Japanese Delights

Today I am inundated with my friends visiting my fashion suite. And one of them is a Japanese friend I got to know at an arts event. :) She is really a sweetie pie. She came to visit me with some Japanese sweets and a jar of preserved yummies which she made herself. I was so busy that I didnt eat anything till 10pm in my office! Yes 10pm. And when I popped one of delicacies she bought was really delicious. One of it tasted like mooncake whereas another tasted like "ang gu kway" Japanese flavoured. Yummy and so touched!

She also bought my black Antoinette lace cardi, happy hulus tee with mandarin buttons, Meadows of Nostalgia sequinned tee, Peacock Diamonde Swarovski sequinned tee and Ballerina chiffon dress. :)



They actually look too precious to be eaten isnt it.

Flutter Fairy

Last Sunday I met a new customer at Parco. On seeing my mannequin, she came "charging in" excitedly wanting to try on the piece. On the mannequin was my Flutter dress in turquiose. This is one of my best sellers and we have it in various floral fabrics. She was a slim, young lady with porcelain skin. And when she emerged from the fitting room, everyone was wowed including her boyfriend, the Parco sales staff, passer-bys, myself and of course herself. She really looked ethereal like a fairy in our Flutter dress! It fitted her to a T and make her look very shapely. She bought it immediately. We only had 2 of each size and all is sold out! One was sold during our jewellery launch by a gentlemen who bought it for his partner :)



Apple Hong previously wearing it at the filming of U Channel Programme. Come check out other colours at Parco and in our suite. We now have it in sexy plum, lilac and black. $285 only.

Fated

I think I always share an affinity with my customers like fate's calling. Last friday, I was attending a media session organised by Parco downstairs at Octa Hotel cafe. And suddenly I just felt a strong urge to go to my brand counter to take something.

And when I was there, there are 2 customers in my shop looking around at my designs gleefully. One of them said she had met me many years back at a fair and happened to pass by with her senior marketing manager. Her senior marketing manager was really excited to see my designs. I introduced her a few designs and our Ming short sleeve jacket fitted her so perfectly like it was made for her. She bought it immediately. And before she left, she said if I wasnt around, she probably wouldnt have bought so many pieces. :)

And on the same day, she even signed up for last Saturday's jewellery launch! And during the launch, she bought a few of my jewellery pieces including a ring shaped like a tear drop and have been winning praises from her colleagues. It must be fate that I met her!


She bought this ring shaped like a tear drop. Now left the silver and gold colour. $128 only.

Water Cooked Fish

When I was travelling in China, I craved for food light in taste as everything served on a plate seem either too oily or salty or meaty. So when I saw this on the menu I was delighted. Fish Cooked In Water is the literal English translation of the Sichuan dish 水煮鱼. But to my horror when the dish arrived, what I saw was a pot of chilli oil and nothing else. I had to dipped into the oil to eat the fish. But surprisingly, the fish was delicate and very delectable.
So yesterday evening all of a sudden I had a craving for " water cooked fish". And me and G went to this restaurant LULU at basement of Raffles City with attentive service to have our dinner. It serves popular food from the various Chinese provinces and you do not have to eat in blaring discomfort. :)


Drunken chicken in wine is a cold dish. G enjoyed the tender chicken but I found the taste of wine overpowering.


This's yummy! Tofu in rich gravy with fresh prawns on top of omelette. Thinking about this make me salivate.

Doesnt this look scary??! Well you are not supposed to drink the oil in case you suffer from over-oiliness or spiciness. But dipped your chopsticks into the oil and you get to savour the marinated fish slice that is so delicate that it melts in your mouth. And they have normal spicy and up-size spicy version!


Jellyfish in vinegar. Both G and I are suckers for anything in vinegar.

And they have interesting drinks. I had my aloe vera lychee drink in wolberries! And G had The Red Dracular (which I think is rasberry with lime soda) :)

Hot Mamma

Today one of my regulars came to my fashion suite. She is really a hot mamma. Despite having 2 girls, she looked young and her dress style is funky. She can be stylish executive one day with black suit and stockings and look like lolitta queen another day with pink and ribbons! Now that's what I call fabulous dress sense. Btw she is a tax director so dont play play ah.. :)

She is one of the customers who actually supported me from day one. She came dressed in my designs on my first showcase. So touched by these customers. She was one of the customers where earlier on had to try my designs in the public washrooms of shopping centres. Lol.. But at that time before I got" famous", she was already willing to pay for my unique designs. Smilez..And everytime she reads about my achievement, she will send me a congratulatory sms or email. Thanks dear!

Today she bought 2 strap shantung silk dresses in hot pink and blue with my embroidered obis and my new black embroidered pants. And that is after a 15 min shopping spree 2 weeks ago at my fashion suite which she squeezed in amidst her busy schedule. I cant thank you enough dear for your support which contributed to my growth. :) Thanks to her and other customers which supported me so long. " Tears welling"

God-sent gifts

They said children are God-sent gifts. So is true! I lead a hectic and stressful life. Other than meeting great customers, nasty people and disappointments are also part and parcel of my business. So to relax, nothing beats spending an unhurried quiet evening with G. :) Other than that, my daily de-stress during weekdays is to spend time with my nephew (2 yrs old) and niece (1 yr old).

