From inspirational actresses and fashion trends you can actually wear, to F&B outlets that have changed the way we eat… it’s been a year to remember. By Tan Min Yan.
From inspirational actresses and fashion trends you can actually wear, to F&B outlets that have changed the way we eat… it’s been a year to remember. By Tan Min Yan.
The rise of the flat shoe
Our feet heaved a collective sigh of relief as the fashion industry turned its attention to chic ballerina flats, sporty sneakers and chic pool sliders, granting us some respite from towering heels. Footwear that’s both fashionable and super-comfortable? We were so there. And we still are!
Hot dudes doing everyday stuff
Yes, we know that good-looking men go through the motions of everyday monotony like we mere mortals do, but we’d still like to thank the people behind the Instagram accounts @hotdudesreading, @menandcoffee and @hotdudeswithdogs for documenting all these humdrum slices of life and making them sexy. If we imagine hard enough, we can really see ourselves running into one of these hunks at Starbucks…
Nadia rahmat
A virtual unknown (a local girl, no less!) plucked from obscurity to front a major fashion campaign - it was the sort of news that set the imaginations of wannabe models in Singapore spinning. Earlier this year, 24-year-old Nadia Rahmat, with her FKA Twigs - esque swagger and braids, had everyone on our Red Dot talking when she beat almost 400000 other hopefuls in an Instagram casting competition to become one of the 11 fresh faces featured in Marc by Marc Jacob's Spring/Summer 2015 campaign. Nadia is now the only Singaporean represented by British modelling agency Nevs. How's that for #SGPride?
A brand-new look for gucci
When current creative director Alessandro Michele took over the designing reins at Gucci from Frida Giannini, he was a relative unknown – who then went on to make headlines for all the right reasons. Alessandro’s vintage-loving and cool eccentric style means that the fashion house now boasts signatures like mismatched separates, classic shoes with quirky details, and chunky rings – a dramatically different aesthetic from before. Fashion buffs have even identified a new It bag from his collection: the Dionysus, a chain-style number with vintage touches like a tiger-inspired clasp, floral prints and embroidery. A sign of bigger and better things to come? We say yes!
Move over, international celebrity chefs
Call it the #SG50 effect, but we love how much attention local chefs and cuisine (finally, and deservedly) received in a wave of national pride. Not because of any tiresome, bandwagonhopping food promotions, but for the boundary-pushing reinterpretations of local fare by the likes of Willin Low (Wild Rocket) and Han Liguang (Labyrinth), plus homely nosh with elegance by Violet Oon (Violet Oon Singapore). We hope the love is here to stay even beyond our Golden Jubilee year.
Women pushing boundaries
In 2015, these inspirational women broke through the glass ceiling in their careers, thereby highlighting the importance of diversity of representation in the media. We’re sadly still years away from achieving true equality, but these breakthroughs show that we’re at least moving in the right direction.
Misty Copeland
Despite being told many times that she’d never go far in her career “based on [her] body type, pedigree and background”, Misty Copeland (above, main) became the first black ballerina named principal dancer by the American Ballet Theatre earlier this year. “I had moments of doubting myself and wanting to quit because I didn’t know there’d be a future for an African-American woman to make it to this level,” she said. Now, she’s making use of her powerful position to bring diversity to the industry – “to be that voice and to make change in the classical ballet world”.
Constance Wu
Playing the lead role in Fresh Off the Boat, the second-ever Asian-American-centric drama on TV, Constance (left) sees it as an opportunity for the community to “rewrite its own history” in the US. “By trying to be accepted by that [white American history] framework, we’re already putting them at a higher level than us – and they’re not. It’s just a different story. So let’s start telling our stories.”
Viola Davis
When the Oscar-nominated actress (above, right) became the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder in October, she gave a speech that brought many to tears. “The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity,” she said. “You cannot win an Emmy for roles that simply are not there.”
Silly catfights no more
Know what we really, really liked in 2015? That women celebrities are rising above the petty feuds (mostly) cooked up by the tabloids and starting to openly express their support for one another. Even better, they’re calling on females around the globe to do the same. After all, why waste time tearing each other down, when we could be banding together to do great things? Let these women tell it like it is…
“We’re talking about trying to bridge a gender gap that’s been a problem for a really long time. Yes, we’re actually getting better at it – salaries are getting better, there’s more and more women moving into leadership in the world, which is wonderful – but we also have to be kind to each other and support each other.” – Jennifer Morrison
“The women in my life shaped me into the woman that I am today. But the most important lesson that they all taught me is to take care of other women, support other women. Your girls are the most loyal people in your life. They will always be there. They will never leave you.” – Jennifer Lopez.
“When there’s an industry devoid of women, there’s a tendency for women to feel like they have to protect their spot, like there’s not enough room in town for both of us. We need to break that down and support each other, because as my dad always says, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats’.” – Lena Dunham
“Why do we have to tear other women down to build another woman up? It drives me crazy. Like, this one looks great without her makeup but that one doesn’t look good without her makeup, and it’s all just judgment and assault.” – Reese Witherspoon
Bigger and bolder than before
Thanks to dramatic (yet achievable) runway looks from Tadashi Shoji’s Fall 2015, Dior’s Fall 2015 and Fendi’s Spring 2015 shows, we were inspired to take our eyeliner game to the next level. At Tadashi Shoji, glitter and sequins were pasted onto eyelids to form the shape of winged eyeliner, while strips of corn ower-blue leather were used at Fendi. Bring on the drama!
