decade-long career started when he was chairman of the Raffles Junior College Drama Society. He’s since written notable productions like sex.violence.blood.gore, which underwent the scrutiny of censorship laws, and Homesick, which, with its theme of biculturalism and family, opened the 2006 Singapore Theatre Festival.

The recipient of the 2001 National Arts Council Young Artist Award for Literature, and the 2005 DBS-Life! Theatre Awards for Best Script, also penned the final installment of the critically-acclaimed Asian Boys Trilogy, a series of plays exploring homosexuality and society.

Get to know Alfian Sa’at.

Why Ride The Singapore Flyer?

For the same reason you go to London Eye, Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building — for the view and because it’s a national landmark
by James P. Ong

SINCE the Singapore Flyer started spinning its wheels in February (and officially opened on 15 April), it has become a favourite debate among local residents and tourists — is $29.50 (for adults) worth the 30-minute ride? To which we confidently say, yes. The experience is priceless and the view is spectacular, and will be even more impressive in the next few months.

In September, the F1 Night Race will be held here and you can get a panoramic view of the track while on the capsule. And by the time Marina Bay is fully redeveloped and the casinos are opened, riding the Singapore Flyer at night will be nothing short of breathtaking.

When the Singapore Flyer was about to open, people were under the impression that tickets were sold out for months. Not true. A certain percentage of daily tickets are reserved for walk-in visitors, though it’s easier to secure a ticket during the day than at night. We have not met a single person who was unable to purchase a ticket for the same day.

Read more about the Singapore Flyer.

More Japanese Dishes From PastaMania

On its 10th year, PastaMania adds seven new fusion dishes to Japanese menu
By Mavis Ang, Photos: PastaMania

Thanks to PastaMania, we’ve been enjoying yummy classic Italian food at very affordable prices all over the island. Along with various activities to commemorate their 10th Anniversary this April, PastaMania satiates fusion fans by introducing seven new choices under their ever-popular Japanese menu.

Read more about the new Japanese dishes at PastaMania.

The Wait Shortens To The Singapore Grand Prix

Top action-filled spots, alternative accommodations, and the essential lowdown
by Mavis Ang, Photos: Singapore GP Pte Ltd

Regardless if you’re a Formula 1 fan, the constant news coverage and updates on the inaugural 2008 FORMULA 1 TM SingTel Singapore Grand Prix must have lured you into a quiet anticipation gradually building up to the big day.

On September 26 - 28, Singapore will play host to the 15 th of the 18-leg race calendar. Not only is it set to be the first ever night race (Hooray for die-hard European fans rooted to the TV set!), Singapore’s street circuit of public roads in Marina Bay will also be Asia’s first F1 street race.

Read more about the Singapore Formula 1 Race.

Volkswagen Passat 1.8 TSI Road Test

More power and punch than the old model
Text and photos by Amery Reuben, Powered by SGCarMart.com

Last year, when we drove the 2-litre Passat FSI, we were relatively impressed with the level of comfort it had to offer as a refined cruiser. It lacked power, and nothing much was left to our imagination with the car’s up-front nature. It did offer us something a little different though.

Now, they’ve replaced the aforementioned, workhorse 2-litre powerplant that we have all come to know of in the Beetle and Golf, in the form of a new 1.8-litre TSI turbo. Being the smaller brother to the bigger 2-litre TFSI, it puts out less torque and power. Don’t confuse this TSI for that of the 1.4, turbo-supercharged variant in the Golf GT though, for this new engine does not come with the latter.

Read more about this car review.

Top 15 Underwear Looks

Sexy but not vulgar, playful yet wearable men’s underwear at Vizon’s ‘Sex-y in the City’ fashion show
By James P. Ong

IT’S summer and if men had their way, they’ll be parading around Orchard in their underwear — boxer briefs exploding with patterns and colours reminiscent of briefs for toddlers.

At the Singapore Fashion Festival’s “Sex-y In The City: The Men’s Underwear Show”, fashion-conscious men and women tropped to the Tent@Orchard on Friday afternoon to see the Spring/Summer ’08 collections of labels like John Galliano, Emporio Armani, DKNY, Punto Blanco, and regional labels like Renoma.

Read more on the Top 15 Underwear Looks.

Zouk’s Fashionable Flea & Easy

Caution: The cheap buys featured below may cause extreme jealousy
by Mavis Ang

Zouk’s quarterly flea market “Flea & Easy” took a different spin last Sunday with a fashion elite edition (along with Singapore Fashion Festival ‘08), where all the stall vendors belonged to the fashion industry. Amongst which are stalls owned by Cleo, Harper’s Bazaar, Channel 8 actor Chen Han Wei, modelactress Jade Seah, and radio DJs Shan Wee and Rosalyn Lee.