Whenever I reach home every night, my newphew and niece will shout out "yee yee"(aunt) in unison and start running to me for "bao bao" (hugs). Really melts my heart and makes me forget all tiredness. Usually I will feed bubu milk and put him to bed. Now he is really getting more active and it takes 45 minutes now before he finally drifts to lala land. Bubu has good motor skills but does not recite complete sentences yet which makes my sister very worried. But I will spend night time singing his favourite nursery rhymes till I "start to get sore throat sometimes". And surprisingly today he started singing with me! First he started singing the first and last word then he started singing twinkle twinkle little star..And I called him clever boy. Really happy. I felt something so simple was the best gift of all. :)

Feet problem

Shoes speak volumes about one's personality. You can wear a spaghetti top and jeans but be stylish if you put on the right shoe. But sadly when it comes to shoes, I dont have much choices. I earlier blogged about my flat feet problem which makes wearing almost any shoe seem like a painful affair. Plus I had a nasty sprain 15 years ago and it never fully recovered. Flat feet or wide feet means there isnt any arch and my feet although in length is size 5.5 but in width is a size 7!

This means I have to buy shoes 1 size bigger. And usually I have to put in padding to fill up the space but the feeling is awkward. I used to buy sandals from Rockport that are God-sent comfort but they have closed all their outlets here! Anyone knows where they are? Even RSH is not carrying them anymore.

I dont buy shoes from fashion chains anymore no matter how pretty or fashionable they look. Cos the pigskin "suffocate" my feet and they are usually narrow in the head which squashed my toes. Ouch! Walking is always painful for me. Luckily, G always gives me a foot massage that makes me think I am so lucky. :) Keke.. Since last year, I have fallen in love with the designer shoes sold at Orchard Tangs. They carry shoes imported from Italy, Spain and etc. The designs are timeless and some of them are quite comfortable. I like Jaime Mascaro for their assortments of ballet flats. I can feel my feet heave a sigh of relief when I slipped into them. How I wish I can own all of them. But they are priced $240-$450. And I also like Carparos for their classic heels (which are not too high). I own a few of them. And recently lusting for a $400 shoe..I may not have an impressive assortment of fashion shoes but I pride myself on collecting shoes now which are classic yet comfortable so I dont have to walk in agony.

The power of Thomas Wee

I like to congratulate my mentor Thomas Wee from the bottom of my heart. I hold him in high esteem. He is the first designer to be featured on the cover of Urban and given a 2 page story on his comeback at Tangs. No other celebrity and designer has enjoyed this exclusive status. (Though we have been featured twice on the cover of The Star Malaysia - the equivalent of Straits Times here. Hee..)But he is worthy of it afterall. Having started in the 80s and still spot on and relevant fashion sense at his age now, he is worthy to be called the Godfather of local fashion. At 61 where most people are retiring, he still works more than 18 hours and his energy puts people half his age to shame. The editor compared his impeccable tailoring and acute fashion sense to international famous designers.

From the times I know him, I know he has planned for his Tangs Collection for a long time. Boy! I saw how he worked. When I first knew I was assigned him as mentor, I was a bit apprehensive. Because many designers told me he is stern and caustic and temperamental. Well..he is. BUT I have never seen a designer who is so enthusiastic and unselfish about imparting his skills to the next generation. Through his "frank to the bone" comments, it make me learn and saw my mistakes. I think I was "revamped" under him. Many people do not know the pain and hardship designers go through before putting out a collection. Alot of thinking goes through from the sketches to the sampling.

Recently, I met a rude man who came with his partner to my Parco outlet. His partner was keen on my golden duchess satin cardi but upon seeing the price tag, he said " Singapore designer ah". I don't know what he meant by this. Did he mean to say it is not worthwhile to pay for local designs?? In many countries like Australia and Japan, local designers are more expensive because they insist on using their cottage industries and premium materials instead of putting production to third world countries. And these designers are supported by the local consumers.

I hope as Singapore evolves, more people will appreciate, support and be proud of local designers. Because I believe this is an essential step to becoming a cultured city.

Return of a satisfied customer

Today the daughter in law of a rich and famous family in Singapore came again to our fashion suite. She was very happy with the previous purchase and earned compliments when she wore our creations. Lovely!

She really like our embroidery too. So today she decided to do 2 custom make dresses. One Ming blue shantung silk dress where I will design with lotus embroidery and another is a sky blue shantung silk dress with exaggerated mandarin button perfect for work. And she couldn't resist our exquisite lace cardigans. She bought a black one with gold trim.

I really am drawn to her amicable and polite personality. Completely no airs! Even bade farewell to my tailor. Well bred indeed. Over the years, I have customers who like my designs so much that I design a complete wardrobe for them-from work clothes to holiday wear to formal gowns. :)

Love Letters

I like to send (and receive) love letters. :) Notes of love to people whom I like. I like to sms and call my customers regularly to know how they are doing. Over the years, I have developed friendships with my customers. I try to remember their birthdays and life happenings.

