I was recently in Singapore to attend Chanel’s cruise collection. It was a fabulous affair, but after a few days of subsisting on canapés and champagne (hey, I’m not complaining), I was craving something more substantial than a postage-stamp-size piece of smoked salmon on rye. I was also in serious need of some comfort food as I was bracing for a four-hour night flight to Hong Kong, a 10-hour layover there followed by a 15+-hour flight home to Toronto. Several people—including the woman who had recommended I try a Malay abdominal massage—suggested Pollen. (I figured this was a solid tip coming from someone who clearly had a heightened sense of the need to care for one’s stomach.) But as a seasonal allergy sufferer, I flinched when she first told me the name. “Do you mean ‘Poland’?” I clarified. “No, Pollen,” she replied. “As in the flower.”

Entrance to the Pollen restaurant in Singapore.

Pollen restaurant is located inside the Flower Dome.

I thought it was a curious name until I Googled the place and learned that it was located in the Flower Dome in the new Gardens by the Bay. The gardens, which span 250 acres of reclaimed land and reportedly cost SGD $1 billion, are a rare gem in a city whose bland skyline has a certain Ottawa-government vibe to it. (The notable exception being the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and its jaw-dropping infinity pool on the 57th floor.) For Pollen’s chef director, “Michelin” man Jason Atherton, the name is a metaphor for the growth of new ideas or “the birth of newly invented recipes and ways of cooking.” Atherton—who is a former protege of Gordon Ramsay— has a similar venture in London, called Pollen Street Social.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel dominates the Singapore skyline.

The spectacular Marina Bay Sands’ infinity pool.

Foodie hype or divine dinner: Did the restaurant deliver? Read on…

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Dateline: Singapore Chanel Cruise Collection

The quick recap in 10 words: Circa 1913 boyish chic with a ’50s colonial cricket-inspired twist.

The inspiration: Karl Lagerfeld said that Coco Chanel—and how she looked when she opened her first boutique in Deauville in 1913—was the main inspiration for this collection. The night before the runway show, Lagerfeld invited guests to the courtyard at the famed Raffles Hotel to screen his short film, Once Upon a Time. The black-and-white 18-minute movie, which reflects his reimagined idea of Coco’s life back then, starred Keira Knightley alongside Chanel model muses like Stella Tennant, Saskia de Brauw and Lindsey Wixson. (Historical note: The Singapore Sling was invented at the hotel in 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a Hainanese bartender working at the Long Bar in the hotel.)

When in Rome… I tried my first Singapore Sling at the hotel where it was invented.

The palette: Beige, white, ivory, black and navy blue.

 Key silhouettes: High-waisted, wide-legged pants, jumpsuits, long belted knit tunics, short jackets, pencil pleated dresses, graphic black-and-white jogging pants and pleated tops.

The fabrics: Cotton, tweed, latex-gilded lace, knit, crepe de Chine, beaded and lacquered straw.

What’s the shoe everyone will covet; plus the Chanel bag that stole the show? Read on…

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Cruising along…

I haven’t read Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians yet, but I feel as if I got a glimpse into the fabulously OTT Asian jet-set scene when I attended Chanel’s recent cruise collection in Singapore. Unlike other fashion spectacles—where the front row is lined with international press and A-list European and American starlets—this outing felt more like a gigantic love letter/trunk show for Karl Lagerfeld’s seriously committed “Chanelites.”

Chanel “superfans.”

There were some notable style scribes (Carine Roitfeld and André Leon Talley), one American celebrity (Dakota Fanning) and some Asian film stars (Rinko Kikuchi, Fann Wong, Zhou Xun and Gwei Lun-Mei), but the majority of the 1,200 people at the show on May 9 appeared to be A-list shoppers who wore their loyalty literally from head-to-two-toned pumped toe. While some travelled from Hong Kong, Bangkok and Malaysia, many of the moneyed set were from Singapore—a city The Wall Street Journal recently called the “world’s richest city.” According to Global Language Monitor, it also ranks eighth in the world’s fashion capitals.

At the afterparty held at the Loewen Cluster—a collection of buildings that at one time housed a nutmeg factory as well as British army barracks—I sidled up to two Chanel-clad young women or, as Kwan calls them, “CRAs.” After a little banter about the cruise collection’s chic pencil skirts, high-waisted wide-legged pants and the adorable—and highly covetable—No. 5 “fragrance” clutch, I asked them what they did for a living.

The Chanel No5 clutch. One word: adorable.

Read on to find out just how these two stylish women fund their fashionable—and enviable—wardrobes.

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The theme for Michael Kors’ fall/winter collection was “urban survival.” Kors told WWD that he was inspired to explore the sometimes inherent tension between athleticism and luxury after he had to slum it at The Mark hotel during/after Hurricane Sandy. If you read my “Day in the Life” blog series (part 1, part 2 and part 3), you’ll see why this survival theme resonated with me. I’ve put together a photo essay of my adventures from the backstage to the front row. (Okay, it was the third row, but you get the idea.)