Within an hour, Zouk was packed with usually glamourous fashionistas jostling and squeezing their way through the crowd. A small queue gradually formed at the entrance as people stopped to look at stalls, holding up traffic behind them. After straining our necks and grumbling, my companion and I managed to step into the flea market, only to be stunned by the sight before us.

Read more about Zouk's Fashionable Flea & Easy.

Curing Your Dog’s Blues, Temper and Tantrums

It all comes down to love, actually.
by Stephanie Marilyn Martin

You return home from a hard day’s work to find that the house is in a chaotic mess. Torn newspaper strewn all over, the cushions in shreds and basically everything out of place. In the midst of it all, sits your proudly triumphant pooch.

Now you don’t want to find yourself in such a position because it could only mean an endless repetition of the same scenario for months to come. To save yourself the undeserved stress, learn to recognize early symptoms of stress and temper-related problems in your dog and nip it in the bud.

Like humans, dogs suffer from emotional trauma as well. There are many factors contributing to emotional trauma in dogs, most of them being reasons which stem from the canine’s growing years.

Read more on dog training and pet discipline.

Rock And Roll Straight Up At HGR Event

The Rakes played so hard one of their supporting guitarist ripped his shirt by the second song
by Mavis Ang

“WE’RE not a metal band. We’re from England,” Alan Danahoe proclaimed, and proceeded to adjust his collar. Perhaps when faced with a half-enthusiastic crowd, The Rakes felt the need for formal introduction midway into the set.

UK indie band The Rakes made their debut performance at Heineken Green Room’s (HGR) latest session at Zouk last Thursday night. As Heineken’s exclusive community organizes nightlife events that are limited to invite-only entries, it has gotten common music lovers in Singapore worked up and frustrated.

Alan Jemeny, 22, has been a fan of The Rakes since they were in the early stages of fame. He felt it was a shame to deprive other supporters from getting into the gig, and considers himself a very lucky fan.

Read more about The Rakes at the HGR Event.

Canon Enters Fashion Fray

New IXUS and PowerShot models available in different colours

CANON, a favourite among amateur and professional photographers, is about to gain a new fan base with its new IXUS and PowerShot models that come in colours other than standard-issue silver. The IXUS 80 IS comes in pink, blue, two shades of brown, and silver, while the Powershot A470 are available in yellow, green, red, blue and grey.

Canon harnessed the latest technologies to pack the diminutive IXUS 80 IS with a host of features including Canon’s DIGIC III imaging processor, 3x zoom and 8 megapixel CMOS sensor, which support high-resolution prints up to A2 size. The brand new Motion Detection Technology and high-speed ISO 1600 means an end to blurred images.

Read more about the new Canon digital cameras.

Top 10 Menswear Trends

The past year marked the restoration of the classy cardigan and the facelift of the casual shirt, but why are so many men still getting it wrong?
By Robert James
Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

SOCKS and sandals, mobile phone holder on belt, the list could go on. Traditional male stereotypes dictate the sex to be uninterested and hopeless when it comes to fashion. From many experiences this is much the case.

Is it really too much effort to look at least half decent? The fashion industry has for decades been primarily focused towards woman but with more and more clothing ranges and male style icons being filtrated through the media, is it not about time we dress the nation properly?

There really is now no excuse for sloppy dressing. High street stores are full with the latest in male fashion but why is it that men still get there better halves shop for them? Shop for yourselves, you need to know what looks good and works for you.

So many times I have been on the train or waiting at the bus stop and I see men who just do not know how to dress themselves. Many admit to being useless when it comes to fashion but for those who don't, well, they just need help.

Read more about the top trends for 2008.

Top 10 Womenswear Trends

Some things from last season are still popular and can be recycled for this season.
By Megan Hazel
Source: www.fibre2fashion.com

YOU probably can't recall who said it, but whoever first uttered that fashion comes full circle every 30 years or so was not too far off. This season on the runway is reminiscent of the flowing ‘70s in both fabric and style.

1. Long skirts are in. We are seeing much more of the long skirt and much less of the micro mini. Materials like silk and chiffon, which tend to flow and gather, are much more popular for Spring 2008 than fabrics like cotton or denim which tend to hold shape and stay stiffer in appearance. The word for the season is feminine, feminine, feminine! The exception to this seems to be in outerwear, where rubber is oddly back in style. Indoors, though, thin little belts, hats, and scarves are also popular and a throwback to the 70s as well as being womanly.