As many may know, I have a private launch of exquisite jewellery next Saturday 17 July 2-6pm. To inform my customers esp VIPs, I decide to print out a pretty postcard and personally write their names and addresses on envelopes using a calligraphic pen.(So for those who register your address with us, look out for it!)In this age of speed and convenience, business owners mostly send out emailers or pre-programmed smses for events. Seldom do we enjoy the excitement and luxury of receiving something handwritten in our postbox. To sidetrack, my first bf actually wrote me a letter everyday when he was away in UK for 4 yrs. I remember waiting for the postman everyday.

Anyway, Dannis my sales and marketing manager ask me do I want to print out the names and addresses in labels. Yes it will save alot of time. But I told him no. I want to handwrite the names and addresses on all the envelopes. So on Wed night I sat writing these mailers until 1am in my red dot atelier. So I call them love letters. I will love to see my customers again in the private launch. But even if they cant come, they will know they are remembered and personally invited by a designer to a cosy event and not just a faceless organisation.

Affordable Luxury

Designer pieces that spell luxury and class and yet wont burn a hole in your pocket. Each handmade design only comes in 1 piece. Made of plated gold, silver and enamel. Preciously handpicked and collected from my travels overseas. Prices from $89-199. I have been asked so many times to sell jewellery that complements my collection. So I will be introducing this exquisite series in a private launch on 17 July, Sat 2-6pm @ my fashion suite in Red Dot. Do support me :)

Just pay $48 to sign up and you get to choose a FREE top/skirt worth $189 from our selected range as door gift. Also receive 10% rebate on clothes for jewellery purchased. Ladies First VIP only pay $38! RSVP by 15 July. Only sign ups are eligible for purchase on 17 July.

Humble Beginnings

Fuchsia Lane had its first official staff dinner today! Wheee.... And we start reminiscing about how it all happened. To think about it, Fuchsia Lane is now about 3 years old. It started with humble beginnings.

In 2007, I quit my high paying job in marketing to set up Fuchsia Lane. I started with less than 2k without any financial help from my family and friends and no connections. Yes!! I remembered my family was dead against me setting up my own business. At first, I started selling only on website. And I remembered whenever someone like my clothes, I will bring a big bag of clothes in different sizes (since I have not seen her before) to meet the person. My earliest customers will remember this. Meeting me to try in the public restroom of shopping centre. Thanks to all these customers for supporting me since day 1.

I started selling in pushcart but I remember the 1st one was outside the National Library. And alas my only customer turned out to be my good friend Andy. Then we started at Maad fair where both G and I will be carrying loads of clothes and mirror and racks. Those were really heavy and backbreaking. Soon enough, I build up my own clientele who like my quirky re-engineered tees. And at the same time, I started approaching shops to sell in their stores- including Musuem Shops, Anthropology. But my big break came when the senior fashion correspondent at Zaobao wrote a full-page article on me and I remembered after that article appeared, my mailbox was flooded and my hp couldnt stop ringing with people who wanted to buy my creations!

So after 1 yr, I rented a small table space in a shared office. My sponsor from On Cheong Jewellery for my first showcase actually met me in the tiny shared meeting room. Amazingly, he did not look down on me but was moved by my sincerity and passion and decided to sponsor my first showcase. Then the rest will take 3 days and 3 nights to write... :)

First pushcart outside the National Lib

First time our designs are sold in a store. At the now defunct Anthropology, Raffles City.

First attempt at selling in fairs. Maad@Red Dot Design Museum 2007.

First newspaper coverage- Full page on Lianhe Zaobao. Thanks Wenyan! 2007

First private tea session. Miss Jennie Chua attended with her daughter in law. She has been supporting me from day one!

First office space. A table in a shared office. Shot taken for interview in the now defunct Vanilla. 2008.

First overseas media coverage - cover of The Star Fashion Paper-one of the most widely read papers in Malaysia. Customers started ringing from Sarawak! 2008

First solo showcase " In Love With Passion" @ Arts House, 2008. Taken with Presenting Sponsor Mr and Mrs Ho from On Cheong Jewellery.

First solo brand counter @ CHAI. 2009

First Fall Collection after mentorship with Thomas Wee. 2009

TV interview on Channel U Programme. Taken with Mediacorp celebrity hosts. 2009

2nd solo showcase "ETERNITY by Fuchsia Lane" @ION Orchard. From L to R. Mr Ho from On Cheong Jewellery, Parliamentary Secretary Sam Tan, CEO of ION Orchard Soon Su Lin, myself, Acting MICA Minister Lui Tuck Yew, Gary, Director of Fuchsia Lane. 2010

Showing Guest of Honour Acting MICA Minister Lui Tuck Yew around for my solo showcase on the Opening Night. Mr Ho from On Cheong on the right. 2010

All are Fuchsia Lane creations including Shanghai Jasmine worn by Alicia Loke (L) and Min-Li (R). 2010

Store Opening at Parco. Taken with Miss Buniga, Director of Royal Thai Embassy (L) and her assistant Saowanee (R). 2010

Taken with Second Minister for Finance and Transport Lim Hwee Hua.

Parco fashion show featuring our Ming Porcelain Collection, 2010.

