Three women in their 20s, 30s and 40s put their fresh spin on timeless style BY AARON KOK
Three women in their 20s, 30s and 40s put their fresh spin on timeless style BY AARON KOK
On The Prowl
A white T-shirt and blue denim are perfect companions for a bold tiger striped skirt.
Earrings, $1,090, from Mary Katrantzou x Atelier Swarovski. T-shirt, $23.90; and skirt, both from Topshop. Bustier, $505, from Maryling. Necklace and bangles, Gabby’s own.
GABBY SONG , 2 9
Freelance Communications Manager
Easily spotted from a mile away (thanks to her gorgeous technicolour hair), Gabby isn’t one to shy away from a bold fashion statement. But as much as she has a brave and unwavering love for unique pieces, she’s grounded in her love for classic pieces. Arriving for the interview in a perennially stylish black jumpsuit, the style setter dishes out her style mantras.
Describe your style for us.
“Comfort comes first for me. I never skimp on feeling comfortable in my clothes. I like to incorporate something bright and eye-catching into my look, be it a print or texture. If I’m wearing darker colours, then I will try to bring in that brightness through my jewellery and accessories.”
What are you looking out for when you go shopping?
“I tend to gravitate towards unique colours or prints. Often, the struggle I have is finding the perfect colour, because sometimes the tone is wrong or it doesn’t work with my skin tone. Even the way an item is cut, and how it fits me can inform the way I shop. There has to be something interesting about it that I can identify with.”
What is one item in your closet that you still love to this day?
“I cannot live without my white shirts! I have them in various cuts, various lengths, and ever various collars. They complete an outfit, and you can bring it from a casual setting to a formal setting so easily.”
Timeless style means…
“Being comfortable in your own skin.”
"I like to incorporate something bright and eyecatching into my look, be it a print or texture."
1 THE REINVENTED DENIM JACKET Jacket, $1,660, from Balenciaga. 2 THE TEXTURED EARRINGS Earrings, $19.90, from Mango. 3 THE DISTRESSED SNEAKER Sneakers, $560, from Golden Goose Deluxe Brand.
Sharp Thinking
Pantsuits? Snooze. The skirt suit provides you with equal power without compromising on femininity.
Earrings, $799, from Tabitha Simmons x Atelier Swarovski. Jacket, $790; and skirt, $395, both from Sandro. Polo knit, $74.95, from H&M. Shoes from Tory Burch. Bag (on table) from Loewe. Watch and ring, Lucinda’s own.
LUCINDA ZHOU , 3 0
Co-founder of Ohvola
Between juggling her newly-opened brick-and-mortar shop, a growing fashion empire and taking personal time to refocus, Lucinda is a busy woman. But even as she leads her fashion label on to greater heights, she keeps herself grounded in the way she chooses to dress herself by embracing feminine pieces and mixing it up with high-street classics.
What have you been busy with lately?
“I’ve been working on my new retail space at Orchard Gateway, which we’ve been operating for about six months. Also, Ohvola has hit the 50,000 mark in followers, so we’ve got some special events planned to give back to our customers.”
Can you take us through a day in your life?
“Typically, I head into the office to get started on some work. We get new products in twice a month, so most of the time, I head over to oversee the shoots as well. Then I attend business meetings all through the afternoon, before I wrap my day up with a store visit. It’s a long day!”
Describe your style for us.
“I’d say I’m quite feminine, and I like pieces that are more classic. Usually I prefer solid colours, but I am partial to prints once in a while, as long as they are a bit more muted. I love this checkered suit, and the addition of those earrings really helps round it off with a sense of class and femininity.”
Timeless style means...
“It can be a look or a piece that remains accessible, throughout the years. I see it as style that can be referenced for years from now, because it maintains a sense of class.”
"Timeless style can be a look or a piece that remains accessible, throughout the years."
1 THE ABSTRACT EARRINGS Earrings, $39.90, from Pomelo. 2 THE TAILORED COAT Coat, $4,038, from Chloé. 3 THE SCULPTURAL PUMPS Shoes, $149, from Topshop.
Checking In
Invigorate your checked outerwear by mixing it with another menswear fabric.
Coat, $116, from Topshop. T-shirt, $14.90, from Uniqlo. Pants from Gucci. Necklace; bracelet with charms; and rings, all from Pandora.
WING CHAN , 46
General Manager
Finding a way to make frou-frou pieces work for her high-speed lifestyle isn’t easy, but Wing is always beautifully put together in a way that never tries too hard. No matter what she’s busy with – whether it’s at a business lunch or visiting her stores – Wing knows how to make her clothes work for her in a way that reads as classically chic.
Take us through a day in your life.
“On a work day, I usually get in to the office around 8 in the morning, so I can get a bit of a head start. I do take some time off during lunch to indulge in some retail therapy, because my busy schedule rarely permits me time to visit stores for actual shopping. After work, my evenings tend to vary, whether it’s yoga or going for a facial. I’ve just started yoga again after two years of putting it on pause, because I find that it is increasingly important for working women to take some time out for self-care and to find a balance between work, family and personal time.”
Describe your style for us.
“I think my style is more romantic, but I try to still keep it modern. When I was a child, my mother used to dress me up in very boyish outfits [laughs]. It was short hair and pants all the way through my childhood, and I was never sure why. So when I started to dress myself, I told myself I would go full-blown feminine. So now, it’s all about feminine fabrics, cuts and colours.”
When you shop, do you pay a lot of attention to trends?
“Honestly, I do keep an eye out for them, but I wouldn’t say that I would rush out to buy an item simply because everyone else is wearing it. I try to think about how my purchase will work with my existing wardrobe, and I do a mental mix-and-match with the things I already have in my wardrobe before I commit to buying an item.”
Timeless style means...
“I think dressing in a way that fully expresses who you are is the essence of timeless style. As long as you feel authentic and fully represented by the clothes that you wear, then that is a timelessly chic look.”
"I think dressing in a way that fully expresses who you are is the essence of timeless style."
1 THE 24/7 NECKLACE Necklace, $159, from Pandora. 2 THE ASYMMETRIC SKIRT Cédric Charlier skirt, $950, from NET-A-PORTER. 3 THE TEXTURED MULES Shoes from Charles & Keith.