2. Metallic bags and clutches. Don't despair, though — some things from last season are still popular and can be recycled for this season. Accessories like metallic bags and clutches, as well as sequins and some of the longer pencil skirts can still be worn with confidence.

Read the rest of the Top 10 Womenswear Trends.

What is SFF 2008?

Be the first in Asia to preview the Autumn/Winter 08 collections of world-celebrated designers, straight off the runways of Paris and New York, ready-to-order in Singapore.

MAKING its highly–anticipated comeback at the mega Tent@Orchard, Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza is the Singapore Fashion Festival, presented by MasterCard and made possible by the Singapore Tourism Board.

The Singapore Fashion Festival is set to rock the region with a cutting-edge direction of discovery and resurgence. Trend-watchers can expect to discover fashion’s hottest rising stars from around the world, blazing a new trail in the region’s style capital.

Be the first in Asia to preview the Autumn/Winter 08 collections of world-celebrated designers, straight off the runways of Paris and New York, ready-to-order in Singapore.

Read more about the Singapore Fashion Festival 2008.

Who’s Showing What?

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON
Matthew Williamson is a unique success story. Ten years after setting out on his own as a fashion graduate from Central Saint Martins in 1997, he has a store in the heart of Mayfair, his collections are worn by celebrity clients including Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Sienna Miller, and he is Creative Director at Pucci.

His career was celebrated last year with an exhibition at the Design Museum in London: an overview that presented his most iconic designs and deconstructs the process behind his work, illuminating his distinctive use of pattern, print and colour. Matthew Williamson arrives in town with a showcase of his Spring/Summer 08 collection as well as an Asian preview of his Autumn/Winter 08 collection.

KEVIN CARRIGAN
Creative Director of ck Calvin Klein, Kevin Carrigan, flies in to headline the Closing Show with his Spring/Summer 08 collection. Bringing minimalism to a new level of sexy, British-born Carrigan is known to immerse himself in every aspect of the brand’s design and image, producing pieces that are perfectly synchronized and straight to the point.

Since taking over the reins as Creative Director, Carrigan has continued to drive the iconic American brand forward with effortless style and classic modernity. The tent will be transformed into a chic ck Calvin Klein lounge to close the Festival with a bang!

Read more about other fashion designers.

Featured Local Designers

FLYING the flag for Singapore fashion, witness the exciting resurgence of two of Singapore’s iconic design legends, Tan Yoong and Thomas Wee, who will stage their much-anticipated catwalk shows, each a highlight of the nation’s biggest annual fashion event.

Singapore design icon Thomas Wee returns to the runway with his highly anticipated first show in more than a decade.

Expect to be surprised as he presents a collection that boasts ‘maximum minimalism’ without a single bead or embroidery stitch in sight. Shunji Matsuo featuring L’Oreal Professionnel will uniquely complement Thomas Wee’s spectacular showcase with hair design.

Read more about the Featured Local Designers.

Foreign Models List

Foreign models at singapore fashion festival 2008

A UNIQUE contrast of cultures and beauty meets on the runway line-up when a bevy of China’s top international models is juxtaposed with an iconic supermodel from the UK. China’s traditional beauty meets Europe’s aristocratic supermodel, when the models arrive in town to add glamour to the festival.

Read more about Foreign Models.

Other Fashion Fest Highlights

The Island Odyssey presented by Island Shop
Designed for those who yearn to get close to nature, Island Shop’s The Island Odyssey will showcase chic breezy pieces alongside contemporary silhouettes that offer urbanites utmost style and comfort. Known for its embroidered and embellished tunics, crinkle skirts and sexy beach wear, the label boasts a tropical tinge of modern ethnicity, presenting an eclectic and exciting wardrobe mix for the tropics.

Colour My Mode presented by TANGS Wardrobe Women
Expect creative detail and sophisticated styles at the fashion presentation of TANGS Wardrobe Women Spring 08 collection. Set to the playful theme of Colour My Mode, TANGS will rock the runway with outfits designed with modernism and functionalist design aesthetic in mind. Looking to the Memphis movement formed by a group of Italian designers in the 80s, Colour My Mode will showcase a palette of classic and versatile neutrals harmonized with splashes of bold and bright colour blocks. Featured brands include Martina Pink, Studio, Coterie, Myra b and 9 to nine.

Read more to know about other fashion events.

Satellite Events

The Red Ball
Fashion supports the Singapore Heart Foundation with The Red Ball, where eight of Singapore’s iconic fashion designers create one red dress each to be sold to raise funds for the Singapore Heart Foundation.