First overseas fashion show. Fuchsia Lane is invited by Royal Thai Embassy to represent Singapore in the Opening fashion show for one of the most important fashion and trade event at Bangkok. 2010



(from L to R)XiaoXu, Dajie, myself,Dannis and Gary! First official staff dinner. Thanks to my great team and G for Fuchsia Lane's achievements today. But a pity, some of the team are not around today. But oh well..sure there will be more such dinners :)

I am counting my blessings. Thanks to my staff, customers, friends and people who had always stood by the journey! Although it was really a difficult journey with alot of heartbreak, tears and sweat, I had not regret it.

Christian Lacroix

Today I passed by 1 multi label boutique. To my surprise, I saw on their sales rack Christian Lacroix clothes. He is actually one of my favourite designers and one of the few remaining ones who did haute couture. When he had his exhibition last year in the national museum, I actually went thrice! He also designed for theatre productions. He did costumes with very cheap materials due to theater budget but the treatment of the fabric was over the top. He showed great talent in the details and mastery of fabrics which is the true mark of an exceptional designer.

But sadly, he was announced bankrupt last year. And many will think why did such a talented designer which sold clothes at such expensive prices go bankrupt. The newspaper even reported that he has not turned a single profit in his years of operation. Actually being in the fashion field now, I think it is not impossible. Haute couture is extremely expensive to maintain and yet few people are willing to pay for it. And to survive in fashion, you need to control costs. To do haute couture, you need a dedicated team of sample makers, tailors, embroiderers and beaders who sew for the sake of creating exquisite clothes not how much clothes to churn out per hour like in a factory. And yet in this world of mass fashion and speed consumption, few will appreciate this.

When I designed and created 8 gowns for the ETERNITY by Fuchsia Lane showcase, I took over a year. After the sketches, we did mock ups in toile fabric. Then I had to work with the artist we collaborate with to create artwork to match the gowns. Countless midnight oil were burnt. And many times, we had to create and destroy a few samples to get it right. And finally when we got the sample and artwork right. I spent 4 months looking in Singapore, Malacca, KL and Penang for the Peranakan embroiderers and beaders. They are a dying trade and nearly no one wanted to do it. I went to interview these embroiderers and beaders and waited for them to make samples for me.

After I finally got the creme de la creme artisans, they took 3 months to create the artwork on my gowns bead by bead or thread by thread. With such handiwork, it is impossible to be fast. So you can imagine the amount of manhours on it. After that, we have to sew everything together. For instance for the Goldfish In Love Gown, I had to sew 250 over Swarovski pearls. It was tedious work. After that, we have to invest in a good photographer and do test shoot for countless models to create the right look. By then, we have used alot of labour, time, materials and money.

The Goldfish In Love gown was auctioned off for $6888 by a husband who bought it for his wife. I dedicate 30% to Business Times Budding Artist Fund who believes no child with strong interest and artistic potential should be deprived of the opportunity to develop his or her talents because of his or her family's financial background. But if you think about the effort, you will understand what you are paying for. Of course, I am nowhere near the design maestro but the brand philosophy is the same.

Over 10 beaded samples are created to perfect the 1 beaded button on the gown

The smallest Japanese beads with sheen are used and sewn on bead by bead.

Over 250 Swarovski pearls were sewn onto the Goldfish In Love Gown.

Beautifully taken shots of Goldfish In Love and Whimsical Swallows. Both are auctioned off during the ETERNITY showcase

Goldfish In Love Gown was auctioned off for $6888 by a loving husband who bought it for his wife as a surprise. And 30% goes to BT Budding Artist Fund.

I hope haute couture can survive. And whether it can survive, depends whether people can appreciate and pay for the dedication to creating it.

A toast to my mentors!

I remember one of my earliest mentor was my maternal grandfather. He was a great man. My mum told me he strike business dealings and good relationships with the British. I love him alot even though my recollection of him was hazy. But I always remember he looked energetic and wore a kind smile on his face and was always dressed well and neatly with a touch of cologne despite being in his 80s. He spoke firmly but gently.

Then my aunt had a great influence on me. She doted on me but never spoiled me. She was a shrewd businesswoman with sharp business acumen. She struck profitable dealerships and took over the family business singlehandedly in a male dominated industry. She was kind but firm in her decisions. Her staff respected her. Even in her 60s now, she works everyday. She had instiled in me strong business ethics and taught me ropes of the ruthless business world. I think I inherited my business genes from both my grandfather and aunt.

Then came my sponsor- the boss of On Cheong Jewellery cum president of Singapore Jewellers Association. Contrary to popular belief, he is not related to me despite being the Presenting Sponsor for 2 of my solo showcase. One at Arts House and another one at ION Orchard earlier this year. He is like a stern father which makes his children work hard and prove their results to get what they want. Both showcases were very very hard work for me. He taught me proper business etiquette and how to handle very important people like Ministers and CEOs. And he taught me " Never speak to or treat anyone unkindly even the cleaning lady.."

And I was so fortunate now to be under the mentorship of Thomas Wee. He is one of the greatest designers in Singapore. I think his mastery of fashion patterning is unparallelled here. He taught me how to make 'clothes smell of luxury and class". I think he revamped my design aesthetics and make me see so much more. And he recently opened a new brand space at Tangs!