 1: I love it when there’s clear signage! (For someone who is direction-challenged, this is appreciated. Greatly.)

2: Model watchers can always catch snaps of their fave runway stompers as they mill about outside the tents.

3. Before you enter the backstage area, you first sign in at a press table. They give you a badge and then you walk by burly (imposing—but usually friendly) security guards. (This fella wouldn’t let me take a photo of his face. I decided it was best not to press the matter.)

4. It’s always a bit of a zoo backstage, so my first goal was to find the hair and/or beauty command centre and look for my intended interview subjects. In this case, it was Dick Page (for makeup) and Orlando Pita (for hair). Here’s Pita putting the final touches on one of the male models.

What did he do for the women’s hair? Hint: It involves material he purchased in a sex shop. Check it out.

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Check out NYFW Fall 2013: A day in the life of our editor-in-chief, part 1, and part 2. Photo by ImaxTree.com.

3:45 p.m. I was 30 minutes late for an appointment to see Chanel’s Haute Couture spring/summer 2013 collection. And I was 30 minutes away from getting there. !!??$#&$ I threw caution to the wind and descended into the subway. Big mistake. I ended up on an express train headed for Queens. Nothing a costly cab ride couldn’t undo. !!??$#&$

4:40 p.m. The elevator opened, and the ever-charming Iann from Chanel greeted me. Behind him were the two “lesbian wedding dresses” that had generated buzz at the couture show earlier this month in Paris. Although the most gorgeous men in town had been hired to serve petite treats and drinks, I demurely declined. (Even though at that point I was beyond starving!) I couldn’t imagine drinking anything in a room full of a gazillion dollars’ worth of couture. The craftsmanship defied words. It was pure fashion magic. (Iann also let me know that the Chanel bag we shot for our February trend report could now be purchased for $10,500. There are only two bags in Canada, so act fast, ladies!)

I tried to take a photo of one of the dresses, but my phone suddenly died. The black screen of death! I knew that Thom Browne was my next show, but my electronic invite had vaporized and I didn’t even know where the show was. !!??$#&$ !!??$#&$ !!??$#&$ !!??$#&$

Screen grab of ELLE Canada’s Spring/Summer Trend Report page on the oh-so-fabulous Chanel Hula Hoop bag.

Click through to read the full post, including the experience of getting booted out of backstage at Marc by Marc Jacobs…

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Check out NYFW Fall 2013: A day in the life of our editor-in-chief, part 1. Photo by ImaxTree.com.

10 a.m. I nixed another subterranean subway adventure and took a cab because the Belstaff show was on the opposite side of town. My cabbie and I got to chatting, and he told me that he was retiring that very day after 40 years of driving a cab in NYC and that he was moving back to Italy to be with his wife and daughter. All those cop movies—where the veteran dies on his last day on the job—came to mind. “Please drive carefully,” I suggested.

(After taking WAY too many cabs this week, I’ve become all too familiar with the ads they play. Tommy Hilfiger, Juicy Couture were in regular rotation as was this rather fetching one from Calvin Klein.)

This Calvin Kelin ad was on regular rotation in most of the cabs I took this week.

11 a.m. Before the Belstaff show began, I chatted with my seatmate: Megs Mahoney Dusil, founder of PurseBlog. Together we lamented the fact that our feet were wet and our hair was beyond “natural” (Sorry, Guido). We confessed that we were more than a little envious of the front-row set with their perfectly dry and stylish feet. Damn them and their drivers! (Belstaff’s signature black waxed-cotton jackets, skirts and trousers also induced rainy-weather-clothing envy.)

Click through to see the Belstaff pic & read the rest of this post…

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What does it take to cover New York Fashion week? Stamina, humour—and plenty of money for cab fares. Photo by ImaxTree.com.

I’m often asked what a typical day is like for me—it generally doesn’t lend itself to the most engaging storytelling. Hmm, let’s see… I get up at 6:30 a.m. and, for 30 minutes, run up and down the 20 flights of stairs of the building where I live. (I know, it’s a rather mad form of a minimalist-inspired exercise program I’m on as part of my training for the 10K Sporting Life Run for Kids with Cancer.) I take a quick shower and then crash/thrash my way through the first pile of emails that have arrived overnight. By 9 a.m., I’m heading out the door to go to work, where I’ll spend most of the day on my derrière editing copy and chatting with contributors, PR reps or members of our editorial and advertising teams. I usually head out by 7 p.m.—provided there aren’t any events to attend. So, how about if I describe a typical—but delightfully untypical—day for me at New York Fashion Week? Here’s how one day went…

P.S. The symbols “!!??$#&$,” are code for a mini-meltdown moment when my cortisol levels soared and I muttered—or at least wanted to mutter—a burst of colourful language.

 6:30 a.m. I got up and wrote a blog about the time I spent backstage at Victoria Beckham the day before. Inspired by Guido Palau’s declaration that “natural hair is very much a trend of the moment,” I decided to leave my bed-head hair as is.