Read more about The Red Ball.

In Conversation
Leading the Festival’s revelations is fashion heavyweight, Colin McDowell, whose successful In Conversation series will be brought out of the UK to the Singapore Fashion Festival 2008.

Read more about the In Conversation.

‘Have A Heart’ by New Majestic Hotel
Renowned for its owner’s love affair with chairs, New Majestic Hotel presents Have a Heart, a project in which five personalities from the fields of fashion, visual arts, entertainment and society will customise a Verner Panton Heart Cone Chair each.

Read more about this fashion event.

A Celebrated Moment of 1938 by NAFA and the National Museum of Singapore
In conjunction with its 70th anniversary celebrations, NAFA presents A Celebrated Moment of 1938, a fashion design competition jointly organized with the National Museum of Singapore (NMS). Twenty NAFA student finalists will bring the glamour and romance of the 1930s to life through the designs. The joint partnership between NAFA and NMS will be brought to a dazzling finale through a presentation of the 20 finalists’ outfits in a fashion show, followed by a display of the illustrations and outfits at the museum.

Zouk Flea & Easy – The Fashion Elite Edition
In conjunction with the Singapore Fashion Festival 2008, Zouk is holding its ever popular quarterly flea market with a twist. Bringing together Singapore's fashion elite –stylists, fashion designers, magazine editors, writers, models and celebrities – to sell their wares, the Zouk Flea & Easy Fashion Elite Edition promises to be an afternoon of fun for fashionistas and treasure hunters alike!

Swedish : Style the Singapore : Way
In an exciting collaboration between east and west, where emerging talents meet established ones, LASALLE College of the Arts presents Swedish : Style the Singapore : Way, an exciting fashion show of collections by contemporary Swedish and Scandinavian designers, supported and directed by STYLE:NORDIC. Captivating the imagination with a new way of telling “A Swedish Fashion Story”, this collaboration will be held in conjunction with Singapore Fashion Festival.

Shopping Malls
Set on engaging the nation with fashion fever island-wide, the Festival’s official schedule will also encompass a wide range of fashion retail activities. Enjoy world-class runway shows of top fashion brands brought to you by Paragon, Raffles City, The Centrepoint and VivoCity.

For more information, please visit 88DB Lifestyle or www.singaporefashionfestival.com.

Shop For Fashion

Fashion by Asean designers at Raffles City trunk show; local indie labels at Zouk

WE are temporarily interrupting our offer to you to Shop For Services so you can Shop For Fashion this weekend. It’s Singapore Fashion Festival, people — time to go out, get some sun and invest in next season’s wardrobe.

Our favourite shopping mall, Raffles City, is holding its own fashion show, called “Asia Wow,” featuring four Asean designers from Indonesia (Kiata Kwanda), Hong Kong (Kanchan Panjabi), Philippines (Jun Escario) and Singapore (Teddy Or).

All the runway clothes designed by the designers will be for sale at the trunk show on 29 and 30 March (Indiana Room, 4/L Raffles City Convention Centre). Also available will be jewelry and accessories by Atelier Avatar by Gil Carungay from Philippines, Red Island by arts@works with 7 jewelry designers from Tasmania, Zeus by Tal Cohen (men’s jewelry) and Her Glass Slipper.

Read more about the Singapore Fashion Festival.

Know Of A Diaper Cake Baker?

34-year-old Siti Mariam shares some secrets on being in the baby gift business
By Mavis Ang

DIAPER cakes have been around for more than a decade, but only gained global recognition when Carrie presented Miranda with a huge blue one for her baby shower in the TV series Sex and the City.

These non-edible cakes are made up mainly of rolls of diapers, and are usually adorned creatively with towels, bibs, baby shoes, stuffed toys. They are popular baby gifts at baby showers — a Western tradition where friends of soon-to-be-parents get-together and present the couple with gifts for their baby.

Read more about Diaper Cakes.

Last Chance To Jam With The Rakes

Exclusive Heineken music group runs contest for rare tickets to UK band’s concert
By Mavis Ang

THE people at Heineken Green Room (HGR) are playing hard to get. Set up as an exclusive community of trendsetters and leaders among the local music scene, HGR has been holding invite-only events which common music-loving folk like us can only dream of attending.

HGR elevates Singapore’s nightlife scene to steeper heights with live music and a DJ set from UK art-rockers The Rakes for the next HGR session at Zouk on March 27. It marks the first South East Asian performance for The Rakes, but for the HGR team, it’s just yet another exceptional event put together.

Read more about the Heineken Green Room.