Last but not the least, G who is the mentor and partner in my life. He teaches me not to neglect the others around me and my blessings. While I am driven, he is thoughtful and patient. He is a silent force in my business and a stabilising pillar in my life.

Salute to these mentors and those that I may accidentally miss out but definitely not forget!

July is the month of PINK!

A colour that brings out the glow of dewy complexion and feminity. A colour that no lady can resist wearing and no man can resist falling in love with. Buy any pink design and get 10% rebate on the 2nd item! Dont miss our pretty designs on GSS deals till 15th July.

Be the first to purchase Fuchsia Lane's limited edition series of gold plated and silver jewellery in our private launch on 17 July. Each design comes in only 1 piece in a lovely lace pouch. Sign up now by reading our newsletter for more details.

A befitting cheongsam

Yesterday there were many customers coming into my fashion suite. And one of them was a radio presenter who interviewed me before on air about my Eternity showcase. He said he specially came down with his wife to choose some pieces as they have 6 weddings to attend later this year. Woah!

The wife was pleasant and all smiles. And she is a child psycologist. Cool! I picked a few pieces for her namely Flutter and my new Ming collection cheongsam (with lovely blue embroidery) and Shanghai Jasmine. They were quite spoilt for choices as all the pieces fitted her so perfectly. And a befitting cheongsam requires an exact fit and classy fabrics to prevent one from looking like a waitress. Our Shanghai Jasmine is one of my best sellers as it made almost every lady looked curvaceous when worn and every inch of the design was carefully deliberated including how many inch shorter the lining should be. I always believe every lady should own 1 cheongsam at least in her wardrobe.

In the end his wife bought these pieces. :)
Shanghai Jasmine. Black over nude. Comes in other laces. Latest design is plum colour! $389. Make to measure $550.


Flutter $285. Comes in different elegant floral prints in black, purple, turquoise and lilac.

Good staff are like jewels

Am so happy that I have a great team of people assisting me. Recently, after much difficulty, I manage to hire a retail staff who was previously managing a specialty brand store. Dannis had led his team previously to clinch the Best Specialty Store Award by STB, beating other bigger players like NIKE BIRD and Night Safari Retail. He is not only experienced in customer service but is also motivated and stylish. And he will be helping me in sales and marketing at Parco.

Got a master tailor whom I lovingly call "Dajie" (Big sister)who can translate my designs into beautiful clothes. And she is not afraid of going the extra mile to create exquisite designs. She abhors ugly clothes and poor workmanship. Have an assistant tailor from Suzhou where she started sewing as a little girl. She is always eager to complete every new design we have and she sews each piece with much pride.

Have my team of embroiderers and beaders who conscientiously spend hours and hours embroidering the patterns I design onto the clothes. Sometimes it takes 3 days to a week to complete one piece but when the gown turn out luxuriously handmade, all is worthwhile! Previously when we were creating the gowns for the ETERNITY BY FUCHSIA LANE collection, some gowns even took up to 3 months to embroider and make! Few days ago I receive a parcel of sample fabrics and laces and everyone was clamouring over the materials and discussing with great excitement like little girls opening their pressies. :)

When we have fashion shows or major production and I see all of them working hand in hand all in the name of Fuchsia Lane designs (which are handmade with time and pride), I feel so consoled and thankful that I have a great team. :)

GSS ends 15 July!

LAST 2 WEEKS to pick up really good deals and quality handmade designs. Fashion suite is open this friday 12-7pm and first weekend 2-4 July. Also find us at Parco, Millenia Walk, P2-30D.

Glow in this blushing pink Ming Collection skirt suit

Today my customer came to my atelier and she is a gynaecologist. And she shared with me her stories of delivering babies. Cool! She has bought our designs thrice in 2 months and she is totally in love with my Ming Collection. Really sweet lady and the colour of her snowy complexion is like the blooming plum blossoms. Lovely! In my opinion, she really glowed in this nude pink Ming top and skirt. The pink is not too flashy and not too pale. Just a subtle tone of pink to bring out your feminity. Unforgettable! :)

Top $218. Skirt $158. If you get it as a set, it's special price of $299!
July is the month of Pink. Look out for our Pink Promotion.

Music and books

It's the GSS and I have not done any crazy shopping. Basically I do not have the time as GSS is one of the busiest time for us because when our customers know our handmade designs are on promotion, they basically zoom down to get the best pieces. But yesterday in the evening I devoted some time to go with G for some shopping. I bought a compilation of 1930-50s French songs from That CD Shop called " In Paris". I like their compilations and have bought a few like " Passion", "Arielle Dombasle" " Classical" etc.. Whee..I like Edith Piath and La Vie En Rose. Am lusting for their Haute compilation next. Will be playing them in my atelier when working. :)

I always like old Shanghai songs from Bai Guang, Zhou Xuan, Paramount Jazz classics and oldies. Basically I like songs from 1920s to 60s. And many people think my musical taste does not reflect my age! There was once a supplier actually came to my suite and upon hearing the music played asked my tailor " Your boss must be very old". Then he was thoroughly shocked to see me when I appeared. Then my tailor joked " My boss has a young face and an old heart" Lol.. But I find these songs inspiring and soothing. So nice to listen to while reading a book and enjoying tea.