7:45 a.m. It was raining—not a light mist but a downpour. I thought I’d catch a cab to my first stop—a press preview of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s upcoming Punk: Chaos to Couture with Andrew Bolton, Lauren Santo Domingo, Riccardo Tisci and Anna Wintour—but this turned out to be “magical thinking” since every cab was taken. I darted to the nearest subway entrance and took the first uptown train that would get me going in the right direction. I got lost. Twice. When I eventually surfaced at street level, I made my way to the nearest store to buy a super-cheap umbrella. (It was a little late for that, as I was already soaked.) !!??$#&$

8:45 a.m. I arrived at the Met looking like a drowned rat; Anna Wintour, however, looked impeccable. !!??$#&$ Unfortunately, Andrew Bolton was just finishing up his remarks. !!??$#&$ Undeterred, I approached The Costume Institute’s curator for a quick interview. We talked about the punk ethos and how it’s all about seeing beauty where others only see ugliness. “Like today’s weather?” I asked. “Oh yes,” he answered. “I love it when it rains. It’s so beautiful and melancholic.” What a punk!

The Costume Institute’s Punk: From Chaos to Couture runs from May 9 until August 11, 2013. Images courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

9:15 a.m. I had 15 minutes to get to The Row’s presentation in some tony Upper Eastside townhouse that the twins had rented and decorated for the occasion. Did I make it? Read on!

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Many of the usual boldface fashion names were delayed getting to New York Fashion Week because of the storm that really never was. In any event, I had my first Anna encounter today at the Diesel Black Gold show in Chelsea. For a brief moment, I joined the street gang who track Anna Dello Russo’s every move. Partly I was drawn to the scene by her Prada shoes—which I SO want.

Here’s my street photog moment:

Scene 1: Who’s that woman wearing that amazing Prada coat?

Scene 2: I want those shoes!

Scene 3. Is it Anna?

Scene 4: Yes, it is Ms. Dello Russo. Oh, my dear, those shoes weren’t meant to be worn near puddles. It’s almost a fashion crime!

Click through for scene 5 to 12!

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The look–and the tools to create the look—backstage at Victoria Beckham.

I have further evidence that a “less-is-more” beauty mood is emerging as a key trend at New York Fashion Week. It’s been driven by another sub-trend that I’m calling the “anti-cloning clause” (more on that in a later blog). First, let’s just savour the calming clarion call to simplicity from hair maestro Guido Palau. “Natural hair is very much a trend of the moment,” he declared backstage at Victoria Beckham. “Silky-smooth blow-dried hair isn’t fashionable. Designers don’t respond to it. It doesn’t feel relevant to fashion at the moment. Hairdressers have to create a new vision for what it means to have rich hair. It’s a whole new way of thinking about hair.”

Just because “natural” hair might look effortless, the kind of style Palau is talking about still requires some work—and some products and equipment. “Every woman needs a fantastic hair dryer,” he said. “I love the Babyliss because it’s like the Ferrari of blow-dryers. Women always ask me why a blow-dryer is important, but it is. You want one that dries quickly so the hair’s not under the heat for too long.” You’ll also need some products to create the textures that give the hair its lived-in, carefree appeal.

For Beckham’s show, Palau used two products: Redken Shine Flash 02 and Redken Diamond Oil, which will be released this spring. The Beckham pony, unlike the one Palau created for Alexander Wang, is decidedly undone. “It’s not a clean one,” he said. “I pulled it together with my hands so it almost feels like an accident. A little ear will be showing, and there are wisps around the face. It’s those subtle nuances that create the overall impression of ease.” So what makes this look relevant? “Clothes today are so designed in general—they don’t need an elaborate hairstyle to accent that execution. Instead, with the right hair, you bring a breath of fresh air to the look; there’s nothing stifled or stiff about it. Fantastical hair—that takes a lot of work—doesn’t feel right anymore. If it feels laboured, it’s wrong. The goal is to have style and ease.”

What’s the best makeup to accompany this new “rich” natural hair? Read on…. 

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Hooded eyes and “eroded nails” backstage at Alexander Wang fall/winter 2013/2014. Photo by ImaxTree.com.

It’s day three after my manicure, and let’s just say my nails are no longer looking as polished as I’d like. The good news? I’m right on trend, according to Jan Arnold, nail designer and co-founder of CND. “For today’s show, we used an ‘erosion’ technique,” she explains backstage at Alexander Wang. “The goal is to make the nails look a little weathered—like this is a girl who really lives life. I’m calling it the enigma trend.”

To create the look, Arnold says they went for a monochromatic matte finish with a gradient of sandstone hues. The polish—Impossibly Plush—was applied to the nail with a fan brush. (The technique is to apply the polish from the side of the nail to the centre.) Next, she added Speedey Top Coat, and, when the nails were dry, she used the CND Glossing Buffer to remove the shine and give it that eroded finish. “The shape is androgynous because Alexander didn’t want it overly sexy or feminine. He wanted it to be functional. It also works well with the textures in the collection, in particular the brushed wools that look slightly worn.”

 Click through for more backstage beauty highlights at Alexander Wang. (Hint: Cognac-inspired ponies!) 

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