And today is my off day. So I went to Kinokuniya. And to my delight, they are having storewide 20%. And I bought a book on interior design and some fashion magazines like Milk. One of them was featuring the archive of Dior's designs shot in Shanghai. Sweet! I always like the 1950s New Look which was revolutionary in his time. I like reading design books, lifestyle and branding and stories of famous people and brands because I hope that one day Fuchsia Lane will become an international story too. :)

Yummy Durian Ice Cream

Today we chanced upon a store that sells freshly made durian ice-cream. When I asked to have durian ice-cream, the gal asked " do you want the real thing D24 or durian flavour one" I was quite amused by the question. So I said I like the real thing. I do not really fancy desserts but I always like ice-cream and durian. At first we bought only one cone. But the durian flesh is so generous and melts in your mouth with the right tinge of sweetness, that G went back to buy another cone for himself. You can find the store WH YOGHURT at Great World City, opposite Cold Storage. One yummy cone for $3. :)

Ill bred!

Today I was quite upset with very rude parents. They came with their kids to Parco and one of the girl suddenly ran into my shop. From her size, I guess she was at least 7-9 years old. And she was really malicious for her age!!

She headed straight for my pretty lace top and attempted to pull out the lace. Luckily I was fast to react and immediately grab her hand to prevent any damage. And while all this happened, the parents were RIGHT INFRONT but didnt had any reaction! Gosh they did not apologise neither did they pull their kid out to discipline her. All they did was stare into space like they had nothing but grass in their head. I wonder what their kid will grow into.

I remembered when I was a kid I was being caned by my mum for the slightest misbehaviour and this includes crying and refusing to go to kindergarten, making careless mistakes in my tests, unruly and running amok like a headless chick(which kids do all the time). Although I was resentful then, now I think my mum's discipline had taught me well and let me handle life with the correct mentality.

And now I have a nephew Bubu which I really dote on. I will find myself rushing home every night so I can play with him as he live with my parents on weekdays. I help to bathe him, brush his teeth, feed him milk every night. But once he misbehave, I will smack or cane him hard. He is only 2 but getting destructive now like he will pull the jug, throw whatever he can lay his hands onto the ground. I love him that's why I dont want him to become a menace when he grows up.

Little Bubu

Here is a picture of my nephew cute little bubu!
He is wearing my favourite hat. But he looks like a jamaican singer and suddenly I feel like eating Nachos and singing Amigos!

A relaxed evening

Double Bay restaurant interior. Nice lanterns they have.

Seafood Cioppino $10.90

Caparcio Pacific Tuna $12.90

Fish and Chips $24.90

Today G and I went for dinner at Double Bay restaurant-Australian dining at Raffles City. It's been a long time since we can go out for leisure dining on weekends as I always tend to my shop on weekends when they are the busiest. And I am a workaholic.

While I have the fashion sense, G has a superbly acute food sense both in cooking and ordering nice food. So I always leave the ordering to him. We had the Seafood ciopino, caparcio pacific tuna and fish and chips. But Fish and Chips seems no ordinary dish in this restaurant, you can choose between 6 different kinds of fish from grouper, atlantic salmon to other fish types which I have not heard of. They even analyse the fatty levels of the fish for you and you can choose the type of batter. Interesting.

Actually I was so hungry that I ate them then realise that I havent take the pictures. So the pictures I took may not do the dish justice. :)
There was very fine homemade bread that came with the seafood soup. And when I took this picture, it had already ended in my tummy. Although I prefer the soup thicker, it does becomes tastier with each spoon. And the seafood is really really fresh.

I like the carpacio as it tasted really fresh and flavoursome. But will prefer them thinner.

Although the fish and chips look little at first, they prove very filling. The batter was crisp and the fish meat firm. But will have preferred it softer.

We concluded this restuarant serves very fresh seafood. There are other starters like mussels and clams which I hope to try again. The food was decent and the ambience cosy and the food is medium expensive.

And after this we took a slow walk to Intercontinental Hotel for some drinks at a lounge while the pianist and flutist play. It is my ideal of a nice weekend to relax and spend time with G. And it has been many many moons since we had the time to go to a lounge. Happy and the warm and fuzzy feeling is still in my tummy! :)))

Cute Mamma...

I have a new customer who I really like alot. She is always smiley and kind and comes with sugar cane juice for me. But when I first met her, the feeling was quite the opposite. When she first came to my shop 1 month ago, she was asking alot of discounts and freebies till I was quite appalled. I then had to explain to her our items are priced higher because they are designed and handmade in limited numbers with Peranakan embroidery at our atelier. And she left buying 4 tops.

Then the second time she came, I just arrived at Parco to find her at my store. What affinity! And this time she fell in love with our pleated black dress and white crochet top. While trying, her husband and son will be patiently waiting and giving comments. Never once did I hear them complain. Lovely! I wish I can grow old with a husband and son like this:)

And this month was her birthday and she came the third time bringing her 2 sisters with her. Despite her mature age, she looked very elegant with very smooth skin and her smile and laughter always seems to light up the room . Today she came and I asked "where is your son" And she joked " I have to sell my son to buy your clothes." And I always say " Your husband is really nice and patient. He waits without grumbling. He must have chased you hard when young?" And she will laugh " Yes he always chase me before we get married. After we get married, we walk together. And now he always walk in front and I am chasing behind. " :)))

Nail Frustration

It was 845pm- one of the EARLY days I manage to knock off and I am trying to get a manicure and pedicure. But it seems that even if you are willing to pay, no one wants to serve you. I was at Centrepoint Nail Palette, and at first the lady told me we only have time to do a mani. There were 2 gals serving their customers and another gal who is tidying up the place. The gal then murmured something to the lady who spoke to me initially, after which, she said "sorry we cant even do mani for u cos this girl is going back home" Geesh!! It is not yet 9 and the staff is more concerned going home than serving a ready customer.

Then I hurried to Orchard Central as I vaguely remember there should be some nail shops. And when at last I found one in B1, I saw them closing the lights. And it was still before 9pm. And they saw me and said they are closed. I asked them do they know of any nail shop that is open now. Honestly, to me I think 9pm is pretty early for nail shops to close when that is the time most people finish dinner after their OT. And the lady told me "I think no where is opened now" and with her last sentence she locked the shop and hurried away.

At last I found a nail shop " Nail Bar" which is opened in Orchard Plaza. When I entered I asked are you closed. There were 3 ladies and they said in unison " No No we are still open. Welcome in" I said I wanted to do a mani and pedi and asked what time they are closed. It was 910pm. They said they close at 930 but it is not a problem at all. And with that, they escorted me to their massage chairs, asked me if I needed a drink, gave me a magazine and tried to make me comfortable. I heaved a sigh of relief. I didnt mind paying additional for such service. And in the end I left about 10pm and the mani and pedi turned out cheaper than the last 2 shops which rejected me.

My philosophy in customer service is never reject a customer. I always wait for my customers even if they want to come after my closing time. And even if I was severely lacking of sleep, and someone makes an appointment at 9am on sat I will still say yes. I remember going back to my fashion suite during new year eve's as a customer was interested in getting my designs. And last week, I had 2 customers coming into my Parco shopfront at 930pm when Parco close at 930. They tried on stuff and left at 10pm without buying anything. I smiled and said hope to see you again. At least I believe they have experienced Fuchsia Lane's customer service and will tell their friends about us. We are open anytime you like to shop :)

Men who shop at Fuchsia Lane

There are an increasing number of men who shop at Fuchsia Lane. But rest assured they are not wearing for themselves! Today I met a second guy this week who shopped at my fashion suite. He popped his head in and asked if we were open. Although we are officially open on Fridays, I was in the suite so I asked him to come in and have a look. He said he was shopping for something for his partner.

And the funny thing was I had a male friend with me and after hearing that, he too said maybe he should get something for a female friend as well. So I have 2 males looking thru the racks and looking earnest but lost. Somehow I felt it was a touching sight. Not sure why but I just felt touched for their partners.

They asked me for my opinion on what to buy. So I asked them for their girlfriend's height and weight and one even show me an image of his partner on his phone. Sweet! I picked up a few pretty stuff and the guy said ok "I will take them ALL." I am quite sure his partner will melt upon seeing them. I asked him to bring his partner back for alteration if any piece does not fit. Wheee... so now Fuchsia Lane is winning male customers as well.

Previously we have males who come to buy pressies for their partners and even mums. We can also personalise our scarves by adding their partner's initials in Swarovski crystals. And we can alter/exchange if the items bought are not right size. I think males now are becoming intelligent, with an eye for detail and increasingly thoughtful when choosing gifts. They like to get gifts that are exquisite with a touch of surprise. Gone are the days when our dad bought mum a washing machine and she squeals with delight. And when even diamonds become predictable(but of course 1 or 2 doesnt matter :)).

A long time supporter :)

Today I was so happy that a long time supporter since the day I started, sent her daughter in law to my suite to fit a gown she had bid for in my ETERNITY showcase. I felt touched that they are genuinely warm and friendly with no airs despite being famous and rich. The daughter in law had the same name as me and she was polite and all smiles when I see her-like a big sister.

She bought my pleated black dress with button obi belt and my georgette embroidered top which you can go over simple black dress or top and pants. :)
Pleated habuthai black dress. Free size. $360
Loose Georgette Embroidered Top $168. Obi belt $89. Both Free size. Black shantung poly-silk strap dress $228. Also comes in white, blue and fuchsia.

Interviewed on Razor TV

We are interviewed on Razor TV today. Was told that it will appear next week. It is the 6th time we are interviewed on TV. The first time was on Arts Central 3 years ago and last month we were interviewed on CTV (China Television) marking our first international coverage after appearing twice on the cover of The Star Malaysia fashion paper.

Shiseido Artistry

Fuchsia Lane is featured on Shiseido Artistry on facebook as upcoming designer. :) Thanks Shiseido and also my customer Eunice for linking us up! I have been using their products for more than 10 years!
Join us on our facebook too. Just search for Fuchsia Lane.

I like their The Skincare Purifying Mask. I find that it helps to control your breakout for the time of the month. And seems to de-pore your face of dirt. And you can apply the Pore purifying warming scrub first to get rid of the irritating blackheads. Arghh..

Mother and Daughter

Ming inspired outer wear-stylish jackets for the freezing office! Pair them with jeans or work pants.

I always stress that my designs are not only for a particular age group. They are designed for intelligent ladies with depth, self confidence and sensuality. So whether you are 25 or 45 is not as important as how you think and carry yourself.

And this is proven further when my long time customer (for 2 years!) brought her mum to my atelier at red dot. She has bought her mum a nice nude lace dress from us as a surprise and brought her down today for alterations and we dont charge for alterations as part of our customer service :) When her mum saw my classic and sometimes quirky designs, she was totally in love with it. While my customer looked stylish in the design, her mum looked regal and elegant in the pieces.

Guess what. Both mother and daughter went back with more Fuchsia Lane pieces. :) And also like to add this customer of mine was so supportive that she also recently modeled for my latest Ming Collection. Thanks and Hugs Alethea!

P.S And also like to thank my dear friend Aaron and Gelainza for being my hair and make up stylist plus my dear bf Gary for being the photographer for this entire series of Ming Collection shoot.

Ming Inspirations

Shantung Poly-silk spaghetti strap dress with embroidered obi belt

People always ask me where I get my inspirations from. Well I am actually very much inspired by Orientalism and Peranakan Arts. I am proud to have Chinese blood and I believe that as a designer you should have a niche and something you believe in.

And it helps that I chose to study Chinese and English Literature and took up Chinese History as a cross faculty module in university. Dreams of Red Chamber, Strange Tales of Liao Zhai, Tang poems are classics which I grew up fascinated with. I love studying Chinese poems and painting a picture in my brain.

My current collection is inspired by the fine blue and white porcelain from the famed Ming Dynasty. The porcelain features dainty lotus, peonies and plum blossom motifs with delicate gold paint at times. I have used strong palattes of blues, whites and blacks with soft pinks and a tinge of gold. And lotuses in painstakingly embroidered obis and tops. Not to forget our signature mandarin buttons for an added edgy vibe.

Mascara

When it comes to cosmetics, I like going for Japanese brands as I believe they are better at understanding Asian skin. I have been a fan of Shiseido for years and even my childhood idol is their spokesperson-Vivian Chow.

And in recent years, having discovered the wonders of Mascara in making your eyes appear bigger and less sleepy, I was on the look out for really good mascara. Because most of the time, I bought over the counter mascara and when I remove them, they made my eyelashes drop. And the thought of balding eyelashes is really scary as I have few to begin with. Another irritating thing is your pretty eyelashes "droop" after few hours. Plus some mascaras make my eye tear!

Then I found RMK Mascara. It is at a whopping $50 when over the counter mascaras cost only $10-$20 plus. But with that mascara, it really make my eye lashes stay UP the whole day plus when I remove them, I dont see dropping eyelashes. Thank God.. my eye lashes still intact and I use them everyday now. :)

Loving husband

Today I met a new customer. It was a quiet Monday evening. But I saw a guy intently examining the white crochet lace camisole with nude lining hung on my Parco rack and I was wearing the same design. When he saw me approaching, he smiled and said I have really nice designs here.

The crochet lace top is one of my best sellers. When I told him about the price of $248, he asked why is it so expensive. I explained that firstly all our designs are handmade in my atelier in less than 12 pieces. They are not mass produced in factories. This particular design requires alot of hand-stitching labour and takes about 2.5 days to complete. Thirdly, the white crochet lace is a rare fabric which cannot be found elsewhere. When paired with nude lining, it looks really sexy but elegant. And lastly, the design specialty is the top does not have any side seams.

Up till then, he was still listening intently. So I asked is he shopping for a gift for someone else. He replied yes was for his wife. And so I said when shopping for your wife, most importantly is not the price but whether it is something unique and exquisite. And he said " I will have this top then". I smiled and said " Thank you for your support" :)

Back to blogging

Hi all,

After my hiatus from blogging for 6 months, my customers have been telling me that they miss my blogging and life's little comments. So here I am back again. Afterall I love writing. With my new official website, I will be writing about my daily thoughts and happenings/encounters in this blog instead of fuchsialanemusings. So do read my blog regularly :)

New website www.fuchsialane.com

Sorry all for not updating for such a long time. But it was really a whirlwind for the first half of the year, from preparing for my ION Orchard 3 week showcase to the opening of new shopfront at Parco, Millenia Walk. And last month we have been invited by the Royal Thai Embassy to represent Singapore in Bangkok at an ASEAN fashion show.

But for those who still do not know, we have launched a new website www.fuchsialane.com since Jan. You can check our latest event updates, sale info, event pictures on our website. And do drop by our shop every few weeks or so to check out our new arrivals. We just launched an elegant and contemporary series of work wear and dresses inspired by blue and white porcelain of the Ming era. And I am so lucky to get fashion veteran Thomas Wee as mentor for my collection:)

Check us out and you wont be disappointed. Also add us on facebook (fuchsialane) to get the latest updates.

Eternity by Fuchsia Lane-Celebrating Art in Fashion and Weddings Solo Showcase @ ION Orchard Art Gallery